Here she is!

Here's the new Mommy-mobile!

Ain't she pretty?

I'm loving the back air vents. I'm able to cool the kids down quickly since they've each got a vent above their heads. No more blasting the air from the front to get them to cool off. And even though it's going to get dirty more quickly with the kiddos...I do adore my beige (pebble) interior. I've had enough of that dark grey (charcoal).

For me?

I really dislike shopping for clothes. That's why I live in items that I've had for years. T-shirts that I purchased before I had children. Shorts that are too baggy or too small. Shoes that have seen better days.

But today? I went shopping. For clothes. For me!

I went to a clothing store close to my house. They were having some sort of sale today (and tomorrow). The Bear and I went together. Yes. I brought my feisty little guy with me. To buy clothes!

I went to the petite section (only because I'm short -- not tiny in size) and found some slacks that were nice & simple. Streamlined. No pockets. Flat front style. I grabbed a couple different kinds. In a couple different sizes. That's right. I don't know what size I actually am. As an afterthought I grabbed a couple shirts on the way to the dressing room. More to figure out size than anything.

We got to the dressing room. The Bear sat happily on the bench with the big mirror in front of him. And yes. We did go into the extra large and roomy handicapped fitting room. I put on the largest size slacks and found them to be...too big! Yeah! I then put on the next largest size and these fit. They fit really well. I sat down on the bench next to Bear and grabbed a Teddygram from Bear's bag as I checked the fit. These were winners! Just to test myself I tried on the smallest size. And even though I could zip these puppies up? I would definitely not be comfortable in them.

We left the dressing room and made our way back to the petite section. I got a pair of black and dark brown slacks. These are pants that Clint & Stacy (from What Not To Wear) would approve of. Like I said. Simple front. Straight leg all the way down. The waistband hits just below the waist so it's not cutting in. The length was just right. The slacks will look smashing in 1 1/2 to 2 inch shoes. These are the first "nice" pants I've purchased for myself in ages. The last pants I purchased were khaki tapering in ones. Yes. Fashion faux pas. But these new slacks? I feel so much like an adult in them.

Now WHY did I buy these pants? Because I have no work wardrobe. Some of my shirts will still work but I definitely needed new bottoms. All my stuff is too small for me. My waist is much thicker now than 5 years ago. My final purchase? The two pants and two shirts! A rose colored suede long-sleeve button down and a blue/black/white vertical striped 3/4 length sleeve stretch button down.

But I do need to get some new shoes too. Since having kids I haven't worn heeled shoes for longer than a few hours. Now I need comfy shoes that'll take me through at least 6 hours. I still have my old work shoes but they are no longer comfortable. My feet are now wide. No longer comfortable in the basic medium width. Any recommendations on comfy casual work shoes?

Now that I've got a couple pair of slacks, I'm more comfortable about getting a job. I've got the start of a basic wardrobe. Pieces that'll get me through dressy offices and more casual offices. Once I land a job? I'll be off to buy a few more pieces. I do dislike shopping. But today? I had a good time. Go figure!

The end of September [update]

I can't believe that there are only THREE months left in 2005!

Tomorrow is October. Meaning Halloween is just weeks away. Which will turn into November. Which means Thanksgiving. Which will turn into December. Which means Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa (or whatever holiday you celebrate in December).

Once we hit October, the rest of the year seems like a blur.

But today? It's still September. In another hour or so, I'll be headed out to the Prin's school. The kindergarten and kindergarten/1st grade classes will be celebrating all the September birthdays. Turns out there are SIX kids that had a birthday this month.

Before going to school this morning, the kidlings and I dropped by the grocery store and picked up...CUPCAKES! We purchased 3 containers with 12 in each. There are 33 kids in total. The cupcakes are decorated in a generic fall design. No specific girly or boy theme.

The Princess was so excited about the day. I think she's happy to be able to have one more chance to celebrate her birthday. She's also excited to have all our leftover grab bag items in the classroom Treasure Chest. I'm sure the girls that attended the party will know that the stuff came from our house. Of course, the boys will be oblivious (since we did not invite them per Daddy's order - chuckle chuckle).

But I'll be headed over so I can be at the school when they start their 'party' at 2:30pm. I am not going to leave those two teachers to handle 33 kids with cookies, cupcakes, and juices alone! No way! Even though that'll mean the Bear will be in the mix....an extra set of hands is always helpful. I'll be on-guard with a containers of baby wipes to clean up those messy hands and faces.

******************

Oh my word!

We're back from school. I don't know what to say about kids these days. I guess I didn't realize how lucky I am to have the Princess. Some of the kids in her age group need to seriously develop their 'listening ears' and general manners.

"Kids. Sit down."

How many times did I hear the teacher say that?

"You guys need to sit down quietly so we know who needs drinks and treats."

Now when I said that? They sat down lickety-split. I couldn't believe that the Bear (who will be 3 in January) had the ability to sit on a bench longer than some of these kindergarten age kids. AMAZING!

But the kids all were sweet. I was squating/sitting next to the kiddy-size picnic table that I had the Bear sit down on. It was a located one foot from the garbage can. I had the wipes out. And they came in handy. Once they realized I was there, the kids stood in a small line in front of me. I'd wipe down each mouth/cheek/chin, let them wipe their hands down, and then let them throw the wipe away.

I hope the Princess remembers this birthday month. That she had an awesome party at our new house. That I was able to help out at her class celebration. I hope the kids in her class feel comfortable with me too. They're all sweet. I just know I could not handle being a teacher. The patience that one must possess to be able to handle the mood swings these young kids go through.

MORE POWER TO THE TEACHERS!

Don't be a monkey unless you've got the skills...

Yesterday was a good day. Busy. But good.

When the Bear ended up not napping, I had to go up and get him. Actually, I was in a full tilt RUN to him. There was the normal talking that I heard through the monitor for a long time. Then...

"MOMMY! MOMMY!"

It was in that scared voice. The voice every Mom dreads. I took off in a sprint.

"I'm COMING!"

I wanted him to know I was on my way. That I'd heard him calling for me. Needing me.

The kid? He had managed to get himself hung up. He was in the corner of the crib. He had poked both his feet between the vertical crib rails so that he didn't have anything to push up against. His arms were on the horizontal top sections of the crib. He was holding himself up by his armpits with his arms as support. He was STUCK. And he couldn't get himself free.

Oh that kid!

He ended up falling asleep 3 minutes into the drive over to pick up his sister from school. Thankfully, I was able to park in a good spot (in the shade) and leave the car & the AC running. The kindergarten gate was already open and I was able to get the Princess out of school and into the car in under 2 minutes. The little guy stayed asleep until I had to get him out of the car.

As for my interview? I felt that it went well. I felt like I was able to convey my desire for the job without being too needy. I feel that I refined what my work experience actually entailed. Reading what a person has done versus hearing what a person has done are two different things. I think I was able to convery my enthusiasm to get back to work. Back to a job that'll challenge me while still giving me the ability to drop-off and pick-up the Princess from school. The gal who interviewed me is the wife of the guy who I'll actually be working for. Yes. She works in the office but she's screening all the interviewees and taking lots of notes. I'm really hoping I'll get called in next week for a 2nd interview.

The reason I want it so much? It's in a new industry for me. It'll be a nice challenge. It's a small office so no gossiping and internal conflict to deal with. The hours are 9 to 2, so it sounds like they'll be paying me for my lunchbreak (something I'm not used to). It's an actually full-time payrate job at part-time hours. That's what I've found. Seems that employers pay less for people working part-time. It's amazing. I've read a bunch of ads and they want a person to have a bunch of tasks and responsibility...and then they pay them a low hourly rate. Ugh. If I were to ever own a business I wouldn't pay any part-time worker an hourly rate lower than what I'd pay a full-timer. That's just wrong!

Then dinner? It was fantastic. A huge slab of prime rib cooked just the way I like it (medium rare). A baked potato with EVERYTHING on it. A nice little salad with crunchy croutons. And two kids who actually colored and ate their food. Yeah!

The Amazing Race - Family

Okay, who else watched this 2-hour episode?

Sorry to say that the Black Family was eliminated last night. But they tried hard. I found it most endearing when the little guy went to fetch water and he ended up almost falling into the puddle. His Dad came to his rescue and pulled him up by the back of his jacket. Didn't embarrass the little guy either. He told him he did a good job.

Aiello Family - This old guy with his 3 sons-in-law? Whoa! The old guy reminds me of Frank from Trading Spaces.

Godlewski Family - These sisters are a crack up! What did one of the other teams call them? "Desperate Housewives!"

Weaver Family - Strong family. No internal bickering. The Mom is strong. They are all holding up after the loss of their father/husband. They did a great job. I just felt bad when their cart's brakes failed and it ran over the Mom. I'm sure it scared those 3 kids.

Bransen Family - This man with his three daughters? Seems like the girls get along. I wonder if when he looks at his daughters he just sees them when they were little or as they are now?

Linz Family - You'd think this group of 3 brothers and their sister would have placed in the top 3, but no! They overshot their 'strength' and ended up on the tail end of this leg.

Schroeder & Rogers Family - 2 parents and a girl and a boy. I really couldn't tell the difference between them.

Gaghan Family - These two parents with their two little kids...ROCK! Where the Linz family failed, these two parents hauled with no problems. It was priceless when these parents stoicly pulled their cart past the Aiello Family while the two kidlings sang "She'll be coming 'round the mountain". But those two kids can run!

Paolo Family - What can I say about this group? I'm embarrassed for them. To have the sons yelling at their Mom. And they do it all the time. It's like they think it's okay. How rude is that? Why doesn't the Dad step in and set down the law? Anyway...I guess that's how their family dynamic works. I just can't imagine if it was me. One thing I did disagree with was when the Mom said "Can we hurry this up?" when some guys were folding the American Flag. Now THAT was disrespectful.

In and out...busy...busy...[update]

I don't really have time to relax today.

I've got things to do. Places to go. People to meet.

7:30am - Leave house to drop Princess off at school

8:30am - Arrive home

8:30-9:30am - Get gussied up

9:30am - Leave house to drop Bear off at Daddy's work

10:00am - Leave Bear with Daddy

10:30am - Interview

11:30am - Pick up Bear from Daddy's work Lunch with Bear and Daddy

12:00pm - Lunch with Bear at home

12:30pm - Put Bear down for nap (hopefully)

12:45-1:25pm2:00pm - Search internet for jobs - listen to the Bear talk over the monitor

1:25pm - Get Bear out of crib

1:26pm - Let Bear loose in playroom

2:15pm - Wake Bear up. Leave house to pick up Princess

2:30pm - Pick up Princess from school

3:30pm - Princess' 5year peds appt

4:30pm - Drive home (in traffic) Meet up with the Hubs & eat dinner at Outback Steakhouse

5:30pm - Have dinner Drive home in traffic

6:00-7:15pm - Play with kiddos

7:15pm - Get kids ready for bed

That's my day. Somewhere in there I've got to celebrate my birthday too. Yeah. That's today. I'm old!

Hopefully there won't be any bumps in my 'plan' for the day. But I'm sure stuff won't work out the way I've got it set up in my mind.

P.S. And that gas feeling? I've still got it! Dang it all! I hope I don't need to let one loose during my interview! That is SO not the way to make a first impression, eh?

Ew...yucky!

Warning: This post might have too much body information for some!

---

Oh my heaven!

"Pee-uw!"

I am so gaseous today! I don't know why. I don't normally have to toot so much but (gaul darn it all!) the stuff has to come out. And boy is it...stinky. If it wasn't me polluting the air, I would be disgusted. But it is me!

Thankfully, I'm not having the issues that Very Mom is dealing with in her household.

I've got gas but the Hubs is constipated. He finally broke down and mentioned it last night.

Hubs: "I've ben having problems for 3 days now."

Me: "With what?"

Hubs: "I want to GO but nothing really happens."

Me: "You mean you're constipated?"

Hubs: "Yeah."

Me: "Oh. You mean nothing has been coming out?"

Hubs: Little pellets, but that's it."

I didn't know what to tell him. Drink more water. Eat a bunch of salad. He's an adult, he should know what to do. He should be grateful though. At least it's just 3 days worth of backup. It's not like he's just had a c-section and hasn't gone in 5 days. Right ladies?

But let me tell you that I did have to take care of my very first....floatie. Those of you with kids KNOW what I'm referring to.

I took the Bear to the park this morning. We met up with a neighbor and her two boys. We stayed for about 1-1/2 hours before it got too hot (even in the shade). The Bear and I got home and we both needed to cool down. I filled the tub and set him in there with some bath toys. I jumped into the shower (right next to the tub). Didn't take me long to get cooled off so I let the Bear continue to 'play' in the big tub. I got dressed and glanced over to him. He was bent over looking at something. I walk closer...

There was a huge log!

Yes. The Bear took a dump in the big tub. MY TUB! I quickly took the piece out and flushed it down the toilet.

"Poo-poo? All gone?"

Yes my little boy. Your poo-poo is now all gone. Down into the pipes. But I had to drain the tub. Rinse him off with clean water. Get him dressed. And then...deal with sanitizing my tub. YUCK!

Thankfully, he did have one solid piece. The second time he went today was a gooey mess. I can't even BEAR to think how I would have handled that disaster.

Crazy eh?

I knew I wasn't crazy. No where near it.

Out of the great fun of party day, there were those moments that remind me that I'm not surrounded by my parents or my sisters.

************************

After letting the entire IL clan into my home, I walked straight back to the kitchen/family room. They dumped their things all over the place (the bar area, the floor, wherever). There were a few parents (of the Princess friends) in the room.

MIL: "Where do we put the presents?"

I had set up a 'present' table at the end of the couch. As you walk back to the kitchen/family room, you would walk right into it if you continued on a straight line. I mean, you could see the table from the front door. It had about 6 gifts already on it.

SIL: "I guess right here." [she pointed to the table]

I went into the kitchen to continue working away on getting stuff out for people to eat.

MIL: "Well, let's introduce ourselves!"

She said it so loud. Her statement seemed to overpower the room and gain the attention of everyone (the parents who were chatting together) in the midst of conversation. It seemed to me that she seemed to be insinuating to me that I was rude for not introducing them (Hubs' clan) to the people who were in the room. After she said that I looked up from what I was doing. My BILs fiance was looking at me. I looked at her and smiled and shrugged.

To me? When I go into a social gathering at someone else's home, I don't expect to be led around and introduced to everyone. Especially if I've been to someone's home before. I do that on my own. I work the room. I chat with people individually. I don't go in and basically announce my entrance.

How about you?

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I was going outside when I noticed something next to the backdoor. A pair of house slippers. Ones that weren't mine. That's right folks. My MIL once again brought her slippers to my house. Granted we've got tile floor throughout our first floor which might be an issue for people with sensitive feet or legs. But she also has tile throughout her house. Is she making a statement that she thinks our floors are not clean enough for her pasty white feet? What IS she trying to say? If anything...

************************

When the pizza was delivered, I called everyone to eat. We had the pizzas and sandwiches out along with the fruit and chips. I attended to the kids and the kids' parents. The family had to fend for themselves. I turned around at one point to check on the pizza situation.

MIL: "Son (speaking to the Hubs)? Do you want this?" [she had two slices of supreme pizza on a plate]

Hubs: "No thanks. What're you doing with that?"

MIL: "I thought your brother would want it but he doesn't."

I turn to where my BIL is sitting and he's got two slices of sausage pizza. Now why did she get those pieces of pizza for my BIL? It's not like my BIL is a child who needs help getting his food.

By the time I got around to getting a plate for myself (after I made sure everyone had food), there was no supreme pizza left. I know that she didn't eat the pizza because a supreme has onions on it and she detests onions. I know my FIL didn't eat them because he's lactose intolerant. Plus, I saw him chowing on a sandwich. So, what did she end up doing with those two pieces?

************************

Around 1:15pm, my BIL told his family they had to leave (he had to meet a realtor at his house at 3pm). They all got up to get their things. My BIL ducked into the powder room for one last visit before the 1-1/2 hour drive home. There were hugs and kisses all around from both kidlings. My FIL went outside. My MIL was at the front door and looked around.

MIL: "Where is my son (my BIL - of course she used his name here)?"

BIL's fiance: "Oh, he went to the bathroom."

MIL: "What's taking him so long?"

Then she turns in my direction.

MIL: "I mean, you have three bathrooms don't you?"

First of all? I'm not my BILs keeper. Secondly. I'm not going to deny anyone who is smart to use the bathroom before they take a long drive. Thirdly. Who knows what kind of business (number 1 or number 2) he was doing in the bathroom. Fourthly. What does the number of bathrooms have to do with the amount of time he's taking IN the bathroom? It's not like there were a ton of people still at the house. There was one neighbor gal and about 4 kids.

Of course, I ignored her statement. I glanced over to my BILs fiance and smiled. And then walked away. Just in time to walk by my BIL who had just finished up whatever business he had in the powder room. I gave him a hug.

Me to BIL: "Thanks for coming. Have a safe trip home."

************************

Now some might say this is a total bitch session by me. But I am not the only one who was witness to her not-so-pleasant attitude. One of my neighbors (she's Filipino - I'll reference her as FN from now on) talked to me after Hubs' clan left (once my BIL made it out of the powder room - ha!). FN was witness to the Hubs clan exit from our home. She saw and heard my MIL in the situation listed above.

FN stated that when Hubs clan walked into the family room she got her first glimpse of my BIL.

FN: "Wow, you look just like the Hubs!"

MIL: "No he doesn't!"

FN was surprised by this. Especially since it wasn't coming from my BIL. The person who she was speaking to. Just then my Neighbor Across the Street (NATS) came in. He glances over at Hubs clan.

NATS: "You and the Hubs really look alike!"

Of course, FN was giggling inside by this. Both she and NATS said basically the same thing upon seeing my BIL for the first time. It was their first time meeting all of the Hubs family. My MIL went on to say that it is known that the Hubs looks like her and my BIL looks like my FIL.

Okey-dokey. FN said that I was really nice to my MIL. Based upon the behavior and comments my MIL made upon their first meeting, FN doesn't have the best impression of my MIL.

FN: "Dang! I know if anyone in my husband's family acted that way they would not be welcome in my house. EVER."

Let me say that FN did ban her husband's sister from her home for about 9 months after a major disagreement. The two have long since made up - as her husband's sister lives 2 houses down from her in our subdivision.

************************

I know there are a lot of you who have terrific ILs. Sis#2 has fantastic ILs. I love Sis#2's ILs. The entire clan. My BILs entire family includes my folks, LilSis, me, the Hubs, and the kidlings in all their gatherings. We're a part of them. Being around Sis#2s ILs is like being around my folks and my siblings. It's fantastic. Seriously.

I had wished my relationship with the Hubs family would develop the same way. But it hasn't. I can't put myself out on a limb anymore. I'm tired of being ignored when I speak. I'm tired of the snappy remarks. I try hard to ignore everything. To let it slip away and not bother me. But it does.

My MILs behavior chips away any hope of a great relationship. Every time she acts like she is prone to I take another step away. But I can't back away too much. She's the grandmother to my children. I never speak ill of her in front of the kidlings. Her personality might grate on nerves but I try to put up a good front. For my children.

That's what being a parent is about, right? Teaching our children to deal with other people. To be respectful. To duke it out with silence instead of yelling. To be good people.

But I just know that I'm not crazy. She is. Na-ne-na-ne-na-na! he-he-he-he....

Why am I awake? [update]

It's 12:01am on Sunday night/Monday morning people.

WHY is my brain & my body still up?

I didn't have any caffeine since about 10am. Must be the tension and stress about finding a job. A good job. One that'll let me pay my current bills and my past bills, while saving some money.

Or else I need to win the lottery.

I have a first interview this Wednesday at one place. I hopefully will get a call for a 2nd interview from the company I had my first interview 1 1/2 weeks ago.

I'm visiting a daycare place tomorrow with the Bear. It's near the house. Hopefully he'll like the facility and the people there. I'm thinking I'll get him started on Tuesday if the Hubs okays it. This way I can concentrate on finding a job -- not having to worry about who will watch the Bear while I'm looking for work.

What's worse is that I was awakened at 4:45am this morning by the Hubs' hand knocking the side of my head. His alarm had just sounded and he was reaching to turn it off.

Um. Honey? Your alarm clock is not in the middle of the bed. It's on the other side!

Party day!

Fun was had by all.

I woke at 6am to the Bear's calling for the day to start.

"Oh-mea?"

He got to eating while I rearranged the sectional. I turned it from a U-shape facing the tv to a U-shape faced away from the tv. There would be NO tv watching at this party. Plus having the sectional faced away from the tv made it such that whoever sat on the couch was facing whoever was in the kitchen and the breakfast nook. It was no longer separating people.

I cleaned the powder room and swept the downstairs by the time the birthday girl awoke from her slumber. She and I chatted while I cut up the fruit and rearranged the refrigerator for what was to come.

The Hubs hauled himself out of bed and got to the store at 9am. He got the cake, ice and some deli-made roast beer, turkey, and ham sandwiches. Sandwiches? Yes. For the parents who must be tired of consuming pizza at all the birthday parties they have to attend. Yes. We did have pizza delivered for the kidlings. They NEVER seem to tire of pizza.

The cake awesome.

We also had the Princess jumping castle with turrets. It was a great sight. We have view fencing. So anyone driving up the road could see the castle. There was no question as to where our house was for all the people who'd never been here before. What was nice was that the crew dropped the castle off 30 minutes earlier than they were scheduled. They picked it up 15 minutes later too. So the Princess (and I) had a blast during the extra time.

For some odd reason, the Bear did NOT want to go in the castle. He jumps on the beds. He jumps on the couch. But he did not want to jump in the castle. He had fun throwing and hitting the twenty 3" balls I blew up and threw out into the backyard.

Every child was offered a lei upon entering our house. But once the kids starting arriving, it was a free for all. They were upstairs. They were downstairs. They were out in the backyard jumping. Utter chaos for a bit but nice. At least they all room to roam. We had 10 kids in attendance so they needed space. Even the adults had space to relax. The couch. The barstools. The breakfast table. The chairs on the patio.

I set out the tortilla chips with cold salsa and with warm spinach-artichoke dip. The spinach-artichoke dip was consumed in no time flat. But alas I only had the one serving. I had purchased it from the store and not made it fresh. Had I known that the adults would enjoy it I would have bought more of it! I also set out a fruit plate (dark seedless grapes, cut strawberries & nectarines). Yummy!

The pizza arrived and everyone dug into the food. It got SO much quieter once all the kids had plates in front of them. The volume got down to a low rumble. But it didn't take the kids long to fill their tummies. I set out some paddleballs and bottles of bubbles in the backyard.

Gift opening was crazy. All the kids crowded in to check out what was inside each box/bag. The photos I took were chaotic. The Hubs could barely make out who each gift was from and what each gift actually was. But it's the age. It's to be expected. All the kids were excited.

Cake and ice cream were next. The kids crowded around the table. I was able to light the #5 candle and start singing. The kids chimed in a second after I started to sing. You should have seen them pounce on the decorations on the cake! The stuff I wanted to save! I have the cake toppings from all of my kids birthday cakes. I was able to gather most of the decorations once they were all occupied with getting a sugar fix. Thankfully, I did select a cake that was half chocolate and half vanilla. Some of kids had definite ideas on what flavors they enjoy. I couldn't believe that some of the kids didn't want ice cream!

By the time 90% had left, I realized it was all a blur. I had been setting out food. Making sure the kids were not getting into trouble. Touching base with the kids' parents. Does this happen to you when you host a kids' party? That you're a whirlwind of activity and don't remember it all?

Last year when we had just moved here. The Princess had just started preschool a few weeks before her birthday came around. We weren't sure who we should invite. We opted to just have a family party up at my BILs house. So I do hope that this party made up for the lack of a friend party last year.

I'm really glad we organized the big blow-out party. I hope they each had a good time. To tell you the truth, I really don't care of any of the adults had a good time. I know that I made sure to spend time with each of the parents of my daughter's friends. But I wanted the party to focus on the kids. It was a kids' party. I wanted the kids and my Princess to have a good time. Hopefully they did. I know that the Princess did!

ICE

You think we ran out of ice at the party?

No. No. No.

This is about "ICE". Have you heard about this? It stands for "In Case of Emergency".

There is an effort to have this spread nationwide. To all cell phone users. That we each program a couple ICE numbers into our cells. This way emergency crews (fire, police, paramedics, hospitals) know who to call in the event we are unconscious.

The suggestion to put it under "ICE -- name" is great. This way the people who are helping know that number is who they need to call. I mean, I have my hubby under "Sweetie". But would I want him to be called first? Yes. But anyone helping me (if I were unable to speak for myself) wouldn't necessarily assume that. They might call my Dad or Mom.

I am going to program a few ICE numbers into my phone tonight (ICE - hubby, ICE - Mom, ICE - Sister). YOU please do so too!

Here's a link to an article about this subject.

Making Mommy Laugh

The Bear has been doing this Vanna White kind of thing at the dinner table lately. He'll stop eating and look at us all. He'll put his hand on his chest and say his name. Then flip his hand palm-side up towards the Princess and say "Sissy". Move his arm towards me and say "Mommy". Move his arm towards the Hubs and say "Daddy". Then put his hand on his chest and say his name. He'll go around a few times. Sometimes he'll get so wound up in moving his hand around that he'll call us by the wrong name. It cracks us all up every single time.

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Upon hearing the details of the Hubs 'nightmare', I couldn't help but laugh.

"I dreamed that we had FOUR daughters about the same age range."

What's funny is that I came from a family with four daughters. Not all the same age. But four is enough, right?

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The expression on my Hubs face after I told him what the Princess said.

"Can we invite boys to my party?"

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Listening the Bear when he's watching a football game with the Hubs.

"Hi Fi! Hi Fi!"

Translation? High Five!

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Just listening to the Bear with his ever growing vocabulary.

"Waa dewing Sisssy?" - What are you doing Sissy?

"Go ow-sigh?" - Go outside?

"No. No Me-me's!" - No nap! The Hubs calls naps "me-me's"

"Nigh-nigh Bav-har." - Night Night Braveheart (a Carebear that sleeps with him).

"Pick op Sissy?" - Time to pick up Sissy?

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Watching the kids out of the corner of my eye as they both notice I've got a slab of chocolate cake on a paper plate in front of me. At 8pm this evening. They both stopped dead in their tracks. I saw the Princess lick her top lip in silence. The Bear said "Mmmm..." I glanced over to them both. I got a bit of cake on my fork and held it in their direction. They pounced like little lions. Thankfully, they took turns relishing each bit of chocolatey goodness off my fork. As for me? I had one little bite.

Still on my search

The job search.

Yes. Haven't landed one yet. The 2nd place I interviewed at had me in the final two. The other girl won. They said the reason was because she had experience in that specific industry. I think it's because she didn't have kids.

But I will be updating my resume to target specific jobs. Administrative Assistant. Accountant. Etc. I think I had post 5 different resumes on monster, right?

I did see a job that I would LOVE to get. But I don't know where it's located. It's 5 hours a day. 5 days a week. And it's at an hourly rate $6 above what I need to get to make working work. But I'm not going to get all worked up about it. I sent my resume. I send a cover letter explaining how I could "fit". That's all I can do.

I think THAT is what is driving me crazy. This waiting. Searching and waiting. The fact that I have no real control to make people see that I'd do a good job. A few of the jobs I've had, I've had because I worked as a temp at that location. Then when 'whoever was in charge' saw what I could do in person, they offered me a job. HOW do you get that kind of thing out on a resume? You don't. So I sit and wait. Patiently.

Wake up already!

His alarm went off.

My alarm went off.

...so why is my Hubby still in bed asleep?

It's 5:49am. He should be almost headed out the door.

Dang-doodle! I'm going to have to be the 'wake-up fairy' for him?

I'm off!

How would you react?

Okay people. Here's an email. If you parents received it from your adult child, how would you react?

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Hi folks! How are you doing? Hopefully all is well.

I'm wondering if you still had plans to move out here. Last I recall, you planned on putting the house up for sale in January. Does that mean if you sell it that you'd move out soon after? Or were you planning on waiting until after LilSis gets married in May?

I'm going to start a new part-time job. We had planned for me to start working part-time so that we could save some money for the three weddings we have to attend in a 6 week timespan next year (April - May) and lowering our debt. But as fate would have it, my car is breaking down and I'm having to get a new one. Instead of the money going to savings & paying down debt, it'll now be going to pay for my new car. So instead of getting ahead, we'll be standing still financially.

Yes, a full-time job would get me a bigger hourly rate which would mean a bigger paycheck. But there's no way I could manage a full-time job. I can only work part-time because I need to drive the Princess to and from school. And I don't want the Bear to be in daycare for 9 hours a day. It's hard enough for me to imagine him being in daycare for 6 hours a day.

Just to let you know that this is a hard email for me to write. You know I don't talk about my problems with anyone. I don't put my issues out there so that others will worry. I don't like to ask for anything from you. But I want you to know what's happening. Please read it a couple times to be sure to understand what I'm trying to say.

For the past 3 years or so you've been eluding to the fact that you were going to move out here. And I'm still waiting patiently for that to happen. I hate to ask (and you know that I do) but I want to be sure of your plans so I can figure out what I'm doing.

If you are serious about moving out here, could you give me some sort of time-frame on WHEN you'd be out here?

If you are NOT serious about moving out here, then I need to know that so I can plan accordingly.

You know I love you both with all my heart. Whatever you decide for your future is fine with me. Just let me know so I can do what I need to do.

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Okay. Now you've read what's been churning in my mind.

I never ask my parents for much. I paid for college. I bought my own car. In high school I would walk. I helped with their janitorial business in the evenings. I used to pick LilSis up from elementary school. I paid for 85% of my wedding. I found all my jobs on my own. I bought my own condo (no co-signing from the folks). Same holds true for Sis#2.

Sis#1? Has asked for money more than a handful of times. She's even asked for airfare when they come out for visits. My parents gave her their old van that they never use. And they gave her an old Tercel when her kids needed a vehicle to drive to and from high school.

LilSis? You regulars know that my folks bought her a fancy car. She's never worked for a paying job her entire life (she's currently interning and has volunteered places). She gets money to go to school because my father has 100% disability from the military (which wasn't the case when Sis#2 & I were in college). She comes and goes as she pleases.

My Dad told me that they would be moving out here "...to help with the kids..." "...it's your turn..."

When someone tells you that, would you think it would take years? I mean. I need help now. If you're not going to move out for 3 more years than FORGET IT! Both kids will be in school by then and I won't need help. But I can't SAY that to them.

I'm sure a lot of you probably think I'm being selfish. That I'm an adult and that I should be able to handle my own situation. Fine. I realize that. But when people tell me things? I rely on their word. Don't tell me things and then don't act accordingly. I'm frustrated with them is all.

[Big sigh]

I just need to shake off my disappointment. Deal with it. Move on. I know....

Snippets

The football game date? It was FUN! There's nothing like screaming at the top of your lungs for a couple hours. The screaming was very therapeutic for me. All that pent up Mommy rage gushing out as "cheering for the team!" I yelled more than my Hubs! And I didn't even attend that college.

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Tomorrow (around midday) I'll be headed back to that place where I had an interview on Friday. It was actually the 2nd place I've had an interview. It would be working for a writer. She runs her business out of her garage. She's got two ladies on staff already. The 3rd gal is leaving. The writer has been doing this for 15 years, so it's not a fly-by-night operation. It's legit. It would also be ideal because it's a casual office. Meaning I would NOT have to get gussied up each morning to look presentable. I'd just have to throw a t-shirt and some jeans each day. How fantastic would THAT be? When I told her my minimum hourly rate, she didn't balk. I hope meeting the rest of the staff goes well tomorrow!

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My new car? The one I need to use for the next 6-7 years? It's at the broker. I should be able to pick it up late tomorrow or Wednesday. We chose to use a broker because I wanted a certain configuration. Turns out we aren't going to have to pay sales tax going through the broker too. So that saves some money. Once I pick-up the car, I'll post some photos of it! I am just SO jazzed that I'll have it soon! I actually looked at my current vehicle's mileage range and didn't realize how horrible it is - 16city/20hwy! Another thing that surprised us that our bank is charging us about a point less than the prime interest rate on our loan. A big but terrific surprise because our payments will be a little less than we'd originally thought they'd be.

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I've almost got all my 'ducks' in a row for the Princess birthday party this Saturday. Out of the 15 kids that are invited, I know that 3 aren't going to be able to make it. The two brothers from up the street have to attend a baptism. The one girl in the Princess class broke her arm AND her mother is having minor surgery this Friday.

Did I tell you that it's a Luau themed party? I wanted something different than the Princess theme that everyone my daughter's age seems to be having. I picked up some leis, some Hawaiian themed wall decorations, and some palm-tree centerpieces. The kids are going to sit cross-legged on some straw mats on the back patio. I still have to call the pizza place to figure out when they can deliver Saturday morning. We're also going to have some sandwiches for the adults (who are tired of pizza at these parties) and cut-up fruit & chips with cip to munch on. Oh yeah! I did order the cake today. It's called the "Hawaiian Flower" cake. It's going to be so colorful!

Today, I organized all the give-away bags for the kids. Even the ones who aren't going to make the party have one. I decorated the bags and stuffed them with little goodies. No. NOT CANDY. They are already going to get cake and ice cream. I don't think I need to give them any more sugar. They got little sunglasses. Bookmarks with the shapes of birds, fish, & palm trees on top. Pencils. Glow in the dark bracelets. Bubble containers with fish on top.

I made arrangements for a jumper that'll be in our backyard. We're going to get it at 9am so the Princess and the Bear will be able to have it to themselves for an hour or so. The one thing I'm trying to track down are some temporary tattoos. That way when the kids take a break from the jumper, they can be 'getting' something. I've still got to blow up all the small beach balls that'll be strewn in our backyard. The kids can throw these. Kick these. Whatever.

Hopefully everyone will have a good time!

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And my BIL? He is accepting a job in a different state. This means he'll be about a 7 hour drive away from my ILs. This'll be the first time he'll be living away from them in his entire (36 year) life. He and his fiancee are going to sell the house they have now and purchase one where his job will be. For now, she is going to move in with her parents while he works in this other state. She is currently going to school and wants to finish her studies before she moves out there.

I am SO excited for him and his fiancee. He's actually going it alone. No family to fall back on. It'll be a time to grow up. It'll be a time to be thoroughly independent. A wonderful growing experience.

Ra-ra-ra! Sis-boom-bah!

That's right people. CHEER! I'm going on a date with the Hubs. To a football game.

Oh yippee! [Can't you just hear the sarcasm?]

But a date is a date. No kids. Just me and him. And the 10,000 other fans in the stadium.

The kidlings will be at my ILs house while we're at the game. I'm sure they'll be running around and leading the ILs around to do their will.

The great thing about the plans for tonight? We are not spending the night. We are leaving the game around 9:30pm so we can drive (1-1/2 hours) back home.

WHY are we doing that? Because the kidlings never seem to get a restful night's sleep at my ILs house. The Hubs and I cannot sleep comfortably (on the carpeted den floor) there either. So we are going to pile the sleepy-heads into the car around 10pm and getting a short but fitfull night's sleep at our house. Plus, we always feel like we're not welcome at their house when we spend the night.

So I'll have a good time with the Hubs - even though we won't be alone. We'll be together. That'll be nice.

It's called a LINE

There I was sitting patiently at the car wash. There are 5 stalls. All full. I park my car about 20 feet back on a diagonal with my blinker on. This way I have access to any of the stalls when one becomes available.

Then a car pulls up behind me. I think nothing of it. Until the guy drives ahead of me and parks his car about 15 feet behind that first stall (which is to my left).

"Hey you. Mister. The one in the silver Lexus. There's a LINE!"

No. I didn't SAY that. But that's what was going through my head.

I didn't do anything. I stayed vigilant watching all the stalls. Then I noticed the guy in the first stall had placed both the sprayer and the brush back on the holders. I got my vehicle into gear and slid in behind the car in the stall. I did this even before the driver in the stall had gotten his car into gear.

That's right folks. There I was RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE LEXUS. I drove my car right in front of him. I didn't care that he was in a Lexus. He was in a button down shirt. He was eating a freaking donut. I knew he wouldn't challenge what I did. I'm SURE he figured out that he was wrong.

No. I wasn't scared. I wasn't nervous. When he went to the change machine to get quarters (the machine is in front of the first stall), I looked right at him. Straight on eye-to-eye. I think I let him know with no words being spoken that he was a putz.

I'm a Mom out washing her car. I'm NOT a doormat. I will NOT be brushed aside. Hear me ROAR!

Cram it

My son. What am I going to do about my son?

He crammed Play-doh up his nose.

Yes. You read that correctly. He crammed neon green Play-doh up both his nostrils.

I didn't think I had to supervise him as he's played with the stuff for a few months now. The Princess was across the table from him coloring with markers. She happened to look up at him and nonchalantly told me...

Princess: "Mom! Bear put Plah-doh up his nose!"

Me: "WHAT?"

Princess: "He put Play-doh in his NOSE!"

My girl? Went on coloring. She continued to sit there and color with her markers.

I ran over from the bathroom (as I was cleaning it). I came to the breakfast table to find my son trying to swat the pieces of Play-doh (the EVIDENCE) quickly from his nose.

I grabbed him. In a vice grip in my left hand/arm. Steadied him against my left breast as I examined the situation and extricating the green stuff from his nose. It was fresh Play-doh people. It was gooey. I couldn't get big pieces out. He had been ingenious and had split the Play-doh into tiny pieces before shoving them into his nostrils. I got a bunch out by pinching each piece and pulling. But there was still more SHOVED up in there.

"Don't you move!"

I ran to my bathroom and found my tweezers. The ones I use to pluck my eyebrows. Hey! It was the only extrication tool I had in the house.

I got that kid back into my vice grip and slowly pulled each of those pieces (that were WAY up there) out. There was one piece that was too far up there. I couldn't get to it. Thankfully it was a small piece and I left it alone.

"Do not put Play-doh in your nose. Or your ears. Or your mouth. No. No. NO!"

He was upset. But he didn't cry. He knew he had done a BAD thing. That I was worried about him. That I was only trying to help him by getting the stuff out of his nose.

That one last piece? About 5 minutes after the 'emergency surgery' I saw him rubbing his nose. That little piece had worked its way back down to the front part of his nostril. I was able to get it with my fingers.

That boy. Man! Play-doh up the nose. I'll bet I'm going to have to watch him around paste too. I don't want him being one of those kids who eats paste! E-yuck!

Making Mommy Laugh

Me: "Bear, blow on the rice. It's hot."

[whew-whew]

The kid was blowing. Blowing at the container of rice. NOT the rice directly below his chin. You know, the rice that was on his plate? After a couple more puffs of air (towards the huge container), he promptly loaded his spork and shoved the rice into his mouth.

The LOOK on his face was priceless. His eyes grew wide. His mouth shut tight.

I could tell that the rice was still blazing hot.

What's funnier? Is that instead of opening his mouth and letting the hot rice out? He clamped his right hand over his mouth to keep all that steaming goodness inside his mouth.

The Hubs looked unconcerned. He continued loading the Princess' plate with a steaming heap of the rice.

Hubs: "That'll teach him to blow in the right place."

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Watching the Bear pick up each piece of steamed veggie and shove it into his mouth. Each one. Independently placed into his mouth.

What was funnier was how he ate the lima bean. He picked it up. Observed it. Held the one end between his thumb and pointer finger. And took a ever so tiny bite out of the exposed end. He chewed a bit. Contemplated the taste. Then shoved the rest of the lima bean into his mouth.

Thank goodness the kid now eats all the items in the mixed vegetable frozen mix! Now if we could only get him to eat some steak or some shrimp!

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As we walked through Wally-World, I turned around and saw the 'look' on the Bear's face.

Me: "Bear. Are you going poo-poo?"

Bear: "No. No poo-poo."

His knees are slightly bent. His shoulders are slightly rolled forward. He's got that holding his breath look on his face. OBVIOUSLY he is doing something.

Me: "Okay. Well, I'm headed this way."

I start to walk slowly towards the cards & wrapping paper. I turn around and watch the Bear walk. He's walking all rigid and stiff. Like something is poking him in his bottom. A big wedgie.

It was a big piece of poo-poo! I couldn't believe he was trying to deny it. Oh that boy! I, of course, took care of the mess once we got to the car about 5 minutes later. He was all fresh and clean for the ride home.

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Princess: "Mommy? Hector from the kinder-first class sat at the lunch table with me today."

Me: "Oh yeah? Is he one of your friends?"

Princess: "Yes. One of the boys at lunch said something not nice."

Me: "Oh really? What did he say?"

Princess: "M. M. Mmmm.."

Me: "What WORD did he say?"

Princess: "M. M. Mary."

Me: "Mary who?"

Princess: "No Mom. Married!"

Me: "Married? Who's married?"

Princess: "No one."

Me: "What? Did that boy say he wanted to marry you or something?"

Princess: "Yes."

Me: "Well. You tell him that you're not interested until you've finished college and have started your career."

Princess: "Okay. I'll tell him that."

E-gads people! She's only been in kindergarten about 5 weeks and there's a boy who wants to marry her? Geez louise! Thankfully, I came up with a comeback that she can use for a long while.

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So what have YOUR kids done or said lately to make you laugh?

Catching some Zzz's

As a kid I had no trouble sleeping. I was always WIPED OUT by the end of the day.

As an adult? I crave more sleep. I just can't get enough. Now that we have children, my nightly snooze is usually interrupted by sounds from the kids' rooms (usually the Bear's).

But HOW do you sleep?

I'm basically a side-sleeper. I mainly sleep on my right side. If I slept on my left it was minimal. It just wasn't as comfortable. Even now I'm still sleeping mainly on my right side. I will sleep on my left, but only if the Hubs is faced away from me. I can't stand anyone breathing on me!

When I nap on the couch I'm not picky about what position I'm in. I can even nap on the floor. With the kids running around me. If I'm tired enough I'll konk out with no problems. Before I had kids I'd have to be in a quiet room to take a snooze. No more. I don't always have the luxury of being alone in a quiet room now. So it's the couch or the floor for naps.

When I was pregnant, I did have a weird habit. I actually was drawn to sleeping on my back. And you ladies know that is a big "no-no" during pregnancy. I had to prop a kingsize pillow behind me so I wouldn't roll fully onto my back. So I'd lay there at a 45 degree angle on the pillow. PLUS, I'd throw my left arm up straight against the side of my head (like I was raising my hand in class trying to get a teacher's attention). I think I did this because that position opened up my lungs more and I could get more oxygen into my system. I also snored like nobody's business while I was pregnant. I remember being half asleep sometimes and hearing snoring and wondering "Who is making that noise?" Then I'd realize that it was ME!

No matter what season it is, I am never fully covered. I tend to get warm when I'm sleeping (which is good for the Hubs always has a chill in his bones during winter). To alleviate the heat, I usually stick a foot out from under the covers. A foot you say? Yup! Having a foot out usually regulates my body temperature and I can sleep. It's like having that foot out 'vents' the warmth. The Hubs always chuckles to himself when he sees an exposed foot peaking out from under the sheets as he's getting ready in the morning. I'm sure there are a bunch of you out there that do the SAME thing, right? Right?

Eyes and Ears

Every child at my daughter's school got their hearing & vision checked this week.

All the parents signed off on the testing. But is this a standard check that all schools perform? I didn't think about it until now. I remember getting my ears checked in school. But my eyes? Hmmmm....

It was really nice to hear that the school is making sure the kids are in good health. That there are no basic issues that might impede the learning process.

But is your child's school doing this?

Kids & eating at lunch

Do you monitor how much your kids eat at lunch on school days?

I can easily monitor what my daughter is eating. They have the kids return all containers and bags into their lunch bags. This way the parents can see what's been left and what's been consumed. Easy for her school because it's a small school. One class (averaging 16 kids) per grade level up to the 5th grade.

But what do big schools do? I remember lunchtime being chaotic. Everyone piling into the cafeteria within about 5 minutes. Lunch bags pulled out. Milk being distributed. The kids getting hot lunches getting in the LONG line (oh how I envied them). I remember talking and chatting and eating. How much did I eat though? I don't know because I threw away my paperbag each time.

There are schools that're trying to get their kids to eat more at lunch. How? By letting the kids have recess before they eat. You know the draw of the playground. I guess some kids were barely eating and using as much time to play as possible. Studies were done and now some schools are testing out the new routine. Play first. Eat last.

Here are some excerpts from an article:

"Prior to the start of this school year, when the lunch period preceded recess, ...there was a lot of food waste, as children tossed a good portion of their meal to get to the playground faster. Coming straight into the classroom from the heat, ...it took 20 to 30 minutes for teachers to calm them down and get them into school mode again."

"When they come in, they are more focused and ready, not wound up."

"From conversations I hear, they're eating more of their lunch. I don't hear complaints that they're hungry."

"Parents have noticed the children are eating more of their lunches, and there are less students feeling sick."

I guess having recess first gets out all their extra energy that's been pent up. They expel that energy and realize they are hungry. They'll sit and eat. And drink. Because (of course) kids play hard and need to rehydrate themselves. Just the act of eating before returning to class helps them settle down. Ready to concentrate for an afternoon of instruction. It's such an easy change. Simple. Why wasn't it done before?

What do you think about this business of playing first and eating last?

And the prices just keep climbing!

Filled my SUV with fuel today.

Just a bit over 12 3/4 gallons of regular unleaded...

I paid over $37 dollars for it. THIRTY-SEVEN!!!

What did YOU pay for gas this week?

My first interview!

I received my first call for an interview! It's scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30pm.

What's great about this is that the employer is less than 2 miles away from my house. I'd be able to stay close to home. Close to the Bear's daycare. Close to the Princess' school. Close to the neighborhood school (since I'm the 3rd call person on their emergency cards--just after both the parents). This way I'd be available for everyone in the event of an emergency of any kind. It would be a comforting feeling to work so close to home.

The Hubs is going to have to come home early. He's going to have to watch the Bear since we've got no one to take care of him. PLUS, the Hubs will have to pick the Princess up from school at 3pm.

That'll give me time to concentrate on preparing for the interview and on selling my skills. He-he-he! I haven't thought about my work place abilities in a long time. It's been over 5 years since I worked outside the home earning a paycheck. Wow!

I've got to dig out through my files and find any performance reviews or recommendation letters. I wonder where that stuff is? It should be in the hanging folder next to my old resume information. Hmm...

What I hate about the interview process is having to SELL myself. Thinking about what I can do and advertising it to people. It's uncomfortable for me to do that. It's like I'm being...prideful. I can't think of any other word to describe what I feel during interviews. That's as close as I can get. There was a guy that I knew who had no problems talking about himself. He would pour it on. He was amazingly boastful during the interview process. Sickeningly so. But he was a great guy. He just had no problems selling himself to employers.

Do YOU feel comfortable talking about your skills during interviews?

The invites are out...well some are...

I just delivered the invitations for the Princess' 5th birthday out to the neighborhood kids. I walked the neighborhood at 12:30pm where it's really nice outside (only 97 degrees!). I delivered to the four houses (inviting 7 kids) that have young-uns that the Princess' has made friends with.

The party isn't until the 24th. Why'd I get the invites out so early? Because the girl across the street has her 6th birthday on the same day. Yes! The two are just a year apart. But I wanted to get to the neighborhood kids before that girl's parents got her invitations out. So I've got dibs on 10:30am to 1pm.

Yeah-yeah-yeah!

I know. I'm weird. But that means the other girl can have her party any time the rest of the day, right? If she get hers scheduled after the Princess' party then I'll have to boot the Hubs' family out of my house so we can attend the next party. I mean...they can stay at my house if they want to CLEAN IT!

He-he-he...I've got motives people. Yup!

I wish...I wish...I wish...

Some might think it odd that I haven't written anything about "K", but there's been enough of that on the news. Like with many awful things that happen in the world, I try not to add my thoughts into the fray. It's too depressing. There are enough comments and updates about the situation. So...

Here's a look at the vehicle that I'm wishing about. The one that I hope to get in the next week or so. The one that'll carry my kids through their elementary school years. My kids and a couple of their friends. And hopefully...my parents too if they EVER move out here.

Can you tell what it is? Can you read that tiny little emblem on the back hatch? Yeah...it's a Ford. An AMERICAN car. I didn't go with a foreign one this time around. Growing up, I've always liked foreign vehicles -- Toyota, Volvo, Honda, Saab. I liked the style. I liked the reliability. But this car? The Ford Freestyle attracted my attention right off the bat.

It seats 6 or 7 (depending on the configuration of the 2nd row -- bucket seats versus a 60/40 bench). It's got stadium seating for the back two rows (which until recently was only in the Land/Range Rovers). It's got an option for full side-curtain airbags (from front to rear). It's got reinforced doors for side collisions. All the seats fold so that if you've got to haul something long (think Christmas tree) you can fit it in here. Plus it gets decent gas mileage - 20 city/27 hwy.



Things I want in the car: Full side-curtain airbags, 2nd row bucket seats (to separate my two), 50/50 3rd row, AC controls in the back (to beat the heat in the AZ summer), the pale interior like above, remote entry (a necessity with kids) and that's it. All I want is a secure vehicle for me and my family. Nothing too fancy. I do believe it's got 5 stars in a couple of the governmental crash tests.

Some might say a DVD player is a must but we usually go on our long trips about twice a year. When our drives are less than 2 hours? We don't normally put on a DVD (on a laptop). We chat with the kiddos and listen to music. Yeah...we're weird like that. We may splurge at Christmas and buy one of those that has two LCD screens (see below) that can attach to the headrest. This way both kiddos can see what's on without having to strain their necks in the event we place one kid in the 3rd row and one in the 2nd row for long trips. You parents KNOW what I'm talking about. Things are getting so much more affordable nowadays. Buying this type of thing from the dealer (at bucko-bucks) is not what I want...especially if something goes wrong with it!

So what do you think about my choice? Anyone else have one?

New adventure

It's fascinating watching the Princess break out of her comfort zone and try new things.

Yesterday? Her class went on their first field trip. They visited the local library. They were shown the nuts and bolts of the operation. It was only for an hour and a half, but it was a nice introduction to the library and to field trips.

This morning? She actually ran around the big playground with a couple of the girls from her class. She's never done it before. I was so ecstatic for her. She seemed uncomfortable the first lap around, so she came back to me to touch base. I had her and her friend give me a 'high 5'.

"Ready, set, go!"

And off they went. By the time the whistle was blown, they had run about 5 laps. The Princess was all smiles. One of the other girls in class came up to the Princess when it was time to line up and said "I saw you running around!" Even she realized what a big step it was for the Princess to let loose.

Oh yeah! We received a progress report on the Princess yesterday in her reading folder. She scored '3A' in all of the categories - 'Meeting all expections'. I'm SO proud of her!

Being practical

Who would have thought the idea would ever cross my sister's mind?

"What do you think Dad would say if I wanted to trade in my car for a Scion xB?"

People. Keep in mind. LilSis has a Lexus 300 that my folks purchased for her.

What's amazing is that LilSis is thinking ahead. To when she and Shorty have to pay for themselves. Just the two of them. The thing is that my sister is planning on being in law school next fall, so they'll be living on one income.

"Can we (the two) afford the high car payments (of the Lexus)?"

"Can we afford the premium fuel?"

"Can we afford the luxury vehicle car insurance?"

These are the questions she's been asking herself. A whole gaggle of us went around checking out cars for a couple hours on Saturday. It was me, the Princess, LilSis (who drove), Shorty and my niece.

We all took a good look at the Scion xB. LilSis was impressed with the interior room in the xB. She especially liked the sticker price AND the gas mileage (30city/33hwy) that was on regular unleaded.

I could just HEAR her mind clicking.

I really don't know WHAT my father is going to say to her. I have no idea how he'll react when she broaches the topic with him.

I'm just proud that she's finally thinking of someone other than herself. Looks like she's taking small steps to growing up!