Good to be Home

I was blessed to get a good enough night's sleep which allowed me to rise at 5am to catch up on some blogs and reality TV.  (I actually thought I was getting up early to catch up on the extreme amount of laundry that is piled everywhere - but then I found 'better' things to do.)

I sat here, all alone for nearly an hour (pure bliss) until I heard little footsteps coming down the hallway.

He walked over to me and said, "Mommy when I was sleeping my leg got broken." As he was standing in front of me.

With the most serious and concerned voice I could muster, "Really?! Which one?!"

"Both!  Can you believe it?" And shook his little head in disgust then climbed up on the couch with me.

It's good to be home :-)

Letting It Go

I packed a little Santa hat to wear on the beach.  I laugh out loud everytime I think about it.

I haven't regularly set an alarm since October 2006.  The one day a year I set it is the night before we leave for Mexico.  Since that's once a year I'm not very good at setting it.  Set the time but forgot to actually turn it on.  Doesn't matter.  I was up two hours early anyway: 1:30am.  I went to bed at 7:30 with the help of my new found friend Tylenol w/ codeine.  My head was hurting and I was all stuffed up again/still. 

I feel a lot better now and I'm ready to get on the road  in the air! 

All the planning.  Three days of sub. plans.  All the planning packing for the kids. Five days of clothes, roller skates, boosters, bathing suites, etc.  On top of it all not feeling good.

My house is a mess.  My poor grandma's disappointment in her granddaughter's housekeeping skills will yet again be upped even more. 

But what matters most is letting it all go.  It usually takes me a full day in Mexico to finally let it all go and relax.  We're only going for five days and I want to enjoy every minute. 

Don't Carry Your Mittens in Your Mouth

I was picking up Christian from daycare yesterday and I couldn't find his mittens.  I assumed he left them as school and talked to him about making sure he brings all his things home.  Last time I popped into his school he had two jackets hanging on random hooks. 

We got home and I was emptying out backpacks and organizing many things when I saw a plastic bag in his backpack.  Very unusual.  It was his mittens. 

"Hey buddy!  Your mittens were in your backpack. They were just wet!"
"Oh yeah, they fell in the toilet."

1. Is he joking?  He loves talking about toilets.  His favorite letter right now is P, if you know what I mean.
2. HOW could mittens have gotten in the toilet ever, let alone preschool.
3. What the hell?!

"Are you serious, how in the world did that happen?"
"I had to potty really really bad and I was holding them in my mouth when I was going and then I tried to talk and they fell right in."

Very matter of fact.  And there you have it!

Whiplash and a Bag of Chips

I've been sick now, for 11 days.  Some times of the day I feel worse than others but overall, been quite sick for 11 days.  With our fabulous trip just under 40 hours away I got nervous it's going to get worse.  Plus, today when I cough I got a severe pain the back of my head.  It also hurt when I bent over. 

I finally made myself an appt.  Minutes after the I hung up, my head was pounding I called back to find an Urgent Care.  Waiting until tomorrow at 3 seemed ridiculous.  We put the kids to bed and I headed to Urgent Care.  They told me a 90 minute wait.  That put me at 9pm.  That's when they close.  I can handle that.  I could leave for a while, if I chose.  I also had a good book. 

Unfortunately the wait ended up being two hours and forty minutes.  I finally got called, last one of the day.  I was convinced I had a sinus infection or a brain tumor.

Nope, neither.

I apparently gave myself whiplash from coughing.  (I did know I pulled a muscle over my rib several days ago.)  There's a muscle the connects your back through your shoulder blade up the back of your head and connects to your eyebrow.  I pulled that bad boy and pulled it good.

I'm on Tylenol with Codeine to relax the muscles and keep me from coughing and hopefully get me some good sleep.  I'm supposed to take it with food.  Since I don't feel good nothing seems good.  I tried some turkey and cheese but what I really want is potato chips.  My wonderful husband left at 11pm to get some sour cream and onion chips.

I just hope I can stay awake until he gets back. . .

Just a Few More Days

Fianlly feeling a little bit better, except for the aching ribs.  We enjoyed Thanksgiving.  Even though I barely ate, there was lots of laughter and reminscing.  Watching Christian scarf down a large piece of pumpkin pie only to lean over the table to 'share' Papa's slice with him. 

Lazily getting ready for our annual trip to cut down our Christmas tree this morning.

Even though all that is well and good.  What I'm really excited about it packing today.  Packing the kids up for a few day stay at their good friend's Odelis' house.  Packing my bathing suits, snorkel gear and shorts and sandals.  Not forgetting those passports.

In a few days Mark and I will be in our own slice of Paradise.  We wait all year. And it's almost here.

A Wedding We're So Glad We Didn't Miss

Last January my friend Jennifer got engaged on New Year's Day while ice skating at Rockefeller Center in New York.  How's that for a show stopper?  I was soooo excited for her.  Virtually planning her bridal shower in my head while I listened to all the details.  A couple months into their engagement they set the date: October 22nd, 2011. 

For the past three years Mark and I have escaped and gone to Mexico over MEA. This meant I would miss the wedding.  For months we toyed with skipping the trip this year.  Changing to dates this year.  Back and forth.  Back and forth.  Finally I decided I would regret missing this wedding. 

If we missed a year in Mexico it would be worth it.  (In the end we did change the date.)

Here's proof it was a good choice:

My Girls pre-reception with our first bottle of champagne.

One of my favorite pics of the whole day.

Jeanne and Jennifer

The lighting was perfect right there.

If only I knew I would have taken many more there.

The reception.

This is one of my All Time Faves of us.

We are all teachers.

We are all friends.

We are all there for each other to lean on.

We are all there to support each other in every way.

Left to right (in case you don't know)

(Laura, Amanda, Jennifer, Kelly, Odelis and Amy)

My pictures at the ceremony didn't turn out well.

The following are borrowed from Facebook with Jennifer's permission.

Is Jennifer the most beautiful bride ever?!

That dress is fit for a celebrity.

Stunning!

She is typically a very happy person.

She has a gorgeous smile.

But on Oct. 22 she was over the moon happy

and that beautiful smile has never been brighter!

(Back to Kelly Quality pictures)

The First Dance

Breathtaking, just watching them.

I recorded it. . .vertical. . .I forgot it can't switch it back on the computer.

:(

Taking turns giving Ben congratulatory hugs while whispering things like,

"Do you know how lucky you are?" jokingly (kinda) in his ear.

Odelis and Alex

Here she's freshly pregnant and very sober.

Unlike everyone else in the room.

Laura rockin' some song, quite possible Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby

 and Amanda is just hangin' on!

The Girls with the luckiest man in the building.

Alex and Odelis waiting patiently for dinner.

Sadly there isn't a single one of Mark and Me. 

I bet you were wondering if Mark was there.

Yes, he was.

It was a gorgeous day from the weather outside to the mood in the building.

From her dress to the flowers.

From the music to the midnight subs.

From the friends to the dancing.

Absolutely perfect.

I'm so very glad I was there to be part of it.

J, it couldn't have been more perfect!

Just like you and Ben.

I Love You 101

Last week Christian said, "Mommy, I love you so much.  I love you 100!"  I smiled and kissed and snuggled him.  A few days later I heard him tell Mark, "I love 101 Daddy!"  "What?!" I exclaimed.  "You love daddy more that mommy?"  "I love you 101 too Mommy!"  "Is that the biggest number you know?" I asked.  He just smiled hugging me. 

A couple days ago his little face was in the middle of a peanut butter sandwich.  PB was nearly to his ears and his mouth was full and he said, "I love peanut butter 200!"

Mark and I were both taken aback!  Both jokingly questioning his, "You love peanutbutter more that me?"  More than ME?"

"I wiwwy wiwwy wuv it!!" was his answer.