Monday, June 30, 2008

When I'm bored and surfing You Tube....

This video has three of my favorite things: Disney World, Star Wars, and Thriller. Truly a trifecta of hilarity.

Darth is getting jiggy!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Sunday Sunday

Well it's been a whirlwind type of week. I should blog more, but I've been so busy...not being busy, if that makes sense. Outside enjoying the lovely summer. Fortunately I live on the bluffs near the Mississippi therefore was not affected by the flooding nearby, which is crazy. Half of the steps to the Arch are under water.

We have spent the last week celebrating Al's 11th birthday and full swing into Tween-dom. She even got the side bangs with the swishy haircut, the transformation is complete. She also got her own digital camera so maybe she can take better pictures for this blog than her mom! We did the annual trip to Six Flags, where I found the roller coasters I once loved just cause me to get headaches. I did enjoy tattoo watching at the water park. I will never get one myself, but I love to admire others.

This week we are going to check out a really fancy house, it is very European/modern/Ikea ish and if it has what we like, we may make a bid on it. Who knows.

We are also doing a Murder Mystery Party for Al's birthday. I will let you know how that goes.

As of right now, I hear a certain 19 month old has unplugged the tub and is swishing in the bathtub bare butt with no water. I will resume blogging later.

Friday, June 20, 2008

SPF Youth



Youth = Backyard Hose and big sisters.

Nuf said.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Please allow me to Introduce Myself...

First off, I just now realized the typo in last post's title. Chold? What is that?

Anyway.

What a long strange trip this past week was. Al got back from camp, intact, albeit a little weary for the wear but all in all she had a blast. Heard the "Coconut" song the entire 2 hour drive home. You'd have to hear it that many times to TRULY experience it. Thanks to the counselor who taught it to them.

Before I begin this ditty, I want to let everyone reading know that I am NOT a complete and utter nitwit. AFTER reading this ditty, you will almost instantly think otherwise, but I repeat, I am NOT a nitwit. I have a college degree, dammit.

The whole week Al was gone, I insisted to LP that I was picking her up in the convertible. He insisted the gas mileage was going to be just as bad as the minivan's. Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt. He loves his baby. I asked him if there was a speeding truck headed towards me and the Saab at the same time, which would he pick? He didn't answer.

And he still hasn't.

I was INSISTING on the convertible. I was picking Al up along with a friend whose daughter is one of Al's bestest friends. They are conjoined at the hip, truly. They met in preschool and have been pals ever since.

I am obviously trying to avoid this story and what it will reveal.

We started down at 7 a.m. and we had a lot to talk about. My friend, we'll call her Myspace because her Myspace has like a gajillion friends and she is very popular and I am not. She is also gorgeous, but that does not have anything to do with this story.

Myspace's daughter is on the same soccer team as Al's and there is a lot of drama going on, so we were yapping and yapping. Myspace is also single, and was just in the middle of telling me about some new boy she was being set up with, when all of a sudden, not unlike a movie scene...KAJUNG KAJUNG KAJUNG the car starts jerking and sputtering and making weird noises I had never heard before...and I am freaking out...."WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS CAR? OOH NO! WHAT THE....."

Myspace replies, "Um, I think we are running out of gas."

Seriously? No. I am a responsible 34-year-old woman with three kids. No WAY would I ever....run...out...of....gas.

Oh dear.

I pulled my husband's almost brand new spiffy sports car onto the shoulder of the highway as FAR as I could. And then I lost it.

"What?!! I ran out of GAS? What idiot does that? 16 year old girls do that. I do not do that! What the hell?????"

Myspace had to get out of the car because she was laughing so hard she almost soiled herself. I was still in shock. Because guess what? We were in the middle of NOWHERE.

If you've ever been in Illinois, you would know when I mean NOWHERE I mean banjos were not even close to being heard in the distance. No freaking where. Several miles of walking in either direction.

I call the motor assistance card LP has in the glove compartment, and after being on hold for what seemed an eternity (which in reality was most likely 30 seconds) I soon learned it was only for TIRE assistance.

Just as I am hanging up, Myspace notices a black car several hundred yards in front of us on the shoulder, backing up slowly. My mind is spinning.

"What if they're crazy old men in there? What if they want us to do naughty things for gas? Oh my gosh what if they tell my husband???"

Myspace says as the car gets closer, "Well, it might be worth it, it's a Jaguar."

As they get closer, and we read the license plates, we realize they are people we know.

Yes, someone was watching out for me that day. My guardian angel works overtime, I realize that. Hope s/he gets paid double.

After offering up my firstborn and any other things to NOT tell LP about this incident, they helped me get to a gas station, get a gallon of gas and put it into the Saab. yes, I left LP's baby on the highway, by ITSELF for a time span I physically get ill about thinking how long it truly was. And LP knowing.

We got back into the car, and headed down the highway again, all the while I'm thinking only about the next gas station I needed to get to to fill that sucker up all the way. So of course, I almost missed the exit to turn.

Needless to say, I'm never allowed to drive down there again.

Once I got home, I thought of my options. I could just never bring it up, and LP would none be the wiser.

Yeah, right, until Myspace and I get together at the numerous drinking events we partake in and start yapping it up!

So I calmly told LP what I'd done. He was pretty accepting of the fact, and didn't get mad or even roll his eyes.

Strangely though, whenever I go out to the garage, the Saab is locked up and I can never find the keys. Coincidence? I think not.

Next time I am going to just embrace my Minivan status and never again be seduced by such an inticing little harlot of a sports car.

Nit wit.

Friday, June 13, 2008

SPF---Chold's Toy

Well this has been a very busy week this week, which I am grateful for, less time for me to miss the Ali Baba. Anyway, I'm going to get her tomorrow morning, and I'm trying to clean the house up before she gets home. Then I'll never get a chance to get back into the tween sanctuary she calls her room.

Kristine has given us the assignment of showing a picture of a child's toy, and Lord knows I have a gajillion Polly Pockets, but i'm just going to go into my pictures and grab the first toy I see in there. I have three kids folks. Lots of toys.



Rug got the Hair Kit for her American Girl doll one year. Guess how many times she played with it? You are lookin' at it.




This toy gets the vote for All Time Most Incredibly Annoying Loud Toy in the World. So of course Mo adores it. Lots of spinning, farmer in the dell-ing, rattling, etc.



I've shown this picture before, but it is funny that Kristine's daughter hates the Smurfs. I LOVED the Smurfs growing up. They were, obviously, my favorite.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Absence makes the heart grow sadder

Well Al has been at camp since Sunday. I finally got a postcard from her today, thanks goodness. It was mailed Monday so who knows what kind of week she has had. She did say in her postcard she wasn't getting much sleep, but that may have changed from the first night! I miss her, but I know she is having a blast. Definitely more fun than sitting around here watching Tom and Jerry. (yes! Tom and Jerry! Back on some channel and just as popular with the kids as ever)

Soccer tryouts are this week and that has been drama filled. I try my hardest to stay out of it but how can you not? People are so insecure about everything, and the smack talkers are out in full force. I could care less. I just want what is best for my daughters.

Speaking of soccer, Rug was nominated as one of the players in her club to travel to Greece next year for one (paid) week of training. I'm very excited about this. It would mean so much to her, and I would get to travel somewhere I've never in my life thought I'd ever see. we won't know until around March if she got it. She plays two years up, and is the leading goal scorer on her team. That ain't braggin' folks, that's just the facts. :) Definitely didn't get it from her mama. (that crazy knotted knappy hair oh yes, she got that from me.)

Mo has just erupted in words and sayings all week. Al will be stunned when she comes home to hear her. Her new one is "See ya later" and that usually means I need to pay attention because she is headed somewhere she should not.

I have been working out diligently and have lost yet another two pounds and that excites me. I have printed out the Expedition Everest Challenge Sheet and stuck on my refrigerator as incentive. If anyone is interested in joining my husband and I, please, the more the merrier. I am SO going to make it.

Friday, June 06, 2008

SPF--Through the Eyes of a Child

Kristine over at Random and Odd has made the month of June "Through The Eyes of a Child". Which makes me laugh, because in college my buddy used to always say I should title my autobiography "Through the Eyes of a Dancer". Just because it sounded good, not because I was a dancer.

Anyway. Probably one of those 'had to be there' kinda things.

My kids were extremely excited to participate in this project. Anything to get to handle Mom's camera. The results:

Al, 10-year-old:



Snoopy reading about the Jonas Brothers



Mo Temper Tantrum

And here are Rug's contributions:



Still Life--Table



Mo giggle

I attempted to give Mo the camera but she was not too interested:



Now THAT was easy.
Did YOU play?

Thursday, June 05, 2008

It's the little things

10-year-old is on the list today. Her infractions:

1. Leaving a blue Sharpie marker in Mo's reach. Spent much of this morning cleaning up after her. 10-year-old can't find anything to help me clean up.

2. When I asked her to go get toilet paper, she grabbed the thinnest, almost generic paper she could find. Going to be a few "rough" weeks here at the house.

3. The eye rolling! When did that start?

4. Not liking baseball. At all. Who does she think she is? I'm at a loss.
(see picture below, I snapped her in all her moody tween "i don't want to be here" glory at the Cards game the other night)



5. Lastly, going to camp for a week without me! And being excited about it! Not cool, Al, not cool.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Weekend Update

I didn't get to haiku this weekend, the first time I decide to and I don't. What a loser. Anyway, it was pretty busy. We had a wedding on Saturday which was lovely, weddings sure are gorgeous these days. Open bar, that's the key.

Sunday I took the girls to the Zoo to run in the Make Tracks for the Zoo Race. It was only one mile, but
I was proud of the girls, we all ran it in 9:15 minutes. (Rug pretending she's too cool to be photographed).

We stayed at the zoo for awhile. St. Louis may be #1 in crime but we also have one of the BEST (if not THE BEST) zoos in the country. Seriously. Come visit. Plus, it's FREE. Can't beat free.


They even have dinosaurs!

Last night we went to Mo's SECOND Cardinal game in her life. I was worried, now she is mobile I'm afraid she'd lose attention fast but Doggone it she loves that organ playing. Yelling "CHARGE" all night never lost its appeal. How the Cards gave up a 4-0 lead is beyond me, but oh well, we had fun.