sunburn

I've spent my only two paid days off that I've accrued to going to camp again with Alex deep in the woods of Southern Illinois this week. I truly enjoyed it last year. This year....um, not so much. This was due to sleeping in a cabin with 3 walls in 40 degree weather, and parents who were more concerned with drinking than spending time with their children. The kids were really well behaved.

But it was nice spending time with one of my favorite daughters. I was complimented by one of the other moms as having a daughter with 'one of the brightest personalities she'd ever come across', and I guess when her child had been picked on earlier in the year, Al was the only one who'd come to her defense. Makes my heart sing!!

Today I am nursing sunburnt arms, which is odd for me, as it is usually my face that is beet red, but somehow I put enough sunscreen there but my arms are definitely half cooked on the one side, raw on the other. These are the sacrifices one makes when one has a 5 hour track meet, 2 soccer games and a birthday party in one day. We were out in the sun for a total of 11.5 hours yesterday. Mo was the only one who did not get a lick of sunburn. We like her best, I suppose.

Rug is preparing for her trip, and, after taking in all the advice, I have decided to stay back. It is KILLING me for sure, I mean...it is GREECE for pete's sake. But, I just have to suck it up and perhaps take my other daughter(s) on a trip while they are gone. I am still thinking about having Al go too, but I don't know that I could bear to have all of them in a different country without me. They went to Kentucky last weekend without me, and that was hard enough.

May is going to be a quick one, we have a lot going on. I am still riding the Tour de Cure June 6th, and I have yet to set my booty on my bike since I've registered! What! I know, I am a loser, but the weather has been awful. Today, of course, is gorgeous, since I will be inside in front of a computer all day! Naturally.

I have little to say, just a little check in if you will. Also, in my sunburnt stupor, in bed last night LP and I watched "What happens in Vegas", and, as valiant as he is with his malaria nets, Ashton Kutcher could not make this movie funny. I suggest you not make the same mistake I did and waste your time on it. Can you say, 'studio obligation'???

here is a pic of Al and I at the Grotto at the Camp, where they have mass in a cave!

My conundrum

Do you all remember a few months ago when I said Rug was nominated to win a trip to Greece to play soccer?

Yeah, well, she won.

I know, I am SOOOO thrilled and excited. But of course, with everything, this comes with a big decision.

See, she gets her trip as well as ONE adult, paid for. That leaves us with me, Al and Mo to pay for ourselves.

Now on first look, this was a no brainer, right? I mean, a chance of a lifetime.

Here come the contigencies:

1. I have only had my job since August, so the likelihood of me getting the specified days off is iffy to probably non existent.

2. On average, this trip will cost about $2000 per person. We are getting $$$ for 2 of us, but that leaves us with 3 left. That's $6000, not including food. I think we may have to eat, going on past experiences. I haven't tried to not eat for a week, but maybe it is doable. Then again, all my past experiences have not included being surrounded by sumptious Greek food 24/7.

3. Then there is the whole kid under 3 issue in a foreign country. i mean, i have a hard enough time controlling her at Target. Can you imagine me containing her on a 9 hour flight? i can't foresee me getting off that flight having made lifelong friends. Furthermore, I have heard the streets of Greece aren't exactly stroller-friendly, and toting a 2-year-old around who has no interest in the Parthenon seems to completely have the opposite effect on my excitement. That is what it boils down to...do I want to spend $$$$$ on a 'trip of a lifetime' that I probably won't enjoy as much having to deal with meltdowns, and trying to appease a child while I am looking at ancient ruins? It's not like I can afford a nanny here, people. Although...Sue? Charlotte? Want to go to Greece? Would you be willing to swim over?

4. On the other hand...the other option would be to leave little Mo behind with grandparents. Seems easy enough right? Hmm. First off, you haven't met the grandparents, so there's that to consider. Secondly, could I really leave her behind? What if something, God forbid, happened to us, I would leave her here to grow up alone without us? I couldn't stand the thought.

5. So here is the other thing, which, only a psychotic Disney person like myself would suggest. Actually, LP was the one who suggested it. If Al, Mo and I stayed back, that would save us about $7000 which we could use towards one KICK ASS of a trip to Disney world later in the year. I'd accrue more time off from work, plus it would be a trip we know we would ALL enjoy, hands down. And we could even stay at the Polynesian if we wanted to!!! And have like every dinner be a character meal! What say you!?!?!! (dang it when are they going to have a character meal with Jack Sparrow? That would be way cool).

Okay, so there it is. Regardless of what happens, I am so proud of my daughter, and what an opportunity, right? I mean, wow! She is a stud, for sure. If anything, she can bring me back some souvlaka.

Only Weekday Rates

When we moved here, my neighbor warned, "Don't feed the geese. You will have a mess." I was a little disappointed, because I remembered the joy I had taking the older girls to the park to feed the ducks/geese, and how much joy it might bring to Mo if she had her own pond of geese in her backyard. But, I obeyed. I was tempted, but I never have fed any geese since we've been here.

We do have a birdfeeder, though, that brings in tourists from all over, orioles, wrens, and my dad, the naturist for life, sits and points out ever different species to me, and then I tell other people, as though I knew all along. It's great.

I digress.

In late February, I started noticing two geese hanging out more often at our pond than usual. There have been a dozen or so geese on my pond since we've been here, but these two just seemed to stay longer.

A few weeks ago, I was driving home from taking the girls to school and almost hit one of them with my car. One of the geese was on top of the field next to the road, seeming to say, "Get up here!" while the other goose was halfway off of the road, almost saying, "Nope, I'm taking my time, just chill out!" I almost got out of the car to help her/him up the trench, but then I thought to myself, that is a little crazy cat lady kind of thing to do. But I got home, and got my binoculars out to be sure she/he got up the trench safe and sound. S/he did, and I was relieved.

A few days went by, and they were back on the pond. I was glad to see they were safe, but questioned my own sanity for caring about two geese so much.

Every morning in March, I would get up, eat breakfast and sit with my two geese friends, watching them, clearly a pair mated for life. They never leave each other's side. They are always there in the morning, I count on them to be there.

One weekend, they were gone. I was sad, but hoped maybe they just took a break. A vacation.

Sure enough, Monday morning, they were there.

Saturday came...and they were gone again.

Monday morning they swooped down from wherever they weekended, and that evening, LP said to me, Hey! Did you see the new goslings? I looked out, and sure enough, four little 'quackers' as Mo calls them, were snuggling up to their mamma.

So now I had a family, and they have given a finality to moving here, as if they are saying, this is your home, and we like it, so we are staying too.

Apparently, though, our weekend rates are too much for them. I will see them tomorrow!