Wednesday, December 31, 2008

New Years Eve

SO, here's a conversation I had with Jonathan yesterday.

J: "Mom...how late can we stay up tomorrow night?"
M: "I don't know. 9:15?"
J: "Mom! That's our normal bedtime."
M: "Ok. How about 9:20?"
J: "I was thinking at least midnight."

UGH!! That means I have to stay up until midnight.

I suppose it is you know, tradition to stay up until the New Year arrives. Usher it in, if you will. I just like me my sleep. It wasn't always that way, of course. When I was Jonathan's age, my brother and I would make every effort to stay up until midnight and then when the New Year came we'd throw the confetti we had been making for the past several hours all over the living room. That was fun to clean up.

Then in my teen and college years, New Year's Eve was fun. Especially one time with a bunch of teenagers, some alcohol, and a hot tub. I won't give any more details since my parents read my blog, and, because that was 20-some years ago and I'm not sure I can remember them.

When I met Rob, his family has a great tradition of getting all dressed up and his dad, who is a super chef, makes a fancy, schmancy dinner. That was fun!

But, now I really can't remember the last time I stayed up. No scratch that. I DO remember. It was 1999. Canned goods and water in one arm and a fistful of money in another I waited for the world as we knew it to end. 3! (wait for it...) 2! (wait for it...) 1! (wait for it....) HAPPY NEW YEAR! And, then...nothing. Except for the sinking realization that I was stuck with 57 cans of Dinty Moore Beef Stew.

Staying up just isn't my thing. However, even though it's not my thing. And, even though I've been getting no sleep what with the stomach virus going around our house, I'll let Jonathan stay up so that he can start the New Year with those he loves most...and be thankful that, at least for now, I get to be one of those people.

Monday, December 29, 2008

It's a Christmas Miracle!

Our Christmas was nice. It wasn't exactly what I expected what with all the puking and my parents getting sick/iced in and not able to come. But, really? What ever is exactly what I expected? The kids enjoyed themselves. The adults enjoyed themselves. Presents were opened. Jesus was celebrated. Paper and toys and candy and clothing and crayons and food were strewn all over the place when it was all said and done...it was a good time.

And yesterday I experienced what can only be called a Christmas miracle. My children played outside together (in 50 degree weather) for 3.5 hours without fighting. You did hear me right. 3.5 hours. 4 kids. NO fighting. What were they doing for 3.5 hours you might ask?




Yes. Go now and get yourselves one. And then maybe you too can have 3.5 hours of (awake)fight-free sibling time.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Hayleigh's First Heartbreak

Rob and Trisha were in a play together over the weekend at a friend's church. The performance was Saturday so we went together to see it. Hayleigh was entertained for about 20 minutes, which I thought, all things considered, was really pretty good. But, she started to get fidgetly (as toddlers tend to do) so I took her out into the hallway to roam. Whilst (that's fancy Christmas-y language for while) roaming, she spotted a little boy who was probably 2. She got a huge grin on her face and started running toward him waving and saying hi. This little boy proceeded to poke her with his finger right in her chest and said "get away from me baby". Then he ran away.

I wasn't sure how Hayleigh would react. She sort of stood there stunned for a minute and then just started full out bawling. Her friendship advances had been denied and her heart was broken.

I tried to tell her to cheer up. I mean by the time she's Trisha's age, this sort of thing will have happened so much that she'll have a certain immunity to it. It will only sting instead of crush. That didn't seem to cheer her up.

After awhile she calmed down and found another child to wave hi to. But, I tell you what. If I see that 2-year-old again...man, I will take.him.out.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Reason #4057 Why My Husband Rocks

He comes home from work. I say "Something smells like it died in the kitchen...probably the fridge". And, he takes care of it. He kills huge, hairy spiders, unclogs toilets, and gets rid of things that smell like death. And, that's reason #4057 why my husband rocks.

AND, today is his birthday. He's 39. It seems so hard to believe. A hip, young thing such as myself married to such an old guy. Can you imagine???!!!???

Anyways, Happy Birthday to the dh. And, um, thanks for getting rid of that smell.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Top 10 things that came out of my mouth in 2008

The clean version :)

10) In order for an outfit to make you look fat, you actually have to be fat.

9) 4.09 a gallon?!?!?!?!?!?! Seriously?!?!?!?!?!

8) It will be fine. Just spray some Febreeze on it.

7) Can we please pick our underwear up off of the floor?

6) Please God give me strength.

5) Can't we all just get along?

4) Let's go ahead and get that out of your mouth.

3) Hi I'm a volunteer for the Pennsylvania Republican Party...are you planning on supporting Senator McCain on November 4th?

2) C'mon (little league sports team name)!! Let's go!! You can do it!

1) I love you too :)

Sunday, December 14, 2008

I try to be hip...I really do!

I really do try to be up on things. It just never works out quite like I hoped for. Because, in the end, I have gray hair and I drive a minivan...no amount of hipness can possibly overcome those two things. However, I am not one to give up easily, so I decided that I would go on Facebook. I mean, really, what could possibly be more hip than that? It's been interesting, though.

First of all, I couldn't just go on Facebook and announce myself with my real name. No, the really hip kids first go on with a pseudonym so they can check out the situation anonymously. Pretty brillant, huh? One hitch. I didn't anticipate how people would be able to find me by my email address. I was beginning to regularly get people asking me who in the world Sally was. Whatever...

So, I put my real name in. I found it funny that they said it would take 24 hours for them to verify this name change.

Once verified however, apparently Facebook was confused by my gender. I had a little message that said "Which statement is more appropriate for you: Nicole just updated HER profile or Nicole just update HIS profile?" HA! I haven't really been asked such a ridiculous question, well, since this one guy in college asked me if Nikki was short for Nictoria like Vikki was short for Victoria. Good times. Good times. He's a high-powered corporate attorney now, BTW.

Well, I let them know that Nicole would be updating HER profile. (Someday soon, I'm sure). Facebook then proceeded to make some friend suggestions to me. Here's the weird thing: I actually knew like more than half of the people they were suggesting I be friends with..like in real life. That was a little freaky, I must admit. I mean the thing doesn't know that I'm a lady, but it knows all of the people I know.
I always feel like somebody's watchin' me...and I have no privacy. Oohohoh


Anyways, now that I have all of that settled, I guess I am supposed to tell people what I am doing and how I am feeling and write on people's walls and chat and stuff. And, if I post the right picture of myself, you know, one without gray hairs and without a mininvan in the picture (do I even have one like that??) then finally, FINALLY, I'll be hip!!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

From couch to 10K in 5 months

Can it be done? I don't know...but I am sure going to give it a try.

My dad is turning 60 in 2009, so he was thinking he wanted to run a marathon to mark the occassion. It takes like 4-5 hours to run a marathon. The only thing I would like to do for more than 4 hours would be sleep. But, nonetheless, it is one of those things that some people like to check off their life "to do" list. How this pertains to me is that my dad is planning on doing some warm-up races and invited (challenged?) me to join him. The only problem is that I am fat. And, I am out of shape. But, I am not one to turn down a fun invitation, so we downloaded some training plans and away I went. I am in the 2nd week of the training schedule.

Last week: I walked for 3 minutes and ran for 1 minute.
This week: I walk for 2.5 minutes and run for 1.5 minutes (which is about 1/8 of a mile)
Next week: Walk for 2 minutes, run for 1.5 minutes

Here's something I found out: I actually like this whole running thing. It's pretty fun. And, it burns like 600 calories a session. And, today, I did two sets of running for 3 mintues (about 1/4 of a mile) so I am making good progress.

I'll keep everyone updated...maybe not because you care, but so that I can see my own progress. But, for now, I have to go, since all that running makes me want to take a nap!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Oh yeah...I rock this whole "mom" thing...

One thing I really like to do with my children is to take them out to eat...one on one. Or, now with Hayleigh...2 on 1. So, once between the start of school and Christmas, I will take each child out of school for lunch and I also take each child out to breakfast. I do this again between January and the end of the school year. So, during the school year, each kid gets two breakfasts and two lunches. And I get fatter, but I digress.

Today was Jaden's breakfast day. Jaden isn't a big breakfast eater. And by isn't a big breakfast eater I mean he almost never eats breakfast. He likes breakfast, but for some reason he gets full pretty fast with breakfast. Anyways, he wanted to go to breakfast (as opposed to another lunch) and so off to McDonald's we went. He wanted hotcakes and sausage and cinnamon melts, which I thought was a lot of food for a kid who gets full fast, but hey! it's his day so that's what I got him. I reminded him that we could wrap it up and take it home if he got full. I didn't want him getting so full he threw up. Several times I asked him if he was full and reminded him that I would be upset if he got so full he threw up.

Well...he got so full he threw up.

He was kind enough to warn me, as opposed to other times when he has just thrown up all over the place. Of course, there wasn't much time, so I was pushing him to the ladies room and dragging Hayleigh half in/half out of her highchair behind me. (Her shoe was stuck).

So, after he throws up, he starts crying and saying he's sorry.

And, that's when I realize that I am totally rocking this mom thing. There's probably something medically wrong with him that he can't help and that's why he gets full so quick in the morning and throws up. I don't know. Here's what I do know: I am setting up a Drs. appointment, and from here on out, Jaden and I will go out to lunch!

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Once Upon A Time In a Land Far, Far Away

there lived a mom. She was a good mom who only wanted to give her children the very best. She loved spending time with her children. After several days of non-stop togetherness to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, this mom decided that a field trip was in order. Her baby wasn't feeling well, so she thought that it should not be a long field trip, perhaps just a trip out for lunch.

So, the mom, deciding not to scare other children out in the community, hopped into the shower. The mom figures she could be quick about it and it would be fine. However, within just a few minutes of the shower's beginning, the mother's baby hopped into the shower also. With all of her freshly changed clothes on. And then proceeded to cry because she decided that all of the water getting into her eyes wasn't so fun afterall.

Cutting her shower short, the mom grabbed the baby, dried her off and got her fresh clothes all before getting her own clothes on. All 4 of the mom's other children decided to barge in on her at this time to see if the mom knew where various clothing items were for them and they all were kind enough to recoil back in horror when they spotted the mom's naked self.

After everyone was dressed and ready to go the family loaded into the car. They decided that they would go to CiCi's pizza because the mom recently purchased several coupon books for a school fundraiser that had coupons for CiCi's pizza. Before going there, however, the mom had to stop at Sprint. You see, the mom had to switch her cell phone service to yet another cell phone. Apparently, the mom's baby has been trying to see if water and cell phones mix. They do not. After two times of this, te mom hoped that the baby knew this.

The mom decided to leave her children in the car while she went into Sprint. Afterall, she thought, the children are old enough to stay at home alone for an hour. Certainly, there would be no problem with leaving them in the car for 5 mintues? 3 minutes into the phone switching, the mom looked out the window to see her 11-year-old son running towards her with what appeared to be a bloody nose. Apparently, this son had found tweezers and was tweezing out nose hair when the 8-year-old in his like-to-be squirmy way elbowed him and thus the blood. This mom made a note to herself to rethink the whole "leaving the kids alone" thing.

From Sprint to CiCi's the mom's male children delighted themselves with talk of intestinal worms and boogers and hey! did you know that you really can eat your own stomach? The mom's preteen girl had a look that seemed to be questioning why she had the rotten misfortune of living with so many boys.

Upon arriving to CiCi's the mom realized she left her wallet in the other purse at home. There is $1 in the car, which will not be enough to take 6 people to lunch. the mom turns her car around and heads home to the sounds of weeping and gnashing of teeth in the back of the car. The mom promises that next time she will make it up to them. And, she will...try to anyways. We'll see how it goes!