Proof that kids don't listen

Or they just choose not to hear certain things.

Yesterday morning when we returned from taking the husband to work, it was relatively sunny. I decided, since we had to leave again in an hour, that I would leave my window open in the car. There's not much I hate more than getting into an insanely hot car.

I took advantage of the quiet while the kids were occupied and read a few blogs and tweeted a bit. As I was getting ready to get dressed to go out shopping, I began to hear the rain. It never occurred to me to go out and close my window in the car. My only thought was, "I guess I can't wear flip flops."

When the kids and I were walking out the door, that is when it hit me that my window was open and now my seat was probably wet. GG, who ran ahead of me, informed me that half of my seat was wet. Lovely!

I called her back up to the door. I wasn't about to leave Little Dude by an unlocked car by himself. Oh, the possibilities! Scary!

I asked GG to go up to the bathroom and grab her towel off the back of the door. My towel was still wet from an ironing debacle and Little Dude had his giraffe towel hanging. I had no desire to sit on a giraffe head!

I waited for her on the front porch so I could hear what she was doing yet still keep an eye on Little Dude. She was taking forever! Just as I was about to ask what she was doing, she returns with an unopened roll of toilet paper. Um, what?! I repeated my directions for her to get her towel from the bathroom. After another few minutes of standing in the rain, GG returns with a handful of paper towels. Seriously?! For a third time I repeated my directions to my darling daughter. She finally returned with a towel from the bathroom.

Unfortunately it was mine and it was still damp.

By that point, I was already wet so what the hell. Might as well sit on a damp towel covering a wet car seat. If you ever have the opportunity to walk around the mall with wet pants, I suggest you pass.




with The Daily Dribbles
and Emmy Mom


Until next time...



Not your average zoo trip

Last week I took the kids to the zoo. It was Girl Scout day and with GG being a scout, I figured it would be wise to make an appearance. After all, the first 10,000 girls with their chaperon got in for free. We all know how much I love that "F" word!

Oh, and yes you read that right... the first 10,000 girls and their chaperon. Needless to say, with the amount of people there, it was a zoo at the zoo.

Don't worry, you don't have to laugh. No one else seemed to find my joke all that funny either.

Almost all of the animals were out, even if they were only sleeping. Including the elusive polar bear. Of course, as soon as we got to his enclosure, he turned around and went back into hiding. Our zoo has a really awesome tunnel that goes underneath the water for the polar bear so you can watch him swim. I'll be damned if I've ever seen that thing actually go near the water!


As much as the kids loved seeing all of the animals, including the monkey that kept slamming into the glass window, I think their favorite "exhibits" were the slides. Particularly the slide inside the reptile house. This slide is inside a tree and is apparently super fast.

I also enjoyed the reptile house, but probably not for the reason you may think.

Next to the steps leading up to the tree slide are some tortoises. Two of them to be exact. No matter which direction you walk to those steps, you must pass the tortoises. On this particular day, those tortoises were very, um, playful. Another child making their way to the steps proclaimed that the tortoises were wrestling. The other moms and I looked at each other and followed suit. Yes, all of our children think tortoises wrestle!


I went to the zoo and all I got
was this picture of 2 tortoises going at it!









Disclaimer~ I did in fact take plenty of pictures, but this is my favorite by far!



Until next time...



The traveller

I still have a few weeks to go, but I think I need to start preparing now. The husband will be traveling.

*insert daunting music here*

Part of the reason for our vacation a few weeks ago was because of a conference the husband wanted to attend. We tacked a few extra days on so we could mix business with pleasure. While at that conference, he got wind of yet another conference he wants to go to. The subject material at this conference is right up his alley in regards to what he does for a living, but it's also in a city that he loves.

I won't lie, we did try to find a way to mix business with pleasure again, but it just wasn't going to work. We didn't have a lot of time to plan. The price of airfare and a hotel would be a lot higher, and we would probably have to take the kids out of school for a day or 2. That last part isn't something I was keen on doing so early in the school year. The husband asked if I would mind if he went alone.

Going to conferences like this are not only great for his career, but it's related to something he is passionate about doing. I support both of those things. What I don't like to support is the idea of me being along with the kids for a long weekend. I won't be able to up and go to my sister-from-another-mister's house at the end of the day because who will watch the kids? I also won't be able to sleep the days that he is gone. Even if the husband falls asleep on the couch and I am upstairs alone in our bed, I still know he is there. I feel safe. When he isn't there, every single noise will scare me.

You would think I'd be used to this by now. The husband doesn't travel often, but he does go out of town a few times a year. There has also been talk of him traveling more to conferences because he wants to be a speaker and not just an attendee. I know he will have fun and I know I will be fine, but I don't think I will ever get used to my husband going out of town.

I can just hope that he remembers he promised to bring me back a nice pair of boots. That will make everything better, right?


Until next time...



I Have a Secret

Secret
Shh... don't tell!

I have a secret that I'm about to share.







There is an awesome thing happening in my city right now.

Batman has come to town.

That's right, the newest Dark Knight movie is being filmed here. I would love to say that I have a small role in the movie, but I don't have the luxury of standing in line all day with the hopes of being in some random crowd seen with hundreds of other people. But I do have something.


A few nights ago I was picking the husband from dinner with an old friend. I knew that filming was going on that night and I decided to take a detour through downtown to see if we could see anything (hello, Christian Bale?). A few streets were closed off but nothing was set up to film yet. Damn you Christian Bale! I was just about to give up hope while pulling up to a red light when I saw it. Snow!

You see, The Dark Knight takes place during the winter months. And now I'm glad I didn't have to wear a parka for a crowd scene during those 90 degree days. New mock snow hadn't been laid out yet, but there were remnants of snow from the night before. A quick trip around the block and a bad parking job on a side street led us to our own baggie of Bat-snow!


Batman snow

Of course, I didn't place the snow in the baggie until after we were home because who carried around empty Zip-loc bags? Not me. Which means there is also Bat-snow laying in the cup holder of the car.

It may not be the cleanest snow, but then again neither is the real stuff after it's hit the sidewalks of downtown. But at least I can that I am the proud owner of part of a movie set. At least until Christian Bale comes to my house to take it back.



Until next time...



From now on, it's PB&J's

Restaurants can be a daunting place. Especially if you have your children with you. I've learned to stick to certain, less formal restaurants. That lesson was learned fairly fast when we took our pleasant, happy children to what we thought was your average Chinese restaurant. Our children were no longer pleasant and happy once we were seated. And the amount of breakable statues surrounding our table was quite scary. Little children who are tired of waiting don't sit still. At all. This is why we now stick to more family friendly places like Denny's. Not Lenny's, Denny's.

Until now.

I think my children, or at least the boy, might be banned from eating out in public period.

The other night the husband had a get together with others in his line of work. I can cook for four people, but anything more or less and I screw it up. There's either way too much food, or not enough. Because of that I decided to take the midgets out to dinner. Denny's kids' menu is just awesome and they're always excited to go there.

Our waitress sat us in the back section of the restaurant at a booth in the corner. She must have known something I wasn't yet aware of.

Little Dude wanted to have one whole side of the bench to himself. I figured why not. There's no arguing with that boy anyway. Trust me, I've tried.

Our service was phenomenal, but even with that, there is still some waiting involved. The cooks can't just snap their fingers and have the food magically appear. Trust me, I've tried that, too.

As soon as we sat down, my boy started. His feet were everywhere but under the table. His voice was anything but quiet. Once his food came, it was anywhere but in his mouth. First he wanted to eat his pancake whole. Wanting to have a peaceful meal, I decided to go with it.

When he didn't touch his pancake for 15 minutes, I finally asked if he wanted it cut into smaller pieces. He did. Then he had to recut everything. I guess I did it wrong. Then the raspberry sauce needed spread around. This boy did everything he could think of to not eat. I did everything I could think of to not take him out of the restaurant. Had another adult been with us I so would have marched his happy ass outside!

Thank goodness there weren't a lot of people sitting in that section of the restaurant, but those that were there? I could sense their annoyance with him. Hell, I was annoyed with him as well.


I am always one of the first people to give advice on how to keep your kids busy, but behaved, in a restaurant. Crayons, small toys, books. Now that my boy has proven me to be a liar, I think I'll stop giving advice. I might also stop taking the kids out to eat.



Until next time...



Summer Fun

We may not have done everything I originally planned this summer, but that doesn't mean we didn't have loads of fun.

Our summer started off with out local Community Day. There was a wall to climb, bounce houses, and if you ask GG, an epic balloon sword fight in the middle of the field.

I think Little Dude's favorite part was getting his hair done.




A few weeks after that we made our way to a local amusement part. GG was so excited to be tall enough to ride every single thing. While Little Dude wasn't quite tall enough for everything, he was ecstatic that he didn't have to go to Kiddie Land.

Last year this park added a new roller coaster. With SnoMaggedon the previous winter, the coaster building schedule was pushed back. We had to wait until this summer to finally ride the new Sky Rocket. It's a short ride, but exhilarating! Plus you can catch an awesome sunset through the tracks.




For the first time in a few years, we failed to get pool passes. But that didn't stop me from taking the kids to the pool. Little Dude is growing up (tear) because he stayed in the big pool with me and his sister.

Except when one of the lifeguards would start an epic water battle!





I think if you to ask my kids what their favorite part of the summer was, they would most likely say our vacation to DC. GG barely remembers going on vacation when she was little and Little Dude has never been on a vacation. The out of state trip when he was 4 weeks old doesn't count.

I have so many pictures from our trip, but some of my favorite include pizza slices as big as a 6 year old's head





and unexpectedly running into Bumblebee outside of the National Zoo.




Our summer vacation is coming to a close in a few weeks. The kids and I still have one more trip coming up to our own zoo. Even though what we actually did differed from the list I made at the beginning of the year, I'd say we had a kick ass summer!


For more summer fun pictures, check out

Summer fun

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Until next time...



I love him for who he is

White HouseWhile in Washington DC, we were your typical tourists visiting the popular monuments. The children were full of awe and wonderment at the sky high Washington Monument. Each of them had their own set of questions while standing below Honest Abe. At the Vietnam Wall, they were silent as it was too much for them to comprehend. I shed tears as I tried to explain the significance of such a powerful tribute.

While we all enjoyed the popular sights and sounds of the great city, we also came across a hidden treasure. GG found a shirt along a sidewalk full of vendors. Upon further inspection of each and every booth, there was very little for Little Dude to purchase. When trying to make our way back to the Metro, we passed a gift shop. I decided to take the kids in to see what we could find for my boy. A "You don't know me" shirt for the witness protection program was just what he wanted.

As I was standing in line waiting to pay I noticed a sign. The amount of your purchase granted you special pictures as long as you used your own camera. I paid for our purchases, took the receipt, and we made our way to the back of the store. Some very important rooms were in the back of that store.

GG stood at the podium crafting the perfect speech. Most likely about ice cream and Harry Potter.

National Address


After we captured that moment, the three of us moved over to the big desk in the mock Oval Office. Little Dude wanted nothing to do with the biggest desk he has ever seen.

Oval office


Oval office


Just like John John did with President Kennedy, Paige stuck her head out from under the desk.

Oval office



At first I was mad. My goal was to have the perfect picture of the three of us in that office, but then I stopped to think. My boy is as stubborn as they come. He and I can never agree when he is set in his ways. I know in his future this will serve him well.

I may not have captured the perfect moment I envisioned, but I captured part of who my son truly is. And that is much better than a fake pose and a cheesy smile.



Until next time...



Recovery mode

I'm happy to report that we all made it safely back home from our vacation. We had a fairly easy drive down. The skies were blue and sunny the entire way down, we didn't get lost, and I survived driving on the Beltway. That last part I'm especially excited about.

Our first night there we didn't have much planned. We picked up some Metro tickets and made our way into town. I wanted to get an idea of the city's layout since I would be on my own with the kids the first 2 days we were in DC. The husband had a conference to attend.

I can successfully say we easily found the White House and the Washington Monument. Walking back to the Metro station? Not as easy. Even with directions on my phone we managed to get lost. I'd like to say that was the only time we got lost in the city, but it's not. I was hell bent on finding a Caribou so I could get my coffee. Don't take offense, but I'm not a Starbucks gal in the slightest!

Over the next few days the kids and I explored the great city of DC. Thank goodness for tree-lined sidewalks and the Metro because it was so incredibly hot!

The kids were able to see all of the monuments, including a few I never knew about. We had some awesome food, and saw a bunch of animals at the zoo. I'm still trying to figure out a way to kidnap those pandas! So damn cute!!

I'd love to show you pictures, but I still have to unpack. Any takers on helping me would be greatly appreciated. And the laundry, too, please! Also? All that walking and driving is finally starting to catch up with me. If you're friends with me on Facebook, you can check out pictures from our adventure. If you're not, fix that! you might have to wait a day or 2 for me to find a routine before I can put together a decent blog post.


By the way, Caribou turned out to be right around the corner from the Metro stop we got off at every single day. Yes, I felt like a dumbass when I realized that.



Until next time...



Whirlwind

Yesterday was Little Dude's family birthday party. I would love to share some pictures of the awesome gifts he got, but I was too busy being anal about wrapping paper being all over the floor enjoying the moment.

He did get some pretty awesome, and much needed things. There were Legos, bug catcher equipment, airplanes, and tons of clothes. Little Dude didn't care much for the clothes, but I was over the moon about them. That means one less kid I have to buy school clothes for!

The best part of this party, at least in my opinion, were the cupcakes. With the exception of 2 or 3 birthdays for GG, I have always made their cakes. I think it's more personal and the kids love helping me decide what to make. Having them decide their cake can be good or bad depending on their choice.

Between my mom and my sister-from-another-mister, I found a few cute ideas. When I presented them to Little Dude, he went with the corn on the cob cupcakes.


Corn on the cob cupcakes


I think the trick candles put them over the top. I don't think the Dude really thought I would buy him the trick candles he kept asking me for.


Corn on the cob cupcakes

I really wish I could have some down time after this party. Parties (and family) are always exhausting! Instead of taking a day to rest, I need to get ready for vacation. The panic of what to pack and me pre-departure to-do list is going to kill me. It probably wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't such a procrastinator! That and we haven't taken a vacation in 7 years. I'm freaking over the possibility of forgetting something little yet trivial, such as a toothbrush or Tylenol.

I know I'll get it together on time to leave. Just because I'm panicking doesn't meant you have to. I am taking my computer, but I probably won't get a chance to blog, Facebook, or tweet. I promise to come back next week with a proper vacation post as well as a post on how I made those cupcakes.



Until next time...