Snow White has her first ever sleep over at a friend’s house. Early last week an invitation was in Snow White’s back pack to attend a Halloween Sleep Over Party. I looked up the address on Map Quest since we are very new to the area (second part of move was this past Saturday morning). The party would be two streets over. Part of me did not want to let her go since we just moved here but she so wanted to go and I had met the parents our second night here at the school Family Fun Night.
My Sister was here visiting for the weekend. She wanted to see our new house and visit with us. She was a bit disappointed Snow White would not be around Saturday night due to the party but she fully understood the importance of a first sleep over. We went shopping after the movers came and after Man Son’s flight cancellation. She wanted to buy Man Son and Ti Kwan Girl a bed set and new pillows for a house warming. Not the inexpensive bedding I buy on a Mommy budget but something totally top of the line. She is an A-1 Super Auntie! She buys things that matter in every day not some fly by night flash in the pan gifts. Yes, she does buy toys and play gifts but when she does they are thoughtful and last forever.
While we were out shopping we bought Snow White brand new Pjs and bunny slippers. Auntie shopped a little too. She wouldn’t let me buy what she picked out. I tried to buy everything she wanted and all our meals out. She did drive 7 hours one way to visit us, put her “baby” up in a kennel since we have a cat and unpacked two rooms and the kitchen! By Saturday night we found the pots, pans and my china! Yeah! My china was finally found! I still need to find my every day dishes but we do have some glasses now.
We went out to eat for dinner since we had not been to the grocery store and who had time to cook with the Sleep Over that night? It looked like the restaurant was packed. There were many people sitting in the waiting area but they seated us right away. It took a little while for our waiter to come over but well worth the wait. He doted on Snow White and told her what beautiful blue eyes she has. She responded with “ I have hair black as a raven and snow white skin too.” The acknowledging look on his face showed this was not lost on this particular waiter . I then noticed he also had fair skin, blue eyes and black hair. He also seemed to be of the “Black Irish”. I made particular reference to Snow White’s eyes being the exact color of Aunties. The waiter acknowledged this as well. He apologized for not having crayons for Snow White to draw on the child’s menu and scuttled around to find something for her to use. Auntie said there was no need since she had a game to occupy Snow White. It was an alphabet game we use to play when we were children. A my name is Anna, we come from Alabama and we eat Apples (latter it we remembered it was we sell ______) We went through the whole alphabet but could not think of anything to eat that started with the letter “U”. We were very impressed with Snow White’s ability to come up with Names for all the alphabet as well as places. Some times we helped out with places and gave additional input on foods after she named a food. The waiter stopped by several times to make sure Snow White had all she needed, refilled her drink without her asking. When he came again to ask us if we needed anything Snow White and Auntie were just coming back from a visit to the bathroom. I ask the waiter if he knows of any thing you can eat starting with a “U”. He cannot think of anything off hand but says he will try to come back with an answer. He does come back to inform us he has the whole kitchen and staff thinking but nothing coming forth just yet . As the meal comes to an end and we are ready for the check he informs us that no one has come up with an answer at this time but asks that if we do come up with an answer to please pass it on to them. They did as we did, we thought of different names of beans, oriental foods, sea foods, etc. in an attempt to come up with something. My Sister informed the waiter it would be a long wait for her to come back with an answer since she is not a frequent visitor. As we left the restaurant she told me to definitely go back just to see if that HOT waiter came up with an answer.
When we were ordering food Snow White’s Grandparents, Sister & my parents called to say they were on there way to my new house. We thought we had plenty of time and they had a key via meeting up with Man Son on his journey to uncle’s house. Apparently, Man Son gave them the extra key to his car which they made a copy for him but he forgot to give his Grandparents the second of the two keys I gave him for the new house. They were sitting in their van in my driveway for about half an hour!
We rushed into the house, my Sister gave my parents the grand tour of the house while I gathered things for Snow White’s first sleep over. I dressed her in the Snow White costume she purchased with her own money a few weeks ago. I made sure she had on a turtle neck, pants, long socks and sensible shoes just incase they decided to do a bit of playing outside. My parents and my Sister took photos in front of our new house and then we were all out! My parents did not have dinner yet so they followed us to the Party and then out to the main thru way. My sister and I went in a separate car so we could hit the mall I had yet to explore.
I had Snow White put a piece of paper in the front of her over night bag with my name, her name and my cell phone number. I reminded her the mall was just 5 minutes away and our house was just two streets away. The lawn was in full Halloween décor but tastefully done, not gash or overly. We rang the door bell, the father answered the door and sort of didn’t expect me to come in with Snow White. The inside of the house was also well decorated for a haunted house theme. As we entered the door a flock of girls (10 or so) came and all sang in unison” ‘Snow White’ is here at last!” [she was dressed as Snow White but they all called her out Snow White, princess ___ her name]. I was a little surprised how many knew her but she said she knows all the girls. That was all she said to me. After that she was in the “zone” and didn’t even hear me say good bye, a slight hug, a miss targeted kiss on the cheek, all she saw was her friends. Her eyes and thoughts were on them and their costumes. Not one other princess at the whole party of 20 girls as she told me Sunday afternoon.
We dropped her off at 6pm and I kept a watch full eye on my cell phone. I thought ok she will get through the first few parts of the party ok. I guided my parents to the golden mile of shops and restaurants where they pulled off to have dinner. My Sister and I headed to the mall I had yet to discover on my own. We walked and shopped, I kept my cell phone an blue tooth on and checked my cell phone every 2 minutes to make sure it was in proper working order.
My Sister and I get on so well we laugh just about every other syllable. We were carrying on so much we forgot she found a perfect little gift to bring her “Baby” Mr. Bear puppy. We walked a good distance down the mall before she called me by my first name, my middle name and ummm… her married last name as my last name. I thought “What the poop is up with you?” She said “We HAVE to go back!” Her eyes were as big as saucers! She kept repeating “We HAVE to go BACK!” Each time she said it she emphasized more on the words HAVE and BACK! I followed her back to the last store we went into and saw the gift she wanted for her “Baby” was still in her hands! We had been so caught up in our laughing and giggling we completely forgot to stop by a register and pay for “Baby’s” gift!! We went to the nearest register and paid for the item. Just as we walked out of the store the security alarm went off. A family in front of us turned around to the cashier with a questioning look. My Sister said “Oh I think they forgot to take off the security tag from ‘Baby‘s Toy.” I said “I think you would have set it off the first time we passed here.” We Laughed and giggled until we just barely supported each other standing. Our parents could not believe my Sister was almost a shop lifter.
We drove the five minutes from the mall to my house and I must have looked at my cell phone about a dozen times. My Sister is so sweet she didn’t even question me about it. She tried to keep my mind on other things. We went to the grocery store and bought junk food for the viewing of the Bell Witch aka An American Haunting. We arrived at my house to discover my parents finished their dinner before we finished our shopping. They were still Keyless.
I stopped looking at the time every few minutes and changed to every 5 minutes. The movie was over and I looked at the clock and clutched my cell phone to my chest and declared in front of my Sister and parents “it is 10 o’clock and she [Snow White] hasn’t called me to come pick her up! I am sure they are all about to go to sleep by now and she hasn’t called me yet. Maybe they are letting them stay up? My Sister laughs at me and says the first sleep over is much harder on me than it is on Snow White. My parents laugh too and they all agree it is better that she has her first sleep over now when ‘someone’ is keeping me busy so I do not worry too much.
Morning comes and I so want to sprint over and pick up Snow White from her sleep over. What if she wanted to call me but the parents there thought wait a little while and then call your Mom all the while thinking her want to call Mom would fade. I had the greatest excuses of all time! My cell phone did not jump over to the fall back [turning the clock back one hour], her Auntie was leaving and we wanted to do breakfast with her [didn’t have to be on the road until 11 am at the latest], party was to be over by 9am as the invitation stated and you know half a dozen parents would have shown up early due to not turning back the clocks the night before. I was safe to pick her up early for so many reasons!
I am at the door after my parents, my Sister and I have all showered and ready for the day. A very bright and chipper Dad answers the door and a very sleepy Snow White says ok she will go with us. She gathers her belongings as chipper Dad helps her. She is not ecstatic to see me as she thought I would wait until after Halloween breakfast was over. She gives her young hostess regretful goodbye and hugs her. A few girls say “Where is Snow White sitting?” as they gather around a large table for breakfast.
When we arrive at the restaurant for breakfast it is then that I realize Snow White is still in her Pjs but she does have her socks and shoes on. No one noticed but us since we know they were bought the night before at Old Navy.
Monday, October 30, 2006
1st Mommy Stress Test for the Weekend 10/27/06…
Well, Man Son went out on his own so to speak about two weeks ago. My brother, his uncle, had something happen which requires personal attention. It was recommended that a family member take care of him. My son, Man Son (18 yrs old, HS graduate and thinks he knows all now that he is 18) decided he needed to be away from his over loving mother (me). After two hours of screaming and crying I stop and think how wonderful this opportunity is for him and how proud I am of him to take on this family task. I was just being selfish wanting him to stay at home and go to college. He can still go to college when he returns home. Many take off a year before going to college. He can venture out on his own so to speak. He wont have to pay rent or other things, he will be in his uncle's house.
He has been gone for three weeks now and boy do I miss him. I want to call him five times a day but I limit myself to once every other day. Part of me wants him to miss Mom and all the wonderful things I do. Does he miss me? Well not for the first few weeks. He did finally call me!! Yeah! It wasn’t Mommy calling him to make sure he was ok, he actually called me! [Great big grin on my face!]. He wanted to come home for the weekend!! Yeah, he misses me!! Oh, what was that? You want to drive 12 hours to come home? What if something happens to you or your car or some crazy person attacks you when you stop to get gas? Two hours of convincing him he could die or end up in the hospital if he drove. I talked him into a flight home instead. I gleefully purchased his last minute round trip tickets. My pocket book screamed for mercy but I was going to see my boy! I was blissfully happy.
The next morning he called to get the directions to the airport which is four hours away from his uncle‘s house. It was at this time he informed me a friend was picking him up at the airport. [Loud bubble burst] Trying not to sound extremely disappointed but my squeaky voice came out and said “What about seeing your Mom? What time will you be here? What time will I get to spend with you?” In retrospect it really sounded pathetic. He did say he would be home around midnight and after all there was the fall back (turning the clock back an hour) and that hour would be mine. Grrr not liking that he is already a Man. I want my little boy that use to come up and hug me for no reason. Now I have to wait in line behind his friends? When did that happen? Ok that happened a few years ago and I was ok with that when I saw him every single day. Now he only has one day and I have to get at the very end of the line? Ok he and his friends want to hang out at our house after recounting all that happened in the last three weeks. Moms are not ment to hear all the latest gosip amongst his friends.
Ok his first venture out alone and his first real challenge at planning an event so to speak. He called several times “Should I have passed this city? What was the number of the exit off that last highway? I don’t think I brought enough money with me for gas. Do you remember my pin number? Where is the nearest gas station for this gas card? I have to make this call short since I did not pack my phone charger.” I was stressing out to the max while my loving Sister was telling me we should have planned all of this better. She meant well and was trying to convince both my son and me to put off the trip until next weekend. We wanted to move this forward this weekend so we poo-pooed her ideas.
Man Son did eventually run off course by taking a wrong fork in the road. This put him one hour south of where he should have been heading. He had to turn around and get back on track which lost him two hours. I called reservations and had the flight changed to the next available. He calls again to tell me his speedometer is evidently broken. He was clocked at 85 mph in a 70 mph zone. This is when he discovers the speedometer needle wont go past 75 mph. The dial goes up to 90 or 95 but the needle apparently gets stuck at 75. That was an expensive lesson. I tell him we will worry about the pricy ticket and fixing the speedometer when he returns. He still had to reach the airport and to keep his speed under 70 mph depending on the speed limit (55 mph, 25 mph, whatever the sign says but not more than 70 even if it says 80). Mommy’s pocket book couldn’t stand to make this trip any more expensive than it just became.
An hour before his flight was to take off he calls to tell me he still has 80 miles to go. [huge bottom lip pouting on my end] I was not going to see him this weekend and I was soooo disappointed. I asked if he wanted me to book the flight for next weekend. He was also upset he told me he was just going to drive all the way home and never go back to Tennessee. I looked up the flight reservation number on line and cancelled the flight. [so upset I forget about the internet and leave it on all weekend]
Half an hour later my son calls. He has no cash on him, the banks are closed and no gas stations with the name of the gas card he has. He is almost out of gas and not enough gas to get back to his uncle’s house. I tell him to go to the nearest gas station and have someone working there call me from his cell phone since it is long distance. The person calls me and tells me there is no way to input my credit card number in their register, they are not set up that way. The card must be read by the computer strip and cannot be entered in manually. I start to panic and want to yell at this man “That is my baby standing in front of you ! You better let him put gas in his car! I will mail you cash! I will mail you gold bars! I will do anything if you just let him fill up his car!!” Ok I didn’t say any of that but I wanted to. I explained he did not remember his pin number for his bank card and has not received his local bank card yet. I asked the man if there was a gas station near by that would accept his gas card. The man said “We are the only gas station for miles around that accept that gas card.” God must have guided him to that gas station! I was sooooo happy!!! I thanked God over and over again for watching over my son!
The next day my son calls to ask if I made the arrangements for his flights this weekend. He will not give up on the promise he made to his uncle to stand by him until he was able to stand on his feet again. I asked him if he had his pin number, cell phone charger, etc. He says yes to all and told me he was going to print out the directions to the airport tomorrow so he will have them with him.
It was a tough lesson, he didn’t get to see his friends but he did learn Mom cannot always help him and plan everything for him. As much as I want to always be there to do everything for him he needs to be prepared to do this on his own. He has never been reliant on me these past few years but I do try to emphisize on planning to the point I make all the calls. It is time that I let him do as he thinks best so he can make his own way, his own plans even if they are not successful. After all isn't this the time for him to learn Mommy did things for a reason? Teenagers think they know everything. After the teen years comes the legal adult age where they think they really know everything. I cannot remember a time past 16 years old when I did not think I knew everything there was to know or do in any situation. It was only when I was faced with an obstical that I really thought it out and over came it. My mistakes were only matched by my sucesses and the ever so horrid thoughts of "My parents were right in the first place" but I had to figure some of those out on my own because "I knew better." ha, ha, ha. We also learned that Auntie, my Sister, was right all along. Last minute plans do not always work out. We should have rescheduled the flight for the next weekend instead of trying to make the last minute arrangements, minute by minute.
He has been gone for three weeks now and boy do I miss him. I want to call him five times a day but I limit myself to once every other day. Part of me wants him to miss Mom and all the wonderful things I do. Does he miss me? Well not for the first few weeks. He did finally call me!! Yeah! It wasn’t Mommy calling him to make sure he was ok, he actually called me! [Great big grin on my face!]. He wanted to come home for the weekend!! Yeah, he misses me!! Oh, what was that? You want to drive 12 hours to come home? What if something happens to you or your car or some crazy person attacks you when you stop to get gas? Two hours of convincing him he could die or end up in the hospital if he drove. I talked him into a flight home instead. I gleefully purchased his last minute round trip tickets. My pocket book screamed for mercy but I was going to see my boy! I was blissfully happy.
The next morning he called to get the directions to the airport which is four hours away from his uncle‘s house. It was at this time he informed me a friend was picking him up at the airport. [Loud bubble burst] Trying not to sound extremely disappointed but my squeaky voice came out and said “What about seeing your Mom? What time will you be here? What time will I get to spend with you?” In retrospect it really sounded pathetic. He did say he would be home around midnight and after all there was the fall back (turning the clock back an hour) and that hour would be mine. Grrr not liking that he is already a Man. I want my little boy that use to come up and hug me for no reason. Now I have to wait in line behind his friends? When did that happen? Ok that happened a few years ago and I was ok with that when I saw him every single day. Now he only has one day and I have to get at the very end of the line? Ok he and his friends want to hang out at our house after recounting all that happened in the last three weeks. Moms are not ment to hear all the latest gosip amongst his friends.
Ok his first venture out alone and his first real challenge at planning an event so to speak. He called several times “Should I have passed this city? What was the number of the exit off that last highway? I don’t think I brought enough money with me for gas. Do you remember my pin number? Where is the nearest gas station for this gas card? I have to make this call short since I did not pack my phone charger.” I was stressing out to the max while my loving Sister was telling me we should have planned all of this better. She meant well and was trying to convince both my son and me to put off the trip until next weekend. We wanted to move this forward this weekend so we poo-pooed her ideas.
Man Son did eventually run off course by taking a wrong fork in the road. This put him one hour south of where he should have been heading. He had to turn around and get back on track which lost him two hours. I called reservations and had the flight changed to the next available. He calls again to tell me his speedometer is evidently broken. He was clocked at 85 mph in a 70 mph zone. This is when he discovers the speedometer needle wont go past 75 mph. The dial goes up to 90 or 95 but the needle apparently gets stuck at 75. That was an expensive lesson. I tell him we will worry about the pricy ticket and fixing the speedometer when he returns. He still had to reach the airport and to keep his speed under 70 mph depending on the speed limit (55 mph, 25 mph, whatever the sign says but not more than 70 even if it says 80). Mommy’s pocket book couldn’t stand to make this trip any more expensive than it just became.
An hour before his flight was to take off he calls to tell me he still has 80 miles to go. [huge bottom lip pouting on my end] I was not going to see him this weekend and I was soooo disappointed. I asked if he wanted me to book the flight for next weekend. He was also upset he told me he was just going to drive all the way home and never go back to Tennessee. I looked up the flight reservation number on line and cancelled the flight. [so upset I forget about the internet and leave it on all weekend]
Half an hour later my son calls. He has no cash on him, the banks are closed and no gas stations with the name of the gas card he has. He is almost out of gas and not enough gas to get back to his uncle’s house. I tell him to go to the nearest gas station and have someone working there call me from his cell phone since it is long distance. The person calls me and tells me there is no way to input my credit card number in their register, they are not set up that way. The card must be read by the computer strip and cannot be entered in manually. I start to panic and want to yell at this man “That is my baby standing in front of you ! You better let him put gas in his car! I will mail you cash! I will mail you gold bars! I will do anything if you just let him fill up his car!!” Ok I didn’t say any of that but I wanted to. I explained he did not remember his pin number for his bank card and has not received his local bank card yet. I asked the man if there was a gas station near by that would accept his gas card. The man said “We are the only gas station for miles around that accept that gas card.” God must have guided him to that gas station! I was sooooo happy!!! I thanked God over and over again for watching over my son!
The next day my son calls to ask if I made the arrangements for his flights this weekend. He will not give up on the promise he made to his uncle to stand by him until he was able to stand on his feet again. I asked him if he had his pin number, cell phone charger, etc. He says yes to all and told me he was going to print out the directions to the airport tomorrow so he will have them with him.
It was a tough lesson, he didn’t get to see his friends but he did learn Mom cannot always help him and plan everything for him. As much as I want to always be there to do everything for him he needs to be prepared to do this on his own. He has never been reliant on me these past few years but I do try to emphisize on planning to the point I make all the calls. It is time that I let him do as he thinks best so he can make his own way, his own plans even if they are not successful. After all isn't this the time for him to learn Mommy did things for a reason? Teenagers think they know everything. After the teen years comes the legal adult age where they think they really know everything. I cannot remember a time past 16 years old when I did not think I knew everything there was to know or do in any situation. It was only when I was faced with an obstical that I really thought it out and over came it. My mistakes were only matched by my sucesses and the ever so horrid thoughts of "My parents were right in the first place" but I had to figure some of those out on my own because "I knew better." ha, ha, ha. We also learned that Auntie, my Sister, was right all along. Last minute plans do not always work out. We should have rescheduled the flight for the next weekend instead of trying to make the last minute arrangements, minute by minute.
Monday, October 23, 2006
New Traditions from Old
Your blog [http://exiledintoyland.blogspot.com/] brought back memories and I thank you for that.
It is wonderful to teach children to share and to be thankful for what we have.
I remember the first time I heard about children of war. My father was in the military, I was 5 yrs old and he was in Vietnam. My mother told us to be grateful for what we had and reminded us often there were whole families in Vietnam living on the streets. I asked her “Where do they plug in their TV? Fridge? Toaster? ...” The picture I had in my head was furniture and everything in a normal house but lined up on a sidewalk next to the street. A house with everything except floors, walls. doors or roof. The reason it had to be on the sidewalk and not in the street? Well every 5 yr old knows better than to be in the street. You could be run over by a car.
There were four of us children and only one prize in the cereal box (when they actually had prizes in the box). You were the “winner” if the prize fell in your bowl while you poured your cereal. Mother would give you a great big hug and kiss then place the prize in a box on top of the refrigerator. When she received the military pay for the month she would take us to the post office to send off all the cereal prizes we had collected since the same time last month. The prizes were sent to my father to pass out to the Vietnamese children in the village near his camp. It made us feel like we were helping someone else. We also sent them Valentines, paper Turkey decorations (made from tracing our hands), Christmas cards. There were other little things we put in the box on top of the fridge.
Never thought of it before today but that must be the reason I started the “Go Away” box at our house. Snow White knows if it doesn’t fit it goes in the Go Away box. If she doesn’t want a toy any more it goes in the Go Away box. I know I am dating myself by admitting to being a live during the Vietnam war and when prizes were inside the actual cereal boxes but oh well
It is wonderful to teach children to share and to be thankful for what we have.
I remember the first time I heard about children of war. My father was in the military, I was 5 yrs old and he was in Vietnam. My mother told us to be grateful for what we had and reminded us often there were whole families in Vietnam living on the streets. I asked her “Where do they plug in their TV? Fridge? Toaster? ...” The picture I had in my head was furniture and everything in a normal house but lined up on a sidewalk next to the street. A house with everything except floors, walls. doors or roof. The reason it had to be on the sidewalk and not in the street? Well every 5 yr old knows better than to be in the street. You could be run over by a car.
There were four of us children and only one prize in the cereal box (when they actually had prizes in the box). You were the “winner” if the prize fell in your bowl while you poured your cereal. Mother would give you a great big hug and kiss then place the prize in a box on top of the refrigerator. When she received the military pay for the month she would take us to the post office to send off all the cereal prizes we had collected since the same time last month. The prizes were sent to my father to pass out to the Vietnamese children in the village near his camp. It made us feel like we were helping someone else. We also sent them Valentines, paper Turkey decorations (made from tracing our hands), Christmas cards. There were other little things we put in the box on top of the fridge.
Never thought of it before today but that must be the reason I started the “Go Away” box at our house. Snow White knows if it doesn’t fit it goes in the Go Away box. If she doesn’t want a toy any more it goes in the Go Away box. I know I am dating myself by admitting to being a live during the Vietnam war and when prizes were inside the actual cereal boxes but oh well
THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF BARBIE...
I was shocked when I heard how Kelly's mother abandoned her when she was just a baby. Apparently Kelly's mother knew she was not a good mother at all and Kelly would be much better off if Barbie took care of her. One day when Kelly's mother went out she decided it was time to leave. She never came back. She did love Kelly and that is why she left her with Barbie. Barbie is so loved by all and so kind. She has taken in so many children who were abandoned by their mothers. This was the scenario my 7 yr old came up with while playing with Kelly's Klub house and many Kelly friends.
I was not paying much attention to what she was saying due to the fact I was mostly out of breath. Then I heard "her mother abandoned her." I was like WHAT? Who? Is it a girl from school? Does she need a place to stay? Who is taking care of her? My daughter laughed and explained her scenario as to why Kelly is with her big sister Barbie but you never see Kelly & Barbie's mother. There is no Barbie's mother doll in all the Barbies I gave her from when I was little. There is no Barbie's mother from the enormous box of Barbies her big sister gave her. There isn't even a Barbie's mother in the "Barbie Collectors" book she purchased. "No mention of her ever so she must have done something really bad like being a not so good mother."
In all my Barbie years I never thought about Barbie's parents. I know she is a doll, Snow White knows she is a doll but figures there has to be more to the family make up than what is on the store shelves. A few years before Snow White was born I did think of something jokingly I thought of Barbie. She and Ken must have been married at one time but were divorced...she had everything, the Barbie Corvette, the Barbie Dream House, Barbie's dogs, Barbie's horses, everything was Barbie's. Ken...well he pretty much had the clothes on his back. Since then I have heard others say the same thing about a Barbie/Ken divorce. I was an adult when I thought that up. The others I have heard it from were also adults, not children.
OLD AS DIRT
I knew my children thought I was old long ago but did not realize how old until I was 26. On my 26th birthday as I dropped my son off at preschool he told his friends "Today is my Mommy's birthday! In an almost whispered aww he says "She is twenty-six years old" as if it was incredible I could have lived to this ancient age. My response to the dear sweet, elderly ladies of the daycare, "I older than dirt. I was there when they were drawing up the blue prints for dirt."
Since then when a young man makes a pass at me thinking I am his age I say "I older than dirt. I was there when they were drawing up the blue prints for dirt." Family genes make us look much younger than we are.
DINOSAURS
Later came the question from my daughter "Mommy, when you were a little girl did you run in caves to hide from the dinosaurs’ or did you have them as pets?" Since my son was laughing at this question I thought, good at least one of my children doesn't think I have been around since the stone age. I was wrong thinking that as his reply was "Mommy is a big scaredy-cat when it comes to spiders. How could she have a pet like a dinosaur?"
TEXAS
Snow White has misconceptions about Texas. When planning a trip to Huston for later this year she said there was no way she was going. Apparently she believes it is so hot there we will evaporate immediately after getting off the plane. Today on our way to the store she asks "Mommy what are the names of the two deserts? I know one of them is called Texas." I couldn't help myself, I laughed for about 5 minutes. I tried to explain that not all of Texas is a desert that some of it looks just like New York City. She laughed for about 5 minutes then proceeded to explain to me Texas could not be like NYC since there is no electricity in Texas. My turn to laugh again and then ask her why she believes all of this. Her information comes from one cartoon western. The streets were all dirt and there was no electricity. I tried to explain that would have been set in the early Wild West days but there was no convincing her. I told her we could look up Texas on the internet. Laughingly she replied "Mommy, you know the internet lies. People can say whatever they want on there and that doesn't make it true." I would get out the encyclopedia but mine are from the early 70s.
LITTLE DITTY ABOUT JACK & DIANE
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 16 and driving my little sister who was 11 to the mall. On the way to the mall we passed by a school and a few sets of speed bumps. We went over the first set of speed bump and there was a clatter that seemed to come from outside the car. We went over the second set of speed bump and the clatter sounded again. My little sister said "What was that?" As my focus was on the road I only gave her a short answer "Jack".
Sister: Jack? Me: In the trunk. My sister's gaping look seemed to say "You have a GUY in your trunk?" Sister: Jack who?! My response: You know the one who is ready and waiting to help me change a flat tire.
We are both older now but that story still comes up and we laugh about it. She still looks like a little girl and that is a disadvantage in many ways. Some people do not take her seriously. The other day we were talking on the phone and Jack came up. Tonight she went to look in her journal and found this in one of the entries....
As my sister said the next time someone says you don't know Jack, tell them you do know Jack.
I said I not only know Jack, I put him where he is today, and I can move him anytime I want to.
We are still getting a laugh out of Jack after all these years.
MOM A DROP OUT OR JUST ABOVE A DROOLER?
When my son was a kindergartner and we were playing at the neighborhood park a few new to high school boys approached us. They seemed like nice boys so we chatted with them for a minute or so. Then one of the boys asked what high school I go to. I almost fell off the park bench! My reply "I don't go to high school" and we rushed off to our car. While strapping my little 5 yr old son in the car seat he said "Mommy, you should have said you gagiated (graduated) from school long, long ago. Now they think my Mommy is a drop outer."
While in the mall one rainy afternoon I wondered into a shoe store to look for a pair of heels for my sisters up coming wedding. My daughter was wondering the baby stores with Grandma and my son was with me in his stroller. A young man about high school age came over to assist my hunt for the perfect shoes. While placing a very nice size 5 heel on my foot he said "Its great that you are shopping with you little brother. I use to take my little brother with me everywhere too." My son piped up and said "My sister? She's not my sister! My sister just sleeps and drools. She's my Mommy!"
I think I will start a blog just for the funny things my children have said over the years that I want to remember later on in life.
Anyone else have funny things there children have said or done?
I was not paying much attention to what she was saying due to the fact I was mostly out of breath. Then I heard "her mother abandoned her." I was like WHAT? Who? Is it a girl from school? Does she need a place to stay? Who is taking care of her? My daughter laughed and explained her scenario as to why Kelly is with her big sister Barbie but you never see Kelly & Barbie's mother. There is no Barbie's mother doll in all the Barbies I gave her from when I was little. There is no Barbie's mother from the enormous box of Barbies her big sister gave her. There isn't even a Barbie's mother in the "Barbie Collectors" book she purchased. "No mention of her ever so she must have done something really bad like being a not so good mother."
In all my Barbie years I never thought about Barbie's parents. I know she is a doll, Snow White knows she is a doll but figures there has to be more to the family make up than what is on the store shelves. A few years before Snow White was born I did think of something jokingly I thought of Barbie. She and Ken must have been married at one time but were divorced...she had everything, the Barbie Corvette, the Barbie Dream House, Barbie's dogs, Barbie's horses, everything was Barbie's. Ken...well he pretty much had the clothes on his back. Since then I have heard others say the same thing about a Barbie/Ken divorce. I was an adult when I thought that up. The others I have heard it from were also adults, not children.
OLD AS DIRT
I knew my children thought I was old long ago but did not realize how old until I was 26. On my 26th birthday as I dropped my son off at preschool he told his friends "Today is my Mommy's birthday! In an almost whispered aww he says "She is twenty-six years old" as if it was incredible I could have lived to this ancient age. My response to the dear sweet, elderly ladies of the daycare, "I older than dirt. I was there when they were drawing up the blue prints for dirt."
Since then when a young man makes a pass at me thinking I am his age I say "I older than dirt. I was there when they were drawing up the blue prints for dirt." Family genes make us look much younger than we are.
DINOSAURS
Later came the question from my daughter "Mommy, when you were a little girl did you run in caves to hide from the dinosaurs’ or did you have them as pets?" Since my son was laughing at this question I thought, good at least one of my children doesn't think I have been around since the stone age. I was wrong thinking that as his reply was "Mommy is a big scaredy-cat when it comes to spiders. How could she have a pet like a dinosaur?"
TEXAS
Snow White has misconceptions about Texas. When planning a trip to Huston for later this year she said there was no way she was going. Apparently she believes it is so hot there we will evaporate immediately after getting off the plane. Today on our way to the store she asks "Mommy what are the names of the two deserts? I know one of them is called Texas." I couldn't help myself, I laughed for about 5 minutes. I tried to explain that not all of Texas is a desert that some of it looks just like New York City. She laughed for about 5 minutes then proceeded to explain to me Texas could not be like NYC since there is no electricity in Texas. My turn to laugh again and then ask her why she believes all of this. Her information comes from one cartoon western. The streets were all dirt and there was no electricity. I tried to explain that would have been set in the early Wild West days but there was no convincing her. I told her we could look up Texas on the internet. Laughingly she replied "Mommy, you know the internet lies. People can say whatever they want on there and that doesn't make it true." I would get out the encyclopedia but mine are from the early 70s.
LITTLE DITTY ABOUT JACK & DIANE
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 16 and driving my little sister who was 11 to the mall. On the way to the mall we passed by a school and a few sets of speed bumps. We went over the first set of speed bump and there was a clatter that seemed to come from outside the car. We went over the second set of speed bump and the clatter sounded again. My little sister said "What was that?" As my focus was on the road I only gave her a short answer "Jack".
Sister: Jack? Me: In the trunk. My sister's gaping look seemed to say "You have a GUY in your trunk?" Sister: Jack who?! My response: You know the one who is ready and waiting to help me change a flat tire.
We are both older now but that story still comes up and we laugh about it. She still looks like a little girl and that is a disadvantage in many ways. Some people do not take her seriously. The other day we were talking on the phone and Jack came up. Tonight she went to look in her journal and found this in one of the entries....
As my sister said the next time someone says you don't know Jack, tell them you do know Jack.
I said I not only know Jack, I put him where he is today, and I can move him anytime I want to.
We are still getting a laugh out of Jack after all these years.
MOM A DROP OUT OR JUST ABOVE A DROOLER?
When my son was a kindergartner and we were playing at the neighborhood park a few new to high school boys approached us. They seemed like nice boys so we chatted with them for a minute or so. Then one of the boys asked what high school I go to. I almost fell off the park bench! My reply "I don't go to high school" and we rushed off to our car. While strapping my little 5 yr old son in the car seat he said "Mommy, you should have said you gagiated (graduated) from school long, long ago. Now they think my Mommy is a drop outer."
While in the mall one rainy afternoon I wondered into a shoe store to look for a pair of heels for my sisters up coming wedding. My daughter was wondering the baby stores with Grandma and my son was with me in his stroller. A young man about high school age came over to assist my hunt for the perfect shoes. While placing a very nice size 5 heel on my foot he said "Its great that you are shopping with you little brother. I use to take my little brother with me everywhere too." My son piped up and said "My sister? She's not my sister! My sister just sleeps and drools. She's my Mommy!"
I think I will start a blog just for the funny things my children have said over the years that I want to remember later on in life.
Anyone else have funny things there children have said or done?
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Yeah We Moved!
Yeah the moving company came.
Aw they didn't like my packing job
Yeah they said they would pack the rest
Aw it would be an extra $$$
Yeah the truck is full
Aw they couldn't fit everything in the truck
Yeah they will go back for a second load
Aw that would cost double
Yeah that gave me a good laugh
Aw the truck weighed more than the estimate
Yeah we are almost at the new house
Aw- EEE Gads the total is what??!!
Yeah all the furniture was assembled (included in the original price)
Aw I am sorry but the boxes marked Living Room need to come out of the bedrooms
Yeah the truck is unloaded
Aw you cannot leave until you find one more TV you packed
Buggery Buggery Buggery! I have to do this a second time for the rest of the house. Anyone found the coffee maker? Alarm Clock? Mommies other shoe? Oh the joys of moving.
Aw they didn't like my packing job
Yeah they said they would pack the rest
Aw it would be an extra $$$
Yeah the truck is full
Aw they couldn't fit everything in the truck
Yeah they will go back for a second load
Aw that would cost double
Yeah that gave me a good laugh
Aw the truck weighed more than the estimate
Yeah we are almost at the new house
Aw- EEE Gads the total is what??!!
Yeah all the furniture was assembled (included in the original price)
Aw I am sorry but the boxes marked Living Room need to come out of the bedrooms
Yeah the truck is unloaded
Aw you cannot leave until you find one more TV you packed
Buggery Buggery Buggery! I have to do this a second time for the rest of the house. Anyone found the coffee maker? Alarm Clock? Mommies other shoe? Oh the joys of moving.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Found Treasures and Fond Memories
I saw something in the Saturday morning paper that caught my eye. A new toy shop in our little downtown. Our downtown consists of about 5 blocks down Market Street. I just new it was going to be cute boutique style shop. They also advertised someone singing for the kids. I was happy and 2 yr old Snow White would have a ball running about in a toy shop!
I put her in a cute little romper dress, her little red English bowler hat and coat then off we go! We arrived at the toy shop a little bit early so we can browse freely. The toys were wonderful! Not one thing in the store required batteries (yeah!). There were many antique designed wooden toys and toys that required young minds to think.. It wasn’t long before the store started to get packed. I was amazed at how many other parents, just like me, had nothing better to do on a crisp fall morning. Everyone was buzzing about the singer who was coming. Apparently she is quite famous. The shop owner told me this singer was even hired by Material-Girl Modonna for her little girl’s birthday party. I was feeling very out of the loop since I had never heard of this singer. As the crowd thickened I decided we needed a little fresh air.
I looked up and down Market Street which seemed barren with the exception of those gathered in the toy shop. Just then three people walked around a corner. This must be the singer and her friends because they did not look like they were from around here. The smiling lady in the middle had beautiful, shiny auburn curls, wore a long green coat, bright red top and purple paleather, bell bottom pants. I know she was wearing boots but cannot remember what color due to the purple distracting me. She looked great in this outfit that I definitely could not pull off myself. She just had to be the singer from New York. As she came to the front of the shop she stopped to say a cheery hello to Snow White who was awe stricken. We followed them in the shop where she quickly had all the occupants singing, dancing, jumping and making all sorts of animal noises.
After the performance there were a few treats and special discounts on toys. We purchased a few toys and I took photos of Snow White with the singer. A few moms forgot to bring cameras so I took photos for them and emailed them that evening. We had a great time at the shop and on our way out the owner gave us discount coupons for the theater featuring Laurie Berkner whom Snow White nick named the “Song Lady”. All the way home she talked about the Song Lady and could not wait to tell Grandma and Grandpa all the new songs she learned complete with dance steps.
We went to the show the next day in a wonderful old theater downtown. They had everyone in the audience interacting with them. I don’t think we sat down at all during the show. After the show we bought both of the CDs they were selling and of course a t-shirt. Laurie signed the CDs and let me take pictures of her with Snow White. She remembered her from the shop due to her cute little red hat and her beautiful blue eyes.
Just the other day while packing up Snow White’s room in anticipation of our move, I found a forgotten treasure. Her t-shirt from the Laurie Berkner show. The smallest size they had left was a size 5/6 which is the size she wears now. I told her the story about going to see the “Song Lady” since she was too young to remember. She loves hearing stories about when she was little. Of course after that story she was not going to let me pack the t-shirt. She just had to wear that t-shirt today and quickly changed into it. We took a little break from packing to grab a snack and watch a little TV together. Amazing coincidence - guess who was on TV?! You guessed it! Laurie Berkner!
I put her in a cute little romper dress, her little red English bowler hat and coat then off we go! We arrived at the toy shop a little bit early so we can browse freely. The toys were wonderful! Not one thing in the store required batteries (yeah!). There were many antique designed wooden toys and toys that required young minds to think.. It wasn’t long before the store started to get packed. I was amazed at how many other parents, just like me, had nothing better to do on a crisp fall morning. Everyone was buzzing about the singer who was coming. Apparently she is quite famous. The shop owner told me this singer was even hired by Material-Girl Modonna for her little girl’s birthday party. I was feeling very out of the loop since I had never heard of this singer. As the crowd thickened I decided we needed a little fresh air.
I looked up and down Market Street which seemed barren with the exception of those gathered in the toy shop. Just then three people walked around a corner. This must be the singer and her friends because they did not look like they were from around here. The smiling lady in the middle had beautiful, shiny auburn curls, wore a long green coat, bright red top and purple paleather, bell bottom pants. I know she was wearing boots but cannot remember what color due to the purple distracting me. She looked great in this outfit that I definitely could not pull off myself. She just had to be the singer from New York. As she came to the front of the shop she stopped to say a cheery hello to Snow White who was awe stricken. We followed them in the shop where she quickly had all the occupants singing, dancing, jumping and making all sorts of animal noises.
After the performance there were a few treats and special discounts on toys. We purchased a few toys and I took photos of Snow White with the singer. A few moms forgot to bring cameras so I took photos for them and emailed them that evening. We had a great time at the shop and on our way out the owner gave us discount coupons for the theater featuring Laurie Berkner whom Snow White nick named the “Song Lady”. All the way home she talked about the Song Lady and could not wait to tell Grandma and Grandpa all the new songs she learned complete with dance steps.
We went to the show the next day in a wonderful old theater downtown. They had everyone in the audience interacting with them. I don’t think we sat down at all during the show. After the show we bought both of the CDs they were selling and of course a t-shirt. Laurie signed the CDs and let me take pictures of her with Snow White. She remembered her from the shop due to her cute little red hat and her beautiful blue eyes.
Just the other day while packing up Snow White’s room in anticipation of our move, I found a forgotten treasure. Her t-shirt from the Laurie Berkner show. The smallest size they had left was a size 5/6 which is the size she wears now. I told her the story about going to see the “Song Lady” since she was too young to remember. She loves hearing stories about when she was little. Of course after that story she was not going to let me pack the t-shirt. She just had to wear that t-shirt today and quickly changed into it. We took a little break from packing to grab a snack and watch a little TV together. Amazing coincidence - guess who was on TV?! You guessed it! Laurie Berkner!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
It's Got To Go
In an attempt to get a few things packed I decided to tackle Snow White's room. My goodness princess has racked up quite a treasure trove. Great toys but way too many for her to ever play with. As I sort through her closet and under her bed she delights in finding a toy she has not seen in a year. We have even found presents that were never opened and toys in their original packaging. There are of course toys that really need to go such as the McDonald's Happy Meal toys. I know someone out there must be collecting these things but not us. As I attempt to chuck some of the unwanted toys my little one jumps up and declares it a treasure!
Who was I kidding when I said it was ok for her to be in the room while I do this. I set up a movie rented from cable (Heidi) fix her a snack and set up a craft on the kitchen table. The movie did not interest her or the crafts so she was back in her room 5 minutes later.
Wish I could find a place other than Goodwill to send our things. We are moving and I have two refrigerator boxes full of stuff from Lord & Taylor (never worn), Gap, Baby Gap (worn once because babies grow too fast) tons of brand name toys...etc. I dont want to work by having a yard sale or go to a consignment shop. I just want it to go..get it out of my house so I don't have to unpack it at the new house. Whenever I find the new house. I have thought about setting the boxes outside with huge letters "FREE STUFF" written on them but would anyone go through the boxes? If I came across a box like this I would just walk on by thinking if it is free it has to be worthless.
Who was I kidding when I said it was ok for her to be in the room while I do this. I set up a movie rented from cable (Heidi) fix her a snack and set up a craft on the kitchen table. The movie did not interest her or the crafts so she was back in her room 5 minutes later.
Wish I could find a place other than Goodwill to send our things. We are moving and I have two refrigerator boxes full of stuff from Lord & Taylor (never worn), Gap, Baby Gap (worn once because babies grow too fast) tons of brand name toys...etc. I dont want to work by having a yard sale or go to a consignment shop. I just want it to go..get it out of my house so I don't have to unpack it at the new house. Whenever I find the new house. I have thought about setting the boxes outside with huge letters "FREE STUFF" written on them but would anyone go through the boxes? If I came across a box like this I would just walk on by thinking if it is free it has to be worthless.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Where Have All the Good Homes Gone?
Months and months of house searching and still not finding anything. What is with the housing market? Who came up with the idea to have two full bathrooms on the main floor and none on the second floor where the bedrooms are? I want to find that person and give them a wake up smack in the face. Who wants to run through the living room or dinning room to take a shower? I am not looking for a mansion. I just want a nice 3 BR with at least 2 full bathrooms near the bedrooms and one guest bathroom. The next realtor to show me a house with bedrooms the size of 9x9 will be mentally flogged. My idea of a master bedroom is a large bedroom with two walk in closets and a full bathroom. Not just the largest room in the house with a small closet and walking distance to the bathroom.
I have found one developer who can provide me with my ideal house. The problem is it wont be ready until next summer. I needed to move last month so that doesn't work for me. I am tired of the 3 hour round trip commute. I want my family moved so we can spend more time together.
Not finding what I want in a purchase I start looking for a house to rent in the mean time. It appears something major happened in this state between 1957 and the present. Okay, there were a few built but still eww on the layouts. What they call condos here we call townhouses back home. They are larger than most town houses I have seen but you only own the inside of the house. The roof, the yard and the sidewalk are all the responsibility of the Condo Organization. That sounded great at first! Woohoo! I would not have to move the yard or shovel the snow! If the roof leaked or anything I wouldn't have to dip into saving to have it repaired. It also meant that I could not put up the play ground set or a tree house, a sandbox, or even a shed in the back yard. Now when I see a condo listed I just skip right by the listing.
After three months of searching I finally find a rental. I would actually love to purchase this home. It has everything I want plus a few extras like a laundry room the size of a normal living room. There are clothing racks installed so you can hang things up right away, a "dry flat" area, room for a sewing machine and peg boards for thread, ribbon, etc. There are many large storage closets and all of this extra does not take away from the living space.
The big hiccup with this house is they do not allow pets. My jaw dropped as I have asked each property manager on the phone, before setting up an appointment, if they allowed pets. The property manager called me back later to say the owner is allergic to cats and would be ok with a small dog. My little girl has a cat who she adores and loves her right back.
After a week of debating on this house and looking at the lack of houses in the area I have a little talk with my daughter. A few hours of answering all of her questions she agrees to swap out her cat for a small dog. I find a great family to take the cat upon our move in date. I call the property manager who becomes very excited at the anticipation of renting the house. She calls me back later to say the owner would rather not have a puppy in the house but will allow you to keep the cat with some minor provisions. You must pay one months rent, regular deposit, $1700 pet deposit plus the cost to ________ the property when you move out. I cannot remember the term she used but sounds of it are similar to the cleaning after a nuclear fallout. She will get back to me on the cost.
At first all I thought about was YES we are getting the house!! Then my mind started reeling. How much was it going to cost to get in to this house? Are they pulling my leg? It would be cheaper to buy the house. I wouldn't have to put that much down and I could forget the nuclear cleaning.
I give up on this house and look again at the news paper. I have an appointment on Tuesday to look at another house. I just cannot imagine any other house being as wonderful as the one I wanted so bad. Oh well, maybe that just wasn't the house for us. I console myself with the thought it must have some hidden faults such as horrid plumping, mold hidden somewhere, etc.
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