rantings of a soccer chic

I wasn't going to go here, but after much pondering and many, many nagging thoughts about this psychotic team I played last night, I felt the need to vent. Oh you Lady Dragons, I think you are playing way out of your league. We have no room for your poor sportsmanship and lack of, shall I say, skills?? Shoving other players because they beat you to the ball is not looked upon highly, neither is hacking at their ankles. And you, oh over confident goalie, should not dive head first towards a ball at an opponents feet and then scream foul. While we, the Cosmos, do follow the so called 'halo rule', it does not include plays that involve lack of forethought. It also does not encourage you to hunker down, with your face level to your opponents foot, when they take a shot on goal. This is just...well.... stupid. And to make matters worse, when the game is over, you neglect to shake hands and say 'nice game', which would have demonstrated good sportsmanship, when you were massacred 7-0. But who am I to point out your short comings?? No, you were able to demonstrate that at too well when you tried to pick a fight with two of my fellow teammates after the game about roughing the goalie. (Please see previous statements about the stupidity of the aforementioned goalie). For some strange reason your goalie felt that no one should come within 20 feet of her, let alone touch her in any way. Obviously she has not been playing long or she would know that the goalie takes the brunt of the games shots as well as contact with other players. Typically goalies come towards players with their feet, not their heads, thus taking out opposing players as they charge the goal. But this would mean that she had even the smallest inkling of how to play soccer, which by her demonstration last night, she does not. I can't wait to see what she does when outdoor begins in three weeks and her goal box triples in size! Maybe they will be moved down a league by then...one can only hope!

is patience a virtue?

Here is your math problem of the day. Maple House + three hungry children + two tour busses of elderly Quebecians + one lactating friend on a schedule =your answer here. If I could only describe the true fortitude of what our encounter was I would be oh so happy. My BFF pick the boys and me up for breakfast this morning, wooing us with all the Maple House had to offer. "They make their own Maple Coffee. They infuse the beans with maple syrup." I was instantly hooked after that first comment. The also had a sugarhouse (where they make the maple syrup) and a store called the Sugar Shack. Personally, I think the 'Sugar Shack' sounds like a strip club or adult movie but it was, in fact, a shack filled with all things sugar and maple. We arrived with three hungry children, my two boys plus her 18-month-old son, and our own ravenous appetites. I had been salivating for the coffee from the time she picked me up from the hotel and already had my 'it's 9 am and I haven't had coffee headache' going. The place was in the middle of nowhere in the back woods of Nashua/ Amherst. It didn't appear crowded when we were first seated.... but then the tour buses arrived. Q-tips and grey hairs were everywhere. We were being invaded!! The waitress brought two coloring books to our table to amuse our children while she sat the masses. The only problem with that was she brought a Sesame Street (fine for the younger two) and a Disney Princess book. Drake and Grady made quite the faces at the pink embodied book of ‘all that is girl’. We pitched the princess book and divvied up the Sesame Street pages. After an excruciatingly long wait we were finally served. As a side note - the coffee was too die for!! The boys did as well as any caged and hungry animal can do but after all the sugary goodness started to digest, they needed to run off some of that extra energy before our car ride back. BFF and I on the other hand, were in a food-induced coma state and ready for a well-deserved nap.

We took a quick walk through the sugarhouse and saw how they make maple syrup. I loved the smell of the wood burning and the slight sweet tinge in the air.

The boys liked swinging with Anthony and crossing the covered troll bridge. I had to indulge in a bag of the maple coffee and entered the Sugar Shack with the idea that I would run in and run out with my purchase. Ann's milk was dropping and well, that just isn't a good thing when babycakes is at home with her Daddy, probably staring to wail and fuss. What I entered instead of the Sugar Shack was the Twilight Zone for the elderly. And not just any elderly – French speaking Q-tips. They were bickering over the prices, the lines, the lack of bathrooms, the lack of pink stained glass dragonflies window hangings and so on and so forth. And so, my mantra began. “Some day I too will be old and crotchety, some day I too will be old and crotchety.” Because of their excessive scrutiny, it was taking forever to purchase my two bags of coffee. I tried my best to hold my tongue and not go postal on the two old ladies in front of me when they couldn’t decide between the ‘Kim’ or ‘Kimberly’ sleigh ornament. I think it went like this, “Her real name is Kimberly.” “Yes, but doesn’t she go by Kim?” “Oh yes… which do you think she would like?” “I’m not sure. Maybe her real name…. but she does have everyone call her Kim…” “I think I will get her the Kim. Hmmmm, or maybe the Kimberly?” At this point I am doing all I can to not scream out “Stop the insanity!!! It is a $2.00 ornament for Pete’s sake!! Buy both!” I chose instead to bang my head against the cute little maple plaque with Pope John Paul on it. I made it out alive, battered and bruised, but alive and bearing coffee. I cannot say the same for some of the others. All in all it really was a fantastic time. Anytime with BFF is well spent. Though trying to sop up runny boobs the whole way back was quite the challenge!

sharks and turtles and dragons oh my!

I guess I should also add tourettes to the title as well cause nothing says public transportation like a run in with a person with tourettes. This man was spewing his rant, filled with so many nice words, that it even made a potty mouth like me blush. He was throwing around the F bomb and C word like "the" and "is". Grady's eyes grew big and in his oh so quiet two year old voice bellowed, "Ooooo Momma, he's a bad guy!!!" And he said it not once but twice. I can say for certain that one of those C words was directed at my loud-mouthed child and me. But on a whole I love Boston. I could wrap my arms around it and never leave. Because if was 60 and sunny we decided to take the boys to the aquarium.


Because schools in Massachusetts were not on break, there were no lines or crowds at the Aquarium. Grady wanted to see the sharks and the octopus while Drake was making a B line towards the penguins.

The aquarium is in the middle and you walk around, up in a spiral, to see all the different fish and sea life and exhibits. I really liked the fact that there were a lot of opportunities to see all the fish and we never felt crowded or rushed to move out of the way for someone else.

Drake got to hold a baby Chinese sea crab. I thought baby looked like she would have made a good meal but Mom and Dad can grow anywhere from 10 - 12 feet around. Now that would be a meal!!!

Grady loved seeing the sea turtles. They even had a baby one that looked like Squirt in Finding Nemo. I have to admit that the two older turtles that swam with ease through the tank fascinated me. Their shells were beautiful and their faces looked soft and kind. The boys and I also loved the huge jellyfish exhibit. I never knew there were so many different species, shapes and sizes. Glad they were behind the tank and not in my local swimming hole!

And of course, no trip to the wharf is complete without a trip to Legal Seafood. Drake asked if we were eating any of the fish from the aquarium to which I chuckled. "No honey. These fish come in on the ships in the harbor." "But this restaurant is right next door to the aquarium. Kind of fishy." Yeah I know, he is a laugh riot. His curiosity about the acquisition of fish grew as he completed the "secret code" game on the kids me. "See Mom...it says 'If it's not fresh it's not legal'. Are they getting the fish illegally? Why would they put that as the secret code?" I tried to explain that it was a play on words and that nothing was obtained illegally, at least to my knowledge. I don't think my explanation worked but at least I got to finish my chowder.

and the adventure begins

Let me begin by saying that 4 am is ugly. If you thought my photo of truthiness was bad, avoid the 4 am picture at all cost. Thankfully I was able to get almost all the packing done last night, with the exception of those last few items that taunted me in my sleep. So far I think I have everything. Granted, we are only on the plane but what we don’t have I guess we can buy. Miraculously we made it to the plane on time because the line for security wrapped around the entire airport. We also got held up in security due to short stuff and his stash. The TSA lady stopped us and said she had to investigate Grady’s backpack. She said there were questionable items they needed to see. “Well if there are he would be the one to have them”. Thankfully she laughed. Sometimes those people take their job a bit to seriously and can be quite rude. The items in question were his three small jars of play-dough. Someone– though I won’t mention names– (Jes) had mentioned before that she packs play dough to entertain her little munchkins. I thought that was a great idea and followed suit. Well, TSA does not view moldable clay as a kosher flying item. She did the chemical warfare swipe test to it and deemed it flight-worthy. So far Grady loves the plane though was a bit disgruntled that he was not allowed to drive it. The elderly lady behind us gave quiet a smirk at that remark.

My goal is to post pictures throughout the trip – yeah, we will see how that goes. I hope to do some sightseeing, hit the aquarium and lots of eating. The boys are very excited to see their Tia (my BFF) and I can’t wait to get my hands on her new little one. My BFF is Greek and she married an east coast Italian. I am already salivating at the food possibilities. I am sure we will be able to find lots of ways to fill our time since we aren’t house hunting and school shopping. But I won’t go there, at least not yet!

did the scary bunny visit you?

Happy Easter to all! These are the bunnies that Grady colored at school for the occasion. They kind of scare me with their side glances and extremingly sharp teeth. Freaky, I know. They are very reminiscent of Monty Python's Killer Rabbit. Hope these aren't some of the bunnies that visited our house last night!

the list

Drake has been asking for a "mom and me" day for quite a while now. Seems the constant nagging and irritation that a little brother entails has driven him to the brink. He wrote this in response to "What do you miss from you past" in our circle journal the other day - "I miss when it was just Mom, Dad and Me. NO Grady". Yikes! I know this is all typical behavior, or at least I keep convincing myself that. This video confirms my boys are on the road to best friend doom -
http://inthemotherhood.msn.com/Default.aspx?source=email&videoId=22 (again I have a Mac and can't figure out the whole link thing, sorry!) But I digress. I decided that since Grady had school Friday, and Drake and I did not, that we would have an "us" day. He was so excited that he decided to make a list of all the fun things we were going to do. It seems that my OCD tendencies are hereditary and will be a source of therapy for years to come.


So here is Drake's list for a day of fun. Not at all what I was expecting. He didn't even want to leave the house. My favorite was number 4 - play board games, or not. It was nice to just hang out, read some Harry Potter and Drake's favorite - demolishing me in a not so friendly game of Monopoly. And lets not forget the 15 inches of snow that fell yesterday bringing us to almost 100" this winter. Drake found immense pleasure in pelting me with snowballs while I was trying to shovel. Shocking how accurate he can be without his glasses on!! It was a great day except for the fact that Drake said I wasn't allowed to take a nap because it wasn't on the list. Next time I am voting for mandatory napping!!

No worries, we did complete the list. I took this picture before the day was done.

friday flashback

"Where were you when...?" is the question of the day posed by the fine ladies at "Sweetney" and "Her Bad Mother". I perused some of the entries and had AH HA moments with each of the incidences they wrote about. I was in the hall at my locker between classes in sixth grade when they announced the Challenger crash. I also remember my mom waking me up extremely early to watch the 'once in a life time' wedding of Di and Charles. I can recall the destruction of the Berlin Wall and rushing home from my anatomy lab to watch the sentencing of OJ Simpson. All of these memories are still fresh in my mind, though I can't remember what to get at the store to save my life. Another occurrence I can vividly recall was the arrest of Jeffery Dahmer. 'Why on earth would you remember this' you are surely questioning. Well, the reasons are plentiful.

It was the summer before my senior year of high school when he was arrested in 1991. I had done all the university tours my junior year and had decided to go to college in Milwaukee. I grew up in a small town on the eastern border of Ohio, two miles from Pennsylvania to be exact, and I was ready to get the heck out of Dodge. I yearned to be in a metropolis with up to date fashion, trends and culture. I applied early and was accepted. So the countdown to freedom began.

"Newsflash! Officers arrest a serial killer in Milwaukee. When apprehended in his apartment they find corpses, human remains and severed heads in his refrigerator." The trial began in the middle of my senior year. I was continuously questioned about my school choice, "Are you really going to school THERE??" "What if there are more killers like THAT there?" and so on and so on. To small town minds this type of killer was incomprehensible. To be fair, he was mind blowing to many across the country as well as around the world. As the investigation unraveled it was discovered that he was originally from Ohio and went to Ohio State (my second choice for college). Suddenly the six degrees of separation was quickly closing in. As well as being on every national news station, he was also on all the local station because of all the discoveries they were finding in Ohio as well. I was glad when school was over and I could escape the verbal questioning and harassment.

When I moved here the story didn't have the same zest and appeal as it did back home. Maybe because they had been hearing it for over a year and by then and the shock value had resolved. I embraced the silence and went about my merry way and all that college had to offer to a wide-eyed freshman.

It amazes me that this was the occurrence that was sparked by the question posed. Maybe the small town girl in me is still stuck in there after all.

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This post was written as part of Catherine and Tracey’s “Where were you when…” writing prompt.
“Our parents' generation can recall exactly what they were doing when JFK was shot - a cultural moment that defined a generation. What big cultural or historic event occurred during your childhood/youth that you recall clearly? What was its impact on you?"

Feel free to join in and write a post on this theme. All you are asked to do is copy the list of participants and add it to the bottom of your post -- and don't forget to add yourself!

For more posts on the “Where were you when…” theme...
Her Bad Mother
Sweetney
Mamalogues
Mrs. Flinger
Whoorl
Oh, The Joys

well thought out twinkle - or not

While driving my car last weekend and being repeatedly kicked in the back by Drake, hubby mentioned how I should probably upgrade to a big girl car. "And what pray tell do you mean by that?" I queried. "I think we have outgrown your car. We need something bigger". Humph. I love my car. I downsized to get my car. It is fast and zippy. It's a diesel, so it gets great gas mileage and I can always find parking when we go to Milwaukee or Chicago. "I will NOT drive a minivan and you can't make me!!" "No, not a minivan, just something a bit... bigger."


This is the Mazda 5

So we spent some time Sunday looking at cars online. I really like the Mazda5. It has the third row seating but without the height and bulk of a van. It was actually almost the same height as my VW. I liked that I could tint out my windows and still have it look somewhat cool. I also really liked that the second row seats are bucket and recline - great for road trips! So nothing was every really decided and I thought it was just something we were throwing around. I didn't think twice when he asked me to drive his car to work Monday. Bad judgment on my part, very bad. He said he was going to have a dealership appraise it "just" so we would know what range we could look in. Lies, lies, lies. I should also mention that he exhibits numerous signs of ADD and has sever impulsivity issues. So with that said, you can probably see where this bumpy road is going.

At about 9am I got a text message that he was going to put my car up for sale online just to see if there was any interest. Well, there was, and a lot. Bugger had it sold in under six hours for more then the dealer was willing to offer. "GREAT!" he says as he is flashing his wheel and deal smile. "Crap!" I say. "You just turned us into a one car household!" Yeah, I was met with a blank stare and shrugging shoulders. He tried to woo my green side by telling me that the guy who is buying it is going to rebuild it and turn it into a bio-diesel car. "Much better for the environment honey!" Much better my butt! Now we have to rush and find a car. We can't just have one car. Hello?! I commute to Illinois everyday, you will become housebound and have to scrounge through your day. "What if you get called out to an emergency.... you know, like what happened twice last week??? Hell, once you had to fly out to Boston with one hour notice. What then?? Aaaaaahhh!" You can visualize the melt down can you not?

After a few glasses of wine and many nasty looks I decided that I am taking his car and claiming it as my own. It will now be his responsibility to find a new ride and preferably before we head out east next week for a brief holiday. Otherwise he will have to put his kicks to the pavement if he wants to go anywhere. Or, weather permitting, his new motorcycle girlfriend.

embracing that which is flabby

I hate my stomach. After gaining 80 pounds - TWICE!! - to say it has seen better days is an understatement. My tummy and I go round and round. Some days I look at it and sigh, "Oh flabbiness, you come from spawning two beautiful boys. Without them, I would not have all these long and lengthy stretch marks, saggy skin and a belly button that looks as if it has a foreskin. Thank you for baking them and making it difficult to find clothes that don't make me look like an over sized muffin." Other days I look at it and curse, "Damn you flabby skin!!! Can't you just lay flat and not bulge over my pants for one frickin day?! Must you seep out from the depths of my waist bands and jiggle as I walk. Stop laying in bed next to me!!!" I was having one of the cursing moments as Drake was talking to me while I was getting dressed the other night into my "lounge wear". He was watching and had this silly little smile on his face as he cocked his head sideways.
Me: What is so funny?
D: Nothing. I just like your belly.
M: You like my belly? Why?
D: I like how it puffs out. (with this he stands up and starts poking it - I hate that) It's soft and warm.
M: (like a muffin I'm thinking) Really?
D: Yeah and I like to rest my head on it when I hug you. It's like a warm pillow. It's comfy.
M: Thanks bud I needed to hear that
D: How did I fit in there by the way?
M: You didn't. That is why it looks like this!
D: Oh. Will it always be puffy?
M: Yes, I can guarantee that it will always be puffy.

So I guess today I should embrace my fluffiness. Granted I may always look like a cupcake or over stuffed sausage in pants but at least it is comforting to a seven year old boy when he needs a hug.

these irish eyes are smiling

Happy St. Patrick's day to everyone! It is, of course, a big deal in our house. Although, with it being on a Monday this year it has cramped the celebratory style we usually exhibit. Both hubby and I have busy days and cannot take off work as we have in the past. Plus we have those wee ones now that also demand time and consciousness. Hmmm, we will have to try and plan better for next year. We will still have fun with the kids tonight and celebrate the namesakes of two of the three boys. We got our favorite Dubliner cheese, Guinness and green Kool-Aid for the boys. A party in the making! On a negative note, my mood was almost damped by one of Grady's pre-school teacher that got on her soap box about how "Americanized" St' Patrick's Day has become (duh - we are in America) and that in Ireland it is a religious holiday (duh again). Yada, yada, yada. I will add that she was all garbed up in green and admitted to not being Irish at all. While in truth, America has made it into a day of mass media exploitation, excessive consumption of alcohol and outrageous shenanigans but really, what is the harm? A true Irishman can drink any American under the table and would do it with style. So pass the green beer and stop giving me so much blarney!!

self-portrait truthiness at its best

Well I was originally wooed by the idea of a Friday Flashback post when I read about it on 'Mamalogues' and 'Her Bad Mother'. Their first choice was "A song by... that changed you". I pondered it for quite some time and eventually decided against it. All my stories were risqué and things I am just not ready to share with the blog world or truth be told, have my children read someday - yikes!! This week they chose the 'self-portrait of truthiness'. I fell in love with the title and am always one to take a dare. The idea is to post a picture of you first thing in the morning - no make-up, no prep work, NO coffee. Now I was perusing the photos and I highly question many of them, either that or I am one of the scariest morning people alive. Most of these women have nice combed hair, fresh looking faces, heck, some even have smiles. I NEVER look like these women in the morning. My hair looks like the stomping ground for a family of ferrets, three blind mice and a large wild boar. Now I will admit there is not much difference when it is clean and "done" due to the amount of curl and product that goes into the coiffure, but it does look a bit more tame. Because of this I am going against the rules and posting a pre and post picture just to prove that I am not a deranged lunatic in real life and to show you that objects are not as scary as they appear!


Oh yes, this is 5 am at its finest! I am even scared when I look at this picture. Guess if my husband can roll over, see this and not run for the hills he must be a keeper!


So here I am with my hairstyle of the moment. No makeup but my hair is somewhat decent.


Ok, this is a flashback to three years ago. I am glammed up and looking quite cute I must say. This is pre-Grady so the bags under my eyes are not as defined as they are now. I also have a lot less, shall we call them laugh lines?


And then there is the long haired version of me. I loved it this length but simply for the reason that I never wore it down - it was always pulled back. I could throw on a hat or throw it in a pony and go. I like my short hair but it does take more time and effort.

Be sure to check out these other brave women as well:
www.mamalogues.com
www.izzymom.com
www.othejoys.blogspot.com
www.badladies.blogspot.com

As a side note - I can't do the fancy little "do dad" to link you to other blogs on my apple lap top. I have tried and tried with no success so take the web address as they are. Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated.

So now I post the same dare to you - show the world the real you first thing in the morning. Be sure to link it back to me and the others involved and we can fill the blog world with an overabundance of beauty.

gotta brag!!

My little Science nerd made the paper for his moldy cheese project. Quite a happy day! It was such a fun surprise to find his smiling little face in the paper. Ok, so he really isn't smiling in the picture but he will be when he finds out he was in the paper. Hopefully this cheers him up after his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day yesterday. If not then Mc Donald's for dinner surely will!

for the love of pete, please stop reproducing

While driving to work this morning I was listening to one of the local radio stations because I couldn't find my ipod adapter (sad I know). The two deejays were discussing Easter. The female, who is Jewish, was commenting how she couldn't believe how early Easter was this year. The male said "What are you talking about? You're Jewish and Easter is always in April." This sparked a huge discussion on Easter and eventually led to the female betting the male a burrito that Easter was in two weeks. She googled it and alas, proved him wrong. He was vastly confused and stated that he thought Easter was always the first Sunday in April. Why did they change it this year? All the while I am sitting in my car thinking about how stupid these people are and that they are actually getting paid money to project their stupidity to the masses. To make matters worse they then open up the phone lines to the general public about this topic. The responses left me speechless and very afraid. One lady was insistent that President Bush changed Easter this year. "It is one of the presidents duties" she stated. She knew that because someone told her. I wonder what else she would believe?? Another lady said it was the way the stars and the moon align.....oh nelly! We have been dipping into the sauce a wee bit early haven't we? Where have all the Christians gone??? Easter does not revolve around the President, a certain Sunday or the solar alignments (ok, well, sort of but not the way she was talking). Heck, even the Jewish deejay knew that!! Where are these people coming from and why are they reproducing? Where is natural selection? I bet this is why some animals eat their young. Easter is and always will be a moveable holiday based on the full moon. Am I wrong to assume that people don't know that? Have you been to Target lately? There has been Easter stuff since February. Better yet, check your day planner. Now I do admit that I may be a bit more in tuned due to the fact that I have small children and work in the schools. We know days off better then our family's birthdays! But that aside, I an having a difficult time wrapping my brain around the fact that there are people out there that think the president picks Easter. Sadly I missed some of the other callers and their lame reasonings as to why Easter is on March because I was venting to my husband about the stupidity of the people in Wisconsin. "Just another reason to move," I threw in. Yeah, he didn't fall for it. Damn. I can, however, definitely state that there are exactly three days till one of our all time favorite national holidays - why, St. Patrick's Day of course!!!!! And I won't even start about the controversy that St Patrick's Day falls during holy week.

ramblings of a seven year old

These are the days I wish my son was not so quick on the uptake or as my husband says "spot on".

Drake: Mom, can I ask you a question?
Me: You just did.
D: Maaawwwwm, really.
M: Yes, go ahead.
D: Why is it funny, in the movie Cars, when the rusty cars are talking to Lightning McQueen about not having headlights, and he says he is a race cars and race cars don't have headlights because the race track is always lit and then one of the cars says "So is my brother but he still needs headlights". Why is that funny?
M: Uhhh, well, hmmm... it's adult humor.
D: Yeah but what does it mean? Why is it funny?
M: It's just adult humor. They put it in there so Moms and Dads will watch the movies with their kids. I just can't explain it. AND you are too young for me to explain it to. Any other questions?
D: (saddened) No, I just wanted to know why that was funny and you always laugh.

So after this discussion I realize that I probably didn't answer his question the right way and in fact, I do laugh every time I hear that quote for a multitude of reasons. It also leaves me speechless (yes, I know that is a first) as to how to answer these types of questions in the future without stumbling and stuttering like a bumbling fool. I could be honest but I am just not ready to go down that road yet, at least on this topic. Now, throw any sex or morality question my way and I can answer that pretty honestly. Although the whole "why don't you have a penis Mommy?" did backfire in my face on several occasions. Maybe I am just meant to stumble and stutter through their youth and learn from my mistakes. I am sure this conversation will not drastically change who he is and who he will become and may even help me answer Grady's questions when they come iin the future. Oh, who am I kidding?! He won't stop long enough to ponder movie quotes, if he ever stops at all!

can't wait to nosh this nugget

Here is the latest picture of my niece by default. My BFF says she has cheeks you can feast on for days. I can't wait to get my hands on her in a few more weeks. She looks delectable! I just hope that Grady doesn't find her so lovable. That could be a bad combination!!

i should have known he couldn't be faithful

This is the new girl in my husband's life. He purchased her this weekend and is now praying the snow will melt so he can spend some quality time with her. I have, of course, established the rules of this new engagement, much to Drake's dismay. No one under 18 may ride her, especially my kids!! I will say I am kind of excited to partake in some joy rides this summer but am still a bit uneasy about riding a motorcycle. I am happy to say that the bike is older then I am so at least he didn't trade me in for a younger model!

i would like to say the project is finished

But alas, I cannot. The project that was started three weeks ago is still incomplete. So reminiscent of the time he ripped up our only bathroom the day I was due with Drake. Ok, maybe not AS bad, but approaching the same delays in finishing. At least he didn't saw out any windows this time....

The constant nagging view from my kitchen. I think the newspaper decor is starting to grow on me.

science fair

Drake decided to participate in his school's Science Fair this year. I was all for it until I heard the topic he chose - Which Cheese Molds the Fastest. Great! Can't wait to see what all that entails. Thankfully it was geared towards young children so there wasn't too much work and research involved. The worst part was having the moldy cheese in my cupboard for two weeks. Drake had originally wanted to place the cheese on plates. I saw my chance - how about putting them in Ziploc bags?? He agreed and we were good to go.

You can see from the picture how delicious things got by the end of week two. He was excited that the hypothesis he thought of was true and all his friends liked the grossness factor of his experiment. As for me, I am proud he took the initiative to try something different and extremely happy that the cheese is now out of my house!!

it's official

Well it has officially happened. I have been labeled and marked a high maintenance parent. We all knew this time was coming. I mean, who could not see it with all my control issues, my knowledge and career in the schools and all the countless other anomalies that make me one of "them". I thought I was doing well with Drake's education route till I hit that first bump in the road in pre-school. His teacher tried to take on too many kids and was not teaching my kid everyday. She had the kids on a rotating learning schedule. I informed her I was not paying for a rotating learning schedule. I wanted my kid to be learning everyday - what a concept! So I pulled him and placed him into another pre-school. I loved, loved, LOVED this pre-school. So much so I placed Grady there. Drake thrived and wowed them with his keen wisdom and quirky smile. Then came kindergarten. Our district allows you to have a voice (or basically choose) your child's teacher. Oh, I am SO all over that. I grabbed my paperwork, did some snooping and requested his teacher. She challenged him and provided extra enrichment activities, Drake loved her and I was pleased. I followed this same path for first grade with the same outcome. You could even say I had a teacher crush. She wooed me, made me cry at every conferences and stroked my mommy ego with such a tender touch...sigh. I miss her so. She told me she would place Drake and I would not have to worry. We both had the same teacher in mind anyway, I didn't need to fill out the form. She convinced me to loosen the reins of control, to allow someone else to play with his destiny. So I submitted to her smile. Then it happened. The teacher we had "planned" got knocked up. The nerve! Hello?! Couldn't you wait till after you educated my son? So into the masses he was tossed to be distributed to a teacher I had no input on. Why was I not notified? Why wasn't I consulted? So that leads us to the here and now. His teacher this year has had me on edge for months. If it wasn't such a small school I would have had him pulled and placed in another room. I have had phone calls with the principal about his teacher's lack of teaching, her inability to differentiate and the fact that he comes home almost everyday telling me he is bored. This led to some biting backlash emails from his teacher and the super syrupy yet "I want to rip your eyes out" interactions during their class fieldtrip a few weeks ago. Then there was today. Drake had his spring conference today. A conference he was to lead. John and I went together with no intentions of confrontation and planned to enjoy Drake's time in the spotlight. But when we arrived we were quickly greeted by the teacher and the principal. Great! I know all about this. I have been on the other side of this table and made under-my-breath comments about over zealous parents and their crazy expectations and demands. I have now been labeled one of "them". It is a heart breaking day to know that I now have a high maintenance mom star on my child's school folder. Guess I can add that star to my never ending bad mommy star collection!

new spinal tattoo

Ok, here it is as promised. Still a little red but feels fine. Thankfully it hasn't started to itch yet and isn't irritated by my clothes. It actually seems to more well adjusted then I am most days. Grady seems to like it and already wants to add to it. "I color you too Mommy!" Hmmm, not the reaction I was going for. And just for you Beth - I trimmed out my "man" shoulders from the picture!

how smart is your right foot?

Try this. It is from an orthopedic surgeon...

This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can't!
It's preprogrammed in your brain!

1. WITHOUT anyone watching you (they will think you are GOOFY......) and while sitting where you are at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.

Now I was sent this and I do have to brag that I can outsmart my foot if I concentrate really really hard. Must be my super therapist powers I learned in school! Let me know if you are smarter then your foot :)

spinal tat

What better way to celebrate Casmir Pulaski Day then with a new tattoo? Why, I can think of no better reason. Since I have the day off and all the chitlins are at school I decided it was the optimal time to get another tattoo. I decided on the spinal tattoo I have been pondering for quite some time now. I still want to add or get another with something for the boys but haven't found exactly what I am looking for. I did find the Gaelic phrase I wanted and it is now happily displayed down my spine starting at the nape of my neck. I will post pictures later, maybe tomorrow when the redness goes away. If it is looking better tonight I will get them up sooner. Of course this has caused quite a spur in the husband as he has been wanting another for quite some time. I was supposed to wait get my next one till he got his but he is just too darn slow. Not like me to wait around so off I went! He keeps eyeing it up though and don't want to ask his intentions!!

happy birthday captain barley!!

Today is Barley's 7th birthday! He shares this great day with Dr. Suess which is very suiting. Be on the lookout for more birthday pictures when he gets his present. Yes, I know that sounds sad but he is part of the family!

angels & airwaves

The concert rocked!! Tom always puts on such an amazing show. Oh how I love him! And I am happy to say that my "abilities" as I will call them, got John and I a seat in one of the VIP boxes. Even better - this box was dead center in front of the stage. We could not have asked for a better view. When the older gentleman extended the invitation for me to join them in their box he then added, "Your friend can come too". That comment made my night! I replied, "Thanks! He's my husband". John and the guy hit it off and briefly chatted throughout. I was loving life and of course, loving Tom. I was also overly thankful we were not below with all the others in the pit. Body surfers were flying left and right and several times a mosh pit broke out. My tolerance for a mosh pit has dwindled with age and after my museum escapade last week with some local high schoolers, I thought it was best if I refrained. Most of the people in the box had never heard of A&A before - hello?!? Why are you going to spend all that money for tickets for a band you don't know? I never got the nerve to ask how or why they got their tickets. Nor did I refrain from singing and dancing my heart out. We later found out that one of the other guys in the box was the owner of a new club in Milwaukee. He extended an invite for us to come to his bar after the show. Sure! The club was really nice and played great music. I loved the diversity of the people that were there and the fact that there were no teeny bopper college kids there to make me feel old and past my prime. Plus they had phenomenal drinks though John complained his was very weak. Can't cheap an Irishman on his liquor! I am however, feeling the repercussions of last night today. Staying out till the wee hours with wee ones at home typically does not mix, as is true today. But I have already begun the nap mantra and have enjoyed two cups of strong coffee. Side notes - we did have a different babysitter so when we came home all was happy and CLEAN. And I took great care to stay hydrated and fed all day yesterday and did not partake in any beverages during the show. Suffice to say I was able to enjoy the whole show! Now I just have to patiently wait for them to come back into town. Maybe they will visit for Summerfest??