Excitement

Kevin and I have been playing around with the idea of using our tax return (I know, it's best to keep the money throughout the year, but try as we might we can not get those deductions to balance out quite right) to buy Disney seasonal passes. We go back and forth. Anyway you slice it, it's a lot of money. So we decided to think about it a while longer.

Yesterday, I got home from playgroup & Kevin was working from home. He mentioned instead of doing the Disney thing, maybe for just a little more we could get wood floors in our downstairs living areas. Apparently, my reaction was extreme excitement because he immediately said "well I guess that's what we are doing," before I even said a word. Something about my eyes lighting up with joy. Seriously, this carpet has been the bane of my existence for some months now. So, yes it's pretty thrilling.

Now I just have to figure out what I want to buy and let my handy hubby install. We are leaning toward engineered wood and I kind of know the color I want, but I'm a little overwhelmed with figuring out which brand because, well... it needs to be bullet little boy proof. If it scratches I might cry. But the thought of no more stained, uncleanable carpet makes me giddy.

So, sorry kids, no more Disney this year. Momma's getting a new floor!

Magic

I don't have time to go into all the details about our weekend (go figure!) but here are the highlights from Disney Saturday.

1. At the fireworks show Zack said "So that's why it's the Magic Kingdom! It's magical!" My heart almost burst out of my chest and I smiled so hard my face hurt.

2. Ben running up to a height chart to see if he was tall enough to go on the Barnstorm roller coaster and proudly proclaiming "I TALL ENOUGH." My dad told me later, that he was tall enough to begin with, but just to make sure he went up on his tip toes. :) He loved the ride too. No fear in that boy!

3. Mark was so tired when we got there, and really throughout the evening, and yet he did not complain, and did not get grumpy. That's my kind of magic!

4. Eric being so excited about everything. He was also enthralled by the fireworks (well, we all were) the rides, the food. He loved every bit of it!

5. The lines were so short! The longest we waited for anything was 30 minutes. Average was about 15 minutes or less. Amazing! We also seemed to have great luck/timing as we happened to walk to a great place to view the fireworks and later happened to have the same luck as the parade was starting.

Truly an amazing and wonderful day.

Belated

Ben had a great birthday, but I never got around to posting pictures.

There are more pictures from the day on Facebook.

No such thing as a perfect day.

I am going to have to compartmentalize today into:

• the incredible 6 hours I had to myself to do whatever.I.wanted.whenever.I.wanted.
  and
• the rest of it.

Let's take the bad first, so that I can end on a good note. I was feeling all refreshed and amazing and thinking how lovely waiting in the car line is when I don't have the "baby crybaby" conversation going on in the back seat. I read my book, uninterrupted, for 20 whole minutes until the car line started to move. Then the boys get into the car and Eric is crying right off the bat because he saw the van in front of us and it was identical in color & model to ours, so despite the teachers trying to lead him to me he got right in. Then realized his mistake and broke down crying because we were all laughing (in our defense, it was kind of funny.) So, I talked him down, told him it could have happened to anyone and it was OKAY. So, crisis over, we headed toward Orlando. I thought about dropping by the house to get the boys DS's but thought it was a SHORT ride and they would be FINE. Yea, not fine. They pretty much whined the entire way. I was annoyed to say the least.

At least, I thought, the little guys would be worn out from their day of fun and sleep on the way home. Um, no. Ben, whether overtired or just really, really mad that he had to leave Granny cried the whole way home. He screamed because he couldn't get his shoe off. He yelled at me that I needed to STOP.DRIVING.SO.FAST!!! Which is ridiculous because traffic was a nightmare and not moving very quickly at all. Finally, 20 minutes from home he fell asleep and then Zack started talking. Which is usually quite cute and charming, but maybe not when I've been trying to get his brother to calm down for almost an hour.

Words do not do the stress of a child inconsolably crying for that amount of time. But you all know, cause you've all been there.

Anyway, made it home, had some time to unwind... and it's all good.

The part of the day I will choose to remember is I went to the neighborhood clubhouse to work out. About 10 minutes in, I decided to bag the workout, because I had made lunch plans with a friend and if I wanted to get my massage or pedicure and still have time to do a few chores I would need to go shower & get ready quickly. Shower, hair, makeup... and left the house. The massage place couldn't take a walk in so I went a few doors down and got a pedicure while watching Tiger Woods' apology (no comment on that.)

I went home until time to go to lunch which was kind of surreal because I am so unaccustomed to being alone in my house. Lunch was great, and then I went home and straightened up the house in record time.

Then I still had over an hour before I needed to be at the school so I went to Target and just wandered. I still made it back in time to clean the van a little and vacuum it. And yes, I'm excited about this.

So, as of right now I am going to block out the memory of the ride to and from Orlando, and keep this gift my mom gave me of a day to myself in my brain forever.

What will I do with a day to myself.

Like, a whole entire 6 hours of just me, all me... alone. Solitude. Quiet time. My head went spinning when I realized it was actually, really going to happen.

You see, my parents are spending the week in Orlando, a mere hour (ish) away, and last night they came and took my little guys to spend the night with them. So, in 5 minutes or so here, when I take my big kids to school... I'm alone.

Here's the plan...

• Go work out.
• Shower and get ready alone. No kids yelling "Mommy" while I'm showering. No toddlers getting into my lotion, or putting on my lipstick while I dry my hair. No chance of any disaster happening in my home while I put on some makeup.
• Ummmm, maybe make use of my massage giftcard I've been carrying in my wallet for quite awhile. I don' t have an appointment, so that's just a maybe.
• Go to the store and get laundry detergent.
• Come home and... do something... until time to go get my guys from school and go trade kids with my parents.

Seriously, sounds like a dream to me. But here I am about to go make it real.

**I'm pretty sure only a parent can know how exciting this is. To anyone else the day might sound average at best but I am so very excited.

And the sign on my forehead says...

.... SUCKER!

That's right. Totally and completely let Mark con me into keeping him home from school today.

I knew he was okay to go to school, deep down I really did, but he pulled out all the punches and appealed to my nemesis, Mommy Guilt.. and in the end despite all rational thought I let him stay in the car as we dropped Eric (who developed a sudden headache as we approached the drop off point... yet I made him go to school because I wasn't driving through the carpool line and leaving with ALL of my children.)

Anyway, the fact of the matter is Mark WAS sick over the weekend and stayed home legitimately yesterday. Maybe I spoiled him a little too much so he wanted to stay again today. All I know is he was almost in tears, saying he felt horrible, even though he'd been playing fine all morning.

I told myself it was okay to let him sucker me this way. Besides, he'd hardly eaten anything in the past few days, maybe he was just still feeling weak from that. Maybe this, maybe that, Mommy Guilt, and, and, and... It was all swirling around in my head and I just agreed to let him stay.

The boy is fiiiine. Relaxing, planning his next major event (he wants to make a club and have a picnic. I shouldn't worry though, he'll arrange it ALL.) So, the main question here is did he dupe me or did I do it to myself?

** Sorry for the horrible run on sentences in this post. I know they are there but too tired to fix it.

*** Please send every healthy no more puking thoughts to my house. We are planning to go to Disney World this weekend (my parents are in Orlando this weekend) and sick kids would kind of wreck that. Thanks :)

Cry Baby

Zack and Ben have the same conversation every day in the car pick up line at Eric and Mark's school. It goes a little something like this, though often the roles are reversed.

Z: Baby Cry Baby
B: You think I'm cryin'?
Z: You cryin' a hundred times now!"
B: Be quiet Zack.*

Always the same words. Often, they'll go through the dialogue, only to repeat it immediately with the speakers changing places. It's almost like a skit they are performing. Or, I guess rehearsing due to the repetitiveness involved.

It has evolved from something much more annoying...


Z: Baby Cry Baby
B: Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, MOMMMMMMMMYYYYY, Zack called me a baby cry baby. **

I pretty much ignore this whole interaction since it occurs so many times in the 20 minutes we sit in the car line.*** I try to read my book and feign disinterest, only intervening when it escalates into full fledged screaming or saying things I don't approve of (see footnotes.)

* Ok fine, usually it's Shut UP Zack, which is totally NOT okay with me. When I hear that going on I'll interject a "boys we don't talk like that, use nice words please." Which let me tell you, that is just stupid because it does absolutely nothing.

** I'm a really bad person and find it increasingly hard not to say "Well, you ARE crying aren't you?" Luckily this new version, as I said, is more of a comedy act than a true sibling altercation so most of the time there is no actual crying involved.

*** I have to admit that if this had been the older boys I would have been much more inclined to try to figure out exactly how exactly to stop this atrocious behavior. Now, I just want to read my book people, and at least they are talking to each other.

From the past 1

I literally just clicked on 2009, then randomly chose the month of April. I saw this post and knew it must be the first From the Past installment. Will there be future installments? Who knows.

Copied and pasted version. I really love this little story because it's something I would have vaguely remembered but not in such detail. And it totally captures Mark's creativity. I kind of miss the super spy stage.

Super Spy Mark

Mark is a super spy. Make no mistake, he's not pretending to be a super spy. He really is! It's very exciting! " Today Mark is getting rocket shoes and a helping hand." He has found another super spy at school that he gets his gadgets from and teaching all the tricks any super spy needs to know.Some things you will find interesting about super spies...

1. Super spies do not do chores.

2. Super spies have powers

.3. He *might* "rocket home" from school in his rocket shoes tomorrow. (Must remember to tell my friend who picks the boys up.)

4. Super spies have many gadgets. Mark's gadgets include an invisible Ipod, power, invisible lasers. That's all he has so far, but he plans to get many many more gadgets.

5. Super spies also read over my shoulder while I'm blogging this and inform me of typos. This must mean they are really very smart!

Apparently, this topic is hot hot hot at kindergarten. I did inform Super Spy Mark that he needs to talk about this at recess or other free time, and not while his teacher is teaching. I'm pretty sure Super Spies have to learn about reading and math too.

* sentence that is quoted came straight from Mark's mouth, thought I should give him credit for that line.
*Zack is now telling me that he too is a super spy. He has flying power.
*Also we really must find a way around item 1. Because, no.
*I keep adding to this post because, frankly I find this hilarious. Although I have moments of wondering if he in fact is going to get to school today and NOT get rocket shoes & be very disappointed. He said something to the affect of I hope S really gives me my rocket shoes today. Also, this morning he was asking me everyones shoe sizes. So, I tried to gently tell him that the rocket shoes might be "Invisible" like his Ipod, and he said quite seriously. "Mom, you know the Ipod IS real."
So, not sure what to make of this except to find it so extremely funny.

The Only GOOD Thing About Spam

In 3 (ish) years of blogging, I've not really had a problem with spam. Until recently that is.

There is the lovely Asian Character spam, wherein if you click the link of the commenter's name, you may be routed to something you really don't want to see. (Trust me, don't click it.) Then there's the lengthy paragraphs having nothing to do with the post, or anything else for that matter. Usually containing a link which I refuse to click. And then there are the "anonymous" posts telling me how GREAT my blog is. These too, often contain a link. Although, sometimes they don't, but the way they are worded it is clearly spam. Maybe these are the remedial spammers I don't know.

The only good thing (besides the fact that I can just delete those annoying things) is that mostly they are on old posts, and I have it set to moderate comments on posts longer than two weeks (thank to my smart friend Shanna for letting me know I could do that!) So, not only do I ignore them before they ever get to the blog, I have been reading some of my older posts (some of them a LOT older.) From the times when I used to actually blog regularly. It's fun to go back and do that, except I don't do it very often.

I'm finding some of the older posts quite humorous. Reading about stuff that I have completely forgotten about, and just laughing hysterically at the antics my little ones pull. So, maybe I'll dig up some of them and link you. Or with as inconsistent as I am with blogging lately, maybe not... but as in many things in life I try to look for the positive.. and if you have to find something positive about SPAM, then that's about all there is!