Girly Mom

I’m a good person.  I’m polite.  I’m friendly.  And I never steal.  OK,  that blog idea from Miss Prissy was sorta stolen, but she did say it was fine.  Aren’t we past that by now?

Getting back to my good qualities, I really am a decent person.  But sometimes, temptation is too great.  Something comes along and despite all my willpower, I completely cave.

That happened last week.

It  all began when my sister and brother-in-law came over.  I guess I’m partially to blame.  I never should have let them in the house.

The moment I got a good look, I wanted it!  As I stared, I began plotting and scheming.  How was I going to get this dog for myself?  I’m telling you, if you saw it, you would understand my obsessive thoughts.

My sister confessed that she felt the same.  See, it wasn’t even hers.  It belonged to a friend.  She was only keeping it for the week.  And it was turning even my sweet, quiet sister into a conniving woman.  We had to have it!

So, what horrible thing could destroy two good women?  What spawn of evil could make us consider stealing or kidnapping?  Well, here he is.  He’s a Maltepoo and his name is Rusty.

Unfortunately, his owner ripped him from our lives and I never got a chance to steal him.  How could she take her own dog from us?

Maybe there’s a chance we can still get him.  I’m going to work on a plan.  Bwahahaha.  See you soon little fella! ♥

After a thrilling day one, we launched day two with a stroll around downtown Chattanooga.  I controlled my sweet tooth and only bought one caramel at the fudge shop and nothing in the candy store.  Thank you, thank you very much!

Around noon,  we took the kids to see a Mystery Theater show.  It was hilarious!  The lunchtime show is just for kids; the older kids (OK, the parents too) laughed the whole time.  The younger kids weren’t sure if it was funny or scary.

Next, we went to the zoo.  We saw some kind of kill-anyone who-comes-too-close breed of snake.  Completely disgusting!  We saw Red Pandas, a Snow Leopard, gorillas, Spider Monkeys, and lots of little creepy-crawly things.  The zoo also had an area where the kids could pet goats and ponies and little donkeys.  M and I were fine until we saw a slew of mice and we went running out of the barn.  Our husbands and the worker guy seemed amused at our distress.  Some things just aren’t right, and mice are at the top of that list.

After the zoo, we went out for dinner.  I figured I deserved a little treat after the nasty mice incident, so we ordered Chocolate Divine and Peanut Butter Cheesecake.  Delicious!  Then we walked around at an outdoor art festival.  I met a lady, and her cutie daughter, who sells her stuff on Etsy.  She was super nice and I love, love, love her books.  Then we headed back to the hotel and stayed up late talking and playing.

Another successful day of vacation!

On July 4th, we loaded up our three kids and headed to Chattanooga, Tennessee for the weekend.  I packed for a family of 12 heading to the desert for 4 weeks.  I’m a horrible packer, I admit it.  I always pack one outfit for each day, a few extras in case we go somewhere nice for dinner or someone gets their outfit dirty.  Plus, I always throw in a few extra items in case the weather goes all arctic on us.  And I never forget the shoes for dressing up and for dressing down and for walking around.  Unfortunately on this trip, I forgot sleeping bags, swim goggles and one kid’s medicine.  But hey, they sure did look good.

Anyway, we planned to leave around 10 in the morning, so of course it was noon when we pulled out of our driveway.  That’s actually not too bad for us.  We had a pleasant and uneventful drive, which any parent of small children will tell you, is a wonderful gift from above.

Our kids entertained themselves with their video games and movies and even looked up occasionally to enjoy the view.  We didn’t make the usual four stops every ten miles, which was great.  My husband and I were able to have an uninterrupted adult conversation.  I’d almost forgotten what that was like.

We checked into our hotel in Chattanooga, threw the luggage in our room, then headed off to Lake Winnie Amusement Park to meet our best friends, J and M, and their four kids.  We have traveled more times than I can count with them and surprisingly, they still seem to like us.

Using our parenting genius, we divided up so the kids could ride as many things as possible.  The toddlers rode a bunch of kiddie rides, including a mini roller coaster. I rode with the kids the first time and M rode with them the next go-round.  As is her luck, the coaster stopped part way into the ride.  She had to drag two of the kids out of the car and climb over the tracks.  She also got stuck in the hotel elevator on our NY trip last year, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.  Crazy things always happen to her.

The bigger kids rode paddle boats, the ferris wheel and several spin-you-around-until-you-throw-up rides.  M and I agreed that we were insane to let our kids ride some of those rides.  We’ve put too much time and effort into getting them raised to this point to lose them on some crazy rickety old ride.  Our husbands just laughed at us.

The kids loved the park. We thought it seemed kinda dirty and some of the people there were just plain scary.  Maybe it’s not normally like that, but ewww.  It’s definitely not Disney, but it’s nearby and the kids had a blast.  Plus, I did enjoy a huge Icee and a funnel cake. That was definitely worth putting up with a few carny folk.

I’m a good mother.  I take care of my kids.  I bathe them and feed them.  I help them with homework.  I buy them clothes and shoes that they like (usually).  And I buy them toys.

But some of those toys, well, I just don’t have words for how much I hate them.  Today’s toy that I despise above all others is my daughter’s Slushee Maker.  I’m sitting here at the computer at a complete loss for words.  I HATE that thing.

First of all, I have to assemble it because it’s too hard for anyone under the age of 30.  Then, I have to add the ingredients because the canister gets so cold that your hands can go numb if you even touch it.

Next, I have to turn the handle because it’s too hard for anyone without body building experience.  So, I stand there for at least five minutes turning this impossible crank until my arm falls off on the floor.  That’s how we know when it’s ready.

Then, I have to endure my daughter’s pitiful look when the liquid doesn’t freeze (which is most of the time).  So I either do it all over again or refuse and try to live with her disappointment.

And she wonders why I never want to get that stupid thing down from the pantry so she can play with it.

I’m throwing it in the garbage!

OK, OK.  I know I won’t because, remember how I said I’m a good mother?  I’ll keep it and try to avoid getting it down for several more months.  Then, one day, I’ll give in, get it down, and go through the whole thing again.

I guess I wouldn’t fuss so much if it worked more often.  It might be worth the effort if we got something even partially frozen to come out.  I’ve just got to be more careful when buying toys for my kids.

And don’t even get me started on the Baby Alive that wet all over my stairs!

Summer is all about sun, sand, BBQ and flip flops.  Yes, flip flops.  I love them.  They are comfy, cute and I can get several pair for the price on one pair of winter shoes.  What’s not to love?

Now, I love Havaianas.  They are absolutely the most comfy flip flop I’ve ever worn.  But sometimes, they just don’t work right with that little summer skirt or those cute capris I just got.

I wanted to find something different.  You know, a flip flop that looks a little dressier.  OK, I know that a flip flop can only be so dressy, but I wanted something that didn’t look like I just walked off the beach.

So,  I began my search for some new flip flops.  I looked in stores, through several catalogs and online.  Oh the work that we girls endure when shopping.

I was looking at my Garnet Hill catalog at some super cute skirts and there they were.  They were just what I was looking for.

Look at those fantabulous colors!  I love them all.  I ordered the red patent and the silver.  About a week later, I went back to order more and the color I wanted was on back order.  I really wanted to take them on our vacation, so I checked at Zappos.

And of course, I found them.  I love Zappos, just take a look at my credit card bill.  (Just kidding, honey.)

Zappos doesn’t carry all the same colors but they have most of them.  And you can’t beat the superior service from Zappos. Their free returns policy is insane!

So, I now have them in red, silver, and brown.  And today, while I was making sure my Zappos link worked, my fingers slipped and I accidentally ordered the yellow.  Oops…

I love the beach! And we are finally here. I feel like I’m exactly where I should be every time I come to Destin, Florida.

We left home late Friday afternoon and drove about four hours then stopped for the night. I’m not brave enough or medicated enough to ride much longer than that with three kids. But, they were surprisingly good. The two oldest watched movies and played their DS games. The youngest watched movies, looked at books and listened to the iPod. I love you, Hannah Montana and Scooby Doo. Thanks to them, my husband and I had several uninterrupted five-minute conversations. It was great.

We made it to Destin on Saturday and headed to Buster’s for lunch. We love Buster’s! They make the best fried crab claws, chargrilled fish sandwiches and fried pickles. Not the healthiest meal, but so delicious.

We stuffed ourselves and then headed to our beach rental. My favorite part of the house is the roomy kitchen and family area with the huge tv. I’m sure my husband is going to be dreaming about that tv for a while.

My parents, sister and brother-in-law arrived later. The kids were so happy to see someone besides us. It wasn’t long before the kids had them playing hide-and-go-seek in the house.

On Memorial Day, we grilled ribs and the kids spent most of the day in the pool. My husband and I walked and jogged along the beach. Somehow it feels less like work when I can look at the water while I exercise. It’s also cool to watch all the people, except for all the icky skinny people that make me feel super fat. If you’re one of those skinny people, I’m only calling you icky because I’m deeply jealous.

My brother-in-law took my two oldest kids to the beach. They found a bucket-full of coquina shells. And of course my 8 year old wants to keep them as pets. Later, my husband and I took our 3 year old back to the beach to play. She stands at the edge of the water, holds her arms out and says, “Calm down, just calm down,” trying to keep the water from knocking her over. She’s so cute!

We have tons of relaxing to do this week. And I’m sure we’ll throw in a few more eating frenzies. I mean, that’s what vacation is all about, right?

I love it here!

Have you ever run across a blog post or book that seemed to be written just for you?

One person might read a post, think, “Hmm, that’s nice”, but remain unaffected.  Another person might read those same words and stop in their tracks.  Suddenly their eyes open, the birds sing and all of life makes sense, or at least a little part of it.

Recently, I was busy making dinner, helping the kids with homework and refereeing a fight.  I was tired and frustrated and on the verge of a tantrum.  I was headed to that dark place where everything is bad and everyone is against me.  You know the place: The Land of Woe is Me.  I’m a frequent visitor and even have an honorary key to the city.

When the kids were finally in bed, I did some lurking on the internet and found this post that really affected me*.  It wasn’t new advice.  I guess it was the way the writer said it, but it just hit me: I needed to stop complaining and fussing and whining.  I needed to put on my big girl pants and get over myself.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not always open to suggestions on how to be a more positive person.  I don’t enjoy criticism or realizing that I’ve been selfish or immature.  I’m not always ready to change or to think seriously about changing.  Generally, I don’t enjoy realizing that I’ve screwed up.

But fortunately I was ready to hear it right then.  My heart was searching for something and I stumbled upon the answer.

I love it when that happens.

And I know this positivity won’t last forever.  But if it helps  me be a nice person right now, well, that’s one less grumpy person that the world will have to deal with today.  I think that’s a good thing.  And besides, you do not want to see my grumpy face!

*I am so sorry, Mr. or Mrs. Writer of the Wonderfully Moving Post.  I don’t remember where you are.  But if I find you again, I promise I will link to your supertastic post. So, so, so sorry!