Vacation and all its bliss is over. A good time was had by all. We can't wait to go back and do it all again next year.Bet you never thought you would see that here. Alright, move along. Don't tap the glass, she doesn't like it. … [Read more...]
We leave for a week of beach time soon and while I'm busy packing and making list after crazy list on all the things we need to bring on this hopefully blissful beach side vacation, I am also in the process of powering down. Yes, I am bringing my laptop with me while away but I've already set up my work email to vacation status. The laptop is for short intervals of loading work onto sites and that is all. I'm busy this week doing the advance work and while I'm away posts will load up automatically, I hope. Add to the list that I have already been shutting off the drone of the media to get myself ready and I think I will be set for a total mind and body vacation. Instead of watching TV on my laptop while getting dressed or listening to NPR or some loud, … [Read more...]
TD has been on spring break this week and for some reason I thought I would get the same amount of work done and do fun projects with her. How ridiculous is that? Between everyday life, enjoying the weather, searching for an NTU (new to us) car and work I realize I was in a fantasy world.Instead of tweeting like mad, posting contests at MPR or even keeping up with this blog we have taken walks, picked flowers, gone to the playground, baked, researched cars and gone on play dates. I feel like I haven't accomplished very much when it comes to the world inside my computer but having my kids sufficiently worn out each day from so much outdoor activity has been yes, a lot of work, but more in line with spring break. Besides, work is always there. The … [Read more...]
When I saw this sign I assumed this would be the weirdest moment of our trip to Hershey, PA. Well, we all know what happens when you assume, right?Since our room wasn't ready yet at the incredibly family friendly Hershey Lodge (TD jumped up and down when she realized she could check-in to the hotel herself.) we decided to check out the Butterfly House at the Children's Garden. TD loves Fancy Nancy and her azure butterflies. The kid was so excited about seeing purple butterflies flitting about that she jumped down from our truck and literally hit the pavement. We all heard the smack and instantly our day turned upside down. H ripped off his shirt and used it to cover the gash while I found a bottle of water to rinse the cut. When he took away the t-shirt blood poured out of the wound and I … [Read more...]
"Are we going to Pretzel land today?" TD asks continuously. To her Pennsylvania is the land of the giant pretzel thanks to her US Maps placemat. However, after this weekend I am quite sure PA will be known as Chocolate World from here on out. For other things to do near Penn State, click the link for more options. I'm doing laundry like a whirling dervish today. I just finished unpacking myself from my trip and off we go again. I'm looking forward to this opportunity for some downtime with the family. Lately our schedules have been so missed matched that we are almost never home at the same time. The kids are coming and going and so are we. I'm not concerned about the car ride to Hershey. We've got car trips down. Rather I'm deeply, deeply concerned about us all sharing a hotel room. … [Read more...]
You know what woke me up this morning? Myself. Then I sat there and read for almost an hour. I completed my latest MPR review in under twenty minutes. Make-up is strewn all over my bathroom counter and I don't have to pick it up in fear that little hands will commence their own smear campaign.I'm meeting a friend for lunch today that I haven't seen since she visited me in the hospital with The Comedian. I don't have to be back at any time in particular.H and I saw a movie in the middle of the day. We came home felt it was too quiet and went out for dinner. Crayons with place mats not included. TD and The Comedian left for their Nana's yesterday. Since then H and I have had the most stupid looking grins on our faces. I can actually hear the fan on my laptop just humming away. The … [Read more...]
The radio in the kitchen is playing its familiar morning radio show, the smell of coffee is wafting through the house and all the bags from our trip are unpacked. I stand completely amazed that we made it up to CT and back without much of a blip. Nothing blogworthy to write about in two whole eight hour drives. I just might have a place in parental history.I want to say a big thank you to our fellow travelers at the Delaware rest stop who stopped by our lunch table to remark on what beautiful children I have. It brightened my day and gave me a bit more energy to get back into the car with my two "angels". It would have been even better if one of those fellow travelers had read my mind and gotten me a steaming hot latte from the nearby SBUX, but no worries. This trip gets mixed … [Read more...]
I'm wearing $2 Walmart underwear with a plastic peace sign hanging on them. Can you say teeny bopperesque? Yup. I'm going to admit it is the first time I've bought the big W underwear and I can only describe a lot of it as eye-searing tricktastic looking. The 3 a.m. hookers in the District might think it is too loud. At 3:59 p.m. yesterday I realized that both my parents had whole dinner plates full of food in front of them and they were eating...um, dinner. I had dinner at 4 o'clock people! Isn't that earlier than the early bird special? It is day four of intense clouds, rain and low temps. For my probable last trip up to the New England area it is kind of a bust. I'm missing the beach but the idea of dragging a baby and toddler to the cloudy sea is not an idea that is going to … [Read more...]
It's Friday and while I'm flummoxed by the whole Japanese rent-a-cat trend my mind is also wandering in the planning direction. My anal retentive list mania is peaking as I get ready for my first solo road trip with two kids. We leave next week and I think I have four separate lists going already. I'm OCD planner. My parents think I have a death wish. My father asked me what I was trying to prove. Only a nutball would want to drive for eight hours with two small kids. I keep telling TD this will be some grand adventure. A grand adventure that will involve not kicking the back of the car seat, any yelling in the car and many, many snacks and DVDs. She thinks it sounds like quite the kick ass time.Any advice about taking a trip like this with wee ones is appreciated. And no, Valium is … [Read more...]
I may be a lucky SOB of a blogger for not getting hate mail but I am a lazy one too. Quite spontaneously on Friday, we decided to blow our pop stand of a town and leave our community pool in the dust for the weekend. We headed south in search of cool riverside breezes and the ‘only for us’ pool that is my mother in law’s house. I feel like Wallace from ‘The Wire’ as I listen to a sound that has become foreign to me. It is the sound of crickets at night. Despite having such prehistorically large crickets in our basement that jump out at you like ghouls in the night, we do not ever hear them even in suburbia. I had forgotten lightening bugs existed as well. So here we are. No Wi-Fi for me and barely any cell reception, ridiculously behind on my work.T.D. as spoiled as ever by almost two … [Read more...]