June 30, 2009
I’m positive that I’m not the only one plagued with this sort of behavior from her family, but I’m going to rant about it anyways as if it’s the worst thing ever and you’re either going to go on this journey with me or you can stop reading now. There will be cussing and spitting and I may stop in the middle to pour myself a drink because hey! It’s five o’clock on the east coast, well almost, and I need to let loose, bitches. You’ve been warned.
BTW: This is me not censoring myself anymore. Enjoy.
Every single time I plan anything, whether it be a trip to the lake for a picnic or a backyard camping adventure, nobody in my house acts like they give a damn but me. I can recall many occasions where I have fully planned out and executed this brilliant break from our normal routine only to be met with hostility and general apathy from the two men in my home. I’m not sure why, but I think God thought it would be hilarious to have my cheerful and adventureous personality squashed on a regular basis, because He paired me with someone who literally does not ever want to do anything but watch tv or play videogames. And somehow, miraculously, we created a kid who is about as outgoing as a rock might be. Seriously, it’s unfair. I am the only person in this house who wants to embrace life. Everyone else wants to go through the motions of living, and, okay, that might work for them, but it kills my spirit so I keep trying. I want to create lasting family traditions and memories and you know, stuff like that.
This is a preview of
"I need a hug."
.
Read the full post by clicking here.
Posted in Girl Talk, Mama Drama 
3 Comments »
June 27, 2009
When we first moved into this house, we had half of an old ratty sectional that we bought in 2000 from a coworker of Mike’s for somewhere around $200. It was probably already 10 years old at that point, but we were just starting our lives together and we couldn’t afford much. From 2000-2004, it was consistently peed on (by the dogs, not by Mike and I), spilled on, and basically worn out as much as possible. Still, we brought half of it with us so that we’d not have to buy furniture right away. The half we chose was the cleanest-looking half, the one that had no arm on one side where it joined to the rest of the sectional. It was completely hideous and I vowed that my next couch would remain spotless, crumbless, and most importantly, dogless.
My parents, feeling sorry for me I suppose, purchased another used set of furniture- though one that looked really really good in comparison- from a coworker of my stepdad and gave it to us shortly after Nick came home from the hospital. It was a steal at only $100 for a couch, a loveseat, a chair, and a rug! Though it wasn’t my favorite style, I personally live by the old adage that beggars most certainly should never be choosers, and I was so grateful to have parents who wanted to help the cause 
itwas really nice to have clean and relatively attractive furniture again. But because I was a new mom and couldn’t really bother myself with trying to protect a couch from all the dangers of dogs, visitors, and babies, I couldn’t stop what would inevitably become of my couches, which I have so many times lovingly referred to as “raisin graveyards”.
This is a preview of
"Couches + (Kids + Dogs)= Not a good combo in this house."
.
Read the full post by clicking here. Posted in Mama Drama No Comments »
June 25, 2009
I may have forgotten how to blog. This is half of the reason I have not finished my trip updates and all, I suppose. Also? I’m sort of having a bit of difficulty with my marriage right now. Nothing that a little counseling couldn’t fix, you know, if he would make the call he needs to make. (Le sigh.) But a big chunk of the reason I haven’t blogged, really, is because I’ve been living. Yep, I’m doing something for me and for the first time, not recording every moment of it. I am living solely in the moment and not focusing on what happened yesterday or the day before or even last week. It’s really strange for me, but I honestly don’t care to share the rest of the trip with you. We went to Legoland and to Chicago. There, it’s done. You’ve seen the pics, and I doubt you need anymore explanation. (If you do, you can just ask me and I’d be happy to share it with you. In person or email.)
Other than the whole passive-aggressive marital issue, I’m doing okay. I’m doing Weight Watchers on a daily basis, and I’m working out as often as I can. Nicholas and I are having fun just being carefree and laid back this summer. Most of our days are spent in play or in the water or just enjoying the sunshine, so that’s good. Mike is doing well– he was just asked to write a program for his job, so it’s like he’s actually using his degree after all! I am very proud, despite the tone. (I do indeed love him, after all.) The dogs are all still alive and getting lots of love from us, although Nick did ask me to get rid of Chewie this morning. So maybe his time is limited. (Kidding.)
This is a preview of
"Trimming the fat."
.
Read the full post by clicking here. Posted in Girl Talk 2 Comments »
June 17, 2009
For our day 3, we pretty much sat around all day, napped on a normal schedule, and played in Krissy’s backyard. As someone who has always considered herself honest, I must admit that although I say I love to travel, I really don’t do it very well. Stepping out of my environment saps every bit of my energy, makes me more anxious/tense than normal, upsets my bowels and pretty much rocks my world. So by day 3, I had to have a coveted afternoon nap! I was seriously struggling from over-exertion and I knew deep down that all this go, go, go was not doing good for Nick either. To be perfectly honest, I’m not fond of overscheduling him for things. I know my blogs often show all these activities we do, but honestly, it’s really only about 1 family activity and one playdate per week. I am not the type of girl who likes to pack as many activities as she can into each and every day of her week… I need my downtime. I need space and room to just breathe and go with the flow. Like I have said many times in this blog, I think this trip really opened my eyes to how much more low key and laid back I’m becoming. While I am all for sharing in fun family activities with my kid, I like going slow and enjoying one experience at a time. I want to get everything out of what I’m doing now before I even think about moving on to other activities. I don’t enjoy planning out an entire week of fun in advance. (And I’m really not that organized.) I think that’s why it was so hard for me to plan this trip. I wanted it to be more go-with-the-flow, but Krissy and Michelle kept trying to encourage me to get out and explore because I’m a visitor and I need to see and do things if that’s what I came for, right? Right. Finally I just had to reassure them both that while I’m perfectly adaptable to any schedule, I prefer to have some down time. Luckily, both of them understood that and let me nap away my afternoon while they ran errands in town and Michelle visited her grandmother. :)
This is a preview of
"Day 3: Timber Ridge Resort"
.
Read the full post by clicking here. Posted in Girl Talk, Mama Drama 1 Comment »
June 17, 2009
After breakfast on day 2, we all piled into Krissy’s SUV and headed to Harvard Milk Days.
We rode rides:
We got our face painted (for free!)
And we even played games!
Harvard, IL is a big dairy community. Milk Days was started many years ago as a way to celebrate what milk has done for their community, other than providing them all with strong bones. According to the website, it was started in 1942 and began as a “glorified picnic”… very small scale in comparison to the small town fair-like size it is today. There were many rides, games, shows, and attractions for kids and adults. I was quite impressed by the number of kiddie rides they had, making Nick’s $15 all-access wristband seem well worth the price. He was barely tall enough to ride things by himself, because the rule was 42″ and he is, last we checked, 42″ exactly. At first the lady at the slide wanted to give me a hard time, and thank goodness that Krissy stepped in and said, “Nick, stand up straighter! Let him be measured again!” She jumped in before I had a chance to even say, “Oh give me a break lady.”
This is a preview of
"Day 2: Harvard Milk Days"
.
Read the full post by clicking here. Posted in Girl Talk, Mama Drama No Comments »
June 15, 2009
We woke up bright and early on Saturday morning and promptly decided that we were going to miss Nick’s game. Sure it would be one of his last t-ball games, and while I felt exceptionally pressured to make sure he was there, none of us had slept well the night before. Nick had woken up numerous times throughout the night, crying out for Mike or me or both, and with Michelle sleeping on the couch, we couldn’t just run in there all half-naked. So it took some time before we could appease him, unfortunately. This in turn would ensure that all three of the adults in the house would wake up each and every time Nicholas’s cries shot out in the dark. No doubt he was unable to sleep because of his excitement. He gets that from me. Needless to say, seven AM came way too early.
So we woke up and allowed ourselves a little extra time to get moving. It was a warm morning, so we dressed casually in shorts and capris and things that we could be comfy in. We had a goodbye breakfast with Mike. We stopped by Michelle’s house, and by Wal-Mart, for some road-trippin’ supplies. It wasn’t until 1pm or so that we actually crossed the state line into Kentucky. Michelle’s Magellan, a new purchase that Michelle obsessed over for the entire trip (even going as far as naming it Ma’Ellan and pretending to carry on a full conversation with it), took us some whacky ways to get through all the construction and we ended up detouring at least twice.
This is a preview of
"Midwest Mayhem: Day 1, also known as the longest. day. ever."
.
Read the full post by clicking here. Posted in Girl Talk No Comments »
June 15, 2009
so i’m back home finally and readjusting to our normal routine. to be honest, this has mostly consisted of me doing much of nothing. housework is too overwhelming for me right now. mike made this huge deal when i talked to him on the phone last week about how he was going to clean up the house for me, because while he was in orlando, i went “above and beyond” (his words) with the housework and he wanted to show me that he appreciated it by maintaining that i guess. he promised me a clean house though. he broke that promise, just so you know. i think the only thing he did the entire time was the living room and kitchen. he says he did laundry, but there are three loads for me to fold in the laundry room. if by “did” he means “looked at”, then yes, okay. also, he fixed our guest bathroom toilet (YAY!) but made a huge mess of the door, walls, tub, and floor… and left it. and he didn’t go to the grocery, or discard gross things from the fridge, or water any of our houseplants save for one because “it looked the saddest”.
but… that’s okay. he tried, right? it’s the thought that counts, huh?
jerk.
it just goes to show that if you want something done right, you should just do it yourself. hence what i will be doing today. and probably tomorrow… and the next day… and the next…
This is a preview of
"things i learned while in chicago"
.
Read the full post by clicking here. Posted in Girl Talk 1 Comment »
June 5, 2009
Me: So (taking a sip of my “coffee”) What do you think of President Barack Obama?
Nick: Hm, well I really want Johnna Cain (John McCain) to win. (Darn Republicans.)
Me: Yes, but he didn’t. And now Barack Obama is president, so what do you think of that?
Nick: It’s very cool. (Pours himself some more “coffee tea”)
Me: It is cool.
Nick: Yep.
Me: Let’s talk about gay marriage. Where do you stand?
Nick: What?
Me: Should a man get married to another man?
Nick: Yes! That would be so funny. Or what about a boy gets married to a dog? I could get married to Chewie and I’d be like this… (Crouches down as if he’s walking down the aisle with something super small.)
Me: But do you really think boys can marry dogs?
Nick: No. Only mommies and daddies get married. Dogs and boys don’t get married. I will grow up and be a man. And one day, I’ll have lots of kids.
Me: Do you believe in global warming?
Nick: What’s global warming?
Me: Do you think the Earth is heating up or not?
Nick: Um, it’s not.
Me: No? You don’t think the Earth is getting too hot?
Nick: Well it’s not going to blow up!
Me: It isn’t? How do you know?
Nick: (*thinking*) Well what if a butt comes and poops on it? Then the men can eat it and that would be so gross.
Me: This conversation is fascinating.
Nick: More coffee and sugar?
This is a preview of
"scenes from a tea party, but not the political kind (well, not officially)"
.
Read the full post by clicking here. Posted in Mama Drama 1 Comment »
June 4, 2009
things that have made me laugh.
nick, while playing with chewie and making him “dance”: do the hump, everybody. do the hump!
(he likes The Humpty Dance. a lot. so does chewie.)
nick, while walking around in his underwear: hurry up, mommy, you’re taking forever to get ready. (*cough*)
nick, regarding my hair: i really kind of don’t like your hair. (he later told me it was pretty, but this was his first honest reaction. also? said with a pout.)
Permanent link to this post (estimated 19 secs reading time)
Posted in Mama Drama No Comments »
June 3, 2009
I read cjane and occasionally she posts blogs called “What the World Needs…” with cute pics of her baby. I’m going to copy that today and say that what the world needs is more playtime in the water. Well, at least that’s what our world needs. Few things have made us happier than we’ve been the last few days when we’re soaking up the sun and drenching ourselves in the water.
Our playgroup met today at the fountains at Stonecrest Hospital in Smyrna. Good, free fun was had by all.
Permanent link to this post (estimated 21 secs reading time)
Posted in Mama Drama No Comments »
content rss
