The ghost of parties past

Kind of embarassing...  My friend Nikki (in the middle) posted this on facebook the other day.  You know... they say, not to get pictures taken at parties cause they WILL end up on the internet and you never know who will see them.  Not that this particular picture is all that bad... at least I don't have red plastic cup in my hand and a glazed look in my eye. 

But it's not really fair since this picture was taken on Feb 4th, 2001.  Three years BEFORE facebook waseven founded.  I shouldn't have to be protecting myself from something that doesn't even exist.  Am I doing something right now that will haunt me for the rest of my life?  In 10 years will it be common knowledge not to sit in recliners while hungry?  Come on.. everyone knows not to sit in recliners while hungry, jeeze what if your boss finds out!  You'll never be able to get a job!

But the point of this post really isn't about facebook and ability to make you both a celebrity and the paparazzi at the same exact time.  It was the amazing coincidence of the date that picture was taken.  Feb 4th 2001. 

There I was... getting drunk at a house party hanging out with my friends all innocent with no idea of two things...

#1:  I was pregnant with Maddy.  Yup, I'm pregnant in that pic.. but I don't know it yet!  See the smile?  Totally clueless!  In just a few days I would wake up and feel a little sick.  Nah... I'm sure it's nothing.  And then the next day I would wake up undeniably sick.  And the day after that I would wake up and run to the bathroom knowing exactly what was wrong. 

#2:  In 5 years to the day of this picture I would give birth to Connor.  To Connor!  Married, homeowner, mother of two.  WHAT?!  That's crazy.  In just 5 years from the date of this picture. 

What would I say to my past self?  Well, first I would say "put down that drink, you have a baby in your belly!"  Then?  I don't know... I'd tell myself to relax.  It's ok, you don't have to try so hard. Everything is going to work out.  Just do what you know is right... even if it's hard.

I'd probably be more specific, but I also wouldn't be posting it on the internet.  And I can't just put all out there on the internet cause you know... what if my boss finds out!

The zity bus

Connor's class went on a field trip on a city bus the other day.  No, they didn't take the city bus to their field trip... the city bus WAS the field trip.  They went on a 30 minute bus ride around the city.  (Budget cuts?)  Connor was very excited about it.

Connor: "Guess what Mom!"
Me: "What." 
"We got to ride on the zity bus!"
"I know!"
"Guess what Mom!"
"What."
"It has two doors, you go in one door and out the other door!"
"Cool!"
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"There is a yellow button but it was too high for me to push."
"Oh yeah."
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"When you push the yellow button there is a sign that says 'stop requested'"
"Oh yeah?!"
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"I sat next to Gavin on the zity bus"
"Oh good."
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"We pretended to put money in the... in the... money thing"
"Oh yeah."
"Guess what Mom!"

"What."
"You could have come because there was one extra seat."
"Were there any other Mommies on the city bus with you?"
"No."
"I think the ride was only for you and your friends."
"Yeah... but there was an extra seat... so you could have come."

Did you hear that!?  I missed my chance to ride around for 30 minutes on the zity bus.  Darn it!

Last weekend we finally took Connor's car seat out of the van.  It was one of those car seats that goes from the little baby one with the 5 point harness to one that just used the seat belt.  But even with the seat belt it was still a full on car seat with the hard side walls and everything.  So now that's 5 and no longer needs to be in any kind of car seat whatsoever I moved him to a traditional booster seat.  *eyeroll*  I'm annoyed at myself for being so crazy about the whole car seat thing.  I just stopped making Maddy sit in a booster less than a year ago.  I'm sorry!  I didn't MAKE her sit in it... I just never told her she could stop. 

Not too much else is goin on.  Connor is counting down until Kindergarten begins.  (So am I... kinda) 

The Lazy Girl

I am so lazy!  Seriously.  I've done nothing for two days and my kitchen looks like the trash exploded.  (Are there counters under there?) Not cool. 

I'll get to it just as soon as this episode of Desperate Housewives is over and I look up the original story line of "Peter and the Wolf" (Peter really does convince the hunters to take the wolf to the zoo.)

I actually kinda miss going to school. (Don't tell Larry.)  It's easier to enjoy procrastinating when you actually have work to avoid. 

Another reason (besides laziness) I haven't moved off the couch in 48 hours is because my knee has been bothering me.  It's the running.  I've been running if I haven't mentioned it.  So I'm letting my knee rest, it's the responsible thing to do.  I'm also researching better running shoes and have an ice pack chilling in the freezer as we speak.  We'll see how that goes. 

I'm lazy. But it's the lazy people who invented the wheel and the bicycle because they didn't like walking or carrying things.

~Lech Walesa

Chicken noodle soup

Maddy: "What's for dinner?"
Me: "Barbecue sandwhiches."
Maddy: "I don't want a barbecue sandwhich."
Me: "Well I guess you will have to make dinner for yourself then."
Maddy taking a can of chicken noodle soup out of the pantry: "Can I have soup?"
Me: "Yup."

She starts to get the can opener out of the drawer but I point out that the can has a pop top.  Then she asks for help with the pop top and when I look over I point out that she is opening it from the wrong end. After some nail biting moments and visions of chicken noodle soup flying across the room she finally gets it open.  She pours the can's contents into a bowl and throws away the can.

Me: "Did you read the directions on the can?  Do you know how to make it?"
Maddy digging the can out of the trash:  "Cook in the microwave on high for 2 minutes."
Me: "The directions can't start there, there must be something before that."
Maddy: "Mix soup with one can of water.  Oh."  She puts the can down and starts to walk towards the sink.
Me: "You are going to need the can."

She goes back to the can, picks it up, and stands there.

Larry: "Do you know where the water is?"
Maddy: "Yeah."  She puts down the can and starts to walk back to the sink.
Me:  "You are going to need the can.  It's one can of water.  You need to fill up the can with water and add it to the soup"
Maddy: "ohhh."  She picks up the can and goes to the sink. 
Me: "Use the water out of the fridge, it will taste better."
Maddy: "But I was going to rinse it out first."
Me: "You don't need to rinse it out."
Maddy: "But there is soup in it."
Me: "Yeah, you wouldn't want to get soup in your soup!"

Finally she gets the bowl into the microwave. 

Maddy:  "Phew! Making dinner is HARD!"

The big 5

Happy Birthday Connor!!  5 years old today.

I have to say he isn't handling it very well.  Maybe signing up for Kindergarten and turning 5 all in the same week was too much.  We had also promised to take his car seat out of the car today and take the baby monitor out of his room.  But perhaps that is too much change for him.  He's not one for change after all.

He was kinda freaking out yesterday saying he didn't want to turn 5, that he just wanted to stay 4.  I asked him how come and he said "What if I don't love you anymore?"  awww...   "Yes yes yes, you will still love me." and then when I put him down for a nap he asked if he will still fit in his bed when he is 5.

What a sweetie he is. I guess he thought he was just going to wake up in the morning a full grown man.   How do you explain that, after all the build up, a birthday isn't really that big of a deal? 

He's doing a little better today.  Not really excited about it but only freaking out a little bit.  We are trying to put the focus on presents rather than getting older.  Gosh, poor thing, if he can't handle 5 how is he going to handle 50?

**Update**
That night when he was going to bed I asked him "How was your first day being 5?"
"I'm not 5 yet.. tomorrow I will be 5."
"No you are five right now.  You've been 5 all day!"
"But I don't feel any different."
"No, you aren't going to feel any different.  You will always be YOU."
"Oh.. I feel much better!"

haha... So we're good.

Off to Disneyland!!

We are leaving for Disneyland in less than 2 hours!!  All our stuff is packed up and sitting by the door.  And even though it is an overwhelming amount of stuff, (two full size suitcases, cooler, tote filled with food, three full backpacks, dvd player, movies, camera bag, DS bag, and various odds and ends like a Mickey Ears Hat and a pair of shoes) it's the least we've ever taken.  This is the first year we are not taking a stroller.  Which will really change the experience.  It will give us better manuverability but less storage space.  So that will be interesting.  We'll see how that goes.  I'm worried about Connor getting tired of walking but in reality he has the most energy out of all of us. 

We are very excited.  I can't believe we are going to be in Disneyland for dinner!  wohoo!  We got a super nice hotel this time.  We are becoming quite the hotel snobs.  It's a two bedroom apartment that is walking distance to Disney.  I can't wait!  It's going to be so nice.

Oh by the way, I found out what was going on at the Idiot's house the other day.  The police log said "theft of business".  So there you go...