I got a surprise this morning while I was taking a shower. Apparently Ryan thought nothing of it to strip off all of his clothes and join me....unannounced...and as I was washing my face I felt two little hands grab be from behind. I screamed, SCREAMED, like a ten year old at a Jonas Brothers Concert. To say the least, I scared the daylights out of him when I screamed.
Does Lowe's sell shower locks?
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Rico Suave
Matthew has a new habit....cologne. I bought Rich some cologne a couple of weeks ago and as our luck would have it, Matthew enjoys it a little too much.
Last week as I was walking down the hall and got to our bedroom doorway, I was hit with this over-powering smell of Banana Republic "Modern". I am not going to lie, it was hard to breathe. It was as if Matthew had bathed in it. I immediately told him that he cannot put any cologne on, it was only for adults, and that it costs money and that he was wasting it. Time out # 1.
The next day I again walked down the hall to put something away and could smell the cologne immediately. Now, Rich had been at work for sometime and I knew it was not just from that morning. The big, bad, mommy voice came out and simply asked Matt if he had lost his mind and that was the reason that he sprayed himself yet again with the cologne completely forgetting our conversation the day before. He quickly apologized because he knew time out #2 was going to be a long one.
My niece and nephew were in town the last couple of days, so Matthew has pretty much lived at my in-laws to get as much play time in as possible. It was fantastic to see them and for the kids to play with them because they don't get to see each other that often, and I enjoyed it because quite frankly....my house needed to air out. Last night I picked up the boys to come home from Rich and Sharon's and while I was making dinner, I told them to go and watch cartoons until it was done. When I went back to tell them to wash up for dinner...it happened...that overwhelming smell of cologne hit me straight in the face AGAIN!!!
I am not going to lie...I lost it. Like, my neighbors are talking about me, lost it. A part of me wanted to start laughing at my own failure as a parent and how my child has blatantly ignored me and his father at our simple request. This time it was crazy because Rich did everything he could to hide the cologne. Matthew had to move things and look over rather tall things to find it. Determination is a powerful beast. Time out # 3---Where, oh where, did our little Matthew go?
So, here's hoping little Rico Suave is done trying to sneak his father's cologne. As I explained to Rich, he simply smells like a fifteen year old boy getting ready for his first high school dance....you will probably be able to smell him coming up the front walk to the house the next time you come over.
Last week as I was walking down the hall and got to our bedroom doorway, I was hit with this over-powering smell of Banana Republic "Modern". I am not going to lie, it was hard to breathe. It was as if Matthew had bathed in it. I immediately told him that he cannot put any cologne on, it was only for adults, and that it costs money and that he was wasting it. Time out # 1.
The next day I again walked down the hall to put something away and could smell the cologne immediately. Now, Rich had been at work for sometime and I knew it was not just from that morning. The big, bad, mommy voice came out and simply asked Matt if he had lost his mind and that was the reason that he sprayed himself yet again with the cologne completely forgetting our conversation the day before. He quickly apologized because he knew time out #2 was going to be a long one.
My niece and nephew were in town the last couple of days, so Matthew has pretty much lived at my in-laws to get as much play time in as possible. It was fantastic to see them and for the kids to play with them because they don't get to see each other that often, and I enjoyed it because quite frankly....my house needed to air out. Last night I picked up the boys to come home from Rich and Sharon's and while I was making dinner, I told them to go and watch cartoons until it was done. When I went back to tell them to wash up for dinner...it happened...that overwhelming smell of cologne hit me straight in the face AGAIN!!!
I am not going to lie...I lost it. Like, my neighbors are talking about me, lost it. A part of me wanted to start laughing at my own failure as a parent and how my child has blatantly ignored me and his father at our simple request. This time it was crazy because Rich did everything he could to hide the cologne. Matthew had to move things and look over rather tall things to find it. Determination is a powerful beast. Time out # 3---Where, oh where, did our little Matthew go?
So, here's hoping little Rico Suave is done trying to sneak his father's cologne. As I explained to Rich, he simply smells like a fifteen year old boy getting ready for his first high school dance....you will probably be able to smell him coming up the front walk to the house the next time you come over.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Ports Game
Last night my Aunt Mickie was kind enough to invite us to a Stockton Ports game. I am a little embarrassed to admit that the stadium has been there for several years and I really had no idea. I thought they still played at the old stadium. This "new" stadium is really nice and I imagine we will now be visiting it more often!
This was Ryan's first baseball game. He did surprisingly well. Despite what he following picture looks like.
He sat in all of our laps the entire game and held on to his ticket like it was this ultimate prize. He said his favorite part was "yooking at all those baseball guys".
Matthew had a fantastic time. He had his glove in hand the entire game and never sat done. Unfortunately he never caught a ball, but he did have a blast with "Splash", the Ports mascot. It was fun to see Matt actually following the game and paying attention to what was going on. Maybe this is something we can do more often.
This was Ryan's first baseball game. He did surprisingly well. Despite what he following picture looks like.
He sat in all of our laps the entire game and held on to his ticket like it was this ultimate prize. He said his favorite part was "yooking at all those baseball guys".
Matthew had a fantastic time. He had his glove in hand the entire game and never sat done. Unfortunately he never caught a ball, but he did have a blast with "Splash", the Ports mascot. It was fun to see Matt actually following the game and paying attention to what was going on. Maybe this is something we can do more often.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
DNA!!
Yes, Matthew looks like me. And yes, his stubborn streak mirrors mine as a child and present day. But nothing, NOTHING, makes me more proud than this simple piece of evidence that proves....he's all me.
We went to Barnes and Noble today because I received a gift certificate from some of my kids at the end of the school year and I of course needed some new reading material. He picked out a book about tornadoes, which is one of many in the Magic School Bus series. He already read one about Volcanoes and loved it, so he was quite excited to get another one. I will say this, he is somewhat obsessed with weather and/or natural disasters. He loves book on twisters, hurricanes, lightning, and volcanoes. We just have to monitor what exactly he reads and watches because he has a hard time differentiating between when and where natural disasters can happen. Lodi is not in tornado alley...but try telling him that. He is quite persistent in his questioning of the different possibilities of the occurrences of these freak acts of nature. I try and tell him that other than a shake here and there, which he will probably never be able to feel, California is pretty much natural disaster free. Pretty much...knock on wood. :-)
We went to Barnes and Noble today because I received a gift certificate from some of my kids at the end of the school year and I of course needed some new reading material. He picked out a book about tornadoes, which is one of many in the Magic School Bus series. He already read one about Volcanoes and loved it, so he was quite excited to get another one. I will say this, he is somewhat obsessed with weather and/or natural disasters. He loves book on twisters, hurricanes, lightning, and volcanoes. We just have to monitor what exactly he reads and watches because he has a hard time differentiating between when and where natural disasters can happen. Lodi is not in tornado alley...but try telling him that. He is quite persistent in his questioning of the different possibilities of the occurrences of these freak acts of nature. I try and tell him that other than a shake here and there, which he will probably never be able to feel, California is pretty much natural disaster free. Pretty much...knock on wood. :-)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Mom's 60th
Well, we are back from Vegas. This trip has been planned for a few years, we just had to play the "hurry up and wait" game for it to get here.
My mom and I flew out on Monday, a day earlier than Noelle, and checked into our hotel room(thanks to Rich). The reaction she had when we got in the room was, "This is the nicest hotel room I have ever been in.". That night, she and I went to the Phantom of the Opera (thanks to Rich) and had great seats. Rich and I saw the Phantom a couple of years ago and this time it was so much better because we had fabulous seats and could actually see the performers faces. After the show, we ate at the Grand Lux and then went back to the room for a peaceful night sleep.
On Tuesday morning, Noelle arrived and had just enough time to set down her luggage before we threw her on a bus en route to the outlets. She arrived at 8:30am our time, which means she was on a plane at 7:00am (east coast time). She was a trooper. It's amazing how we can perk up at the site of shops, but all three of us were ready to go when the bus pulled up! As shocking as it was, when we got back from the outlets (which coincidentally dropped us off at a mall), we actually continued shopping for a few more hours.
That night we headed to the Paris casino and had dinner at Mon Ami Gabi. This is one our favorite restaurants that Rich and I have been to several times and love it. We request to sit out on the patio, which is on the strip and elevated a little, and it overlooks the Bellagio. So, basically if you have a two hour dinner, you are treated to about eight fountain shows. After an hour wait, they walked us through to pretty much the best seat in the house. We were front and center for the shows. My mom simply said, "Okay, so we are never leaving.". We had a great dinner.
Us getting ready for Mon Ami Gabi.
Birthday girl and me.
Enjoying dinner.
On Wednesday, her actual birthday, we had a very low key day. We walked around some, shopped a little more, and went back to rest up before Bette Midler. It was fun to get all dressed up and go to a show. I am certainly glad we took pictures before we got there, because Noelle's camera was taken away immediately at the door.
Noelle and I being silly...I am postive this is after a few penny slot cocktails.
Noelle and I doing camera checks.
Before leaving for Bette.
Bette was FABULOUS!! There really is no other way to describe it. She was funny, clever, talented, and was an amazing performer. I absolutely recommend this show to everyone. After dinner we headed to the Cheesecake Factory for a late dinner.
Here are some quick fun things:
* My mom stepped out of her Merlot haze and ordered Lemon Drop Martini's with me the entire time we were there.
* Noelle made fun of us about playing penny slots, and then realized how much fun they can be.
* The night we went to Mon Ami Gabi, all of us were paying the price for the cute heels we had worn. It figures on the longest walking trip of the four days, our shoes would be the least practical. So what did we do? Simple solution....complain enough about our feet and mom pays for a cab back to our hotel.
* My tongue knows the difference between Grey Goose and cheap vodka. So the cocktail waitresses who thought they could fool me, can bite me!
My mom and I flew out on Monday, a day earlier than Noelle, and checked into our hotel room(thanks to Rich). The reaction she had when we got in the room was, "This is the nicest hotel room I have ever been in.". That night, she and I went to the Phantom of the Opera (thanks to Rich) and had great seats. Rich and I saw the Phantom a couple of years ago and this time it was so much better because we had fabulous seats and could actually see the performers faces. After the show, we ate at the Grand Lux and then went back to the room for a peaceful night sleep.
On Tuesday morning, Noelle arrived and had just enough time to set down her luggage before we threw her on a bus en route to the outlets. She arrived at 8:30am our time, which means she was on a plane at 7:00am (east coast time). She was a trooper. It's amazing how we can perk up at the site of shops, but all three of us were ready to go when the bus pulled up! As shocking as it was, when we got back from the outlets (which coincidentally dropped us off at a mall), we actually continued shopping for a few more hours.
That night we headed to the Paris casino and had dinner at Mon Ami Gabi. This is one our favorite restaurants that Rich and I have been to several times and love it. We request to sit out on the patio, which is on the strip and elevated a little, and it overlooks the Bellagio. So, basically if you have a two hour dinner, you are treated to about eight fountain shows. After an hour wait, they walked us through to pretty much the best seat in the house. We were front and center for the shows. My mom simply said, "Okay, so we are never leaving.". We had a great dinner.
Us getting ready for Mon Ami Gabi.
Birthday girl and me.
Enjoying dinner.
On Wednesday, her actual birthday, we had a very low key day. We walked around some, shopped a little more, and went back to rest up before Bette Midler. It was fun to get all dressed up and go to a show. I am certainly glad we took pictures before we got there, because Noelle's camera was taken away immediately at the door.
Noelle and I being silly...I am postive this is after a few penny slot cocktails.
Noelle and I doing camera checks.
Before leaving for Bette.
Bette was FABULOUS!! There really is no other way to describe it. She was funny, clever, talented, and was an amazing performer. I absolutely recommend this show to everyone. After dinner we headed to the Cheesecake Factory for a late dinner.
Here are some quick fun things:
* My mom stepped out of her Merlot haze and ordered Lemon Drop Martini's with me the entire time we were there.
* Noelle made fun of us about playing penny slots, and then realized how much fun they can be.
* The night we went to Mon Ami Gabi, all of us were paying the price for the cute heels we had worn. It figures on the longest walking trip of the four days, our shoes would be the least practical. So what did we do? Simple solution....complain enough about our feet and mom pays for a cab back to our hotel.
* My tongue knows the difference between Grey Goose and cheap vodka. So the cocktail waitresses who thought they could fool me, can bite me!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Vacation--Week 1
I thought I would check in weekly with you all to keep you updated on how our vacation is going. I guess what I am really trying to say is that I will periodically be posting pictures of the boys on here as proof that they are still alive and that CPS has not removed them from my care.
It's day four into our vacation and this is what I have accomplished so far...
1. Cleaned out the boys toy room. I took five large bags to Goodwill of mostly toys and explained to Matthew that other kids would have fun with the toys he no longer plays with. (To be honest...that was code for, "I have to get everything out of here before your dad sees it and wants to have another garage sale")
2. On Tuesday, I spent the day in Walnut Creek shopping with the ladies.
3. On Wednesday I cleaned out their closets and drawers, switching out all small clothes and replacing them with ones that actually fit. Matt's shirt last week looked like he was channeling Jack McFarland.
4. Today, I successfully put both of the boys in numerous time-outs, picked up the house fourteen times to have it a disaster again, and just made a coffee date for tonight at 8:00pm with the girls.
Anyway...if anyone wants to come and see the circus, we will be performing daily from 8:00am to 8:00pm. Free of charge.
Here is the typical expression Ryan has when in a time out....this looks successful, doesn't it?
And here is Matt. He is grinning right now and not embarrassed at all. Is it too early to play the Santa card????
It's day four into our vacation and this is what I have accomplished so far...
1. Cleaned out the boys toy room. I took five large bags to Goodwill of mostly toys and explained to Matthew that other kids would have fun with the toys he no longer plays with. (To be honest...that was code for, "I have to get everything out of here before your dad sees it and wants to have another garage sale")
2. On Tuesday, I spent the day in Walnut Creek shopping with the ladies.
3. On Wednesday I cleaned out their closets and drawers, switching out all small clothes and replacing them with ones that actually fit. Matt's shirt last week looked like he was channeling Jack McFarland.
4. Today, I successfully put both of the boys in numerous time-outs, picked up the house fourteen times to have it a disaster again, and just made a coffee date for tonight at 8:00pm with the girls.
Anyway...if anyone wants to come and see the circus, we will be performing daily from 8:00am to 8:00pm. Free of charge.
Here is the typical expression Ryan has when in a time out....this looks successful, doesn't it?
And here is Matt. He is grinning right now and not embarrassed at all. Is it too early to play the Santa card????
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Group Therapy
My girlfriend Kristin is getting married in two weeks and this weekend we headed for Tahoe for a Bachelorette weekend. It was the most relaxing, fun, entertaining, and educational weekend.
On Friday night when we arrived, within five minutes I had a cocktail in my hand and that is pretty much how the rest of the weekend played out. We had a great dinner, sat around talking, played some games, and stayed up late talking. The next morning when we all got up, we just vegged out reading, drinking coffee, and talking about whatever major story was on the cover of People or UsWeekly. I did not get off the couch but to refill my drink and grab snacks. We made ourselves feel productive by going to the outlets for a while, but then came right back home to again pick up our cocktails and conversation. Saturday night we headed to the casino for maybe an hour or two to at least tell our spouses that we did something other than live in our jammies at the cabin. Again, with cocktail in hand and the hottest damn dinner I have ever eaten (thanks Kristin), we cozied up on the couch and talked until about 3:00am.
Back to my title of the post---Group Therapy. I don't think many men would understand how twelve woman can come together for a single weekend and pretty much talk as if they have known each other for years. There was not one topic we didn't discuss--in incredible detail--all weekend. For myself and my friend Lynn, we came in not knowing most of the girls, but clearly that did not matter. We talked about EVERYTHING! We started laughing toward the end of the weekend that at the wedding, we will be introduced to each others husbands and they will have no clue all of the stuff we now know about them...that's our little secret.
What was my favorite thing about the weekend was that most of us were mothers and even though we missed our families, it was fabulous to just sit around and do nothing and have no responsibilities for anybody other than ourselves. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was made whenever we got to it. We could sit and read an entire magazine without interruption. Napping was not only possible, it was frowned upon if you didn't try. There were no plans, no schedule, no responsibilities. It was perfect.
So as we were packing up today, we realized this can't be a one time thing. This experience begs to be a repeat affair. We will just all have to put on our thinking caps to find a creative reason to show up at the same time next year!
I will post all APPROPRIATE pictures at a later date.
On Friday night when we arrived, within five minutes I had a cocktail in my hand and that is pretty much how the rest of the weekend played out. We had a great dinner, sat around talking, played some games, and stayed up late talking. The next morning when we all got up, we just vegged out reading, drinking coffee, and talking about whatever major story was on the cover of People or UsWeekly. I did not get off the couch but to refill my drink and grab snacks. We made ourselves feel productive by going to the outlets for a while, but then came right back home to again pick up our cocktails and conversation. Saturday night we headed to the casino for maybe an hour or two to at least tell our spouses that we did something other than live in our jammies at the cabin. Again, with cocktail in hand and the hottest damn dinner I have ever eaten (thanks Kristin), we cozied up on the couch and talked until about 3:00am.
Back to my title of the post---Group Therapy. I don't think many men would understand how twelve woman can come together for a single weekend and pretty much talk as if they have known each other for years. There was not one topic we didn't discuss--in incredible detail--all weekend. For myself and my friend Lynn, we came in not knowing most of the girls, but clearly that did not matter. We talked about EVERYTHING! We started laughing toward the end of the weekend that at the wedding, we will be introduced to each others husbands and they will have no clue all of the stuff we now know about them...that's our little secret.
What was my favorite thing about the weekend was that most of us were mothers and even though we missed our families, it was fabulous to just sit around and do nothing and have no responsibilities for anybody other than ourselves. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was made whenever we got to it. We could sit and read an entire magazine without interruption. Napping was not only possible, it was frowned upon if you didn't try. There were no plans, no schedule, no responsibilities. It was perfect.
So as we were packing up today, we realized this can't be a one time thing. This experience begs to be a repeat affair. We will just all have to put on our thinking caps to find a creative reason to show up at the same time next year!
I will post all APPROPRIATE pictures at a later date.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Beat the Heat
I wrote this a week ago, but did not post it simply because Rich had the camera's memory card and was apparently holding it hostage....
When it turned over 100 this weekend, we did the only thing we could do to beat the heat....get the heck out of town. It was either that, or melt. I hate the heat. I hate being hot. I hate the feeling of being sweaty and dirty. This is why I will relocate to the coast as soon as it is monetarily available....can anyone say "marine layer"?.
To be honest, do you know what sent me over the edge? Matthew's soccer game. It was miserable, and it was only 8:30 in the morning. MISERABLE!!!! As we stood observing the game, not moving...mind you, just observing, we all were sweating like crazy. I felt like the witch on Wizard of Oz that melts when she comes in contact with water. I think part of my DNA is still on the soccer field. And Ryan wanted to be held the entire time. He was complaining that he wanted to leave and go home, I simply told him to join the club. Patience gone, sweat consuming every inch of my body, I gave in and took Ryan home. Did I mention that he wanted to be carried the entire way? And that when I put him down, he wrapped his body around my leg and I proceeded to drag him a little bit until a car drove by. Fearing a call to authorities, I picked him up and finished the walk with him on my hip. The highlight of this whole morning was when Rich and Matt decided not to come immediately home and let us into the house, they went to a garage sale instead. Let's just say when Rich and Matt pulled up in my nicely air conditioned car fifteen minutes after the game had ended, I had a few choice words for both of them.
On to Tahoe. IT WAS GORGEOUS!!! Simply said...it was perfect. It was a sunny 68 and breezy in the shade. The kids played at the arcade in the casinos and believed us when we said they were kid sized slot machines. We had a great dinner and then headed to the beach where we had spotted a playground. Then walked around town after dark with goose bumps on our arms from the chill in the air...GOOSE BUMPS!! It was fabulous! The next day we woke up late, took the kids miniature golfing, back to the arcade, and then we drove around North Shore. The kids feel asleep so we pulled over on the side of the road and I read while Rich just relaxed. We finally headed home and were greeted with the valley heat of 93 at 7:30pm. Needless to say our goose bumps were gone.
When it turned over 100 this weekend, we did the only thing we could do to beat the heat....get the heck out of town. It was either that, or melt. I hate the heat. I hate being hot. I hate the feeling of being sweaty and dirty. This is why I will relocate to the coast as soon as it is monetarily available....can anyone say "marine layer"?.
To be honest, do you know what sent me over the edge? Matthew's soccer game. It was miserable, and it was only 8:30 in the morning. MISERABLE!!!! As we stood observing the game, not moving...mind you, just observing, we all were sweating like crazy. I felt like the witch on Wizard of Oz that melts when she comes in contact with water. I think part of my DNA is still on the soccer field. And Ryan wanted to be held the entire time. He was complaining that he wanted to leave and go home, I simply told him to join the club. Patience gone, sweat consuming every inch of my body, I gave in and took Ryan home. Did I mention that he wanted to be carried the entire way? And that when I put him down, he wrapped his body around my leg and I proceeded to drag him a little bit until a car drove by. Fearing a call to authorities, I picked him up and finished the walk with him on my hip. The highlight of this whole morning was when Rich and Matt decided not to come immediately home and let us into the house, they went to a garage sale instead. Let's just say when Rich and Matt pulled up in my nicely air conditioned car fifteen minutes after the game had ended, I had a few choice words for both of them.
On to Tahoe. IT WAS GORGEOUS!!! Simply said...it was perfect. It was a sunny 68 and breezy in the shade. The kids played at the arcade in the casinos and believed us when we said they were kid sized slot machines. We had a great dinner and then headed to the beach where we had spotted a playground. Then walked around town after dark with goose bumps on our arms from the chill in the air...GOOSE BUMPS!! It was fabulous! The next day we woke up late, took the kids miniature golfing, back to the arcade, and then we drove around North Shore. The kids feel asleep so we pulled over on the side of the road and I read while Rich just relaxed. We finally headed home and were greeted with the valley heat of 93 at 7:30pm. Needless to say our goose bumps were gone.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all. I had a great Mother's Day. We woke up early and went to breakfast. There is a restaurant in town that serves crab eggs benedict and we were there at 7:45am to beat the rush. Frankly, I am never up that early on the weekends because it is usually my turn to sleep in, but I woke up early and we were off.
After breakfast, we came back and relaxed. I went and had a pedicure(happiness) and went to the bookstore(double-happiness). The lady at the bookstore is suspicious of me. I can feel it. She doesn't think it is possible that I can go through 10-12 books in a week to two weeks time and she just watches me while I am in there. Also, I think she hates to take my buy-backs, but I don't care...I am merely working their system. Believe me, it is wise to keep me as a customer. I have a crack addiction to my books and they are my cheap supplier.
We capped off our evening by taking my father-in-law out to dinner for his birthday. All in all a very nice day.
My gift will arrive on Tuesday...a limited addition Bon Jovi tee shirt :-) and a picture of my tulips is below.
After breakfast, we came back and relaxed. I went and had a pedicure(happiness) and went to the bookstore(double-happiness). The lady at the bookstore is suspicious of me. I can feel it. She doesn't think it is possible that I can go through 10-12 books in a week to two weeks time and she just watches me while I am in there. Also, I think she hates to take my buy-backs, but I don't care...I am merely working their system. Believe me, it is wise to keep me as a customer. I have a crack addiction to my books and they are my cheap supplier.
We capped off our evening by taking my father-in-law out to dinner for his birthday. All in all a very nice day.
My gift will arrive on Tuesday...a limited addition Bon Jovi tee shirt :-) and a picture of my tulips is below.
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