Courtesy of friday's feast.
Appetizer
What is the weather like today where you live?
Low 80s and humid. I can deal.
Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?
Well, I'm a full-time working mom, so my number's gonna be pretty high. At one time, before I had a child, I was a solid 10. I'm probably around an 8 right now. Work only lasts from 8:30am-5pm. I don't take it (or the stress) home with me now. It's much nicer this way.
Salad
What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?
We have light-block roman shades on the windows. And Ellie has a valance, as well.
Main Course
Name something that instantly cheers you up.
The obvious answer... my daughter. She always makes me smile.
Dessert
How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?
I don't normally use the snooze button. In fact, I'm usually up before the alarm.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
"Mama?" "Yes, Ellie?" "Ahhhhhh!"
Ellie's absolute new favorite word? Mama!
I got an extra day with my little girl this past weekend, and I savored every minute of it. And I guess Ellie really liked it, too.
By Friday afternoon, Ellie realized that if she asked, "Mama?" directly to me, I would answer her with a "What?" or a "Yes, Ellie?" This little exchange seemed to send her over the moon with joy.
So, naturally, after a while, she realized she needed to reply to my question. Since she didn't actually have anything to say to me, she felt a little scream would be sufficient. Hence, the title of this entry...
This went on all Saturday, too. At the grocery store, playing on the sofa, hanging out on the swingset, in the car... you name it. I have never seen a child get such pleasure out of a conversation.
Eventually, she realized she could say other things besides the scream, so she's been trying out random words and sayings as the days have gone by.
She also surprised Teri and I with a very clear "Bye Mom!" as I was leaving for work Monday morning. It was one of those cup-runneth-over things, for sure.
And last but not least, Ellie learned on Monday night that an empty house with hardwood floors makes an amazing echo. She couldn't get enough of hearing her voice bounce back to her when we went house viewing. Lots of "Hello?" "Hi!" "Yeah" and "Bye". Too cute.
I can't believe how quickly she's growing up.
I got an extra day with my little girl this past weekend, and I savored every minute of it. And I guess Ellie really liked it, too.
By Friday afternoon, Ellie realized that if she asked, "Mama?" directly to me, I would answer her with a "What?" or a "Yes, Ellie?" This little exchange seemed to send her over the moon with joy.
So, naturally, after a while, she realized she needed to reply to my question. Since she didn't actually have anything to say to me, she felt a little scream would be sufficient. Hence, the title of this entry...
This went on all Saturday, too. At the grocery store, playing on the sofa, hanging out on the swingset, in the car... you name it. I have never seen a child get such pleasure out of a conversation.
Eventually, she realized she could say other things besides the scream, so she's been trying out random words and sayings as the days have gone by.
She also surprised Teri and I with a very clear "Bye Mom!" as I was leaving for work Monday morning. It was one of those cup-runneth-over things, for sure.
And last but not least, Ellie learned on Monday night that an empty house with hardwood floors makes an amazing echo. She couldn't get enough of hearing her voice bounce back to her when we went house viewing. Lots of "Hello?" "Hi!" "Yeah" and "Bye". Too cute.
I can't believe how quickly she's growing up.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The five most character-defining things that have happened to me in my life meme
Courtesy of Uppercase Woman:
1. My paternal grandparents helping to raise my sister and me. Both of my parents worked full-time, so my Nana and Pop took care of my sister and me most of the time. When we started school, we went to their house after, as well. We saw them pretty much every day from the time we were toddlers until I was 12 years old. They were extremely loving and caring and made every day fun. We helped plant their garden and sell tomatoes on the side of the road. My grandmother taught me how to bake. My grandfather taught me how to use tools, to fix, to build. They've both passed on now, and I miss them fiercely.
2. My parents' divorce. This taught me that parents lie, and you can hurt the ones you love the most. This showed me that love is very, very close to hate. This revealed that people will go to extreme lengths to hurt someone who's hurt them.
3. My first marriage. This taught me that I can be dead wrong about pretty much anything.
4. Marrying Harry. This taught me that I can also be right about pretty much anything.
5. Having Ellie. This showed me how much I wanted a child after all. It also showed me that my fears of being a crap mom were unwarranted. I kick ass at this. Heh heh.
1. My paternal grandparents helping to raise my sister and me. Both of my parents worked full-time, so my Nana and Pop took care of my sister and me most of the time. When we started school, we went to their house after, as well. We saw them pretty much every day from the time we were toddlers until I was 12 years old. They were extremely loving and caring and made every day fun. We helped plant their garden and sell tomatoes on the side of the road. My grandmother taught me how to bake. My grandfather taught me how to use tools, to fix, to build. They've both passed on now, and I miss them fiercely.
2. My parents' divorce. This taught me that parents lie, and you can hurt the ones you love the most. This showed me that love is very, very close to hate. This revealed that people will go to extreme lengths to hurt someone who's hurt them.
3. My first marriage. This taught me that I can be dead wrong about pretty much anything.
4. Marrying Harry. This taught me that I can also be right about pretty much anything.
5. Having Ellie. This showed me how much I wanted a child after all. It also showed me that my fears of being a crap mom were unwarranted. I kick ass at this. Heh heh.
Monday, June 23, 2008
What Happened
In July of 2007, I found a wonderful online parent community called Maya's Mom. Here was a place where I could finally ask all the insane parenting questions I had and give advice to new mommies who were as scared and as clueless as I was when I first had Ellie.
After months of being on there, I became friends with a tight-knit group of women. I was still new to the group, but they welcomed me in so easily that I felt right at home. I couldn't believe my luck.
There was one woman in the group that was popular on the site. She told us how she had come from another parenting site, how awfully she was treated there, how they tried to ruin her, a powerhouse on that site, with lies and bullying tactics.
Naturally, we believed her. We believed everything she said. We rallied around her, supported her, laughed with her, asked her for advice, etc. She seemed to know what she was talking about, especially seeing as she was a "psychologist" (are you technically a psychologist if you have a degree in the subject, or do you need to have worked in the field to carry that title?). In the end, we found out she was just the first part of that word.
Back in February or so, I started getting a bad vibe from her. She started patrolling the boards like it was her job, her duty. She even asked the team, point blank, for a job. That just rubbed me the wrong way. At one point, I remember saying something like, "She's not the fucking MM police." That's how much her behavior started to bother me.
Soon after, I started getting a really icky feeling about her. She's a big advocate of spanking children, something we never saw eye to eye on. When a spanking talk was posted by a friend, filled with info about how much damage spanking your child can actually do in the long run, she kind of went on a rampage (not like all out crazy, just a "No, I'm right" kind of rampage). She even pulled the old "When your kid is 4 years old, come and talk to me" crap because obviously, those of us with toddlers know nothing about unruly children.
I put out a few feelers with the others, seeing if anyone else was picking up on the yucky vibe. Wouldn't you know it? I wasn't the only one a bit disturbed by her recent behavior.
The shit finally hit the fan when she, yet again, reprimanded someone for something done on the site that broke one of her "golden rules". The only problem this time was that her targets were myself and another friend of mine.
I was so pissed that I walked away. I closed my browser and walked away. When I came back, I decided to leave some space between the two of us.
By the next week, she had gone completely ape shit. She started accusing people of things they hadn't done, myself very much included in those accusations. At the time, I kept wondering why she was spreading all these atrocious lies about myself and my friends. What did she have to gain by doing it? Where in the hell was her head at?
After the damage had been done, she was asked to leave the site. That's right, She was asked to leave yet another major parenting site. Not us. Not the other women from the other site. She was asked to get the hell out of dodge.
We came to realize that she had lied about why she had had to leave the first site. We found out that she became completely unhinged, slinging the most awful insults I've ever seen at these other women.
Unfortunately, we got some mud thrown our way, as well. There was absolutely no reasoning with her. She's honestly one of the most vicious people I've ever known.
In the end, I think she told all those lies about us because she honestly believes them. Every single one of them. At first, she chose two or three of us that were easy targets (one of whom was me), but after a while, her lies became her reality. So she really thinks that she and I were in a private group together that we weren't. She believes that I copied and pasted private talks into other groups, which I didn't.
It didn't end when she left, though. Because of her popularity, people believed her lies. Even after we were finally given the chance to tell everyone what really happened, there were a few that still believed her. Her vile behavior caused a huge rift within the community. And I don't think the site has ever been able to mend.
At first, we all thought about leaving, but we all knew that was what she wanted. If she couldn't have MM, then none of us should have it. This woman honestly believed that she made that website what it was. What she doesn't understand and never will is that she destroyed her beloved MM. She did it. She broke the trust.
It's been a few months since it's all happened, and we've tried. We've really tried. It just doesn't seem to be worth the effort anymore.
Many of us have already left or are getting ready to leave. We all have ways of communicating with each other off the site, so we're not worried about losing touch.
In the end, this story is a perfect example of both the lasting friendships you can make on the internet and how cautious you should be when making friends on the web. It's a double-edged sword for sure.
After months of being on there, I became friends with a tight-knit group of women. I was still new to the group, but they welcomed me in so easily that I felt right at home. I couldn't believe my luck.
There was one woman in the group that was popular on the site. She told us how she had come from another parenting site, how awfully she was treated there, how they tried to ruin her, a powerhouse on that site, with lies and bullying tactics.
Naturally, we believed her. We believed everything she said. We rallied around her, supported her, laughed with her, asked her for advice, etc. She seemed to know what she was talking about, especially seeing as she was a "psychologist" (are you technically a psychologist if you have a degree in the subject, or do you need to have worked in the field to carry that title?). In the end, we found out she was just the first part of that word.
Back in February or so, I started getting a bad vibe from her. She started patrolling the boards like it was her job, her duty. She even asked the team, point blank, for a job. That just rubbed me the wrong way. At one point, I remember saying something like, "She's not the fucking MM police." That's how much her behavior started to bother me.
Soon after, I started getting a really icky feeling about her. She's a big advocate of spanking children, something we never saw eye to eye on. When a spanking talk was posted by a friend, filled with info about how much damage spanking your child can actually do in the long run, she kind of went on a rampage (not like all out crazy, just a "No, I'm right" kind of rampage). She even pulled the old "When your kid is 4 years old, come and talk to me" crap because obviously, those of us with toddlers know nothing about unruly children.
I put out a few feelers with the others, seeing if anyone else was picking up on the yucky vibe. Wouldn't you know it? I wasn't the only one a bit disturbed by her recent behavior.
The shit finally hit the fan when she, yet again, reprimanded someone for something done on the site that broke one of her "golden rules". The only problem this time was that her targets were myself and another friend of mine.
I was so pissed that I walked away. I closed my browser and walked away. When I came back, I decided to leave some space between the two of us.
By the next week, she had gone completely ape shit. She started accusing people of things they hadn't done, myself very much included in those accusations. At the time, I kept wondering why she was spreading all these atrocious lies about myself and my friends. What did she have to gain by doing it? Where in the hell was her head at?
After the damage had been done, she was asked to leave the site. That's right, She was asked to leave yet another major parenting site. Not us. Not the other women from the other site. She was asked to get the hell out of dodge.
We came to realize that she had lied about why she had had to leave the first site. We found out that she became completely unhinged, slinging the most awful insults I've ever seen at these other women.
Unfortunately, we got some mud thrown our way, as well. There was absolutely no reasoning with her. She's honestly one of the most vicious people I've ever known.
In the end, I think she told all those lies about us because she honestly believes them. Every single one of them. At first, she chose two or three of us that were easy targets (one of whom was me), but after a while, her lies became her reality. So she really thinks that she and I were in a private group together that we weren't. She believes that I copied and pasted private talks into other groups, which I didn't.
It didn't end when she left, though. Because of her popularity, people believed her lies. Even after we were finally given the chance to tell everyone what really happened, there were a few that still believed her. Her vile behavior caused a huge rift within the community. And I don't think the site has ever been able to mend.
At first, we all thought about leaving, but we all knew that was what she wanted. If she couldn't have MM, then none of us should have it. This woman honestly believed that she made that website what it was. What she doesn't understand and never will is that she destroyed her beloved MM. She did it. She broke the trust.
It's been a few months since it's all happened, and we've tried. We've really tried. It just doesn't seem to be worth the effort anymore.
Many of us have already left or are getting ready to leave. We all have ways of communicating with each other off the site, so we're not worried about losing touch.
In the end, this story is a perfect example of both the lasting friendships you can make on the internet and how cautious you should be when making friends on the web. It's a double-edged sword for sure.
We didn't get it
They took the other offer on the house. We really liked it, but the realtor for the house had a really crappy attitude and an ego entirely too large for the business she's in. My realtor said she probably would have given us nothing but problems. So maybe it's a blessing in disguise.
We have 5 more properties lined up to view in the next few days. I'm really optimistic. One of these may very well be the house we spend the rest of our lives in. Hey, if I managed 11 years in hell, I'll most likely keep the house we buy until we kick it.
We have 5 more properties lined up to view in the next few days. I'm really optimistic. One of these may very well be the house we spend the rest of our lives in. Hey, if I managed 11 years in hell, I'll most likely keep the house we buy until we kick it.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Not new homeowners yet
I made a deal with my dad. We're ready to buy a house.
Unfortunately, while waiting for my sister to NOT get her loan, we lost the opportunity to put in an offer for the house we wanted. Between this past Monday and Thursday, someone not only made an offer on the house, but already got the home inspection done AND is ready to close. Yeah. I knew they wanted to sell that house fast; I was hoping to use that to my advantage. I was crushed when I found out.
So I asked about our second choice, and wouldn't you know it, someone just put a bid on that one, too, this past week. WTH? This house had been on the market for over 100 days without a bite, and then, BAM! Just when we get ready to make an offer, it's gone.
We moved onto our third choice (all the houses were really 1st choices, but we had to have some kind of system, ya know?), and that was still available. There was also a bank-owned home Harry had seen last week that we were interested in seeing because they said they were going to be dropping the price like hella low. Like "HOLY CRAP WE CAN GET A 15-YEAR-MORTGAGE-LOW." So we went to go see that house yesterday before we decided to place the offer for house #3.
The outside of the house looked fine. We noticed a few roof shingles looked like they were coming up, but that's about all. As we got to the house, a thunderstorm started. As we walked in the front door, the rain came pouring down. We were greeted by 3 humongous holes in the wall of the living room. Someone was certainly angry before they left.
The walls also had some kind of plaster treatment, reminiscent of stucco but not quite achieving the affect. Yuck. The kitchen had no appliances, but no biggie there. Then we saw there was also no basement. That was doable, though we were hoping to have one. The bedrooms had that same stucco-like walls downstairs, but the sizes were OK.
We moved on to the 2nd floor where there were 2 more bedrooms. We climb the stairs and take a left and are greeted by the words "PUSSY FUCK" written in 2 foot high red crayon on one wall, bible verses and such on the opposite wall, and the word REDRUM written several times at the entrance. Yeah.
In the other room, Harry found out why the roof looked the way it did. Someone had taken a broom and shoved it through the ceiling, purposely lifting up the roofing shingles. Yes, this person was a very angry individual. They fucked up the house because the bank took it away.
Even before I saw the writing on the wall (literally), I was getting a bad vibe from the house. The realtor admitted he had, too. Bad mojo, for sure. So we decided to leave right away. Both of us had our kids with us, and, well, we don't need to keep them in that kind of environment. It honestly felt like the anger that person released seeped right into the walls of that house. I know some people don't believe in that kind of thing, but I certainly do.
So we drove back to our house to write up an offer for the 3rd house. We got it all together, and our realtor needed to get his baby home, saying he would call the realtor of the 3rd house on the way to make the offer.
Not 10 minutes later he calls back to tell us that someone else just put an offer in not 1 hour before. You've got to be fucking kidding me! This can't be the norm. Something like this can't happen to everyone.
So we've been waiting around all day to hear from them, and nothing. My realtor left a message for the other realtor at 4pm and hasn't received a call back. He tried to call again at 7pm, but the guy's voicemail inbox is full. Just our luck.
So in the meantime, we decided to try and find a few other houses we could look at. I'm not just gonna sit around with my thumb up my butt while these people decide. According to our offer, they were supposed to get back to us by 5pm today. Technically, the offer is null and void. If we decide we like one of these new houses better, we're pulling that offer. Screw that.
Oh, and did I mention that my dad wants us out of here by August 1st? I've been trying to get out of living here for 10 years, and now, all of a sudden, I'm being shoved out.
So everyone keep crossing your fingers for us.
Unfortunately, while waiting for my sister to NOT get her loan, we lost the opportunity to put in an offer for the house we wanted. Between this past Monday and Thursday, someone not only made an offer on the house, but already got the home inspection done AND is ready to close. Yeah. I knew they wanted to sell that house fast; I was hoping to use that to my advantage. I was crushed when I found out.
So I asked about our second choice, and wouldn't you know it, someone just put a bid on that one, too, this past week. WTH? This house had been on the market for over 100 days without a bite, and then, BAM! Just when we get ready to make an offer, it's gone.
We moved onto our third choice (all the houses were really 1st choices, but we had to have some kind of system, ya know?), and that was still available. There was also a bank-owned home Harry had seen last week that we were interested in seeing because they said they were going to be dropping the price like hella low. Like "HOLY CRAP WE CAN GET A 15-YEAR-MORTGAGE-LOW." So we went to go see that house yesterday before we decided to place the offer for house #3.
The outside of the house looked fine. We noticed a few roof shingles looked like they were coming up, but that's about all. As we got to the house, a thunderstorm started. As we walked in the front door, the rain came pouring down. We were greeted by 3 humongous holes in the wall of the living room. Someone was certainly angry before they left.
The walls also had some kind of plaster treatment, reminiscent of stucco but not quite achieving the affect. Yuck. The kitchen had no appliances, but no biggie there. Then we saw there was also no basement. That was doable, though we were hoping to have one. The bedrooms had that same stucco-like walls downstairs, but the sizes were OK.
We moved on to the 2nd floor where there were 2 more bedrooms. We climb the stairs and take a left and are greeted by the words "PUSSY FUCK" written in 2 foot high red crayon on one wall, bible verses and such on the opposite wall, and the word REDRUM written several times at the entrance. Yeah.
In the other room, Harry found out why the roof looked the way it did. Someone had taken a broom and shoved it through the ceiling, purposely lifting up the roofing shingles. Yes, this person was a very angry individual. They fucked up the house because the bank took it away.
Even before I saw the writing on the wall (literally), I was getting a bad vibe from the house. The realtor admitted he had, too. Bad mojo, for sure. So we decided to leave right away. Both of us had our kids with us, and, well, we don't need to keep them in that kind of environment. It honestly felt like the anger that person released seeped right into the walls of that house. I know some people don't believe in that kind of thing, but I certainly do.
So we drove back to our house to write up an offer for the 3rd house. We got it all together, and our realtor needed to get his baby home, saying he would call the realtor of the 3rd house on the way to make the offer.
Not 10 minutes later he calls back to tell us that someone else just put an offer in not 1 hour before. You've got to be fucking kidding me! This can't be the norm. Something like this can't happen to everyone.
So we've been waiting around all day to hear from them, and nothing. My realtor left a message for the other realtor at 4pm and hasn't received a call back. He tried to call again at 7pm, but the guy's voicemail inbox is full. Just our luck.
So in the meantime, we decided to try and find a few other houses we could look at. I'm not just gonna sit around with my thumb up my butt while these people decide. According to our offer, they were supposed to get back to us by 5pm today. Technically, the offer is null and void. If we decide we like one of these new houses better, we're pulling that offer. Screw that.
Oh, and did I mention that my dad wants us out of here by August 1st? I've been trying to get out of living here for 10 years, and now, all of a sudden, I'm being shoved out.
So everyone keep crossing your fingers for us.
Friday, June 20, 2008
A-Z Photo Hunt
A few friends and I decided to do a photo hunt this week. You can find it here. Basically you take a picture for every letter of the alphabet, like A is for apple, B is for banana, etc. I snapped all my shots over the last couple of days, and I must say, it was a lot of fun. Even Ellie got in on the action.
And now I give you Alicia's A-Z Photo Hunt:
Alicia
Books
Coffee Pot
Dashboard
Elevator
Frame (and Friends!)
Glasses
Hearts (and Hugs)
Ice Cube Tray
Jam (and Jar)
Kitty
Laptop
Mixer
Nose (yep, that's Little Miss Ellie's nose)
Oven
Plants
Quilt
Rattle
Sugar
Toaster
Utensils
Velcro
Water
Xylophone
Yogurt
Zipper
And now I give you Alicia's A-Z Photo Hunt:
Alicia
Books
Coffee Pot
Dashboard
Elevator
Frame (and Friends!)
Glasses
Hearts (and Hugs)
Ice Cube Tray
Jam (and Jar)
Kitty
Laptop
Mixer
Nose (yep, that's Little Miss Ellie's nose)
Oven
Plants
Quilt
Rattle
Sugar
Toaster
Utensils
Velcro
Water
Xylophone
Yogurt
Zipper
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
I don't think I've even been so nervous
I've been waiting for my sister to call me all day. She was supposed to go to the bank to see if she can get a mortgage for the house and then call me when she was done. It's nearly 4pm and still no phone call. I'm dying here.
This has been a long time coming. I've lived in this house with her for nearly 11 years. It's time to move on. Actually, it was time eons ago.
I just want to KNOW! I've been a nervous wreck all week. I couldn't sleep last night, I couldn't eat all day today.
We've been waiting to put an offer in on a house to boot. That's double the stress, double the fun. Ugh.
Just call already!
This has been a long time coming. I've lived in this house with her for nearly 11 years. It's time to move on. Actually, it was time eons ago.
I just want to KNOW! I've been a nervous wreck all week. I couldn't sleep last night, I couldn't eat all day today.
We've been waiting to put an offer in on a house to boot. That's double the stress, double the fun. Ugh.
Just call already!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
To my fellow D&D fan
I had an absolutely wonderful weekend. Why? Because I finally got to meet the one, the only, HomeSlice.
Cristina showed up in my neck of CT a few minutes before I had to leave work for the day, so we met up at my house that Thursday evening for our first face to face and some tasty burgers and dogs.
Like I promised, I ran outside and hugged the hell out of her. The kids couldn't get out of the car fast enough and made a bee line for the swingset.
Cristina and I quickly fell into conversation, and the next thing we knew, it was already 7pm. All our kids needed baths, so we decided to call it a night. She and the girls, Arden and Lily, went back to their hotel (the bat cave has no room for guests, unfortunately). We were going to meet up the next AM for some pancakes. Mmmm.
I dropped Ellie off at daycare Friday morning and drove over to the hotel to pick up the gang for breakfast. Unfortunately, someone was doing construction in the room above Cristina's around 11pm (um, HELLO!), so she didn't really get a good night's sleep. She managed to get a new room (a really posh new room at that), so after moving all their stuff, we jumped in Homey's Volvo (which I thoroughly enjoyed driving) and headed for Chip's, a family-owned and operated restaurant that I adore.
The pancakes were awesome as usual, and Cristina and I chatted through the entire thing. It was like we'd known each other for 20 years. I loved every minute of it.
We spent the rest of the day chilling at my house because it was naturally raining and actually kind of cold. Pffttttt. How in the world is it 60 degrees in June? Freakin' bizarre. We noshed on grilled chicken, courtesy of Mr. Harry, while the kids had chicken patties and fries.
On Saturday, Cristina, Lily, Arden, Ellie, and I decided to go check out our local zoo. We laughed like maniacs when we saw that they were having a special bird exhibit this month. Sorry, Manda! We're laughing with you, not at you. Arden was really worried that the tigers wouldn't actually be in their cages, but all was well with the tigers in the end. We learned that Lily can do a mean imitation of a peacock mating call, too. She's quite talented. We even had another mother comment on how good she was. Lily also conquered her fear of merry-go-rounds by riding on the indoor carousel at the zoo.
Then we all went to "my diner" for some lunch. When Cristina first got here, she asked me, "What's up with all the diners? I saw a sign for one on almost every exit on the way here?" Yes, people from CT really like our diners. We can't get enough of them. Each town/city needs at least 2. I practically lived in one from the ages of 18-24. So I had to bring her there. Sadly, there's even a picture of me on the wall in one of the picture collages. I forgot to point it out to Cristina as we were leaving, but it's there. It's been there for about 12 years.
After we finished our meal, Arden turned around and started hitting on the guy sitting behind us. No seriously, she was chatting this guy up, and right in front of his girlfriend. It was hilarious. Cristina noticed his ink, and we chatted a bit about all the local tattoo shops we know. People from Connecticut bond over two things: their diners and their tattoo shops. When we left, Cristina actually commented on how nice people are here. Sadly, it's only the tattooed ones. J/K.
After Ellie's nap, we drove over to the hotel again to meet up with Cristina and the girls at the pool there. We had a great time in the water; I have a feeling Ellie's gonna be a little fish. Lily realized that she could swim without her goggles on and informed Harry and I that now that she's 5 and a 1/2, she doesn't need goggles anymore. She said that when Arden's 5 and a 1/2 she won't need goggles anymore either. Since she's only 3 and a 1/2 now, though, she needs them. It was pretty cute.
After swimming, we ventured on back to my house for some of Harry's homemade pepperoni bread and chicken pizza. I told Cristina I was gonna feed her! I never lie about food.
We had to say our goodbyes after that. We snapped a few last pics and bravely kept smiles on our faces through it all. As she pulled out of the driveway, it really sunk in that she was going home.
I've been a raving cranky pants today. I really miss her. I hope I get to see her again soon. I'm gonna be looking up those flights, Cristina!
All in all, it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Some of my favorite things from the few days I got to spend with Homey and the girls:
- The transvestite we both spotted waiting for the bus in front of Walmart yesterday, while we were in separate cars. This is not a usual occurence in my town, so I spotted "her" right away.
- A sleepy Arden resting her head on my knee, letting me play with her hair. Cristina said something like that doesn't happen very often
- Lily's smile. That girl has the most infectious smile
- Ellie laughing while the girls pushed her on the swing.
- All three girls laughing like maniacs as Ellie make strange noises into her keyboard microphone
- Cristina and I going through the basket of goodies Cathy sent us. Like kids in a candy shop.
- Harry saying how much he liked Cristina.
- Cristina calling Harry "Mr. Harry". That just really cracks me up.
- Lily's peacock imitation. I know I already mentioned it, but it's worth mentioning again.
- Arden's sweet, little voice.
- Cristina getting pissed off the more I told her about my family. It's amazing to see someone get as aggravated as I am with my family.
I can probably think of a million more things, but I'll end here.
Thank you for driving all the way up here, Homey. It meant the world to me. I love ya, girl.
Cristina showed up in my neck of CT a few minutes before I had to leave work for the day, so we met up at my house that Thursday evening for our first face to face and some tasty burgers and dogs.
Like I promised, I ran outside and hugged the hell out of her. The kids couldn't get out of the car fast enough and made a bee line for the swingset.
Cristina and I quickly fell into conversation, and the next thing we knew, it was already 7pm. All our kids needed baths, so we decided to call it a night. She and the girls, Arden and Lily, went back to their hotel (the bat cave has no room for guests, unfortunately). We were going to meet up the next AM for some pancakes. Mmmm.
I dropped Ellie off at daycare Friday morning and drove over to the hotel to pick up the gang for breakfast. Unfortunately, someone was doing construction in the room above Cristina's around 11pm (um, HELLO!), so she didn't really get a good night's sleep. She managed to get a new room (a really posh new room at that), so after moving all their stuff, we jumped in Homey's Volvo (which I thoroughly enjoyed driving) and headed for Chip's, a family-owned and operated restaurant that I adore.
The pancakes were awesome as usual, and Cristina and I chatted through the entire thing. It was like we'd known each other for 20 years. I loved every minute of it.
We spent the rest of the day chilling at my house because it was naturally raining and actually kind of cold. Pffttttt. How in the world is it 60 degrees in June? Freakin' bizarre. We noshed on grilled chicken, courtesy of Mr. Harry, while the kids had chicken patties and fries.
On Saturday, Cristina, Lily, Arden, Ellie, and I decided to go check out our local zoo. We laughed like maniacs when we saw that they were having a special bird exhibit this month. Sorry, Manda! We're laughing with you, not at you. Arden was really worried that the tigers wouldn't actually be in their cages, but all was well with the tigers in the end. We learned that Lily can do a mean imitation of a peacock mating call, too. She's quite talented. We even had another mother comment on how good she was. Lily also conquered her fear of merry-go-rounds by riding on the indoor carousel at the zoo.
Then we all went to "my diner" for some lunch. When Cristina first got here, she asked me, "What's up with all the diners? I saw a sign for one on almost every exit on the way here?" Yes, people from CT really like our diners. We can't get enough of them. Each town/city needs at least 2. I practically lived in one from the ages of 18-24. So I had to bring her there. Sadly, there's even a picture of me on the wall in one of the picture collages. I forgot to point it out to Cristina as we were leaving, but it's there. It's been there for about 12 years.
After we finished our meal, Arden turned around and started hitting on the guy sitting behind us. No seriously, she was chatting this guy up, and right in front of his girlfriend. It was hilarious. Cristina noticed his ink, and we chatted a bit about all the local tattoo shops we know. People from Connecticut bond over two things: their diners and their tattoo shops. When we left, Cristina actually commented on how nice people are here. Sadly, it's only the tattooed ones. J/K.
After Ellie's nap, we drove over to the hotel again to meet up with Cristina and the girls at the pool there. We had a great time in the water; I have a feeling Ellie's gonna be a little fish. Lily realized that she could swim without her goggles on and informed Harry and I that now that she's 5 and a 1/2, she doesn't need goggles anymore. She said that when Arden's 5 and a 1/2 she won't need goggles anymore either. Since she's only 3 and a 1/2 now, though, she needs them. It was pretty cute.
After swimming, we ventured on back to my house for some of Harry's homemade pepperoni bread and chicken pizza. I told Cristina I was gonna feed her! I never lie about food.
We had to say our goodbyes after that. We snapped a few last pics and bravely kept smiles on our faces through it all. As she pulled out of the driveway, it really sunk in that she was going home.
I've been a raving cranky pants today. I really miss her. I hope I get to see her again soon. I'm gonna be looking up those flights, Cristina!
All in all, it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Some of my favorite things from the few days I got to spend with Homey and the girls:
- The transvestite we both spotted waiting for the bus in front of Walmart yesterday, while we were in separate cars. This is not a usual occurence in my town, so I spotted "her" right away.
- A sleepy Arden resting her head on my knee, letting me play with her hair. Cristina said something like that doesn't happen very often
- Lily's smile. That girl has the most infectious smile
- Ellie laughing while the girls pushed her on the swing.
- All three girls laughing like maniacs as Ellie make strange noises into her keyboard microphone
- Cristina and I going through the basket of goodies Cathy sent us. Like kids in a candy shop.
- Harry saying how much he liked Cristina.
- Cristina calling Harry "Mr. Harry". That just really cracks me up.
- Lily's peacock imitation. I know I already mentioned it, but it's worth mentioning again.
- Arden's sweet, little voice.
- Cristina getting pissed off the more I told her about my family. It's amazing to see someone get as aggravated as I am with my family.
I can probably think of a million more things, but I'll end here.
Thank you for driving all the way up here, Homey. It meant the world to me. I love ya, girl.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Can you say "Homey"?
My friend, Cristina, AKA HomeSlice, will be here tomorrow! I'm giddy with excitement and anticipation. I'm nearly jumping out of my skin.
I was nervous about this visit a few weeks ago. Like super nervous. What if she didn't have a good time? What if Ellie decided to be a screeching banshee and we couldn't do anything? What if, what if?
That all changed when I got the email from Homey, stating she'd booked the hotel. All the fear and anxiety flew out the window to be replaced by a crazy, exhilerating energy.
I'm stoked to meet this wonderful woman I've been chatting with since last fall. I'm psyched to finally get to give her a hug and hang out with her and laugh and scream like schoolgirls.
I'm thrilled to meet her daughters, and I've been talking about Cristina, Arden, and Lily incessantly to both Harry and Ellie. I can't wait to see Ellie play with Arden and Lily; she's gonna love them.
And I've been trying to get Ellie to say Homey; I know Cristina is a little too tough for my 19 month old, but with a little coaxing, I think she can manage Homey.
Just one more day! Yay!
I was nervous about this visit a few weeks ago. Like super nervous. What if she didn't have a good time? What if Ellie decided to be a screeching banshee and we couldn't do anything? What if, what if?
That all changed when I got the email from Homey, stating she'd booked the hotel. All the fear and anxiety flew out the window to be replaced by a crazy, exhilerating energy.
I'm stoked to meet this wonderful woman I've been chatting with since last fall. I'm psyched to finally get to give her a hug and hang out with her and laugh and scream like schoolgirls.
I'm thrilled to meet her daughters, and I've been talking about Cristina, Arden, and Lily incessantly to both Harry and Ellie. I can't wait to see Ellie play with Arden and Lily; she's gonna love them.
And I've been trying to get Ellie to say Homey; I know Cristina is a little too tough for my 19 month old, but with a little coaxing, I think she can manage Homey.
Just one more day! Yay!
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