Random...

I don't have enough in my head for a good, long post so this will just be Random Monday happenings.

*Nothing will make me laugh faster than my kids laughing. For whatever reason, the car is the prime time funny spot for those two. Mitchell (even though he's strapped into a 5 pt carseat) manages to put on some sort of goofball show for her every day and she just laughs and laughs. Today she was FULL ON belly laughing for a good 5 minutes, Mitchell was laughing (mostly at himself, I think) and I was just giggling the whole time because it's contagious!

*Every couple goes through those swings of ups and downs. I wouldn't even term it a "down" but EVERY weekend for the past month, we've spent most of the time arguing. Sometimes downright fighting. Half the time we don't talk after a blow up...last night it had been a good 3 hours since we'd said two words to each other that didn't involve quick questions about dinner or diapers, and I was still mad. Know the sad part? I couldn't remember why. I was washing dishes, stopped, looked at the ceiling, remembered and said "Oh yeah. No way I'm talking to him anytime soon." (I guarantee he was sharing the sentiment.) Nice and mature. That's us! I hope we get out of this phase -- maybe some makeup nookie would help. He DID bring me a Starbucks yesterday so it's not THAT bad. Hee hee.

*We have a decent house. I'll tell you this -- it looked about twice as big before we moved in. No kids, half as much CRAP, but still -- it's average sized. Let me tell you about how much STUFF you can cram in here if you want to. I spent most of the day yesterday consolidating, organizing, etc. our four (yes, FOUR) overflowing toy baskets. I still have to do the train table. Again. As I was doing it, I almost felt nauseated because I know that there are families out there who are in agony because they can't afford to buy their children even ONE thing. And here I am disgusted with the amount of stuff we have to the point of calling it crap. That would be GOLDEN crap somewhere else. Ugh. We are overly blessed. I'm thinking about next Christmas insisting that everyone who wants to get Mitchell or Georgia a gift donate to this community thing out here. They have gifts donated and families can come shop for 25 cents on the dollar so that they still "buy" the stuff. I mean, seriously -- my kids don't need another thing as long as they live and the sad part is, I know many people who put our little stockpile to shame. It's really pretty crazy when you stop to think about it. (That said, guess who has already reviewed her list of bday and Christmas purchases and realized that she's already done more than she said she would.) *rolls eyes at self*

*I have some very, very good friends. I appreciate them more than I can say. I was thinking about that the other day and really -- I just can't imagine my life without my girlfriends. I feel sad for those women (I'm sure you know some yourself) who don't get along with other women. I can't imagine. I'm sure they're quite happy, but man (ha, ha), I'd be miserable.

*I bought some soy egg nog and let me tell you how much I love it. Lots. It's yummy. Get some!

Random enough for you?

My first turkey...

Okay, so you'd think that I wouldn't be nervous about something like that, right? But I am. I think it might be because I've seen so many sitcoms and cartoons about women taking a smoking, charred black turkey out of the oven. Or someone going to slice it up and it flies around the room like a balloon. Or it pops.

Clearly, I'm not worried about that, but I think it might be that for 33 years now I've been eating other people's turkey. I mean, here I am, 33 years old with two kids and I've never made a turkey. I just want to know that people won't be going home saying "Well, *I* should have made the turkey. That sucked." Or something like that.

My mom has assured me that it's the easiest thing on the menu. I don't know about you but for some reason, that almost has disaster written all over it.

I guarantee I'm taking a picture of this bad boy. Part of me is tempted to do it with the half lemons underneath like boobs just to make sure it's got my own special touch. Well, and because how funny would that picture be?

Okay -- so I'm nervous about my first turkey but I'm sure it will be good. I just wouldn't be me if I didn't worry about ridiculous stuff like this. (For example, Saturday night we hosted a little dinner party and this is the first time I can ever remember not laying there worrying that someone was going to get food poisoning. Seriously. Usually I'm up for hours with a pit in my stomach.)

Oh, and if you'd like to get a mental picture of me cooking my turkey -- as soon as my kiddos and I are done watching the parade on tv, I will have on my apron and be singing as much of this song as I can remember while I'm in the kitchen...my hubby and I both serenade each other with it every single year.

Happy Turkey Day!!!

PSA...

If you're planning family pictures, you may want to invest in some helmets and body armor for the kids to wear the week before.

We're scheduled for Sunday and so far we have one split lip and one mini-goose egg on a forehead. It's only Tuesday.

Stay tuned. I have neither helmets nor body armor, so we may be screwed.

A literal stroll down memory lane...

So, this weekend my hubby and I did some big-time reminiscing. I mean like giganto.

We got up Saturday morning, got everyone fed and dressed and dropped the kiddos off at my in-laws house. Then, we got back in the car and drove an hour up the road to the town and college campus where we met. Our old stompin' grounds! It wasn't homecoming, we weren't meeting anyone there, it was just something my hubby proposed about a month or two ago and it sounded fun, so we just went for the day. We left our day pretty unstructured, as I was sick (and still am) with a pretty yucky cold.

It was probably one of the best days of our married life.

The whole way up we played the "remember when" game. We were laughing about the STUPIDEST things we've seen, said and done together. We also laughed about what a complete idiot my husband is for not trying to marry me sooner, but that's a whole different Oprah right there.

Before I get into our day -- my hubby attended school there from '90-'94 before he moved back east for law school. I was there from '91-'95 and then stayed till '97 for grad school. Just use that as a frame of reference.

One of the first things we noticed when we drove into town is that "The Gambler" is not "The Gambler" anymore. This was very distressing to us, as our first drive back into town smacked of change on a fundamental level. How in the HELL could that happen? I mean -- that was where you went to get REALLY "happy" with your friends. It was a complete dive -- a country bar with penny pitchers...you get the idea. The best part about it was that it was TOTALLY within walking distance to my house. *sigh* I sure hope "Jack's Place" provides the same opportunities for drunk dancing, groping and obnoxious memory making that The Gambler did.

Okay -- change #2...we drove past my house, which is a few blocks away. CRAZINESS!! The entire block was wiped out on the other side of the road...they tore down all of those houses and built apartments! It was nuts! I still remember that we were friends with all of these looney guys that lived across the street from us and we'd walk to class with them a few times a week. It's crazy to think that now their house is gone. (Am I sounding really old yet? Are you detecting a theme here?)

Moving right along -- the shock wore off of that and we decided to head to campus. We turn onto the street and both go "What is THAT?" A *very* nice building that definitely was NOT there when we were at school. We both were like "Ummm, we were not consulted on this and that is NOT how we remember it." Well, adding a building didn't prepare us for what was around the corner -- they flippin' STUCCOED our dorms!!! Our dorms when we were there were white wood with black trim. Now they are a yellowy tan stucco with lots of brick. We both just started laughing when we saw them because it was like "what is THAT?!?" I think part of it is -- that was our special memory -- that's where we met. That's where he first toted my luggage around. Hee hee. I swear to you -- we both were like "ooookay, this is gonna be a strange day."

And it was.

We took bets on what would still be in the University Center, what wouldn't etc. Let me tell you, those of you that know me will know this is a big announcement -- THERE IS A STARBUCKS in the UC!!! How in the WORLD did I miss out on THAT?!? Ugh!!! All of that time that I spent there with no Starbucks???? Come ON!! Those kids better appreciate that one!

OMG -- I just called them kids. And meant it. And I'm TOTALLY a "ma'am" to them. Crap.

Anyway -- the bookstore is now owned by Barnes & Noble, so that was bizarre. We spent almost $300 in there buying clothes and hats and dumb stuff but it was so much fun! We wandered around and basically both couldn't believe it really had been over 10 years since we were there together. Just insane.

Okay -- so after that we decided to go to our favorite restaurant for lunch. It is a complete DIVE but they have the BEST carolis (like calzones) and really cheap beer. Hey -- Georgia was elsewhere so I was on that. We ordered the Bazookas, just like old times and guess what -- I actually finished mine. We just laughed the entire time we were at lunch and enjoyed ourselves entirely. Of course the humongous beer did its usual make me frisky thing, so I spent the next hour telling my hubby to pull over so I could attack him and he spent the next hour laughing at me. Good times...

Okay -- so after lunch we decided to drive over to where he used to work. That meant a trip to a really fun little newspaper stand and he was very good -- we were only there a few minutes because that man could stay there for HOURS. They have any magazine you'd ever want to read and then some. After that, a trip to the STUPID little nascar store. Ugh. The lady just HAD to tell him that his driver stuff was 50% off so that took forever, even though this store is like the size of a broom closet. That didn't stop him from taking his sweet ol' time. Nerd.

(This is very long, and please know that I am not EVEN doing our day justice.)

Okay -- so I finally yank him out of the nascar nerd store and we get back in the car. This time we decide to drive over to the other side of campus and walk around -- over by the library. It's funny -- I can't describe how it was like an instant flood of memories walking back into that library -- I spent soooooooo much time there in grad school. LOTS of time. The sight of the dang copy room -- I don't even want to think about how much money in dimes I spent in there making copies. Insane. But I told my hubby, I really wish it was closer -- I'd LOVE to spend more time in there again. Seeing all of these kids in there studying, laughing with their friends, it made me realize just how completely EASY I had it in college -- I never, ever thought I'd be longing to do that stuff again, but I think it would be SO fun!! Oh, and by the way, coffee kiosk in the library now, too. Gimme a break -- spoiled brats!! (That's jealousy speaking, there.)

We walk around, laugh about places we used to hang out and where we always seemed to run into each other -- and then we get to that new building that we saw on the way into town. Oh my word -- that place is a brand new "dining hall" but it looks like a fancy freakin' RESTAURANT!! We were like "Are you KIDDING me with this???" Sheesh.

By this time, I was feeling not so hot so we decided to just drive around some more so I could get back to my beloved bottled water and cough drops. (Uhhh - yeah. Old. I know.)

We drive around and look at a park we used to love and the other side of campus. I feel a recharge of energy (youthful??) so we walk around some more. That's the old part of campus that they stuccoed to make it "new" again, so it felt weird to us because nothing looked the same. They'd built some more dorms, and changed the way everything looked but that same ol' feeling was there walking with him. Pretty nutso.

Back to the car we go -- and off to dinner at another favorite place. We had a great dinner and made our Christmas list of gifts we need to buy while we ate. (Yes, by this time, it's official -- we are crusty ol' farts.)

On the way home, I'd like to point out that my husband saved our lives. I'm not even kidding. We were on a pretty rural road that didn't have any street lights. We were on the main road and coming up to a cross street. There was no stop sign or anything but my hubby started slowing down. I was like "What are you doing?" Just about then, he starts saying "Oh my God, she's NOT gonna stop" and lays on the horn. I totally didn't even see it but this girl driving a sedan BARRELED through the stop sign coming the other way and would have NAILED us right in my passenger door if he hadn't been so alert. I cannot explain to you how close it was and how my heart literally was pounding away. I looked back to see the girl's car stopped on the other side of the main road on the shoulder. My guess is she was figuring out how to clean the poop out of her pants. I was shaking and hubby was very calm but told me he saw her because her phone was lit up and he could tell she wasn't slowing down. He said that ever since those crazy Volkswagon commercials started, he's always aware of getting t-boned like that. Thank GOD for him because I'm serious, it would have been a NASTY accident. Scares me even to think about it.

Anyway-- we ended our day with picking up the kids, getting them home and to bed. We both just laughed at how funny it is that we ended up together like this. We met when I was 17 years old and now here we are married, in the suburbs with a minivan and two kids.

Anything is possible, people. Never say never to anything -- we are proof that it may take awhile, but crazy things happen every day.

I'm so very, very grateful that life is like that.

What is it...

Does Target have a magnetic draw to my wallet? Is there some hypnotic field that I pass through each time I walk through the doors?

There has to be.

Check out how stupid I am. Seriously, not bright.

So, last month I went and spent $245 at Target. I thought my hubby's head was going to spin right off of his shoulders and land on the living room floor when I told him. Not mad...just, um, incredulous? Like HOW do you spend that much money in one trip? Wanna know my answer? HOW do you NOT spend at LEAST $100 each time?

I guess it helps that the only time he's EVER in Target is when I'm there, but still...

So, anyway, back to my frivolous spending. (Sort of -- most of it I'll go down on the ship for.) SO, I make this little pile of things that I can take back. $40 worth of stuff -- pretty good, huh? So I take it back today. And guess what -- I spent $126 more.

Uhhhhh, y-e-a-h....tonight should be fun when I break THAT news.

I swear, it's all stuff we need. Sort of need. Want. Really bad. Not me, the kids.

(How's it going so far...think he'll buy it? Me either.)

Letsee -- here's what I got...

*M's santa gift -- a big (like gigantic oversized slipper size) Lightning McQueen that talks and drives in crazy patterns...it's the ONLY thing he wants the Big Guy to bring him and I know if I waited, they'd be sold out.

*Some Cars cars for his stocking

*A Cars ornament. He loved decorating the tree last year and this way we can remember his Cars birthday party. (logical, no??)

*Georgia's stocking -- again, does our daughter deserve LEFTOVERS? I think not. No, instead she needs the talking/singing Elmo stocking. (Why am I driving myself nuts with these toys, by the way? This will NOT help my cause with the hubster.)

*The Cars DVD - -it's M's bday present from us and it came out yesterday. I was thinking it might be sold out -- not so much, but still, now when it DOES sell out, it's SO not a problem here. *insert VERY cute smile and a few blinks here*

*The newest US Weekly. *cough* I feel sick and trashy mags help me feel better. *more winks and blinks and smiles*

Okay, so not such a good day at ol' Target today. Hope I don't have to cry. LOL

Living vicariously...

is SOOOOO much fun. My best friend was here for a visit this weekend and oh my gosh -- we had so much fun living through each other's eyes.

She's knee deep in being courted by many guys that I had the good fortune of seeing on the internet -- some made us literally almost pee ourselves. Some made us drool on each other. Some made us take a breath, look at each other and do the "oooookaaaayyyy, not so much" in concert thing. It was so fun to be a single, dating woman for a couple of hours each day.

I'm knee deep in sassy 3 year old boys and recently crawling and puppyish biting infants. I think for her it was so fun to be a frumpy, stay at home mom for a few days.

In some ways, I think we both not only appreciated what we love about our own lives, but also sort of got a new appreciation for each other's lives.

There were cupcakes and brownies involved, too -- that never hurts anything.

By the way -- if you don't have a soul sister, get one. You just *shouldn't* attempt to do "life" without one.

Mmmmwwwwahhhhh, Stacer. Love you, love you, love you.

Oh, and the french? Le no. Not so much. :)