Boy Scouts (and mommies) Say Always Be Prepared

Be prepared...I was...

Well, after months of scavenging used North Face shell jackets and Patagonia pants in miniature on ebay, trips to sporting goods stores desperate to find snow gloves, and paying shipping from faraway stores in Montana (where it actually snows in February and the stores still stock these items...unlike here where the bikinis are already dismally displaying themselves front and center on the racks), I was ready to goto the mountains this weekend. Emerson looked so cute in his ski outfit complete with his NF shell and his Obermeyer insulated (which I proudly esniped at the last minute) jackets - you know in case it was 18 degrees or 50 degress he was all set.


Dalton luckily was able to squeeze into some old hand-me-downs and except for the fact he looked like a bad patchwork quilt, everything was covered and fit for the most part (poor second born). While his brother looks like a kid model for REI, he looks like a ski school dropout. Anyway, the important thing is, we were ready!


Now, for anyone that packs for more than oneself, and double this if there are any females involved (time and volume), packing for a winter trip takes minimum a full day. There's at least five lists involved here...1) clothes to pack 2) essentials to pack close by (ie diapers, cups, etc). 3) entertainment (including adding new playlist to ipod, buying new movies for car, testing DVD players, spending 30 minutes looking for the right cords) 4) other essentials (cameras, battery chargers, phone chargers, cell phones) 5) leaving home list (call animal sitter, etc), and 6) honey-do list. Now, remember, all of these tasks need to be performed under a continued attack of demands from children. Plus, time out for making lunch, cleaning up spilled self-help snack I was unaware of and was ultimately crushed into the carpet by the wheels of a suitcase, rescue flushing toilets, diffuse arguments over a toy that hasn't been touched in 3 months by either child, investigate loud CRASH sound, time time-outs...and this is just naming a few. Packing for a trip is like preparing for a year end meeting. If you leave out a crucial detail, it could derail the whole thing. Now, imagine preparing for that meeting without a door on your office. Well, at least, there's Walmart for anything I might forget to pack...while a meeting...well you would just be screwed.

So, here we were. All packed. Ready...set...SICK! Aaaaaa! Nothing like a child waking with a 101 degree fever and complaining of tummy troubles. There is nothing more frightening to a mother's ears than digestive issues which more than likely will result in the dreaded vomiting virus. So, all my efforts are still, for the most part, packed in the car a day and a half later. I guess the bright side of this is it could have been worse. Vomit in a car...well, you may as well go through the car wash with the windows down...

Anyway, so we are sad we missed the Wintergreen trip. Hope all of you who went are having a great time!

Lots to say...Little time...

Okay...so my post for today is read my other blog...(goto profile...then to boy crazy) because my newest soap box and crusade is to abolish the dated term "stay at home" mom. Will have something else for my general bloggies soon. ; )

Where or Where?

Where in the hell is the DELETE button??? My personal puzzle...

Economic Crisis Plan

Huh hmmm...(clearing throat and stepping on soap box)...I can single-handedly solve this whole financial crisis right now.

So, we have what I call a real "teething diaper" mess on our hands. A bunch of mumbo jumbo politicians trying to remember which hand to shake with and which one to wipe with, and just hope and pray they don't get them mixed up. There's so much finger pointing and back stabbing that - like a screaming toddler that belongs to you - you just tune it out and painfully wait it out until the end. So, let's take a look at this. We are in a recession. What does that mean? Basically, our economy is in swirl of water in the toilet. we're spinning around chasing tails and going down at the same time (to the sea of shit ultimately). So, how do we fix this? Well, the politicians think if you throw a big you-know-what in there (ie this "stimulus package") it will stop the swirling - which it will, but you all know what things look like when that happens. The panic immediately sets in as the swirl of water starts coming back up at you. You immidately fall to your knees to turn the emergency water shut off. Then its time to roll up your sleeves and pull out the plunger and the mop. So, while the "stimulus package" may stop the downward water swirl, it will ultimately look pretty for only a nanosecond before changing direction which only creates a whole set of new, bigger, problems.

My plan is more like calling a plumber in to just fix it in the first place. Enter...women.

What do we need to kick start the economy? Spenders. Who should the government give a stimulus to? Women. Simple math...A+B=C. Women will spend the money given to them, thus stimulating the economy. Ta da!

Clearly, my plan requires some tweaking, but let me sum it up like this. I would love the government to send me a check requiring me to go out and by some Prada's (which for the record I've never owned but would be fun to say I did someday) to save our country's economy.

You can make a contribution to my campaign when I announce my candidacy...

Wishing I Could Do SOMETHING Right

Well...I guess the title of this post pretty much said it all. That's all folks!

Crazy Dreams

So, last night I had a this crazy vivid dream...I was with my bff (the one who claims never to have read my blog...maybe this will be some inspiration). Anyway, said bff asked me if I wanted to go shopping for cake batter. Before my brain could process her invitation, my sweet tooth had already said yes. So, she comes and picks me up in a little pod car. Literally, this thing looked like a hard boiled egg rolling down my driveway. I squeezed in the pod car cartoon style and off we went. Next thing I knew we were off in a great big horsiecopter (yes, that would be a helicopter fitted for horses to be on board too complete with personal stall staterooms - think Titanic with an overhead rudder - not quite sure how this transition took place). I was concerned about where this cake batter shopping spree was taking me. Next thing I knew, MO bff said to me thank goodness we got the extra weight allowance added to this bird so the big horse could come. Clearly there was some sort of standard weight limit we were exceeding with the new BIG horse. (I never said this would make sense...or maybe its some "you need to lose weight" subliminal message). We got to our destination (which for the record resembled a big city like...Raleigh or Greenville) and I was so overly distracted by the fact that I hadn't packed an overnight bag that I totally missed the cake batter shopping spree and the horse thingamabob. So, I guess it just goes to show that I'm overly obsessed with going someplace that I'm missing the journey I'm on...and maybe need a smaller, more environmentally friendly, car...okay, maybe not on that one.

Recent Travels

Why is it when I have two children, a 100 lb car seat, a dinosaur stroller (big and bulky and yes, that old), a diaper bag, a travel bag, dvd players, snacks, games, and a whole bunch of other crap to get from point A to point B, travel doesn't go very smoothly? For instance, summer of 07 I took my sweet kids (ages 3 and 9 months) to Seattle. This idea, in itself, can make the faint of heart turn white and collapse. However, I, with my good idea jeans on, decided to go forth. Long story short, we got delayed for 4 hours in Raleigh - 2 at the gate and 2 on the tarmac in a 90 degree plane. After all that, flight ended up being canceled, spent the night at a hotel in Raleigh because it wasn't worth the trek home with all our gear only to turn around again 6 hours later. Next day, got up and got to Seattle (I made that sound MUCH easier than it actually was). On the return trip, bad weather got us rerouted to Tulsa to sit and wait out thunderstorms in Dallas. By the time we got to Dallas, missed connection and last leg was so overbooked it wasn't even worth trying. So, again, hotel room. Nightmare travel for anyone... So, coming full circle with my story...I just got back from a quick weekend trip to Seattle to meet my fabulous new nephew Leandro...I traveled by myself. I had a small carryon with a book, couple of magazines, a sweater, and a snack (you know, in case I got stuck anywhere for extended amounts of time). My bag neatly fit under the seat in front of me with room to spare for my feet. I ordered a drink. Got to sip it while reading my book instead of slugging it down praying I could finish it before it was toppled over by a flailing baby hand. I small talked with my neighbors instead of apologizing. I got to use the bathroom with the door closed and locked because I didn't have to worry about fitting three people in a cramped space. I got to eat my entire snack and didn't even have to give up the KitKat to puppy eyes. I got to watch - as bad as it was - the inflight movie all the way through! I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep just because it felt so good and...I could. It was a wonderful, relaxing, travel experience. I don't know though...nothing beats watching the wonder and excitement of a child on an airplane...okay, maybe some peace and quiet and a drink with a good book, might beat that out, but only by a slight margin of course.

Had a great trip! Cheers to Michael and Cassia for making Jason and I such a fabulous, adorable, GOOD SLEEPER, nephew! He's a sweetie. Enjoy...before Dalton gets his hands on him. ; )