Wardrobe Wednesday

I walked out of my bedroom Sunday and saw this:

Needless to say, I was nearly speechless. Back story is that the dress is Willa's absolute favorite, no matter what the weather. In all fairness, she did pair it with warm cotton tights and a sweater.

The shoes go with the tights, which color coordinate with the sweater and the sweater matches the blue in the dress. So I get what she's trying to do.

I just don't think I would ever wear something like this.

MORE Wardrobe Wednesday at Heathen Family Revival. (Hi, Kelly, I posted on time this time.)

So Random

Click on the fugly button for more randomness:

I don't know what to prattle on about.  Yesterday the children had the day off from school.  "Records Day."  I guess teachers need time to input the grades into the computer.  Yeah?  Well, we put the day to our advantage.  Two appointments for dear Andrew, orthodontics and eyes.  Good news, we only have to crank the bar 12 more times and they're done spreading his upper jaw.  Also good news, his eyes didn't change, even though the school nurse was pestering reminding me that I had to get him into the eye doctor to check on his 20/40 vision they tested on his eyes.  The eye doc was was not very complimentary about school nurse eye testing.  Oh, well.  She can get her paper back.  Andrew only has to wear the glasses for distance, not all the time, as he sees fit.  He's also starting to use the sling for his broken arm less and less.

Have to vent.  So it was 22 degrees out this morning, but my dear Mr. Wild was whining about how cold it was that he couldn't get out of bed and go to the gym.  This would have been fine, except he bumped around in the bed from 4:30 until 5:40 when I got up to go to the gym.  Getting up at 5:40 was my plan, but not at 4:30 when he wakes up and bumps around because he can't get back to sleep.  When I finally yelled suggested he get up and use his energy on exercising, he whined about how cold it was.  I was mad that I was awake until the alarm went off.  Went and took my aggressions out on the gym.

Question for people: Is it just me, or does it seem age appropriate clothes for your children are often too wide around?  My children are tall enough for the sizes that are for their ages, but when I put the clothes on them, they are too wide around.  My son's medium sweatpants, while long enough, he says are too big around his waist.  Dear Willa, she was trying on swimsuits and they were all TOO BIG AROUND.  WTH?  If we tried on the one pieces, the one size down wasn't long enough shoulder to crotch and the next size up, while long enough, kind of hangs on her.  I thought swimsuits  were supposed to fit snug.  Good thing boys' suits have drawstrings in them usually.  You might wonder why don't I try the bikinis on her then, no worries about the length.  Yeah, well, all those were too big around her rib cage to stay in place correctly, or the smaller size had triangles so small I was embarrassed.  It's not just swimsuits, but I am worried.  Are there so many overweight kids out there that the average size clothing has to be made wider now to accommodate the most children possible?  Maybe not, I only went to one store, but we tried 6 suits on to find something to fit.  We didn't have this problem with toddler/preschool clothes.  I don't know.

That's it, that's all I have.  Check out Un Mom for better randomness.

Sassy Sunday

All morning I had been trying to get the kids to put on their clothes.  I had said to them a couple times to go up and get their clothes on.  When Willa came down, not in clothes, but in just her bathrobe, I said, maybe with a little exasperation, "Go upstairs and put your clothes on."

Not missing a beat, she said, "Well, you don't have your clothes on."

Unfortunately, she was right.  I had yet to wander upstairs to get out of my robe and pjs and get my shower done.  I looked down at my attire and made a little quiet smile and giggle to myself, because it was an astute observation.

A poignant case of "Do as I say, not as I do."

Willa's Wardrobe

This is a blog post in response to Feet Off the Table's Wardrobe Wednesday.  Only because it was too cute to not share.

 Make sure you compare the two, because you will notice the stripey shirts are very similar, along with a fancying for the dotted tights.  Also notice the belt on the skirt is dotted.

Here's a better view of the tights.  This outfit was also for a birthday party, but mostly they are favorites of hers from Santa except the stripey shirt which we got on sale at the Children's Place.

Oh, and she got a hair cut today, as did Andrew.  I even sprung for a shampoo for him, because it is so much easier than shampooing him in the tub with a broken arm.  And, FINALLY, we took down the Christmas tree.  It would have been down earlier, but, long story short, I was waiting for my in-laws to travel here.  Two weekends in a row, no dice.  So I said screw it forget it and finally took it down.  Now, though, I'm taking a break before I put it into boxes.

For more Wardrobe Wednesday (which I always seem to miss), see Heathen Family Revival.

Happy Weekend!

So Random!

Yup, it's Tuesday!

IRONY
So, I was thinking about this irony.  My two children were playing rock, paper, scissors.  Though, not how you would think. They were each sitting in front of one of the two computers in our office.  Playing on their Webkinz.  Playing the Rock, Paper, Scissors game against each other, on-line.  Which they were having loads of fun and exclaiming to each other as they won or lost.

I was thinking about how nice it was that they were playing together.  Then realized that they weren't playing "together."  Is this the future of our world?  It was good and bad all at the same time.  They could have sat down on the floor together and played with their hands.  Laughing and hollering as they went.  I pointed this out to my son and then he said, "But you get Kinz Cash for playing on-line."  Ah, I get it now.

ANNOYANCE
Who else has this problem?  You use a bar of soap in the shower and it gets so small.  Are you of the camp where you can take that small piece, get it wet and squish it to the new bar of soap you get out?  Or the camp that it is so small you can't bother with it, but you also can't quite throw it out.

My pet peeve, my husband cannot make himself work with keeping the small used up bar of soap squished against the new larger one until they meld and soap up like a regular bar.  He always slides off the small used up piece and cannot keep it attached, which doesn't seem that hard to me.  So he puts the used up pieces on the shower shelf until there's lots of used up pieces in my way.

Does anyone know of a product that you can put all your used up pieces in and then soap up with it?  Bars of soap are not an issue for me, because I don't use bars, I used body wash.  I tried to get Mr. Wild to switch to body wash, but he still thinks the dry feeling of soap means his skin is clean.

PANIC
Too much to do.  Not only do I have to rethink life for my son with a broken arm, but I need to sort out my spring break in Phoenix.  Hotel rooms seem to be on a sale, so I need to get that done NOW.  Also need to sort out our rental.  I guess it's not that much panic, just need to get it done.  Like Feris Bueller says, "Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you might miss it."

WHAT'S NEXT
Time to move on to more writing topics.  Probably starting two more books. And maybe I should work up some short stories.  Like I need more things to do, like a hole in the head.  But, then again, it uses my creative side of the brain.  I need some flow in my life, and this might be the way to do it.  Also need to read more books.  I think I might check out the book version of "The Vampire Diaries."  Guess the show is taking off, so, I want to see if the books are as good as the show.  See what kind of inspiration I can get for more writing.

POSITIVE
Already looking forward to spring.  You'd think, being a midwestern gal and staying staunchly midwestern, that I like the winter weather.  I do for about a month.  Then it's like, spring get here already.  But if there wasn't really winter, then I'd miss the spring, the change into summer (no matter how freaking, hot and humid it gets), and then the fall, the season I adore the most with blazes of color.  So I'm imagining sunny days, walks to the park or downtown, going out with the gals to the local bar or a downtown restaurant during warm weasther (I think I owe a few round), short skirts, nice sandals, a reason to get a good pedicure.

ANNIVERSARY
Number 15 is coming up.  Right during my busy work season in mid-July.  We didn't do anything really special for 10, so I feel we should get away.  But when, where and how are questions that come to mind.  What kinds of special things should one do for 15?  It seems like a celebratory worthy milestone.  Maybe not as grand as 20 or 25, but still.  Thoughts?

How's that for random?  Check out the Un Mom for more!

This should be my motto for the next few years...

I cannot take credit for this. Posted by a high school classmate on Facebook:


"Enough is enough. This is the year of rippled abs and buns of carved stone. I will burst into my 40s on a chariot. Prepare the gladiator, 2010. You are a number that not only am I able to divide, but conquer."

We are all facing down our forties.

Even better, one of my other classmates responded:

"My 40s are going to make my 30s seem like my 80s."

LOVE IT!

"Breaking" the seal

We broke the seal on a new childhood milestone today.  Our oldest child broke his arm while sledding.  How, you may ask?  He sled down a hill that had cars parked at the bottom.  He slammed into one of the cars.  We were not there, because this was a Scout trip overnight.  My husband, when he dropped our son off, said to the adults that were there that they should move their cars before they start sledding.  He was assured they would. They had even brought straw bales specially to place at the bottom of the hill.

Even so, I would have expected one adult to monitor the goings-on.  There wasn't one.  Andrew wasn't doing anything unusual or goofy, he just chose a sled run that had the bad luck of sledding down, missing the hay bale, and hitting a parked car.  He hit it backwards, arm slamming the car first.

Here's the odd thing.  We took him to the emergency room and they splinted it, but didn't put a cast on.  That won't get put on until Tuesday.  Why do they wait so long?  Maybe for swelling to go down, or for the orthopedic person to be at work?  I just don't get that.

His pain, for now, is manageable with ibuprofen, so I guess we can handle it.

Little known fact

"A LITTLE KNOWN BASEBALL FACT: The first testicular guard (or 'cup') was used in baseball in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1934. Soooo ... it took 60 years for men to realize that the brain is also important."

Taken from a friend on my Facebook home page.  That was hilarious.

Embarrassing

My in-town friends who read this blog are going to razz me good.  Probably my out-of-town friends and relatives too, but I just have to get it out.

So, in one of the local grocery stores, there's a kid.  And, yes, he's a kid, I am positive he's in high school, I am almost sure of this.  To me he bears a resemblence to Robert Pattinson.  You know, the Twilight vampire Edward?  The kid has a similar square jaw and bushy eyebrows.

I feel so weird around him, the clerk, almost like I'm seeing a celebrity.  Which is even weirder, because I don't particularly think I'm crushing on Robert Pattinson.  I don't particular care for Edward in the books, and I don't think I have that much interest in him on-screen.  Yes, I will admit, he's a good looking young man.  YOUNG, I keep telling myself.

So is the grocery clerk.  He's young.  So why do I feel all silly and girly?  I find myself forcing myself to act like a normal mom, in her thirties, but trying to avoid too much eye contact, though, really, I would just like to stare for a bit, but I don't want to weird him out.  I also wonder if the girls at the high school are all falling over him because of his looks.  I hope so, because he is good looking!

For heaven's sake, I'm ALMOST FORTY.  Somebody make my hormones act their age!




PS-if any of you tell my husband, you will totally feel the wrath of Wild Child, because I cannot bear having him make fun of my stupid young man crush!

Wow...

I know the pundits out there are just going crazy over it, and it's been overdone to death, but I have to ask it.

What in the world was Pat Robertson thinking?  And the people who watch his crap show, do they really buy into what he says?

I watched news coverage and read bits.  There were prayer groups and the Roman Catholic archbishop was killed and almost all the churches and the cathedral were leveled, news reports say.  Even Fox News reported this.

So, I'm thinking if there are churches and a cathedral, at least some of the people are following the Roman Catholic religion.

Though, I suppose, perhaps Pat Robertson thinks the Roman Catholic Church is the devil.

The cutest things kids say-NOT!

Trip to Culver's this evening.  Me, Andrew and Willa are having a perfectly ordinary Culver's meal.  (Well, mine was pretty tasty.  I tried the prime rib mushroom melt.  Available for a limited time only.)  Then Willa blurts out, "Mommy, why does my vagina feel like it has bubbles in it."

I think my jaw dropped.

I am sure the couple the next booth over heard that.

Andrew didn't bat an eye.

Incidentally, after discussing what was appropriate dinner table topics and perhaps discussions that should be done in private, she did finally get some answers from me in the privacy of our car.

Dealing

The holidays are supposed to be joyful.  This year was a little harder.  My grandmother passed away just before Christmas.  I've been on a roller coaster of emotions.

I've had three other grandparents already pass away.  The first time I was eight years old.  I didn't realize it at the time, but she was only 60 years old.  I remember fleeting images and the situation being hard on the family.  I was sad, but I didn't really feel its impact on me until I got older.

The second time was sudden when I was fifteen.  My grandfather was in his early 70s.  It was a shock and more difficult to deal with.  I was old enough to appreciate the gravity of the situation.  I remember missing school and I remember telling my mom in a restaurant after the funeral that I didn't feel like I could go back to school.  I did go back.  Life goes on.

The third time I was twenty and in college.  My other grandfather had been ill for a while.  We knew it was coming.  We visited him in the hospital and I remember how awful I felt seeing him not as his strong tall self.  I was sad, but he was 80 and I remember being comforted that I felt that was a pretty long life, especially for a man.

Why is it that this time, my life feels really blue, even though my grandmother was 91?  That is, by all logic, an excellent length of life.  I should be comforted by that.

I'm sure the time of year makes the feelings more magnified.  Everyone else around you is joyous and spending good times with family and friends.  We did get to see family, but it was such a sad occasion.

I wonder, too, if it is the realization that the older generation is gone.  The oldest generation in my life now is that of my parents' generation.  Maybe deep down I realize I am not a grandchild anymore.  Maybe I'm mourning my childhood.  I shouldn't be, it is still there in my memories.  Some of it is in my parents', aunts', uncles' and cousins' memories.  But a little bit of that long ago time is gone.

Grandma kept us all together as a family.  The last 10 years we've had yearly treks to Grandma's on Memorial Day weekends.  Not every cousin made it, but the aunts and uncles usually did.  My cousins brought their kids and our kids know their second cousins like they were first cousins.  Grandma, though, is who we centered around.  Maybe I'm worried it won't continue.

I guess if I want it to, I should help organize us together.  But, will I let my life and work and excuses get in the way?  I don't know, only time will tell.  My cousins on the other side of the family haven't seen each other much.  I always put it down to us being more worldly and farther flung than perhaps the other side, making it harder to gather.  But I think there's something to be said about the oldest generation providing a place where we can all gather on a home turf.

Life goes on.  My son was pretty perceptive.  Some of his concerns after the funeral was about him understanding that we might not see his second cousins on a yearly basis and he told me as much.  They all had a nice time swimming at the hotel together.  They were really sweet playing together at the luncheon after.  I hope they enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed watching them have their little adventures, like us cousins used to do on the farm.

In the meantime, I won't berate myself for continuing to feel a bit blue in this cold, wintry season.