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deja vu?...

As I was standing in line at Joanne's Fabric today, my falling accident from yesterday was replaying in my head. I had to hold back the giggles as I thought of what I must have looked like. The word "pathetic" comes to mind. My mind wandered a bit, as I tapped my fingers on the counter in lieu of hollering at the "fabric cutter" to hurry it up, because I had to pick up my son from pre-school!

But while I waited, I was reminded of a similar incident that happened, ironically, the last time I was at Regency Mall several years ago. I was again, sitting in the play area, watching Josh and Caleb play. I sat there on the benches, with my legs crossed under me. Caleb was 1 or 2 at the time, and like Brooks, was also fond of running OUT of the play area. So I jumped up to stop him, but my feet were still entangled below me, and I fell forward like a corpse, flat on my face. The lady whose lap I practically fell into, politely said without laughing, "Don't worry, I don't think anyone else saw."

I tried to believe her, even though I knew it was not possible. The area is surrounded on all sides by a wall of benches, and the entire play area is plopped right there next to the food court. According to my calculations, there was a high probability that 30 or more people could have seen me fall like a 5'7" tree in the forest.

But as humiliating as it was, I had to push these thoughts aside, because Caleb now had a significant head start towards the elevator. I jumped up, adjusted my pants and bolted. I managed to snag his shirt, just before he stepped foot in the open elevator.

Apparently this seems to be a reoccurring event for me, and if there's any chance at retaining any sort of dignity at this mall, I really wish they would install a gate at the opening of that play area! Maybe with my kids contained, I would have a fighting chance of staying upright at the next play group!

Please don't tell me I'm the only one who has fallen down in public! Please share your stories so I don't feel like an idiot alone!

I don't need a crutch!

Whenever I go awhile without writing, I start feeling the pressure... like I should have something profound and intelligent to say after a hiatus of silence. Well, don't hold your breath... because I have nothing insightful or philosophical to say, but rather, just another embarrassing, awkward and shameful experience by yours truly.

Today I was enjoying a lovely outing to the Regency Square Mall play area for a play group activity, where my 4 year old was bored because he was surrounded by "babies" (since everyone was 2 and under), and my 1 year old was determined to escape from the play area. I, on the other hand, was entertained by stimulating adult conversation, regardless/in spite of the tantrums of my 1 year old. But after about an hour, I succumbed to my back-arching baby, and allowed him to walk outside of the play area to the quarter-operated fire engine and ice cream truck "rides". He was enthralled... I was, to no avail, straining to make out the conversation from 50 feet away. As I walked around the fire truck, I failed to see the little slope underfoot, despite the bright yellow painted line.

My ankle rolled... my head whipped back... my arms flailed... and my body crumpled to the floor (literally).

Luckily, besides the other 2 year old playing on the fire truck, the only other eye witness was a small elderly woman. Even my fellow "play-groupers" failed to see my humiliated collapse. I stood up quickly, favoring my right ankle a bit, and tried to determine the seriousness of my injury. Could I make it to the stroller well enough to hobble out the door?... Or should I just throw myself back on the floor and wait for someone to call an ambulance?

I decided that I MUST "walk it out!" My head felt light... my stomach felt queasy... and my feet felt cold because of the pain. But I managed to carry my things back to the congregation of other moms.

Luckily, my ankle felt fine to walk, and for the rest of the day, I could easily maneuver around acorns and pine cones on the way to the bus stop, I avoided the unevenness of the pavement in our driveway, and bounced up and down the steps without hesitation.

But now, 9 hours after play group, I'm sitting here with an ice pack and my foot elevated, nursing my anterior talofibular ligament (okay, I had to look that one up), hoping with everything that I am that crutches are not in my future!

what's the point of going to bed?

Last night, I had a list of things to do...
1) Go the store to pick up a few more items for my co-op preschool lesson
2) While at the store, pick up a few food storage items to finish canning, before I have to give the canner back.
3) Finish preschool lesson
4) Go to bed

Went to Walmart at 9:40pm, and managed to fill my cart to the brim with food storage stuff. Aaaah, it feels so good! I pulled into the driveway at 10:30pm (I stocked up and checked out, in less then an hour! Are you impressed?... It's easy with no kids in tow!) I came home to Mike emptying out the garage. At first I was annoyed, because I had a lot to do, but it didn't take me long before I was completely enthrawled in the project. We were working together like a well-oiled machine... tossing stuff here, hanging up stuff there, organizing things over there! We brought that garage back into submission, and it looks amazing... well, it does to us anyway!

Garage cleaned by 2:00 am?... check! Baby wakes up at 2:01... check! Baby back in bed by 2:30 am?... check!

Then I realized I forgot one of the vital materials for my preschool craft! So I had to reinvent the craft.
Long story short... I was crawling into bed by 5:45 am... only to set the alarm for 6:55 am to wake up Josh. Mike got up, and I ended up sleeping til 8:30 am. Still not enough time, but better!

Now, I'm wondering what good those 2 1/2 hours got me. I'm draggin' and baggin'! (translation: I can't move, and have bags under the eyes)

Tonight? Go to bed at 9:00 pm.... if I even make it that long!

I'm just a Z-List Celebrity...

www.eslpod.com/.../ 2008/12/realitytv1.jpg


Today I felt like I was on stage in my very own Reality Show!

SCENE 1: Me and the boys went to the park, and had a very pleasant time. (Cue symphony and sunlight) Josh and Caleb were polite and playing nicely with each other. Eventually, after 1 1/2 hours of blissful romping, I thought to myself, "Well, it's about time to go". My children appeared spontaneously, and gathered around me, as if they had just read my mind. I said, "Shall we go?", and they all nodded and skipped happily to the car, helping each other in and fastening their seat belts. I could almost hear the "crowd" sighing with delight... "Aaaahhh!"... as they watched our melodious exit from the park! The boys asked to go inside McDonald's for lunch. This is something I rarely do anymore because it's always such a fiasco, but this time, I felt confident that it would be a good day to splurge.

SCENE 2: We fumbled with the door on the way into McDonald's, and I immediately could feel all eyes were on us. I ordered our food, and started filling up drinks. This was a bit cumbersome because I was holding my 1 year-old on my hip, a large diaper bag over one shoulder, and trying to maneuver around the crowded drink station. Josh and Caleb couldn't have been more angelic as they held their cups carefully, and volunteered to collect the napkins and straws. I told them to go into the kids area and find an empty table. While they went on ahead, I filled up ketchup cups with my one free hand, (I could almost hear the applause) and then carried the towering tray of food into the play area to find the boys. On my way there, a man turned around without seeing me, and I could almost hear the gasps from the crowd, as I lifted the tray over my head with my one hand (not even one fry fell), baby on hip, large diaper bag over one shoulder, and did a little three-quarter spin to avoid collision. I resisted the urge to say "Ta-Dah", and take a bow when I realized my audience was not impressed... tough crowd.

I thought Josh was coming to my rescue to open the door. But the crocodile tears were only a foreshadowing of what lay ahead.
(Cue evil, villian music)
SCENE 3: Apparently, in an attempt to set down 3 drinks at once, Josh had spilled my medium sized pop. I struggled to remain calm and understanding. I walked over to the disaster zone, and saw a waterfall of root beer flowing over the table, onto a chair and then pooling onto the floor amidst boulders of ice. There were splatters around the circumference of the table within inches of other people's feet. Our wet and sticky table was the only empty table in the entire vicinity, and we were surrounded by spectators on all sides. All of them were staring at us.

I couldn't help but recreate the scene in my mind. Two small boys carrying drinks, searching for an empty table without an adult... the drink spills, and they become flustered wondering what to do. Everyone stares. No one offers to help.

(Cue my entrance.) I'm not much help either. I don't have enough napkins to even make a dent, and I'm still carrying a baby on my hip, gigantic over the shoulder diaper bag, and a tray of food which more accurately resembles the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Meanwhile, I can hear the booing and hissing from the audience, and I even had to dodge a few peanuts as I exited stage left. I looked around desperately for some help. All eyes quickly avert. So I abandon Josh and Caleb once again to go get help. A uniformed man reluctantly and hesitantly follows me on stage, and suddenly becomes disgusted with his role. I awkwardly gather up all the food, and wrap my foot around a high chair, and kick it out the door into the main part of the restaurant because I don't have a free hand, and begin the search for another empty table. I turn and give one last look at my disappointed audience... they all breath a sigh of relief... END SCENE!

Dang It!!!

I think some of you have heard me say that I want to invent a mop that goes on your baby's clothes so they can pick up lint and dust while they crawl around!

Turns out it's already been invented! I'm too slow!


So much for making millions!

3 days in a row...

I'm not entirely sure... but when I saw the shirt that Josh laid out for school last night strewn across the couch this morning, I knew something wasn't quite right.

For the past couple weeks, my hubby has been getting Josh off to school. He likes it because it gets him out the door early for work, and I like it because I can catch some extra Z's in the morning! So every night I get his lunch packed, backpack ready, and make sure he lays out his clothes... all in preparation for a streamlined and flawless departure.

But yesterday afternoon, Josh bounded off the bus wearing the same shirt as he wore the day before. Odd, I thought... and borderline embarrassing, since he has a ton of clean shirts stacked in his drawer. So I asked him about it... and he confirmed that he had indeed worn the same shirt twice. I suggested that he not do that again because it needed to be washed. Enough said.

So this morning, when I found the abandoned shirt this morning, I did a double take and found myself conducting a search for the infamous green t-shirt that he had sported for the past two days. All laundry hampers were "green t-shirt free", which leads me to believe that he is WEARING the shirt AGAIN!. Now, it's T-minus 11 minutes until the truth will be known. Honestly, I'm a little worried. This is not like Josh. I mean, I can barely get the boy to wear a perfectly clean pair of jeans twice as a favor to me, to help me cut down on laundry. But lately, I've had to remind him to actually use shampoo, as opposed to just getting wet... I've had to retrain and inspect his teeth brushing abilities... and now I have to keep track of his wardrobe to keep him from looking like a homeless person?

*********** Brief Intermission*************

Josh came home, and thankfully he is NOT wearing the green t-shirt! I'm not sure where it is... (I should check his drawers)... but he has a lovely #22 navy blue t-shirt on with khaki cargo shorts. I can now show my face at school. Thank you Josh!

If there's a Wii, there's a way!

"Could they ask me any more questions? How many snacks can one 4 year old eat? Is it possible for the house to be any messier? How long has that bag of grapes been in his backpack? If I have to pick up one more sock, I'm gonna...! Are they really fighting AGAIN? Oh no, please don't tell me they woke up the baby!"

All of this is normal chatter that rumbles through my head on any given day... and most of the time, it goes almost unnoticed. I go from one thought to the next without much effort. It just floats around in there, and I just keep on going. It must be some sort of coping mechanism that all moms are endowed with, otherwise, I'm sure that we would all face certain, and unavoidable insanity.

But there are some days where these thoughts are enough to push me over the edge. A couple weeks ago, it was on a day such as this, (let's call this day "D-Day", which will serve as an alternative to boring you with all the gorey details) that I was actually pushed beyond my limits. I was feeling torn in every which way... emotionally, mentally and even physically! Now, I've come close to this state of being before, and thought that I had exceeded my own capabilities, but in reality, I wasn't even close to where I was on D-Day. And as scary as it sounds, I'm sure that someday in the future, I will be stretched again and will find myself looking back on D-Day and laughing. After all, that's how we grow, right? ... The next trial will seem a little easier because of what we have experienced in the past, therefore making us that much more prepared?

So back to my story... on my D-Day, I was miserable. But, there were still things to do, someone else's needs to be met, little mouths to feed, a little person that needed a nap. And it was more then I could do!

But I found myself rescued! Not by someone... but rather, something came to my rescue and saved my life that day! His name was Indiana Jones! Wii Lego Indiana Jones, to be more specific! He miraculously had the ability to subdue my needy children for a couple of hours while I rushed around in my crazy state of mind! There was something about his square physique, and the way that he cracked that whip, that captured the attention of Josh and Caleb, and kept them completely entertained when I couldn't!

Now I'm not condoning playing video games all day, every day... but there are days when we all need a little extra help! So on those days where you're feeling stretched beyond what you can stand... just think to yourself, "Where there's a Wii, there's a way!" That's what I learned on my D-Day!

my hero... isn't he handsome?

a Time Machine?... almost.


I wore a polar fleece vest today... first time in a long time... and I reached into the pocket and felt a little piece of fabric. I turned it around in my fingers for a few minutes before actually taking it out to see what it was, but once I saw it, I was thrown back in time!

It's amazing how sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and in this case, objects, can do that to you... happy or sad... good or bad... You find yourself drifting back to that time remembering little details that might as easily been forgotten.

This weekend, we drove past the Virginia State Fair, with the car windows open so we could catch a whiff. Of course, it's not the same as the Alaska State Fair that I remember so fondly from my childhood... but the smells were still the same, and had the same effect. Cotton candy and hamburgers. Suddenly, memories of standing in line for the Octopus, gawking at stinky, over-sized farm animals, spray-painted mohawks, and button photographs flashed through my mind.

So where did that little piece of fabric in my vest pocket take me today? It was actually a piece of tattered black and white polka dot ribbon. The last time I wore this vest was February 13, 2009, when I was decorating for my sister's wedding. She got married the next day on February 14th, and it was a very HAPPY DAY! It was a celebration... of two families coming together as one! We laughed, cried, and ate a lot of food. We reminisced and took pictures so we wouldn't forget. The Grover Family grew a little a little bigger that day. And I was so happy to be a part of it! I'm forever grateful for my parents who flew us up for the occasion. And even now, 8 months later, words can't express the feelings that rushed back all because of that little piece of ribbon.






To the Silva's! I love you guys!

Chuck the Yuck: MODERN MOMMY MARVELS!


Ran across this website today... why can't I think of these things??
Chuck the Yuck is a hip line of . . . barf bags! Designed to stylishly dispose of all pregnancy and kid-related yuck. From morning sickness and motion sickness, to everyday yucky stuff, like dirty diapers and melted ice cream cones, Chuck the Yuck is a hip way to catch and toss it all. With Chuck the Yuck in your diaper bag, handbag and hybrid you will always be prepared for life’s yuckiest surprises! I love their tag-line... "Keep the kids - Chuck the Yuck!"
Visit their website at: Chuck the Yuck

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