Life has been crazy

I took the trip with the ladies to DC and New York and we really had a blast. My plane was delayed a whole day because of really bad whether at the airport. When I finally arrived in DC, my friends and I went to an awesome Italian restaurant and we had some great wine, awesome food and wonderful conversation.

One of the first things I noticed was that I got to walk and talk without someone asking me for something. That's a new one and a nice treat for a mom with 3 children. I got to see the Korean war memorial at night which was pretty spooky.

Here is a pic of the Korean war memorial.

Then we saw the Lincoln Memorial and looked across to the Washington memorial. Very cool! Last time I was in DC, I saw the Washington memorial with my husband and Kristen she was only 2 years old!

So two of the ladies and I took a Bolt bus from DC to NYC. It took maybe 3.5 hours but they said it could take likely 4 hours. We were ahead of schedule and no one was complaining about that!

So finally in NYC. We checked in at the hotel and checked our bags with the clerk and we were off for some lunch at a NY deli. No tomatoes because of the tomato scare but we found some decent burgers and sandwiches to eat. Hung out for awhile and gabbed and finally it was time to check out our room. My friend Jenn told me it was a two bedroom and it was also a two bathroom. That was pretty cool. Three ladies and one bathroom is doable but three ladies and two bathrooms was awesome. Our hotel was old and the hair dryer would only work in one of the bathrooms without blowing a fuse. However, the location was ideal and the room was clean and spacious, especially for NYC.

We walked around and checked out NYC. Stopped for some NY pizza for dinner. I loved it. Even being a Chicagoan, I can appreciate other pizza. (We do have the best pizza in Chicago - shamless plug.) All of the sudden, there was this really strong wind. All of us had dirt on our faces and grit in our eyes. Stopped by Footlocked to check out some shoes and when we got out, there was a monsoon or something and a guy selling umbrellas. So all three of us got umbrellas and walked for a bit until we saw the theatre and saw Sex in the City, the movie. Of course we saw it. What a great movie. I wasn't really even a big fan of the show and I loved it and am now watching reruns. Anyway, the storm was over by the time the movie ended and we walked back to our hotel.

So the next day we had theater tickets to see Gypsy. Before the show we ate at this place that had these awesome salads and stews and then the men would come out with the meats on sticks and slice them for you! There was sauce to put on the meat and it was heavenly. So glad I'm a carnivore! We finally surrendered our discs so they would know we were done and we saw our show. Awesome show. After the show, we stopped for cheese cake at Junior's and that was awesome! I had fresh strawberries on mine and it was perfect.

That's it for this post. I'll post more of our trip in my next post.

Off on a Jet Plane

Well this Sunday I'm off on a jet plane with the girls. Yes, I'm 35 years old and never have been away on vacation without my family. Married for 10 years too! I'm going to DC and NYC and I'm very excited. I've been to DC before but never NYC.

My dh turned 45 today. I love him very much but this morning he was snoring. Why is it that a friend can snore and it is not a big deal but your husband snores and it is annoying? I have a gift for him. A new gym bag and a pair of racing swim speedos. (He wanted this!) I suppose that gift counts as a gift for a man in a midlife crisis. How very cute.

Kiki has her dance recitals today and tomorrow. Each day there is an afternoon show and an evening show. I'll catch the evening show today and the afternoon show tomorrow before I catch my evening flight. They finally made the hip hop costume fit correctly. Some saintly mother is also a seamstress and she sewed a brand new costume for Kiki. It is the correct size. Still an ugly costume but at least she looks appropriate.

Violet, my darling two year old is so wonderfully two. Do you want X, Vi? No. How about Y? No. How about Z? No. I want X!!!!! Yes, welcome to my world!

While I am gone my dh has the week off work. Vi is going to daycare and the older kids are going to day camp. Dh is going to build a wall of shelving and storage in our living room. Just one computer armoire is not enough for the family paperwork and various items. I'll also have room to display my art scultures and stuff. I've never had that before. He is also getting some work done on the front of the house. That will be a neat treat to return to something new without having to agonize over the installation of it.

Cold from Hell and Life goes on

I have the cold from hell. My nose it stuffed up so bad and it hurts to breathe. I've been dealing with this since Wednesday. Today, I took Alka-Seltzer Cold and Sinus but it was the night time formula. Seems that everything I've been doing is in slow motion. Well, I'm in slow motion. LOL

Anyway, I thought I'd post some pics of my family, just because I can think enough to do that.

This is us at the indoor Conservatory.

Darling daugher Kiki.

Daddy and Vi the day before Mother's day.

Vi eating an apple.

Oh yes, and Vi screaming about her ball.

Vi getting into the craziest things. Dr. Pepper giant drink and sitting on top of the couch, peeking out our window.

Preteen clothing

Last night Kiki and I went with her friend to shop for some clothes. Kiki has been complaining about her clothing and apparently, I have old woman taste in clothes. Hey, it was bound to happen some time. It turned out good. We went to some trendy stores but the prices were pretty reasonable and her friend was pretty helpful. I think it was the mother-friend balance that really helped. Kind of like two extremes balancing each other out. I spent just over $200 but Kristen really needed stuff. I didn't know about the fingertip rule with shorts at her school. The shorts need to come down to at least her fingertips and hers are too short. Kiki's got my long arms and legs I think! Many of her shirts aren't long enough or she thinks they are babyish. So we bought her some more. Also a couple pairs of skinny jeans and capris. Not too skinny though! My baby is a size 1. This is our first foray into junior sizes. Kiki looks cute and her clothing is appropriate - not trashy like I feared.

Awesome morning

Isn't it funny how you expect a day to really be pretty crappy but then it turns out okay? Had the talk with Kiki's dance instructor about the costumes. Luckily, another student had a child's XL and let Kiki try it on. Fit her perfectly and did not make her look like a hoochie mama. Kiki had been given a child's medium. Another child was given a small and she tried on Kiki's medium and it fit her perfectly. Then there was N's daughter who got an adult small but really needed an adult medium top. So they really only need to buy one child XL and an adult medium top and all the girls will look okay. Thank goodness hoochie mama gate is over.

So on the way out, Kiki and Vi and I stopped by the boy scout car wash, made a donation to the troop and got my very dirty car washed. I had a nice talk with the people and I found out there is a boy scout troop at Blake's school. Didn't know that. Yeah, I'll get this mom of a son thing sooner or later I guess.

On the way home, I stopped by a garage sale and wound up having a great discussion with some people who are members of the photography club in my town. I didn't know we had a photography club. They meet a couple of times a month and I'm eager to get some feedback on some of my photos. I'm even more eager to get some ideas for shots.

We came home and my husband is putting up our ceiling fan finally. He bought it a month ago and I've been bugging him about a fan for 4 years. I hated the light that was up there before. A definite 1970s chandalier that I have hit my head on 10 times at least! Maybe that's why he kept it up there. LOL I can't wait until it is done. I just want to open all my windows and enjoy the nice weather we are having.

Difficult conversation today

Kiki is 12 years old - yes, we are flashing to the present day. It really does seem like she was a baby just yesterday. Anyway, last night my Kiki tried on her costume for her hip hop dance recital. She looks like she has been stuffed into a sausage casing. It is too tight, the seems are strained and either her midrift or too much of her chest shows. She's jsut beginning to develop but it is just not appropriate to have something that tight or revealing on a young girl.

I have to talk to the dance instructor today. I requested to see the costume before the instructor ordered it and there was always an excuse. First she said that she hadn't picked it out yet and then she said that she already turned the catalogue in. Then we had to turn our money in for the costume before we could even get the costume to try on. I'm frustrated. The instructor is 26-years old, has no children of her own. She told Kiki that she looked fine. She doesn't look fine. The instructor is trying to turn my daughter into a 12-year old hoochie mama and I'm not going to stand for it. There is another Mom of one of Kiki's classmates in the dance class who is more conservative than I am. I am going to see how N feels about this too.

I figure I will ask first if the costume can be exchanged for a larger size. If they can't do that, I'm heading to the fabric store and I will be making alterations. Fabric along each side so we can get an inch or two more in width on both the top and the pants. Then I'm adding something along the bottom of the top to cover her midrift. I figure, what are they going to do? Tell me that my daughter can't dance in the recital because she doesn't look trampy enough? It bothers me that we sexualize girls at such a young age. My daughter is 12-years old and in 6th grade. She is not ready to show her belly and chest in public and be in an outfit so tight that it leaves nothing to the imagination. Hell, I'm not ready for that either.

Kiki said she really doesn't like the outfit but asked me why bathing suits are different. Not the hard questions already! I thought the sex talk was tough. I told her that swimming is different but walking around in public in an outfit that revealing and tight is never appropriate.

First child

Flash back roughly 13 years ago. I was 22, just finishing college and about to enter law school. I was dating the man who is now my husband but we had broken up. I was horribly moody, was gaining weight and wound up going to the hospital due to some pain and problems I was having. After a few hours in the ER with every test known to man (and woman), I found out I was pregnant and that I had a kidney infection.

My now husband was not happy at the time. He had the look on his face that I imagine he would have if I asked if I could chop off his unit. I was taking his freedom away and he needed time to adjust and acclimate to that fact of life. I went to the obstatrician and saw my little bean on the ultrasound. I was expecting a really small fetus. To my surprise, I was beginning my fifth month of pregnancy. Before I went to the doctor, I contemplated all my options. I had ruled out a termination and worked things out with my baby's father so we could at least be parents together. I didn't work out the relationship quite yet but I got us talking and communicating. First step.

I met with the dean of the law school and found out that I could still go to school even while pregnant. I decided to jump in and do it. Second step. I had my daughter the second week of my second semester of law school. It was amazing. Took 3.5 hours which included 20-minutes of pushing. The OB gave me an epidural at 8 centimeters. He later told me that he thought I wanted to go natural. Yeah I had some words I was thinking about him! My whole body tensed up with every contraction and there was just no way to relax. The anesthesiologist was an angel. I told her that I loved her when the drugs kicked in. Warren and I were so happy when Kristen was born. She was so pudgy and perfect.

I still remember when we had her in the carset in my red Chevy. I looked at him and he looked at me and I remember thinking, "Oh shit, they are actually letting us take this child home with us!"

I balanced school and parenting and had a lovely friend named Teresa who was Kristen's first babysitter. Her son nicknamed Kristen Kiki because he couldn't say her name.

Warren and I married when Kiki was 2.5 years old. She was one of our flower girls. I guess that was the start of our little family.

First post

Where to start. Where to start. Start reading a diary and you think about all the times you didn't write about. The diaries that were started and not finished. The stories you would like to write about but have not. I am a 35-year old woman with three children. I have a wonderful husband. Why am I writing a blog? Wouldn't you think a woman who also works full time wouldn't have time for a blog?

I suppose I am writing a blog for my own sanity. Life isn't always perfect and some days I feel like running away. Ok yes, those are days when the older two are fighting and I remember a time when I was 20 and had no responsibilities. However I also had no fulfillment. A life as a mother, wife and professional seems like a crazed double-edge sword at times.

My husband is absolutely wonderful but gone are the times when I had a bunch of girlfriends and we could talk on the phone for hours. Just no time for that now and yet I have my preteen drama queen's daily drama, the anxiety of a 7-year old boy who is a perfect angel at school and some sort of demon in our home and a two-year old who is sweet but at the same time slightly irrational.