realization

yesterday we went to open swim at the ymca. it took a large amount of preparation, packing, and patience, but we managed it.

we arrived at the pool. there were classes going on, so the open swim was restricted to two lanes on one side of the pool. we headed over, (very loudly, somehow the pool magnifies little voices to booming levels) showered, and got in. it was then i noticed the swimmer. she was doing the breast stroke, swimming laps. and she was good at it. we were about to get in her way. big time. probably ruin her timing, her day, her stroke count, and other swim lingo i don't even know about...

we tried to stay in one lane, pretty difficult for a party of five. and of course, the jumping, splashing, loud talking, etc. she gave up even coming near us after the second try. she made her turns earlier, not getting to finish her laps. knowing a couple (literally) of swimmers, i was mortified that she would be extremely annoyed with us. i apologized several times.

she said it was no problem at all.

then - i had this realization - and for the rest of our swim time i just kept thinking...

"please, oh please, don't blog about me!"

stainless

i just purged all of our non-stick pots and pans.

they were flaking and i'm pretty sure that's no good.

i have slowly been buying stainless, at marshalls, duh.

there seems to be a huge difference in the cooking times of a lot of my usual meals. i have been over-cooking things that i normally could make with my eyes closed. all our food is a little browner. and drier.

so if you need me i am learning to cook. again. i'll be in the kitchen.

anyone else experience this?

accents

after living in pittsburgh for all these years, i apparently still have my west virginia accent. which is kind of funny because i never really thought i had an accent... compared to a lot of west virginians i know, anyway.

people i meet - "you have an accent, where ARE YOU from?"
me - "west virginia."
people i meet - "i knew it, a southern accent!"
me in 1994 - "well, actually west virginia is part of the north, you see during the civil war..."
me now - "yeah."

it is more noticeable if i am nervous or angry, or have had one too many vodka cranberries. and EVERY time i go to the pediatrician he makes a comment, as if noticing for the first time. "what is EEN-SHUR-EENCE?" he asks, "is that the same as insurance?" haha.

meanwhile, mm grew up in buffalo. we have had hour long conversations about the names "don" and "dawn" - for me they are one in the same, for him, not so much. his mom is from niagara falls and his dad is from new york city. so let's just say he's got his own accent issues. one of the first words i noticed was "coupon" pronounced, "KEW-PON."

anyway, on to the point of the post. our kids were all born in pittsburgh. they are all starting to say things with a little upturn inflection at the end. "you like those pierogies." as if making a statement while asking a question at the same time.

any individual accent on its own. lovely. fabulous.

but our kids... buffalo, west virginia, and pittsburgh.

"ya'll going to bahn-tahns n'at?"
all rolled into one.
they are just doomed.

hidden treasure

on friday nights we usually have pizza. we will eat pizza from just about anywhere - though we prefer napoli's. for the past few weeks mm has been picking it up after work and bringing it home to us. yummy - plus no cooking or clean-up.

for as long as i can remember, mm has been telling the kids crazy stories about the pizza "bubbles" - you know, the parts of the crust that fill with air. he tells grand tales of what he used to find in the bubbles when he was little...

the kids diligently check their bubbles. everywhere. every time. forever.

tonight the kids settled in around the table to eat their pizza -
g opened a bubble and found a m&m! then m found one, and k!

"no way!" i said.
"yes!" they all yelled, very excited.

this man is a keeper.
and very easily amused, apparently.

apologies

i have a stubborn streak. mm has a stubborn streak. so our kids...
are doubly stubborn.

at breakfast the other day, m made a comment that made me mad, and then hurt my feelings. i told her she was to apologize immediately.

silence.

(this means we will duke it out, stubborn to stubborn)
i will wait. she will wait. i will wait longer.

g, sitting at the table, puts his head in his hands and says,

"oh, i HATE this part..."

big shoes

this weekend we traveled to the north, gasp! llbean was calling our name.

we walked around the beautiful store. mm was looking for boots, but no luck. more on his endless quest for the perfect boots later...

m picked out a pair of clogs. on display, they were SO cute. bright blue with flowers. then - when seen in her size - whoah! that's a whole LOT of blue...

i just kept thinking of pee-wee's big shoe dance... tequila!

she is so in love with the shoes, i don't have the heart to explain to her some shoes are a little "too much" in bigger sizes. mm has this problem a lot, the shoes look great, then they bring out the 13's for him and suddenly everything changes.

the clogs were on sale and i had some bonus dollars, so we got them. who am i to have a fashion opinion, anyway?

she wore them to school today, i still can't believe my original baby girl is getting so big! she's past the point of little girl shoes! what is going on here?

the day pilates kicked my glutes

and yes, i fully realize i'm one of those annoying intruders at the gym. the newbie. it's january, here i am, at the gym. you'd think i'd made a resolution or something. sheesh.

i have seen the enemy and it is - pilates.

yeah - it started off simple enough. calming music, stretching. i'm pretty flexible for my age. seriously. and m got her balance beam skills directly from my me. i'm comfortable in my sock-feet. i brought my vitamin water. i can inhale and exhale with the best. and my back is freaky strong.

the problem... pilates focuses on "core" muscles. i have had three children. i'm not using this as an excuse, i'm just putting it out there. i have NO abdominal muscles. i don't even think they are there to "focus" on. each time i tried to use them, nothing. nada. i have no pain today in my abs, because, i'm telling you, they AREN'T THERE!

oh pilates - i will be back. i will conquer you. you will not have the last laugh. i will wear the cutest workout outfit ever. watch out.

pieces of me

so, yes, i finally joined facebook.

and everyday i am amazed how all the many jig-saw people of my life are right here in front of me again.

i am usually not on board with sharing personal info, and i still feel like "they" are probably tracking me somehow, but the amusement far outweighs the risk. and as an economist, i've got to go for it on that factor alone.

i have found childhood chums, junior high buds, my church gang, high school friends, college comrades, sorority sisters, neighbors, playgroup moms, grown-up pals. they are woven around me like an intricate web, each one making me who i am today. i could go on and on - choir geeks, latin geeks, TAG geeks, but then you'd start to see a geek theme and judge me accordingly...

i am thrilled to know where they are and how they are doing, excited that these friends i have thought about over and over, are out there, happy. and here we all are - reconnecting. amazing.

it makes me very happy too. cool.

new beginnings

today we put away the crib. not in another room. in the attic.

we set up the third and final big kid bed.

now, i realize we don't need a crib anymore. *you know, the one we paid a ton of money for... the one we definitely got our use out of... it is beautiful, perfect, etc.* but i will miss it.

i am nervously excited to start the next phase of family life.

as well as completely terrified...

the best 2009 to all of you! here's to new beginnings.