sweet weekend



hello, darlin'.



this weekend m had a gymnastics meet in hershey, pa.
last season we would have taken the whole family,
stayed in the same tiny hotel room,
got ready,
checked out,
sat at the meet,
and drove home,
all together.

oh, how we have learned since then!

this time, m and i went together,
just the two of us.
and it was wonderful!

(aside from the tiny guilt i have about telling the little kids
that chocolate world was closed.
forever.
or something like that.
i know.)

anyway, we spent the night at the hotel,
got up, got ready, and went to chocolate world.
which apparently is open year 'round.
oops.

then we went to the meet.
and i sat as close to mary lou retton my gymnast as i could get.
i stared at mary lou retton my gymnast the whole time.
i ate whatever mary lou retton was eating i wanted.
i took lots of pictures of mary lou retton my gymnast.
i wasn't freaky or stalkerish nervous at all.

and then.  then.
the awards.

i took a hundred pictures of kerri strug my gymnast getting her medals.
second on vault, third on bars!



"remember to eat your wheaties!"

















such a sweet weekend.
chocolate and two three of my favorite athletes.
i shall be in a sugar coma for weeks to come.

sunday confession

a week in review...

monday - a rare day of nothing to do
tuesday - mm out to dinner with work friends, m has gymnastics
wednesday - boys go to penguins game, girls hang at home
thursday - mm scores a ticket to wvu/pitt game, m has gymnastics
friday - m and i leave for a meet in hershey, pa
saturday - chocolate world, meet, drive home, mm is sick!
sunday - mm is still sick, birthday party

mm spent the whole day on the couch,
every hour or so he would jolt awake and say,
"i'm fine, i'm getting up soon."
then fall back to sleep.
poor guy.

i am completely exhausted!
and i thought the hotel would be like a spa, but i didn't sleep a wink.

what's your sunday confession?
the confessional is open.

*update* - k sick now.

playaway

i stumbled upon these
at our local library.

http://www.playaway.com/

pre-loaded digital audio books!
just check them out,
plug in your earbuds,
and listen!

they are great for car rides.

the kids are hooked,
hard.

go try 'em out!
you won't be disappointed.

slim jims

i bought mm some slim jims
the other day.

"i got you some slim jims."
"yeah, i saw those, i like beef jerky better."

"there's a difference?"
"yeah."

"you ate them in college!"
"i know, i just like beef jerky better."

whatever.
so i ate them.
all 16 of them.
hey, i'm no meat snack snob.

sunday confession

i didn't blog about it the first time it happened.
or the second time.
or the third time.

but after the fourth time,
i've got to confess.

i go upstairs,
get out a pot or pan,
put it on the stove,
turn on the gas,
start heating water
or butter.

put the pasta in for spaghetti,
or the bread for grilled cheese.

then i - walk away.
to get something,
or put something away.

then i get sidetracked.
and then i start thinking,
"i should really get dinner ready,
hmm, what should we have?
i know, we'll have mac and cheese."

so i walk into the kitchen,
see that dinner is already started,
and i'm really surprised because,
i can't remember at all!

i'm slowly losing it folks.

what's your sunday confession?
the confessional is open.

give peace a chance

m is obsessed with peace signs.
well, they are everywhere,
it's kind of hard not to be.

she has peace signs on
every article of clothing,
even leotards,
every school supply,
even pencils,
they are all over her room,
and the whole house!

so i was making conversation with the
(insert popular girls' clothing store here)
clerk as i was checking out,
with yet another peace sign item,
"oh man, i can't wait until peace signs go out of style."

she stared at me like i had fourteen heads,
"how could you say that?  i would hope that peace will never be out of style!"

dang hippies.

v-day trash pickin'

it's valentine's day.
obviously a perfect day for spying
a dresser on the curb
and bringing it home.

a 1940s art deco dresser,
with the mirror, (!)
just like my grandparents had in their guest room
when i was a little girl.

so i loaded it up.
even though we have no room for it.
and it's pretty beat up.
oh and, mm hates old furniture.
a lot.

but there are dovetails, (!)
and the knobs are gorgeous.

will we keep it?
stay tuned...

happy valentine's!
hope you get loads of chocolate - tomorrow!

shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen, and wrong.

"m says my hair is turning brown."
k said this morning.

"yes, it does look a little darker,
but i'm sure it will lighten up again
this summer."
i said.

"NNNNNOOOOOO!!!!!"
she shouted.

"what are you shouting about?"
"i want brown hair!"
"but why?  your blonde hair is so pretty!"

"m's hair is brown,
g's hair is brown,
daddy's hair is brown,
YOUR hair is brown,
and THEN I GET STUCK WITH THIS!!!"
she points at her head.

oh good lord.

another puke post

list of foods i will not eat because
i've puked them up...

mushrooms
orange juice
cinnamon gum -
(it's a schnapps thing, don't ask)
angel hair pasta
pad thai

g came home from school yesterday,
"mom, my stomach hurts."

"oh, eat dinner you'll feel better."
denial.

"no, it really hurts."

"maybe go to the bathroom?"
more denial.

needless to say,
he didn't eat.
but he did start puking.
every hour.
all.night.long.

i don't do puke.
i won't be holding your hair.
i'll be at the door asking if you are okay.
from afar.

i felt so bad for him,
i didn't even get that upset that he
couldn't hit the trash can by his bed
to.save.his.life.

so we put down bath mats and towels,
changed sheets every hour.
washed sheets every hour.
around 3am he realized he wasn't going to school.
that made him smile.
a little.

anyhow, point of the story?
there is one, i think?
oh yeah,
i won't be eating hot dogs again anytime soon.
and i don't think g will either.

sunday confession

sunday confession -
superbowl edition...

sometime in the fourth quarter,
as green bay scored the last points,
mm realized -
if pittsburgh scored a touchdown -
he would acquire $1000.

but then the steelers would win...

i have never seen him so conflicted in his life.

what's your sunday confession?
the confessional is open.

slow day

today i refilled all
of the soap dispensers
in our house.

the end.

the pj 500

well, as you have no doubtly noticed,
(is doubtly a word?)
i've been dragging my feet with the whole 500 thing.
part of me doesn't believe i've actually written 500 posts.
that nobody has read!
ha.

i've come a long way since i started,
i don't wear my pajamas in public anymore.
very often.
ahem.

my kids are older now,
they can do things for themselves.
not everything,
but enough.

i have to admit,
i started slacking.
not teaching as much,
figuring they have heard it before.
they already know the rules.
so i relaxed.
a lot.
probably too much, truth be told.

i've read some books,
i've knitted,
i've took some time for myself,
because i convinced myself i deserved it,
and i do!

but not quite yet.
they aren't completely independent yet.
they still need me.
i still have a lot to teach them.

so tell me -
what did you like about the last 500 posts?
de-lurk yourselves!
let me know which direction to head for the next 500.
because i'm clearly slacking.
but i still feel like i have a lot to say.
maybe i can say it in my blue jeans?