Perseverance

"Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist
but the ability to start over."
~F. Scott Fitzgerald

I witnessed a perseverance in Elisan that I've never seen in myself. She must get that from her dad. Truth be told, she is much like her dad, when it comes to perseverance.

Elisan finally learned how to swim. It was not by the help of anyone, other than herself. And the only way she learned was by trying over and over and over (and over and over and over) again. Literally.

Until finally, she looked up and said, "Mommy, watch me (for the 100th time) I'm swimming!"

And what do you know, she was.

My heart was bursting with joy, because I saw a quality in my child, that I do not possess, but often times wish I did.

Watch Elisan swim here!

There's a reason why...

I've finally figured out the beauty of playdates and the reason why the exist!

Elisan had her very first playdate at our house today with a neighborhood friend.

And get this... It was pure bliss!

It was 3 hours of straight, uninterrupted, non-disputing play! I even had to check on them a few times to make sure they were still alive, because they were so quiet.

And... And... they even included Kyla Mae in their play, which before, has been an issue at the playground, etc.

Hello? Is this the dirty little secret of mom's everywhere?

And why am I the last to know about it?

I always considered the thought of having another child destroying the house as a... hmmm, I don't know... a burden? Yes?

But, no! It's the exact opposite! It was bliss! Pure bliss, I tell you!

I've invited her over again for next week because there's some stuff that just ain't getting done otherwise...

It's fun when Daddy's not here!

That's what Elisan said today.

Shocking!

Let's see... they get to stay up late, since it's just us girls.

They get to eat a chocolate (Nutella) sandwich for lunch and dinner, since I don't cook while Randy is gone.

They get to go fun places and do fun things, since I am trying to wear them out so they'll be too tired to fight.

They get to take long luxurious baths in my tub, since I am grabbing a shower at the same time.

They get to rent a DVD from the video store, since I need at least 75 minutes of quiet.

And finally, they get to live in a not-so-spotless-home, since I put the cleaning on hold until Randy returns.

So, yes... perhaps it is fun when Daddy is not here, and not just for them, but for me too!

Sweet Little Bedtime Prayer

Last night, Elisan prayed for Daddy, that while he is on his business trip...

"...he won't get the poops while he is away."

It took everything I had to not bust out laughing!

(Read about the poops here!)

Dignity

I think I lost my dignity this weekend.

I bought a pair of roller blades last week, because we're getting Elisan some roller blades for her upcoming birthday. I figure, she'd be more apt to learn, if she saw that Mommy and Daddy could both roller blade.

So, this weekend, we all gear up on our wheels and we take to the streets.

Well, back up... they take to the streets... I am lying in the grass because I fell getting off of the driveway.

So, with some assistance from Randy, I make it to the street. Once there, I'm waving my arms like a mad-woman trying to maintain balance. Randy gives me few basic pointers and I begin to skate. I'm doing pretty good for a beginner and then I try to stop.

Let me just say, that I'm an 80's girl, and when I skated as a kid, the brakes were on the front of the skate. So, what'd I do? I didn't stop! Unless you consider hitting the pavement, as stopping.

So, shortly thereafter, we called it a day. We tried again on Sunday, and this time I did a little better, but I created my own stopping style, by doing a little turn. Its working for now.

It bugs me that I can't roller blade, because I was a great skater at one time. That was like 20 years ago, though. But, this roller blading thing... wow, it's really hard.

And, I'm sore. Now, that's pathetic!

Called Out

I've been called out by my husband!

Randy has been complaining about my alleged snoring as of late, and truthfully, if anyone has any room to complain, it is me, me, me! Randy sometimes snores so loud, I don't know how he doesn't wake himself up with his own noise... but, that's not the topic of today's discussion.

Today's topic is about my snoring.

Yesterday, after the alarm went off, and we were lying in bed, Randy began fumbling around with his phone. The next thing I know, he puts it to my ear and I hear this awful snoring!

My husband recorded my snoring on his cell phone.

The nerve! How dare he knock me down from my "I DO NOT SNORE" pedestal!

So, now, I must finally come clean with the fact that -gasp- I snore.

Oh, the shame of it all.

A Moment of Silence

I am a genius!

I had a moment of silence yesterday and I just had to share it with the world!

Yesterday, Elisan was particularly chatty. Okay, really... everyday she is particularly chatty, but I needed to get some work done and I couldn't concentrate for all of the questions and commentary.

So? What'd I do? I put her mouth in time-out!

And you know what? It WORKED!

I told her she could play, but for five minutes she could not talk! Again, let me reiterate... it WORKED! Hello, I'm a genius!

Feel free to re-create my genius in your own home!

Who are you?

Have you ever had one of those moments when you look at your child and say,

"Who are you?"

I have those moments often. Especially now, that Elisan is almost five. The things that come out of her mouth amaze me - and sometimes not in a good way.

But mostly, it's the stuff that she does that is so far reaching from my personality (or Randy's) that it makes me wonder where she gets this stuff.

For example, Elisan never meets a stranger. Me, however? I'm slowly coming out of my shell - at 33! Randy? To him, everyone is a stranger - sometimes even his own family!

Elisan talks incessantly. I talk A LOT, but not nearly the amount as Elisan talks. Randy never talks. Which kind of makes things hard, when you have an incessant talker, an average women talker, a newly talking talker and a no talker in the house.

That brings me to KM. She is our newest talker and boy, is she LOUD! I mean, for such a petite little girl, she can definitely get your attention. Perhaps she is having to compete with the incessant talker. Yes?

I can safely say that KM is not like Randy or me in the "loud" department.

And yet, there are so many ways in which our kids favor us, mimick us, and carry out our traits. But, I'm glad that I often pause and say to myself (or even outloud), "Who are you?" because it reminds me that they are not clones of Randy and me (thank God!), but unique little beings, in and of themselves!

The Trade Off

I've HAD IT!

I've HAD it with my car! It's small, we're cramped and the glove compartment rivals the trunk in storage capacity!

Over the 4th of July holiday, I began my campaign for a new vehicle. And, when I say campaign, I should really say tirade, because it was not pretty. I'll admit it.

But, I needed to get my point across to my husband, who is a self-proclaimed tight-wad. So, I lobbied hard for a new vehicle. But, it wasn't working, because he had just bought a new truck last year that was designated as our "family vehicle" and we had just spent a bucket load of cash tuning up the (ever reliable) BMW, plus, not to mention new tires all around.

Then, he had a light bulb moment! He decided, rather than trade in my car, he'd trade in his (almost) brand new truck for ME (that's right, folks! FOR ME!!!) a new SUV.

His Saturday was spent going from dealership to dealership. I was not there, because I was on the road traveling back from our hometown. And truthfully, the way Randy car deals... I wouldn't want to be there anyway! He's totally hard-core!

So, anyway... our first choice was a TOYOTAL FJ CRUISER. Well, if you live in Austin, then forget it, because there is a 6 month long waiting list!

After test driving several vehicles, my husband settled on a Nissan Xterra. The dealer give him a great deal! They are in the office, doing the dealership song n' dance, when it comes down to the trade in. The dealer offered my husband only $12K for the truck he paid over $20K for last year. And, it only has a little over 10K miles on it!

Um, what? Tell me you are kidding, right?

So, he walked. And one thing I know for sure... when Randy walks out, he ain't coming back! He is done with you, you miserable car dealers!

So, no new SUV for me. But, I did finally cool off enough to come up with a nice trade off, for the lack of a trade in.

I told my husband that I'd hang on to the car for another year and in that compromise, I promised not to complain relentlessly about how small the car is, or how cramped we are, or how I can't even fit the groceries in the trunk, or how the a/c just doesn't cool enough anymore. I mean, don't get me wrong, I will be thinking it, I just won't be saying it outloud - unless you count low mumblings... and then it will be so quiet only I will get the satisfaction from it.

So, there... that's my trade off.

I'm already shopping around for my next vehicle. I think I'm going to pass on the FJ Cruiser. I don't know if I can get with the gun-slit windows and the suicide doors.

Oh! The Pressure!

So, for those that know me, know that I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I've been getting better.

I've got a church dinner club party on Friday, a church team party on Sunday (at our home!) and a lunch with two church friends (here!) on Tuesday.

For someone like me... that's pressure!

The last few dinner club meetings I've attended, I've brought excellent side dishes and three, count them, 1-2-3, fresh homemade dips and salsas! I so totally rocked on this one! But, for this one...I'm blank. I can't repeat what I made the other times, but they were sooooo good, that I kind of want to take the low-road and duplicate my genius!

Okay, so the team member party here at the house will be a lot of fun, IF, I can keep myself from fretting over everything. That, in and of itself, will be a challenge. I figure, if only the downstairs is clean, that will be good enough. Everyone is bringing a snack to share, so the food will be handled by the group. Drinks - no brainer... Soda all around!! But, I just know I will clean, clean, clean until the minute they walk in the door, so I'll be so totally exhausted! Oh, the joy of hosting!

The lunch - well, it's a working lunch to brainstorm ideas. Shouldn't be too stressful, but I'm preparing the meal. I'm planning on doing this yummy light pasta salad, but it has every veggie imaginable. Okay, well maybe not every vegetable imaginable, but close. One of my biggest pet peeves is making something and seeing the people who are eating it, pick out the items they don't like - like olives, onions, tomatoes, etc. Okay, so the pet peeve is not really with them, it is with me, because I didn't make a dish that everyone RAVED about. Oh, the horror!

As I'm sitting her making my grocery list, I know I've got nothing in my mind that will blow everyone away. So, if you are reading and have a 'blow-them-away' recipe, please share. But, it has to be a SIDE DISH for Friday and a LITE LUNCH IDEA for Tuesday.

Okay! So, I'll be waiting, but I only have until 9:00 a.m. TODAY before I head out to the grocery store! Thanks!

Adventures without a babysitter!

Over two weeks ago, Randy came home and said, "Hun, we're going out! The company is rewarding my team for work that we accomplished and they are treating my crew (and one guest) to dinner."

Okay, first of all... Randy's company spending frivolous money? Is the sky falling? Second, spending frivolous money on guests? The sky is falling!

So, I get busy working on getting a babysitter, because this is truly a monumental event to be included on a business dinner/reward thingy/spouses invited/at a fancy resturant.

I send out one email - get rejected. Second email, rejected. Third email, rejected again! It is soon becoming comical.... Fourth email, rejected. I think I sent out a total of 7 emails to some of the teenagers from church and NUTHIN'! Not one person could babysit for us - on a Monday night, no less!

It wasn't like I was trying to set up a babysitter for New Year's Eve, the day of... it was for a Monday night! Argh!

So...the gist? I didn't get to go. But, Randy promised me that he'd take me out on another night, once I could scare up a babysitter!

Meanwhile, Randy rolls in around 11:00 p.m. from his dinner. He has learned not to gloat about the yummy food that he has had, unless he is asked...which I did, because I have to be able to "gauge" the amount of food he ate, to the amount of money that was spent so that he can make it up to me.

I mean, what's the point, if I cannot go to an equally yummy/expensive resturant as he did?

What? What was that? Am I keeping score, you ask?

Ummmm, yeah, you're darn tootin' I am! I'm totally immature that way.

And I wonder why Randy calls me "spoiled" sometimes!

Road Rash

As I type, I am resisting the urge to scratch my skin into shredded bits! I've got a rash and it is driving me nuts!

While I was on the road to pick up Elisan from her grandparent's house, it seemed as if my mild skin irritation, turned into a wild flaming rash all over my body! Only my face is spared!

What I thought was a chlorine rash, has turned out to be something more. It turns out, I am allergic to amoxicillin - which is odd, because I have never been allergic to this particular antibiotic before.

I looked amoxicillin up on the internet and found out that a potential side-effect was "rash". Of course, "rash" can also be found under aspirin and tylenol. It didn't describe rash as "the most irritating skin condition known to man", but just simply as "rash". What does that mean?

Meanwhile, I am still trying not to scratch...ooops, I just did!

I'm going to the dr. today, so hopefully by the end of the week, I won't scare away women and children with my hideous-ness!

Deprogramming

Oh, you know what I mean by "Deprogramming." It's when your kid has had waaaay to much time with the grandparents and needs to be deprogrammed from the candy high and bleary television eyes.

So, was the week long haitus from Elisan - oooops, did I just say that? I meant to say... was the week long vacation for Elisan worth it in the end, if the next two weeks will be spent deprogramming my girl?

We'll see. In the end, it was a quiet week for us. I think KM loved having our undivided attentions and totally used that to her advantage. She may only be two, but she's a smart one, that's for sure. In fact, it may be KM that needs to be de-programmed once Elisan returns.

As for me? I'll be honest... it's been nice not having the fussing, fighting, whining and complaining that comes from having both girls here. But, it's just not the same without my big girl home.

I miss her and can't wait for the chaos to begin again!