How perfect

Dylan's on day 3 of a nasty stomach virus, while I'm still trying to work. While I was drinking heavily to unwind, this cartoon showed up in my email. Perfect.

Traveling and getting yelled at

I haven't posted in several days -- I've been in San Francisco for work this week. It's hard leaving the kids, but I have to admit I really enjoyed having "me time" in a nice big hotel room. And the kids always behave perfectly for Brian whenever I leave. I guess that's good -- helps alleviate some of the mommy guilt.

I took the redeye home Thursday night and arrived Friday morning during a snow storm. Then I stood in a snowy taxi line that was about 30 people long, without a single cab to be seen. And that's when I got yelled at by grown men.

A cab driver finally showed up and asked for people going to Hoboken, which is right by us. So another woman and I got to bypass the line to get in the cab. Well, then the dispatch guy starts yelling at the driver saying he has to take people at the front of the line. Meanwhile, 3-4 men at the front of the line started yelling at me saying I cut in line, it wasn't fair, I had to wait my turn. They sounded like they were in first grade. ("But it's my turn on the slide, I was here fiiiiirst!")

So they wouldn't let us get in the cab. The driver drove away empty while we had to return to the line! Most people in the line were on our side -- ridiculous to send a cab away empty when that many people were waiting in the snow.

But, we got some redemption. The driver snuck into the bus lane so we could get in his cab without technically cutting to the front of the taxi line. So we got to smile and wave at the people who yelled at us and who were still standing in the snow. Ha! The whole scene was quite amusing.

And this was after my taxi to the airport a few days earlier got pulled over because it was a stolen car. At least it wasn't a boring trip.

Saturday night ... sigh

Brian and I had a great date night planned tonight. His sister, Betsy, came over to babysit and we were going to dinner and a show. We had tickets to see Avenue Q, a Broadway show that keeps getting amazing reviews. Earlier today Dylan threw up but we were in denial that he was sick. Kept telling ourselves he just ate too much or got jiggled too much. (Sidenote: we were at Baby Boogie, the dance club for kids, when Brian lifted Dylan up in the air above his head and Dylan puked all over him. I hate to say it, but it was hilarious! Looked like something on a sitcom.)

Anyway, it's rare that we have a date night, let alone one with non-refundable tickets, so we hoped for the best and went. At dinner I started to feel queasy and could barely eat, which just served to fill me with guilt that we had clearly left our sick child. Then Betsy called ... he had thrown up twice already.

So, here we are. At home. Missing the show. In the hour that we've been home, he has thrown up an additional two times, once ALL OVER me. Gross. Now he's asleep, so I hope the worst is behind us. But this is definitely not the way we had hoped to spend our Saturday night.

Damn babies.

Kelsie-isms

Kelsie says some funny things. Brian's convinced she has impeccable comedic timing and will be doing stand-up at her school talent show. I don't know about all that, but I have been keeping a mental list of some of her better lines. Enjoy:

* After being quiet in the back seat for a while: "(sigh) That was hard work getting all those boogers out."

* After I told her I had to finish what I was doing before I could get her a drink: "Mommy, I'm going to count to three, and then I want some milk. Okay?"

* After Brian asked if he could have one of her chips: "Yes you may, if you're good."

* While holding a balloon between her knees and standing in front of a room full of our friends: "Hey everybody! Look at my vagina!" (pronounced, "Hey errybody. Look at my bagina.") Apparently she was pretending that the balloon was her you-know-what and thought we should all see it.

* "I'm gonna be a mommy because I can cook." Not sure where she learned that logic. I sure as hell haven't set that example!

* Through tears: "I wanna see the Statue of Liberty! I wanna see the Statue of Libertyyyyyyyy." (We have yet to take her to the Statue of Liberty, so I have no idea where that came from, but it was a major tantrum. A sure sign that she is adapting to our new hometown.)

* On a related note, and through even more tears: "I wanna go to LSUuuuu. I wanna go to LSU right nowwwwwwwwww!" A tantrum has never made me so proud.

* "Mommy, your booty is bigger than daddy's." (no comment)

* Overheard from the next room: "Look Dylan, see my booty crack? It's pink!" (We're working on the whole exhibitionist thing. Not much luck so far.)

I'm sure I'll think of more and will update this.

Health care wishes

Baby, it's cold outside - part 2

Brrrrrr. Okay, it's freakin' cold. Even to people used to this kind of weather. Monday was 12 degrees. Yesterday it warmed up to low 20s and snowed. I had my first snow-driving experience in our little Jetta (that Kelsie has inexplicably named Tico), which felt a little more like sledding but with seat warmers. It took me over an hour to pick up the kids, which usually takes about 30 minutes. Traffic was crawling because of the slick roads and an accident in front of Kelsie's school. The pedestrians here are so rude -- they just walk right in front of you with no regard to right of way -- and the snow didn't stop them. I almost skidded into a couple of them, which might have served them right. (I wasn't going fast enough to really hurt them, but a little bumper tap to the knee might have taught them a good lesson.)

Today it's in the low 40s and raining, turning the snow into a lovely slush and prompting flooding warnings. Here's our backyard. Notice it was too cold to actually open the door for the picture. (And yes, the backyard needs a lot of cosmetic work -- it will be beautiful come summer.)



And these pics are actually from December, but just pretend they're from yesterday:

Snow bunny

Boy in the bubble!

Baby, it's cold outside

Do you remember that scene from A Christmas Story when the kid is so bundled up that he can't move his arms and can't get up when he falls?


Welcome to life in the northeast, kid.

So much for writing every day

I knew I wouldn't keep up that schedule, but it was a worthwhile goal. So, once or twice a week might be more realistic. I think we're almost back to normal after the family trip to SF. Dylan is growing like a weed and starting to pull himself up to standing. Kelsie is becoming more like Brian every day. Yesterday she was making fart noises with her mouth and saying "if you spit, it sounds like a toot!" So I told her that wasn't a nice way to talk and she paused for a minute and then with a mischievous smile said, "but it's funny!" And I got outnumbered because Dylan laughed hysterically everytime she made the fart noise. I'm screwed.

So, as you can see, not much new is going on here. But I did see this interesting tidbit about something new in Mississippi. They are trying to pass a law to ban restaurants from serving obese people! Can you imagine? All the restaurants in MS will go out of business! (okay, that last part was mean, but c'mon). I'm not making this up: http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/01/no-fat-people-allowed-only-slim-will-be.html

And here is a totally unrelated picture that I'm pasting in solely because I think these posts are more interesting when they include a picture.