"Single" Muma

Its off to Vegas for Bill...lucky schmuck. He left Wednesday morning, not to return until Sunday eve. When Da is gone, we fill our time as much as possible - like filling a very real hole in our existance. Nix and Rea do much better now than they used to, so it makes my life that much easier, but I realised today that they really do understand when he isn't around.

We were leaving to go to the gym, and thankfully Bill had taken my little car to the airport and left us the Tahoe. When the garage door opened, Reaghan pointed at the Tahoe and said "Da-Dee" and clapped her hands. My heart sank, "No honey, daddy isn't home. Daddy won't be home until Sunday." I held up three fingers, "Thats one, two, three more days until daddy is home." She gave me the same look that she gives me when I try to explain astrophysics, as if to say "whatever" and wandered out into the garage to check out some toys we keep in there. My take was that she understood that Da isn't here, but that she also understands that it is a temporary situation. Still, it kinda breaks my heart just a little when they expect to see him and he isn't there.

On an up note, I had my very wonderful sitter tonight so that I could get out for some sanity time! I have been "grooming" Bill's 15 year old cousin Lauren for a while now, and she has just recently started actually doing the double duty bedtime on her own! I can't stress enough how valuable it is to have someone you fully trust to "baby wrangle". I left the house an hour before bedtime and went out for a little Thai dinner with a magazine before meeting up with some gal pals at Dinner Thyme to make up some yummy food to stock the freezer with. We had a wonderful time, and I came home to find nothing amiss and Lauren's report that they went down just fine. Just a wonderful eve all around!

Fowl Stalkers

First let me apologize to the masses for my long term hiatus from blogging. I was just whooped every evening this past week...I think it had alot to do with the weather. All I wanted to do after dinner is ride the magic sofa and watch Without A Trace. We had about 14 episodes on the DVR, so there was plenty of Pop Secret apoppin' every night (love the 94% Fat Free Kettle Corn).

On Saturday Bill had the fantastic idea about taking the babes out for breakfast at the Diner. I was a bit hesitant since they have showed little interest in breakfast as of late, but figured they were so used to the Diner (we are there almost every Friday night) that even if they didn't eat they would just kinda hang out. Nope. All they did was throw food and whine to get down from their seats...so much for breakfast out.

The real fun began when we got home. We had pulled into the driveway and started unloading the babes when we heard a commotion out on Lilley. Cars were stopped in both directions for a "herd" of ducks crossing the road. The ducks crossed our neighbors yard and stopped when they saw us. Nixon and Reaghan were absolutely frozen in their wonderment. I ran inside and got a bunch of bread and they both giggled and clapped as we threw bread to the ducks. When the bread was gone we went inside through the garage door.

About ten minutes later Bill opened the garage door to take out the trash - lo and behold the herd was parked in the garage. All the ducks were sitting there waiting by the door into the house for more food! He closed the door in a hurry.

B - "No way. The ducks are out there."

C - "Wadda you mean...they're still in the yard?"

B - "No...they are in the garage."

C - "No way." I went over and opened the door and this is what I was confronted with:

Not one to let an opportunity like this go without making it much worse, I had the bright idea of feeding them more bread in the garage.
Let me tell you one thing about ducks...they eat, they poop. Period. Then the kids got involved and scared the crap (literally) out of them.

When it was all said and done, Bill had to hose out the garage.

Between the ducks, two babes, two cats, and a dog I think we've had just about all the sh*t we can deal with around here for a while...

Hasta La Vista, Baby.

Ah Mexico. Land of the Tequila shot and Mariachi band. A haven in which exhausted parents can unwind and unhinge.


A land in which no one knows your name, and as long as you have pesos nobody really cares...



What happens in Mexico...stays in Mexico.



Yeah, right. Like I could deny all of you the juicy details!!

So we landed on time in the mid afternoon heat. The hotel was close, and so was the bar. After a quick change our travel companions met us at the bar where we began the process of drowning our "new Parent" sorrows in margaritas, cervezas, and tequila shots. We were traveling with some friends of ours who had a new baby in the last year, so it was all about the rest and relaxation. No planned excursions, no plans whatsoever.

Well, pretty much no plans. "The Plan" consisted of the gals having spa treatments the morning after our arrival, and after that anything goes. A play by play is really unnessary...highlights would be better:

• Rolling around in the tidal waves at night with a bottle of champagne and giggling like a couple of thirteen year olds (the gals).
  
• Watching football and Nascar on the screens at the No Name Cafe (the guys). (Note - IN MEXICO! They couldn't let it go even for a weekend!)


• Dancing with a wedding party at Le Kliff (that would be me) and having the locals teach me how to move my caderas (hips in espaniol).
  
• The oceanside massage while the guys slept it off (lightweights).


• The Tequila and Wine Bar (sorry don't remember the name...imagine that)


• Traveling with good friends.

Strangers in a Strange Land

Please tell me I wasn't the only one totally unprepared for the change of seasons.

I was rushing to hit my 9:15 spinning class and herded the kids out the door in just jeans, long sleeves, and a sweatshirt. It didn't seem that bad just dashing into the car, but on the long trek through the parking lot at the gym with the snow flying and the wind blowing full force I realised that I looked like a totally moronic mommy. At the daycare center all of the kids I saw had their hats, scarves, and winter coats on...geesh I feel like a dolt.

Beyond my own mistakes in preparing for the snow flurries, the kids were totally fascinated. While on the way to the car they both slowed way down and just kinda looked around in amazement. It dawned on me that even though this wasn't their "official" first snow, this was the first one they could appreciate. As I strapped Nixon into his car seat, Reaghan just stood there by the car repeatedly touching her nose - I think the snow was tickling it and she was confused as to what it meant. As we headed off down the road Nixon was laughing and clapping at the flakes whirling past the car window. Later, back at home and getting ready for nap, Reaghan was smacking their bedroom window as if she was trying to catch the snowflakes as they blew up against the glass.

Over my cup of tea during their naptime I thought about all of the things that they will experiance in the near future; first time playing in the snow, first time "helping" to decorate the tree, first turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. It makes me really want to try to slow it all down...to savor every last sweet morsel of their toddlerhood. This phase is clipping by so fast, every day they are up to something new. Reaghan finally learned how to jump, Nixon not only identified his nose, but crammed his finger up into it to make a point. They both point at the bear in their book and say "Teddy". Reaghan puts my beaded necklaces around her neck and "combs" her hair. Nixon throws a ball overhand.

Please tell me I'm not the only one totally unprepared for the change of seasons...

If we don't take a wrong turn at Albuquerque...

We're heading to Mexico this Thursday (WOO HOO) and we'll be back the following Tuesday. Until then, please feel free to post any comments, insightful or otherwise, about what you would like to see or hear about in the near future.

Biker Babes

We took the kiddos to the first (of many) "biker" events that they will be subjected to until they are old enough to move out, or complain loud enough to hear over the pipes. It was the 11th Annual Great Lakes Regional Chili Cook Off and Bike Show in downtown Plymouth. It was a perfect fall day with plenty of sunshine and warm enough to go without coats. The kids had a blast looking at all of the bikes, eating elephant ears, and dancing to the band in the park. Bill entered his project bike into the show and, although he didn't win, there were several people buzzing about and taking pics of it. The day was a huge success and we capped it all off with a trip to our favorite Diner for dinner. We will be sure to hit the event again next year!