A Salute to Summer 2011

All good things must come to an end, including summer vacation. This was a busy, but very fun summer. I'm writing this post as I wait for the laundry to finish, so I can go to bed for the night. So, in lieu of a real post, I'm going to hit the highlights in bullet-point style:

• Grand Assembly 2011-In 2010, I brought four girls and everyone (including me) worried that Norman Rainbow Assembly #18 was at an end. This year, I brought 10 girls and will likely have even more next year. This time, I had more adults to help, more girls to participate, and well, my daughter had several solos that made me cry. It was a good time!
• Cousins' Trip to Dallas: We celebrated Elisa and Kassidy's birthday's at American Girl Place. It was fun. It was such a quick trip though, that I didn't even visit IKEA. (But it's OK, I would get there before the end of the summer.)
• My turn to be "Martha": Growing up, I attended a Camp Fire Girls' Day Camp every year from the time I was a new camper at 7 years-old until the last year the camp was open when I was 20 years-old. For most of those years, it was run by an awesome lady named Martha. This year, I got to run the Harn Day Camp myself. I felt just like Miss M, without the crazy straw hats. I guess there's always next year...
• CCOC Kids' Camp 2011: THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE-I still get tears in my eyes when I think about how awesome it was to have all three kids performing together. I've said it all summer, but this year was something special above and beyond the great things those kids usually do and I'm glad I didn't miss a minute of it. This was likely the best thing about our summer.
• Fourth of July 2011: We were under a burn ban and had just a handful of harmless sparklers instead of our usual homemade firework fest, but it was still awesome to have everyone here. I LOVE that the party always includes not only my parents, my grandmother, my sisters, and my nieces and nephews; but also my sister's ex-husband, his wife, her kids, and their new baby. It may seem dysfunctional to others; but it wouldn't be the same party without them. And my oldest niece's boyfriend joined us this year too. Good times!
• Conclave 2011: It's not just me who has come back to the lodge, there are a lot of us who have returned with our kids and to see if we can't get our adult leaders to finally ease up a bit, take a break, and let us take some of the burden from them. (So far, it's not going all that well.) It was so much fun to take the girls to Eskimo Joe's, to the dance, and to sit around eating pizza and laughing about the good old days with a lot of the people I experienced them with-even if we are starting to look and sound a lot like the old leaders we used to laugh at and still seem to be taking orders from. Good times!
• Seattle 2011: When the annual girlfriends' getaway was slated for the Oregon Coast, I saw an opportunity to visit my Seattle family too. I took Natalie for a promised visit to my cousin Eric and snuck little Caroline along for the ride too. I spent a few days showing my girls all the things I loved about my summer visits there and a few days with some of the best women I will ever know at a lovely house on the Oregon Coast. The best of both worlds! To top it off, my cousin's wife is expecting a baby and they may have Natalie come and stay with them next summer to help with some babysitting. She will be the same age I was when I spent the summer in Seattle as a nanny to my Cousin Megan-Eric's little sister. I can't think of a more beautiful circle than that. It was a lovely trip.
• Girlie Road Trip to Dallas: This was my most recent adventure, an all-too-brief visit to see Lanie and her new little man in Dallas with Chris and Vickie. I'm excited that Lanie's PhD got her such a good job in Dallas, even though I miss her. Somehow, it was comforting to see that it is only 2.5 hours from her front porch to mine. I hope we are able to go again soon. And yes, this time I got my IKEA fix.

I'm sure there is more here that I am forgetting, but my clothes are clean and ready for work tomorrow. And I need to get some sleep so I will be too. Good night! And I hope everyone had a great summer too!

On Taking Ownership...

I went to my annual girlfriends' getaway this weekend. I knew almost immediately in the planning stages that my timeline there wouldn't be as long as most of the other's, because I wanted to fly in and out of Seattle rather than Portland and visit with my family too.  Rather than apologize for not doing things the way everyone else way, I simply did things the way they were most convenient for me. (OK, I did apologize about leaving early, but only because I was genuinely sorry to have to go.) While at the getaway, a few of us wanted to walk through a rock tunnel. I wanted to do that too, but then everyone wanted to walk down a particularly rocky stretch of the beach as the tide drew closer and closer to the shore, and I didn't. I had done it the day before and didn't care to repeat that hike. At first, I followed them because that's what I do. Then, I realized that I didn't WANT to, and stopped walking. While they explored, I sat on a large piece of driftwood and took some great pictures. And I didn't walk away from that feeling frustrated because yet again I had ignored my own free will and followed the herd in order to please them. I walked away happy because I had done things exactly the way I wanted to and on my own terms. Granted, I knew I was in a very safe environment to exercise my right to do my own thing, but it still felt good to do it.

I'm almost 40. If I'm going to start living my life on my own terms rather than fall back into the vicious cycle of people pleasing, it's now or never. The close of our girlfriends' trip usually culminates with some kind of fireside circle. I didn't get to be a part of that this year (ironically due to my early departure), but if I had; this is what I would have resolved for the coming year:

1. Blogging, working, and living without fear of reprisal. I mean, I've had the worst happen to me in each scenario and life went on each time. It's time to stop doing any of those activities with worry of 'what will happen if...' and to just keep moving forward and being me without letting what other's might think hold me back.
2. Finding balance in all of the roles that I play (and LOVE) in my life, keeping in mind that my family comes first.
3. Doing a better of job of letting my home reflect who I really am. And giving myself permission to take as long as I need to do this.
4. Embracing those things in life that I'm passionate about which for me are visiting new places, nurturing the good relationships in my life, moving on from the bad ones, reading good books, and learning new things.

It's a start, right?

Thirteen Good Things

I've always enjoyed writing the detailed travelogues I post after each trip, but today is as busy as ever and this weekend will be too. So, to make a long story short, I'm going to post 13 writing prompts for use at a later date about all the things I loved while traveling:

• All the 'full circle' moments: Watching Wall Street 2 with my cousin with whom I also watched the first one, talking about Natalie coming next summer to help take care of my cousin's expected baby just as I took care of my new cousin when she was little, watching my uncle and aunt dote on my girls as they once doted on me, driving the Oregon Coast in GranD's Caddy...
• Aunt Deb feeling SO much better after back surgery 3 years ago
• The weather!! Never hotter than the mid-70's and sunny for the whole trip. What a lovely break from the land of triple digits.
• The two-hour time change
• Pike's Market!
• Crab legs, clam chowder, oysters, salmon, and all of the other things that just don't taste the same here.
• Local restaurants instead of chains
• Emily's texts (and her impeccable timing)
• All the instant karma that seemed to flow so freely last weekend
• NO CELL/INTERNET service in Oceanside, OR (and I mean that in a good way-no one could bug me on vacation)
• 4 mile walks on the beach
• Marionberries
• Good times with good friends

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Vacation Edition

Vacationing

So, it turns out that the latter prediction proved true. We are having too much fun for me to sit down and write about it. Highlights include: Pike's Market (twice so far!), the EMP, all of the fresh oysters, crab, salmon, and shrimp I can eat (sorry Chris-I know none of that is your favorite), taking the girls to "a fancy lunch" at Columbia Tower, sleeping "in" until 8:00 am which is really 10 am Oklahoma time, and lots of time with some of my favorite people.

And, for those of you who have followed this blog with good intent over the years, you will understand how touching it was to me yesterday to have my Aunt Deb call me into her room because she had "a little something" for the girls and I. The "little something"? A small pearl necklace for each of us. I didn't want to scare her by bursting into happy tears. But I really had to fight not to do it.

In many ways, it feels like this blog has come full circle.

We're Outta Here!

I'm sitting at the airport with Natalie and Caroline waiting to board our flight. I am SO READY for this vacation. And so happy to share it with my girls. Let the photo spam and trip reports abound. Seattle here we come!

Week in Review

Reading


Oliver Twist-


I won tickets to a local production of Oliver! earlier this summer. When I discovered I could download the Dickens classic for free, I decided it was worth a re-reading. Especially when you consider I hadn't read it since elementary school. If I ever finish it, it will be our new 'family reading' book. The problem is finding time to read AND getting all of my kids in the same house at the same time. But we will get there. And again, Charles Dickens doesn't disappoint.

Watching


Since 19 Kids and Counting  finished its season, I haven't watched much. I have seen a few episodes of Kate Plus 8 and while she may not be the nicest person on the planet, I know what it's like to be judged harshly by people who never bothered to get to know me and I can't imagine how awful it would be to have my marriage fall apart on national TV. I think the kids did benefit from their time away from the camera, but they seem OK to me now that they are back on the air. I will always be a bit protective of those kiddos because they were born on the same day as Elisa. And while I certainly lack Kate's Type A organization and time management skills, I respect them. And I really don't like the fact that we still live in a world where it's somehow not OK for a woman to know exactly how she wants something to be and sticks to her guns until it's accomplished.

At the Movies


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2-


I saw this last week when it premiered, but Natalie was at Girls' Camp when that happened so I took her to see it this week. (I LOVE that she wanted to see it with me more than anyone else, because who knows how long that will last.) I cried just as much the second time and loved it just as much too. Perhaps during some downtime on my upcoming vacation I will post in more detail now that Blogger has added a 'click to read more' tool so that I don't spoil it for anyone.

Away We Go


An independent film starring Maya Rudolph that barely touched the theatres before it was gone. And I'm not sure why because I absolutely loved it. :) It's about a couple that is looking for the perfect place to raise their first child and I believe Ms. Rudolph was actually pregnant during filming. It also features John Krasiniski, Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels, and some hilarious cameos by Allison Janney (who I adore) and Maggie Gyllenhaal. You should check it out! (And by "you", I mean "Anne.")

On Broadway


Ragtime-


When Natalie was little, the Rosie O'Donnell show featured a song from this "brand new on Broadway" show. Audra McDonald performed it. I knew someday I HAD to see it. I had no idea how sad and powerful it would be, but I enjoyed it. And the costumes were so good they are worth mentioning too-and I usually don't notice anything but the songs when I see a show.

"How to Eat Like a Child..."-


This wasn't really on stage, but it was Tristan's last show for the summer. For the last three weeks of rehearsals he has downplayed how funny he would be and how appropriate his solo was (instead of tears of pride, I had tears from laughing). I feel like an idiot for not taping it. Maybe I can get him to sing an encore. As a reward, he got to go to a movie last night after the show and to Great Wolf Lodge with my mom, my sisters, and their kids this weekend. I hope he's having a great time!

Out and About


My work week was light, so most of my evenings were spent cleaning the house instead of blogging/shopping/or anything otherwise remotely entertaining. Which is why I enjoyed seeing so many of my 4th ward friends even if it was because some of them are moving out of state and had a going away party. :( The Norman Oklahoma stake without Bob and Tracy and their awesome kids? I can't imagine it. :(

And my final thought for the week is this: The best thing about having to speak in church is when you have finished your talk and returned to your seat. Can I get an amen?

I'm off for Seattle and the Oregon Coast with Natalie and Caroline which either means that blogging will be much more frequent because I'm on vacation OR non-existent because I'm having a great time. Or both! Have a great week!

What a Great Weekend!

This week was a very long and trying one. Teaching oneself how to run a museum while already running it is tough. I had to do a lot of phone calls to solicit volunteers, I had to meet with insurance people to discuss our current policy in all its intricacies (when you have historic buildings and artifacts, your coverage is a bit more complicates). I had to teach three days last week. I had to give tours. I had some off-site training. And there was a lot going on the grounds this weekend. Several weeks ago, I had agreed to go with my friends to a play in Tulsa on Saturday; and I just didn't see how I could get away long enough to enjoy it.

My original plan was to spend two nights in Tulsa until my sister beat me to asking mom to watch kids on Friday night. And then, Tristan decided he wanted to audition for a couple of summer musicals and the earliest time available was Saturday at 3:10 which would have us arriving barely in time for dinner once the audition was over and he had been dropped off elsewhere. We were out of most groceries, paper towels, and toilet paper; so I knew I had to make a shopping trip that weekend too. Basically, I felt like life was (as usual) conspiring to make sure I was as stressed out as possible. I knew I couldn't bail on the show because friends had already purchased the tickets for us and we would have to pay for them whether we went or not. By Friday evening, I was shaking my fist at the heavens because nothing was falling into place until all of a sudden it did.

I woke up feeling great at about 7:45 on Saturday morning and was back from the grocery store by 10:30, far ahead of the weekend crowds. My parents dropped my nieces off early at my sister's house and picked my kids up for the night with assurances that Tristan would be on time for his audition. Dave and I drove to Tulsa. We did not have to break up fights. We did not have to stop at bathrooms. I listened to my iPod for the entire drive uninterrupted. We stayed at a nice hotel. We arrived at the perfect time to check-in. We all got cleaned up and met our friends for dinner. Okay, so the walk from the hotel to the restaurant involved walking over a higher bridge than I like to look over the side of, AND it was a few more blocks than I thought. It was still a nice evening spent in good company. And the walk back was even more entertaining-probably because I was the only girl NOT in heels.

We walked back from dinner to the Tulsa PAC and had a perfectly wonderful time laughing at a very inappropriate, very adult, and very fun show. (Avenue Q) Then, Dave, Chris, Sean and I did our best to close down the Daily Grill; but we must be getting old because it was still open when we left. We still had a very good time, though. This morning, I managed to sleep in until 8:30, and because Tristan got a call-back; we were out of Tulsa by 10:30 and I was home doing laundry and dishes for the coming week by 1:30. All in all, I think Dave and I managed 24 hours to ourselves, away from the kids, and having a great time. And all in all, that was all the time we needed.

Week In Review

Reading

Have I read anything this week aside from work emails and grant applications? I'm thinking no. Unfortunately.

Watching

19 Kids and Counting

Can I tell you how happy I was to see Michelle Duggar's big ol' laundry pile?! It's nice to know her house isn't always spotless. I don't remember too many of the details of the episode (except, of course, for what Anna & Josh are having), but I was SO HAPPY to know I'm not the only woman with a huge pile of clothes on her laundry room floor.

Mr. Sunshine

As if I couldn't love it more, they gave James Taylor a cameo! I love this show way too much for it to last more than a season or two.

At the Movies

Just Go with It

I finally got to have a movie night with Deborah! We hadn't done that since she left for Germany even though she's been back in the Sooner State since December. We've managed phone calls and shopping, but we brought 'dinner and a movie' night back last Friday in Bricktown. We loved this movie, though I think it was a little on the long side. It's not going to win any Oscars, but it was a lot of fun to watch. Also, every time I see a movie with the lovely Jennifer Aniston, I want to punch Brad Pitt in his beautiful, 'takes himself too seriously' face. I hope she really is happy. And I'm kind of sorry that he is. Because that's the kind of gal I am.

Out and About

Relief Society Birthday Dinner

See? Sometimes I'm social at church. I could have lived without the tongue-lashing over me traveling and leaving my "poor husband at home with all those little kids." But it still managed to be a fun evening. Especially since one of my favorite 'partners in crime' actually showed up too. (You know who you are...)

Bolero's

Before the movie, we had some lovely tapas at this little place close to the Harkins theatre. The food was good and the proximity to the theatre and its view of Bricktown were enjoyable too.

District 1 Exemplification/Reception

The days of one car to get there and one hotel room to house all of Norman Assembly are over! As I joked with one of the other Mother Advisor's: My prayer used to be "Dear Lord, we need more girls." And now it is "Dear LORD, what am I going to do with all these girls?!" Natalie made it home safe and sound and in time to come with us. I also had wonderful help in the form of Wendy's mom who used to be Assistant Mother Advisor when I was in Rainbow. But when I compare this year's Tulsa visit with 5 girls to last year's visit with just two, I definitely feel how the game has changed. But I do think it's been for the better and I do feel that taking on the M.A. position was the right decision. Also, will I ever NOT cry when we sing that one song at the end of each meeting? (Probably not.)

And with all this craziness, maybe it's best that Spring Break is over so I can get back into the regular routine of school. Who knew I would EVER say that?

School bag in hand...

My oldest just left to spend Spring Break with one of her best friends. Even though I have written here at length about summers in Canadian, TX with Lanie, Tucson with Anne, or even working as a seasonal nanny for my Uncle Bob in Seattle; it was hard to let her go. I know she will have a great time and I absolutely trust the family she went with, but I am really going to miss her. :(

On the plus side, waiting for her to get back on Friday may make this the longest Spring Break ever. And since they usually go by way too fast, maybe I won't feel short-changed by the end of the week?

(Psst...Lanie-She isn't going to Canadian, but she IS going to a small town in Texas. Again, like mother/like daughter. I forgot to buy her some blue face mask or send any musical DVD's, but I hope she likes lime ices, and I'm sad she won't get any Ma Beasley's doughnuts or Mrs. Walsey's butter pecan cakes...good times, my friend. Good times!)

Friday Flashback

I guess my recent trip to Seattle inspired tonight's entry. As I explained, many of my childhood summers were spent with my Gran D, her husband, FavoriteUncle Bob, Aunt Deb, and my cousin Eric who was 9 mos. older than me. A fact he never let me forget back then, and a fact I never let him forget now. We usually spent our time between Aunt Betty's Christmas tree farm in Oregon and Bob's house in Seattle. Sometimes we got to see the younger cousins in California either driving to or from my grandparent's home in Las Vegas at the beginning or the end of the summer. It was a good way to grow up. We had many fun adventures during those summer months, but the one everyone remembers is the Tale of the Ragged Inn and I thought I would share it here.

Once upon a time, FavoriteUncle Bob thought it would be a really good idea to spend most of the summer in Seattle, and then go to Betty's Farm in Oregon for 4th of July weekend. (This was Seattle in 1980 before Bill Gates and Microsoft. I miss it.) Eric and I had spent most of the last summer at the farm and were eager to get back. I think the forbidden creek that we snuck into daily and the goats that needed milking must have been the draw. Anyway, I don't remember if we left the house late or if we stopped to visit Bob's buddies along the way and got behind schedule (my FavoriteUncle has friends EVERYWHERE); all I know is that Aunt Betty's farm is a day's drive from Bob's house and that for some reason we were looking for a motel instead of pulling into her driveway. On a 4th of July weekend. Without reservations. It didn't go well. Finally, we found the last two available rooms in a tiny, coastal town in Oregon. I don't remember the place Bob and Deb stayed, but my Mom, Gran D, Eric and I found ourself at the Ragan Inn.

Gran D was so impressed by the place that she refused to get out of the car. Bob talked Eric and I into it by showing us how similar the hotel lobby with its pipe organ and cobwebs resembled a Scooby Doo cartoon. (We were 8, what did we know?) Mom agreed to it because she understood that there really was nothing else available. Bob and Gran D got into a gigantic fight about the place in the parking lot which was observed (unbeknownst only to them) by several of the motel patrons and (of course) the motel owners. She eventually agreed to leave the car when she saw a liquor store on the premises, it was only later that she realized it was closed for the holiday weekend. It's a good thing Bob was safely ensconced in his own scary motel room by then.

What I remember best about our overnight stay was that the TV turned on and off with a light switch, and the ceiling lightbulbs turned on and off with strings.  There were separate taps for hot and cold water in the bathroom sink and this was not an attempt at antique whimsy. I also remember that the twin bed my cousin was so proud to have to himself collapsed in the middle the first time that he sat on it. Eric and I dubbed the place "The Ragged Inn" and, finding that all the board games in the lobby were missing too many pieces to make them playable, we entertained ourself by tossing small squares of toilet paper out the screenless windows until some drunk in the parking lot shouted at us not to "throw that sh*t down here." We giggled that a grown-up would swear in front of us.

At bedtime that night, we received the final insult. Once we had pulled all the strings that turned out the lights; we realized that the neon "Ragan Inn" sign was going to blink on and off through the window and onto the far wall of our room all. night. long. Eric was dispatched to stand on his saggy bed and attempt to close the curtains since there were no blinds on the open windows (which we didn't dare close for fear of suffocating). That quickly resulted in the curtain rod falling completely off the window and onto the floor between the bed and the wall. As it fell, one of the open window panes slammed shut for good measure. I stretched out in the double bed I shared with my mom, only to find my foot sticking out of a hole twice the size of my entire 8 year-old body.

I'm not sure if any of us got any sleep that night or if we were billed for the curtain rod. All I know is that all any of us has to say even 30 years later are the words "Ragged Inn" and the whole room dissolves into giggles. I also suspect that it's why, to this day, no one lets FavoriteUncle Bob pick out a motel either.

Edited to add: After posting this, I got curious and did an Internet search. The Ragan Inn lives!! It is now called the Lighthouse Inn and it is in Florence, OR. It was redone several years ago and has passed through many hands since 1980, but of all the places I've known in my life, this was one of the least likely candidates to still be in business 30 years later. To be honest, I'm a little thrilled that it is. Though the big, scary pipe organ seems to have gone by the wayside. There is talk of a visit to the Oregon Coast next summer, if it happens; I HAVE to stay there.

Week In Review

Reading-


The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan


Knowing that two weekend trips were coming, I didn't want to start reading Book 5 in the Percy Jackson series with the kids until I got home. This one was a nice stopgap measure and, conveniently, seems to have been targeted for reading between Books 4 & 5. We read part of it before I left and finished it earlier this week. It was kind of fun to read some short stories that I'm guessing were cut from the novels? (Not sure) I also liked the little interviews and profiles. It wasn't as good as the novels, but for kids who are currently eating, sleeping, and breathing all things Percy Jackson; it's a must-have.


The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan


A.K.A. the LAST book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I read it on the flight back from Ohio at the beginning of August, and now the kids and I are reading it together. It is my favorite in the series, and the events of Chapter One helped the kids grasp immediately how serious this book is compared to the previous four. Appropriate (I think) that we would start this book on the weekend of 9/11. (Which, incidentally, is all the reference I care to make to that anniversary this weekend. I know I've written about it more extensively in the past.)

Watching


The West Wing, Season 7


I finished the series on Friday. Tears were shed. And I would have to say that, for me, West Wing is to my generation what MASH was to me parents'. I can give no higher praise than that. There is NOTHING about this show that I didn't love. And I had to smile that the dad from Juno had a few appearances in that last season. He was only in one scene with Alison Janney that I noticed, but I wonder if they got a chance to meet then before playing a married couple a few years later in one of my favorite movies. I doubt I will see another show that impresses me as much in my lifetime, and we all know I love me some good TV.

OU v. Florida State


The game is on as I type this. The score is 44 to 7 at the end of the 3rd quarter. I really think this means we're going to win. From what I heard about last week's game, I think I'm glad that even had we wanted to watch last week's Pay Per View game; it wasn't offered in the Seattle area. Today's game is free and MUCH more enjoyable.

Out and About


Seattle Trip


Let's see...between lost luggage, my niece throwing a Thursday night party because her mom, aunt, and cousins were on earlier flights and she thought we wouldn't notice, botched highlights, an introduction as "a baby machine," the requisite amounts of drama from my mother, and a post-wedding party at the local casino on Bainbridge Island; my cousin and his fiancee did manage to have a lovely, intimate, enjoyable wedding outside on a sunny, but not too hot day. And, I managed a lovely lunch with one of my dearest friends and her daughter. I also made it home in one piece and left the airport with my luggage. I spent time with people I love and didn't kill any of what my dad used to call "the hysterical people." I'd have to call that a successful trip. Not that I'm ready to do it all again anytime soon. ;)

Any other activities this week were all work or Rainbow-related and while I see the necessity in each and every one of the meetings I attended, there really isn't anything blog-worth in any of them. Except the observation that Rainbow/DeMolay dances are much more fun when you are a kid attending them and not one of the adults planning them. But I think I suspected that even when I was one of those kids and I do think the upcoming Halloween dance is going to be a blast! I'll try and view it intermittently from the kitchen and sales tables. Sigh.

Good News/Bad News

The good news is that I'm on vacation where wireless Internet is plentiful. The bad news is that I'm having such a great time that I have no desire to update my blog. In unrelated bad news, I let my sister highlight my hair last night. I would say "remind me not to do THAT again," but I doubt I will need reminding. Oh well, this too shall pass. Or grow out. Or fade. Oh please...let it fade.

Coming Home

As I suspected, the change did me good as did two nights of interrupted sleep (with reassurances from Dad that all was well back home). And if I had to make a list of what I took from my time away, it would have to be this:

• God is Love
• Love is stronger than hate
• A long hike, a shower, a good book*, a fire pit, s'mores,  and a full night's sleep are all I require to consider myself rejuvenated.
• A vacation cabin with no cell phone service=PURE AWESOMENESS

(Especially when there's a landline for emergencies and occasional Internet for Facebook fun.)

*Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods was in the cabin library and I devoured it in about 24 hours.

A Change Will Do You Good

Three days into this whole sleeping through the night thing and my hypothesis seems confirmed: I am definitely a happier person when I sleep more than three hours in a row. The first day, I felt a little better. The second day, I cleaned up the living room and kitchen. Today, I reorganized the front room in a way that I've been meaning to for months now. It turns out all I needed was a good night's sleep, or three. That's good, because I really thought I was losing it for a little bit there. I am definitely relieved.

I really want to change the tone of this blog. There are lots of happy things going on in my life, and it's time to write more about those. What I really want to focus on is what a 'down the rabbit-hole' trip this return to the Lodge has been and how me and my Gen X friends are finally stepping up to the plate and, in many cases, finally providing some relief to our Baby Boomer predecessors, many of whom have been in that adult advisor role since our days in the Masonic Youth orders. This may give my posts a very limited appeal, but it's fascinating to me right now and its MY blog.

But before I can move in any new direction, I'm going on a much-needed mini sabbatical during which time (gasp) my husband will be taking care of the kids. Lest there be any misunderstanding, I am only about 30 hours away from leaving and am still not sure I can really do it. Dave, on the other hand, is threatening to carry me onto the plane and shut the door behind me. Heaven forbid he spend 48 hours taking care of his own children. ;) He knows I need a break and he's happy to let me have it. We may not know everything about having a good marriage, but we have managed to keep this one going for 13 years; so don't count us out yet. :)

And so, I wish everyone a good weekend and look forward to moving in a much more positive direction when I get home. We will also be celebrating a certain, adorable, curly-headed baby a Happy 1st Birthday next week. What can be more positive than that?! Until then, wish me safe travels or just send me some Xanax for the flight. Either/or would be great, thanks! 

Updates Never Posted

As I said a few days ago, I just took Alexis on her first trip by airplane last weekend. I usually love to post updates via Twitter and Facebook, but in addition to cell phones and planes being incompatible; I had two hands full of a wriggly 9 month-old and couldn't have posted them anyway. So, here is what my weekend in Status Updates would have looked like had I been able to send them:

• How in the world am I going to carry a suitcase, a carry-on, a car seat, AND push the stroller from the parking garage to the check-in counter? That worries me more than flying from OKC to Phoenix and back.
• Aaand the parking garage is full! What was I expecting on a Saturday morning?
• Ooh! The satellite lot has a shuttle that comes right by the car. Note to self: No more parking garage.
• No way would I have made it from that parking garage to this check-in desk with all that junk in my arms. Note to self: No more solo trips with a baby.
• Security checkpoint with a baby in 2010, much better than security checkpoints with a baby in 2002. Not once did they ask me to walk my baby through the metal detector by herself. (They did that with Caroline when she was 6 mos. old. Oh yeah, they did.)
• The stink eye one can get while traveling with a baby is unbelievable. At least *I* know she will be good on the flight.
• Continental serves muffins and juice on a morning flight? I didn't think any airline acknowledged mealtimes anymore. I like it!
• Easy flight to Houston and just enough time to change a diaper before pre-boarding the flight to Phoenix. Yeah! Continental still pre-boards babies too!
• And also, they found me a row with an empty middle seat. Yay! Continental Airlines is my new best friend.
• SLEPT THE ENTIRE 2 1/2 HOUR FLIGHT!!!
• Here we are at the baggage claim. I can't believe I let my suitcase circle me three times before I realized it was mine. I guess all those signs about luggage looking alike is right.
• I finally got the suitcase, but there is no sign of my car seat anywhere. I should be sad, but maybe this means a new Britax is in my future? Darn it! The car seat made it after all.
• We are here. Life is good.

The flight home reads pretty much the same, except that I discovered to my chagrin that Continental is in the midst of a merger with United. Goodbye new favorite airline. Sigh. At least the trip was great!

My Brief Take on Having Another Birthday

I turned 38 on Saturday. The blog hasn't seen a lot of activity because not only was I doing my usual 'mom of 5' routine, but I was also preparing for a quick trip. I hadn't seen my good friend Anne in quite some time, and I have really been missing her. Travelocity.com is set to always notify me when flights to Phoenix are cheap and this one was amazingly low-priced, so that was my birthday present to myself. I left Saturday morning, got to attend church in the same place I was baptized, and was back on the plane this afternoon.

A much longer post on turning 38 is in the offing, but until I can get it written; the gist of it is this:
Many of us spend our 20's* figuring out how to be an adult and make mistakes right and left in the learning process. Then, we spend our 30's trying to figure out and fix the damage we did in our 20's. If we succeed at it, does that mean we spend our 40's and beyond just enjoying the ride? Fingers crossed...



*I realize not everyone had the special talent I did for messing things up in their 20's. But I definitely did!

The Big "D" Trip: The End!

Life looked much better by the next morning. I had a good night's sleep on a Westin Heavenly Bed and had a much anticipated reunion coming my way. I mentioned my friend Michele who lived in Arlington (Actually, I think I said Ft. Worth, and that is a mistake. That's where she grew up, not where she lives now.) Michele has been my friend for the longest time of anyone outside my family. She and I met when her parents and a moving trailer pulled up in the house across the street and two doors down from mine when we were four years-old. They moved to Texas the following year, but we stayed in touch and visited often thanks to my mother's constant trips to Houston to visit family. As we got older, we got letter and phone savvy, and now we have email and Facebook. Recently, Michele became a mom for the first time and I was dying to see her and her little boy again! We have stayed in touch, but we hadn't seen each other since the month before I left for Italy in 1994. I was more than a little excited for the chance to meet-up with her.

I tried to get ready to check-out as quickly as possible, but with seven kids in the mix, a flat tire for my husband and father to change, and my grandmother along for the ride too; "quick" is a relative term. In the blur of 'let's get packed' a couple of things stand out: First, while I agreed whole-heartedly about the concept of a Heavenly bed, I was a little amused at the Westin's claim to also have Heavenly towels. And then I used one. Wow! Second, I think the quote of the day was one from me to my mom after she had spent the morning delighting in pointing out all the things my kids were doing/not doing that I needed to take care of ASAP. As in "Melessa! The girls' hair still hasn't been combed, or did you want them to look like that the first time they meet Michele?" "Melessa! Do you think you are going to be able to get all the way home on that spare tire?" And then...I spotted something that needed HER immediate attention. "Umm, Mom?! You know the applesauce Grandma uses to take her pills after she's ground them up? Well, I see the eaten applesauce container, but her pills are sitting intact right next to it. You're going to have to work that one out with her." (Grandma does not swallow pills and hates to be told she "forgot" something. I would much rather comb hair and drive home on a spare tire. I handed the pills to mom, grabbed some suitcases, and made a break for the parking garage.)

Apparently, Grandma took her meds, the cars got loaded, and the kids' passed inspection. We were off to meet Michele! She and I decided to meet at IKEA because I love it and she had never been there. My parents beat us to the store entrance, and when I went inside, there she was! I would have known her anywhere, but I was thrilled to see how much her little boy looked like her. The plan was to eat some lunch, visit for awhile we shopped, and then I had to get my kids back to school since they no longer had President's Day off from school. I had so much fun seeing her and getting caught up (not to mention introducing her to the marvels of IKEA) that I made it out of there for under $20. Though shipping costs are making me regret that I didn't buy the $20 high chair I was looking at while I was there. It's another $20 to get it here and I just can't do it.

The drive home was quiet and traffic-free. The kids slept most of the way and woke only when we stopped for snacks at the fried pie place in Davis. (Which is a dangerously short drive from here if I ever get a serious fried pie craving.) Sunday was such a great day that it made up for the crazy Saturday night traffic. And between Caroline's party and seeing Michele, I'd say the overall trip was worth it. I'm committed to going back to see Michele again sometime in June and I'm already happy about the trip. BUT, I promise that this time I'm checking the calendar for All-Star events first.

the Big "D" Trip: Part Four

Has it really been almost two weeks since we got back? A busy life plus a nasty bout of mastitis and a sinus infection really kicked my rear-end right most of the week. But I suppose I should finish the story anyway.

After the party, my Dad actually managed to find a closer parking place. He waited as MeMe let the birthday girl pick out a present. The kid had the entire American Girl Store at her feet and she went with a pet carrier for Honey the dog (if you look at the pictures from the last post, he's in a few of them). That was really all she wanted. MeMe lucked out big time. Of course, MeMe bought almost every one of the dolls the girls are holding in the pictures, so she was due for a break. Once the shopping was done, my cell phone rang. Dave was STILL in the parking garage we had managed to find earlier, had been in the exit line for 30 minutes, and was going nowhere. Alexis was screaming in the background because she was hungry. Tristan was having a fit because the car hadn't moved and Dave wanted me to walk back through to mall to the car to feed the baby. The rest of the girls could fit safely into my Dad's car, so Mom took them one way and I went the other. I have never seen SO MANY PEOPLE in the Galleria in my life. I'm sure it was NBA All Star-related, but I still don't know what it was. The people I talked to on the escalator and the security guard near the parking garage were all stunned at the crowds too, and they live and work in Dallas.

I got to the garage, but Dave wasn't on the floor where he said to meet him. Can I tell you how much I loved standing in the empty parking garage waiting for him?! I actually felt pretty safe though, everyone in Dallas seemed to be inside the Mall and my friend Michele called while I was waiting, so at least she knew where I was. Dave was there within 5 minutes, it just seemed a lot longer because parking garages are cold, dark, and scary. Once I got in the car, I fed the baby and he took Tristan back inside to find a bathroom because we knew we were going to be there awhile, and we were. It took 30 minutes to get out of the parking garage itself and another 15 minutes to weave our way through police blockades (hit and run accident right outside the garage), Mall traffic, and then the traffic a small parking lot carnival had generated. I was never so glad to see the inside of a hotel in my life.

We went upstairs to rescue my parents from 5 of their granddaughters in one small room with them (though they seemed to like it) and settled everyone down in hall in a pair of adjoining rooms. In the meantime, my grandmother had gotten bored waiting for us to get back from the Mall, and had taken a hotel shuttle over there. And now, thanks to the traffic, the accident, and the carnival; SHE was stuck at The Galleria. In the meantime, I was calling back and forth with my friend Michele who lived in Ft. Worth and found out traffic there was backed up too. A quick look at the news revealed that a potential terrorist threat was behind that traffic jam. And you know, if you were looking to hit a big crowd, the DFW area was the place to do it that weekend. Obviously, nothing happened except a lot of hassle and slow-moving cars, but it just seemed to make sense that our 'vacation' would include a terrorist threat since we had already covered a huge sporting event, a hit and run accident, and a local carnival. At least Caroline loved her party, right?

A few hours later, the kids got hungry again-as kids are prone to do. Dave didn't want to pay for hotel food, so he decided to drive over to a nearby Jack in the Box. He went to the hotel parking garage and discovered a flat tire. So my dad drove instead. They left me with the food and the kids and took the fix-a-flat downstairs to the parking garage. Somewhere in the feeding frenzy of 7 kids and Jack in the Box, Dave called to let me know that the tire was shredded and useless. Dave has always irritated me with his insistence at carrying a real spare tire instead of the small ones that come with your car. Needless to say, we were all grateful for that insistence that night. He decided to change the tire in the morning and help me put 7 kids to bed. After such a crazy day, it wasn't that hard. And it wasn't too hard for us to fall asleep either-the Westin isn't kidding, those are Heavenly Beds.

The Big "D" Trip: Part Three

So, after all that traffic and worry, things got much easier as soon as we walked into the store. They knew we would be late because Dave had called, they were still ready for us and quite happy to see us. Both the girls and their dolls were seated immediately. For a couple of hours, the crowds and the craziness of the weekend disappeared and five little girls had a great time at a birthday party. I could describe it, but I think I will let my pictures do the talking instead:

The dolls had their own menus

I think they are ready to order!

Bitty Baby had a menu too, but she didn't hold hers as easily.

Chef Sprinkles came by to say "Happy Birthday"

The dolls got their own muffins, but they shared!

And the birthday cake was beautiful!

And no choosing between flavors, here you could have both!

A good time was had by all! 

(And, believe me, my girls are a lot less spoiled than this picture makes it seem.)