Bad Babaloo

Wow and holy hell wow. What the heck have I been doing? Bad Babaloo. Bad. Bad. Bad.

Well, hopefully I'll have some new posts up soon. I didn't even do the Friday quotes. Man I suck. Anyway. I am going to Hawaii next week for my Grandfather's 90th birthday.

I was going back and forth on this decision because I am so slammed with the kids and their schedules right now that I thought I wouldn't be able to do it.

Fortunately I have a wonderful husband who encouraged me to do this and assured me the kids won't be roaming the streets, begging for food or waiting alone in a dark park somewhere, waiting to be picked up after soccer practice. I'm cashing in on a bunch of favors and asking a few new ones, so I better alott some time over there for "thank you gift" shopping.

If my mom were alive she would be taking this trip with her sister to see her dad and celebrate his birthday. His health is failing, his mind slipping. He now requires 24 hour care. In many ways this trip is more of a "goodbye," as I'm not sure that I will see him again before he passes away. I am also doing this for my aunt who has always done everything for me and asked nothing in return, except now. For the first time that I can ever remember, she is asking me to do something for her. She is asking me to accompany her on this trip.

The very least I can do is light up my credit card a little bit for airfare, temporarily put up the kids for adoption juggle the kids' schedule around and take a few days off of work to be there for her.

I'm taking off next Thursday and returning a few days later on Sunday.

Aloha.

Most Quotable Friday

To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you
around is another.
-Katherine Paterson

Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.
-James Bryant Conant

Wise sayings often fall on barren ground; but a kind word is never
thrown away.
-Sir Arthur Helps

If you were born lucky, even your rooster will lay eggs.
-Russian proverb

Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten,
but they may start a winning game.
-Goethe

Embrace your uniqueness. Time is much too short to be living someone else's life.
-Kobi Yamada

Thursday Blurbs

1. NHL opening night for the SHARKS tonight! We are sooooooooo excited. I took the kids to the last preseason game on Saturday. It was a birthday present for Buzz. He picked out this game because he wanted to see them play Calgary.

2. It's raining. I have the heaviest period in the history of periods. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I'm not much fun. This should count as like 6 blurbs.

3. I'm taking Buzz to a "multi-cultural" fashion show at his school tonight. One of his friends is going to be in it so he is really excited to go. And there is a spaghetti dinner to follow... that might have something to do with it.

4. Drama is getting close to her due date. She hits the 30 weeks mark this week. Her mom and I am planning a baby shower for her in early November. Any suggestions for games? I told her I'd put a list together for her to choose from. I've never actually thrown a baby shower before which makes me wish I had paid more attention to the ones (including my own) that I have gone too. Help!

5. My old high school basketball team is getting inducted into the school's "Sports Hall of Fame." There is a dinner and everything. When I heard the news from my friend and former teammate we both had the same thought: "Even us? (the scrubs)" Yes, she said. Even us! Whoohoo.

6. The latest in the soccer team drama is that we are very close to kicking out the current manager. Unfortunately the league requires at least one adult (coach or manager) to hold a coaching license. This is what the current team manager brings to the team. A piece of paper. Our trainer holds a license in the UK, which doesn't transfer to anything significant over here. We have someone lined up who is licensed and willing to take over the team in name only. As soon as he is added on, "dillhole" (as we fondly refer to him) will be gone.

7. Management issues aren't all we have had to deal with. It seems we have another coach attempting to poach two of our players. Oh and did I mention one of our team's old coach and manager was involved? Yeah, he called this other coach and encouraged him to contact the two families... It goes on and on. These kids are 10 and 11 for crying out loud. These people men act like they're trying to build a World Cup team. Watch out when the mommies take over!

8. The autopsy report on my neighbor's daughter who died unexpectedly last week said she died of alcohol poisoning. No foul play, just sadly irresponsible behaviour. The girl had a lot of friends... and her son. Her little 16-month old son will be living with her parents and is now my newest neighbor. I just wish it was under happier circumstances.

9. Focus: I wish my kids would focus on their school work half as much as our dog focuses on someone with a sandwich. I just wish I could somehow bottle that patience and determination.

10. Woody is sick. He has a sore throat and runny nose. He is tired. He is cranky. He is not much fun at all. This sounds familiar.

11. It is still raining (((sigh))).

Proud Parent Moment #6,136...

The scene: Buzz's soccer practice. Woody is sitting with myself and two other moms.

The conversation: Is random. We are bantering back and forth about mostly mundane things. I turn to concentrate on the practice and sort of "tune out" of the conversation for a few minutes. The two ladies continue their discussion and I tune back in just as one mom says to the other, "Oh no. No more kids. The factory is closed."
"Really," the first mom says. "You don't want any more kids?"
"Oh, no," she says adamantly. "I'm done."

Proud parent moment:
Woody turns directly to the mom who is not going to have any more kids and asks, "Do you take pills so you won't have any more kids?"

Thank you ladies and gentlemen. No applause is necessary. Just knowing you all wish you could be me is satisfaction enough.

I Don't Want To Hear About Your Tingles

I love my boys. You know I do. But? The things that come out of their mouths sometimes just kills me. Seriously.

Picture the three of us on a plane together. We have just taken off and the youngest, Buzz (who was then 6) turns to me and tells me, "Mommy, you know why I like to fly in airplanes?"
Why no son, why don't you enlighten me?
Is it because you like to try and find our house from up in the sky? "No."
Because you like to calculate the vector addition of the airplane's airspeed and the wind velocity? "No"
The free peanuts? "No. I don't even like peanuts."
Then why? "Because when we take off, I get a tingle." Oh God. Please tell me he did not just say that, like, out loud.
Then, picking up on my obvious discomfort, the older one chimes in. "Yeah, I get a tingle too mommy. Right when we take off from the ground."
Okay, I think (obviously not all the way through). I can save this. "Oh," I say. "You mean in your tummy?"
"No." They say in unison. "Down there," they both say pointing, well, down there.

Groan.

A year later I am alone on an airplane. A man is sitting in the seat next to me and as we are about to take off all I can think of is my two sons and their "tingles." I shut my eyes as tight as I can, and try and erase the thought from my head.
"Think about some thing else. Think about something else. Oh God. Please think about something else..."

"Excuse me," the man sitting next to me says. Oh God, he's talking to me. Why is he talking to me? If he tells me about his tingle I'm going to scream."

"You seem kind of anxious, is this your first flight?"

Groan.