New Moon and TMI in the Car

I am so grateful to have two wonderful boys. I know it has been three years since I've last shared any Babaloo tidbits about my boys... but here we go. So, last time I posted, er besides the post from the other day (It's still here), the boys were 11 and 8. Well flip that and add a few years and you now get 11 and 14. Jake is in 6th grade and Alex is a freshmen in high school. Yeah, let that resonate for a minute or two. High-Frickin-School. Gah.
Anyway. So today they accompanied their mom to the movies to see New Moon. Yes, like a lot of moms out there, I'm a fan. Read the books, saw the first movie and couldn't wait to see the current one. I'm sure there is a word or a term out there for me. Probably a twelve-step program and support group too. I will totally own that. I liked the books. I like the movies. I am not ashamed.
They (the boys), on the other hand, are not into the whole Twilight / New Moon saga/series/phenomenon. When I brought home the Twilight DVD home to watch last year they couldn't have cared less. Alex even made the face and complained how all the girls at school were "sooooo" into that movie and that he wasn't going to watch it on principal. However, I pointed out that it might be to his benefit to be in "the know" about the things that the girls were into so he'd have something (besides himself) to talk to them about. Big mistake. He literally pulled out a notebook and pen and took notes. Remember what Bella ate for dinner at the Italian restaurant with Edward? Neither do I, but it is written somewhere in Alex's notes. Jacob was just not interested, even though I kept trying to impress him with the fact that there was a "Jacob" in the movie. Just didn't care. He was "team Jacob," but had no clue as to what that even meant. He went to wathc TV in the other room.
I knew it was going to take some finessing to get them to go with me to see this movie. So? I went strait to guilt. "Guess what?" I said to them a few months ago. "Ann said I could go with her and Emily (her daughter) to see New Moon when it comes out. "You don't have to do that, mom. I'll go with you." Alex said without skipping a beat. "Really?" "Yeah."
Yay! I was so excited. One down, one to go. Bribery is more up Jacob's aisle. So I prepared myself for heavy negotiation.
"Ugh," Jacob said. "I don't want to see that movie. Can't we see Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel?"
Omg. He had to be kidding me. The Squeakquel? They made a part 2? Why would they do that? I barely got out of going to the first one... now I had to get out of going to the second one, and worse, in the middle of a serious negotiation? This boy is getting good. He doesn't know it yet. But he's getting good.
Instead, I talked him down to taking him on Wednesday to see 2012 and a large popcorn. Alex had school and planned to see it with his friends anyway.
So, for those keeping score:
Alex = guilt, and the verbal acknowledgement that he would probably be asking for money to see 2012 at a later date with his friends.
Jacob = seeing 2012, large popcorn and the vague, deluded agreement (that I don't remember agreeing to) that seeing Alvin and the Chipmunks was in his Christmas vacation future (I have a few weeks to wiggle out of that one).
Babaloo = Seeing New Moon with her boys!
I went early to the mall and bought tickets for the 11:00am show. Did you know that movies at AMC theatres before noon are only $6? Score!
We got to the theatre about 15 minutes before the movie started and found seats at the top row, almost in the middle. Another Score!
We pulled out our contraband bottled waters, soda and Walgreen's candy. The previews started and I couldn't have been happier. The first three previews were of upcoming romantic comedies. I was slightly afraid of losing them at this point, but I glanced over and they were still there, though I'm sure I sensed a few inward groans. Alex got up once to go to the bathroom, but was back before the movie started.
The movie just flew by. So good. And? It was great seeing it with my kids. I was so grateful to spend the time with them. And the bribes and guilt? Slightly exaggerated. They probably still would have come. I was still marinating in the afterglow on the 5-minute drive home when it inevitably came to a screeching halt.
"Hey, you know when I went to the bathroom before?" Alex said to no one in particular.
"Yeah." Jacob responded, obviously sensing some good bathroom-conversation-while-mom-is- driving coming on.
"Well, it wouldn't come out."
Me: (hand over my face, shaking my head), "Groan."
The conversation progressed digressed from there. I won't go into details (you're welcome).
Let's just say that this always happens and that it always happens in the car. When I'm driving. And that I try to get mad and control the situation, but I end up laughing despite myself.
I call it TMI in the Car.
But the movie was good. Two Thumbs up. So? There's that. Sigh.

It's still here?

Wow. I can't believe it's still here. I thought Blogger would have deleted it for "non-use." So, I guess this is an appropriate time and place for a confession:

Forgive me blog for I have not updated. It has been almost 3 years since my last blog post.

Alright. Here is the short version. I changed jobs. My new boss mentioned (in the interview) that he (somehow, never got the full explanation) saw my blog. I was mortified at the time. Not sure why. That's not true. There are certain lines that I believe shouldn't be crossed. The boss shouldn't be reading about personal stories, excessive cussing in some cases or all out female/wifely/motherly venting as in other cases. However, that is the risk you take when you post stuff on the internet. It is perfectly reasonable that any employer (potential or otherwise) would have done some magical search and stumbled upon the Babalooooooooooooooooooo! blog. **sigh**

Anyway... (insert dramatic transitional theme music) skip ahead three years. I'm bored at home on the computer and (just as the boss did three years ago) stumbled across my blog! LOL! I had a blast reading through all the old posts. OMG! Did all that stuff really happen? I cracked myself up. Especially all the stories about my boys. Aaaaaah. Good times. Good times.

So, maybe I'll start writing posts again. I started another blog about a year ago that I update sporadically. It is called "Random Top Ten Lists." The link is here: http://randomtoptenlists.blogspot.com/. It is just a top ten list about whatever I feel like making a top ten list about. Mostly quotes (I love those quotes!), but there are other things mixed in there as well. I'm also on Facebook (who isn't?). You can friend request me here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1347470622&ref=name
I miss all the blog friends I used to follow. I seriously need to go through the old blogroll and see who is still out there posting.

How many Hail Bloggers do you think I need to absolve three years of absence?

More pictures and Christmas Meme

More pictures of Little P. This time with her uncles! Buzz (right) wasn't able to see her the first day. The nurses wouldn't let him back because he was too young. We snuck him through on day two! He asked me to print out pictures, THAT NIGHT, so he could bring them to school to show his class. The baby went home yesterday, is doing fine and as of today now has a name! However, her blogger name will remain Little P(rincess).

Christmas Song Meme:

I got tagged by Valerie (Adventures in Parenting) to blog my top 5 favorite Christmas songs. Here they are:

1. White Christmas (sung by Bing Crosby)

2. I'll Be Home For Christmas

3. All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth

4. Grandma got run over by a reindeer

5. Silent Night

I'm supposed to tag 5 of you. Since it's easy I won't feel guilty about it... so just do it (please?) Just for fun I'll tag: Jen, Bonnie, Jodi (cuz, she loves memes the most!!), Crazy MomCat and Jennifer.

If I don't check in before Christmas... MERRY CHRISTMAS! And many happy returns (hee hee :-) )!

Introducing... Little P(rincess)

Here are some photos of Drama's little girl. I'd like to say they are the first photos taken, but she was already 12 hours old by the time I got to see her and I think this was about her 10-15th photo shoot. Not even a day old and already a professional!

Drama had a name picked out for her, but decided after she was born the name didn't fit her.

The hospital staff told her she had 10 days to name her, so she is going to take a few of those to come up with the "perfect" name. Since I probably won't post her real name anyway... I have dubbed her Little P, for Little Princess.

I never once saw her little arm come down. We kept trying to move it, but she would make it stick strait back up like that. And so begins a new life... *sigh*

She's Here!

Drama had her baby this morning! Six pounds, three ounce baby girl! Her water broke last night around 11pm. Labor was about 5 hours and she delivered her this morning around 7:00 am. We are going to go see her this evening after I leave work. More details and pictures (!) to follow... (yikes! I'm a grandma)

It's The Small Things That Count

I have a cd that I made with a collection of songs that make me cry. They remind me of times or people in my life or are just about really sad things. I “creatively” titled the cd “Sad Songs” and even made a nice label for it and keep it in my cd case in the car.

My husband is a big believer in the small things in life. While he is as appreciative as the next guy when he receives a birthday or Christmas gift, what really touches him are the small things. The things that let him know I’m thinking about him or that I love him. Through him, I have learned to appreciate the small things in life and to sometimes stand back and drink in the moment when someone is thinking about me.

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of my mom’s passing. I wasn’t intending to write a post about it, but rather reflect privately and mourn the day in my own way. I did write a post about her some time ago here if you would like to read more.

As the kids and I were leaving yesterday, Woody opened up my cd case and pulled out a cd to play. He did his usual routine where he teased Buzz about playing the “Bad Day” song (Daniel Powter) and waited for Buzz to cover his ears and scream “nooooooooooooooooo...” Which he did. Only? Woody really put in another cd that they both really like and they both laughed thinking this was still funny even after the 36th time it's been done. After a song or two, Woody took out the cd and put in another one. It was my “sad songs” cd.

After listening to Frank Sinatra sing “My Way.” I turned to him and asked why he chose that cd to play. He turned to me and said, “Daddy said that you were feeling sad today.”

“So, you put in the ‘sad songs’ cd because I’m feeling sad?”

“Uh, huh.”

It was a small thing on his part, but it ran deep and touched my heart nonetheless. Isn't that what really counts?

S.N.O.W.

I got one of these yesterday from a friend of mine. I could not stop laughing. You can type in a message and the snowman will voice simulate your words. The one I got was full of "inside" jokes that no one else would even understand or think were funny. I was in tears! Do you have someone in your life that you share that inside humor with? You have to create one of these S.N.O.W. (simulated niceness of winter) cards and send it to them. Even if you don't send one, it is fun just playing around with it. Enjoy!

Dusting off the old blog...

I am so sorry for all the dust that has collected around here over the last month-and-a-half 2 months! It isn't that I haven't had anything to say... just no time to say it. There, now I am officially a blogging cliche! Wait, hold on. Let me get that cobweb over there... Omg! Is that mold? Ugh, disgusting. Sorry about that. Let me just pull out the bleach and a sponge and we'll be all set. You might want to wear a surgeon's mask if you are going to stay more than a few minutes. Do you mind if I scrub and write at the same time?

Where to start? Well... how about where I last left off.

Hawaii: The trip went well. My aunt and I spent most of our time there with my grandfather. The first day there was his 90th birthday. We took him out to lunch and then to the
cemetary where my grandmother's remains are kept. He seemed in really good spirits which was exemplified the second day when we came in the morning and he was dressed and ready to go with the day planned out for the three of us. The whole trip was like that. We stayed in a hotel in Waikiki and left each morning for Kaneohe where we would visit with grandpa and take him out for the afternoon. Then each evening returned to Waikiki where we would indulge in tropical adult beverages with umbrellas and solve the world's problems.

Trip to the Emergency Room: Well, what can I say? Our family was due for a visit sooner or later. We managed to make it through the summer but were only living on borrowed time. The very next weekend after I returned from Hawaii, Woody was playing in (what else?) a soccer tournament. On Sunday as he and his teammates were gathering around one of the unused goals just before taking the field for warmups he decided to jump up on and hang from the crossbar. He jumped down and as he did the muscle in his neck spasmed and he couldn't move. Of course nobody knew at that moment what had happened, how he was hurt or what to do, so the paramedics were called and I very nearly (Okay I totally panicked) panicked that he had some kind of spinal chord injury. The paramedics determined that he had a severe muscle spasm of the neck and helped me get him into the car and off we went to the emergency room. There he was given a muscle relaxant, anti-inflamatory medicine and something to manage the pain, all through an IV. He was released to my custody care and was excused for the week from PE.

The Baby Shower: Drama's baby shower was an outstanding success. We had it in her apartment complex's club house which turned out to be very luxurious and boasted a huge kitchen and seperate TV area where most of the kids hung out. True to form, my kids took early control of the remote and kept it on the Sharks game most of the evening (and kept their mom continually updated on the scoring). She got a lot of really nice gifts and everyone had a nice time.

Soccer end of season: For one child at least. Buzz's season ended with a perfect 10-0 record. They had their end-of-season party at Roundtable and won't start up again until late March. Yay! A break. Not really. Woody's team still had one final district-wide tournament to play in and then he would be done for the season. Not. He was invited to play with another team (whose goalie broke his ankle playing basketball) through the winter in two different tournaments. This team is much better then Woody's team and play against much tougher competition. Woody seems to be really into it and hubby says it will be good for him to play up against better skilled opponents.

Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving started out early with me stuffing the bird and getting that sucker in the oven. Only not in my oven, because my oven is broken. *Sigh* Hubby was able to ask a friend who owns a restaurnant nearby if we could cook our turkey there in his restaurant, and he agreed! So, I stuffed and he hand delivered the bird to the restaurant to be cooked. Then we took Woody to a soccer scrimmage. Because doesn't everyone play soccer on Thanksgiving? It was fine and probably for the best for Woody to be able to play with his new teammates before the played in a real match. When we got home I prepared all the sides while hubby went to pick up the cooked guest of honor, our turkey. #91 came over and we had a really nice Thanksgiving feast together. Then? He took the kids with him to spend the night at his apartment! Happy Thanksgiving to us! Hubby and I got some much deserved alone time and all was well on our Thanksgiving holiday.

Black Friday: I had never gone out shopping before on Black Friday. That's not exactly true. I've been out, but never at the crack of dawn. So, wanting to truly experience "the hunt" I convinced hubby to venture out for a 6:00 am opening at Target. Ha! It was hilarious! I didn't end up really buying any gifts for anyone (I mostly bought gift wrap, boxes, etc.), because we were having too much fun watching the half-crazed people shopping. People, I saw a woman in Target with 3 shopping carts. No lie. Flat panel televisions seemed to be the most popular item. Every other person had one in their cart. There must not have been a limit because the woman with 3 carts had four of them. Again. No lie. Maybe one of you or someone you know is on her shopping list? We eventually transitioned over to the mall where, the wine from the night before and lack of sleep got the best of me and I begged to be taken out of there. We went out to breakfast and then went back home to bed.

The Sharks: The Shark's are off to a great start and we finally went to our first regular season game! It wasn't one the more exciting games but it gave us the bug again and we have tickets for two more games at the end of the month when the kids are on break from school.

Hawaii, epilogue: Since the trip grandpa took a nasty fall and was hospitalized over Thanksgiving. He has a severely bruised hip and the doctors say his heart is getting weak as well.

The Wedding: The weekend after Thanksgiving (12/2) in Mesa, AZ. My cousin Jeffrey (son of my aunt that I went to Hawaii with). Buzz and I made the flight out to Arizona on Friday (Woody stayed home with Hubby so he could play in his soccer game). Buzz was great company and very well behaved. Buzz (and Woody too) was in my other cousin's wedding two years ago and a lot of people at this wedding remembered him and gave him lots of attention. The outside ceremony was beautiful despite the chill in the air and the reception was snazzy and fit my cousin and his wife's great style and taste perfectly. The best part? There were cakes at every table. And they were goooooood! Buzz danced the night away with some of the bridesmaids (much to the chagrin of the single guys) and had a great time.

Well... this pretty much brings us all up to date. Thank you everyone for your comments and I promise to be around to visit soon. Be careful as you leave, the floor may still be slippery...

I Never Meant To Make You Worry...

Hello All! Yes, those of you who clicked over from your bloglines, you are not imagining things... I am writing a post.
After my Hawaii trip back in October I have to admit I've been caught up in a bit of a whirlwind. I hope to share some of my stories with you and get back into visiting my favorite blogs (you know who you are!). But, in the meantime I just wanted to pop in briefly and say thank you for your nice comments and to say that I never meant to worry anyone!
Oh and a special "Thank You" to Zephra for her very sweet e-mail. You are the best!

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.

Most Quotable Friday

More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them.
- Harold J. Smith

When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves.
- Anthony J. D'Angelo

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
- Herm Albright

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
- Margaret Mead

There are two kinds of people: those who do the work, and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.
- Indira Gandhi

To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.
- G.K. Chesterton

Thursday Blurbs

1. Wow, it is THURSDAY already. I have not been posting much. I have not been making it to most of my regular blog reads either. I'M SORRY! I know you all miss my witty comments. Ha!
Please forgive me / Please enjoy my absense while it lasts (you pick whichever applies to you!)

2. I was in a panic last Friday. My oldest son mentioned, casually, earlier in the week that he "might" pick up the kids from school on Friday and take them out. I didn't think he'd actually follow through. When he says he "might" do something it usually means that it sounds really good at the moment but when the time comes to do it, doesn't sound so great anymore.
So imagine my surprise when Friday afternoon he calls and asks me if I remembered that he was going to pick the kids up from school! Did I remember? Um, yeah. Did I 100% expect that he would follow-through? Not so much.

3. So, I get off the phone with him and realize that I have nearly 3 hours free! To myself! No kids! What should I do? That's where the panic set in. I didn't know what to do. I really need to adopt an emergency plan for these type of situations.

4. After I ran an errand I went shopping at Target. Alone. Of course nothing looked appealing. It only looks appealing when I don't have the time to stop and look at it or try it on. So, I bought hubby some deodorant and some snacks for his (and Woody's) drive the next day to a soccer tournament and went home. Alone. WooHoo! I am so exciting!

5. Saturday's soccer news: Buzz's team won, 7-1. He scored two goals! After his game we immediately jumped in the car to head up to Woody's tournament which was about an hour-and-a-half drive away. I was hoping to make it there in time to catch the last 10 minutes of his second game.

6. I was foiled, however, by traffic. I passed three accidents and when traffic slowed down for a fourth, I decided the "powers that be" were urging me to slow down and not be part of a fifth accident. Fortunately, one of the moms was calling me every few minutes with game updates.

7. I apparently missed a fabulous game. At one point she called and while on the phone the referee had called a penalty kick (against our team which means the other team would be shooting on Woody). I got to hear the cheers live as he stopped the penalty kick! Then, seconds later he was faced with another penalty kick because the referee said that he moved off his line and the other player would get a second kick. This was all explained to me much, much later because all I heard was cheering and yelling as he saved it a second time! They won the game 5-3.

8. Why won't anyone/anything let me sleep? Our automatic sprinkler system has decided (on its own apparently) that it needs to turn on and water the yard at 2:00 am. The garbage truck has (on its own apparently) changed its regular pick-up time from 7:30 am to 6:00 am. WHY?
And Nico Po-Po has (on his own apparently) decided that waking me up once during the night (to go outside) isn't all its cracked up to be, so why not do it twice? AAAARRRGGHH!

9. On an extremely sad note: my neighbor's daughter died Saturday night. She was in her early twenties and had a 16-month old son. We came home Sunday and there was a flood of people milling around the neighborhood. My husband, who came home before I did (I was about an hour behind him), went over to find out what was going on and the mom (our neighbor) told him her daughter was out with her boyfriend and they think someone put something in her drink and she went into cardiac arrest. That is all they knew at the time and we haven't heard anything further. I went over, too, to offer my condolences and, as you can imagine, the grief was overwhelming. I only spent 5 minutes over there, but came home and cried for 20.

Help! My child is an addict...

Please help me internet because I don't think I can keep it together anymore. My son has a problem, an a-d-d-i-c-t-i-o-n. And I am an classic enabler. I even unknowingly gave him his first "taste." And now I am also his supplier! OMG, that is the first time I have ever admitted that to anyone. It is a relief just to say type it out loud. I know it doesn't make it go away, but now it is out there and no longer a dirty secret.

It is a common story, one that you've heard many, many times. The first time was just to make him feel better after he had gotten a "boo boo." You know, take the edge off. Take his mind off the searing pain associated with a scraped knee. The reaction was incredible, as he relaxed immediately and went into an almost semi-trance.

Then one day, out of the blue for no reason he asked for it again. "But you're not even hurt or in pain." I said. So he made up some phantom pains that he felt "all over." I even thought at the time that it was a little like an addict inventing symptoms so his doctor would re-fill his prescription.

After he saw how gullible I was, he got demanding.

If he doesn't get it, he gets upset. "But mooooommy, I need some now." He'll complain. He has actually sent me out in the middle of the night (in a not so safe neighborhood) in order to replenish his supply. And, I have to admit, I'd probably do it again.

It is a daily thing now. Sometimes it can be two or three times a day. It is out of control. We both ignore the stinging reality that it is a full blown problem. He pretends everything is normal, but I know it's not when I see the remnants of his usage left carelessly on the table or on the floor. Sometimes I even find evidence of his addiction when I'm cleaning his shower. And that is when I lose it, and cry for the little boy my son used to be.

Hubby insists he goes cold turkey and stop his using immediately. But then when he sees the quivering lips and the perceived trickle of tears he knows I don't have the strength to do it. So he pretends too. That everything is okay. He enables my enabling. We are a sick family.

I am faced with the very real possibility that if this doesn't stop before he is 18, that I will have spent nearly the equivalent of a year's college tuition, just so he can have his daily fix.

Tell me what to do internet. Should I take a second job to pay for his supply?

Most Quotable Friday

When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail.
-Abraham Maslow

The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind.
-Dr. Wayne Dyer

Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.
-Alice Mackenzie Swaim

You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.
-Leo Aikman

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
-Albert Einstein

To err is human; to refrain from laughing, humane.
-Lane Olinghouse

Thursday Blurbs

1. Soccer notes from last weekend: FABULOUS! Buzz had a morning game and his team won 4-0. On a sad note one of the boys scored his first goal (ever) and neither of his parents got to see it. They were crushed! The mom was late and missed the first few minutes (she came from her daughter's game which ran late) and his dad (the coach) was talking to another parent whose son had come late to the game. I was a little frustrated that two kids from the other team were slide tackling and neither the referee or their coach was telling them not too. These kids are 6, 7 & 8 year-olds and are not allowed to do that until they are much older. Fortunately no one got hurt and the coach is going to send an e-mail to the league.

2. Woody had a late afternoon game and all I can say is WOW!! They were losing 3-0 at half-time (not one of Woody's best performances at keeper) and came back in the second half to win 5-4! It was incredible! The parents were so excited. We were all screaming, jumping and high-fiving eachother. Oh, and the kids enjoyed it too. LOL!

3. Back to school night went well. I met both of the boys' teachers and both seem as excellent in person as their reputations have led me to believe. Buzz's teacher in particular is so enthusiastic. This woman spends an allotted amount of each paycheck for her classroom supplies. 80% of what is sprinkled around her classroom she purchased with her own money.

4. Woody has three other boys in his class with the same name! One of the three has the same last name. I walked in and the teacher asked me whose mom I was and I said "Woody."
"Which one?" She asked. "I have four!"
"Oh, Woody 'Clark.' " I said, just before recognizing the other Woody 'Clark's' mom sitting at one of the desks.
"Er, the other Woody 'Clark.' " I added quickly.
"Oh, it's nice to meet you." She said.
Apparently they now have to differentiate by middle name. So Woody is now known as Woody "J."

5. Ha Ha Ha! I was messing around with the kids and we were figuring out how many months-old they were. Woody is 135 months. Buzz is 96 months. Then they asked how many months old I was...482. Then I got really, really depressed (((sigh))).

6. "He sold the Cadillac and bought a WHAT?" My dad. The most habitual creature still roaming the earth at the tender age of 84 has sold his 1976 Cadillac (that he actually bought brand new in 1976) and bought himself a fully loaded 2002 Ford Mustang. GO DAD!!

7. The car apparently, aside from being fully loaded, has ridiculously low miles and a 6-cd changer. I don't think my dad owns 6 cd's. Time to trade in those 8-tracks.

8. It is like having a newborn all over again. My poor neglected dog that is. The second most habitual creature to walk the earth holds out every day for someone (me) to take him for a walk so he can do his business (poop). During the week it is near to impossible to find the time with our schedules. I let him outside (in the back yard) multiple times every evening to relieve himself and he stubbornly refuses to poop! He is waiting to be be taken out properly on his leash! So now, anywhere between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. when he can't possibly hold it in any longer, he scratches on my door so I will get up and let him out. I tried ignoring him (once) but had the unfortunate experience of finding his poop on the bathroom floor the next morning and him hiding under Woody's bed. Refusing to come out. I love him and his little quirks are endearing, but he needs to start sleeping through the night!

9. One of my soccer-mom cohorts and I are planning a coup to take over the team management of Woody's team. We are doing all the work anyway, we might as well have the title as well. Which isn't the point. The point is the current holder of said "title" is sadly incompetent and we suspect know for a fact at times has willfully tried to undermine the team, the coach and the over all success that the boys have been building.

10. The man is negative, full of excuses and nothing is ever his fault. He knows how the league and the club work. He has been coaching/managing for 15 years. Hmm... or has he? I will have to research that considering all the other mis-information we have uncovered. He knows what forms need to be filled out and how to check when tournament applications are due. He knows how to get a player registered and how long it will take to get his player pass. He knows the team currently has 12 players which allows for only one sub (if all 12 kids show up). So, why if you are an experienced manager and know it takes 5 days to process a new player's paperwork and you have that player's completed paperwork in your hands on Thursday evening, would you wait one whole week to turn it in to the registrar making the new player not eligible to play the following Saturday? Why would you be taking your own son to tryout for other teams when you are supposed to be recruiting for the team he is already on? Why would you tell the team parents the team will be in a tournament that you never applied for? Why would you sit on the sidelines with a sour face after the team has won a game?

11. So many questions to be answered. So for now we have been following up on every administrative detail to make sure things get done and the season is not compromised or jeapordized. We decided to stop complaining, wallowing in his ineptitude and do something about it. Yesterday we signed papers with the league to become team managers. The coup is on.

Someone is turning 8 today...

...It's Buzz!

On this very special day in the Babaloo household I would like to share some memories of my youngest, whom I gave the blogging psuedonym of Buzz, so that you can get a better idea of what makes Buzz, well...Buzz!

It all started back in early 1998...Hubby and I were enjoying a rare dinner out alone. I ordered a cocktail and as I was perusing the menu I blurted out to hubby that I had been feeling weird lately, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. "What do you mean?" He asked over his menu. "I don't know, I feel like I did when...oh."
"Oh, what?" he asked.
"Um, like when I was pregnant with Woody."
"You can't be pregnant." He said matter-of-factly.

Well, he was wrong, of course and thank goodness for that. Just like he was wrong that I wasn't going into labor 11 days before the baby's due date. "Go back to sleep, you aren't in labor, it's too early." Hubby pleaded desperately at 3:30 am, exactly eight years ago today.
"No, I'm pretty sure these little waves of 'crampiness' I'm feeling every 10 minutes is labor."
By 6:00 am they were every 5 minutes. "Okay, let's go." He said. "But I have to stop at my work and tell them I'm not coming in."
"Can't you call?"
"No, it's Saturday. No one answers the phone."

So we went to his work. He parked the car and left me sitting there. Alone. In the parking lot. With contractions only 5 minutes apart!

Buzz loves hearing the story of how he was almost born at daddy's work.

Buzz also loves the story about how he never cried when he was getting his immunization shots. Honestly, I don't even think he felt them through his multiple layers of baby fat. He was the
chunkiest thing you've ever seen. Of course, the story is only good when it is mentioned how his older brother had the very opposite reaction when getting his shots. Especially when it is explained how I regularly had to blow on his face to get him to breathe. But not Buzz!

Buzz never crawled. He went strait to walking at 10-months old.

At two years old, just before Thanksgiving, Buzz got seriously ill. He had pnemonia caused by the RSV virus and was hospitalized for five days. For the first 12 hours they did not know what was wrong with him and he was less than an hour away from having a hole cut in his throat so they could place a tube inside to help him breathe. Fortunately a diagnosis was made and they were able to begin the proper treatment. He was so brave through out the whole ordeal and because of it, became one of my heroes.

In pre-school Buzz had two little classmates, both named Justin. He called them "Justin and the other Justin." I'll never forget picking him up one day and saying "goodbye Justin" to one of the Justins as we were leaving. When we got into the car Buzz told me very sternly, "Mommy, that wasn't Justin."
"Oh? Who was it?"
"That, was the other Justin."

I never made that mistake again.

Buzz was one of those kids who could not wait to start school. In fact, he insisted that his first day of kindergarten he wear his "sharp" clothes because he wanted to look nice his first day. He definitely knocked the socks off of everyone wearing a shirt and tie to public school!

It was in 1st grade that Buzz made the announcement that he knew who he was going to marry when he grew up. Her name was Tiffany and the reason Buzz knew he was going to marry her was because she had the same exact birthday as Buzz. How can you argue with that?
That year as a regular exercise Buzz's teacher would have the kids write letters to each other that said at least one thing they liked about that person. Buzz got a letter one day from Tiffany that said, "Dear Buzz, I like you because you want to marry me. From Tiffany."

I still have it.

Buzz, unlike his brother, is not what you would call the most athletic or agile of kids. He can be physically awkward and clumsy. His fine motor skills are hugely lacking compared to the average child. But, I see that slowly changing as he gets older. He loves to play soccer and has gone from the slowest kid on the team two years ago, to one of the fastest. He loves the challenge and loves the competition. His confidence in himself is overwhelming to me. In fact, what he lacks in raw athletic skill he more than makes up for in confidence.

Buzz, since that unexpected wave of nausea announcing his presence in our lives, has never conformed into anyone's time frame or anyone's mold, nor has he ever tried too. He does things in his own way and at his own pace much to the chagrin and amusement of those around him. You can never rush him, nor can you slow him down. He'll get there...eventually...when he's ready.

He has an absolutely infectious laugh and a smile that will melt your heart. He wakes up every day happy and usually with some countdown to an upcoming event. "Two more days mommy..." he'll say before even opening his eyes. "...till the first day of school...till we go to the Sharks game...till my first soccer game...till we go to the movies...until the new 'Zack & Cody'..." You name it, if we have a plan to go somewhere or do something, he is counting down the days.

He has surprised me with something new almost every single day for the last eight years and I look forward to each and every new surprise headed my way.

Happy birthday beautiful boy. Your mommy loves you.