so·lil·o·quy (n) a dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener; a specific speech or piece of writing in this form of discourse; the act of speaking to oneself
Friday afternoon, I made a quick stop at Kohl's after work and christened my new credit card with this purchase...
I wanted to wear them so badly on Saturday, but it just wasn't warm enough. But soon enough, I'll get to break them in. Yes, I splurged a little, but I am totally OK with it. A girl's got to spoil herself once in a while, right? Besides, I know I'll get a lot of use out of them, and they're a good name brand (Skechers), so I know they won't fall apart on me anytime soon.
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I tried calling my sister twice on Friday, but had no luck either time--the first time, she was feeding the baby and the second time, she had company. No big deal--I totally remember how hectic those first couple days in the hospital are. But she called me back on Saturday and we talked for a good while. It was so good to catch up with her, and hear some more details about everything. I cannot believe I am going to be with her, in person, cuddling her cute kid, in less than a month!
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Dawn, Kerry and I (plus our kids) hung out on Friday night while our husbands went to a men's fellowship at the church. At one point, I was flipping through a People magazine, when I came across a picture of Johnny Depp. I called Ari over, and pointed to the picture. "Ari, look. This is Johnny. Can you say 'Johnny'? And he is hot. Can you say 'hot'?" After a couple repeats of those 2 key words, I soon had her saying "Johnny" and "hot" when I pointed to the picture. When Tony arrived a couple hours later, Ari performed beautifully for him. And a little while after that, she hunted down the magazine, and brought it to me, flipping through the pages and saying "Johnny" and "hot" while she waited for me to find him for her.
Of all the things I have taught her, I am the most proud of this.
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Saturday was a lazy day for us--we had nothing planned. We did manage to get some things done around the house. (For example, I went through Ari's drawers and closet and weeded out all the too-small 18 months stuff. Some of the 24m/2T stuff is still big on her, but it was easier for me to just get rid of all the 18m stuff in one fell swoop.) In the evening, we went out to the mall--got dinner in the food court, let Ari play in the play area, and did a bit of shopping.
Then my parents kept her overnight last night, since we were there in the afternoon and Mom usually watches her on Mondays anyway. We had planned to go out for dinner, but since we had eaten a late lunch, neither of us felt hungry enough to eat another big meal. We toyed with the idea of going out to see a movie, but ended up going home, renting a movie via the cable box, and eating bowls of ice cream for dinner.
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We came home from church yesterday, and I spied a blank envelope sticking in the door jamb. I opened it up, and found this anonymous note, along with this special gift.
Believe it or not, this is not the first time something like this has happened. When we lived in Florida, we came home on a Sunday to find several bags of groceries sitting on our doorstep, with an anonymous note signed by "X." And a few years ago, in this same apartment, we were floored to find a blank manila envelope in our mailbox containing 10 crisp $100 bills (that's $1000, if you're bad at math like I am).
Well, since Josh posted an announcement in my sister's blog, I think that means it's safe for me to announce it too... my sister had her baby! She was induced in the wee early morning hours yesterday, March 27, and little Matthew Keith made his debut at 12:57 PM, tipping the scales at 9 lbs. 5 oz. and 22" long. I got to talk to Mary yesterday and she sounded tired, but overjoyed. They've sent pictures already, and I have to say, he is a handsome little guy.
And the best news of all is... I am going to get to meet him! I'll be flying out there the first weekend in May to spend 5 days showering him with snuggles and kisses. Oh yeah, and I'll get to see Mary and Josh, too. I am so excited about this trip, and I know the month of April is going to drag by as I wait to go.
We now return you to your regularly-scheduled program, already in progress...
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I rarely do surveys, but not much is going on, so what the heck. I went through this one quickly and then deleted the questions I thought were dumb/boring/unworthy. So pay no attention to the numbers.
1. What is a question that people ask you that always gets on your nerves? "So, when are you going to have more kids?" (I'm waiting for the funny, funny comedian who's going to ask me this in my comments.)
2. Name something you have in common with all your siblings. We all look a lot alike--there's no way we can deny being related (darn it). Behold...
3. What is the greatest amount of physical pain you have ever been in? Being in labor. (Like you all didn't see that answer coming.)
6. Who is the last person you wrote a letter to on paper? My sister. Well, it was a card, but I filled up the entire inside of it with my rambling, so that totally counts as a letter.
7. Have you fired a gun before? Yup. My first time ever touching a gun was in 5th grade at summer camp, and I won a first-place trophy in riflery. *pats self on back* Last time I shot a gun was a few years ago in a shooting range with a friend of mine-- now that was some serious weaponry. (Oh, and also? I was really bad at it.) But it was awesome fun. I'd do it again, anytime.
12. Name a person whose diary you would love to read. Ariana (if only she knew how to write... or how to form complete sentences). Because I really want to know what's going on in that devious little head of hers.
14. Name something that makes you happy. A Love It size German Chocolate Cake creation from Coldstone. (I'm easy to please.)
16. If you were in an emergency situation and had to deliver a baby, could you do it? Am I the one giving birth? Because if I am, I guess I don't have a choice, huh?
17. What is on your refrigerator door? Oh, gosh, what's not on my refrigerator door?
See?
18. Name the closest thing to you that is green. My eyes. (Can't get much closer than that, huh?)
21. Name a movie you are looking forward to watching. Sweeney Todd. (Johnny Depp... *swoon*)
22. Have you ever called 911? Yes, only once, and no one answered. (True story.)
24. Do you own an iPod? Yes--finally I am one of the lemmings. But it only cost us $50, so that makes it better.
27. What CD is currently in your CD player? The soundtrack to Hairspray, the movie. (*so happy to have a working CD player in my car again*)
28. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Do you even need to ask?
29. Has anyone told you a secret this week? Do the anonymous people at PostSecret count? Because in that case--yes. Tons of them.
30. When was the last time you had Starbucks? Never ever ever. Blech.
35. Would you ever date anyone covered in tattoos? No, silly. I'm married.
36. What did you do before this? I answered question #35.
38. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? Well, I can function on some level with any amount of sleep, or none at all. If you mean, "how many hours of sleep do you need to function well?" then... I don't know. But if I ever get the luxury of finding out, I'll be sure to let you know.
39. Are you picky about spelling and grammar? *laughs in the face of this question*
42. Do you watch the News? I can't answer this question until I know why they felt the need to capitalize "news."
44. Name the one place you would rather be right now. In bed, sleeping. On a cruise ship. In the Caribbean. With the window open and the warm ocean breeze lulling me to sleep...
46. Are you hiding anything from the world? Yes. (... What? You thought I was going to tell you? Ha!)
I was the Workout Queen yesterday... I took a 15-minute walk at work, a 20- to 25-minute walk with Ari in the evening (since it was a gorgeous 50+ degrees when I got home), and still did 30 minutes on the Gazelle while I watched the last half of American Idol. And I kept my eating under control. (I've been a slacker ever since pigging out on Easter weekend.)
So this means I can have a candy bar today, right?
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I opened the cabinet last night, looking for something to eat for dinner, and saw a brand-new box of Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats staring me in the face. I yelped, "Aww, I love you!" out loud before realizing Tony wasn't home to hear me.
But I did remember to say thank you when he got home.
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Tony, trying on a suit the other day to see how much it needed to be altered...
Tony: Well, I need to get these pants taken up. *chuckle* I don't usually have this problem.
Me: Welcome to my world.
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I was on the computer last night while Ari sat/stood on the chair next to me, entertaining herself and trying every so often to climb on the table when she thought I wouldn't be paying attention. At one point, I felt her staring at me, so I turned to see what was up. Her lips were puckered up, and now that I was looking at her, she leaned in for a kiss. But not just one kiss--she kissed me about 10 times before finally dismissing me and returning to her regularly-scheduled shenanigans.
This was the first official weekend of spring, but it sure didn't feel like it. It wasn't freezing or anything, but it just didn't feel like it was about to be Easter. I guess that's what happens when Easter falls so early in the year.
Matt, Kristin and Nicholas came over on Saturday night for pizza and then a round of Mario Party on the Wii after the kiddos went to bed.
Ari and Nick are quickly becoming good friends.
She picked a fuzzy off the couch, and then tried to eat it. Weirdo.
Matt and Nick were wrestling, and Ari got such a kick out of it.
So Matt decided to let Ari fill in for him, and Nick wasted no time in tackling her.
But he was also a gentleman, and allowed her to feel like she was winning for a few moments. (I love the way they're smiling at each other in this picture.)
He was lulling her into a false sense of security.
Annnnnd, she's no longer having fun.
It's such a riot to watch them play--he is all boy, so much rougher than she is. She held her own pretty well with the wrestling, but as you saw, he got the best of her. At one point during the evening, he latched onto my leg as I walked by him. My first thought was, Oh, how sweet, he's trying to give me a hug. Then I realized he was really just trying to take me out. It's so funny to me how differently he plays, compared to Ari.
Today was Easter, and it was a struggle to get any decent pictures of Ari in her dress. But I did my best. This is the only picture I got of her with the barrette in her hair. Once she forgot it was there, she didn't mind it, but one careless swipe to her head quickly disposed of it.
We put a sweater over her dress because it was so cold. I love this picture--I just wish the lighting was better.
Our church had an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids right after the service, and they let all the really little kids get a head start on the others. Tony helped her find eggs while I took pictures.
I love this shot--she's looking right at the egg.
She lost interest in the eggs pretty quickly--she was just thrilled to be outside. She loves being outside, regardless of how chilly it is.
She was just as thrilled about this stick as she was about any of the Easter eggs.
Enjoying the great outdoors...
Her dress came with a matching overcoat, and this is the best shot I got of it. The inner lining of the coat matches the pattern of the dress.
We went to my parents' house after church for dinner. Here she is opening her Easter gifts from my parents.
And, some mother-daughter shots.
She was telling me a story...
...and showing me her toys.
And the whole family.
And that's all. I am off to bed because tomorrow is the start of a brand-new, long week, and I need some sleep.
(Don't ask about the title... I don't know. It made some kind of sense in my head...)
I have more Ari stories. I have a feeling this is going to become a pretty regular topic of conversation...
Ari managed to lock Tony out of the house the other day, when he was home alone with her. He was letting the dogs out the back door, so he stepped outside with them. The door is a sliding glass door, and the lock is a simple one that flips up or down. Ari likes to play with it, so after Tony shut the door behind him, she managed to flip it into the locked position. Luckily, she was in a cooperative mood, and she came back to the door when he called her through the glass and unlocked it for him. And I was on my way home from work anyway, so it wouldn't have been a huge disaster.
Ari was at the babysitter's yesterday, and Mary called my cell phone to share a story with me. She told me Ari was saying "pee-pee" and wanting to go into the bathroom. Curious, Mary followed her, to see what she would do, and Ari gestured toward the toilet. She was already down to her diaper, having decided earlier that it would be fun to strip, so Mary took off her diaper and sat Ari on the toilet. She didn't pee, but she sat there, content, even holding on to the seat by herself. The reason Mary called was to ask me if Ari had ever done that before, and I said no. I mean, we've been explaining to her what we're doing when we sit on the toilet, and we've sat her on her own potty fully clothed. Well, a couple times we've sat her on it right before a bath, but she's never peed in it. But she's never actually asked to sit on the potty naked before. And I'm pretty sure she's never said "pee-pee" either.
We took Ari to the play area last night, and at one point, she was sitting inside this little cave with a little boy who looked to be about her age. And she was flirting for all she was worth. She smiled at him, touched his arms, hugged him, and I swear I even saw her lean in for a kiss once. After that, she was laying her head in his lap and just being a goofball. The boy's back was to me, so I couldn't see his face, but he didn't seem bothered by it (though he wasn't returning any of the affection).
Last time we were there, Tony helped Ari climb up on top of this cave--it's probably a good 3-4 feet off the ground at the very top. Last night, the little showoff scaled the curvy walls of that cave all by herself, and sat proudly at the top. And she even managed to get down--by laying on her belly and sliding slowly backwards. Of course, once she got to a certain point, she wasn't sliding slowly anymore, so she would land hard on her feet and end up plopping onto her butt. I held my breath the first time she did it, expecting tears from the ungraceful landing, but she got right up and trotted over to us with a Cheshire-cat grin on her face. By the third time she pulled this stunt, she managed to land on her feet, just as hard, but without toppling onto her butt. She looked almost as surprised as I was by this feat, and then grinned even bigger than before.
And so begins the weekend. We're going to my parents' house tonight (Happy Birthday, Daddy!), and then tomorrow we are getting together with Matt, Kristin, and Nicholas. And then Sunday is Easter, so I will finally stop being a slacker and will take lots of pictures of Ariana in her adorable little dress. Happy Good Friday! (Ooh, that sounds so grammatically wrong...)
Yesterday was our trip to New York City to see Rent. Our timing was beautiful... when we arrived in the city and parked, we had exactly enough time to hustle down to Grand Central Terminal to meet our friend Brandon for lunch. (Of course, we had to walk in the rain, and let's just say that me sharing an umbrella with a person who is a foot taller than me is pretty much pointless.) We managed to find a seat in the food court, and after we ate, Brandon had some time to spare before he had to be back in his class. It was not enough time to really do much, so we wandered around Grand Central a little, and then outside. The rain had stopped at the point, so we moseyed around Bryant Park, caught a glimpse of the Nederlander Theater where Rent would be (we weren't looking for it, but there it was), and then Tony and I walked Brandon back toward the building where his class was.
We arrived at the Nederlander Theatre at about 1:20 (the show started at 2), and there was a line down the block and well around the corner. I remember reading somewhere that people like to line up way before the show starts--it's like some kind of tradition, I guess. Anyway, it's a good thing it wasn't raining. Our seats were in the balcony, just a few rows from the back, but again, the theaters in NYC are so small that there are really no bad seats. And Tony had an aisle seat, which he prefers because of his long legs. So I did a good job with seat selection.
The show started with Mark running out on stage, and as soon as he appeared, the crowd went wild. He spoke a few lines, Roger joined him for a few short clips, and then the rest of the cast came running on stage. And I mean they were literally running. This show was so full of energy, it was unreal. And every single cast member was amazing--they blew me away. I'm so used to the original cast--not only from the soundtrack but also from the movie (6 out of the 8 main characters reprised their roles for the movie version), that I was worried I would be disappointed with a different cast--or at the very least, comparing them way too much. But like I said, I was amazed. From the very first song ("Rent"), I was stunned by the quality of Mark's and Roger's voices. The whole show was incredible, and yes, I cried more than once. Tony loved it too--even more than the movie. It's definitely a show I would see again. It was different from other shows I've seen--for example, the musicians sit on stage instead of in an orchestra pit (OK, that's a really minor example, but anyway). But the passion and energy that flows through the entire production is just fantastic.
After the show, we walked about a block to go to dinner--ESPN Zone (Tony's choice). This is where he and Josh hung out last time we were in NYC, while Mary and I saw The Little Mermaid. While we were waiting for our food, Brandon called. He was due to take a train out of the city at 5:40, but they had already delayed it 3 times, and he was worried it would keep getting delayed. We had offered him a ride home a few weeks ago, when we first made our plans to go to the city, but he thought a train would be faster and easier for him. Tony told him the offer was still good, so Brandon walked from Penn Station to Times Square to join us and hitch a ride home.
We hit some traffic leaving the city, and the rainy weather made travel a little slower, but we still managed to get Brandon home a good half-hour or more than he would have gotten home had he taken the train (and that's assuming it didn't get further delayed). We didn't get to my parents' to get Ari until after 10, and then we sat around chatting for a while and didn't get home until about 11:30. So I am definitely dragging today, but it was all worth it.
In other news, we are now the proud owners of an 8GB iPod Nano. Apparently, these sell for over $200, usually around $250. And we got it for... (are you ready?)... $50. A guy that drives cars part-time with Tony found it in a car and offered it to Tony. (When they repo cars, they are allowed to keep whatever the owners are careless enough to leave inside. Tony's gotten some pretty cool stuff in the past, but nothing tops this.) It also came with an FM transmitter which allows you to play it through your car stereo (you tune the radio to a static-y station, set the transmitter to the same station, and voila)--and that device alone is worth $75. Tony had to buy earphones for it, but that's it. He spent a good while on Tuesday night playing with, and transferring a ton of music onto it. Of course, we have no user manual for it, so it was a lot of trial and error. But luckily we already had a lot of our CDs ripped onto our computer, which made it easy to transfer them to the iPod. We have over 900 songs on the iPod and it's not even half full. It was so fun to have it for the car ride to NYC yesterday--of course we listened to the Rent soundtrack, and then other miscellaneous songs. It's so nice to be able to listen to any song you want without fumbling for a CD and having to change CDs.
The funny thing is, I was *thisclose* to getting an iPod with my Christmas money, but I held off. And now, I'm really glad I didn't. I mean, fine, then I'd have my own, but whatever. I'm sure I can convince Tony to share with me. And even better... my new car stereo is actually set up where you can plug the iPod right into it--so I wouldn't need the FM transmitter like Tony does. This, of course, makes Tony very jealous, and he's said he wishes he'd put the new stereo in his car and given me his old one. Sorry, sucker.
In other news, I am eagerly awaiting news from my brother Dave (or from my mom after she's heard from my brother) regarding Match Day. He's graduating med school in a couple months, and in December/January, he did a ton of interviews for residency programs. Well, today is the day he finds out where he's going to be doing both his preliminary year (one year) and his residency (specializing in his choice of Radiology). They call it "Match Day" because after all his interviews, he ranked all the places (first choice, second choice, etc.), and they in turn have ranked him. So if one of the places he chose also chose him, that's a match. (I know that's a really horrible explanation, but bear with me--this stuff is confusing.) He knows he has been matched somewhere (I guess there's a small chance that sometimes a student won't be matched anywhere, so he's past that hurdle)--today is the day he finds out where. All the places he interviewed are within a 2-hour radius of my parents and Jess's parents (and us!), so Dave and Jess will definitely be close by--the question is, how close? The suspense is killing me, so I can only imagine how much worse it is for Dave and Jess. I can't believe my little brother is going to be a real, live doctor.
Random Ari story... I was carrying Ari out to the car this morning, and she kept saying "Daddy" over and over again. I told her Daddy was sleeping, and immediately, she put her finger to her lips and said "Shhh." I just taught her that only 2 days ago, but it wasn't in the context of someone sleeping (I was trying to show her how to sneak up on Daddy, and telling her she needed to be quiet). She is such a smart little cookie... sometimes, I think she is too smart. I foresee a lot of devious plotting in her future.
On a whim last night, I applied online for a Kohl's credit card, and got approved! I feel like such a big girl now. (So don't burst my bubble by telling me that anyone can get approved for a store credit card.) Seriously, this is the first store credit card I've ever had. Not that I've been rejected so much or anything--I've just never bothered applying for one. But I was at Kohl's with Dawn the other day, mooching off her special 20% off coupon that she got for being a cardmember, and it got me thinking, Hey, why don't I just get my own card? Tony has a JC Penney card, and while we don't use it that often, it definitely comes in handy from time to time. And I much prefer Kohl's to Penney's. With the Kohl's card, you get special coupons every month--and since I'm a huge clearance-rack shopper, that just means I can save even more money.
The reason I went shopping with Dawn the other day was to snag a luggage set. They had a 6-piece set on sale for $64.99, and then I used Dawn's 20% off coupon to save even more. Not a bad deal. Even if it's not fantastic quality (because, holy cow, some of those good-name-brand luggage sets are ridiculously expensive!), I'm sure it will at least get us through the cruise. Not like we'll be using it much before then. All we have now for luggage are 2 rather beat-up suitcases that we used in college... but since we're flying, and then have to get our butts from the airports to the pier, we decided we definitely needed to invest in luggage with wheels and handles. Wanna see?
Not too shabby, huh? I love the color too--we wanted a color that would be easy to spot on the airport luggage carousel. The only thing missing from this luggage set is a garment bag. (Yeh, that thing you see is called a "garment sleeve" and that's literally all it is--just a thin nylon sleeve you can use to protect your garments from the rest of your suitcase.) But we figure we can either buy one between now and the cruise, or maybe borrow one from someone.
I got a couple more good deals at Kohl's too--a new pair of sunglasses (nothing fancy, but my old pair is all scratched and the arms are really loose), and 2 shirts off the clearance rack (one was $8 and the other was $7--and don't forget the extra 20% off!). I almost snagged a pair of Skechers, too, but talked myself out of it, because even with the sale price and the extra 20%, I still couldn't justify spending over $30 on them...
They are cute, though, aren't they? But I really prefer this style--I love the criss-cross strap...
Anyway, enough about expensive shoes that I can't afford...
So tomorrow is the day... the day we go to New York City to see Rent. I am so excited, and I refuse to let the weather forecast dampen my mood. Yes, folks, we have had 2 days in a row of perfect, sunny weather, but tomorrow is going to be sleety and rainy. But at least it's not snow. It won't be a good day to just wander the streets of NYC aimlessly, but that's OK. We didn't really have any specific plans anyway, other than seeing the show and getting dinner somewhere, which both have nothing to do with the weather.
I'll end with another Ari story... I was cleaning Ari's hands and face after dinner last night, and she sat there calmly and quietly while I did so. Usually, she'll squirm and resist, or cover her face with her hands, or anything else she can think of to avoid getting clean. Surprised by her stillness, I commented, "Wow, look at you, my good girl. You're holding still and not screaming."
No sooner had the word "screaming" left my lips then she looked right at me and let out a little yelp of a scream, complete with a devilish gleam in her eye.
I should have seen it coming, based on the fact that the day before, she saw a commercial on TV that featured a lady screaming, and decided to imitate her. But then again, who knew that she understood the word "scream"?
When we got home from church yesterday, Tony took Ari straight upstairs for a nap. We had gone out to lunch and she had drifted off in the car, so her nap was well overdue. He changed her diaper and her clothes, while I flitted around the upstairs doing other things.
Tony laid her down in her crib, but she popped right back up, which is really unusual for her--she's usually so good about going to sleep. She had her pacifier in her mouth, and she stood at the end of the crib, babbling and pointing out the door. The commotion caught my attention because, like I said, it's unusual for her to fight her nap. I went in the room to see what was going on, and her babbling went down a notch, as though whatever it was she was trying to say had something to do with getting me into the room. I kissed her on the forehead and said, "Good night," and without another moment's hesitation, she laid herself down on her belly. Tony covered her with a blanket, and we shut the door... and she went to sleep without another peep. I walked around with a big grin on my face for the next several minutes.
She was in a great mood when she woke up from her nap, and we had a really good evening together, just us girls (Tony went to a friend's house to watch a movie). She had her moments a couple times, but actually listened to me pretty well. For example, I was letting the dogs out when Ari decided to chuck her sippy cup on the floor, hard. I turned to look at her, and said, "No, we don't throw our cup. Pick it up."
She stared right back, and whined, "No."
I fixed the I-Mean-Business Stare on her, and simply asked, "Do you want a spanking?" hoping she didn't realize I was powerless to do anything at that moment, since I had both dogs' leashes in my hand.
"No," she whimpered back, flopping onto the floor in perfect drama-queen mode.
"Then pick it up and put it on the table."
She contemplated her options for a moment, then finally, slowly, reached over to pick it up. I gently reminded her that her next step was to put it on the table, and she did. "Good job, honey, thank you," I praised her.
She glanced at me, then started clapping for herself, while a big smile spread across her face.
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I mentioned last week that Tony was taking my car in to have a new stereo installed. He did that last Thursday. But then he decided that my car was in desperate need of a deep-cleaning, inside and out, and he took it on himself to clean my car like it's never been cleaned before. He got it washed and did a special treatment on the tires to make them incredibly glossy. Then he cleaned all the crap out of my trunk--let's just say my trunk was virtually unusable because it was so crammed full of junk. And pretty much everything in there was junk--which is why the trunk is now empty. He also detailed the entire inside of my car--it looks brand-new inside (and even smells brand-new, thanks to the "new car smell" air freshener he added). I wish I had thought to take before and after pictures, but I had no idea the difference would be so dramatic. He's quite proud of himself, and he should be. He literally spent hours doing this.
At one point during the day on Friday, I was talking to him on the phone while he was in the midst of cleaning. He told me he was cleaning out the center console in my car. "There is just so much trash in here," he commented.
"Well, it's not all trash. Don't just go throwing out everything."
"What do you mean? It's all just old receipts and expired coupons and stuff like that."
"Well, some of it is notes to myself and stuff like that. I need that."
He paused, thinking over what I'd just said. "You mean like that old car wash coupon that has the word 'GAS' written on the back of it in big letters?"
"Um... yes."
"How is that important?"
"That's how I remind myself to get gas."
Another pause. "So what do you do--on the days you need to fill up, you put that card on your dashboard or something?" I could hear him stifling laughter.
"Maybe. Or I just put it on my passenger seat where I'll see it." Little bits of laughter were escaping him at this point, so I defensively added, "Well, otherwise I'd forget!" Which was obviously not the right thing to say, since it induced him to make some age-related jokes.
When I got home that afternoon, he wasted no time in showing off the car, and I oohed and ahhed appropriately. He showed me my new stereo, and popped in a CD so that I could hear. He even made me sit in the driver's seat, so that I could fully appreciate the cleanliness of my car. Then, pointing at the emergency brake between my driver and passenger seat, he said, "Look there."
I glanced down, and saw this card...
I laughed and rolled my eyes at the same time, but he just grinned, and told me to pick it up. When I did so, I realized it was not just one card--it was a whole pile. There were other car-related reminders...
And more reminders, along with other silliness...
(Those are Ari's grabby little mitts in that picture.)
Isn't he a nut? Now I know where Ari gets it from.
And the sad thing is.. I will probably actually use most of these, for real.
But even if I don't use them, I will probably hang onto these little "love notes" forever.
I was sitting next to Ari on the couch the other night, playing with one of her toys. OK, it wasn't actually a toy--it was one of the shoulder straps that we removed from her highchair (she had the other one). She was happily ignoring me while I fidgeted, until suddenly she seemed to realize what I had. She leaned over to grab it, saying, "Mine." And this time, instead of losing all composure and laughing (like I did with the "I bite" scenario), I yanked the strap out of reach, looked her in the eye, and said, "Say please."
She stared back at me for a moment, as if contemplating my request, then threw herself backwards dramatically against the back of the couch, so that she was now slouched down with her feet near my lap. She made aimless grunting noises (nothing resembling "please") and swung her legs around slowly and crazily, making contact with my legs every so often. So apparently, she decided that her only recourse was not only to refuse to say "please" but to also kick Mommy in slow motion, just barely touching me, so that she couldn't really get in trouble for it.
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She has also started to be pushy. No, literally. If you are in her way, she will push you. But not a rough shove (like her buddy Nick did to her the other night, which I promise I totally did NOT bust a gut laughing at)--she will just slide up next to you, press her body against yours, and apply gentle and firm pressure until she's forced you to move just far enough for her to slither by.
I would go on about how cute this passive-aggressive little tendency of hers is, except that she's started to do it to other kids. Like the kids in the mall play area. I even caught her the other day doing it with one hand--same subtle method, of course, but with a single hand instead of her entire body.
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I was going to the bathroom, and left the door open, as I usually do (because, hey, it's just me and Tony and the kid). Ari came wandering in, declaring, "Potty? Potty?" as she loves to do now.
"Yes, Mommy's going potty," I concurred.
Since that had been established, she turned her attention to other things--namely, yanking the toilet paper off the roll. I saw her eyeing it, and warned her, but her little hand shot out and gave it a good pull before I could stop her.
"I said no," I told her firmly, grabbing her and preparing to remove her from the bathroom.
She instantly transformed from hardy little toddler into squirmy little jellyfish--her legs went limp and her arms went up in the air, making it that much harder to me to get a grip on her.
But, since (for now) I am still much stronger than my devious little daughter, I still managed to get her out of the bathroom--I deposited her floppy little body onto the carpet just outside the door.
She writhed there for a few moments, groaning her displeasure. Then, when that got no reaction out of me, she sat up, stared at me for a few moments, and scooted her naughty little butt until she was back inside the bathroom.
I just stared out at Tony, as if to say, "Did you just see what this little stinker did?" He was stifling a laugh.
I grabbed Ari once more and placed her devilish little butt right back where it had started. And at this point, I was done, and so ended the Great Bathroom Showdown.
I'm pretty sure I won. Right?
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Tony was playing with Ari last night, getting her giggling and laughing in that way that only he can do. While they were taking a break, Ari started chattering to him, then fixated on the word "bay" and kept saying it over and over. Tony replied to her enthusiastically, while glancing at me and asking me if I had any idea what she was saying. I simply shrugged. But Ari was insistent--she kept pointing at the (blank) wall behind him and repeating herself. And Tony kept answering with those typical parent answers you give when you have no idea what your child is saying: "Oh really? Wow. OK. That's really cool. Tell me more."
But Ari was on to him, and her tone quickly changed to the kind of tone that clearly said, "What is the matter with you people? How can I possibly make it any clearer for you dimwits?"
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She asked for Nemo last night, and Tony, being the brilliant and attentive husband that he is, put in Beauty and the Beast (obviously remembering how I've been saying lately that we need to start making her watch that, so she can see her beloved Belle come to life). She wasn't too interested in the opening monologue bit, but once the first song started, she started to pay attention. During the scene where Gaston is shooting ducks and they show a whole flock of ducks flying overhead, Ari pointed at the TV and said, "Mine."
Tony and I stared at each other. "Did you hear that?" Tony said. "She must think they're like the seagulls from Nemo."
"Great. So now she's going to be all messed up. Dogs say 'woof,' cats say 'meow,' and birds say 'mine.'"
I don't really have much to say today, so just a few random things...
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I got the other video to work, so here it is. It's basically the same as the other one, but with bonus content--you get to see some dance moves and a cheesy grin.
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These shoes are cute, no?
They are perfect little summer-y walking shoes--more practical than flip-flops or sandals, but much cuter than clunky old sneakers. Me want.
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Only 5 more days until we go to New York City to see Rent!
Last night, we took Ari to the mall play area (yes, again) and let her run around for a little while. She's pretty good about keeping herself entertained there, but every so often, she'll come running back to us, to flash a goofy smile or lay her head in our laps for a quick cuddle before dashing off again.
So when she came over to me last night and laid her head in my lap, I thought nothing of it. Then the next thing I knew, I felt her teeth on my hand. "Hey, don't bite Mommy," I told her calmly.
She looked up at me, and very seriously replied, clear as day, "I bite."
So I did what any good mom would do--I firmly and gently explained to her that we do not bite people and that biting gives people boo-boos and it's not nice. . . .
Oh, who am I kidding? I did nothing of the sort. Instead, I burst out laughing--the kind of laugh where it just sputters out without warning. And the more I tried to force myself to stop laughing and be Serious Mom for a minute, the more I giggled, until there were tears in my eyes.
Tony just shook his head at me while I tried to explain (between fits of laughter) that I didn't even know she knew the word "bite," let alone how to use it relevantly in a sentence.
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Tony got a couple videos of Ari watching Nemo the other day. For some reason, I can only get the embed code for one of them--it's short, but you can very clearly hear her chanting along with the Tank Gang.
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And for those of you who care, here are the answers to the Movie Quotes Game, along with commentary from me. (C'mon... you knew I couldn't just give you the answers and leave it at that...)
1. "I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. But after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be that any more."
ANSWER: The Princess Bride
Dude, who doesn't love this movie? The hardest part about choosing this movie was settling on just one quote. Runners-up were "This is true love--you think this happens every day?" and "Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while." But I decided to go with the funny quote. My sister and I quote this line all the time, in the witch's squawky little voice.
Who got it right: Mom/Pete, Mary, Eden, Steve
2. "As you can see, the psuedo-facade was stripped away to reveal a minimalist rococo design. Note the unusual inversely vaulted ceilings. This is yet another example of the late neoclassic Baroque period. And, as I always say, 'If it's not Baroque, don't fix it!'" ANSWER: Beauty and the Beast
You knew I had to get my all-time favorite movie in there somehow, right? I love this line--makes me giggle every time.
Who got it right: Mary, Eden, Steve
3. "Good heavens, child, are you all right?"
"There was a bee."
ANSWER: Ever After
Yeh, yeh, another fairy tale/mushy love story. But I skipped the romantic lines and went for this one. This scene kills me.
Who got it right: Mary, Eden
4. "What would I say to him if he were really here? 'Forgive me. I have never known this feeling. I have lived without it all my life. Is it any wonder, then, I failed to recognise you? You, who brought it to me for the first time. Is there any way that I can tell you how my life has changed? Any way at all to let you know what sweetness you have given me? There is so much to say. I cannot find the words. Except for these: I love you.' Such would I say to him if he were really here."
ANSWER: Somewhere in Time
This was probably the hardest one to get, since it's an older, more obscure movie, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. (But I knew my mom would get it.) It's a lovely, heartbreaking little movie.
Who got it right: Mom/Pete, Eden
5. "Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three."
ANSWER: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
This was the movie I had the hardest time picking just one quote from--there are so many great lines and bits of dialogue. So I tried to find a line that might make it a bit harder to guess. This movie cracks me up every time.
Who got it right: Steve
Partial credit to: Mom/Pete, who just put "Monty Python"
6. "I see you're drinking 1%. Is that 'cause you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to."
ANSWER: Napoleon Dynamite
I have loved this movie from the first time I watched it. If you "get" this movie, then you totally get my sense of humor. I love this line, too--ahh, how well I remember the awkwardness of trying to compliment someone you liked in those high school years...
Who got it right: Mary, Steve... [Pete, how did you NOT get this? I am disappointed...]
7. "I remember it, I do. It's there, I know it is, because when I look at you, I can feel it. And--and I look at you, and I... and I'm home. Please... I don't want that to go away. I don't want to forget." ANSWER: Finding Nemo
Are you going to laugh at me if I tell you this line makes me teary?
Who got it right: Mom/Pete, Mary, Eden, Steve
8. "Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid."
ANSWER: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Well, you knew I was going to stick a Johnny Depp movie in here, and I couldn't do that without using one of his lines as well.
Who got it right: Steve
9. "Look, I think it's only fair to warn you that I'm practiced in the ancient art... of origami! "
"Paper folding? "
"Oh... I was hoping you wouldn't know what that was."
ANSWER: Ella Enchanted
I think I have a girl-crush on Anne Hathaway. She is just so adorable and beautiful at the same time. And this movie is a cute twist on the typical fairy tale--if you like Ever After, you'd like Ella Enchanted.
Who got it right: Mary, Eden
10. "How do you all know this song? I've never heard this song before!"
ANSWER: Enchanted
OK, this one might have been a little unfair, since it's not even out on DVD yet. But I love this line--it's spoken by Patrick Dempsey's character... they're in the park and Giselle starts singing, and, just like it happens in all musicals, everyone around them starts singing along. And then he says this. *cracks up*
Who got it right: Eden
11. "It gets worse. My parakeet, Petey."
"Yeah?"
"He's dead."
"Oh, man, I'm sorry. What happened?"
"His head fell off."
"His head fell off?"
"Yeah. He was pretty old."
ANSWER: Dumb and Dumber
The first time I saw this movie, this scene killed me--I laughed so hard I nearly cried. I also love the companion scenes... the part where Jim Carrey is listing all their problems and adds "our pets' heads are falling off!"; the part where they sell the bird (with the head duct-taped back on) to the blind kid who says "pretty bird" as he pets it; and the part where the "scandal" of the dead bird comes out on the news, and the blind kid tearfully says, "I just thought he was quiet!" Other than those scenes, I could care less about the rest of the movie.
(Movie Quotes Quiz in previous entry. Answers will be posted tomorrow [probably].)
Cruise Chatter
I snagged a new pair of shoes at the mall last night.
They are cute, no? And when I have them on my feet, they look really cute from a side view. But from a front view, they make my feet look incredibly stumpy--I think it's something about where that ankle strap is located, plus the fact that the part that covers the toes is really short. And it's not like I have big or long feet to begin with. I might return them--but, with black hosiery, the stumpy-foot issue might not be such a problem. Because other than that, they are pretty perfect--the heel is just the right height and not too skinny, and the ankle strap will keep my feet from slipping out. And they will go perfectly with several outfits--namely, several cruise-worthy outfits.
Yup, I'm already thinking about clothing for the cruise. Hey, I figure now is as good a time as any to start shopping--look for bargains, etc. But first things first--I spent a few minutes last night going through my closet, to see what I already had. And in my hunt through the dark, dusty back corners of my closet, I came across this forgotten little gem...
I bought this dress while I was in college, and the last time I wore it was almost 10 years ago, on our honeymoon, when we went to see Les Miserables in New York City. So it's just chock-full of sentimental value. How cool would it be to celebrate my 10-year anniversary by wearing a dress I last wore mere days after we were married? Not to mention that it's a size 6 and it still fits. (I know it looks really "wide" in this pic, but trust me--it fits me fine.)
Now, be honest with me, girls--what do you think of the dress? I mean, after all, it is 10 years old. And I'm sure my judgment is clouded by the aforementioned sentimentality of it all. Do you think it's cute, and cruise-worthy? Or outdated? Or just "yuck"?
Here I am jabbering on about cruise clothes, and I forgot to tell you the best news of all... Tony went in to AAA yesterday and officially booked our cruise. We are really doing this! He put down a deposit, plus paid for our flights, so that's one major thing that's completely set. We got non-stop flights both into and out of Miami, which I'm thankful for--hopefully that means there's less of a chance of them losing our luggage. On the last day of our vacation, the cruise ships docks in the morning, but our flight isn't until at night, so we are going to rent a car and just chill in Miami for the day. Should be a nice, relaxing way to ease back into the "real world" after spending a week at sea.
Other News
I haven't updated on the plans for New York City, so here's your update... we are going to see Rent in exactly one week. We're going to drop Ari off with my mom in the morning, head to the city, get lunch (possibly with our friend who will be there that day), see the 2 PM matinee of Rent, eat dinner, and head home. I am so excited about it. We were just listening to the soundtrack in the car last night--I love the energy behind the music.
Also, Tony made an appointment to take my car in tomorrow to get a new stereo. I haven't pushed the issue, because I keep telling myself it's not really a necessity, and I've gone this long without it, etc. But Tony took the initiative to get it done for me, and I'm sure not going to argue. And I'm sure as soon as it gets installed, I'll be going, "Oh my gosh, how did I go so long without this?!"
The Ari Show
I haven't done an Ari update in a while, and it seems fitting to title this section "The Ari Show" because she is turning into such a little ham--and she totally knows it, too. She makes these goofy faces for no other reason than to get a smile or a laugh out of us.
She loves fruit right now--apples, strawberries (which she calls "apples"), blueberries, pineapple (which she also calls "apples," but I can see how she'd get confused), bananas, etc. I'm just glad she's into some healthy foods, so we've been buying fruit left and right.
Lately, she has decided she needs to preface every sentence with a sharp, "Ma!" It's her way of getting my attention, I suppose. But it still sounds really funny. "Ma! [Jibberish, jibberish.] Ma! [Blah blah blah.]" And on and on it goes.
I was goofing around with her the other day, and I opened up a tube of lip gloss and put some on her lips. Now, she will hunt down that tube of lip gloss (it sits on my nightstand), pop the cap off like a pro, and rub it all over her lips (and, uh, the skin around her lips, too). She did it last night for Tony, and he was cracking up. "I only showed her how to do that once," I told him.
She understands so much now, and is very good at telling us what she wants. If you offer her food she doesn't want, she will emphatically tell you "no" (usually followed by some unintelligible babbling which, I assume, is her telling us what she does want instead). When I put her to bed, she will point at certain stuffed animals that she wants to hold on to (her new favorite is the Build-a-Bear we made for her before she was born).
She totally understands the concept of "going bye-bye," and, typical of most kids her age, she gets very excited about going somewhere. I was putting her coat on her the other day, and she very clearly asked for her hat. She also knows she needs shoes to go bye-bye, and she knows what we mean when we tell her we're going to the mall to play. And even when we're not planning to go anywhere, she will sometimes ask to go bye-bye. The other day, she even grabbed her toy purse as she asked.
Last night, we were at the play area in the mall, and she spent several minutes climbing up some stairs and sliding backwards down the slide. She's not quite brave enough to go forward, but going backwards on her belly was perfect for her. After she got bored with that, she came over to us, grabbed at her stroller and said, "Bye-bye?" Apparently, she was done playing and ready to go. I asked her if she wanted to go shopping instead, and she latched on to that word. "Oppy? Oppy?" She happily cooperated as I put her shoes on and strapped her in the stroller.
Wearing lip gloss, asking to go shopping... yup, she's a girl all right.
(See previous post for info on our Caribbean cruise!)
Who wants to play a game? Oh, you all do? Fabulous!
I totally stole this game from other blogs, but here's the basic gist. Below are quotations from 11 of my favorite movies. Your job is to Name That Movie. No cheating allowed--no using Google, no asking your significant other for help. You are on your own.
Easy enough, right? Don't wimp out on me--there should be at least one that's familiar to each of you. (Well, I can only speak for the people who comment here regularly, meaning my mom, my siblings, and my siblings-in-law. But even still, about half of these are pretty popular movies.) Answers will be posted sometime in the near future.
Ready... go!
1. "I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. But after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be that any more. "
2. "As you can see, the psuedo-facade was stripped away to reveal a minimalist rococo design. Note the unusual inversely vaulted ceilings. This is yet another example of the late neoclassic Baroque period. And, as I always say, 'If it's not Baroque, don't fix it!'"
3. "Good heavens, child, are you all right?"
"There was a bee."
4. "What would I say to him if he were really here? 'Forgive me. I have never known this feeling. I have lived without it all my life. Is it any wonder, then, I failed to recognise you? You, who brought it to me for the first time. Is there any way that I can tell you how my life has changed? Any way at all to let you know what sweetness you have given me? There is so much to say. I cannot find the words. Except for these: I love you.' Such would I say to him if he were really here."
5. "Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three."
6. "I see you're drinking 1%. Is that 'cause you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to."
7. "I remember it, I do. It's there, I know it is, because when I look at you, I can feel it. And--and I look at you, and I... and I'm home. Please... I don't want that to go away. I don't want to forget."
8. "Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid."
9. "Look, I think it's only fair to warn you that I'm practiced in the ancient art... of origami! "
"Paper folding? "
"Oh... I was hoping you wouldn't know what that was."
10. "How do you all know this song? I've never heard this song before!"
11. "It gets worse. My parakeet, Petey."
"Yeah?"
"He's dead."
"Oh, man, I'm sorry. What happened?"
"His head fell off."
"His head fell off?"
"Yeah. He was pretty old."
P.S. It may be possible to bribe me into giving you hints...
I've checked with my parents, Tony's talked to Pastor, and I've gotten vacation approval from my boss. So the only thing left to do is call back our travel agent at AAA and tell her that we are all set to book the cruise we put a hold on on Saturday.
Yes, folks, we are really, really doing this. We had a good meeting with our AAA travel agent on Saturday, and we put a hold on a Royal Caribbean 7-Day Eastern Caribbean cruise, visting these ports:
San Juan, Puerto Rico...
Philipsburg, St. Maarten...
... and Royal Caribbean's private beach in Labadee, Haiti.
We both feel really happy with the itinerary--the cruise is just long enough that there's a good mix of days at sea and port days, so we'll be able to enjoy the ship itself as well as visit a few exotic places.
The ship itself is amazing. If you've ever seen commercials for Royal Caribbean, they are the ships that boast the Flowrider surfing simulator and a rock-climbing wall. There's also an ice-skating rink, a full-size boxing ring, a waterpark, a mini-golf course, plus restaurants, lounges and a fitness center. There's even a Johnny Rockets and a Ben and Jerry's on board (if that's not a sign that this is the perfect ship, I don't know what is). Plus, it's one of their newest ships (it first set sail in May 2007), and one of their biggest ships.
Here's a generic picture of what our room will look like (in other words, it's not our exact room):
Oh, did you notice that little window? Yeah, that's not a window... it's a private balcony. Yes, we decided to splurge a little and go for the room with the balcony. I know everyone says you shouldn't go for the fancy rooms because you don't spend much time in there, but we don't care. I can already picture us ordering room service for breakfast every morning (we are SO not morning people) and lounging on our balcony. And sitting out there in the evening, staring at the stars. The thought of being able to not only look out our window every morning, but to be able to step outside into the balmy ocean air makes this vacation sound even more heavenly.
My mind is already racing with thoughts of all the things we need to do before we leave--get passports, figure out what to do with the dogs, maybe do a little shopping for some cute cruise clothes and bathing suits. But we have 6 months to sort everything out, and I refuse to let myself stress about it... yet. For now, I'm just going to stick my nose into the glossy travel brochures they gave us and keep pinching myself to remind myself that my dream vacation really is coming true.
First of all, in case anyone is wondering what a red velvet cake is.... According to Wikipedia, "a red velvet cake is a type of rich and sweet, mild chocolate cake which has a distinctive dark red or red-brown color." It looks like this:
Coldstone even features red velvet cake in some of its ice cream cakes... like Cake Batter Confetti...
... and Strawberry Passion...
Great. Now I want ice cream. And cake. Thanks a lot, you guys.
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Moving on to the "real" entry.
(Caution: May contain spoilers related to American Idol and Celebrity Apprentice.)
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Dear America,
Thank you for voting Danny Noriega off American Idol. The whole experience will be much better without his snotty little attitude.
Love, Someone Who Really Ought To Vote Since She Seems To Care So Much
PS Don't you dare touch David Archuleta.
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Dear Donald Trump,
Thank you for firing Omarosa last night. You have done the world a favor.
Love, Someone Who Is Way Too Invested In Your Show
PS Special props to Piers Morgan for laying the smackdown on Lady O.
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Dear Size 6 Jeans,
I love you.
Love, Someone Who Is Happy With Her Size 8 Pants Too
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Dear Self,
Are you sick, or not? Please make up your mind. Because this in-between-ness is killing me.
Love, Someone Who Is Sick of Waking Up Every Morning Full Of Gunk, Then Feeling Better By The End Of The Day, Then Starting All Over The Next Day
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Dear Ivan,
Stop pooping in Ari's room. Just because you did it once does not mean you need to keep doing it over and over. You are lucky Ari likes you so much. Very lucky indeed.
Love, Someone Who Is Glad She Didn't Have To Clean It Up
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Dear Ari,
That long, lingering hug you gave me when I said goodbye to you this morning made it so much harder to leave. And then that smirk you gave me right afterwards told me that you know exactly how cute you are. You are the devil in disguise. But I love you anyway.
Love, Someone Who Is Equally Devilish But Doesn't Know Where You Get It From
PS Thanks for falling asleep last night without your pacifier, again.
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Dear Tony,
I am trying to be mad at you for buying those chocolate chip cookies, but they just taste. so. good.
Love, Someone Who Wishes You Would Just Hurry Up And Finish Them All Already
Well, I think making it through 3 weeks of living with 2 sick people without getting sick myself is a pretty good record. Unfortunately, it seems like my winning streak is coming to an end. I've woken up the past 2 mornings with a really sore throat--the kind where you can barely swallow because it feels so swollen. Yesterday, it got better as the day went on, but it was worse again this morning. And my head is a tiny bit congested, too. I'm guzzling orange juice to help counteract this virus--hopefully I can kick it as quickly as Ari kicked her last cold. Remember how I said she was so miserable on Sunday, and even a little on Monday? Well, by Tuesday, she was fine--the runny nose had stopped (mostly) and she was definitely back to her usual cheerful self. Oh to have her perfect little immune system.
Speaking of Ari, guess who went to sleep on Tuesday night without her pacifier? She fell asleep on the way home from a friend's house, and it got me thinking... That's the second time she's fallen asleep in the car without her pacifier, and it's probably just far enough past her bedtime that she's tired enough to fall asleep without it. I figured it was worth a shot. When I cuddled her close for our bedtime song, she was antsy, and when I laid her down, she literally looked around her crib for it. I left her alone, and as expected, she cried. I decided I would let her go for a few minutes, and if she seemed really miserable, I would give her the pacifier. But as the minutes passed, her cries grew weaker and quieter, and within minutes, she was completely silent. I waited several more minutes before daring to peek in her room, and she was on her tummy, fast asleep and snoring. I laid the pacifier down by her head in case she woke up during the night, and left the room, bursting with pride. I've been bracing myself for a battle royale with the pacifier, but Tuesday night gave me some hope. I tried again last night, but she was already in a bad mood before bedtime, so I caved and gave her the pacifier rather quickly. I'm not too worried about it--we still have a lot of time to work on this, and at least now I know that is is possible for her to fall asleep without it.
We have an appointment on Saturday morning with a travel agent from AAA, and I am so excited. I'm sure I will drive her nuts with all my questions, but I am just so ready to get this show on the road. Like I said yesterday, we have some ideas what we want to do, and we have a time frame to work with, so it's just a matter of finding the best deal. I'm going to do some online research between now and then to get some ideas of what types of cruises are available, just so I'm not completely clueless. I still can't believe this is really going to happen.
I am wearing another one of my new pairs of pants from Kohl's--the black ones. I suppose it's a sign that I waited far too long to go shopping when it feels weird to me to be wearing pants that actually fit. It's amazing how a well-fitted piece of clothing can make you feel so much better about yourself. (Or is that just me?)
Today is my littlest little brother's birthday. I don't know how it's possible that he's 18--I remember him being born. We're going to my parents' house tonight to celebrate his and Tony's birthdays together (Tony's is the 8th). Mom made a cake for Tony, and I made the frosting--Tony's grandmother's/aunt's recipe. It's one of my favorite frostings--light and fluffy and not overly-sweet, and best of all, easy to make. And, of course, it's Tony favorite frosting, too. I'm sure he'd prefer it on top of a red velvet cake, but my one attempt at making one was disastrous, and they don't sell the cake mixes for it around here anymore. Anyway, I know he'll like his cake, and it should be a fun night.
I got a text message from the babysitter, asking me if my brother's name was Pete. I replied "Yes. ...??" and she told me she had been talking to Ari about going to eat at Gramma and Grampa's house tonight, and Ari piped up, "Pete?" She is too funny. Hopefully she'll give her Uncle Pete some birthday hugs and kisses tonight.
I've been such a slacker with taking pictures of Ari lately. I actually attempted some last night, because she had her baby doll laying in her lap and was giving her the sippy cup, but as soon as I appeared with the camera, she stopped. So instead, here's a picture of her from almost exactly a year ago.
I remember how I always used to think she was such a skinny baby, but compared to what she looks like now, she was actually kinda of chubby. I love her little smirk--it's so typical of her personality.
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I stopped at Kohl's on my way home last night to look for some new black pants, and came home with 3 pairs of pants (black, dark brown, and black with pinstripes) and this shirt:
Gotta love "buy one, get one free" sales. And the best thing is that I got my pants in the Petites section, which means they are the perfect length on me. And if you must know, they are all size 8, which I am totally OK with. Like I said before, I know the size 4 thing was a fluke. The size 6 fit me, but was just too tight. You can get away with pants being a little too tight when they're a nice, thick material (like jeans), but it's not so easy to hide your flaws in the flimsy material of dressy pants. The size 8 was perfect--fitted without being too tight, and they're "stretch" too, which makes them even more comfortable. I'm wearing the brown ones today, and it feels so nice to wear pants that fit.
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Got this info in an e-mail forward, and I thought it was interesting. I knew Easter was early this year, but I didn't know all this other stuff. (I added one small correction, thanks to snopes.com.) I am a fabulous source of useless information.
Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar. Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare.
This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see. Only the most elderly (95 or older) of our population have seen it this early and none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier!
The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2160 (152 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913, so if you're 95 or older you were around for that.
The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!
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Just look at this picture...
*sigh*
I am dying to start planning this cruise. Hopefully Tony will have time today to contact AAA and set up an appointment or something for us to talk with a travel agent. There are just so many options, so many choices--I really feel like we need a professional to help us out so we don't miss anything important.
Here's what I do know...
* We want to go to the Caribbean. I was all settled on Eastern Caribbean, but now the more I research, Western Caribbean sounds better and better. Southern Caribbean sounds good too.
* We want to be gone somewhere between 4 and 7 nights. 3 nights seems too short, and anything longer than a week is going to be too long, especially if we decide to do an overnight stay on either end of the trip (i.e., staying overnight in whatever city the ship departs from).
* We're pretty settled on going with either Royal Caribbean or Carnival, since those are 2 big names in the cruising world, and we know people who have traveled with both and spoken highly of them. Of course, I'm still holding on to the idea of a Disney cruise, but I'll have to convince Tony of that one...
* We don't really care where the ship takes off from, so it's more a matter of choosing a city where we can get a cheap flight. Yes, there are cruises that take off from NYC, but they tend to be 8 nights or more, so we're not sure we want to go that route. But we could take off from Baltimore, which is also within driving distance. Anywhere in Florida is fine, and I also love the idea of taking off from New Orleans--I miss that city. And if we take off from someplace like that, that only confirms the idea that we'd want to spend a night in that city either before or after the cruise.
So, see, we have some ideas of what we want to do. Our dates are fairly flexible, so that should help with the planning.
OK, just one more picture. I can't believe that in a few months, I'll be in a place as gorgeous as this...
Dear Diary,
I think that growing up isn't exactly what I thought it to be. It is so unfair! Everyone says that you are responsible for yourself. No one understands the feelings of an 11-year-old girl nowadays. Sometimes I just wish I never had to grow up. (written in my diary on January 14, 1988)
