I'm Afraid!!

We're going to Cedar Point tomorrow! The big kids (Katie, Justin, John and I plus a few stragglers) are leaving the little kids (Megan and Colin) with the grandparents at Club Firestone (the name we have given to my parents' backyard oasis.) We are going to have so much fun.

I thought I would share with you a shot from the last time I was on a roller coaster. It was our annual "Girls' Weekend - Cooters in the Ozarks '08" (Please don't ask about the name - you just don't want to know, trust me.) We became season pass holders at Silver Dollar City in Missouri and rode roller coasters until we turned green. (ok, they didn't turn green . . . I did.) This picture makes me crack up every time I look at it. Katie looks like she just saw a ghost. My hood is a trip! I felt more secure with it up, as if it could protect me from plunging to my death. That reminds me . . . I never posted pics from our crazy weekend in the mountains several months ago. I'll have to get to that!

I love roller coasters and am a true adrenaline junkie but I'm really terrified of the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. Tonight John and I had a conversation about it:

L: I don't think I'm going on the Top Thrill Dragster tomorrow.

J: Really?

L: Seriously, I don't think I meet the height requirement.

J: Whatever, you goof!

L: Well, there are size and weight requirements too. It says you can't ride if you're a size 18.

J: Yeah, with two of you AND the cat in your pants! What is your deal?

L: There is a certain point where my quest for adrenaline meets my fear of early death. The Top Thrill Dragster is that point. I'm not riding it! Besides, it says you shouldn't ride it if you are pregnant or have recently been pregnant.

J: What, you're pregnant??

L: (totally not pregnant) John, I just gave birth two years ago . . . practically yesterday! That ride could damage my cesarean section recovery. I'm just trying to be practical here.

Can anyone think of any other possible reasons I shouldn't ride the Top Thrill Dragster??? Justin isn't convinced by my compelling arguments either and has already started harassing me. The Top Thrill Dragster is too scary, even for this wild woman!

Will I ride??? (no way) Tune in later for (no) photographic evidence.

Totally Inappropriate

but I can't help it. This picture is too funny.

Dear God

Hello. It is me, Lisa. I know you probably have a lot on your plate with real problems and all but could you please steer Hurricane Gustav away from Mexico? You see, we've booked a vacation and are really concerned about our resort blowing away in the wind.

Love,

Lisa

P.S. Oh yeah, please bless all those whose lives are truly in peril because of this storm. Can you believe how selfish some people can be?

Colin's Birthday Party

As promised, here is a picture of the cake I made for the little guy's third birthday. The theme was Lightening McQueen/Cars. I didn't need alcoholic beverages this time and managed not to crash any of our cars. (I came dangerously close but I'll tell you about that later!) This cake didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it. I actually got so frustrated with it I went to bed with it unfinished and planned on buying Colin a cake in the morning. Then I remembered John's sage advice the last time I made a cake. He told me, "Lisa, calm down. People are going to eat it and then it will turn to poop." (A little crude, but he did have a point.) Every time John saw me obsessing over a detail on the cake, he would walk by and whisper, "It's gonna be poop. It's gonna be poop." Way to keep things in perspective for me John! I got up early the next day and finished the cake. I'm so glad I did because Colin's eyes lit up when he saw it. That made it all worth while.

I was extremely nervous transporting the cake to Colin's party. I laid down a sheet and put it in the back of the SUV. I was driving so slowly that people were honking behind me and making awful hand gestures when they finally passed me. (Definitely a first for this speed demon!) I eventually made it up to about 40 mph and I saw a deer on the side of the road. I started braking ever so delicately thinking, "You have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" The deer ran right in front of me. Instead of braking hard (which would have certainly ruined the cake) I braked slowly, before I even had a chance to think about it. How terrible of me! Luckily, and miraculously, I just missed the deer. That would have been my THIRD accident of the summer with my vehicle, not to mention I would have been devastated to hurt the deer. (That reminds me, I didn't tell you about my second accident of the summer. Next post, I promise.)

Colin opening gifts (with Megan's eager help.)

My niece Brianna.

My sister Katie and I

I Love This Girl!

The other morning, Megan came into the kitchen and said, "Look Mommy! I'm you!" So glad the camera was right next to me on the counter! This moment was priceless.

The Airshow

As "councilwoman," I'm now expected to make public appearances at city events. Since the airport is in my ward (area I represent to council,) it was especially important for me to attend the airshow. It is not something I would have ever thought I was interested in . . . standing in the blazing sun looking at airplanes. That is why I love opportunities to try new things! The airshow was really enjoyable. (John absolutely hated having to stop and chit-chat with various city people. He had a one-track mind . . . see planes, see planes, see planes. It is funny how different we are. As the extrovert, I loved the chatting. I almost had to be reminded that we were, in fact, at an airshow. ha!)

We invited Nana and Colin to come along and join the fun.

"Hey, Daddy, look . . . it's a plane up in the sky!"

By far, the coolest part of the day was the F-16 flyover. It was so amazing, I had tears rolling down my cheeks. They were so unbelievably fast and LOUD. I love things that are fast! One of them did a vertical climb that was breathtaking. I told John if I had seen that fifteen years ago, I would have become a fighter pilot instead of a teacher/police officer/mommy/politician. (except I'm kinda scared of flying.) ha, ha. That reminds me of the time I told John I would have liked to become a forensic pathologist, except I'm bad at science. He laughed really hard . . . he thinks I'm funny!

Megan was terrified of the F-16s. I guess I don't have to worry about her running off to be a fighter pilot, at least for now!

Colin and Megan in the plane. How adorable is that?

Megan loved it!
Colin and Nana watching the airshow.

Family Movie Night

Here are some pics from our second "Family Movie Night." We eat pizza (if that is what you call what they have here in Ohio . . . nothing like real Buffalo pizza,) change into our pajamas, eat popcorn, and watch a movie together.

We order the "veggie lovers" pizza - this is how I justify eating pizza in the first place. Hey, at least it has veggies on it! Megan removes them from her pizza and piles them in the corner of her plate. She loves veggies . . . just not on her pizza.

This is her "can I have some more even if I didn't eat my veggies" smile.


We give Megan her own plastic cup filled with popcorn. She loves it.

It was so cute. When John ran out of popcorn in his bowl, Megan took some from her cup and put them into his bowl. I love that kid!

Come here and give me a big, fat kiss you sweet girl!

To say the movie was "boring" would be an understatement. I thought I was renting Beauty and the Beast. About half-way through it, I was thinking "I don't remember this movie being so terrible. Would it be rude to polish my nails during family movie night? Is there any pizza left? Wow, that table is dusty." When Megan looked away, I made John jump ahead a few chapters with the remote. After it was over, we realized it was a sequel to the original. Imagine 1.5 hours of candlesticks talking to teapots with no storyline whatsoever . . . won't make that mistake again!

All in all, any time we can spend together as a family is time well spent, boring movie or not.

Rock bottom - that's where I can be found at the moment. How in the world did this day go from surprise love notes written in sidewalk chalk behind my car, adorable donkeys, bunnies, and candy sticks to rock bottom? Come join me as I walk you through my day.

It all started this morning when I took Megan to see her favorite donkey, Buckeye. It is amazing but he always comes to the fence to greet her. I think she is the "donkey whisperer."


Then we checked out the adorable bunnies.

Notice the blue around her face? I let her have a candy stick (gasp) when we visit the farm. She always chooses cotton candy flavor and it keeps her occupied while I buy some vegetables.

We had a wonderful morning. It was one of those mornings that make me tear up, so thankful I'm home and not missing a second of her cuteness. She was singing at the breakfast table . . . said "Mommy, I yube (love) you." I felt like I wanted to freeze everything and burn the morning into my memory for fear that the passing days would steal the freshness of the moment.

We came home from the farm and went in the backyard to water the garden. The hose had a kink and I walked over to untangle it. Megan picked up the nozzle and was looking into it, but I didn't realize that until she was screaming and completely soaked. Once I knew she was ok, I started laughing hysterically and so did she. Like I said, it was an idyllic, picture perfect morning. I think the birds were even singing, for Pete's sake.

It all went south at naptime, or what we formerly referred to as naptime. Now it is more like a scene from "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" . . . but I only have ONE monkey.

We moved her to the big girl bed and had about a week of sleep issues. After that, we had the problem solved and had our evenings back. Yeah, that was until Megan bit a hole in her binky, rendering it "unsuckable." We pondered getting another one (yes, we only had one), but I apparently had forgotten what a week of zero sleep felt like. Overconfident (and apparently insane), I didn't buy a new binky. Megan kept desperately trying to suck on it, telling us, "It's broken. Fix it." Sad, but not sad enough to make me buy another binky. So, we've had about a week of late nights (Megan still up at 11pm), super early mornings (5:30am) and no naps.

After two hours straight of me putting Megan back in bed this afternoon, I walked in and found her writing on her legs with a red pen. Where did she come up with a red pen? She didn't have it when I put her in her room.

At some point earlier in the day, she had somehow smuggled a pen into her room. Amazingly, she did not write on her freshly painted walls, new bedding, or new bed. You have no idea how grateful I was for that. Instead of doing laundry, making some calls for city council, cleaning up the kitchen, taking the dog outside, and starting dinner, I had to do a shakedown for contraband in her room. The sweep was clean. Seriously, I didn't picture myself doing that until the teenage years.

I gave up on the idea of a nap, especially since it was almost time for dinner. I brought her down to the couch and put on a movie. I so desperately needed a mommy time-out. I took this picture from up on the balcony outside my office. I was going to blog as a venting/coping mechanism but she came up after me and thwarted those plans as well. Ahhhhh!

So, you're still wondering how and when I reached rock bottom?

Well, most times when I have a day like today, John comes home and I'm like, "You're turn!" That didn't work so well tonight because John had a SPA APPOINTMENT. I'm not joking, but it is a little ironic isn't it? I actually cannot blame him. I bought him the year-long membership to the spa for his birthday so he could have relaxing massages once a month. (Without a paid in full membership, John would be less likely to treat himself. Being a computer genius is hard on your shoulders and back, and he deserves it.)

While John was being massaged, I was doing Turbo-Jam (cardio kick boxing) with my sister while our youngsters ran around the downstairs. It was supposed to be a stress reliever! I think the extra chasing burned a few more calories though.

Rock bottom came after John came home and it was bedtime. I was bracing for the hours of misery ahead when John miraculously found a new, unbitten binky and asked what we should do. "Should we give it to her?" He didn't want all the time we had suffered to go to waste. I thought about that for a second, then replied, "Give it to her. I don't care. We'll pack it up with her when she goes off to college. I can't take this one more night." Rock bottom!

I should be ashamed of myself, but I think I like rock bottom actually. My kid is asleep before the nightly news for the first time in a week.

They say God never gives you more than you can handle. Remember that, please, before you ask me when I'm having another baby. ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

Happy 3rd Birthday, Colin!

To celebrate Colin's birthday, we went to his favorite restaurant . . . Yanni's. They make a mean grilled cheese on pita bread (at least he thinks so.)

My sister Katie and her husband Justin with the birthday boy.

Our hungry little family.

Colin didn't like his cake . . . Megan was happy to take care of it for him.

She would eat cake for all three meals if I let her.

Nana and I, striking a pose in the parking lot. Don't you love her smile.

That reminds me . . . Colin liked cake on Megan's first birthday! Hmmm . . . maybe he just wanted to steal her thunder. ha, ha

I thought I'd take a walk down memory lane in honor of Colin's 3rd birthday. Megan and "Cowie" (as she affectionately calls him) have had some great times together.

At the cabin . . . taking a bath in the same sink we used as kids.

That trip to the cabin was our first real trip away from home. Megan was three months old, screamed almost non-stop, and breastfed every hour. We had a great time. ha

Trick-or-treating together

Doesn't it look like Colin the hungry lion is eating my precious little lamb?

Sharing and playing

Boring craft show

Out to dinner

Sharing Grandpa's lap, and not very happy about it.

Happy Fourth of July to the partners in crime.

They love taking baths together.

Watching TV . . . most likely Thomas the Train.

I just noticed a trend. Every year for Halloween, Colin dresses up like something that eats Megan. A spider and a bee . . . jeesh . . . kinda scary!

Colin, convincing Megan to jump!

Fun sleepovers and bedtime stories

Another Fourth of July . . . this year with sparklers and fireworks! They are so much bigger than last year. Makes me want to cry.

Going to the movies together. They had fun even though Megan looks like she needs a nap!

The big party is this weekend. I'm making a Cars cake for the little guy . . . hopefully this time without the need for alcoholic beverages. Happy Birthday, Colin! We love you.