Tomorrow after work, I get the immense pleasure of spending 2 nights and 2 days with 2 dear friends at a scrapbook retreat. I am looking forward to it so much I could just bust!!! My only problem with this getaway is trying to scale down what I was packing for the trip. I need two days worth of scrapbook supplies, my Cricut and all her accessories, my Scentsy supplies because I've paid to be a vendor and setup a display table of my products and then my overnight stuff for the hotel. I have considered renting a UHaul for the weekend but decided the expense was probably a bit much. Plus I'm not good an manuvering large vehicles. So tonight I am going to try and find time to do my best to reduce the scrap supplies I am taking. Not as easy as it might sound. The idea of condensing these supplies has actually kept me up the past few nights trying to figure out what should stay and what should go. Not that I'm complaining about the lack of sleep because my excitement over this weekend away is bigger than any stress life can throw my way right now.
If need be, I will bring it all and I'll be fine!!!
P.S. Last night Mom and I went to a fabulous Girl's Night Out at a local Spa. Foot Soak, champagne, fruit and cheese, and a facial!!! My skin is so happy today and I'm so relaxed! Mom had the massage instead of the facial and said it was great too. We met some really nice ladies from TC and other nearby towns. They sound excited about GNO's so maybe we'll have a renewed interest in our little monthly outings!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Parenting 101
Is there ever a time in a parent's life where it gets easier? Does it ever hit "cruise control"? I have two really great kids but they are wearing me out with worry. I worry about whether I have them doing too much or whether I don't have them doing enough. I worry about their health - is there more I could be doing to help E with his allergy issues? Was there something I could have done differently so Ash wouldn't have had so many ear problems? I worry about their social interaction - do they have enough friends? Is it the right kind of friends?
Recently my worries have been about the social side of my children's lives. My son is not the social butterfly that his sister is. She never met a stranger. He's never met a friend. She ran into new situations head first. He goes into them clinging to my right leg (which will be a problem if he gets much taller). His teacher promises me that once he's at school, he really interacts with the other kids especially on the playground. Based on what I've seen in person and in photos - I still find this hard to believe. No matter how many times we practice the songs at home for a school event - he stands on the stage frozen in place looking like he's never heard these songs before. He won't sing, he won't do the motions and he certainly will not smile! I took him for a speech evaluation last week because I was afraid his speech might be holding him back socially. The therapist said he's right on target with word formation and ahead of the game in sentence structure. Everyone tells me he will outgrow this shyness but I'm the mom and so I'll continue to worry.
Now I have the added stress of my dear sweet social daughter informing me that she has no social life and she wants one....or at least she thinks she does....well, maybe life is okay like it is - she's 12 and she's just not really sure what she wants. We went to the movies to see "17 Again" on Friday (great movie btw). Afterwards, we sat outside at Snuffer's and had some dinner. I couldn't help but notice her noticing all the groups of preteens and teens cruising the streets of the Town Square. I also noticed (cause I'm that observant kind of a mom) that her mood was going downhill the longer we sat there. When I inquired, she explained that a lot of her friends come up to the Square every weekend to see movies, shop or just 'hang'. Well, I'm not the type of mom that is comfortable with my baby girl loose on the streets of any town. Twelve is just too young in my opinion. With the things I've found out recently are going on in 6th grade- I know I'm right. I explained to my DD, that not all of her friends 'hang' in the Square. As a matter of fact, I was pretty sure that none of her friends from Gates 'hung out'. After a good conversation, I was feeling pretty good about my mommy skills! So we went to get a cookie, did a little t-shirt shopping at Delia's and was walking back around to our car when who did we spot.............the same group of friends I had just convinced her did not "hang" at the Square. UGH! I could feel the wind being sucked out of my daughter's good mood. My heart just sunk. In my favor was the fact they had a mother along with the group. In my heart though I knew this wouldn't make a difference and that my daughter was crushed that they had not invited her along for the evening. I tried to play it off that her cellphone was turned off at home and maybe they'd tried to reach her after school but we both knew that wasn't the case. She'd been snubbed and I was there to witness the whole debacle. So much for a fun 'date night' with my daughter. We both rode home in silence while we absorbed what we'd discovered. No matter how sweet my daughter is......no matter how much her classmates like her......she's not 'hang" at the Square kind of material. She's not the gal they think to invite along to something like that. Why? I wish I had even the slightest of clues? She's invited to the birthday parties. She's even occasionally invited to sleepovers. But she's never invited to 'hang' out at the Square or the park or anywhere else for that matter. Trust me - this is just as much of a gut punch to the mother as to the daughter. I probably wouldn't let her go but her friends don't know that. So wassup?
Not sure how to handle this one. Just trying my best to convince her that her life is just too full with tennis, school work and family to have time for hanging out. I know that is not the best answer because I know that if I were 12 years old - that answer would not repair my broken ego.
I guess with both of my children, the answer is patience and faith. Patience that it will all work itself out. Faith they will not be too scarred in the process of maneuvering thru life with me as a mother - a woman of not enough answers, a woman with the boot print of life still tattooed on her gut, a woman who wants to fix it all....
Recently my worries have been about the social side of my children's lives. My son is not the social butterfly that his sister is. She never met a stranger. He's never met a friend. She ran into new situations head first. He goes into them clinging to my right leg (which will be a problem if he gets much taller). His teacher promises me that once he's at school, he really interacts with the other kids especially on the playground. Based on what I've seen in person and in photos - I still find this hard to believe. No matter how many times we practice the songs at home for a school event - he stands on the stage frozen in place looking like he's never heard these songs before. He won't sing, he won't do the motions and he certainly will not smile! I took him for a speech evaluation last week because I was afraid his speech might be holding him back socially. The therapist said he's right on target with word formation and ahead of the game in sentence structure. Everyone tells me he will outgrow this shyness but I'm the mom and so I'll continue to worry.
Now I have the added stress of my dear sweet social daughter informing me that she has no social life and she wants one....or at least she thinks she does....well, maybe life is okay like it is - she's 12 and she's just not really sure what she wants. We went to the movies to see "17 Again" on Friday (great movie btw). Afterwards, we sat outside at Snuffer's and had some dinner. I couldn't help but notice her noticing all the groups of preteens and teens cruising the streets of the Town Square. I also noticed (cause I'm that observant kind of a mom) that her mood was going downhill the longer we sat there. When I inquired, she explained that a lot of her friends come up to the Square every weekend to see movies, shop or just 'hang'. Well, I'm not the type of mom that is comfortable with my baby girl loose on the streets of any town. Twelve is just too young in my opinion. With the things I've found out recently are going on in 6th grade- I know I'm right. I explained to my DD, that not all of her friends 'hang' in the Square. As a matter of fact, I was pretty sure that none of her friends from Gates 'hung out'. After a good conversation, I was feeling pretty good about my mommy skills! So we went to get a cookie, did a little t-shirt shopping at Delia's and was walking back around to our car when who did we spot.............the same group of friends I had just convinced her did not "hang" at the Square. UGH! I could feel the wind being sucked out of my daughter's good mood. My heart just sunk. In my favor was the fact they had a mother along with the group. In my heart though I knew this wouldn't make a difference and that my daughter was crushed that they had not invited her along for the evening. I tried to play it off that her cellphone was turned off at home and maybe they'd tried to reach her after school but we both knew that wasn't the case. She'd been snubbed and I was there to witness the whole debacle. So much for a fun 'date night' with my daughter. We both rode home in silence while we absorbed what we'd discovered. No matter how sweet my daughter is......no matter how much her classmates like her......she's not 'hang" at the Square kind of material. She's not the gal they think to invite along to something like that. Why? I wish I had even the slightest of clues? She's invited to the birthday parties. She's even occasionally invited to sleepovers. But she's never invited to 'hang' out at the Square or the park or anywhere else for that matter. Trust me - this is just as much of a gut punch to the mother as to the daughter. I probably wouldn't let her go but her friends don't know that. So wassup?
Not sure how to handle this one. Just trying my best to convince her that her life is just too full with tennis, school work and family to have time for hanging out. I know that is not the best answer because I know that if I were 12 years old - that answer would not repair my broken ego.
I guess with both of my children, the answer is patience and faith. Patience that it will all work itself out. Faith they will not be too scarred in the process of maneuvering thru life with me as a mother - a woman of not enough answers, a woman with the boot print of life still tattooed on her gut, a woman who wants to fix it all....
Parenting
Is there ever a time in a parent's life where it gets easier? Does it ever hit "cruise control"? I have two really great kids but they are wearing me out with worry. I worry about whether I have them doing too much or whether I don't have them doing enough. I worry about their health - is there more I could be doing to help E with his allergy issues? Was there something I could have done differently so Ash wouldn't have had so many ear problems? I worry about their social interaction - do they have enough friends? Is it the right kind of friends?
Recently my worries have been about the social side of my children's lives. My son is not the social butterfly that his sister is. She never met a stranger. He's never met a friend. She ran into new situations head first. He goes into them clinging to my right leg (which will be a problem if he gets much taller). His teacher promises me that once he's at school, he really interacts with the other kids especially on the playground. Based on what I've seen in person and in photos - I still find this hard to believe. No matter how many times we practice the songs at home for a school event - he stands on the stage frozen in place looking like he's never heard these songs before. He won't sing, he won't do the motions and he certainly will not smile! I took him for a speech evaluation last week because I was afraid his speech might be holding him back socially. The therapist said he's right on target with word formation and ahead of the game in sentence structure. Everyone tells me he will outgrow this shyness but I'm the mom and so I'll continue to worry.
Now I have the added stress of my dear sweet social daughter informing me that she has no social life and she wants one....or at least she thinks she does....well, maybe life is okay like it is - she's 12 and she's just not really sure what she wants. We went to the movies to see "17 Again" on Friday (great movie btw). Afterwards, we sat outside at Snuffer's and had some dinner. I couldn't help but notice her noticing all the groups of preteens and teens cruising the streets of the Town Square. I also noticed (cause I'm that observant kind of a mom) that her mood was going downhill the longer we sat there. When I inquired, she explained that a lot of her friends come up to the Square every weekend to see movies, shop or just 'hang'. Well, I'm not the type of mom that is comfortable with my baby girl loose on the streets of any town. Twelve is just too young in my opinion. With the things I've found out recently are going on in 6th grade- I know I'm right. I explained to my DD, that not all of her friends 'hang' in the Square. As a matter of fact, I was pretty sure that none of her friends from Gates 'hung out'. After a good conversation, I was feeling pretty good about my mommy skills! So we went to get a cookie, did a little t-shirt shopping at Delia's and was walking back around to our car when who did we spot.............the same group of friends I had just convinced her did not "hang" at the Square. UGH! I could feel the wind being sucked out of my daughter's good mood. My heart just sunk. In my favor was the fact they had a mother along with the group. In my heart though I knew this wouldn't make a difference and that my daughter was crushed that they had not invited her along for the evening. I tried to play it off that her cellphone was turned off at home and maybe they'd tried to reach her after school but we both knew that wasn't the case. She'd been snubbed and I was there to witness the whole debacle. So much for a fun 'date night' with my daughter. We both rode home in silence while we absorbed what we'd discovered. No matter how sweet my daughter is......no matter how much her classmates like her......she's not 'hang" at the Square kind of material. She's not the gal they think to invite along to something like that. Why? I wish I had even the slightest of clues? She's invited to the birthday parties. She's even occasionally invited to sleepovers. But she's never invited to 'hang' out at the Square or the park or anywhere else for that matter. Trust me - this is just as much of a gut punch to the mother as to the daughter.
Not sure how to handle this one. Just trying my best to convince her that her life is just too full with tennis, school work and family to have time for hanging out. I know that is not the best answer because I know that if I were 12 years old - that answer would not repair my broken ego.
I guess with both of my children, the answer is patience and faith. Patience that it will all work itself out. Faith they will not be too scarred in the process of maneuvering thru life with me as a mother - a woman of not enough answers, a woman with the boot print of life still tattooed on her gut, a woman who wants to fix it all....
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Easter Pics
Finally getting around to loading those Easter pics from this year. Example 1: Evan hugging the Easter Bunny at school. This would be the same Bunny that my son refused to have anything to do with at the Country Club just a few days later. Go figure!
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Here is proof my kids actually like each other. Ash was such a good big sister - helping him hunt eggs, color pictures and more.....jpg)
She may look too old for this stuff but she actually enjoyed herself. She missed out last year because of a tennis tournament. I was glad to have her with us this year. And such an egg decorator she is!
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Not enough time
There is just not enough hours in any given day to get things done that I want done. I wake up each morning with renewed hope that this will be the day that I actually accomplish something before bedtime that night. It just never happens. These high ideals were so powerful on Monday morning when DH headed out of town. Usually when he is gone, I have some downtime in the evenings after the kids are in bed to get stuff done. Things started out promising when Monday morning I was actually ahead of our morning schedule enough to straighten up the playroom a bit before we left the house. I was feeling so good about life. Then Monday when I picked up the kids, it all started going wrong. First, they were watching a movie when I showed up so they didn't want to go home til it was over. That meant we did not get home until 6:30 and I still had to fix dinner, bathe my son who had colored his hand "Hulk green" with a marker and get everyone settled before I could get working on all my "to do" items. Lo' and behold, nothing actually got done. By the time we ate, cleaned the kitchen, took the bath, got ready to settle down - it was after 9pm. E couldn't fall asleep til almost 10p so by then I gave up and just went to bed myself.
Renewed hope on Tuesday morning....NOT! Since E went to bed so late, he didn't want to wake up and get ready for preschool so I hate to fight him every step of the way which meant we were way behind schedule all morning. I actually got to work 20 minutes late which is not a very good start. Thank goodness my boss and coworker are in Los Angeles this week. This time after work I was fully prepared to drag the kids out of my mother's door as soon as I arrived so we could get home early. My mother, however, had other plans for me. She was cooking dinner (something she rarely does anymore) and wanted me to hang out to help her move some garage sale leftovers into her car to donate to E's school. So after dinner, E and I were off to pick up Ash from Tennis at 7:30 to rush home and meet the plumber who I'd called that day about a leaky toilet. This plumber was fabulous and ended up repairing not only the leaky toilet but also the sink and shower in the kid's bathroom and gave us a bid on installing a new counter top in the half bath. Long story short, he finished up at 9:50pm (after a trip to Home Depot and then to Lowe's for the parts he needed for my toilet and shower). By the time he left and I got the kids settled down to sleep - it was after 10pm. Nothing accomplished and I knew the kids would both be bears in the morning due to going to bed so late.
This morning was everything I predicted it would be the night before. E was in a very foul mood. Besides getting less sleep than he should, he had coughed all night so I knew he wasn't feeling well. He refused to open his eyes, refused to let his sister anywhere near him and was just generally grumpy for the entire morning. Needless to say, I was late for work again!!
So tonight DH comes home from his business trip and besides just keeping the house in one piece - I accomplished NOTHING!!! Well, the kids now have a fully functional bathroom for the first time in 12 years so I guess it is not a total loss.
Renewed hope on Tuesday morning....NOT! Since E went to bed so late, he didn't want to wake up and get ready for preschool so I hate to fight him every step of the way which meant we were way behind schedule all morning. I actually got to work 20 minutes late which is not a very good start. Thank goodness my boss and coworker are in Los Angeles this week. This time after work I was fully prepared to drag the kids out of my mother's door as soon as I arrived so we could get home early. My mother, however, had other plans for me. She was cooking dinner (something she rarely does anymore) and wanted me to hang out to help her move some garage sale leftovers into her car to donate to E's school. So after dinner, E and I were off to pick up Ash from Tennis at 7:30 to rush home and meet the plumber who I'd called that day about a leaky toilet. This plumber was fabulous and ended up repairing not only the leaky toilet but also the sink and shower in the kid's bathroom and gave us a bid on installing a new counter top in the half bath. Long story short, he finished up at 9:50pm (after a trip to Home Depot and then to Lowe's for the parts he needed for my toilet and shower). By the time he left and I got the kids settled down to sleep - it was after 10pm. Nothing accomplished and I knew the kids would both be bears in the morning due to going to bed so late.
This morning was everything I predicted it would be the night before. E was in a very foul mood. Besides getting less sleep than he should, he had coughed all night so I knew he wasn't feeling well. He refused to open his eyes, refused to let his sister anywhere near him and was just generally grumpy for the entire morning. Needless to say, I was late for work again!!
So tonight DH comes home from his business trip and besides just keeping the house in one piece - I accomplished NOTHING!!! Well, the kids now have a fully functional bathroom for the first time in 12 years so I guess it is not a total loss.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Weekend Update
After two weeks of preparation, imagine the joy I felt on Friday night when the weather man predicted rain on Saturday morning! Not on Garage Sale day!!!!! I gave up a day of scrapbooking with friends to try and sell a bunch of crap only to have the weather interfere with my big plans? Ugh! So at 6:45 when DH woke up to start dragging the large items out to the end of our driveway, my first thought was "is it raining?". At that point it was not so I dragged my tired buns out of bed, got dressed and headed over to my mom's house for the BIG SALE! DH was going to set up the items we did not want to haul to Mom's and try to sell them from our house. In a matter of 5 minutes, he'd made $20 by selling 17 year old Sony speakers. By the time my mom and I had our stuff setup and pulled out in the driveway, I'd seen many potential customers drive on by. In the first hour, we probably had not made what DH had made in 5 minutes. I knew at that point, it was going to be a LONNNNNNGGGGG day. There was a lot of dragging stuff out to the driveway so people would actually stop instead of constant drive bys. Then it would start to rain and we'd have to pull everything back into the garage. When it was all said and done, we made almost $600 between the two houses so I guess that is pretty good for such a bad weather day considering our only big ticket items were a stroller, the speakers and some comforters.
After we had boxed or bagged up all the leftovers and decided which charity would get which bag or box, DH took Ash to church since she was an alter server. Mom, E and I stayed at her house to rest since we did not have time to shower and change before Mass. We were sitting on the patio when my friend Kim dropped by with my adorable godson. He and E played very well together on the patio. I was so proud of my guy for not getting frustrated every time X tore down his Lego robot. I think he understood that X is still a baby and doesn't understand he shouldn't do that. After a nice visit with Kim and X, E and I headed home. I decided I needed some Ash time so when they got home from church I took her to Saltgrass for dinner. She loved having me all to herself and we had some great conversations and great steak. It was so nice to have a good meal after a week of fast food and frozen dinners while we were prepping for the garage sale. We ate so much that Ash asked if there was such a thing as a "Food Hangover"? I'm sure if there is - we were suffering from it. We both went home and crashed soon after to recover from said hangover.
Sunday morning was off to Team Tennis in SLake. This is a team we should have beaten hands down but for some reason our entire team reverted to beginner tennis and it was like watching the Three Stooges play at times. Even Ash walked off the court at the end and said she played some lousy tennis. No one argued with her. After tennis, the kids and I went to lunch and then to get E's haircut. He was beginning to look a bit ragged and Alfalfa-like. He now has a fine short haircut and he thinks it looks pretty good. When we were finally home, I managed to log some work time on the computer for Dad's company and even finally uploaded my Vegas pics off the little camera. I'm hoping this week while DH is traveling that I can have some quiet time in the evenings to actually get the pictures edited, identified and filed. Then I can proceed in sending out all promised pics to everyone from the Vegas trip, Easter and the Band concert last week.
After we had boxed or bagged up all the leftovers and decided which charity would get which bag or box, DH took Ash to church since she was an alter server. Mom, E and I stayed at her house to rest since we did not have time to shower and change before Mass. We were sitting on the patio when my friend Kim dropped by with my adorable godson. He and E played very well together on the patio. I was so proud of my guy for not getting frustrated every time X tore down his Lego robot. I think he understood that X is still a baby and doesn't understand he shouldn't do that. After a nice visit with Kim and X, E and I headed home. I decided I needed some Ash time so when they got home from church I took her to Saltgrass for dinner. She loved having me all to herself and we had some great conversations and great steak. It was so nice to have a good meal after a week of fast food and frozen dinners while we were prepping for the garage sale. We ate so much that Ash asked if there was such a thing as a "Food Hangover"? I'm sure if there is - we were suffering from it. We both went home and crashed soon after to recover from said hangover.
Sunday morning was off to Team Tennis in SLake. This is a team we should have beaten hands down but for some reason our entire team reverted to beginner tennis and it was like watching the Three Stooges play at times. Even Ash walked off the court at the end and said she played some lousy tennis. No one argued with her. After tennis, the kids and I went to lunch and then to get E's haircut. He was beginning to look a bit ragged and Alfalfa-like. He now has a fine short haircut and he thinks it looks pretty good. When we were finally home, I managed to log some work time on the computer for Dad's company and even finally uploaded my Vegas pics off the little camera. I'm hoping this week while DH is traveling that I can have some quiet time in the evenings to actually get the pictures edited, identified and filed. Then I can proceed in sending out all promised pics to everyone from the Vegas trip, Easter and the Band concert last week.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Time flies
It is amazing to me how far behind I can get from one weekend trip. I guess with all the preparation that goes into the trip and then the recovery from the trip - life just slips by on autopilot and before you know it - you are behind on everything. That is how I feel about this trip to Vegas. I spent this past weekend trying to catch up on everything the slipped by while Vegas was on my mind. I'm still behind but do feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have so many pictures to upload to the computer from events before Vegas, from Vegas and then all of Easter. That will take up a whole day or night.
Mom and I are joining in on the City wide garage sale festivities this Saturday so I spent part of my time going thru closets, pricing crap and trying to organize stuff into manageable piles for the big sale. We are hoping to eliminate enough of our stuff to finally give up the storage shed we've been paying on for the last year. Whatever does not sell on Saturday is going to Goodwill or Salvation Army next week. That will be such a huge relief to finally be rid of the storage shed and have a clean garage again.
I'm heading off to a weekend scrapbook retreat the first weekend in May so I've got to find time to get my pictures organized and printed before then. I really want to get alot accomplished at this event. I only get to do this about once a year so I'd really like to at least catch up on one project before the weekend is over.
Tennis has taken a backseat to my life and my travels lately and I feel bad. Ash's game is really improving and I hope I don't set her back by keeping her out of these last few and next few tournaments. It's just too much to ask Dh to keep up w/ both kids at a tennis tournament. She does have a tennis mixer this Friday night so hopefully that will make up for the things she's missed.
Catching up on life.....one item at a time.
Mom and I are joining in on the City wide garage sale festivities this Saturday so I spent part of my time going thru closets, pricing crap and trying to organize stuff into manageable piles for the big sale. We are hoping to eliminate enough of our stuff to finally give up the storage shed we've been paying on for the last year. Whatever does not sell on Saturday is going to Goodwill or Salvation Army next week. That will be such a huge relief to finally be rid of the storage shed and have a clean garage again.
I'm heading off to a weekend scrapbook retreat the first weekend in May so I've got to find time to get my pictures organized and printed before then. I really want to get alot accomplished at this event. I only get to do this about once a year so I'd really like to at least catch up on one project before the weekend is over.
Tennis has taken a backseat to my life and my travels lately and I feel bad. Ash's game is really improving and I hope I don't set her back by keeping her out of these last few and next few tournaments. It's just too much to ask Dh to keep up w/ both kids at a tennis tournament. She does have a tennis mixer this Friday night so hopefully that will make up for the things she's missed.
Catching up on life.....one item at a time.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Back to the grind
Yes, I survived my 40th birthday weekend in Vegas!!! It started off badly when I was sitting in the restaurant near my gate and heard the announcement that the flight to Vegas had been delayed by 45 minutes. Knowing that my friends were all already going to be waiting for me for 30 minutes after their flights arrived, I was now worried they'd all leave me for the bright lights. I was pleasantly surprised when I got to Baggage Claim 15 that Deb and Suz were waiting for me along with a limo driver. When we got out to the limo, the rest of the gang were waiting inside with beer and music. Since what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas....... I will not mention that one of the ladies in the limo had spent the afternoon in Margaritaville and was quite the source of amusement on the ride back to the hotel!!!
After dropping off luggage and exchanging gifts, we almost all (one stayed behind to "sleep it off") went down to the casino to start the party!! Everyone basically went their own direction because only my BFF and I are table games kind of gals. At some point during the evening, my parents and brother walked from their hotel to the Flamingo to gamble with Deb and I. They just missed the excitement of Deb hitting 4 of a kind at MS Stud and winning a pretty sweet payout!!! We were up pretty late that first night and I was so wound up from all the excitement that I couldn't sleep.....
So at 8am, Deb and I were back down to the casino to find Suz and the three of us had a nice breakfast together. After breakfast and a little gambling, Deb and I went up for naps. I, again, wasn't able to sleep except for a few brief catnaps so I decided to head across the street to Caesar's to meet M,C & F for lunch. Then the four of us left a little money in the slot machines and they headed off to do some shopping. I had just shopped there in February so I headed to the Pussy Cat Dolls pit to meet Deb and Suz since they were up from their naps.
A group dinner at Margaritaville at 7pm was an absolute blast. We all had balloon hats made - hopefully pics are posted by the gals soon (I forgot to bring down my camera for this one). My 4 and 0 balloon was so tall I kept running into things with it. Hands down, the best balloon hat was Felicia's! It was a fishing pole w/ a dangling fish. When the fish kept dipping into Deb's beverage, we were all laughing so hard it hurt. It was a great meal and a great time. After dinner, we all headed to the Bellagio to watch the fountain's dance. Chele had never been to Vegas and it is a right of passage to watch those fountains live at least one time. From there, Deb, Suz and I headed to the Monte Carlo to gamble with my parents and brother while the rest of the group went back to the Flamingo to get some rest. My dad was a party pooper and went to bed as soon as we walked thru the doors but my brother had the opportunity to be entertained by Deb for a few hours at the Blackjack table before we caught a cab back to our hotel.
Sunday was my actual birthday and I didn't feel too bad for 40. At least I can honestly say that with age comes wisdom because I never had a single hangover in Vegas (neither trip). I was sleep deprived but never sick! I met my Mom at Bellagio for some sight seeing and then we went to Fat Burger for lunch. Deb met up with us for some souvenir shopping for the kids at the M&M store. It is a long walk from our hotel to the M&M store so after a quick tour of MGM, Mom headed back to her hotel and Deb and I decided to give a little money to NYNY. Then we walked what seemed like 5 miles back thru the MGM to catch the Monorail. We did get to see some awfully snazzy country music fans that were there for the ACM's (or one of those country award shows). There were no famous country folk that I recognized so we bought our tickets and hopped on the Monorail. The train malfunctioned at the first stop so we decided to hoof it from Bally's back to our hotel. It seems much closer on the map!! While I went up to the room to drop off our shopping bags and change clothes - Deb went back to MS stud and hit another big payout. I guess I didn't have a shot in hell of actually winning anything in Vegas with Lady Luck traveling in my group. She did have one fabulously lucky weekend!
One great story from Sunday, that morning I went down by myself to play blackjack. I took the last seat at a $10 table. The group consisted of a woman, her grown daughter and son in law and another guy they didn't know. It was the nicest group of people and when the pit boss wished me a happy bday (after logging my players card) the group all chimed in w/ birthday wishes. I was having a great time with them and was actually winning when I got the call from my Mom that she was ready to meet at Bellagio. I told them goodbye and hoped to see them later. Imagine my surprise when 6 hours later I came back from shopping to find all 4 of them still sitting at the same table and my seat was open! After I'd been back with them for about 15 minutes, the waitress brings over a tray of champagne and the group toasts me and sings Happy Birthday!! What a great memory!!
That night my mom and I went to see Bette Midler in concert. My mom is huge fan and I have always loved her music. My mother walked down the aisle at my wedding to "The Rose". Bette is a complete riot and her concert was one of the best I've ever been to. My mom reminded me that she took me to see Elvis on my 7th bday and Bette on my 40th - not too shabby!!! After the concert, I went back to Flamingo to gamble some more with Deb. Felicia hung out with us for awhile watching me lose money and Chele came down for a brief visit before they both called it a night. It was sad to make that walk up to the room Sunday night because I knew it was the end of a fun ride.
Monday morning came wayyy too early since I had to get moving to catch the shuttle to the airport with Mattie and Chele. I hated saying goodbye to everyone as we each parted ways in different directions but I knew I'd see most of them in July for CampAPhi (and hopefully see some of them before then). Oh and I won $30 in the airport at a slot machine - my only win of the weekend - go me!!!
Four modes of transportation, one balloon hat that said "40", several Elvis spottings, 6 sorority sisters, 2 parents, one brother, M&M's w/ "Heather's 40th" on them, 2 birthday rounds of champagne, and less than 14 hours of sleep in a 72 hour period................I survived a weekend in Sin City and I survived turning 40!!! Thanks to all my dear friends and family that made the trip and to all my dear friends that wished me well for my big weekend!
After dropping off luggage and exchanging gifts, we almost all (one stayed behind to "sleep it off") went down to the casino to start the party!! Everyone basically went their own direction because only my BFF and I are table games kind of gals. At some point during the evening, my parents and brother walked from their hotel to the Flamingo to gamble with Deb and I. They just missed the excitement of Deb hitting 4 of a kind at MS Stud and winning a pretty sweet payout!!! We were up pretty late that first night and I was so wound up from all the excitement that I couldn't sleep.....
So at 8am, Deb and I were back down to the casino to find Suz and the three of us had a nice breakfast together. After breakfast and a little gambling, Deb and I went up for naps. I, again, wasn't able to sleep except for a few brief catnaps so I decided to head across the street to Caesar's to meet M,C & F for lunch. Then the four of us left a little money in the slot machines and they headed off to do some shopping. I had just shopped there in February so I headed to the Pussy Cat Dolls pit to meet Deb and Suz since they were up from their naps.
A group dinner at Margaritaville at 7pm was an absolute blast. We all had balloon hats made - hopefully pics are posted by the gals soon (I forgot to bring down my camera for this one). My 4 and 0 balloon was so tall I kept running into things with it. Hands down, the best balloon hat was Felicia's! It was a fishing pole w/ a dangling fish. When the fish kept dipping into Deb's beverage, we were all laughing so hard it hurt. It was a great meal and a great time. After dinner, we all headed to the Bellagio to watch the fountain's dance. Chele had never been to Vegas and it is a right of passage to watch those fountains live at least one time. From there, Deb, Suz and I headed to the Monte Carlo to gamble with my parents and brother while the rest of the group went back to the Flamingo to get some rest. My dad was a party pooper and went to bed as soon as we walked thru the doors but my brother had the opportunity to be entertained by Deb for a few hours at the Blackjack table before we caught a cab back to our hotel.
Sunday was my actual birthday and I didn't feel too bad for 40. At least I can honestly say that with age comes wisdom because I never had a single hangover in Vegas (neither trip). I was sleep deprived but never sick! I met my Mom at Bellagio for some sight seeing and then we went to Fat Burger for lunch. Deb met up with us for some souvenir shopping for the kids at the M&M store. It is a long walk from our hotel to the M&M store so after a quick tour of MGM, Mom headed back to her hotel and Deb and I decided to give a little money to NYNY. Then we walked what seemed like 5 miles back thru the MGM to catch the Monorail. We did get to see some awfully snazzy country music fans that were there for the ACM's (or one of those country award shows). There were no famous country folk that I recognized so we bought our tickets and hopped on the Monorail. The train malfunctioned at the first stop so we decided to hoof it from Bally's back to our hotel. It seems much closer on the map!! While I went up to the room to drop off our shopping bags and change clothes - Deb went back to MS stud and hit another big payout. I guess I didn't have a shot in hell of actually winning anything in Vegas with Lady Luck traveling in my group. She did have one fabulously lucky weekend!
One great story from Sunday, that morning I went down by myself to play blackjack. I took the last seat at a $10 table. The group consisted of a woman, her grown daughter and son in law and another guy they didn't know. It was the nicest group of people and when the pit boss wished me a happy bday (after logging my players card) the group all chimed in w/ birthday wishes. I was having a great time with them and was actually winning when I got the call from my Mom that she was ready to meet at Bellagio. I told them goodbye and hoped to see them later. Imagine my surprise when 6 hours later I came back from shopping to find all 4 of them still sitting at the same table and my seat was open! After I'd been back with them for about 15 minutes, the waitress brings over a tray of champagne and the group toasts me and sings Happy Birthday!! What a great memory!!
That night my mom and I went to see Bette Midler in concert. My mom is huge fan and I have always loved her music. My mother walked down the aisle at my wedding to "The Rose". Bette is a complete riot and her concert was one of the best I've ever been to. My mom reminded me that she took me to see Elvis on my 7th bday and Bette on my 40th - not too shabby!!! After the concert, I went back to Flamingo to gamble some more with Deb. Felicia hung out with us for awhile watching me lose money and Chele came down for a brief visit before they both called it a night. It was sad to make that walk up to the room Sunday night because I knew it was the end of a fun ride.
Monday morning came wayyy too early since I had to get moving to catch the shuttle to the airport with Mattie and Chele. I hated saying goodbye to everyone as we each parted ways in different directions but I knew I'd see most of them in July for CampAPhi (and hopefully see some of them before then). Oh and I won $30 in the airport at a slot machine - my only win of the weekend - go me!!!
Four modes of transportation, one balloon hat that said "40", several Elvis spottings, 6 sorority sisters, 2 parents, one brother, M&M's w/ "Heather's 40th" on them, 2 birthday rounds of champagne, and less than 14 hours of sleep in a 72 hour period................I survived a weekend in Sin City and I survived turning 40!!! Thanks to all my dear friends and family that made the trip and to all my dear friends that wished me well for my big weekend!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Leaving For Vegas
As I sit at my desk at work and slowly watch the clock tick towards 3pm when I get to kiss this place goodbye for one glorious weekend......I cannot help but wonder what this weekend holds. To say I'm excited is a bit of an understatement but like with every other exciting journey in my life, I do go into it with a bit of apprehension. It's just part of my nature. Anytime I feel responsibility for the joy of others, I always worry whether or not I'll do a good job. I'm pretty sure in Vegas everyone will be able to find their own joy but again, it's just part of my nature to worry. Surprisingly, I had no trouble falling or staying asleep last night. Usually before a trip or adventure, I cannot sleep. I guess all the reorganizing in the office file room yesterday helped make sleep possible. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm just 2 days away from being being really really freaking old so I'm more tired than I was in my 30's!!!!
A special 'thank you' to my friends that are not able to join us this weekend for all the birthday wishes and wonderful gifts! Ms. K went scrapbooking with me last Saturday (which is a gift in itself these days) and gave me some wonderful Beauty Control pampering items!! Yesterday, I met Ms. T for lunch and she surprised me with an incredible 'Twilight' necklace and keychain. I am now wearing my new good luck charm on my trip this weekend!!! Ash was very jealous of both of my birthday gifts.
I do feel a bit of guilt about not spending my 40th birthday with my Dh and the kids. Ash is making sure I feel the appropriate amount of guilt but I know she's just giving me a hard time because she's learned the value of Mommy Guilt and how it works in her favor. E man wish me a good trip this morning. He doesn't understand where I'm going but told me to have 3 good sleepovers and then come home. So I plan to make the most of my 3 sleepovers and come home to my baby boy.
Most of the group heading to Vegas are either already there, on a plane as I type or sitting at the airport waiting to catch a plane. I think Suz and I are the only ones leaving later this afternoon and we both have direct flights so it won't take us long to get there.
3 hours and 20 minutes til I leave for the airport.......... Yea me!!
A special 'thank you' to my friends that are not able to join us this weekend for all the birthday wishes and wonderful gifts! Ms. K went scrapbooking with me last Saturday (which is a gift in itself these days) and gave me some wonderful Beauty Control pampering items!! Yesterday, I met Ms. T for lunch and she surprised me with an incredible 'Twilight' necklace and keychain. I am now wearing my new good luck charm on my trip this weekend!!! Ash was very jealous of both of my birthday gifts.
I do feel a bit of guilt about not spending my 40th birthday with my Dh and the kids. Ash is making sure I feel the appropriate amount of guilt but I know she's just giving me a hard time because she's learned the value of Mommy Guilt and how it works in her favor. E man wish me a good trip this morning. He doesn't understand where I'm going but told me to have 3 good sleepovers and then come home. So I plan to make the most of my 3 sleepovers and come home to my baby boy.
Most of the group heading to Vegas are either already there, on a plane as I type or sitting at the airport waiting to catch a plane. I think Suz and I are the only ones leaving later this afternoon and we both have direct flights so it won't take us long to get there.
3 hours and 20 minutes til I leave for the airport.......... Yea me!!
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