The Great Flood of '10

When it rains, it pours...

That is my office building in the background and those are co-workers cars flooded.  This photo was taken a few hours after the left their cars (at the time water up to the doors).  But that is how crazy the flooding was today.

And yes, I did not have an umbrella today.  And yes when I walked into the office I looked like I'd just won a wet tshirt contest.  I was OBSCENE.  I'm surprised I wasn't sent home.  (Uh, yeah, I did go to work.  I should buy a t-shirt: I survived the flood of '010.  Yes, oh-ten.)

I mean, where is Nic Cage when you need him?  Isn't he suppose to save us from imminent destruction from natural disaster?

A few other photos from today's crazy weather in the 405 (yes, I went there, I referred to my town by the area code):

Banana Snow Cone: An Ode to a Friendship

Four years ago (actually four years and two months ago to be exact) I was engaged, entering my second trimester of my first pregnancy and set to be a bridesmaid in a good friends wedding.

It was a rainy April afternoon, mid day, middle of the week.  I didn't have to work and I can't remember if it was because I had the day off or I called in sick or what but nonetheless I was at home.  At the time the home was a two story townhouse apartment that I was staying at, though not on the lease.  Technically, I still lived w/ my sis, but I spent most of my time at the hubs apartment (though he was basically just my baby daddy at the time...well and my soul mate, obviously.)

So, I was sort of just hanging out all hormonal and morning sickness-y and in my pj's.  I had been working the over night shift so it was nothing for me to roll out of bed at 2 pm. 

My wedding was about  5 weeks away and the wedding of a good girlfriend was a week away.  We were set to be in each other's weddings.  It was a strange friendship.  We started out as enemies and then became frenemies and then real friends.  Once we became friends it was a pretty strong friendship.  The kind where you could crash at each other's houses unannounced and go on road trips and sing loudly (and off key for my part) to whatever was on the radio.  We could finish each others sentences and when we heard/read/saw something that reminded is of the other we would immediately call/text/email one another.  I adored her daughter and babysat for her when needed.  We were both young and trying to find our place in the world and our own true love.

So, when a week before her wedding she told me about a "tiff" (that's the best way to describe it I guess - nothing earth shattering but still something) between her and her betrothed I asked her "are you sure you want to commit the rest of your life to him?"

Yeah, I know.

From her point of view (and her fiances) that was the worst thing I could possibly EVER say.  It was mean and malicious.  And just plain wrong.

From my point of view, it was out of love and concern.  She was moving states to be with him.  She was moving her child and quitting her job.  I didn't want 6 months or 6 years down the road for her to be heartbroken and desolute.  I wanted to be her friend and to ensure she knew what she was doing.  (Of course, she did.)

I didn't ask her that question out of jealousy or spite or whatever silly, stupid emotion that women sometimes feel when they try to be petty and break up a couple.  I was secure in my own engagement and job and impending birth.  It was out of love.  Misguided, but honestly and truly, out of genuine concern.

But it didn't matter.  I still said it...OUT LOUD... and on that gray April day...

I experienced one of the worth break ups of my life.  There were some phone calls and emails.  Lots of tears.  A roller coaster of emotion.  Breaking up with a friend like that is way worse than breaking up with a boyfriend.  (Okay, maybe not always but in this case it was.)  I was disappointed.  In her.  In me.  I literally felt our friendship crumbling.

There I was, alone, pregnant and thouroughly depressed.  And the one thing, that my brain, some how decided would make everything OKAY... a banana snow cone.

Bizarre.

But suddenly I wanted...nay...NEEDED a banana snow cone.  RIGHT THAT MINUTE.  If only I could taste the sweet coldness of a banana snow cone, somehow all this hurt would just simply melt away. 

It is so odd that I decided on that.  But once I determined I needed one, I was fixated on it.  I was on a mission.  TO heal my heart and satisfy this intense craving, the old thing that would do was this banana snow cone.  Maybe there is some strange psychology out there, I don't know.  It just WAS.

So, I got in my car and drove.  I drove the entire OKC metropolitis.  I drove for nearly two hours.  Not a snow cone stand open.  It was only April afterall.

So, I was left completely empty.

I went on to serve in her wedding, as it was too late to change anything.  But it was awkward.  She backed out of my wedding.  We eventually made up.  But it was never the same.  For one, she lives a state away.  We both have kids and jobs and it is hard to get away.  But whenever she is in town she makes an effort to come see my kids.  We are facebook friends, for whatever that's worth.  And she is still married, quite contentedly, I might add.  I went on to get married and have my babies and form other friendships.

But there are still times when I hear a song on the radio or hear a story on NPR and I think of her.  And every time I eat a banana snow cone I think of that day. 

Obviously, I'm eating a banana snow cone right now.

Tick or freckle?

My grandma wanted a smaller dining room table and I coveted her real wood (as opposed to my semi-fake wood one) dining room table.  It was a three day weekend.  So we swapped.  My dad loaded my dining room set up in his truck and my parents headed to my grandmas.  Me, the hubs and the kids loaded up in the family suv and went.  (Leaving a very empty space in my dining room)

My grandma lives about 3 hours away and in the country.  Well, she lives in "town."  Her town has less than 700 people, a post office and a gas station.  Everyone has lots over an acre and no fences.  There is no stoplight.  It is tiny and quaint. 

My grandma has a huge unfenced yard.  The kids looooved playing in it.  But they got down and dirty.  They're kids so there is technically nothing wrong with this.

The dog also loved being in an unfenced wilderness.  However, we kept her on her leash.  That is until 9 pm and the thunder rolled and the lightening began to strike.  And she wiggled her collar off, thus losing her leash.  And off she went.  The hubs was putting the kids to bed and missed it.  So me and my mom ran after the dog.  For thirty minutes in the dark and in the rain my mom and I chased after the dog through one backyard after another, through rough terrain in flip flops.  We lost sight of her.  The hubs got the car and he and I drove for an hour looking for the dog.  Finally we found her...she took off again and the hubs took off after her on foot.  By now it was pitch black and pouring down rain.  I took back off in car after them.  Finally the hubs wrestled the dog back in the car.

We drove home today, arriving before my parents.  We all sort of collapsed on the empty dining room floor.  And I spotted it...a TICK on my leg.  Ewww.  But completely warranted, I suppose seeing as I traipsed around the country.  So, we all stripped down, the whole fam, in the dining room and searched for ticks.   The game of "tick or freckle" ensued. Syd had one in her ear.  Now she keeps saying "Ah!  I have another one!" and is panicky.  Owen says "incsects!!!!"  Nonetheless, between the four of us we found 5 ticks.  Yuck.

I heart my grandma.

But I am seriously staying away from the country for a while.

Four years ago today...

I married:

My best friend
My soulmate
My baby daddy

*yes, this person is one in the same, I did not marry 3 people.

Uh, I was like totally 5 months preggers here, and I swear I weigh more today than I did in this photo.

Quote of a lifetime...

There are a million and one ways to parent well and only a handful to screw your kids up royally.

This resonated with me and hopefully with you as well.

Awkard Moments = Blogging Moments

So after a long day of dog shopping (more on that later) I realized I needed laundry detergent (because when do I not?) so I headed up to the Tar-jay (does referring to Target as "the tar-jay" annoy you as much as when people call bfast for dinner "brennner" annoys me?)...amazingly enough I managed to get up to the tar-jay without any kids.  It was a miracle.  And I intended to make full and complete use of my alone time.  After all, it is mother's day weekend and after all, I'm as narcissistic as any other blogger and will make any excuse to make it all about me... So, I got me a have it your way frapp from sbux with extra coffee and extra caramel and started to stroll about the clothes.  And I found a a 50's style Stepford wife sleeveless cream & orange shift dress on clearance in my size (well, relatively my size, I usually take 3 sizes into the dressing room and depending on what store/brand/day of the week it is one will fit me).  So, I took the dress into the dressing room and had the zipper (it was a side zipper) half way up and it stuck.  It just stopped half way up.  It wouldn't go up or down.  I tried in vain to tug it up and nothing.  I tried in vain to pull it down.  Nothing.  I tried to pull the dress up over my head, and it wouldn't go.  I tried to wiggle it down over my hips but no such luck.  I was trapped in this dress.  I poked my head out of the dressing room and no sales associate.  There was one other customer behind a closed door.  I tapped my foot impatiently until I saw the woman leave her dressing room.  I accosted her.  The woman, tall and blond, 40-ish, with a vague Eropean accent tried with all her might to pull the zipper down and she couldn't make it budge.  She did however track down a sales girl.  Finally, after 20 min trapped in this dress, a 16 year old sprite of a girl, quite literally cut me, with scissors, out of the dress.  Talk about awkward - standing in my skivvies in the target dressing room with a strange girl.  Such is my life...

I'm watching A Lion in Winter on TCM right now (w/ Katherine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole)...and I forget how fantastic this film is... all the sharp barbs and smart lines.  It brings back memories, of high school, when our school performed the play.  I was never much of an actress but I was one heck of a stage manager.  Well, the hubs, thinks I'm crazy watching movies made before my birth.

Okay, the dog... Well, I've never been a dog person.  Not out of fear or dislike.  Just because I've never really owned a dog.  We had farm dogs when I was small but they were farm dogs not house pets.  But the hubs adores a dog.  And for over a week now he has been on a dog kick.  So, we bit the bullet and adopted a dog.  We went the local humane shelter.  They had over 100 dogs and it was a bit overwhelming.  Luckily, we had my mom with us, who knows a thing or two about dogs and the kids s we could see how the kids and dogs interacted.  We adopted a beautiful 2 1/2 year old female Siberian Husky named Kona.  

We made a trip to Petsmart, were Kona was better behaved than the kids.  She also did well in the car.  She's been part of the fam for about 6 hours now.  She seems to adjusted quite well to the house and the family.  She likes the cool tile in the kitchen and playing fetch in the back yard.  She has been playful but not hyper.  Sweet and a little reserved but not scared.  I have even gotten over my uncomfortableness and let her lick me, lay on me and brush her.

Below is are a few pics from the hubs iphone.  

And happy Mother's Day to all the mama's out there!

 

Motherhood, y'all

Thursday evening...got kids juice boxes from the sbux at the front of tar-jay (b/c I am a seriously awesome mommy like that... and the juice boxes give them some preoccupation so they don't grab every single item off the shelves).... I was busy browsing for the perfect card to go with a wedding gift for my boss (well, sort of my boss)...and Sydney dumped her apple juice all over Owen, soaking him head to toe in juice.  And his head was tilted up, so it went up his nose.  Pure joy soared through my heart.  Either that or an anxiety attack...

Scene: still at target.  The kids remove their flip flops and place on the motorized checkout thing-y... the target lady was nice enough to "scan" the shoes and accept the kids pennies as payment.  She said bye to the kids and Syd yelled "BY-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe" at the top of her lungs, quite cheerily...making the "e" last the length of leaving the checkout until we reached the car.

In the parking lot I attempted to unlock the car door... my "dooot-do" (otherwise known as keyless entry but I call it a "doot-do") doesn't work so I have to manually unlock the car door.  I let go of the cart and lo and behold a gust of wind came up and pushed my cart containing two thirty pound children and probably another 10 pounds of items all the way into the main aisle.  I had to lunge for the cart.

Saturday afternoon, kids go outside with the hubs, return inside with dandelions saying "Mommy, I got you a flower!  Kisses!"

1 am Saturday, er I suppose Sunday, morning... both kids wide awake... I put them both in our bed, slide in the middle, kick the hubs to the couch to snore... realize I have no pillow because the kids have absconded with them all...I lay in the middle, with no pillow.  Syd snuggles up under my arm and curls next to my belly, Owen snuggles my back and makes sure his feet are touching me at all times...the three of us sleep in peace the rest of the night.

Sunday midday, I just finished mopping...O decides he needs chocolate milk, but tells no one... half a gallon of chocolate milk on the floor later... I am mopping again.

Sunday evening...picnic in the park and lots of swing, sliding, smiling, playing tag, climbing...

My dear sweet children...how I love your tiny bodies.  I am continuously amazed that you came out of my body.  With your sticky fingers, your hot little hands... your ticklish feet and underarms.  Your gap teeth and cheesy grins.  Your sweet baby smells...and your stinky sweaty post nap smells.   Your soft hair... your insistence to hug then kiss then give a high five every time I leave for work.  Your eager hugs.  Your smarty pants observations.  Your vivacious little laughs.  I could watch you running, barefoot, through the sprinkler, on a warm spring evening at dusk, with your mouths wide open, your eyes huge, your laughs hearty...the flowers in full bloom, the tree leaves green, the grass freshly mowed... I want to freeze these moments forever and never lose them.  You my children, my precarious and shy Owen, my vibrant and sassy Sydney...you are in full bloom, just like mommy's begonias.

That is motherhood, y'all.