Fishy Kisses at the end of a long day

Some moms do butterfly kisses, we do fishies around here. There are certain rules for fishies. You have to be in bed with teeth brushed before bedtime. I just can’t do them after that, lips won’t pucker properly. I try and try, but amazingly, it just does not work. You can’t be pouting or it doesn’t work then, either. Sometimes a raspberry on the belly will fix things but you never know if it’ll work, pouting is a really bad idea if you are serious about getting your fishies.

Amanda has her own rules for bedtime kisses. If they aren’t just right, she won’t go to sleep. She starts by asking if I have lipstick on. She wants her kisses, but not with lipstick. Certain kinds of chapstick are ok but not any kind of lipstick or my favorite Estee Lauder lip gloss. She usually swears she doesn’t feel the first two or three (diiiiidn’t feel it!!), so I have to keep trying until she “feels” one. If hair is in the way or I don’t hit the middle of her forehead exactly, it doesn’t count. If I touch it or her hair touches it, it gets wiped off and doesn’t count. Serious tears if I try to leave the room before I get it right.

Deanna’s easier. One kiss and a niteniteloveyoubunches and she’s good for the night. Unless Manda gets fishies, then she needs fishies also.

If we take too long or there is too much giggling, the dogs come to help. They jump on the bed with their noses in the kids’ faces and I swear it looks like they’re imitating me.

Yep, nitenite kisses are serious business!

Speaking of goofy dogs, when we got back from walking the neighborhood, the kids were playing in the driveway and the adults were doing paperwork and sorting piles of cookie cases. This, of course, drives the dogs insane because they can’t stand to miss anything. I went in the house to use the bathroom. Raven came with me, nose on my knee, “petmepetmepetme”. Jesse came on the other side, in my face, “imissedyoumommyiloveyoumommypetmeplease”. Raven put his big ole paws on my lap,got  nose to nose, slurped my chin, “Pet. Me. First. Dammit.” For the record, uh no, 80 lb german shepherds do not fit on your lap when you’re trying to pee. The beast.

What do people without kids and dogs do for entertainment?
We went crazy selling cookies today both walking the neighborhood and sitting at Winn Dixie, and made a trip to the warehouse for more cases to get us through the rest of the weekend. More time at the grocery store and selling at church tomorrow. The girls had fun doing door to door. Why they think it’s so awesome, I’ll never know, but we sold a lot of cookies so it’s good.

Still didn’t make it to the grocery store(yes, I know, I sat in front of one for 2 hrs, what’s your point?) and was too tired to cook (not to mention no food in the house) so we ordered pizza for dinner.

I’m down to the last 50 pages of Lady Be Good. I was up at 3am again last night and had a long tiring day today, so I’m going to crash early with my book. I had this vague plan to scrapbook but that would require keeping my eyes open so not happening tonight.

OH!!!! And fun mail today. I won a contest on Judith McNaught’s message board so I got a signed trade sized Every Breath You Take. Loooooove that book and will treasure the signed copy.

Cookie Monsters

We so rock! The girls have sold so many cookies in the first 48 hours of the sale that I have to be up at the crack of dawn to get the proper paperwork (that would be north) and go to the warehouse for more cookies (that would be south) and be back in time to peddle outside Winn Dixie by 10 (that would be back here, where I started). Gotta be on time, Brenna’s working with me and running by Starbucks first. If I’m late, my coffee will get cold. Oh horror! Oh yeah, and I’m bringing the cookies.
So, we sold in the pick up line at school yesterday (thank you, Brenna!) and again today, then we went to Craig’s office. We had to make 3 trips to the van for more cookies at the office, they really like their cookies around there! Spent so long there that the girls missed gymnastics (oops, one of them isn’t my kid, I’m just supposed to get her there) but they were more interested in how many they sold than if they made class. The rest of the troop did really well also, and we don’t have enough cookies to walk the neighborhood tomorrow, sit at WD and take them to church Sunday. Hence, the hike to the warehouse.

I spent all day yesterday and half the night in Miami with the Bar Assoc. Long day but very productive. Got the okie-doke on a project I’ve been wanting to do for months, got enough follow up to keep my hours way over budget for the next month AND got two leads on new jobs. So, I’m still exhausted today but it was worth it.

Bad foot day today but I did a lot of walking yesterday that was not in hiking boots, which (much as I hate them) still feel better than anything else. For some odd reason, I couldn’t find any business attire in my closet that matched them, go figure! I have some loafers with a reasonably solid sole that are definitely more jeans than dress slacks but they had to do in a pinch because no way was I spending all day in lightweigh flats and I still can’t bend it enough to squeeze in even the tiniest heels. Maybe I’ll start a new fashion trend.

Completely blew the diet this week! I lasted until Wed before opening the first box of cookies but that box is long gone now and I ate most of them. And the buffett at the meeting yesterday was mostly healthy greek salad and antipasto and roasted veggies. I skipped dessert and was feeling very good about my choices. But then Alan on my left got some tiramisu. And Sharon next to him thought it looked good and got some too. Then Ava on my right got the orange flan. And by then the speaker had been going on for a while and I was dozing off so I got a little sliver of each. Then those brownies at the table behind me during the Executive Council meeting just kept calling out to me! Did I mention they had Starbucks there next to the brownies? Steve mentioned getting half of a brownie when he saw mine, so I quickly scooted mine over and begged him to get the other half away from me. Thank you, Steve. Half was bad but all would have been worse. (Does eating half mean it was lowfat?)
Ugh, did not make it to the gym this week. Bad, bad, bad!

I’ve been plowing through Susan Elizabeth Phillips books. I started with It Had to be You then Breathing Room then Heaven Texas now Lady Be Good. I’ve kinda got most of them memorized because I’ve read them so many times so it’s not taking long to read each one. Ren’s still the hottest hero she’s ever written, I still identify the most with Isabel and LBG still makes me laugh out loud over and over again.

Not listening to anything in particular this week. Spent two hours stuck in traffic trying to get out of Miami last night which left time for just about everything! Love my ipod.

Busy week so I cooked two simple dishes with a lot of leftovers. I was gone way past dinner time last night so of course Craig got the kids McDonalds. I swear, the kids look forward to me being gone at dinner time because he never says no. I, on the other hand, rarely say yes. Hate that fatty, salty crap! Fed them lotsa veggies and fruit today to compensate. No more cooking until I get some groceries because Mother Hubbard’s Cupboards are Bare.

What happened to the week?

Geez, blink and it’s been another week!

Girl Scout cookies are here. I helped out at the firehouse unloading them but Patti kicked me out when things slowed down enough that she noticed I’d started limping. Details, details! I was still willing to help, that’s why they make Advil. So, now my garage is piled high with cases of cookies in anticipation of Thursday. We’re doing a lot more booths than in past years because the girls need the extra money for their trip to Savannah but hopefully I won’t be sitting at all of them.

No school today for MLK so the girls cooked. They picked a recipe from the cookbook they got for Christmas and made their own lunch- spaghetti with meatballs. Then they made banana bread and watched a movie while I worked a bit.

Craig was gone all weekend so that meant smelly food. Pork and saurkraut, yum!

I was in a Kenny Chesney mood over the weekend but now it’s Rob Thomas. From No Shirt No Shoes No Problem to Something to Be. I’ve been rereading Susan Elizabeth Phillips instead of something new, getting excited about her coming to town next month and meeting up with some online friends from her mb.

I haven’t had time to scrapbook in a while but I picked up some ribbon and beads yesterday for a project. Might work on it tonight when the kids go to bed. Or I’ll keep folding laundry. As usual, I have been washing loads faster than I fold and they baskets pile up!

A day at the zoo

I’ve been to a number of big, famous zoos, but I’d say our little Palm Beach zoo can hold it’s own with any of them! It was closed for months after massive hurricane damage and this was the first time I’d been there since it reopened. WOW!! They did huge renovations and expansion in addition to the repairs. Unbelievable, just gorgeous. The main reason we went was to see the bear cubs and the two new tigers.

The tigers slept all day under the foliage so we could barely see them much less get a picture. We went back twice and they hadn’t moved. The bear cubs were just as cute as can be! Curled up and chewing on the tree limbs like oversized puppies with a bone.

They added Mayan ruins to the South American exhibits, really neat! Most of the zoo is pathways through natural habitats rather than your usual sidewalks and cages.

This is the mist in the tropical rainforest aka the tiger exhibit. The girls were a little uneasy about walking into it. Yeah, it’s the tiger exhibit, but they’re behind fences!

This just cracked me up. The peacocks have the run of the zoo and you find them all over the place. These really seemed to want to go inside the lecture hall.

Driving home the kids fussed that my music was too loud. Rascal Flatts, you can’t listen to that on low! And aren’t the roles reversed here or something?!

Christmas Pictures

Well, we got no skiing pictures, we got mostly lousy Christmas pictures, but we did get some ok snowmobiling pictures.

Aunt Kim’s favorite gift, chosen by her nieces with no help from me- a Poo-ler Bear. Yes, you press on its back and it poops brown jelly beans. Classy, huh? Kim loved it. She called to say she was taking it to work but I forgot to ask if Dolly was impressed.

We went snowmobiling in the high Uintahs. We stopped at this shack to warm up and have a picnic.

On the way back, we found a wide open meadow and let the kids drive. This one is the speed twins, aka Amanda and Aunt Kim.

Deanna and I took it a little more slowly. She was a little skittish, partly because she’s Deanna and partly- oh yeah- because I dumped her off before we even got out of the parking lot at the rental place. Bad mommy!

Jan 7

Another nothing day! I got 8 hrs sleep two nights in a row- really rare!- and still dozed off while reading and took a two hour nap yesterday. Thought about cleaning up but mostly worked on the computer and read.

The red on Lipservice has been bugging me so I’m changing it to raspberry. And I decided we don’t need the homepage, just go straight to the blog. So far, I’ve got most of the blog raspberry but mangled the template so I’ve gotta fix that today, then start changing over the rest of the website and the newsletter graphics.

I said I’d update the dog website this weekend but haven’t gotten around to it yet, put that on the list for after church today.  I guess I’m teaching Sunday School this morning. No one said I wasn’t so that usually means it’s me. I should get off here and get going so I can peek at the lesson before I get the kids.

I finished the Mary Balogh book and started an Amanda Quick, Lie by Moonlight. It’s ok so far, just like all her others. Her books are all similar but usually enjoyable.

I cheated for dinner and made taco casserole out of the leftovers instead of cooking. Kids and husband inhaled so I guess it was ok. It’s fattening so I made a big salad for myself then just ate a few bites. Made up for the chocolate I nibbled on all day! Someone gave us a box of Belgian truffles. I should just throw them away. I’ve already eaten all the good ones anyway, he he he.

Jan 5

Another early appointment, this time the pediatrician for check ups. Are you seeing a trend here? Get it all out of the way the week there’s no school! Both girls are healthy, average weight and height. No surprises there but I can say I’ve been a good mom and took them, and we have the physical forms so they can both start cheerleading next month. Amanda is still iffy but Deanna is thrilled. Ari, Marissa and Janna all want to do it, so I’m sure Amanda will be doing it also. Practice is Thursday so we need to move Girl Scouts to Tuesdays. Half the troop will be doing it so that shouldn’t be a problem. I think I’ve called all the other parents but can’t remember! Guess I should write it down.

And I need to find a calendar. Cookie sales start in two weeks so there’s bound to be a meeting I’m forgetting about. Hopefully not Tuesday because that’s the only day I know I have a meeting I can’t miss this week. Admin and Finance budget meeting. Jan and Mary can’t make it so I’ll be going on behalf of both committees. Mary’s chair of family ministries now, I’m cochair. I’m chair of outreach, Jan is my cochair. Totally unneccessary information but now you know. Whoever you are. Probably someone who already knows and you’re laughing at me now.

I mentioned taking the kids to the zoo to see the new tigers but forgot we’d have to be back for gymnastics so I suggested we go Monday instead. Maria came over to play and I worked like a fiend all afternoon, trying to catch up all the client things that built up all week. Got most of it done but still have some left so I won’t be bored next week. When my hand starts to cramp, it’s time to quit!

We had tacos for dinner. I made extra rice and meat so we can have taco casserole over the weekend with the leftovers. I did pretty well with my eating today and I went to the gym while the girls were at gymnastics. I ran Maria home first so I wasn’t there the full hour but I’m not up to that yet anyway so no big deal. I did all of the machines that don’t involve weight on the foot or bending the foot, then ten minutes on the still-boring recumbant bike.

I keep listening to Keith Urban’s new album over and over. I just love this album. I skip the end of some of the songs when he gets into those long guitar riffs but overall it’s really wonderful. Once in a Lifetime is one of the best songs he’s done, imo.

Laundry is still in suitcases inside the front door. Believe it or not, it won’t unpack and wash itself, dammit. But the kitchen sink is clean. Amazing considering the dishwasher died before we left and I’ve been doing everything by hand. I haven’t called anyone to look at it yet but I’m sure it’s dead which pisses me off just to think about it because it’s only 6 yrs old. The same brand fridge- also 6 yrs old and supposedly top of the line- died and we had to replace it 3 months ago. We just finished paying for the fridge, I do not want to buy a dishwasher now! So, I’m diligently handwashing after every meal for now. Dammit.

Jan 4

Another zombie day. The suitcases are still sitting inside the front door where we left them the night we got home. The kids played, I tried to catch up on some work. Victoria called and was in the area so she and Ari came over. The kids acted like they hadn’t seen each other in years rather than two weeks, Victoria and I gabbed and she helped me get some orders shipped while I took care of the website projects. Once I got the more urgent things done, we took the kids to the mall and got lunch at the food court. Deanna still can’t chew much but she did ok with some chicken nuggets and fried rice.

Both girls had cash and gift cards from Christmas/birthdays burning a hole in their pockets so we  headed to Build a Bear. Maria also had BAB gift cards so Mary met up with us there. Mary, Victoria and I gabbed while the girls picked out stuff for their bears.

Next stop was Toys R Us (more gift cards). They shopped for half an hour but ended up not getting anything. I was trying to explain why the shelves are empty but the stores don’t restock in January but they weren’t getting it.  They really didn’t want to leave without buying something, lol.

I made chicken and dumplings for dinner. Amanda ate 3 helpings! I think maybe she likes dumplings. I was starving when we got home so I munched on some cambozola and triscuits while I cooked, ruined my appetite and didn’t eat much dinner. I’m trying really hard to only eat if I’m hungry so my new rule is if I munch while I cook, that *is* my dinner.

I’ve gotta take off at least ten pounds. I hate my weight right now. My metabolism seems to have slowed down to nothing in the last year, gotta love turning 40, lol.  So, no eating if I’m not hungry, and stop eating before I’m full.

Man, that cambozola is good!! How did I never hear of it before? Camembert and gorgonzola, two of my favorites in one amazing cheese that’s everything I love about both of them. I had it for the first time in Park City. Utah has this law that you can’t sell alcohol without food. The girls were in ski lessons one day so dad, Molly and I grabbed an irish coffee while we waited for them to finish. We got there early because it was their first day out and we were sure they’d get tired before the end of the day. Nope, they didn’t! They stayed until the lifts closed. So, we got our coffee drinks and ordered a cheese platter so we’d be legal.

I finished Dukes Downfall and started Mary Balogh’s A Christmas Belle.  It’s an old Signet and shouldn’t take long to finish.  Older Mary Baloghs are like the comfort food of books. Sweet and predictable and always a good story.

Jan 3

Another 8:30 appt today, this one for Deanna to get 2 teeth extracted. She was a nervous wreck, thanks to two friends who had teeth pulled recently and told her horror stories. Aren’t friends great?! So, she sat there literally shaking in her shoes while I’m trying not to be one of those obnoxious moms but telling the office staff that this kids does NOT need to be waiting long.

The pediatric dentist has an awesome way with kids and kept her calm long enough to get her loaded up on nitrous. Gawd, that stuff is great! I can’t have it with my heart but wow, she calmed right down! She wanted me with her so I held her hand the whole time. I wasn’t expecting to stay with her the whole time so I didn’t make other arrangements for Amanda and she ended up in the waiting room by herself the whole time. Every once in a while I’d grab one of the girls from the office and ask them to go take a peek and make sure she was still there. Gameboy addictions aren’t all bad, she didn’t move the whole time.

So, Deanna’s woozy from lack of food and nitrous, she’s numb on novocaine and can’t talk, and she’s chomping on gauze to keep it from bleeding worse and does she want to go home? Nooooo, she wants to go get her Heelys. I really hate those things but she’s been asking for them for nearly two years and it was the best bribe I could think of. The deal was not ONE word of complaint about the extraction, from the minute we made the deal (in the parking lot outside the orthodontist’s office the day we found out she needed it) until the deed was done. I still hate the shoes and don’t want her to have them but a deal is a deal and she did really well so off we went to Play it Again Sports, the place that has them cheapest. No black with pink checked laces in size 4.

Once again I suggest we go home so she can relax and try this later. NOOOO, she mimes, and writes me a note that says Sports Authority. So off we go to SA who has black with pink trim but not black with pink checked laces in size 4.

She wanted to keep searching, I suggested that we could search and search and search and not find them so maybe she should get these that are close but in stock. She hemmed and hawed, conned me into a matching tshirt, and hugged the box and mimed “let’s go check out.” So, we’re the proud owners of pink and black heely and I still really hate these things and hope there isn’t a post soon about a trip to the er for a broken leg.

We didn’t much the rest of the day. I tried to catch up on some client work and the girls watched movies, Deanna dressed in her new shirt and heelys and still looking pitiful with a mouth full of gauze. Every time the bleeding stopped, half an hour later it would start up again.  The dentist said to replace the gauze with a tea bag to help with the clotting. In case you ever need to know, green tea and herbal tea do not clot like regular tea does. The dentist learned something new, lol, she didn’t think it mattered. So, Earl Grey stopped the clotting better than honey lemon green tea or blackberry herbal.

I’m reading Lynn Michaels The Dukes Downfall. It’s the follow up to Captain Rakehell, this one’s about the older brother. They’re light, fast-paced and funny. Really funny, full of LOL lines. I started TDD before we left for vacation but it’s a really nice trade sized book, not to mention it’s signed, so I didn’t want to risk getting it trashed when I shoved it in a pocket on the plane.

Jan 2

Another dumb move! 8:30 podiatrist appt this morning. I knew I was making it for the day I got back but wasn’t thinking that I’d still be on mountain time. My darling Raven took care of the risk of oversleeping. His big black head was in my face at 6am, smiling and ready to slurp if I tried to evade. He doesn’t want his breakfast or even out, he just wants me awake, the beast.

So, the concensus on my foot is it’s going to take a long time to heal. Well, duh, I picked up on that about two months ago! He just kind of rolled his eyes when I said I skied.  Continue to wear solid shoes and take it easy when it starts to hurt and come back in 6 weeks.  Yada yada yada. I was discharged from physical therapy the day before we left for our trip so the soft tissue is as good as it’s going to get. The bone bruise has to heal on its own schedule. The therapist gave me a workout routine for the recumbant bike the last day I was there. The oh-so-boring recumbant bike, but at least I can get some cardio in without trashing the foot again.

Stopped at Publix on the way home, and really didn’t do anything but empty my inbox the rest of the day! We were all zombies after two nights with little sleep. Oh yeah, and we pet the dogs. Two velcro dogs looking for two weeks worth of make up snuggles. Subtle, they’re not.