Girlymama

So fun. SO. Fun.

We had a fantastic time. Got very, very tan. Ate lots of very, very good food. Drank many, many frozen tequila yummies.  Stayed up way, way too late. Laughed to the point of tears too many times to count.

I’ll write a proper update later, when I don’t have a gazillion things to do. Tomorrow morning we’re driving up to Vermont to go camping with the extended family. Oh – and I’ll get my kids there. I can’t wait. I missed them so, so much. I haven’t talked to them since Monday, when I called and  said, “Hi, Gracie-Girl! ” and she burst into sobs of “Mama, Mama! I want my mama!” Arugh. I need my kids!

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So today I am unpacking, shopping, laundering and repacking so we can get camping this weekend in Vermont. Sadly, not the part of Vermont that has the Ben and Jerry’s factory.  Although, to mix things up, I will probably pack very different clothes since “Week-at-the-beach-with-girlfriends” clothes are generally not “Camping-with-your-grandparents” clothes. Unless you are my step-mom who, like a true Southern Lady, emerges from her RV with fully made-up, right down to the red lipstick. We also need to decide on our health benefits for next year, since Husband needs to sign up tomorrow. Whoops. Why is that so stressful, anyway?
We also need to pack well, since I will be dropping Husband off at the airport in Jersey on Monday so he can fly to Switzerland on a last minute trip. We are all about family togetherness in our house this month, apparently. Oh well.
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I went on my Bloglines and discovered that I had around 500 unread blog entries. Then I said, “Self, this is probably not a good way to spend your time today.”  Especially since most of them were about American Idol anyway. So I deleted them all, except for the ones of the people I am related to. And good thing. My sister-in-law not only dyed her hair blonde, but she got a tattoo while I was gone. Clearly she was acting out at my being away. Clearly bad things can happen when I stop blogging.* Go bug her with comments so that she’ll post a picture.

*Just kidding, Fancythis! I think its cool you got a tattoo! I almost got one but I chickened out after watching my friend get hers! We went to get them together and I made her go first and then I chickened out! Can you believe it?? Aren’t I a great friend? (To defend myself, my friend was getting her third tattoo, so I’m not a huge slimeball. Just a little one.)

It’s called “quiet.”

My kids are in a whole ‘nother state, ya’ll. What to do? I mean, besides taking a shower (which I am embarrassed to say has not happened since Saturday. I’m grossing myself out.) And see how many clothes and pairs of shoes I can fit into my suitcase. (Is 3 bathing suits too much for a week-long trip?)

And have you seen this? hee hee. Can’t wait!!

I’m off to drive the girls halfway to Ohio, meeting brave, brave Grandma who will be watching them for the next ten days. Its a sad, sad thing to admit, but I am really looking to driving three and a half hours in a car. By myself. All by myself. With no one begging me for a snack or asking me the same question over and over and over and over*…

Godspeed, Grandma. Godspeed.

*Example of a car ride with Grace: “Mama, who car is that? What his name is?” “I don’t know Gracie.” “Who car is that one? What her name is? What about that one? Who is that one? Mom? Mom? Mommommommommommommom?”

“Don’t make a mess in your room.” means “Make a huge mess by dumping out all of your toys and games and whatnot all over the floor.”

“Go to bed.” means “Play in your room for two hours making more messes. Please.”

“Color only on the paper.” means “Color anywhere you like. The wall, the desk, the chair, your sister’s shirt, your own face. Really anywhere but the paper would be great.”

“Sit down before you spill something at the table.” means “Bounce around in your chair until you knock your plate off the table and make Mommy grit her teeth and count the minutes until she goes on vacation without you.”

Am I even speaking English? Because they apparently have no idea what I am saying.

eating. cookies.

I blame you, DCRmom. You and your darn amazing cookie recipes.

And the bikini countdown is at, what, one day!??!!??! Perfect time to indulge in a few dozen cookies. Not to mention my favorite cheesecake that Husband and the girls picked up for Mother’s Day. Along with pink and yellow roses. (awwwwwww!) At least I can’t eat the roses. Cause I probably would if I could, with the levels of self-control being shown around here today.

Well, I really should stop eating cookies and blogging, since my bed looks like this. It takes a lot of planning to be that organized, folks. It’s a gift.
And while I’m at it, I should figure out why my caps lock is backwards. Right now it is clinked “on”. NOW IT’S OFF. HUMMMMMMMM…. LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR HUSBAND TO ME.

Last night, I was sitting in the rocking chair, cuddling Gracie while we rocked. We were staring into each other’s eyes, as she sucked her thumb and occasionally reached up to touch my cheek with her palm. My heart was literally bursting with love for this prescious little girl in my arms.
“My Mama…” she whispered.
“Yes, my love?” I whispered back.
“I have a booger.”

I’m not sure I’ll be posting much over the next few days. Tuesday morning, I’ll be driving the kids out to meet Grandma, who will be taking them to Ohio until Memorial Day Weekend. Then Wednesday, I leave for Hilton Head for a week (!!!!!!!!). Then the Friday of Memorial Day, we’re all driving to Vermont where we’ll go camping with the extended fam and pick up our kiddies.

Needless to say, that’s a lot of packing, ya’ll.

I’m also trying to spend some ‘quality time’ with the kids, since I won’t be seeing them for 10 days. TEN days! I’m going to be seriously depressed by day three. Just wait. I’ll be missing the little boogers. Although not enough to come home from this:

Have you tried this? Can you say zero calories and yummy? I cannot get enough.

How do you deal with stress? Eating? Or not? Drinking? (overloading on caffeine or alcohol?) Exercise? Sleeping? Zoning out in front of the tv? Cleaning? Crying?

For me its cleaning. (Or if I’m really, really stressed I can sleep for days….) I’ve been stressed out so I’ve been cleaning and gardening up a storm. With my IPod strapped to my arm to tune out the world. Maybe its avoidance? If I keep busy enough maybe I won’t have to think about what’s stressing me out. Or just nervous energy trying to get out, since I can’t exercise when I want to. (As much as I wold like to ditch my kids and run away 😉 I don’t know. At least its mildly constructive, since our house and flower beds are shaping up nicely this spring due to my neuroticisms. I’m in good bikini form, though, since all this activity/not eating makes me lose weight. Who’da thunk.

Yesterday afternoon I was out planting the 3 zillion annuals I picked up at the nursery. And I decided that I didn’t like where our shrubs/bushes* were planted under our big window. They were not in a straight line (*gasp*) and they were not symmetrical (*faint*). So suddenly I was digging up two bushes (shrubs?) and moving them about a foot each. Now they’re centered under each window and in a symmetrical triangle formation. Then I decided to move both of our azaleas over to that bed. More digging.

Then I redid another bed – also symmetrical. I have a third bed in the front that is purposely not perfectly symmetrical. It drives me nuts, but I think I need to force myself to overcome the craziness. One baby step/flower bed at a time.
*What is the difference between a bush and a shrub? Are they the same thing? Does anyone know?

Today the girls and I hoofed it out to Morgantown (about 30 miles west) to go to this amazing nursery that a friend told us about. We got off the PA turnpike. And drove. Passed some farms. (“Look, kids!! Cows!”) And drove. Passed a little school with Amish children sitting outside eating their lunches. And drove. Passed approximately 300 more farms. (“Look. More cows.”) If I didn’t know this friend so well, I would have begun to wonder if I was being punk’d. Drove some more. Passed another Amish school where children were on lunch break. (Seriously!) More cows. Drove past a small driveway with the correct address, but no sign. Turned around again – there was the sign laying on the ground. Humm…

So she was right. Amazing prices. (Like a 2-ft wide hosta for $5. Small trees for $25.) My car is totally packed and smells faintly of compost. Now I’m off to plant!

p.s.
It was purely coincidence that this was located right near my favorite fabric store. Check out this cute vintage fabric for a boy’s quilt!! And I picked this and this!! (hee hee hee)

update:
And the half decomposed mouse carcass wins the price for most disgusting thing ever found in my flower beds! Beating out the gigantic live toad I found last year!