Have Toddler, Will Travel

I can't believe I've actually made it to the day that Chocolate Covered Peanut will tolerate a two hour car ride in peace! Hot Chocolate is from a town two hours away, and I lived there for nearly ten years, too. So we like to take fairly frequent trips back to visit friends and family. That is, until the travel-hating CCP came along. I still remember the first trip I took when she was only a month or two old. She slept little, cried a lot, and we stopped nearly every thirty minutes to nurse because that was the only thing that made the screaming stop. A two hour trip quickly turned into a three or four hour ordeal. A twenty minute trip across town to the grocery store was excruciating, too, but at least it was short! Our trip to celebrate Christmas yesterday with HC's family (yeah, I know, why bother this late?) was so blissful, I almost forgot she was in the car with us. And now, I only have three short months to enjoy it before the next chocolate-covered-car-hater comes along to spoil the trips! Technically, that's probably only two months because I really shouldn't stray that far from home the last month of pregnancy.

The Christmas celebration itself was a little less peaceful. HC's immediate family has a real talent for drama and sucking everyone else into it. HC's sister has been stirring up a lot of it recently and unfortunately HC has been the focus. Anyhow, she and I ended up buying the same gift for their mother. I knew this ahead of time, but I bought it first and figured their mom could choose to either return one or keep both based on her needs and taste. When the mother-in-law opened both gifts and the sister-in-law realized that I hadn't returned the one I bought, she was seething! At least now she can focus on how much she hates me rather than create more problems for HC. The drama in that family is ridiculous. I just hope that I can keep my kids ignorant of it as much as possible.

The Hottest Ticket in Town

During a playdate at a friend's house today, a commercial came on tv for the Sesame Street Live show coming to town next month. As one of my friends commented that she was considering buying tickets, I proudly exclaimed that I purchased mine the DAY they went on sale!! Those are words that I never thought would leave my lips (at least not pertaining to Sesame Street Live). Granted, my daughter will be thrilled out of her gourd to see Elmo and all of the Sesame Street characters IN PERSON! and right in front of her on stage. But, I have a feeling that I've crossed the line from laid-back, reasonable adult to the slightly scary mommy that everyone avoids and who can't carry on a conversation that doesn't include the word Elmo. Yikes!

Normally, I would consider spending this much money on one afternoon's entertainment overly extravagant. But I just can't resist the look that I know will be on my daughter's face when we get there and the show starts. That's a memory that I'll treasure for a lifetime and I hope she'll remember years down the road, too. Plus, the show is several days after my birthday, so this will be my only birthday present this year (another thing I never thought I would be happy to say).

And what would the high school me think of the mommy me now? That girl that bought her tickets to Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Van Halen, and Poison the DAY they went on sale? Or even the twenty-something me who sneaked online at school (in every spare moment that my students would allow) to get the BEST seats to the Dixie Chicks show? I have a feeling that both of those me's would be shaking their heads sadly at how completely uncool I've become. But that's okay, because the cool ship sailed into the sunset two years ago when I fell hopelessly and forever in love with a screaming little bundle of pink.

Germs, Germs Go Away!

I'm sure anyone reading this already knows, but the new chocolate covered confection that we're expecting in April is going to be a boy. Chocolate Covered Peanut is a girl and had the most adorable girly baby clothes. That was back in the day when I chose what she would wear each day and she didn't have the ability yet to argue or fight it. When I was pregnant with her and shopped for girly clothes, I always said a silent grateful prayer that I didn't have to shop on that bland looking blue side of the store. But now that I am shopping on the bland side, I'm discovering that boy clothes can be cute, too! A good friend passed on a lot of boy clothing that her son wore, and it's all so cute! It's not all "little slugger" stuff - not that there's anything wrong with that (I'm just not particularly athletic and we're not a huge sports family).

Today was also an awesome day because Chocolate Covered Peanut had a playdate with another toddler her age and actually played WITH him!! So many playdates are spent with her on my lap clinging to me, wanting me to follow her everywhere. Today she actually left my lap and interacted with her friend. And as a bonus, there were very few arguments over toys!

Later in the afternoon, I went to teach my Spanish class (I teach Spanish enrichment lessons in daycare centers for a few hours each week). I inwardly cringed as I picked up one little boy from his classroom and he informed me (while spewing phlegm and germs) that he has a bad cough. Ugh!!! I spent the entire holiday season sick with one form of virus after another. Now that I'm finally feeling normal again I'd like to keep it that way. But there's no polite way to ask an adorable three year old not to breathe on you! If you can think of one, please let me know because this is a constant problem.

What to say, what to say??

Please excuse me while I take some time to think of something clever and witty to write. This blogging thing is new to me. Special thanks to Mojavi (I know I should link to her blog here, but I don't know how yet) for the excellent design! And big thanks also to Cagey (same link problem) for the encouragement and peer pressure to join the blogging world!

wait...

i just thought of something... you can figure out bloglines... and teach people english... and create a will.. but not a blog???? I think you were just chicken! lol

what a sucker I am!!