Wednesday, April 7, 2010

"Show Your Teeth" (that means smile)

This post is just gonna be all over the place, cuz it's what I've been feeling like lately.  I just need to be here, to write and say stuff (most likely too much).  You've been warned.

Recently my brother, Josh, and his wife, Nicoleta, came for a visit.  We spent a lot of time together as a big ol' family and as always, had the good time.  It's the first time I met The Wife and I flipping love her.  She's totally IN.  She's a hugger and if you're a hugger, it's a good chance we're gonna be friends.  And she went shopping with me (no one will ever go shopping with me) and I like her cuz she's not afraid to clap her hands over high heels and boyfriend jeans.  This, I like.

Josh and Nicole have been married a little over a year now, but haven't had the wedding yet.  They've been in Italy all this time.  She's from Romania, so they are going to have the wedding in Romania, and then a reception here in Oregon, in October.  She gets to wear her wedding dress TWICE.  Jealous.

So while they were here, we did a lot of wedding planning--they found the reception venue, invitations, caterer, and wedding dress.  I got to go along for the wedding dress (claps hands).  I am totally living vicariously through Nicoleta and all this wedding stuff, cuz it's fancy.  She's all fancy pants--in a good way. We didn't go that route when we got married. I didn't make an appointment to try on wedding dresses (I went to Mall 205, and bought a $300 dress off the rack, *gasp*), our reception didn't have a view of any kind (it was in the church gym, so you know, no windows), and we didn't have waiters that served hors d'oeuvres (but the rotary club ladies served our Costco taquitos like champs).  Which is FINE.  Really, it's what we wanted at the time.  The Hubbs and I were like BABIES (very, very young) and we weren't fancy (in fact all the attention made me so uncomfortable; Bridezilla I wasn't).  Our wedding was a family and friend effort (we went through a lot of glue sticks) and it was fantastic.  I'm actually proud that the DJ was our most expensive thang. 

But this wedding and reception is gonna be pretty spiffy. Nicoleta's has great vision and taste and I am thrilled...THRILLED, I tell you, that I get to be part of it and not have to diet or decide or book or order or pay for anything. I just get to ooooh and aaaaaaahhh a lot and show up.  And...And, I'm excited that my girls and I get to shop for new dresses, shoes and get our hair all did.

So that was some of what we did over Spring Break. We also played. We had one of the best times at the beach we've ever had.  Just incredible, warm weather, no wind--really unheard of for the coast this time of year.  The girls swam in the outside pool for hours, we actually put on our bathing suits, got sunburned (we have lines!), and sent my brother back numerous times for "a refill".  In March. At the Oregon Coast.  Incredible! Plus it was just nothing but being around people (and a bunny) we love, that make us laugh and we got to eat and drink, like PROFESSIONALS, cuz we were on vacation.

On the flip side, our trip to Mountain Home, Idaho was, oh, what's the word?  Boring.  I'm sorry, but it was. Don't tell The Hubbs, cuz it's totally not his fault. I tried, I really tried to make the best of it.  We did all the birthday stuff for Liv and I had a lot of one on one time with my girls (which I pretty much have an excess of anyway), but there's just so much a girl can do. It wasn't so much a vacation as it was sitting in a hotel for 4 days, while The Hubbs worked. It was just very typical of what it's like on most military bases (that you are visiting and not living on), out in the middle of absolutely nothing except a couple sad looking mobile homes, a broken down church and a cow. You go to the BX, and the playground and you're done. I suggested taking my girls to the library and they turned it down, for goodness sakes! Listen, I don't need to be entertained all the time, but you gotta give me something.  I need color and changes in scenery and people and mochas and Target. I knew it was gonna be bad around my eighth episode of Wife Swap.

I hate being negative.  I even hate typing the word "hate" out, but sometimes a girl just has to complain.  In front of everyone.  My dad told me when I was 15 that I look so much prettier when I smile.  So I smile...a lot. I really try to avoid the negativity.  On my FB, Twitter statuses, and when you're sitting across the table from me I like to talk about the good, cuz who wants to hear the bad?  I avoid it (I love that "hide" button on FB). I try to keep things light and fluffy and you're only allowed so many words on your Twitter and FB updates anyway.

But there are tiiiiiimes that I just want to say this--SOMETIMES PEOPLE SUCK.  I know! So negative. It's gonna leave a lot of you going, "WHAT THE?", but no worries, I'm totally not talking about you.  I'm just sayin'...cuz sometimes I have to say things other than sunshine and rainbows. I've been wanting to say that for a while.  I think I'm good now. And that's all I want to say about that, cuz I'm so much prettier when I smile.

P.S. On the next episode of So, What Was I Saying--Sunshine talks about her boyfriend, Michael Buble, wine bars and girlfriends and possibly, a firetruck.


Thursday, March 25, 2010

Niiiiine Yeeeeears!

What Olivia's Birthday looks like in Mt. Home, Idaho.

I'm baaaack.  Wow, even I'm surprised at this.  I need to go on vacation to Wide Open Spaces more often, I think.  It's good to get this stuff out of my head.

Today's my girl, Olivia's, 9th birthday!  Unbelievable!  She's really grown up a lot this year.  I'm not just saying that to say it, it's been noticeable.  She's losing her baby face, she's leggy, she's more "private" about her body, I embarrass her way more and she tells me, she's made a best friend that I can see her hanging on to all her life, she cares more about her hair, fresh breath, she sleeps in and she'll wear jeans now.  There's a million other things.  She's just been fun.  And challenging, but I'm not talking about that stuff now--it's her birthday--a grumble free day.

I'm a little concerned at how tall she's already getting.  A couple more growth spurts and the girl will be eye to eye with me. Good thing I'm perfecting The Werewolf good now. It's also border line freaking me out that this time next year, she'll be ten!!  How?  What?  I can't wrap my head around that fact!  A friend pointed out to me this morning that she's halfway to college and moving out! (faint) Slow down!  Let me enjoy this. I think we've been good at keeping our kids young, innocent and perhaps, naive.  Good.  I want them to be their age as long as I can.  There's plenty of time for everything. I'm just now getting little peeks into The Everything. Olivia's already asking for a cell phone, which is hilarious to me.  And...absolutely not.

For the first time we are celebrating Olivia's birthday away from home--Mt. Home, Idaho.  It's also the first time we're not having a kid party.  She's totally cool with it.  She did make a special request to go bowling with all of her family and her best friend, so this Sunday all 17-20 of us will be ringing her 9th year wearing ugly, but awesome shoes!  Memorable.  I asked her what she wanted for her birthday dinner tonight and she requested, "hot dogs with ketchup and barbeque chips." I love this kid.  What did I do before I had kids to entertain myself and feel full?  I.am.stuffed.

Okay, now, as your reward for reading my blog, I would like to share a story.  An embarrassing one.  I don't really tell it at all, cuz I sound...LAME.  The Hubbs brings it up often to tease me, and I cringe every time and wish for a big old REWIND button.  Here goes.

After 36 hours of labor with my girl, with her working really hard to get here, guess what was the first thing she heard...ever?  Oh yeah, this is good.  She heard her MOTHER say, "Welcome to Texas!"  Wecome.to.Texas. Lame, right?  Do not do this at home, folks. A second after I said it, I was like, "Who the flip said that?!"  Me.  Yup. Man, it still sucks.  Totally nothing like A Baby Story. At least she was actually born in Texas and I wasn't screaming that from a bed in Oregon. Though, that might be even funnier. Man, for nine years I've tried to make that cool. Can't do it.