The Signs are Here

So the other day, I went in for my annual eye exam already anticipating the outcome. I walked in telling the doctor. I knew what was going to happen.

Yep.

I could benefit from reading glasses.

Can you hear my husband chuckling in the background? If so, you have my permission to slap him. At least I admitted upfront that I needed reading glasses. He’s been in denial for two years.

During dinner tonight, we were chatting about the (gulp) glasses thing and where best to find them.

Turns out, the best selection is at the pharmacy.

Who knew?

And, at the pharmacy, you can also participate in other fun activities that remind you of your age.

Things such as checking your blood pressure. Whoo hoo!

Or, how about this one? Checking out the Dr. Scholl’s cool thingy that tells you how bad your feet are and which insoles to buy.

Not to mention all the shelves full of pain meds, vitamins, and bone and joint pills.

There are lots more, I’m sure. I just stopped looking.

After all, I am only 43.

I may need reading glasses and insoles but I’m not old.

Right?

Just nod your head and agree with me.

Babies....

Oh aren’t they so sweet? Those soft, cuddly little creatures that everyone loves to snuggle. They smell so yummy and make you squeeze them tightly.

Yet are the same little people who cry all night and make us crazy.

I know what you are wondering……

Is there a baby in our future?

Absolutely NOT!

But the questions have started….

You know the ones I mean.

How does a baby get in your tummy?

How does it come out?

And fun things like that.

But I love how the question was phrased to me tonight….

Mommy, how does a baby get in your tummy that is born in a State (instead of China)?

You see, the savvy six year old knows that her sister was born in Georgia and her brother in Pennsylvania, yet she and her sister were born in China.

She knows she was not in my tummy. But Alex and Katie???

How does that happen??

So I told her the biological truth.

Which greatly disturbed the other members of the family.

Oh well.

The Time Has Come

Oh my. What a title. What could this mean?

Maybe…I need reading glasses. (yep)

Maybe….my son is a dope and spent a thunderstorm sitting under a metal framed umbrella at the pool? (yep)

Maybe….I lost Abby’s social security card and can’t register her for kindergarten. (yep)

Nope. All of those are true but not my topic “du jour”.

The time has come for mommy to have a break.

I realized about a month ago that I have not spent more than 24 hours apart from my children in over seven years. (and that was only twice)

Seven years.

Seven gloriously wonderful years.

But come on, y’all.

I need a break!

What to do, what to do.

Time to plan a girls trip. So who do I invite?

My big girl who is also in need of a diversion. You see, The Boyfriend is in Alaska playing baseball for the summer. With the time change, it’s hard for them to talk. Toss in 8 hour work days….and she needs to get away too.

So she and I are headed to Jacksonville Beach in less than two weeks. Oceanfront, food within walking distance, and my aunt right in town.

Whoo hoo!

(side note….I asked Alex too but he declined)

I am so looking forward to getting away.

Time to chill with a book, take naps when I want to, eat meals uninterrupted, sleep late (like that’s going to happen!), and try not to feel guilty about abandoning my kids.

I am already feeling the guilt.

If I told the girls where Katie and I were headed, they’d freak.

Yes, they love staying with daddy and Alex. But….beach? They love the beach.

So, we are saying Katie and mommy are taking a college trip.

Maybe they’ll buy that.

Doubt it. But I can try.

And maybe I can make it up later in the summer when the oil leaves Gulf Shores....

Are They Sisters?

Tonight the big kids ditched us for more exciting adventures. So we took the little ones on an adventure too….a Japanese hibachi grill.

Unlike most Japanese restaurants, this particular one employs people of all races and nationalities. So don’t expect a Japanese cook or server ‘cause it may not happen!

On a side note and amazingly enough…..there were no tears this time when the fire was lit! Yay for us.

Well, one of the college aged servers approached us to ask about the girls. Where are they from? Are they sisters (meaning…biological)? How long have they been here? Did they speak Mandarin?

I never mind these questions when I know someone is truly interested and is not being malicious. I will admit though that it’s getting harder to answer when little ears are listening. Not sure how I’m going to handle this as they get older….(hint hint to those who have been there!)

Anyhow, this employee happened to be Chinese herself from a province near where both little ones were born so I understood her curiosity.

On the drive home, I started thinking about the question, “are they sisters?”

Well, they…

alternate fighting and playing well every two minutes

finish each others sentences and thoughts

can interpret for the other

create long, elaborate games that never seem to end

sit and watch Barbie movies for hours at a time

love to drag out art supplies to use their imagination

wreak havoc together on a daily basis

have perfected the whine of each others names

tattle on each other relentlessly

and so many other things.

So you tell me…..

Are they sisters?

The Errand Boy

Ah, errands. A lovely addition to a mother’s day.

Right.

Like I enjoy hauling my girls out to buy groceries or other necessities of life. Or having to run out just before dinner to pick up one more item that I forgot.

And that is not a rarity, I promise.

Well, I have myself a new errand boy. Yay me!

Alex met up with the DMV today with a positive outcome.

(a plug here for The Girlfriend who kept the double trouble duo happy when we were gone much longer than planned....)

I now have two licensed drivers which translates to two more reasons to worry.

And two more reasons to let me pass off the debit card and make up for my forgetfulness.

Whoo hoo!

But now that means we are into sharing vehicles….which I am told is impossible.

Hmmm. We managed to do it as teens but evidently life is different now.

I will admit that I hate to give up my own vehicle in case I need it. Or in case it gets wrecked. Or in case….well, I don’t know. I’m just possessive, I guess.

Yes, they have to share one car. A small, little, reliable, car.

But hold on now….

The Boyfriend is out of town for the summer. Which means his truck is sitting idle at home.

So he and his parents have offered Katie the truck for the summer to help with the “issues”.

How sweet!

Imagine this


parked next to this


Doesn’t it just make you laugh??