Nicknames

I was thinking about nicknames the other day as I was talking to the kids. I started going through all of the things I call them instead of their names. (Unless, of course, they're in trouble. Then you have name stages. 1st name firmly, then first and middle names extra firmly. Then the entire name with veins bulging out of your neck. But that's for another blog.)

It really starts when you are still growing them in the womb. MG was nicknamed 'peanut' because at the first ultrasound, she looked like a little tiny shelled peanut hopping around. Her favorite stuffed animal is her Pooh Bear. So I'll call her Pooh or Pooh Bear or Pooh Head, which flows into Poopy, Poopy Pants, Poopy Head. Then we have Princess, Princess Face and Princess Head. Somehow Poodle comes into the mix, followed by Poodle Brain. (It seems she has a 'P' pattern going.) Since I also feel like I am a zookeeper, Monkey is also prevalent.

Which, of course, is what MB is. HIS favorite animal is a little blue monkey. So, therefore, he is my monkey. And you have to have Monkey Face and Crazy Monkey Head and Monkey Brain. Somehow Mr. Face and Mr. Head came in at some point. Then there's Buddy, Bubs and Bubsters. And throw in Nugget and Mr. Nugget Head.

So, ya. And this is just what I can think of right now. I KNOW that I'm not alone in this.

Lazy Pants Friday

I did pretty much nothing today.

I watched a few episodes of Fringe, The Mentalist and channel flipped. Played Wii Mario Kart. Played some stupid game on my computer. Played the piano. Wandered around the house. I did brush my teeth this morning, and eventually got out of my pajama's.

Nope, no laundry, cleaning or any labor of any kind. I DID take pre-assessment to see if I will pass my next test, but that only took about 10 minutes.

Conclusion? I'm kind of bored and have realized why I don't do this very often.

I'm NOT Old!

So, the other day I was filling out the enrollment packets for the kids for next year. I came to the part where we put how old they will be when school starts.

MG - 10

MB - 6

At that moment, I suddenly felt old.

No, I'm not really old. And, thank great genes, I don't look my age. (I don't always act my age, either.) BUT, still, I am going to have a 10 year old. And my baby boy isn't even close to being a baby anymore.

When I turned 30, it wasn't so bad. It was 31 that got me. That was horrid. I found myself IN my 30's. And nowhere near where I thought I would be. Another birthday is looming, and while I still LOVE birthday's (extraspecially mine!), each one that passes is one less year to get to my dream life.

I can see why women date younger men now. LOL!

Who Am I?

Of course, The Who song is now going through my head. But, I digress before I even start.

I had a long conversation with one of my favorite people tonight. And what it boiled down to is that, while I know who I am, I don't know who I am.

What?

I dream big, big dreams. Lots of them. But I haven't been able to figure out how that translates into real life. So, I have this gut-and-soul feeling that I'm meant for something big. What is it? And how do I get there? I can't even describe what I mean without sounding shallow and self-seeking, which is NOT me. (I may not totally know who I am, but I do know what I'm not!)

I know, I know. EVERYone says that they could do whatever and they could be big. What's so special about me?

Maybe nothing. EXCEPT that, unlike most people, I choose to figure out a way to make my dreams reality. I don't know exactly what that means. How can I when I'm not even sure what the reality would be? But, I refuse to sit back and let life pass me by without even trying to figure it out.

The one of my favorite people told me that some people dream big but never do anything about it, and some people aren't dreamers but can do lots of thing. I want to be in the middle - the person that dreams and does.

Who Am I?

FV Going Home

Let me tell you about the trip home.

And the stupid driving from Texans.

And on the Interstate north of Waco, not in any town, surrounded by lots of grassy-like stuff and the occasional run-down trailer with yards full of stuff,

Parking lot.

Oh, yes, parking lot. We sat there on the interstate on a Sunday afternoon and went about 2-3 miles in an hour or so.

My son lost his mind. My sister lost use of her phalanges. It was great.

FV Day 3

Day 3 was great! We visited the Natural Bridge Caverns, and, wow. If you are ever in San Antonio, you HAVE to go! We ended up 180' under ground in the most spectacular caverns full of awesome formations of all shapes and sizes. It was absolutely awesome.

Then we went to the Alamo. A tiny little building in the middle of town. MG was excited because they were just learning about it in school.

Then we walked to the Riverwalk. It was crowded but really cool. We had dinch at Joe's Crabshack and sat watching the boats go by. We wandered down the walk and tried to take a boatride, but they were booked solid and we would have had to wait almost 2 hours. So, we wandered back and ate ice cream instead.

I have two very tired kids. MB looks completely wiped! They are both laying quietly watching a movie now. Tomorrow morning we head home. It was a fun trip and it was so great to share it with my family!

FV Days 1 & 2

Ok, so quick recap of day 1.

Wake up, finish laundry, pack (yes, all packing - procrastination much?), drive. And drive. And drive. (I made one of my best purchases - car dvd players. The noise level was almost non-existent from the back seat!) The hotel was nice. We had a little 2 bed/2 bath condo with a full kitchen. Ate dinner in, went to sleep. Blah.

DAY 2 - SEAWORLD!!

Guess what time MB woke up? That's right, 6:00. He stayed pretty quiet until 6:30. Then was still sort of quiet until 7:00 when MG woke up. That was it.

Breakfast in. (Kitchens are awesome! Way cheaper). Then, a full, full day.

First was the sea lion show. The kids thought it was ok - they really liked the little otter. We also saw the Shamu show, "Believe." A little dissappointed. Not a whole lot of whale action. They tried WAY to hard to make it this super inspirational show about becoming one with nature. Yes, nature will become one with you - after it eats you. Then we saw their new show, Azul, at the end of the day. That one was really cool. They had divers, synchronized swimmer, acrobats, beluga wales, dolphins and birds. The kids enjoyed it immensly!

I hit the roller coasters with my dad. The Steel Eel was HUGE and up and down (repeat 8000 times). Not so much into that one. Then the Great White - one of those inverted ones that twists you around. That was fun and we did it twice. MG, of all people, went on a water ride with Bapa. I was really surprised she did it cuz of the big drop. She was quite freaked out. They, along with Deda and MB, went on the log ride and the rapids.

We saw alligators and turtles. There were at least 20 alligators, all laying like logs in the sun. The kids and I fed the dolphins! That was cool. We saw about 10 species of sharks, some stingrays and the tiniest and most brightly colored and super poisonous frogs! And some cool little moon jellyfish. And penguins. And birds in random cages around the park. And the largest clam ever. That thing was HUGE.

The kids were soaked from the rides, tired feet and sweaty, sweaty! They got some little stuffed shamu's, and we left when it closed. I'm hoping it will be at least 7:30 before the shamu saga's begin in the morning!