Year 3

This makes the third year in a row that we've headed to snowshoe for memorial day. No doubt about it, we are creatures of habit! We stay in the same place. Go with the same people. Eat at the same restaurant. It sort of becomes "traditional." We were also lucky that for the 3rd year in a row the weather decided to play along and be awesome. Sunny with a blue sky dotted with clouds and just the right amount of mountain breeze. Around 4 years ago we weren't as lucky. It poured the rain, stayed around 50 degree and the fog was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

We only stayed nights and it never ever seems long enough. Getting a cell phone signal is almost impossible. This is huge for me b/c i seem to have my iphone permanently lodged up my butt.

The starbucks tastes yummier!

The pool seems a thousand time cooler and more fun than the pool right down the street.

Jackson had fun and is getting so big!

For the third year in a row we also ran into this guy. Here they are in 2010 and 2009 I guess his parents are creatures of habit as well. I love how every year little Alex has on a polo shirt with a popped collar. It's not every 5 year old who can pull that look off.

Day Uno and Dos

We are back! Finally! We spent 17 hours yesterday in and on air planes and airports but we finally made it home. We had a fabulous time! Puerto Rico is still the same beautiful island mixed with a just the right amount shit holes as it has always been and we loved being back. Sophie loved going for her first time and kept the butt headedness down to a minimum. Although she did decide to tell a guy at dinner (who was also a former navy guy previously stationed at Roosevelt Roads) that "my daddy got bad grades in college so he joined the navy." Nice. Honest. But klassy.

We did EVERYTHING. Beach, pools, deserted islands, snorkeling, sailing, water park, eating, more eating, drinking. The first day we just chilled around at the pool and the the second day we hit a beach.

The view from our room. Yeah, it rocked!

Dressed up for dinner.

Our 2nd night we ate at a gas station turned local BBQ restaurant. (only in puerto rico would you decided to cook bbq ribs and chicken over buried gas tanks!) But the food rocked!

Even though the wait was forevah. No worries, a little pool and pina coladas!

Hitting the beach!

Ever wonder how they get coconuts down? It obviously takes a nut to do the job!

33

Another year older. The day started out bright and early at 8 am. Little Bit had crawled into our bed at some point during the night. I'm not sure what time she came in. I just know that at one point i was shocked wide awake because a tiny foot with torpedo force landed in my ribs. What seemed like seconds later another foot which appeared to be coming from the opposite side nailed my kidney. Steven was up and ready to head out to work for the last sunday of tax season. Little Bit was literally jumping on the bed asking if she could go outside and see if her friends could come out. At.8.A.M. Seriously. Happy Birthday to me.

By 10 I finally relented and let her go outside. She brings not one but two kids over to play. It's a gorgeous day outside. I'm already regretting the fact that I hadn't locked the door behind her when she went outside. I'm that mom. I'll often lock the door when it's a nice day outside. No coming inside and watching TV when you can be outside burning off the insane amount of energy you have in reserves. By 11 I couldn't take the fact that they were "inside" anymore. Not when there was sunshine to be had. So I rounded them up, shooed them outside. All three stood on the porch and Sophie said, "do we really have to play outside?!" As if I were talking to three other 33 year olds, I said, "Look, I love you guys, but today is my birthday and I really don't want to have to watch you guys inside." One kid looked up at me as though searching for the right thing to say. I so wanted to say, "the word you are looking for kiddo, is "bitoch!" Then they ran off to play as though that's what they were born to do and had forgotten that a mean Ms. Hannigan woman had kicked them outside. I locked the door behind them. Now happy birthday to me.

Deep thought- 33. Jesus was 33 when he died. The most influential person in the history of the world had done all that he needed to do by the ripe old age of 33. This fact popped in my head a few months ago when Steven turned 33. Jesus we are not. But still, 33?! 33 is YOUNG right?! I mean THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE TO EVER WALK ON THIS EARTH was finished by 33?! That is just crazy. Really crazy. All I've managed is a house in the suburbs, a honda, and a mountain o student loan debt for a career that I can't stand. Score for me!

So I'm not sure why I'm just feeling bah humbug on this birthday. Maybe it's because I SHOULD be sitting on a sail boat as I type. But the gov'ment had to go and screw with my plan. Which at 33 shows me just how much the government CAN and WILL screw with your life. And here I thought the State of the Union address interrupting the Cosby Show when I was 9 was bad!

Sophie flipped out over the fact that the delicious red velvet cake that my mama had made me for my birthday wasn't an ice cream cake. I seemed to be the only person who wanted to point a finger at her and say "too bad for you, NOT your day sista."

My free birthday dinner at one of my favorite restaurants was tarnished by some horrible service. Oh and my kid managed to fall down some brick steps and her face looks like she rubbed it in gravel. AND our phone is out and has been out all.day.long.

But there are things that I am thankful for. The obvious being that I am in fact alive. I have an awesome hubby and an over the top kid. My mama just lives like 2 miles away. My house in the burbs could not be in a better place because of the friends that we have here and the kids that Sophie can play with at 8 am. I have wonderful girlfriends and although we don't get together nearly as much as we should I know that we love each other dearly. I do hate the honda. And really, my job rocks and was created for me by divine intervention as not once has it kept me at work past 4:05. And i can laugh at myself. Yesterday, my friend and I confused dandelion leaves for pot leaves. True. Story. So yes I am old and lame. Happy 33rd Birthday to me.

But sometimes, just sometimes, I would like to go back to 22. :)

10 on Tuesday

On a riz-ol! Two days in a row baby!

1. Now that I got the sappy 5 year old stuff out of the way, it's on to the lighter stuff! Turning 5 does call for a celebration. This year we skipped having a big birthday party and had a small party at our house with kids from the neighborhood. This party had a St. Paddy's Day theme!

The cake was sooooo cute. And Yummy!!

And Leprechaun traps were made by all.

They next morning we "almost" caught one. All that was left in the trap was his hat. Which fits perfectly on Reggie Bush

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2. The following saturday we headed to the Great Wolf Lodge. Loved the water park. HATED the fact that the check in process sucks a big one. When you are paying big bucks for a room and check in time is at 4 and check out time is at 11 am, you had better bet your arse that I expect to be in that room no later than 4 o'clock. So when 5:30 rolled around and our room was finally ready, I in ticked off mode. Unacceptable. And the excuse of "we are just really busy right now." Again, unacceptable. They are called reservations. You know how many people you have in your resort at any given time. So 4 paws down to the Great Wolf Lodge. But 4 paws up for the water park park. I'm not kidding, i don't have one single picture from our trip. Too wet to deal with dragging a camera around.

3. Since kindergarten is right around the corner, I decided to have Sophie tested again to see whether or not she was still allergic to peanuts. After all we haven't had a peanut related incident in over 4 years. I took her to the doctor that day and was told that we would have to get a blood test. Wouldn't you know it, before i could even get that blood test, girlfriend got a hold of one peanut m&m and it was all over. Projectile vomit. Guess that answers that question! But I went ahead and got the blood test. Which was a barrel of fun! Surprise, positive, now give us $40 for telling you the obvious. Looks like she'll be class with all other allergy kids. And she will always have to sit at a table with the hot lunch kids even if she brings her lunch. I'm not so keen on that policy. I'm guessing Little Bit won't be either. I have a feeling that she'll end up telling them what she thinks of that policy.

4. Steven took our child to school today with out any shoes. Isn't that awesome!? Seesh. I guess i should give him a break. He is working 12+ hours a day and is a little tired and stressed. So there she sat for over an hour in her socks. Thank you Stephanie for bringing an extra pair of shoes!

5. I miss my big girls gymnastics class :( which also makes me miss having gay men in my life :(. Which makes me miss my friend Josh. :( No one could tell you that you looked like sh*t better than Josh!

6. On the opposite end, last Friday when I went to pick up Sophie at school, a little boy in her class yelled, "wow, you are pretty!" I wanted to take him home with me. Then i thought "poor kid must not get out much!"

7. My mother bought Soph a pair of these shoes last week. I think they are butt ugly and over priced. GiGi doesn't care what I think. Soph doesn't either.

8. I need some book recommendations to take to Puerto Rico. I need something really good! Like Hunger Games good.

9. I see that the release date for the movie is March 2012 and most of the main characters have been cast. Not digging the guy they choose to play Peeta. He has a Harry Potter look to him.

10. 18 days until vacation!!!! AHHHH!!!

And just like that...

She was five.

And a member of the Hitler Youth. HA! Kidding!

She's five. She's been five for 19 days now. Sometimes I catch myself looking at her and wondering how it came to be that I have a five year old.

Sometimes I wonder how it is possible that I have only known this little person for five years. It seems as though she has always been apart of me. Maybe she has always been there I just didn't know it at the time.

Other times I think that five years is nothing. We haven't even begun to scratch the surface of this girl.

She is so complex and simple at the same time. Sometimes I think that all she would ever need to survive in this world is watermelon, scooby doo, and friends to play with outside. Other times, she's like a little Da'Vinci code all to herself.

There are days that I would like to put her in a box and ship her to the most remote place on the planet.

There are nights that I make Steven go get her out of bed and put her into our bed.

I'm afraid sometimes that I won't remember what she looks like right at this moment. That I'll forget that perfectly imperfect voice.

I think about five years from now. She'll be 10. Then 15. 20. 25. Five came so fast and the next 5 and the next is just around the corner.

She doesn't understand that just because you're older doesn't mean you're taller. This upsets more than earth quakes. She's destined to be a shrimp.

I wonder sometimes why she is so defiant. So independent. So flippant. Then I look in the mirror.

I wonder sometimes why she is so reserved. So loyal. So thoughtful. Then I look at the person I married.

She's five. She's a hot mess. She's our Little Bit.

Wednesday's Review

1. It's March 2. Do you know what that means? That means in 14 days my girls is going to be five! Five!? I can hardly believe it! We have a St. Patrick's Day Birthday Party in the works. We are just inviting a few kids from the neighborhood over on the day of her birthday to celebrate with cake and some leprechaun games. Everyone will be making their own leprechaun trap as well so they can attempt to catch one of those pesky suckers that night.

A few days later we are loading up and heading to the Great Wolf Lodge, which is her birthday present from us. Should be fun! I don't think there is any thing more on the planet that our girl loves more than water!

2. This morning started out craptastic. Steven called me on our way to work/school this morning to say that Little Bit had been puking up a storm in the car. In his NEW truck nonetheless! This is like the 6th time girlfriend has gotten sick in the car! The last time she managed to puke into a tennis shoe. This time, not so lucky. So at 8 am we were racing around Target buying new clothes and changing in the bathroom. I kept making it a point to tell the Target employee that she had yacked all over herself. I didn't want them to see on the security camera that I was changing her clothes in the bathroom and thinking that I was attempting a kidnapping!

3. Charlie Sheen = Awesome. Crazier than a shit house rat!

4. We are less than 2 months away from our Caribbean vacation. I try not to think about it too much because I get so excited I can hardly stand it. Monday I had an appointment with my dermatologist and she laid into me about being exposed to the sun, again. Suggesting that I wear a hat at all times AND long sleeves. Grrrr. Hat, maybe. SPF 50 definitely. Long sleeves, ain't happening. I'll take my chances!

5. We've been hitting the library hard these days. Soph just goes through willy nilly filling her basket with anything and everything. I, however, have a harder time finding books to read at the library. You just kind of find yourself roaming aimlessly occasionally sliding books off the shelf for something that looks too. I tend to end up in the "Reading List" section pulling out classics. Right now I'm reading Pearl S. Buck's Imperial Woman. I LOVED The Good Earth. This one looking like a contender. Talk about a conniver! Also in my basket, In Cold Blood, andThe Last Samurai.

6. A few weekends ago Sophie and I head to PA to visit wit Grammy and PapPap. On the way we detoured and made a stop at WVU's downtown campus. Sophie has been asking to see "college." So we stopped, walked around, and entered buildings. She loved every minute of it. Her favorite part was stopping at my sorority house to see my old room. However, my old room looked at those a nuclear bomb had been set off in the middle of it. Little Bit had no qualms telling the little girls giving us the tour that "college girls were the messiest people on the planet as their room was a 'a'sastor." She also pointed out that they had left their dirty undies and socks on the floor which is something that you should REALLY not do b/c it is disgusting! HA! I can attest to the fact that when I lived there my room was NEVER that bad. And by saying that I became my mother.

7. In our in the heat of tax season and it stinks. Steven isn't getting home until after 8 every day and working full days on Saturday and Sunday.

8. We watched Pippi Longstocking the other night. I LOVED that movie when i was little. Soph really liked it too.

9. We hit Disney on Ice Princess Wishes last Saturday. Our neighbors gave us tickets and we had awesome seats. Thanks Marybeth and Mike! It was a great show. Sophie loved it. The boys, just kind of sat there with this look on their face like, "fo real, princesses!?"

10. And the next day, Steven and I got all dressed up with Marybeth and Mike and headed to the Children's Therapy Clinic annual fundraiser. It was set up like an Oscar Party and they showed the Oscars on giant screens. So fun! And if I do say so myself, we looked pretty darn good!

Gold Medalist

I have no doubts she could be great....

if she gave a rat's ass about anything!

But, alas, she does not. Doesn't give one flying flip about honing any skills, impressing any instructors or outdoing any other kid for that matter. She cares only for socializing, schmoozing with the older girls, pushing the limits on the rules, and getting out the door. And it's not just gymnastics. I'm so scared that this is the kid we are going to get when it comes to school. Oh she has the ability to learn chinese or physics at the age of 5. But unless learning it is going to tell her when playtime or snack time is gonna be, not interested.

In the meantime, I'll keep spending $50 a month and hope that one day she actually cares and decides that she wants to go live with Bela Karolyi and company in Texas and we pack it up, sell our house, and invest thousands into an olympic champion.