Am I There, Yet?

Confession time:  I’ve been watching the first 15 minutes of The View every morning for the past month, or two.  Mostly because I want to hear what people are thinking and saying about the election and other items in the news.  I think the best way to understand people is to listen to their differing perspectives.  Also…I kind of get a jolt out of yelling at the TV every morning…better than coffee.  LOL!! 

 

There was an interesting exchange this morning and I was very proud of Barbara for telling it like it is.  It was refreshing to hear somebody speaking the truth…even though it was over a little thing.    

 

The girls were discussing the presidential debate on Friday night and here’s an exchange between Joy and Barbara:

 

Joy:  I felt as though McCain was in combat mode…that he’s like a soldier all the time and that every adversary he considers an enemy.  Obama is not his enemy.  Obama is a senator in the
United States Senate…he’s running for the same office.  He’s not your enemy, John.  He’s an adversary.  If you’re going to be looking ahead and acting more grumpy like that with an adversary, imagine how you would be with Ahmadinejad and all these other people who are really your enemy.

 

Barbara:  If you want to look at it objectively, which I’m trying to do, I think McCain had warmth.  He had humor.

 

Joy (looking confused):  McCain did?

 

Barbara:  Yeah.  You (Joy) have your side, you (Elizabeth) have your side…I’m trying to sort of say, “Hey, if you’re looking and you’re an independent this is what you’re getting.”

 

Joy:  I’m an independent thinker.  I thought what I said was an independent remark.

 

Barbara:  You are not an independent thinker…you’re for Obama. 

 

Isn’t it amazing how people so easily lie to themselves?  Anybody who has spent more than three minutes watching Joy on Larry King Live or The View knows that Joy can see no good in McCain and thinks Obama is America’s savior.  It is blatantly obvious where she stands politically.  Apparently it wasn’t obvious to her.

 

Makes me wonder…what am I lying to myself about? 

I can’t believe it’s been a year since we found out Lydia was going to join our family.  I was just re-reading my story of how I found out and realized it’s now one of those days.  You know the one-of-these-days-we’ll-laugh-over-this day?

Here’s the original story:  Long story with an unexpected ending…

Well…it looks like I’ll be knitting a blue and orange scarf.  The Ducks lost by 5 points.  Lydia has something to say about that:

Josh and I went to college in Eugene, OR.  When we were first married we lived in an apartment across the street from Autzen Stadium (where the University of Oregon Ducks play football.)  Because it was almost impossible to do anything else on game days (mostly because of traffic) we would go to every game we could.  We became fans…and have been ever since.

I have a lot of extended family in Boise, ID.  They’ve been going to Boise State University games for as long as I can remember and are big Bronco fans.  During football season I hear of nothing else.  In fact, I’ve been accused of not liking sports because I don’t watch BSU games.  We love to give each other a hard time.

Well…today U of O and BSU meet on the field.  Unfortunately, I won’t be able to watch the game because it’s not being broadcast back here.  I’m very disappointed.  However, I do have a little side wager with my cousin.  If BSU wins, I have to knit her a scarf in BSU school colors (orange and blue) and if Oregon wins, she has to make me a beaded bracelet in green and gold.

I can’t wait to get my bracelet.  Go Ducks!

No matter what the outcome…my kids are still cute:

Yesterday, we went to the mall to cool off.  (Yes…it was that hot.)  We were walking around and passing the time by playing a game with the kids.  We were mixing up the first letters of the names of stores and they would giggle and correct us.  So, we were walking around the mall and saying things like, “Would you like to go to Carbucks Stoffee?” and “Maybe we should head down to Narnes and Boble to read some books?”  The mall also had GabyBap, Stookbrone, Bottery Parn, Hestoration Rardware, Sictoria’s Vecret, Silliams Wonoma, etc…  My favorites were Hite Whouse/Mack Blarket and Panthroaologie.  You get the point.  It was a silly game.

 

The problem is that the game got stuck in my head like a bad 80’s song.  Since yesterday, I’ve been looking at businesses and mixing up the first letters.  It’s really not on purpose.  I went grocery shopping at Rop Shite…I drove past Malwart and Quairy Deen.  It’s driving me crazy…I can’t stop doing it.  Thank God for Bed, Bath & Beyond and Red Robin…I can’t mix those up.

 

Anyways…speaking of mixing up words…how about all the election garbage?  Ick.  I admit that I got into it…I watched the speeches and interviews.  I’ve read the articles.  I’ve done the research on voting records and the positions held by both candidates.  I’ve now made up my mind who I want to vote for.  I don’t want to hear any more of the garbage.  I’m sick of all the twisted words, the big promises, and the media bias.  More to come…the debates are just around the corner.

 

The comedy world is having a great time with all of this.  That’s the only political thing I am enjoying these days.  Did anybody happen to catch Tina Fey’s impersonation of Sarah Palin?  It was amazing.  The resemblance was unbelievable.  That has got to be the #1 best impression of all time.

 

Here’s a word that will forever be linked to Palin/McCain and Obama/what’s his name:

I’m joking people…I know that McCain is the first name on the Republican ticket and that Obama’s running mate is Biden.  I don’t know if the media knows this, or not…but, I am fully aware.

 

Oh…and did you notice that “Obama/Biden” looks eerily similar to “Osama bin Laden”?  I only noticed this because I was glancing at a headline and thought I saw an article about bin Laden…only to look closer and realize it was actually an article about the democratic running mates.  Weird.  Any thoughts…conspiracy theorists?

Our little pink bundle of cuteness if 4-months old!  Time flies…

I took Lydia to the doctor yesterday and she weighs 16 pounds, 5 ounces.  She’s a big girl…95th percentile.  Lilly was always in the 20th percentile.  The doctor was surprised to see her tooth…said that’s pretty early.  Lydia was kind of a show-off at the doctor’s office.  She rolled over, lifted herself up with her arms and talked and giggled at the doctor.

Did I mention she’s adorable?

A couple days ago I lay her down (on her back) on her activity mat and went to the kitchen to put away groceries.  When I glanced in the front room she was on her tummy.  She rolled over for the first time.  This is good news…and very bad news.  Life is going to get a bit more complicated.

The Strawberry Hemangioma hasn’t grown much.  That’s the really great news. 

The doctor was charmed by her and said to me, “You are going to have more babies.”  I laughed and said, “If I can guarantee the rest will be just like her…I’ll have five more.”  She smiled, nodded and repeated herself, “You are going to have more babies.”

All for now!

The first couple days of school were great.  Titus came home from his first day of school and told me that he asked his teacher if he could come back the next day.  I asked him how she answered the question and he said, “She said I could come back.”

Lilly told us that her teacher told her that she’s the nicest 2nd grade teacher in her school.  That made her feel good about going to a new school.  I’m just now getting into the swing of things.  This is going to be a good year.

Titus says things that are really funny.  When he tries to be funny…he’s not.  When he doesn’t try…he gets me giggling so hard.

Titus really wants to be like his dad.  The other day I caught him in my bathroom with his shirt off.  I asked him what he was doing.  He said he was sweaty from playing Wii and needed some deodorant for his “shoulders.”  He grabbed his dad’s deodorant and put it on his armpits and said, “Don’t tell Dad!”

Last night the kids were eating some pork chops and were talking about how some food we eat used to be animals.  Lilly said, “Pigs don’t go to heaven.”  Titus said, “I know!  They go through your body and into the toilet.”  Lilly said, “Titus…that’s not funny.  We don’t talk like that.”  I was trying so hard not to laugh and thought that Lilly was wrong because it really was funny.”

O.K.  So, I’m exaggerating a bit.  I didn’t cry.

Today is the first day of school…Lilly’s first day of 2nd grade and Titus’ first day of kindergarten.

Aren’t they adorable?  (Notice Titus’ new haircut…we fixed the hair fiasco mentioned in the previous post.)

Yesterday Titus had Kindergarten Orientation.  We met his teacher and his classmates and got to tour his new classroom.  He’s pretty excited about today.  He’ll do great.

So…it’s now just me and Lydia at home.  It’s awfully quiet…

Josh had the last two weeks off for vacation.  We had a great time together as a family.  It started out with two of Josh’s brothers coming for a visit.  We had plans to go to a Yankees/Royals game and a Phillies/Nationals game. 

 

The Yankee game was on a Friday night and we heard reports that there were going to be scattered thunderstorms.  We ignored the reports and continued with our plans.  We got to the train station around 3:00 and immediately heard an announcement that the 2:48 train was running 15 minutes late.  I thought, “Great!  We’ll be able to catch that one.”  Well…every 15 or 20 minutes we heard similar announcements.  The 3:13 train is running 15 minutes behind.  The 3:46 train is running 15 minutes behind.  The 4:11 train is running 15 minutes behind.  At around 4:00 we figured out that no trains were coming and they really didn’t have a clue when one would show up.  So we decided to drive.  We started listening to the radio on the way and all of a sudden the weather report turned from scattered thunderstorms to flash flood warnings in The Bronx and
Manhattan and a tornado watch in north Jersey and The Bronx.  Since things were so uncertain, Josh and I decided not to take the kids and baby to the game.  I dropped Josh and his brothers off and drove back home with the kids to watch the game on TV.  (I should mention the ride home was scary…at one point my entire windshield lit up from a nearby lightning strike and I couldn’t see a thing for a few seconds.  The NJ Turnpike is not a place where you want to go blind for a few seconds!)  The game was 90 minutes late in starting and didn’t end until midnight.  So…the choice to take the kids back home was a good one…but, we were still disappointed. 

 

I let the boys use public transportation to get home…I’m not that good of a wife and sister-in-law. 

 

The kids and I didn’t get to go to the Yankees game, but we did make it to the Phillies game and had a blast…even Lydia.  She spent the entire game flirting with the boys sitting behind us.  She’s our little social butterfly.

Lilly and I at the Phillies Game.

Titus & Lydia enjoying the game.

Home Run Phillies!
 

We had a great visit with Josh’s brothers.  We spent some time in NYC and Philly.  We hung out at the pool and played lots of Wii.  (Both brothers are deprived…neither owns a Wii.)

Lilly, Titus, Lydia, Josh and the uncles in Central Park

What a cute family!

Lilly & Titus telling secrets to Hans Christian Anderson

“Uncle Geoff…will you buy us some ice cream?”

Strawberry Fields

Chinatown

Hanging out in Philly

 

Once the guys left, we hung out as a family.  We swam in the pool.  We went to the zoo.  We went to the shore.

The Philadelphia Zoo (The first zoo in America.)

The Jersey Shore (Point Pleasant)

Lydia enjoying the beach.

Wait for me, Dad!

 

Last Thursday we got in the car and drove to Iowa.  Josh’s parents and younger brother hadn’t met Lydia, yet.  It took us 18 hours and we drove through seven states.  Most of the drive was night driving so the kids could sleep.  They did great. 

 

For those of you who are familiar with a map will notice that you only have to drive through six states to get to Iowa (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa.)  Well…I’ve never been to Michigan before and if you notice on the map, I-80 takes you right along the Michigan/Indiana border.  Since we were so close, we took a detour off an exit and drove into Michigan in order to say I’ve been there.  I know…I know…it’s such a geek thing to do.  But, it did make me laugh enough to keep me awake a few more hours so I could drive.

Lydia is not quite four-months-old and she’s visited 9 states…including Michigan. 
 

We had a great visit.  We didn’t tell Josh’s parents we were coming.  We’re kind of mean like that.  We gave his mom a heart attack when we showed up and we broke her heart when we left.  I think they had a good weekend.

The kids with their grandparents.

Lydia charmed her way into Grandpa and Grandma’s hearts.

Titus and Lilly with their cousin, Lucy.

Titus asked Grandpa for his hat and Grandpa couldn’t turn him down.  

Lilly and Grandpa at an Iowa Cubs game.

Des Moines at night.

 

We’re home now and getting ready for school.  Titus has kindergarten orientation tomorrow and school starts on Thursday.  Last night Titus decided to cut his own hair.  I knew that at one point in his life he would try that.  Call it mother’s intuition…or whatever.  However, I didn’t expect him to do it two days before his first day of kindergarten.  I have to try to find somebody who can fix it…but that might be difficult to do without shaving it all off.  His hair was pretty short to begin with.  *sigh*

 

In other news…Lydia has a tooth popping out.  It’s the cutest little tooth I’ve ever seen.  

All for now.  Now that we’re back in the school year I’ll get back to blogging.

Thanks for stopping by!