D-lovely, D-lightful, Dana

My younger sister Dana is a social worker by trade and is such a trip. She and I have a great relationship and we can finish each other's thoughts before we even start formulating them. And we have a similar sense of humor so she laughs at all of my jokes. In addition to her smashing personality, quick wit and winning smile, Dana is an 80's music fanatic as am I. So we have been known to break into song ala 80's style in many a public place. All it takes is a word, a beat, a lyric or a phrase and we are on. We can hang with the best of them when it comes to 80's music trivia.

So Dana and I met for dinner after work at Houston's this evening, one of our most favorite restaurants. As we are waiting to be seated, Dana and I are rapidly gossiping back and forth about Jessica Simpson, Tomy Romo and his birthday party, Carmen Electra getting engaged, Star Jones getting divorced, etc. Dana mentions something to the effect of one thing led to another and instantly she and I looked at each other and simultaneously start singing the classic song from the Fixx - "One thing leads to another"- you remember the tune: "you run for cover in the heat, why don't they, do what they say, say what they mean, one thing leads to another". It was hysterical - not only because we were oh so loud, but because we knew every single lyric.

Therefore, I have decided to add Dana's 80's music pick to my blog, so each time we come up with a song you can re-live the moment with us. Hopefully the song will bring back great memories for you, or at least get stuck in your head like it does ours.

School Rivalry

There was a science fair at Annie's school earlier this evening. So we packed up the entire clan to watch Annie in action. She was terrific of course. Lots of great projects on display actually. As we are walking through the auditorium chatting with teachers and parents, Brian runs into a man by the name of "Jason".

So he and Jason had the whole "funny running into you/didn't know your kid attended the school/how have you been like I really give a crap" conversation while I try to keep Brandon and Eric from destroying someone's display. Brian was oblivious to this of course. As I was in damage control mode, I happened to catch a bits and pieces of the conversation. Apparently they attended two of the biggest rival Catholic high schools in the county. And they both played football and hated each other.

Apparently harboring no hard feeling, they made small talk. In true primative male fashion, their small talk quickly escalated to a comparison of their respective performances in junior varsity and varsity, memorable games and whose high school had the better record senior year. Then Brian began his statements with "well at least I didn't blah blah blah" to which "Jason" responded with words to the effect of "yeah but at least I didn't blah, blah blah". It wasn't sounding too good for Brian from what I could gather. But pulling himself from the edge of defeat, Brian simply shrugged his shoulders and laughed while saying, "well hey, at least I wasn't an altar boy". Forgive me Pope Benedict, but I thought that was hystertical. Even Jason had to chuckle. And try as he did, he just couldn't recover from that one. Now that is what I call victory with a capital V.

Move over Marie Curie...

This week has been a hectic one. Annie had a science project due so it consummed all of us. Annie is very meticulous. She wanted to make sure everything was perfect. In the end, it was truly a great project. And for those of you who are dying to know, dark colors absorb more heat than light colors. So once she finished the project, Brian and I are clapping and cheering, joined by Brandon and Eric who couldn't help but share in the excitement.

So we ask how she felt about finishing the project, what she learned, what she liked about it. I am assuming science is her favorite class in school, so I tell her that she may grow up to be the next Marie Curie. She of course has no clue who Marie Curie is. So I give Annie a brief synopsis of her life and her important accomplishments with this great climatic ending about girl power. I am in total geek mode. Annie however is unmoved. After I am done, Annie thinks about what I have said and replies, "I'd rather win American Idol. Now that would be cool!" and trots up stairs with masterpiece in hand. A singing scientist...maybe Madame Curie does have some competition after all.

Off to work he goes (not!)

Usually when I am sick, I get my behind up and go to work. I mean I would literally have to be either dead or on a respirator not to go in. People are relying on me and things have to get done. It could be Catholic guilt. Or perhaps it is because I am a woman and we are usually quite talented at multitasking by nature. Or better yet, if I stay home, I wind up not getting any rest all because of all the crap that must/should/could be done around the house. Long ago, I had to learn that the world does not and will not stop merely because I am under the weather...no matter how far under I may be. And quite frankly, at the end of the day, I am a mommy and mommies just don't get sick. If we did, then who would take care of everyone else? I have also learned that men, however, are very, very different creatures.

Brian sneezed twice last night and once this morning.

So yes, you guessed it - he called in today. Something must be going on at the job. He went into total sick mode this morning. So then came the ridiculous questions - Do you feel cold? Is it cold in here? *shiver...shiver* No of course its not. Do I feel warm? Of course he didn't. Where are the extra blankets? In the closet where they always are. Do we have any soup? Sure do... in the cabinet next to the pasta where it always is. Do we have any Thera-flu? Nope. Nyquil? Don't think so. Not sure what he did all day today, which is why my idea for a Daddy-Cam might just catch on.

Now that I am home and homework has been completed and checked, dinner has been prepared and eaten, lunch has been packed and the children have gone to bed, mysteriously he seems to have fully recovered. Guess that bug isn't contagious.

Lost in Lowe's

Yesterday Brian decided to go to Lowe's to pick up an under the counter trash can for the kitchen. Since my parents volunteered to watch the kids, I went with him to make sure he came back with just said item and nothing else. Before leaving I asked whether we could just order it online to which he replied why not just go get it - it will take 5 minutes. So with printed picture in hand, off we went.

Well, 5 minutes turned into nearly an hour. We could not for the life of us find this damn thing. We asked Steve, then Lori and then Chuck who, despite their "I am here to help" name tags, were all useless. We were in the wrong aisles, the wrong sides of the store. It got to the point where we could tell people where things were because we committed them to memory during our travels.

Finally Karen found us. Perhaps it was the haggard looks on our faces, or the fact that she had seen us so many times and concluded that we obviously did not work there. Karen belongs in a Lowe's commercial. She was really knew her stuff. So much so that and informed us that our item was available online only. But alas, we found a better one in store. So take that.

And gerbil makes...six?

Had an interesting conversation this morning with Brian. Early mornings are one of our rare down times so we try to eat breakfast together before the kids wake up. So this is the best time to get a glimpse into his thought process. Very scary......

He casually mentions that we should have another baby in much the same way one would mention the weather. Just like that - in the middle of my Special K with 1 cup of sliced strawberries to boot. Instead of pummeling him, I casually respond that we already have three children, to which he says but I think we should try for a girl. As he goes on and on about the idea of adding a sixth member to our brood and how much fun it would be...blah, blah, blah... I try extremely hard to surpress the flashbacks of labor pains and ice chips.

Just then Annie angrily comes down the stairs wondering where her jeans with the pink and blue rhinestones in the shape of a butterfly on the right thigh and back pockets were since she and her BFF Allison were supposed to match today and if she doesn't find them she absolutely CANNOT go to school today or her life would be ruined; Brandon is standing at the top of the stairs screaming that he is hungry and wants popcorn for breakfast. Shortly thereafter we hear Eric crying since he was probably startled by all of the commotion. Brian turns to me and lets out a very long what was I thinking sigh and says how about a pet gerbil instead? Now were it not for the fact that I would probably wind up taking care of the damn thing, it would have been a pretty good suggestion. But alas, a typical good morning at headquarters nonetheless. Fun is a relative term isn't it?

Fatman

I picked up Brandon from nursery school today and stopped off at Pathmark to pick up a few things before returning to headquarters for the evening. Brandon is happpily trotting along side me and I am grateful he has not pulled anything down from a shelf yet. (That barely audible "clean-up aisle 6" announcement is usually us). I stop in the baby aisle to scan the contents of a Gerber Graduates toddler meal for Eric. All of a sudden Brandon, in his loudest outside voice says, "Mommy look...its Fatman...Fatman"! He is jumping up and down and pointing at a...shall I say...a pleasantly plump/borderline jolly man who also happened to walking down the aisle.

I am gagging right about then. As I am about to offer a feable apology for Brandon's laspe in the judgment that he has yet to fully develop, it turns out that there were also action figures and toys in the aisle. Fatman was passing what Brandon was really pointing at - a Batman toy. By the time I put this all together, Fatman had kept moving while grumbling some indiscernible obscentity under his breath. To make matters worse, we see Fatman in our checkout line of course and when were exiting the store sans the Batman - embarrassing to say the very least. Did I mention Brandon started speech therapy last week? Well, at least he's got his adjectives down pat.

This Old House

My husband Brian has been watching HGTV for the last few hours and has not budged. Not one bit. He thinks we live in "This Old House" and that by osmosis he will be able to complete house projects without having to pay a licensed professional to do the work. This happens every spring. Last year's weekend warrior project was the garage. He wanted to paint and organize it. We did all this research and investigation - looked online for ideas, bought books and magazines, started scoping out our neighbor's garages. That project never got off the ground. The year before, it was crown molding for the living room. We went to Home Depot did all this research and investigation - bought all these books and magazines, had crown molding envy when we visited friends and family, but the project never got off the ground. I eagerly await the announcement for this year's project. I'll be sure to keep you posted as it (doesn't) develop.

Target is a miss....

Like many women, when I arrive home from work, my second shift begins. My break is my commute to and from home, when I get to do all of the things I normally can't do at home without background noise, (i.e., screaming, crying, inept questions from my husband, etc.), such as make phone calls, listen to the radio, dash into a store, do my make-up, eat, think, breathe, etc.

This evening, I decide to dash into Target for 5 minutes without notifying headquarters so I can grab the few little knick-knacks that I constantly forget to grab because I am busy grabbing too much crap for too many other people with too little time.

So there I am, red basket in hand ready to check out. There's a line of people, but it seems to be moving quickly. I do my usual routine picking up a gossip magazine and quickly scanning it as I inch up. Before you know it, its time for me to place my few little items on the belt and pay.

Just as I am about to hand over my debit card, lo and behold, there is a register malfunction. Buttons are being rapidly pushed, an announcement is made, the number 9 register light is flashing, a manager is called, the register is opened up and examined, paper must be changed. So to the massive line of people behind me, I might as well be the anti-christ.

To make matters worse, it the midst of my Target euphoria, I apparently grabbed an item with no price. The barcode isn't coming up with anything. So a second announcement is made, the number 9 light flashes AGAIN which is like kryptonite to everyone else on line.

After an eternity, a team member arrives to investigate. As I wait for the team member to return, I see daggers in the eyes of everyone on line. The team member is not coming back as quickly as I had hoped. People are fleeing register 9 in droves. So I decide to ditch the item and pay for eveything else quickly. I left Target feeling dejected to say the least, and remembering what it must have been like to have the cooties.