Not for the Faint of Heart

I read a blog earlier this week in which the author said- regarding motherhood, "This stuff ain't for sissies." I liked that take on it and wholeheartedly agreed. If any of you are skeptical on this issue, let me share with you a recent experience.Lance is running an job in Houston, so I have been playing the part of single mother. The fun began when Saturday evening Chase threw up on me during a baptism. Mind you-- Chase is no longer a baby with a little bit of spit-up. It was a very embarrassing moment, but he seemed to be better by the next day.

Monday evening it all fell apart again when, systematically, Tobin, Zoie, and I all get sick. VERY sick-- of the vomit variety. The nausea was unbelievable. I felt as though I could barely move and yet-- at least once an hour between 9 pm and 7 am-- one or both of the kids would come crying into my room.

"Mom-- I threw up again."

"Help, mom. Its coming out my nose!"

"I lost my throw up bowl and its all over my bed!"

We began the practice of the "throw-up bowl" when Zoie was on the top bunk and couldn't realistically get to the toilet when she was sick. It stuck. This means that each and every time one of the kids got sick, I had to clean up the aforementioned throw-up bowl. The highlight of the night was when Tobin got sick all over the pup-tent we put on his bed. The "sick" then dripped down onto his bedding, face, hair and clothes. It was awesome.

Everyone knows just how miserable it is to be sick. And every parent can agree that it is heartbreaking to watch your young child suffer an illness. Its just not supposed to happen at the same time! Its like an unwritten law!

I spent last night cleaning up, playing nurse, running a fever of my own, and vomiting in between loads of laundry. Lance and the kids are my life and I wouldn't trade this job for anything in the world-- but I gotta tell you, "It ain't for sissies."

Hurry back Lance.

Go "Lining!"

I have been a huge fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning since junior high school. My two best friends and I loved going to the games and following the players (and unfortunately, I mean this literally... don't ask).

I was living in Utah in 2004 when the Lightning won the Stanley Cup for the first, and only, time. Since our return to the area, Lance has started watching the games with me and it didn't take him long to get "hooked on hockey". This past season has been so much fun to watch. With new coaching staff and new management, the "Bolts" are GOOD! We love having date nights at the Forum and rooting for the home team.

And now the Lightning are in the play-offs and they are awesome. On game nights, Lance and I set aside the entire night to don our Lightning shirts and watch the game on tv. Zoie and Tobin have even gotten into the fun. Zoie made signs that said- "GO LINING" with a lightning bolt drawn on them. Although, last week--the morning after a particularly exciting game, she gave me a lecture about not yelling so loud once they are asleep. Oops.

Lance and I definitely get a little carried away during the games. After we won a game with a very tense third period, Lance hefted me over his shoulder and ran around in circles, yelling.

The Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference Finals starting this Saturday. GO BOLTS!

The Price of Comfort

Mother's Day is Sunday. I have had my eye on a few fairly inexpensive treats-- any one of which would make a perfect Mother's Day gift. For example:

I love this scent: This would be great for backyard tanning sessions:


I would love this in the kitchen for my Ipod:
And anything that involves a pedicure is always a hit:


What I did not imagine I would "receive" for Mother's Day is this:
Our air conditioner stopped working on us around 10 pm on Friday night. Around midnight a technician handed us a disproportionately large bill. But our home was cooling off and we wrote a ridiculously large check with a sigh of relief.

Then Monday evening, it began to feel uncomfortably warm in our (usually 71 degree) home. With dread, I looked at the thermostat and it said 78. Something was wrong. We finally got the same company to come back around 10 pm. They said it was unrelated to the issue just two days prior and told us that it would be another $1100 to fix it. We sent the guy packing-- (but not before paying the guy a giant diagnostic fee for his three minutes of work).

A full day later, we got the guy who had originally installed the unit (just a few years ago) to come fix it for a fraction of the cost of the other company. Nevertheless, it has been a hot and expensive weekend (that sounds way more exciting and exotic than it actually was).

I may sound bitter now, but it is 90 degrees outside and I am typing this from the comfort of my 71 degree home. Happy Mother's Day to me!

P.S.- some of my bitterness may be due to the fact that I have not had a Diet Coke or carbonated beverage of any kind since Saturday (4 days ago!) If this is not impressive to you, then you do not know me very well.