It's been another hectic week here. Goober started throwing up on Monday and he's been sick all week. I don't understand how he gets sick so much more often than the other kids. Even as babies and toddlers, T and Princess were rarely sick. It seems like Goober gets sick at least once a month. I feel so bad for him.
He finally seems to be on the upswing, though. He managed to eat crackers and some chicken nuggets today, and now he's asleep. I hope he doesn't wake up crying every hour or so tonight like he has been. I'm barely functioning with my sleep so interrupted, and it doesn't help that I have awful insomnia and I'm lucky to get 4 hours of sleep a day.
My cat Little Fart had an accident this week. The boyfriend told me that he saw him outside and he'd been in a fight but wouldn't let him near him. When I went to get him, he looked gnarly. His nose was bloody and torn up, he had bite marks on his face and near his ear, and he was a mess.
I took him to the vet and found out things were worse than I imagined. They took him to the back to clean him off and examine him because he had an accident and peed all over himself in the carrier. The vet came in and asked me if I lived in a high rise building. I was confused, since I live in a 3 story cape cod, and the cat was definitely outside when he got hurt.
It turns out that not only did he get attacked by an animal, but it appeared that he fell out of a tree or off something else high up. His nose was bleeding because he split his palate and broke some bones in his face. He also had brain swelling and damage from the fall. I had to leave him there to get steroids and pain medicine.
The good news is that his x-rays showed all his internal organs are intact. I got to bring him home with antibiotics and pain meds. They can't do anything about the palate or the broken bones in his face-they should eventually heal on their own. He got some stitches in his lip, and I probably have to take him to get a fractured tooth pulled at some point.
I'm just happy to have him home and doing alright. I was so scared when I found out he fell so hard. I never realized he would try and climb a tree to escape from an attacking animal. It kills me that I will never know what the heck happened. The vet also told me his back claws were shredded from trying to escape. He's happy to be home, laying on the couch, and attempting to eat with his cone collar on (so he doesn't pull out his stitches).
Yeah, it was a crazy week. I made corned beef hash with poached eggs and brownies with irish cream swirls for St. Paddy's day today. The kids loved helping me make the brownies. The best part is that they turned out gooey and under baked-I love half raw brownies, but I'll give the kids the more cooked edges.
In the morning we're going up to the house in the Catskills for the first time this season. I'm excited because I love it up there. It is my favorite place to be. There's a huge parade in my town tomorrow and I can't be far enough away from it.
I always hated the parade growing up because my town is mainly Irish Catholics who get crazy drunk all day. My parent's house was one block away from the parade route, and I hated that no matter what I did, I couldn't escape it. It was a little better as I got older, and I even went and watched it from my old job (across the street from my parent's house) a few times.
Then I moved. My landlord and his son throw a party every year on the parade day. This wouldn't bother me so much if the parents who were there gave a crap about what their kids were doing. Last year was a disaster. Kids were opening the gates to my backyard and running around all over it. I asked them nicely to leave, since my daughter was getting upset with strangers on her turf. A couple minutes later, they would be back in my yard.
The kids weren't too young to know better either. They were 8-14 years old. Their parents were too busy getting drunk to do anything. It got even worse when the kids started terrorizing my outdoor cats and attempting to come in my house. I stood in my backyard for the entire afternoon, chasing kids away and getting frustrated. I don't know what the kids or the parents were thinking. I would never let my kids run wild and aggravate people like that.
So this year, T, Princess, and I will be gone and I won't have to deal with the urge to smack someone's poorly behaved child (or a poorly behaved drunk adult). The boyfriend is staying home with Goober (I don't want him to throw up in the car-it's a 2 1/2 hour drive each way), and hopefully, he'll scare the kids from the yard. I'm sure his BB rifle can help with that.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Spaghetti Pie
This month's Crazy Cooking Challenge is spaghetti! I love pasta, so I knew it was one I would really enjoy. The only requirements were that we use spaghetti (not ziti or other pasta shapes), and red sauce. I found a great recipe for Spaghetti Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake, and decided to make it. I'm from New York and have never even heard of Spaghetti Pie, but it looks yummy!
Ingredients:
-8 oz (or 1/2 package) spaghetti noodles
-3 eggs
-1/4 to 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I used a handful and didn't actually measure)
-8 oz sour cream
-1 package Gimme Lean ground beef style (or 1 pound of real ground beef)
-1/2 jar tomato sauce (I used Ragu)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
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| Egg and Parmesan mixture |
-Cook and cool spaghetti noodles. Heat Gimme Lean in about a tablespoon of oil until it is lightly browned and crumbly.
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| Sour cream on top |
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| Gimme Lean (or beef) |
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| sauce layer |
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| Cheesy |
I did change a few things from the original recipe. Firstly, I used vegetarian meat because I don't eat beef. I also used 3 eggs instead of 2 because the spaghetti in the picture of the original recipe looked a little dry, and I was afraid the noodles would get crunchy, and then my kids would refuse to eat it. It turned out really well. The pasta wasn't dry at all, and it was a totally new take on spaghetti for me. My kids loved it, and my boyfriend thought it was so good, he ate half the casserole dish. We will definitely be making this again.
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| Baked and bubbly-yum |
Monday, March 5, 2012
Sensitivity
When I was 9, I had a hamster. His name was Brownie, and he was a long-haired brown and white teddy bear hamster. He was awesome, and was the first pet I really loved. Brownie used to sit in my shirt pocket, and I spent hours with him every day. He had a neat plastic cage in my basement with an attached wheel, loop, and attic.
One morning, Brownie was gone. Vanished. I enlisted my family to search for him, but we had no luck. I cried for hours. I held out hope that he would show up again. My family encouraged me that we would find him.
They were all lying. Brownie got out because my dad accidentally forgot to close the attic part of his cage when he fed him that night. He found him less than a week later, after smelling him. He ate into the exposed insulation in the basement and died. My dad and younger sister buried him in the backyard with the rest of the pets that had passed on.
It was over 6 months before I found out what really happened. It crushed me. I dug up the body and cried some more. I guess I'm trying to say that my family has always felt the need to protect me from things that they think will upset me.
I've always been really sensitive. I still cry regularly over the death of my dog 4 years ago. I get upset incredibly easily, and I can stay upset for a long time. Even my boyfriend keeps things from me if he thinks they will bother me, and everyone who knows me well agrees that this is the right thing to do, even though sometimes it comes back and bites them in the ass.
I know everyone has my best interests at heart, but when I really think about it, it bothers me. It stinks that even though I am 27 years old, the people closest to me hide things from me on a pretty regular basis. I wish I had a thicker skin, and could take things in stride like everyone else. Instead, I take everything to heart, and it can eat me up for days, weeks, or longer.
When I get really upset about things, I just go through the motions of taking care of my kids, and I can be lax about it. I've used TV and junk food as a babysitter so I can sit and cry and dwell in bed. It's not like this happens all the time, or for no reason. I'm not depressed or anything. I'm just really sensitive, and things affect me a lot more deeply than they do to others.
It can be isolating. But do I really want people to just shove the truth at me if I can't handle it? I don't know. I guess it's good in a way that the people who care about me try to protect me. I've been through so much crap that sometimes, I think it's good to live in my own little world where people try to keep me happy. On the other hand, I'm never going to be really independent if everyone does this for me forever. I'm super happy being a mom and not having to work, but at the moment, I'm financially dependent on my family. The boyfriend has no job at the moment, so his mom and my mom cover our part of the rent. My parents pay my credit card and gas bills. They buy diapers for my kids. They're the ones paying for my groceries, since I can't afford it.
When I think about it, I have never been financially independent. Throughout college, my parents paid for everything, from my shopping sprees to my luxury apartments. After that, my ex and his family paid for everything, from my dinners out to vacations, to expensive clothes. When I was working, I could afford groceries, as long as I only bought the store brands, and that was it. Now, they pay for everything again.
On a good note, the boyfriend is supposed to start working for his dad again soon, which means he will have his old job back. The one I asked him to quit after T was born because he was at work so much. At least it will pay for the groceries and maybe give me enough money to start paying back my parents for everything they've paid for over the years.
I'm not sure where I really intended to go with this post, or how it ended up here, but it feels better to have gotten it all out.
One morning, Brownie was gone. Vanished. I enlisted my family to search for him, but we had no luck. I cried for hours. I held out hope that he would show up again. My family encouraged me that we would find him.
They were all lying. Brownie got out because my dad accidentally forgot to close the attic part of his cage when he fed him that night. He found him less than a week later, after smelling him. He ate into the exposed insulation in the basement and died. My dad and younger sister buried him in the backyard with the rest of the pets that had passed on.
It was over 6 months before I found out what really happened. It crushed me. I dug up the body and cried some more. I guess I'm trying to say that my family has always felt the need to protect me from things that they think will upset me.
I've always been really sensitive. I still cry regularly over the death of my dog 4 years ago. I get upset incredibly easily, and I can stay upset for a long time. Even my boyfriend keeps things from me if he thinks they will bother me, and everyone who knows me well agrees that this is the right thing to do, even though sometimes it comes back and bites them in the ass.
I know everyone has my best interests at heart, but when I really think about it, it bothers me. It stinks that even though I am 27 years old, the people closest to me hide things from me on a pretty regular basis. I wish I had a thicker skin, and could take things in stride like everyone else. Instead, I take everything to heart, and it can eat me up for days, weeks, or longer.
When I get really upset about things, I just go through the motions of taking care of my kids, and I can be lax about it. I've used TV and junk food as a babysitter so I can sit and cry and dwell in bed. It's not like this happens all the time, or for no reason. I'm not depressed or anything. I'm just really sensitive, and things affect me a lot more deeply than they do to others.
It can be isolating. But do I really want people to just shove the truth at me if I can't handle it? I don't know. I guess it's good in a way that the people who care about me try to protect me. I've been through so much crap that sometimes, I think it's good to live in my own little world where people try to keep me happy. On the other hand, I'm never going to be really independent if everyone does this for me forever. I'm super happy being a mom and not having to work, but at the moment, I'm financially dependent on my family. The boyfriend has no job at the moment, so his mom and my mom cover our part of the rent. My parents pay my credit card and gas bills. They buy diapers for my kids. They're the ones paying for my groceries, since I can't afford it.
When I think about it, I have never been financially independent. Throughout college, my parents paid for everything, from my shopping sprees to my luxury apartments. After that, my ex and his family paid for everything, from my dinners out to vacations, to expensive clothes. When I was working, I could afford groceries, as long as I only bought the store brands, and that was it. Now, they pay for everything again.
On a good note, the boyfriend is supposed to start working for his dad again soon, which means he will have his old job back. The one I asked him to quit after T was born because he was at work so much. At least it will pay for the groceries and maybe give me enough money to start paying back my parents for everything they've paid for over the years.
I'm not sure where I really intended to go with this post, or how it ended up here, but it feels better to have gotten it all out.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wordless Wednesday- Baby Kittens, Anyone?
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| Feb. 23, a couple hours after they were born |
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| Feb. 29th |
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| Aw, look at that pile of kittens |
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| He's the first with his eyes open |
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| Look how tiny any cute! |
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Winter Vacation, Days 2-5
Sorry I'm so late in posting this. My migraines have come back with a vengeance and I haven't been able to be on the computer too much because the light from the screen hurts my head.
Anyway, onto Day 2 of vacation. We all woke up late, so we couldn't go to the zoo. Instead, I took T and Princess to go see Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. It was the first time either of them have gone to the movies. We got there early, got popcorn, and sat down. Before the movie started, T wanted to leave. He threw a little bit of a tantrum, but managed to do it quietly and we got to stay and see the movie. I got some nasty scratches from him that are currently infected, but it could have been worse.
They both thought the movie was so cool. I really liked it too-mostly because The Rock was in it and he's awesome. The special effects were pretty great too. T has been begging me since then to go see the Lorax, so I'm going to take him this weekend.
After the movie, I took them to Johnny Rockets, since I haven't had their chili cheese fries since I was in college. T got really antsy, insisted on sitting under the table on the floor, and decided it was his job to help the waitress by giving everyone ketchup. Princess burnt her mouth on her first bite of french fry and refused to eat anymore. We ended wboxing up the food and leaving.
Day 3 of vacation took us to the Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaurs. Unfortunately, the parking garage was full at the museum, so we had to park 6 blocks away. It was a little nerve wracking for me to have my preschoolers walking that far in the city. They've never been in the city before, and there's all the traffic, and they're not used to it. But it was fine and it turned out just to be mommy worry.
It was beautiful outside, and crazy hot in the museum. The heat was blasting and I was dying after 5 minutes. We ended up checking our coats, and T was afraid they were taking his jacket forever. He had a little meltdown, but the coat check woman finally managed to assure him he would get it back later. The kids wanted to take the elevator, even though we didn't have Goober or a stroller with us. There was a line, but finally we got on it. There were 3 nannies with their charges, and a woman from Florida with her kids. The elevator guy thought I was a nanny too. I took it as a compliment that I look young and not nearly as washed out as I feel.
We were only in the dinosaur wing for 10 or 15 minutes before the kids decided they were starving and had to eat immediately. Back down we went, to the food court. After we ate, we went to the gift shop. T picked out a set of space shuttles, and Princess got a pink dolphin stuffed animal.
They weren't too keen on a lot of the museum. They weren't interested in the hall with the giant whale, or the Asian wing. I finally got them to go look at the African animal dioramas, which they did like. T threw a few fits, but it was mostly okay. The heat got to me, though. I had to sit down every time we went up or down a flight of stairs because I would start sweating and getting dizzy. We went back to look at the dinosaurs again, and after they saw the T-Rex, they were ready to go home.
I promised them that if they behaved on the way back to the car, we would get cupcakes (there was a Crumbs half a block from where we parked). It was a slow walk back. They were so tired. The cupcakes were amazing, though.
Then I got lost in New Jersey. I had to take the lower level of the bridge and I always take the upper level. I ended up having to go on the Turnpike South, which I am not familiar with. I got off at the Meadowlands to turn around, and followed the signs for the Garden State Parkway, which I know like the back of my hand. Then the signs for it stopped. I had to choose highways and had no idea if I was going in the right direction, because I didn't recognize any of the town names. I called my parents, who were golfing in Myrtle Beach, and my dad somehow figured out where I was, so I got back on track. My trip home, which should have taken 30-45 minutes took close to 2 hours.
That's when the migraine started. I've had migraines for years, but they've cooled off since Goober was born. I'm allergic to Imitrex and the other migraine medications, and I've tried a bunch of preventatives that didn't work either. So I'm basically SOL unless a doctor gives me narcotic pain relievers. I was up all night, miserable. I almost went to the ER a few times, but I really didn't have anyone to take care of all the kids if I went. So I stayed in bed, pillow on my head, and tried to keep my kids quiet. Yes, it involved lots of junk food, but the tradeoff was necessary.
On day 5 of vacation, I didn't feel great, but I promised the kids we would go to the zoo. Except there was snow on the ground and it was raining when we woke up. So went went to the aquarium on Coney Island. I was under the assumption it was indoors, but I was wrong. It was mostly outdoor. And it wasn't as cool as I thought it would be. T and Princess had fun. Goober didn't really like it. We saw the entire thing in an hour and a half. I felt a little gypped, since it took about that long to get there, and I assumed it would be an all day thing. The kids were happy once they got toys, though. Princess got another pink dolphin stuffed animal, although this one came in a purse. T got a 3D dolphin puzzle and sticky frogs. Goober got a tiny little shark stuffed animal.
Instead of going home, since the boyfriend wasn't feeling well, we went back to my parents. They were on their way home from Myrtle Beach, but we left before they got there. The kids love being there to play. It's roomier than our house, so they have more room to play. We stayed there until dinner time, when T got really cranky and wanted to leave.
On Saturday (Day 6 of vacation), I took T and Goober over to my parent's house, and stayed there most of the day. The boyfriend was still under the weather, and Princess slept all day. Sunday we stayed in.
T was so happy to go back to school on Monday. He really loves his teacher and his class. I got a letter that his meeting to get re-evaluated will be on April 20. I hope they'll let him stay in the school next year. He's doing really well there, and I can't afford for him to go to preschool at all if the district won't pay for it. We're also going to get Princess evaluated and try to get her into the school because she's been copying his speech and now she doesn't pronounce a lot of words right.
All in all, vacation was good. Now T wants to go to Disney World, or as he calls it, Mickey Land. He'll have to wait for his grandparents to do that one, but I hope we do get to go one day.
Anyway, onto Day 2 of vacation. We all woke up late, so we couldn't go to the zoo. Instead, I took T and Princess to go see Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. It was the first time either of them have gone to the movies. We got there early, got popcorn, and sat down. Before the movie started, T wanted to leave. He threw a little bit of a tantrum, but managed to do it quietly and we got to stay and see the movie. I got some nasty scratches from him that are currently infected, but it could have been worse.
They both thought the movie was so cool. I really liked it too-mostly because The Rock was in it and he's awesome. The special effects were pretty great too. T has been begging me since then to go see the Lorax, so I'm going to take him this weekend.
After the movie, I took them to Johnny Rockets, since I haven't had their chili cheese fries since I was in college. T got really antsy, insisted on sitting under the table on the floor, and decided it was his job to help the waitress by giving everyone ketchup. Princess burnt her mouth on her first bite of french fry and refused to eat anymore. We ended wboxing up the food and leaving.
Day 3 of vacation took us to the Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaurs. Unfortunately, the parking garage was full at the museum, so we had to park 6 blocks away. It was a little nerve wracking for me to have my preschoolers walking that far in the city. They've never been in the city before, and there's all the traffic, and they're not used to it. But it was fine and it turned out just to be mommy worry.
It was beautiful outside, and crazy hot in the museum. The heat was blasting and I was dying after 5 minutes. We ended up checking our coats, and T was afraid they were taking his jacket forever. He had a little meltdown, but the coat check woman finally managed to assure him he would get it back later. The kids wanted to take the elevator, even though we didn't have Goober or a stroller with us. There was a line, but finally we got on it. There were 3 nannies with their charges, and a woman from Florida with her kids. The elevator guy thought I was a nanny too. I took it as a compliment that I look young and not nearly as washed out as I feel.
We were only in the dinosaur wing for 10 or 15 minutes before the kids decided they were starving and had to eat immediately. Back down we went, to the food court. After we ate, we went to the gift shop. T picked out a set of space shuttles, and Princess got a pink dolphin stuffed animal.
They weren't too keen on a lot of the museum. They weren't interested in the hall with the giant whale, or the Asian wing. I finally got them to go look at the African animal dioramas, which they did like. T threw a few fits, but it was mostly okay. The heat got to me, though. I had to sit down every time we went up or down a flight of stairs because I would start sweating and getting dizzy. We went back to look at the dinosaurs again, and after they saw the T-Rex, they were ready to go home.
I promised them that if they behaved on the way back to the car, we would get cupcakes (there was a Crumbs half a block from where we parked). It was a slow walk back. They were so tired. The cupcakes were amazing, though.
Then I got lost in New Jersey. I had to take the lower level of the bridge and I always take the upper level. I ended up having to go on the Turnpike South, which I am not familiar with. I got off at the Meadowlands to turn around, and followed the signs for the Garden State Parkway, which I know like the back of my hand. Then the signs for it stopped. I had to choose highways and had no idea if I was going in the right direction, because I didn't recognize any of the town names. I called my parents, who were golfing in Myrtle Beach, and my dad somehow figured out where I was, so I got back on track. My trip home, which should have taken 30-45 minutes took close to 2 hours.
That's when the migraine started. I've had migraines for years, but they've cooled off since Goober was born. I'm allergic to Imitrex and the other migraine medications, and I've tried a bunch of preventatives that didn't work either. So I'm basically SOL unless a doctor gives me narcotic pain relievers. I was up all night, miserable. I almost went to the ER a few times, but I really didn't have anyone to take care of all the kids if I went. So I stayed in bed, pillow on my head, and tried to keep my kids quiet. Yes, it involved lots of junk food, but the tradeoff was necessary.
On day 5 of vacation, I didn't feel great, but I promised the kids we would go to the zoo. Except there was snow on the ground and it was raining when we woke up. So went went to the aquarium on Coney Island. I was under the assumption it was indoors, but I was wrong. It was mostly outdoor. And it wasn't as cool as I thought it would be. T and Princess had fun. Goober didn't really like it. We saw the entire thing in an hour and a half. I felt a little gypped, since it took about that long to get there, and I assumed it would be an all day thing. The kids were happy once they got toys, though. Princess got another pink dolphin stuffed animal, although this one came in a purse. T got a 3D dolphin puzzle and sticky frogs. Goober got a tiny little shark stuffed animal.
Instead of going home, since the boyfriend wasn't feeling well, we went back to my parents. They were on their way home from Myrtle Beach, but we left before they got there. The kids love being there to play. It's roomier than our house, so they have more room to play. We stayed there until dinner time, when T got really cranky and wanted to leave.
On Saturday (Day 6 of vacation), I took T and Goober over to my parent's house, and stayed there most of the day. The boyfriend was still under the weather, and Princess slept all day. Sunday we stayed in.
T was so happy to go back to school on Monday. He really loves his teacher and his class. I got a letter that his meeting to get re-evaluated will be on April 20. I hope they'll let him stay in the school next year. He's doing really well there, and I can't afford for him to go to preschool at all if the district won't pay for it. We're also going to get Princess evaluated and try to get her into the school because she's been copying his speech and now she doesn't pronounce a lot of words right.
All in all, vacation was good. Now T wants to go to Disney World, or as he calls it, Mickey Land. He'll have to wait for his grandparents to do that one, but I hope we do get to go one day.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Winter Vacation, Day 1- The Aquarium Debacle
T has off from school this week for winter vacation. My parents decided to go to Myrtle Beach on a golf trip all this week, and my sister is panhandling her way from NY to Wyoming to go to a wedding. I am here with all 3 kids, all week long, with basically no help. T is not happy there's no school-he cried all weekend that he didn't want to have vacation because he loves school. So I promised him we would have a great time and I would take him to a bunch of places.
He wanted to go the aquarium, the zoo, and to see the dinosaur bones at the Museum of Natural History. Since the weather is super nice for February, I thought none of this would be a problem. I didn't realize how hard it is to try to take 3 small children somewhere by myself. In the past, someone has always insisted on coming with me, or taking one of the kids so I only have 2 with me.
Not today. We had a little bit of a late start, so I decided to take them to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT. It's about an hour drive. The trip started okay, until T wouldn't leave the touch tank. Princess was terrified of the crabs and other creatures, so I kept an eye on her while she ran around to the nearby tanks. Goober kept crying, so I finally got T to keep walking.
Then Goober threw up all over himself and my brand new Sit and Stand Stroller. And I didn't pack extra clothes in the diaper bag because I have never once needed them on a day trip in the 4 years I've had children. And I did the one time they weren't there. We were right next to the children's play area when this happened, so while I attempted to clean as much as I could with the wiped I'd packed, there were 3 or 4 small children that weren't mine watching me, pointing out that there was a big pile of vomit all over.
Once my wipes were done, the mess wasn't that much better. We had to head down in the elevator to get to the bathroom, where another child complained that my baby smelled. No shit, kid. I had to sit poor Goob in the sink to get him clean, and there was only cold water. He was not happy. I spent a good 45 minutes getting barf off everything. But his shirt and jacket were soaked.
We had to go to the gift shop to buy him a shirt. We proceeded to walk down a long hallway, where I received a bunch of nasty stares and comments about my shirtless baby in the middle of February. Did these people somehow think I brought him to the aquarium without a shirt? Seriously. Of course I had to buy 3 shirts, since it wasn't fair if only the baby got one. $37 later, T decided he needed to eat.
Not the snacks I brought, but cafe food. We took the elevator upstairs (and I learned the baby is terrified of elevators), and the kids decided they wanted french fries and onion rings. I also got a grilled cheese sandwich since the baby wanted to eat and I felt bad. I figured it was less greasy than anything else there, and it was bland too.
After lunch, we went back to see more stuff. Princess wanted to see the sharks, and T wanted to go back to the touch tank. They were fighting about it, so I took them somewhere else entirely. They had a boating exhibit where the kids could play on a fishing boat and pretend to fish and put on life jackets. T had a bunch of fun. Princess sat on the edge of the boat, glaring and yelling at kids who ran into her or were too loud. I let the baby run around for a little, but his shoes kept slipping on the concrete and he wasn't too happy after he fell on his face a few times.
T didn't want to leave, and threw himself on the middle of the floor, so no one could get around him. I told him we were going home since he wasn't behaving, and had to carry him out of the exhibit. He screamed all the way outside. Those looks and comments I got from old ladies were fun. I have a tip for them: if you don't want to deal with noisy children but want to go to the aquarium, don't go on President's Day when all the kids are out of school!
He finally told me he would behave, but we were already outside and at the parking garage. So I promised him that if he was good all the way home, we could stop at Toys R Us. Yeah, I bribe my kids and they're spoiled as hell.
I couldn't find the highway entrance on the way home, got stuck in crazy traffic, and spent another $30 on a Power Ranger and Littlest Pet Shop toy. Of course, when I got home, the boyfriend hadn't cleaned anything or taken out any trash. I was exhausted, and he told me he would watch the kids for a couple hours so I could rest. Instead, he went back to sleep after sleeping all day. And Goob threw up all over my bed.
Well, it was an eventful day. Tomorrow, I think we're going to go to the museum. That is, if the boyfriend comes and the baby's okay. Otherwise, I'll leave Goober with him (or take him if he's feeling better), and go to the Bronx Zoo. The kids love it, and we have a membership, so it's totally free, except for food and the gift shop.
He wanted to go the aquarium, the zoo, and to see the dinosaur bones at the Museum of Natural History. Since the weather is super nice for February, I thought none of this would be a problem. I didn't realize how hard it is to try to take 3 small children somewhere by myself. In the past, someone has always insisted on coming with me, or taking one of the kids so I only have 2 with me.
Not today. We had a little bit of a late start, so I decided to take them to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT. It's about an hour drive. The trip started okay, until T wouldn't leave the touch tank. Princess was terrified of the crabs and other creatures, so I kept an eye on her while she ran around to the nearby tanks. Goober kept crying, so I finally got T to keep walking.
Then Goober threw up all over himself and my brand new Sit and Stand Stroller. And I didn't pack extra clothes in the diaper bag because I have never once needed them on a day trip in the 4 years I've had children. And I did the one time they weren't there. We were right next to the children's play area when this happened, so while I attempted to clean as much as I could with the wiped I'd packed, there were 3 or 4 small children that weren't mine watching me, pointing out that there was a big pile of vomit all over.
Once my wipes were done, the mess wasn't that much better. We had to head down in the elevator to get to the bathroom, where another child complained that my baby smelled. No shit, kid. I had to sit poor Goob in the sink to get him clean, and there was only cold water. He was not happy. I spent a good 45 minutes getting barf off everything. But his shirt and jacket were soaked.
We had to go to the gift shop to buy him a shirt. We proceeded to walk down a long hallway, where I received a bunch of nasty stares and comments about my shirtless baby in the middle of February. Did these people somehow think I brought him to the aquarium without a shirt? Seriously. Of course I had to buy 3 shirts, since it wasn't fair if only the baby got one. $37 later, T decided he needed to eat.
Not the snacks I brought, but cafe food. We took the elevator upstairs (and I learned the baby is terrified of elevators), and the kids decided they wanted french fries and onion rings. I also got a grilled cheese sandwich since the baby wanted to eat and I felt bad. I figured it was less greasy than anything else there, and it was bland too.
After lunch, we went back to see more stuff. Princess wanted to see the sharks, and T wanted to go back to the touch tank. They were fighting about it, so I took them somewhere else entirely. They had a boating exhibit where the kids could play on a fishing boat and pretend to fish and put on life jackets. T had a bunch of fun. Princess sat on the edge of the boat, glaring and yelling at kids who ran into her or were too loud. I let the baby run around for a little, but his shoes kept slipping on the concrete and he wasn't too happy after he fell on his face a few times.
T didn't want to leave, and threw himself on the middle of the floor, so no one could get around him. I told him we were going home since he wasn't behaving, and had to carry him out of the exhibit. He screamed all the way outside. Those looks and comments I got from old ladies were fun. I have a tip for them: if you don't want to deal with noisy children but want to go to the aquarium, don't go on President's Day when all the kids are out of school!
He finally told me he would behave, but we were already outside and at the parking garage. So I promised him that if he was good all the way home, we could stop at Toys R Us. Yeah, I bribe my kids and they're spoiled as hell.
I couldn't find the highway entrance on the way home, got stuck in crazy traffic, and spent another $30 on a Power Ranger and Littlest Pet Shop toy. Of course, when I got home, the boyfriend hadn't cleaned anything or taken out any trash. I was exhausted, and he told me he would watch the kids for a couple hours so I could rest. Instead, he went back to sleep after sleeping all day. And Goob threw up all over my bed.
Well, it was an eventful day. Tomorrow, I think we're going to go to the museum. That is, if the boyfriend comes and the baby's okay. Otherwise, I'll leave Goober with him (or take him if he's feeling better), and go to the Bronx Zoo. The kids love it, and we have a membership, so it's totally free, except for food and the gift shop.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Memoir Pitch
The prompt this week for RemembeRED from Write on Edge was to write a 200 word pitch for your memoir.
An idyllic childhood turns sour when a young girl makes the mistake of angering her friends, leading to her ostracization. Compounding the problem are her family issues, which lead to her withdrawing into herself.
After being bullied for years, she is broken and feels like she has nothing to live for. Her self-mutilation and cries for help go unanswered until she meets the man who will change her world.
He is everything she thought she wanted, but the fairytale doesn't last long. She gets drawn into a dark underworld of abuse, drug addiction, and lies, where, in desperation, she sinks to unfathomable lows.
Although she finally gains the courage to break free of the relationship, she can't kick the drugs and manages to drag everyone around her down as well.
An unexpected pregnancy gives her the strength she needs to turn her life around. Motherhood proves to be a fulfilling experience, and she finally finds the happiness that has escaped her for so long.
An idyllic childhood turns sour when a young girl makes the mistake of angering her friends, leading to her ostracization. Compounding the problem are her family issues, which lead to her withdrawing into herself.
After being bullied for years, she is broken and feels like she has nothing to live for. Her self-mutilation and cries for help go unanswered until she meets the man who will change her world.
He is everything she thought she wanted, but the fairytale doesn't last long. She gets drawn into a dark underworld of abuse, drug addiction, and lies, where, in desperation, she sinks to unfathomable lows.
Although she finally gains the courage to break free of the relationship, she can't kick the drugs and manages to drag everyone around her down as well.
An unexpected pregnancy gives her the strength she needs to turn her life around. Motherhood proves to be a fulfilling experience, and she finally finds the happiness that has escaped her for so long.
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