The Mommy Brain and other happenings

I wish I had one of those steel trap memories and brains that work well under any circumstance. Instead I have 2 children and the mommy brain.  I've been trying to figure out why my mom has not received a little photo book that was a belated mother's day present (I was waiting to get more grandkid pictures).  I ordered it over 2 weeks ago only to find out this morning that I sent it to my mom's California street address in Phoenix AZ.  I must have been on auto pilot or maybe a child was calling me while I was finishing the order or maybe I was about to fall asleep while finishing it.  How annoying!  I am so forgetful, I have to make lists but I even forget to put things on the list.  I forget things that are important to friends and family - not because I don't care but simply because I forget - no other reason.  Then I just feel terrible. I think I need to start carrying a pad of paper to write down important things and a true to do list.  Maybe I can just get one of those recorders and talk into it.  How silly would I look carrying one around.  I could treat it like I'm in the secret service and be sneaky when I talk into it.  The kids would probably just turn it into a toy though!

In other news, it's been a cooped up, bad week so far.  

Will got sick with a high fever on Monday and was better by Tuesday evening. By that time though, Sarah was throwing up.  Just when we thought it was over yesterday, she threw up again.  So we missed school all week (no trip to Greece for Sarah - that's the country they were "visiting") and swimming lessons.  Thank goodness they were just with the city and didn't cost too much.  

I am so tired of not being able to get out of the house but at the same time, it allowed me to take my car in to get a couple things fixed and it kept me out of the 110 degree heat.  We'll see how the rest of today goes.  

At least I have Will, who has fallen in love with Sarah's tap shoes, to entertain me!

Will's Future Profession

My son is well on his way to being a pirate.  I have discovered over the past few days several "treasures" hidden around the house.  I found some of his toys under the skirted night stands in our room, a couple of his small rattle balls on a shelf in the pantry and so on.  These toys that I thought were missing just turn up at random.  I'm sure I'm in big trouble if he learns to dig holes in the backyard.  I guess I'll just have to make sure he learns that pirates always mark things with an "X".  For now though, I will go on looking for the set of keys I let him play with yesterday in the living room and that are now buried treasure.  Hopefully there is no curse attached. :)

Memory by Smell

This post falls under the category of very random happenings.  So... I've been trying to figure out why the smell of the hand soap in my bathroom sort of makes me feel sick.  I finally realized that it is the exact same soap that was in the bathroom at my office in Washington DC.  The bathroom from my first trimester pregnant with Sarah.  I spent many a nauseous time in there just sitting, gathering myself and splashing water on my face.  Looks like it's time to find a new hand soap with a smell connected to better memories!

The Forgotten Ones

I think we are finally on the road to getting our dog back.  Not that she went anywhere.  We have 2 little dogs - PJ (white) and KC (black & white).  Both are Shih Tzus and KC is our little runt who craves love and cuddles.  Unfortunately, she licks to get it.  PJ is our "first born".  Our wonderful little dog who chases balls (pretty rare in a Shih Tzu) and only cuddles as much as we feel like and only puts up with the kids to a point.  She can get very cranky!  Back east, she was great.  We moved out to AZ and learned that she has major allergies - mostly to bermuda grass which is everywhere here.  We have dealt with her licking, chewing and all around miserableness for a couple years.  She is now on a pill that seems to already be working.  We have several more weeks on it to see more results but so far, so good.  It's so good to have our happy dog back.  She now wants to chew on toys instead of herself and that's wonderful news.  It does present a new problem - she's been playing with some of the kid's toys too.  We're dealing with that happily.  The dogs are starting to get more positive attention from the whole family now that Will attempts to throw a ball with PJ and chase her.  I can't wait until he gets older and PJ realizes what a treasure it is to have a little boy who will probably only tire of throwing a ball when she gets tired of fetching it for him!

Finally... the Big Trip

So, I'm finally sitting down to give the highlights and lowlights of our 10 day trip back east toa North Carolina and Washington DC.  First some background - We flew out to Raleigh-Durham, NC and then drove 3 1/2 hours to Asheville for the wedding of a good college friend.  We stayed in a house with good friends and celebrated the wedding over many days.  We then drove the 9 hour drive (or so) up to DC taking the Blue Ridge Parkway and cutting up through the western parts of NC and Virginia.  Having lived in DC for 5 years, it was really nice to be back and see all the familiar streets and landmarks.  My brother, his lovely wife and my niece graciously hosted all 4 of us at their house in Rockville.  It was exhausting having all the kids in one house but we did lots of fun things.  We spent our last day out east with more good friends in Alexandria.  They are leaving shortly for a couple years in Colombia so it was wonderful to catch up with them.  Then we flew home on a SUPER long flight or so it seemed.

Highlights

• North Carolina is an absolutely GORGEOUS place.   
  
• The wedding was outdoors and both bride and location were especially lovely.
• Sarah was a complete success as a flower girl for both rehearsal and 
  wedding.  Her new friend Sam also did a fantastic job as ring bearer.
• Sarah made lots of new friends (4 dogs, 2 younger girls and one younger boy).
• Sarah did karaoke at the wedding - where there was no karaoke set up.  She got a hold of the mic and found out how to turn it on.  Unchained Melody has never sounded better.
  
• Will found freedom - walking almost everywhere and loving the open fields.
  
• Sarah watching butterflies at Brookside Gardens and putting her arm out hoping that one would land on her.
  
• Taking Sarah and Will to see a couple monuments and Sarah liking the huge winged horse on Memorial Bridge better than anything else.
  
• Sarah having a wonderful time with her cousin Sofia running around their house, playing silly games.
  
• Sofia sharing her room with Sarah which was pretty funny and worked about half the time.  The other half - they would stay up talking and it was funny to listen to.
• Will falling in love with Hawkeye - a German Shepherd mix who was about 3 or 4 times his size.  He even learned to say Cock-eye.
  
• Watching my brother, all 3 kids and both of his dogs race up and down this grassy area near their house.   Best part was Andy telling BJ (the smaller dog) to go run, not realizing that Sarah was still holding tight to the leash.  She flew a tiny bit and hit the ground in shock.  We're just glad it was BJ and not Hawkeye.
  
• Will getting mad about having to get off a carousel at Wheaton Park and getting mad whenever we walked away from something really fun. It was hilarious.
  
• Sarah playing with Victoria and having a delicious huge brunch with Greg and Adry.
  
• Sharing a house in NC with Kathleen, Matt and Bethany, and Julie, Buster and Ruby.
  
• Drinking one night while watching the silliest Japanese TV on YouTube with Julie (the only one on Eastern time) falling asleep.
  
• Convincing Sarah to like Ruby the dog for the sole reason that Ruby had a pink polka dot collar on.  It worked like a charm!
  
• Realizing that you can pick up with old friends right where you left off.  I think that's just a sign of a true friend.
• Mastering both a 3 1/2 year old going to the bathroom on the plane AND changing a diaper on the plane.  It's interesting what type of small victories you celebrate with young children.
• Cracker Barrel

Lowlights

• Long plane rides and Will refusing to sleep much on them.
  
• SUPER long car ride and having to stop completely for meals because Will couldn't sit still for that long in his car seat.
  
• Long trip - a bit too long for 2 kids under 4 but they were troopers.
  
• Realizing how far away family and friends are.
• Andy has discovered the G4 channel and Ninja Warrior thanks to my brother.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I know, I still owe a trip blog but that's just too daunting right now.

Instead, I thought I would do a bit of history from our nation's favorite past time - baseball. Will loves to sing (sort of)/listen to Take Me Out to the Ball Game.  It is one of the few things that will get him to stay still on the changing table.  He also likes to add a few words like Ca-ca (cracker jack) and Deee-Dah (D-Backs, sorry Padres fans, it's easier to say for a 15 month old).  The song almost always gets a smile from him.  While I was looking for some piano music for it, since Will also loves the piano, I found some history on the song.  I decided to share it, since I don't think many people know the best part of it...... the song is meant to be sung from the point of view of a woman!  I love it!  Here is the story and some lyrics thanks to www.baseball-almanac.com:

In 1858, the first known baseball song was written, "The Base Ball Polka!"  It was not quite as famous as Jack Norworth's 1908 classic, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", which was written on some scrap paper on a train ride to Manhattan, New York.  Norworth then provided those paper scrap lyrics to Albert Von Tolzer who composed the music which in turn was published by the York Music Company and before the year was over, a hit song was born.

Jack Norworth was a very successful vaudeville entertainer/songwriter ad spent 15 minutes writing this classic which is sung during the 7th inning stretch at nearly every ball park in the country.  In 1927, he changed some lyrics and a 2nd version appeared.  

Below are some lyrics from the 1908 version:

Katie Casey was base ball mad

Had the fever and had it bad;

Just to root for the home town crew,

Ev'ry sou Katie blew.

On a Saturday, the young beau

Called to see if she'd like to go

To see a show but Miss Kate said,

"No I'll tell you what you can do."

"Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,

I don't care if I never get back,

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,

At the old ball game.

For full lyrics to both versions of the song - Click Here.

One last interesting tidbit - Jack Norworth did not attend his first Major League Baseball game until 1940.

Way Behind and She-Ra

I know, I'm way behind - 10 days out of town will do that!  We are trying to get back in the swing of things today and so far - so good.  The kids stayed on Pacific time surprisingly enough.  I will do a separate trip blog very soon but for now just thought I would put a short message up.

Sarah is currently in love with She-Ra and well, what 3 year old wouldn't be.  I mean, she has a horse that goes from regular white horse (cool enough as is!) to a unicorn/Pegasus mix with rainbow wings.  She gets to wear knee-high gold boots and a cool white dress and a cape.  She has a super powerful sword that lets her switch between normal and superhero at will.  And - to top off all that, she has more powers than He-Man.  OK - I think I want to be She-Ra now.