Lazy Day

Two sick kids and a blazing hot day make for a lazy day. With no AC and bad tummies, it is hard to move any faster than a turtle...so that is what we did yesterday.

Gratitude X10

1. Feeling better after a stomach bug yesterday (now the kids have it)
2. Still was able to rally last night to go see Earth Wind and Fire at a Winery...a great night
3. My brother is nearly home with his family
4. My parents are nearly home to hunker down for a long 'recovery' for my mother's shoulder (surgery and recovery to commence next week)
5. Warm weather (a little hot with no AC in the house)
6. Neighbors who so kindly watched my kids while I was out with my husband (see #2). I owe them one.
7. Friends to pal around with this summer at parks, beaches and backyards
8. Signed up for a Life Coach course to commence in September
9. My nephew had an awesome visit and is now on his way to the arms of his daddy (and mommy and sister).
10. My new bracelet that says "What you think you become"

Jinx

I've had a few recent coincidences related to my Italy days:

1. I did my word association for the word Echo in which I mention my days in Italy


2. A few days later, out of the blue, I was invited to join an online alumni network for all who attended Naples American HS. I've really had minimal contact with anyone in 21 years.


3. Then my parents had an incident which brought back memories of Italy (I'll describe below)


4. Then I did another word association for Mineral Oil and it also brought back Italy memories

I know that these aren't earth shattering coincidences but I've been noticing my coincidences more and more and I guess I wonder 'why'...or how could I use this to my advantage...or is this coincidence going to serve as another launching point for something else. It is all fun and interesting and gives me good vibrations...that is all.

Now for the incident with my parents. I had avoided writing about it to respect my parents' feelings (if they had any about me writing about it) but time has now passed and things are moving in the right direction, so I will write...AND my brother mentioned it in his blog. So, if he can, then I can...nah, nah, ne, nah, nah.

So here is the story. Last week I drove my parents to their BIG 45th anniversary trip; a week long Alaskan cruise. They were excited, nervous and ready to "get on with it". I said to my mother, "Mom, please don't recreate the scenario from your 25th anniversary". (I will now describe that incident)

We were living in Italy and they had decided to go on a lovely Amalfi Coast vacation for their 25th. I don't have the places or details straight (I was 18 and parents weren't that cool back then). Anyway, they stayed in a hotel that was 'not busy' at the time so the staff left many of the lights off in hallways etc. Mom opened the door to what she thought was a hallway but was in fact a flight of stairs going DOWN....she and some fancy painted dishes went tumbling down the stairs. She shattered her wrist and other bones in her right arm. She, to this day, doesn't have full mobility of that arm.

Fast forward 20 years to their 45th Anniversary trip this week......My parents had just finished a meal in Scagway and were walking along a street. There was an obstruction in the sidewalk that my mom did not see. She proceeded to fall and break her shoulder and fracture other parts of her LEFT arm. They had to be airlifted to Anchorage, stay in the hospital for 3 days and ended their cruise experience 4 days early. She'll have to have shoulder replacement surgery upon her return home. My mom announced to my dad that they will NEVER take another anniversary trip again...I think I'll have to support this decision. When my dad called to tell me about this situation I kept telling him to stop joking me and tell the truth. I kept saying, "She did NOT, Dad, you're lying, stop teasing me." He finally had to emphatically say I AM NOT LYING for me to realize that it was in fact true.

Talk about JINXING someone. I should never have brought up that incident 20 years before. I feel responsible for this (even though I know deep down that I really am not). CAN YOU BELIEVE MY POWERS? Now many of my friends are saying that I'm only allowed to have positive thoughts about them just in case I DO have powers!

Its good to have goals

10 playgrounds in 2 weeks is my goal for my nephew's visit. I came up with this goal as a way to give us a purpose and make sure we don't waste away our days while he is here. It has actually been a fun little adventure. We are on 8 and I am about to deliver the ninth with some muffins and coffee as my incentive so I too enjoy the experience. It has been fun to see different neighborhoods, different kinds of equipment, and to just have a goal....that is how my life operates; with lists and mini goals. I often use the word babysteps when I'm not feeling as motivated as I should be...so we are off to number 9 and perhaps we'll find number 10 along the way! It is fun to see kids at play, as long as I have my muffin and coffee too.

Word Association: Mineral Oil

Wow, Mineral Oil brought a very sudden and clear memory for me. It is of slathering Baby Oil on my 18 year old body to get a sun tan. The image is of my BFF Jules and me up on the veranda of our Italian Villa (YES, I lived in an Italian Villa with a Veranda and I didn't even appreciate it). We were preparing for Prom and needed to look crisp I guess. I actually think we were careful enough not to burn. My how times have changed. I now slather on the SPF and only spend minimal time in the sun. Will my kids even know that Baby Oil is an option? I hope not.

As for that Prom. I didn't have a boyfriend at the time but Jules did. I was fine with that. I had decided not to 'get involved' that year because I knew that we'd be off to college and didn't want to bother with the drama. So, Jules' boyfriend had a friend who didn't have a date so somehow I was talked into being his date. I really wasn't keen on the guy even though he was super sweet. He just wasn't my type (he had a mustache for one...my father-in-law has one and he looks dapper, but an 18 year old boy...not so much). I feel bad to this day for treating that boy (cannot even remember his name) so poorly. I wouldn't speak with him, I barely wanted to be seen near him, I was a rotten date. I don't know why I did this, it is not like me. I just think I didn't want him to get any ideas and I guess that is how I manifested my intentions with him, to make him miserable. I'm sure he is saying to this day "My Senior Prom sucked". As much as I was an A number One brat...I'm sure I looked FABU with my perfect tan, and my bright blue spaghetti strap taffeta number. Ooo la la.

Picture is a photograph of the scrapbook I made in 1987 of the year I was in Italy...that is my BFF and me toasting our graduation. It was legal to drink in Italy!

Speed Fun (akin to Speed Dating)

Yesterday I took my 'charges' downtown again for a day of adventure in a different part of town. Well there is so much to do for kids in this part of town that I had to plan the day to the minute and have the kids only enjoy each activity for just enough time. So we:

1. Went to our favorite breakfast joint
2. Went to a scenic viewing spot that has a new 'modern' playground
3. Changed into swimming clothes
4. Went to a huge water fountain that the kids can run through
5. Changed out of swimming clothes
6. Rode two rides on the mini carnival area
7. Went to the Science Center
8. Ate our picnic lunch
9. Went back into the Science Center
10. Watched KungFu Panda on the IMAX screen
11. Drove home in traffic
12. Fell down in exhaustion when we got home.

Just as I uttered the words, "I'm worn out", my husband offered me the opportunity to go to the gym if I wanted..."heck no" is all I could mutter. I have issues with working out in the evening. I also have a few issues with envy for my husband's ability to choose his most appropriate hour to exercise and I have to work within the parameters of when I can have someone watch the kids. I think this envy issue is more than just the fact that I can't go on a drop of a dime. It is bigger and more complex, like, I wish I had the desire, I wish I didn't make excuses, I wish that I could go when I wanted which is probably around 7:30am an hour before the school bus comes in the school year, and right when my husband is leaving for his own gym experience or for meetings. In a perfect world right?

As I just wrote this I looked at the bracelet I recently bought. It is one of those silver bracelets that have inspirational sayings on them. This one is a Gandhi quote that says "What you think, you become". I need to start thinking, "I am a fitness freak, I like to workout whenever and wherever I can, I am a fitness freak"....this may take a while to sink in...until then, I'll put my feet up and relax a bit.

I'll show you bored Missy

Yesterday, my daughter decided to inform me at different times of the day that she was bored. This is even when I'd taken her downtown for fun sightseeing, to the aquarium, shopping for a toy, bought a candy stick, yadda yadda yadda. She said she was bored because in fact we were not choosing HER WAY at the aquarium. This is not the first time this summer (which is not yet a week old) that she has said this. Each time it has been preceded by an incident where she was not getting her way with her cousin and brother. I am not well equipped with the right tactics to handle this. I have an issue with escalation with her. If I 'cut her off at the quick' she can get to the storming off, "I'm leaving, never want to see you again" phase very quickly. This is quite inconvenient in public places, in open fields (when camping) and other scenarios. I threatened today that if she said it again, I'd make her sit in her room all day and then she'd understand what bored really feels like...do you think I could follow through with that? 'Prolly not! That would be punishment for us all because she'd likely howl in her room the whole time and we would cower in a corner holding our ears and rocking back and forth. Given that she is not even a pre-teen yet (or maybe she is), I am 'very afraid' about what is in store in the years to come...do you think 'mother's little helper' will come back in style again? Just kidding MOM!