Here in my car...

work, kid's schools, basketball.
Baseball, academic team, golf.
Soccer, PTA, more work.
Zumba, grocery store, gas station.
Out with friends, more work, library.

Like most modern moms, I spend more time in my car than I like. Several meals, the occasional clothing change, a lot of hauling happens in my car. I refer to my car as the pimpin' blue van, my husband refers to it as trash pit (I'm not exactly a neat freak. But, hey, I can usually find a tissue, a beverage, or a spare pair of socks if need be.)

Bizarre things I found in my car today:

• Roll of toilet paper
• 3 plastic containers of cat litter
• a towel
• a Barbie head (my daughter hasn't played with Barbies in 2 years.)
• 3 perfectly brand new crayons
• 4 empty water bottles (the refillable kind. They are washing right now.)
• 3 baseballs, a soccer ball, 2 bowling balls, a football, and 1 - yes 1 - golf club. I'm thinking weapon.
• 7 socks - from 7 different pairs - all dirty.

Favorite things about my car:
It used to be my grandparents', and I am convinced Grandma still haunts it on occasion, as the doors lock randomly without me pushing any buttons, or any automatic function. Which is rather inconvenient when I'm warming up the car.
It was free, and it's big enough to lug around my kids and their friends.
My Cubs fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror.
My Peace frog magnet - it causes people to come find me at the library or grocery store "I saw your van in the parking lot - it's the only one with the tie-dyed frog on the back." Definitely helps a social butterfly like myself.
I've "read" a lot of audio books while in that car.
It has been a means of transportation for a lot of family experiences - sports, vacations, life in general.

Now, keep your fingers crossed my well-used baby gives me a few more years...

Here's what's going on in my neck of the woods:


This is Tar. The Girl made her.

She came to me the other day asking for paints. When I asked why, she held up this lovely paper stuffed doll. I was quite impressed with The Girl's ingenuity.


I've been wanting this mug for awhile, so I got myself a stocking gift.

She loves to be upside down. At least the fitness ball is used for something, right?

Tonight is my only free night in a week of busy - tomorrow night is MarketDay (yeah, still heading up that committee. We moms are so bad at saying no.) Thursday is fun - company happy hour and then a Mom's Night Out. It's supposed to snow that day, and all I can say is it had best not ruin my day, darn it. Friday is The Boy's (he has requested I do away with the MonkeyButt pseudonym, so he is henceforth known as The Boy. I never said I was creative.) academic team party. We have pizza and then square off, kids against adults, with 6th grade questions (so as not to embarrass the parents, I suppose.) I kick rear at those 6th grade literature questions. Go me.

New to me: This week

This week has been an adventure, my friends. So much, just in my little corner of Northern KY, to experience, and this has been a week of new experiences. And what kind of world dominator/friend would I be, if I didn't share these experiences with you...
So, beginning from the beginning of the week:

1. County Cafe: Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know my family and I tried the County Cafe, located in Florence, KY, on Tuesday. This used to be Double Decker, which we all know sold lovely, enormous sandwiches for decent prices, and was hugely popular, at least amongst my friends. They closed in the fall, and we all mourned. But mourn no longer, my lovelies, County Cafe sells the same food, same basic prices, just a new owner. We almost wept with relief. But we didn't. Because tears would have ruined our sandwiches.

2. "Despicable Me." Loved loved this movie. I found myself shushing my kids so I could hear the kids' movie.

3. Washed breast prostheses in the kitchen sink with a sponge and dish soap. Left to dry on a towel on the kitchen table. I know, this was also a Facebook update, but I felt it was such an odd part of my worklife, it should be repeated.

4. Saturday Sweets: a candy/ice cream shop who also sells gorgeous cupcakes, also in Florence, KY. They are tucked into an obscure strip mall on the Pleasant Valley side of the Oak Brook subdivision. I went in, just to check it out, and they were hosting their first kid's birthday party. I can imagine that may be something my daughter would enjoy - will definitely keep it in mind.

5. "The Social Network." Watched it tonight. Definitely made me think. I kind of felt dirty logging onto Facebook after that. I got over it, but still. Having had many superbly intelligent friends over the years who were perfectly capable of feeling mentally superior but still being able to maintain some semblance of a social life, I wonder - was Mark Zuckerberg's character just written to be an arrogant jerk who started Facebook out of a need to be popular and an inability to connect to other human being in the real world, or is that the way he is. I suppose a movie about a perfectly nice guy who has a cool idea would not be very interesting. Musings aside, the (1!) guy who plays the crew-rowing, lawsuit-bringing twins, Armie Hammer (fun name) is seriously hot.

This next week will also bring some interesting new fun: The office is closed on Monday so I'm taking the kiddles bowling at the new place in Newport (they have couches!) Thursday I have a happy hour AND a Mom's Night Out - it is a party time for Missy. I am still looking for a new job, by the way, if anyone is looking for a fabulous assistant, but I'm with the American Cancer Society for now. We are gearing up for Relay season, which means I will have plenty of work to do, which makes me happy.

Anywho, gotta go entertain my guy, so you all have a great night.

That which made me smile this weekend...

• Watching the Girl rediscover her love for basketball. She played in her first game of the season yesterday, and she started out slow - timid, not going for the ball, letting the other kids push her out of the way. As the game progressed, however, she started running, defending, and actually shooting once in a while. She made two baskets, some decent passes - and, best of all, had a really good time.
  
• Some time to sit in my craft area and actually finish a page. I haven't cropped in weeks, and I'm feeling the withdrawal. It was a much needed creative reprieve.

• I took the kids to see the new Harry Potter movie today. Admittedly, I'm feeling rather lukewarm about the movie. I think the Twilight series has destroyed the supernatural adolescent genre - I understand teenagers are balls of highstrung hormones, ok, especially teenagers who are being chased down by Deatheaters who are intent on destroying the world as they know it, but honestly, they spent way too much time staring at each other in tents and focusing on their feelings, and way too little time moving the story along. I swear they did not stare at each other this much in the books. And not every single moment had to be fraught with sexual tension. This may sound rather adolescent of me, but I really wanted to "avada kadavra" all their asses. Except Snape's, who was in this movie way too little. I do love me some Alan Rickman. Nobody, and I mean nobody, swishes a black cloak like Alan Rickman. Speaking of which, does this make you giggle or what?

• My Mother has introduced the Girl to her favorite movies - musicals. They have watched and loved Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, Music Man, Holiday Inn, etc. Tonight's chosen showering song? "Sisters", from White Christmas. It is truly delightful to hear my 8 year-old belt out such lyrics as "Lord help the sister, who comes between me and my maaaaaaan!

Scenes from the holidays

Hi!

I thought this looked cool - the lights of the Christmas tree reflected in the window with the snow...pretty. When we lived in Chicago, we were constantly driving to someone else's house for holidays. Now that we live here, we rarely travel on the holidays themselves. Thanksgiving and Christmas are always here, and family members are welcome to come stay as they please.

Mom, brother, sister, and brother-in-law were here Christmas day to eat much food, open presents, play games, and enjoy much holiday merriment.

We had a heck of a time keeping Finnegan out of the tree. He makes a lovely ornament. Although, kind of freaky with the eyeshine.

The day after Christmas we drove to Peoria to visit Marc's family. We spend a lot of time playing Uno and Rummy, while watching his 21 year old cousin text. They are fantastic people and we love them. We went bowling this time. I don't believe I even got to 100.

I asked very nicely for a desk at which I could do all my home and volunteer paperwork. And I have a lot - between Girl Scouts, Marketday, MOMS Club, bills, school crap...my kitchen table was constantly covered. So now I'm slightly more organized.

My niece came to visit from Louisiana for the week. We hung out New Year's Eve - did our nails, ate a lot of crap, played more games. I love the fact that having kids gives me an excuse to be a complete dork and not go out on New Year's Eve. Not that I don't enjoy a gathering of friends or something, but big bashes and crowded bars give me hives.

Dude. I am so not cool.