Friday, July 16, 2010

Iron Man and I are not friends

So, this is the story about how Ironman and I had a falling out.

Yes, I am referring to the comic book character.

I go to Target almost every day (Don't judge me. Its just about a mile away, air conditioned, and my kids and I can burn off some energy, and lighten our bank account all at the same time :) ). Every time we go we make a detour to look at the Thomas the Tank Engine toys. Both my older kids have an affinity for Thomas. I don't mind letting my kids browse the toy isle. They know the meaning of the word "no", and they don't have melt downs when I say its time to move on.

Anyway, on the same isle as Thomas they have the realistic looking animal figures made by Schleich. Bubba has been saving money to buy a whale. The marine biologist part of me couldn't be more proud! That is until a week or so ago. On the same isle are all the Ironman movie figures, play sets, attire, etc. Bubba asked me "Mama, what's that?" I told him it was Ironman. He pushed a few buttons on one of the larger toys, and that was that. Or so I thought.

On our last trip to the library Bubba spotted an Ironman book with the level 1 easy readers. He insisted on checking it out. After reading it to him about 1000 times I hid it.

Fast forward to our next trip to the toy isle at Target- Bubba skips right past Thomas and the whale he has been saving for and heads right towards Ironman. "I want to buy this" he says as he holds up some red and gold mass marketed action figure with sound and lights. "Don't you want to buy your whale first?" I asked. " I don't want a whale. I want IRONMAN!" (you should have heard the way he said Ironman. Excitement and reverence all in one word). At that moment Ironman and I became enemies.

Braden thought the whole scene was funny. That is until he saw that it actually brought tears to my eyes. Yes, I cried. Yes, the marine biologist part of me was a little taken off guard. But it was right then and there that I realized that Bubba is not a baby, and is all too quickly growing out of little boyhood.

Ironman, you can't have my little boy. I'm not giving him up without a fight.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

More Bullet Points :)

* Braden is still looking for a job. He has had several interviews, but we are just playing the waiting game. In the meantime he has been commuting about 3 1/2 hours a day to a temp. job. It is hard on him. Its hard on me. Its really hard on the little ones.

* My little 3 ring circus has been sick. Fevers, coughs, congested lungs, and puke. I think I'm getting it :P

* I am amazed that my littlest is 6 months already! Where did that time go? He is a content happy little man that melts my heart with each and every smile and giggle.

* I'm taking another break from running since my knees and feet aren't liking it very much at all. I've been walking inside instead. You read that right. I've been walking inside- as in my family room. I have a date with Leslie Sansone every morning after Baby C has his 6 am bottle. It has been too hot and humid, even at 6 am, to do much of anything outside. I think I'm going to add some Yoga to the mix, and maybe a deep water running class if I can find one locally.

* I have been seriously considering cutting all my hair cut off. Like all of it! My hair keeps falling out by the handfuls as it did after I had my other two babies. This time it seems worse though. I have balding spots. Yikes!

* I've been getting phone calls from Braden just because, or silly texts from my friend Geoff, or "I love you Mommy", and a thousand other little things to make me smile just when I seem to need them the most. I am thankful for these tender mercies.

* The other night Braden and I were up late watching Mythbusters. Neither of us wanted to go to bed. I don't remember what myths they were testing, but we were both laughing. Laughing so hard I might have actually snort laughed a few times. It was awesome :)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

An open letter to my Mr. Thomas

Dear Mr. Thomas,

You know that I love you. You know that I appreciate all that you do for me, for our family, and for our home. I think you are amazing, but you are only human. You need to eat and sleep like the rest of us. Seeing that you are only human, I called the exterminator today to take care of the eight-legged monsters living in our basement. The final straw came this morning when one of the little buggars dropped down in front of my face to say "hello" as I was loading the washer.

I know you have promised to evict all our little creepy crawly friends yourself, but there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything that you need and want to do.

When the exterminator comes early next week I will let you stay home to write her the check (yes, the exterminator is a girl!). Will that help you feel like you kept your promise?

Since we haven't really budgeted for an exterminator I promise to cut back on my smoothie habit for the rest of the summer even though it is 10 billion degrees outside.

Love Always ,
Your Mrs. Thomas

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Bullet Point Update

* I'm melting in 100+ temperatures.
* I'm trying to get back into a regular exercise routine so I can start training for the Big Sur Marathon in May 2011.
* Our 4th of July was fabulously low-key, and we loved it that way.
* Thinking about skipping preschool this next year for Bubba and putting him in a neighborhood Joy School. (Does anyone have any experience with this?)
* Trying to clean up and clear out. You think with 400o square feet we would have plenty of room for everything, and we do. I just don't want to have so much "stuff".
* Trying to find the motivation to unpack all the boxes we have left over from out move last year. I am of the opinion that if we haven't used it in a year then we really don't need it.