Turkey Day...

Just some quick pics for now... too tired to write...

First Thanksgiving...

So, Scott and I are hosting our very first Thanksgiving at our house!!!!! We are more excited about it than we are worked up, or stressed...... we are just happy to do it. We are having his parents, Jane, Adam, Grace, his Uncle Jared and Aunt Colette and their three kids, Gannon, Graydon and Calvin! Eight adults and 6 kids. I am having an adult and a kids table. Very excited about this...... total dork. Whatever. :-)

I totally ordered all the Pottery Barn kids items for the kids table... the turkey plates and cups... the runner (which is far too long for the table and unfortunately, going back now). I found the cutest little turkey napkin rings... and we have a stuffed turkey (toy) for the centerpiece. I found these heavy felt giant bright colored leaves that I am using under the turkey in the center... the table will be fun and bright and very "kid-like." I even got all these specialty chocolates from Gilberts that have fun turkeys on them to put at their place settings. They will so eat those before dinner!

Ha!

The adult table will be the anti-kid table... with rattan chargers.... fall colors.... leaf napkin rings.... and candles all around......... no candy... plenty of WINE!!!!! :-)

We are very much looking forward to having everyone over. Very. Much!!!!!

The best part is my brother David, his wife Mary and my neice Maggie will arrive later in the day to spend the weekend with us... during this time, the more the merrier I say!!! So nice to fill a house to the brim........

I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving....... I am anticipating that the coming days will be too busy to blog.... but I promise to post pictures of the madness after the fact!

Remember to be thankful for one another............

Real Quick...

So, we had a pretty good weekend! Nothing too special. A quiet night of catching up on what was on the DVR Friday night.... and some wine. Saturday, a good friend from Chicago came to visit and we had a great meal... and night of drinking... the next day, he spent some quality time with the kids.... and it was a great day all around. I just loving having overnight guests.... :-) Ally loves company too and even BETTER when the company loves to play Mario Kart with her!!!

I am not feeling 100% great... fighting a bit of a cold. BLAH!!! I am feeling very unmotivated today and frankly, I'm in a really bad mood. I find myself avoiding people at work (very uncharacteristic of me) and just holing up in my office. I have to leave early today to pick Ally up from school. She has been coughing for quite a while now.... really bad at night, and yesterday, she was complaining about her side hurting. First, it was "her tummy"... but then, when I really asked her to show me where the pain was, she was pointing to her chest, just on the side a bit. I had her breathe deeply and asked if that hurt... to which she responded "not a lot"....

This concerns me because Ally is afraid of being sick and not going to school. She would rather to go to school near death than miss school at all..... she's crazy. But, I think it's a good crazy! :-)

Then, this morning, she was crying cuz she was afraid to go to gym today and have to run. She said her chest has really been hurting after she runs..... hmmmm??? A call to the doctor was made today. Better to have her lungs listened to..... be safe rather than sorry. And, since the holidays are coming up.... better get her in now!!!!

So... off to the doctor we go. She will not like this one bit.... going to have to bribe her with a trip to the Gap after.

Wish us luck!

Gettin' it Done...

So... I started my Christmas shopping. God bless the internet. Seriously! What did people DO before the internet? Online shopping? How did they multitask and get anything at all done? I know, I know... I am probably hurting the local economy by purchasing things online... but I have to get some things online... and I will try to do some things local.

For now... I got a great start!

It's an American Girl Christmas for Ally for sure. She's getting all sorts of American Girl stuff. She has three dolls. Kirsten, Felicity and Mia. She received Kristen and Felicity as hand me downs.... thank god... :-) Mia, she got when her BFF Isabel got her Mia.... my friend Beth and I took the girls together to the American Girl store in Chicago and it was so much fun to see the girls get so excited........

So... Kirsten recently got sent to the American Girl hospital to be "spruced up".... she is actually getting a whole new head. :-)))))) This is still much, much cheaper than a new doll. Kirsten is also about to be retired, so Ally is very anxious to have her fixed and get a new dress for her. Her nana is getting her a new dress for Kirsten...

Santa is going to bring her a new dress for Felicity and Mia's ice skating outfit and skates. She will also get a carrying case for her dolls, a hair care kit and the books "introducing" the historical characters. She is also getting Mia's "pets" - a dog and cat and their carrying cases. Plus a matching skirt for Mia's outfit... she already has Mia's matching sweater.

Outside of the American Girl stuff... Ally is getting some Junie B books.... a friendship bracelet making kit... the bilibo thingy (totally facinated by it)... and... drawing a blank... but that's what I got so far. A nice start.

Luke is getting some blocks.... Chuck the Talking Truck.... a bilibo.... a remote control bus.... a bus book...... and probably some Maisy item that I will hold back from his Birthday loot cuz I overspent there.... :-)

I also got a couple items for Scott... but on the off chance that he ever looks at this, I can't divulge!

Must think nieces and nephews now!

Top Ten Tuesday...

I have stolen this from Leslie... it's almost like a Christmas list.... maybe my hubby will read it. :-))))) Not that he EVER gets anything off my list. It's like his claim to fame that he completely ignores my list each year....... still, I create one for him. ;-)

Ten Items on my Wish List:

1. Ugg Slippers
2. Frye Boots
3. Tiffany Circles Bracelet (the Earrings were my Luke present)
4. Black dress from Banana
5. An SLR Camera
6. More Origins Ginger products (cuz I can never have too much)
7. A new robe
8. New black leather gloves and black scarf
9. The garment bag in my Vera Bradley pattern (Peacock - only available on eBay!)
10. A big tote for work - something nice... not sure exactly what though!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year....

I think I know why I like the holidays so much... Christmas... even Thanksgiving... and all the events that surround it. It allows me to do one of the things I love to do (and frankly do best!)... SHOP!!!!!

I can shop without regret. No holds barred!!! There are things to buy for others. Outfits that must be had for myself for all the gatherings. Santa Claus is comin' to town baby!!!!!!! The big man... he's bringin' the toys.....

God, I love the toys! I truly love to get the kids (Ally in particular) the items on their lists. See her eyes light up on Christmas morning.

We are living in a material world... and I am a material girl..... HA!

It's true. The reason for the season is lost here, isn't it? Ugh.... I do so enjoy the "feeling" of Christmas too, ya know? The warmth. The gatherings. The wine. Seeing those you rarely see..... it is the best time of year....

But, for now, I find myself surrounded by people who have started their shopping, gotten most of their shopping done... or -GASP- FINISHED THEIR SHOPPING!!!!! I am feeling the pressure to jump on the bandwagon. Shop til I drop.

I have spent far too much time online researching all this crap. For Luke - it's anyone's guess. He cannot make a list quite yet. His freakin' birthday is right before (20th) so we have both days to buy for. Lord. Their are a few things I really want to get him. Chuck the Talking Truck (don't ask, I've been sucked in by the commercials!), a bilibo (for both kids actually), and a boy baby doll. I'm also considering more Mega blocks, this Melissa and Doug pizza thingy (he freakin' loves pizza), a little potty, and some toddler appropriate crayons and coloring books. Two year old boys are TOUGH!!!!

Ally - easy peasy - what DOESN'T the girl want? Like her Momma, the girl always has a running "wish list" in her head. :-) She wants many American Girl items... so I'm trying to get what I can. Some, of course, are retired... so it's the upcharge on eBay for me! She also wants books... books... books galore. And, that is one thing I never mind spending money on!!! Junie B Jones are some of her favorites... and I am trying to find some other age appropriate chapter books for her. She loved Up and wants the book now. Didn't ask for the movie... asked for the book. Atta girl! :-)

Then, there are the nieces and nephews.... the hubby... the parents.... whew. Good times. I really do enjoy this part. And the wrapping!!! Love the wrapping!!!! The big dork in me has always wanted to have a gift wrapping party! Serve drinks.... wrap gifts... listen to music. Total. Dork. Maybe I will do this. :-)))))))))))

Maclaren Recall...

I don't know how many of you out there might have a Maclaren stroller, but there is a recall on most Maclaren strollers in the US. You need to request an accessory of some type to prevent some sort of pinching injury.....

I love my Maclaren and will not stop using it for this reason... will definitely get the cover they say will fix the problem and move on. It is a stroller perfect for our needs... we don't run or even take long hikes with the little ones. We are "strolling in the mall, in and out, ease of use in folding the stroller up and down kind of people." Best stroller ever for that..........

That said..... here's the recall info, if you happen to have one!!!

http://recall.maclaren.us/

All About Luke...

This post is dedicated to Luke. That little man that has stolen my heart and kills me with those blue eyes and dimples.... and it's a good thing he's cute, cuz he can be so very bad....

Scott tells me it's in our genetic makeup... that we are convinced are kids are cute, so we don't kill them. It's a survival mechanism. I can see that. ;-)

But, Luke is as cute as can be these days. He has come out of a terrible phase we seemed to have there for a while. He was a terrible 18 month old. Now, at almost 2, he is communicating better and I believe that is so much of the reason he is becoming a happier little guy. He says a billion words these days, and his simple little sentences are just adorable.

Some of my favorites:

"Momma, ARE you????"

"I help Momma"

"My seat, Ally seat, Momma seat, Daddy seat"

"I go outside play Ally"

"Ba-ba, night-night Momma"

"I read Maisy mouse!"

Luke is in love with Maisy mouse. In love. We found some of Ally's old Maisy books, and he just fell in love. I love how he says "Maisy mouse" so I think I have fed his obsession. Maisy used to be on Noggin, but we haven't been able to find the show. Finally, Scott ran a search on our DirecTv app (god bless the iPhone) and found Maisy on some obscure channel at odd hours, so we set the DVR to record a bunch of episodes. I also ordered a bunch of Maisy stuff for his birthday. A few more books. He has "Where is Maisy," "Maisy on the Farm," and "Where are you Going Maisy." I ordered a few more and a DVD, a stuffed Maisy and I found a Maisy backpack... but it's coming from England and costing a small fortune. :-) I also plan to have his second birthday a Maisy theme, so I ordered Maisy party supplies from England as well. Nice.

Luke's favorite things to do these days are ANYTHING HIS SISTER IS DOING! I swear to god. I remember a friend giving me advice not to bother buying Luke any toys, cuz he would always just want whatever Ally has... and that could not be more true. He loves baby dolls. His favorite thing to do around here is push dolls, stuffed animals, or barbies around in Ally's stroller. I think he plays with it more than she does these days.

He loves to play outside... be outside. Run. Be active. Throw things. Kick things. Hit things. And he has been known to bite his cousin Grace now and again. He is all boy.... with the exception of when he's playing with his dolls. ;-)

He loves some of the toys we got for Ally and she never cared too much for. He loves this beaded wire toy... not sure what the hell it's called. Ally never touched it. I think it was a gift from someone (Mom of the year here!). He absolutely loves it. Will play with it forever.

He loves to take baths and requires lots of bubbles. He's not a very good eater, but still gets his milk in a soft spouted sippy cup. I totally baby him. He knows what candy and sugar cereal is. Things that never would have happened with Ally as baby number one!! He has me wrapped around his finger and I do spoil him. He is a little lover... loves to cuddle and snuggle more than Ally ever did at this age. She was much more independent. He definitely prefers to be held more and know you're near. Any time I am out of sight..... it's "Momma, ARE YOU???"

I'll take it for as long as he is givin' it.... soon enough it will be "Mom, can you leave us alone?"

He has grown to be a sweet, good natured little guy... and his hugs and snuggles are often the highlight of my day. My little heart breaker....

Joe Purdy

Scott and I took a little road trip to see one of our very favorite artists, Joe Purdy perform at the Rumba Cafe in Columbus last night. It was an AMAZING show!!!! We were right in front of the stage. I was inches from Mr. Purdy and it was a night I won't soon forget.

In case you all haven't caught on yet - I love music... live music in particular. One of Scott's and my favorite things to do is go to concerts!!!! Love it. We have David Gray in Windsor on January 2nd. I scored third row. I am giddy... and we cannot wait.

The show was amazing. He played about 20 songs... over two hours of music. Just him, a guitar and a harmonica. He took requests from the audience and talked to us all like we were a group of friends sitting around in someone's living room, shooting the shit.

If ever an artist you like comes to the Rumba Cafe... GO!!!! The venue is awesome! Small. Nice. Great drinks and great atmosphere.

We stayed at a hotel within walking distance... even better after we both enjoyed a good amount of gin and tonic.

A great night all around!!!!!!

Girls And The City...

On Thursday morning, three girls from Chicago boarded a plane at about the same time a girl from Detroit was boarding her plane.... and a couple hours later, they all met up in New York City... the rest, as they say, is history!

HA!

So, it really is NOT that dramatic. I couldn't help myself though. I am still coming down from the high of a fabulous girls' trip to New York!!!

Thursday morning we all made our way to LaGuardia airport... where the four of us piled into a cab and told Mr. Cabbie to take us to our hotel in Midtown. Whew. That was a much more brutal journey than the plane for certain. It was right around noon, and traffic was WICKED. It took us a good hour to get from the airport to the hotel. We finally arrive, I check us in... and we head up to our room on the 17th floor to unpack, freshen up, and hit the streets to shop!

We open the door to our room..... and are hysterical immediately....

The picture really doesn't do it justice.... but our room is the tiniest room EVER.... and it has two beds. Yes... two beds... but these beds are SO NOT DOUBLE beds. No. Freakin'. Way. They are single and a half AT BEST!!!!!! We kinda freak out at first. Jackie calls down to the front desk and asks for a bigger room, or at least some normal sized beds. They say, no deal. This is what we get. They don't have rooms with two queens and these are their "doubles." Wow. Really? Nice....

Okay.... we laugh... it is really more funny than annoying... really, it is. We are at this point glad to be four fairly petite girls! :-)))))

As if our room isn't quite cramped enough.... the following morning after Beth and Sandy have gone downstairs, Jackie and I steal a rollaway bed from the hall and place it in our room to surprise the girls upon their return. It was hard to keep the secret all day, but worth it... and we really enjoyed having absolutely no space to walk around for a while... :-) Mature huh?

On that first day, we dropped our bags off in our walk in closet of a room, and then went to a great little French restaurant called Maison for lunch. It was so New York. Loud, cramped, busy and bustling with energy. We loved it. Had some great food and even better wine.... and were very anxious to hit the Fifth Avenue and get our shopping on!!!

We walked up 53rd to Fifth.... and I made the girls stop at the corner.... pause with me and enjoy the moment! Ahhh... Fifth Avenue... a shopper's dream. :-) I appreciate that they all humored me and put up with my moment.

We walked down to Bergdorf Goodman where we oohed and ahhhhed over gorgeous purses, outrageous clothes and tried on... what else... JEANS! :-) We all need more jeans like we need a hole in the head, but we can't help it. It's what we DO!!!!! I didn't find any there I had to have, but Jackie found two pair. She officially kicked off the purchasing leg of our trip!!!

We left Bergdorf and walked in an out of a few stores.... eventually coming to Anthropologie where we all tried on many, many things. We had a lot of fun in the huge dressing room, encouraging one another to purchase fabulous articles of clothing for ourselves. Beth ended up with a pair of jeans and a great top. I ended up with a great black sweater dress.

At Saks...... we once again, tried on jeans..... :-) But... we also made Beth try on this fabulous jumpsuit. You can't tell it has this open pouch in the front in the picture. They picture actually makes it look decent or it's because Beth is so gorgeous she can make a trash bag look good... but we all had a good laugh and were so happy Beth was a good sport and humored us.

At Saks, I found some great J Brand jeans on sale... SALE! They were begging to be bought... and I think Jackie got a couple more pair as well. :-)

It should be said... earlier at Bergdorf, Jackie fell in love with a Valentino purse.... she walked away... and then, we ran into it again at Saks. We all had to touch it, the leather was so amazingly soft and we just ooohhed and ahhhhed over it. After two days, we wore Jackie down, and she bought it. :-) We are all living vicariously through her amazing purchase!

After a great day of shopping and eating.... we needed to head back to the hotel to change and prepare for our evenings out! Sandy, Beth and Jackie were going to see Ricky Gervais at Carnegie Hall and I was meeting up with my cousin Sarah who lives in Brooklyn for dinner and drinks.

Sarah and I met up and had drinks while the other girls got ready in our room. We decided to get ready in "shifts" in our tiny ass room. ;-) Then, Sarah and I made our way through Times Square and over to the Hells Kitchen area where there are many fun restaurants to choose from. We ended up at a little Italian place... and enjoyed some great food, drink and conversation.....

Afterwards, we met up with the girls for a drink.... and then called it a night.... a perfect end to a great, but busy ass day!

They next morning, Jackie (the angel) got up and went to Starbucks... bringing us all back coffee, in bed. Talk about room service! When we were all dressed and ready to go, we went down the the concierge to ask about breakfast.... we waited and waited and waited while the dumb asses talked to the ONE concierge on duty for an hour about getting tickets for this and that... all we wanted to do was ask for a quick breakfast recommendation!!!!!!!!

Ten years off my life later... we end up at a typical cute diner down the freakin' street!!!!! Lou's. Whatever.. it was good, we were happy... we moved on. To more shopping on Fifth.... and then, we got brave... and ventured onto the Subway to go out to Soho for the express purpose of finding this yarn store that Jackie was dying to go to...

We were all just so proud of ourselves for getting on the subway... Jackie forced me to be strong... when all I wanted to do was hail a damn cab.... but we did it.....

And it was worth the time and the trip (and the possible exposure to disease, rats and crazies). Soho is AWESOME!!!!!! All neighborhoody... and not at all giant buildings, big city and touristy like Midtown. (but I still freakin' LOVE Midtown!!!!!!!) We happened upon some of the nicest little areas... fountains...

... parks... schools... brownstones... eateries.... shops... and we found Jackie's yarn store with the help of our iPhones and Google Maps!!! (how do people LIVE without an iPhone?)

Right next to the yarn store, called Purl... sat this adorable little shop.... called Once Upon a Tart. It was full of all sorts of sweet deliciousness!

After the yarn.... we found the most amazing little Italian place ever.... and enjoyed the best service, food and wine a girl could ask for.... next time we really hope to stay out in this area.... and of course, pay a visit to Fifth and Midtown... but explore the neighborhoods off the beaten path a bit more. There is still amazing shopping out there.... probably BETTER food... and it just feels comfortable. Kinda like home.

That night, we went to one of my fave Midtown restaurants, Nobu... where we enjoyed sushi, fish, sashimi and drinks!!!!!! Our final night in NYC was coming to a close......

We walked down to Times Square to stand in the middle of the lights and craziness... and absorb the City one last time.....

We returned to our tiny room and slept all close and cuddly together..... and once again, Jackie (plus Beth this time) got up and got us coffee. We sat around our room, drinking our coffee in bed... talking forever.... enjoyed our last afternoon with a bit more shopping and lunch.... and made our way back to the airport..... where we said our goodbyes.... and boarded our planes to come back to our kids... our lives....

But, I will never forget our trip. It wasn't anything crazy special. We didn't stay at the Ritz or do anything so grand..... but it was all the little things that added up. The people, the places, the everything about it... that made it one of the best times of my life!!!!

Thank you girls...... let's do it again soon!

3 Things

I am copying this from others... Cuz I'm at the airport wicked early!!! Traffic was nothing like it was the day we arrived and the airport is DEAD!!! Crazy.... So here goes:

Three Names I Go By:
1. Nicole
2. Nicki
3. Nina

Three Jobs I Have Had In My Life:
1. Environmental Policy Analyst
2. Case Worker for the US Senate
3. Gift Wrapper At JC Penney

Three Places I Have Lived:
1. Concord, MI
2. Ann Arbor, MI
3. East Lansing, MI

Three TV Shows That I Watch:
1. Flash Forward
2. Californication
3. Greys Anatomy

Three Places I Have Been:
1. Paris
2. New York
3. Boston

Three Places I Want To Go:
1. Seattle
2. London
3. Italy

Three of My Favorite Foods:
1. Sushi
2. Anything Mexican
3. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Three Things I Am Looking Forward To:
1. Hosting Thanksgiving this year
2. Giving my kids hugs and kisses when I get home
3. Wearing the new boots I bought in New York

Three Animals With Whom I've Been Friends With (agree Nicole. This is odd):
1. Fergus
2. Berkley
3. Duncan

Three Things I'm Scared Of:
1. Bodies of water... Not pools. Lakes, oceans
2. Spiders
3. Horror Films

Three of My Favorite Books:
1. This Much I Know Is True
2. My Sister's Keeper
3. Weight of Water

Three of My Favorite Bands or Singers:
1. Dave Matthews Band
2. David Gray
3. Joe Purdy

Three of My Favorite Movies:
1. Crash
2. Shawshank Redemption
3. Lost In Translation

Three of My Favorite Drinks:
1. Pinot Noir
2. Martini
3. Vodka Tonic

Three Things I Find Attractive In a Guy:
1. Humor
2. Passion
3. Decisiveness

Three Things I Couldn't Live Without:
1. My friends
2. iPhone
3. Coffee

-- Post From My iPhone

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow....

Today I leave New York. We have had such a nice trip. So nice to get away. So nice to just be girlie girls for a few days. Shop. Eat. Drink. Giggle. It has been great weather and great times.... But I am looking forward to seeing my family. Hugging my kids and spending a quiet day at home. Looking at all my purchases. :-)))))))


-- Post From My iPhone

NYC

Having an amazing time with three great girls and cousin in NYC!!!!! Have had NO time to write. I've hardly even Facebooked! Crazy for me. We have eaten amazing food. Had some great wine. Explored Soho and Greenwhich Village on top of seeing every square inch of Midtown and Fifth Avenue!!!!

I have made some great purchases ... Some GREAT deals!!!! Purse.... Boots... Jeans.... And a dress! Love me some New York shopping....

We have a 10 pm dinner reservation at Nobu tonight and we can't wait. We're back in our hotel room resting until we get gorgeous to go out..... :-)



-- Post From My iPhone

Anticipation...

I leave for New York City bright and early tomorrow morning! I am so excited!!!!!!!! I am going with three girlfriends... Beth, Sandy and Jackie. They all live in Chicago... and we coordinated our flights (theirs from Chicago and mine from Detroit) to arrive at LaGuardia at exactly noon. We can all hop in a cab and drop our bags off at our hotel and hit Fifth Avenue immediately for shopping heaven!!!

It will be a whirlwind trip... we are just there through Saturday evening.... two nights. Three out of four of us have kids to get back too and a Sunday recovery day at home is always nice to have before going back to work! But, we really have three full days in the City! We plan to eat great good... see some amazing sights.... drink fabulous wine or martinis.... SHOP.... and mostly enjoy some time away, just the girls... no kids to care for... no boys to deal with. Just four fabulous girls in the City.....

I am also going to meet up with my cousin, Sarah, who lives in Brooklyn. We are going to have dinner/drinks with her Thursday at a minimum... hopefully, she will be able to join us more often... but there is that pesky work situation.... ;-)

So... today, I need to get through my workday... and evening... and PACK! I am a last minute packer.... I usually pack the morning of a trip.... but I need to be on the road by 7:30 tomorrow to get to the airport.... so I really need to make myself pack tonight. And, of course, I will stress over what to pack. So many needs for a trip like this. Comfy clothes and shoes by day for walking all over... and nicer things for dinners out! No way can I do this trip with a carry-on only. :-)

Here's to girls' weekends!!!!!!!!!!!

Not So Bad...

Well, Scott is feeling much, much better today. He is still home, but he stayed home more to take care of Luke than anything else. I'm not sure if he had H1N1 or what... but what's important is that he's feeling so much better. It's hard when they really aren't testing for it. Just jumping to conclusions that you have it. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't....

If he did... it ain't that bad! I'm sure he was uncomfortable for a couple days... but he said it just wasn't that bad...... I've seen him more sick. Last year I think he was out for a week with something. Flu. Ebola. I don't know. He was sick as hell.

I took Luke to the doc and his temp was much, much lower there than at home. Makes me question my thermometer. I do take his temp rectally.... and I know you are supposed to subtract a degree when you take it that way.... but still, I was getting a full degree or two higher a reading...

At any rate... the doc saw pus (a lot from her comment) on his tonsils... and ran a strep test, which was inconclusive in the office, so she sent one to the lab for a better result. But, she's assuming it might be strep, so he's on antibiotics. If it comes back it's not... then, he just has a cold virus of some sort. H1N1 doesn't "present" with pus on the tonsils... so it's definitely not that. Whew... good news.....

Still.... today he had a fever of 100.7.... and wasn't looking so great when I left him screaming to come to work. :( Breaks my heart that one..... he just wants his momma....... :(

So, hopefully, he will be on the mend....... last night, he had an hour or so where he just must have felt normal, because he and Ally were just playing and playing and he was having so much fun. Laughing and acting as healthy as can be. It's those moments that give you peace and take some of your worry away. Nothing worse than a sick baby!

Ally and I are feeling fine (knock on wood) and I really, really hope it stays that way because Thursday I am off to New York City with girlfriends for a girls' weekend!!!!!!!!!!! I need to be healthy for this trip of food, drink, shopping and sight seeing fun....... I have been looking forward to it forever as we planned it months and months ago.

But, today, I need to focus on getting some work done..... two day work isn't so bad. I just wish it was under better circumstances. Staying home with the sick ones yesterday was not fun at all. Here's to a better ending to my week!!!!!!

Boo Hoo to the Flu...

It appears Scott has the flu..... and all the medical professionals tell us to assume it's swine.... he is achy.... headache.... extremely fatigued.... nausiated. It sucks.

Luke is once again, running a temp. Last week, on Sunday evening, he spiked a bit of a temperature. Only about 101... just under really... but this week, he's running around 102. Amazing how that one degree just FEELS so different. He is listless. Just laying on me. Refuses to let me out of his sight. Well, right now, he's playing for a moment. Tylenol must have kicked in and is giving him some relief.

He had the H1N1 vaccine, but only the first dose and supposedly they need two to be completely protected. Maybe he's fighting it. Maybe he won't get it "as bad"... It just started with a fever out of no where and then, 12 hours later, he was stuffed up.... he is coughing just a bit now. Imagine that might get worse?

On a positive note... Jane got some great pics of the kids to share!!! Take a look!!!!

Happy Halloween!

We had a great Halloween weekend! Busy for certain... and it's still going...

It all started with Friday night, when we went to Nicole's for a Halloween Party. We dressed the kids up and were required to dress up ourselves as well! It's been quite some time since I've dressed up for Halloween. I think the last time I did was for my sister and brother-in-law's party years and years ago. Pre-kids... and I went as a sexy black cat. Just wore all black with tall black boots, stuck some ears in my hair and a tail on my butt. Voila! Costume. ;-)

This year, we tried to think of a little family theme. Ally was bound and determined to be Hannah... so we had to build around her costume. I decided to be Miley... and Scott decided to be Billy Ray. But, he wanted to be old school trashy Billy Ray with a mullet... so most of the people at the party thought he was Joe Dirt. :-))))) We had to Google Joe Dirt yesterday and sure enough... his costume was definitely more "Joe Dirt" than Billy Ray... but whatever! At least he dressed up and got into the spirit of the event! It was a lot of fun.

Luke didn't really fit into our family theme.. but he was damn cute! We already had his monkey costume from Eli... so we figure maybe the Cyrus family had a pet monkey at some point. :-)

He was as cute as can be though... at first I thought he wouldn't wear the costume at all, but he totally got into it. He kept it on throughout most of the party and then, on Halloween itself, he wanted to wear it as soon as he woke up.... pretty darn cute little monkey boy!

We went over to Scott's parents to kick off our evening of craziness... cuz Jane had to get her annual picture. ;-) I'm so glad we did and I can't wait to see the pictures she got... since she always gets some great ones. Then, we went over to Ally's school for trunk or treating and the carnival... where the highlight for Ally was winning a fish...

I at least got once decent picture of the kids together... heavily relying on Jane here... so she'd better come through. :-)

They are a cute little pair if I do say so myself...

Luke was so into Halloween this year it was so freakin' cute. He loved carrying around his "punkin'" and getting candy. Of course, we had to eat every piece as we got it. We came home around 7 or so in time to pass out some candy ourselves. The kids really enjoyed that part, and like my friend Beth said, it's nice for them to experience some giving as well as receiving! Ally loved looking at all the costumes and Luke just loved saying "bye!" to everyone as they left. Every time someone came to the door and yelled "Trick or Treat" he would get so excited and run to the door, peer out, help me give the candy and then yell "bye bye!!!" Adorable....

Then, the kids bounced off the walls for a while... and I forced them to eat some real food to try to counteract the sugar....... they passed out by 8:30 or so...... Scott and I had a drink and passed out ourselves..... whew..... successful two days of Halloween fun....

Hope you all had a great time too!!!!

All About Ally...

This post is dedicated to Ally. That little "6 and 3/4" year old who makes me crazy and makes life interesting every single day....

Ally never ceases to amaze me. I will admit, usually, my amazement is frustration. She is not an easy child. No. Way. Every day is a new challenge with this girl... and most days I'm just proud of myself for not smacking her. She is six (six and THREE QUARTERS she tells everyone) going on 16 for sure. She has more attitude than most teenagers I know. The other day, a guy I work with told me he had a VERY difficult daughter when she was a kid... and then, it was like she got it all out by the time she was a teenager and was just as easy going as can be. I am really hoping for this option... as I really do worry about what life will be like when Ally is driving... dating... and going through her teenage angst.

Our little girl is in the first grad here in Concord and absolutely loves school. She has regularly informed us that school is more fun than home. Hmmmm....???? How to take that exactly?? I am going to say it's a good thing. The other day when I had to take her out of school early in order for she and Luke to get the H1N1 vaccine, she threw a bit of a fit for having to leave in the middle of an exercise the class was starting.

I think I was like this in school. I remember loving the social aspect of school. The commotion. The excitement of the day. Early on, I recall really liking my teachers. Worshipping them almost and thinking they were the greatest. Then... you get to high school and teachers suck. ;-)

I am truly glad she likes school.... but I do worry about the fact that she never really likes to be at home. When I pick her up from her grandparents' at the end of the day, it can be a battle. The first thing she says on a weekend morning is "are we going anywhere today?" She constantly needs to be on the move.

I guess, at this point, all we can try to do is balance her need to be on the go and try to teach her how to slow down from time to time.

Right now, she is a pretty involved/active little girl. On top of school each and every day, she has art class one night a week and ballet class one night a week. One day a week, after school, she has a friend come home with her to spend a few hours together. So, three days a week, after school, she is pretty occupied.

We try to do things with the kids over the weekend... but lately, we are also trying to balance that with doing things for ourselves. As adults. Scott and I really need to do those things together too... so every other week or so at least, we try to get a sitter and have an adult night out. Much needed!!!!!

Luckily, we have some great babysitter options... and the kids really like the girls that spend time with them. Hooray!!!!

Ally's biggest loves right now are reading, writing and art. She's a very "left brained" kind of girl I think. Left is the creative side right? HA! I love encouraging that part of her too. I'm so glad we disovered the Jackson School of the Arts and so happy to be involved there. What an amazing little gem here in town!

Ally still loves her "Duncan." A stuffed Scottie dog that she actually received from Santa on her first Christmas. Duncan was our Scottish Terrier at the time... he passed away when she was three or so. So... she still has a stuffed one in his honor... and he is her special toy. When she was little, like Luke, she had a blankie. Now, all that love has been transferred to Duncan.

Last night we couldn't find him at bedtime... which makes for a fun time.... ugh! She is also becoming a bit manipulative and deviant in her "old" age.... so sometimes it's hard to know what is really happening and what she's "created." For example - she will hide a school book that needs to go back to school by a certain time.... to purposefully add chaos to the morning routine. She has this little snicker and I just know she's messing with my head!!!!!!

When she pulled that crap this morning... Scott told her she was going to be tardy. And that it wasn't our fault..... she of course cannot stand to have anything go wrong at school, so this hit home. Still, she drags her feet and it makes you want to scream!!! Easy go lucky, this child is not!

She is going to be Hannah Montana for halloween... and she is just as giddy as can be. We put the "costume" together ourselves... just ordering an official wig and microphone. The rest is just clothes from Gymboree!!!! Amazing how real clothes for kids can be made into a costume because sometimes they are just so outrageous!!!!

We have a lot of events surrounding the big day this weekend. Two parties on Friday and a carnival at school and trunk or treat on Halloween itself. Should be fun trying to do all these events with sugar high children. :-))))

Scott has a major conflict with work and will now have to work late on Friday and possibly Saturday, so I can add to the chaos, the fact that I will be single parenting it. Good times. I will be traveling with a flask...... :-))))))

This -n- That...

So.... it was a fairly busy weekend in the McIntosh household! We kicked it off with dinner at Daryl's Friday with my in-laws for my mother-in-law's birthday celebration! Scott and I had previously had plans to go out, so we already had a babysitter... which worked out nicely. It was a last minute dinner... but we were as free as you can be (when you have kids that is).... so we joined the McIntosh clan for dinner... and then, Scott and I went and had some just us time and drinks at Bella Note afterwards. Always nice to get out!

Saturday, Ally spent the majority of the day with her BFF, Jacey. They are like two little teenagers when they get together. Ally was thrilled to spend the day at her house... and I was pretty thrilled myself to have some down time. Luke took a nice three hour nap and I was able to have a fairly quiet day.

After the peace of the day... we decided that we needed to get out... so we went to the Buffalo Wings place (I can't think of what it is actually called!) and met Jane, Adam and Grace for some wings, beer and MSU football. Great game... up until the last two seconds that is! What a bummer they lost...... oh well. I don't really get that caught up in it. It's a freakin' game after all. Fun to watch... fun to see them win... but I don't have my heart broken when they lose!!!!!

Yesterday I took Ally to see Where the Wild Things Are. I was pretty disappointed in the movie itself. Amazingly, Ally says she liked it. I was shocked at how dark it was! One person described it to me as "joyless" and that absolutely sums it up! I think if I was going to see a movie that was for adults and was a bit dark and deep, I would be completely fine with it. It was the fact that it was a childrens' book, made into a movie... and it was depressing as hell in my opinion!!!! Lots of talk of sadness and loneliness. One quote in the movie was "it's hard being a family." As in, it takes work to get along.

Sure - these are valuable life lessons I suppose. Life is indeed hard... but come on!!!! You took a childrens' book and made it into a sad movie!!!!!! You suck. ;-) Okay, that was harsh. I was just pretty disappointed. Maybe I needed a little escpace into a child like feel good movie. I seemed to be more disappointed and upset by it that Ally was. Or maybe she's just happy anytime she gets popcorn and a tootsie roll? ;-)

A busy, fun filled weekend.... I'm behind on the laundry and the house is a bit of a mess... but it's more fun to get out and enjoy I always say. The mess will always be there.

Squashed the Oink....

I decided to vaccinate the kids against the H1N1 virus. It's funny... I'm not really sure why I was so unsure about it. It's not like I'm one of those moms that doesn't believe in vaccinations. I even get the 'recommended' vaccines. I get them the season flu vaccine... why did I balk at this one so much?

Who knows.... I guess sometimes I just feel uncomfortable with something new or different when it comes to that something being injected into my children.

I did a lot of reading... and in the end simply went with the advice of my pediatrician. We discussed Luke's risks.... and it just became clear to me that I should do it.

Then.... I got worried we wouldn't be ABLE to get it! I started hearing about the shortages of the vaccine. And I was wondering how the hell did we get so lucky that our pediatrician already has the vaccine (when many are saying they won't have it until November)? So... I decided we would go and go early to the prearranged clinic time. At first I thought I would just pick Ally up from school and go after school, but the office manager at Riverside recommended we come early.

THANK GOD WE DID! We did not only go right at the start of the clinic time (2:00 pm).... we went early, around 1:20 pm. I was just going to drive by and see if a line was forming at all. Sure enough.... long line and we jumped in.....

2 + hours later.... we had vaccinations! I feel really good about the decision to do it. We have a few people here at work who's kids have come down with it this week, and who now have it themselves. It's not pretty. If I can spare my child the sickness... I have to at least try!

I know it's a tough decision for some... and good luck with whatever you choose!

Ahhhhh....

I don't know what to do.... what to do? What to DO?????

Tomorrow, my pediatrician's office is giving the H1N1 vaccine to kids..... and they recommend both kids get it, but in particular Luke because he tends to have complications with his lungs when he gets sick. Everything goes straight to his chest........

I am surrounded by people with confirmed and suspected cases at work and in my social circle.....

I, myself am sick, but it's a sinus infection. Doesn't seem to be flu-like at all and I am currently on an antibiotic... not that it will ward of the flu, which is viral.

Both kids and Scott and I already got the regular flu shot.

I am at a loss. Kind of freaking out. Sitting here on the fence....................

I was pretty convinced I would NOT get it for the kids .... but now I am waivering.....

Scott says we should.

I hate decisions like this......

"No Momma. No hat!!"

What am I going to do with the little man this winter??? He REFUSES to wear a hat on his head. His baby head is going to freeze. His ears are going to fall off. This is ridiculous............

Any words of wisdom? Tips? Should I just invest in a big roll of duct tape?

Boys........

Always Apologizing...

It seems like I'm always apologizing for my lack of blogging. Life is just busy. Overwhelming at times... and to be really honest... sometimes I just don't have anything nice to say.... and like Thumper says:

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

My mom is here this weekend for a visit. A good deal of the purpose of her visit was to stay with the kids while Scott and I went to his cousin's wedding in Traverse City. Well.... no wedding for us. Scott has to work today - it is a busy time for him and today was mandatory. Tomorrow he likely has to work too, so going up to Traverse City was not in the card for us in the end. We are going to try to go out this evening and at least have some dinner, drinks and time to talk, but that's it for now.

It's cold... and I know a lot of people like fall... and it's true... fall is nice... but I just know winter is around the corner. Dark , cold, dirty winter and that just puts me in a bad mood frankly. I have a hard time snapping out of a funk come this time of year.... is it spring yet?

The kids are doing great. Really. Luke is talking like you would not believe. Complete little sentences. He is just a freakin' doll right now. Ally is loving school and looks forward to it every day. She's taking art and ballet at the Jackson School of the Arts and while that keeps us hoppin', it's worth it because she loves it so much... and she is the kind of girl who needs to stay busy. (wonder where she gets that from? ha!)

Scott is taking a class in Grand Rapids one night a week... I have not been able to get up to my beloved pole class in East Lansing in far too long and I am missing that physical outlet.... best workout around.... work is busy... kids are busy... life is busy...

And, blogging falls to the wayside..... just wanted to let any faithful readers know... we are alive and well... for the most part. ;-)

Stranger Danger...

This has double meaning.... I feel like a stranger to you all don't I? I so suck at keeping this blog updated!!!!!!! Also... our little man Luke, is in full on STRANGER DANGER mode. In fact, I think he just hates everyone frankly....

This morning, after a long, horrid weekend of sickness all around.... I took Luke to the doctor. It all starts in the waiting room. As soon as the nurse comes to the door and calls his name for us to come back, he just starts wailing! And not your little wimpy cry either... no, this is a full-on, painful wail!!!! With the shakes and everything! He absolutely hates the doctor's office.

So... we get weighed and have our temperature taken. We weigh 27 pounds and 11 oz, fully dressed and WITH our blankie. :-) Our temp is around 99. Not too bad. Better than Sunday.

After the nurse leaves, I get him calmed down. Then, the fun really starts when the DOCTOR comes in!!!! This doctor is SO MEAN... she invades his space. Listens to his heart and lungs. Looks in his ears and mouth. Checks out his vital organs. I mean, this is terrible stuff for a 20 month old. He is carrying on in such a ridiculous manner one would think she is beating him with a baseball bat!

I am surprised he didn't explosively shit himself..... see previous post. :-))))

Ugh. The poor little guy. Seems that a nasty virus has just invaded his body. Ears good. Lungs good. Throat, fine. Becuase of the temp, they did swab his nose for the flu virus, so we will find out on that tomorrow. Probably just a cold though......

Great way to wrap up our weekend..... the weekend from hell started a little something like this:

While driving home from work on Friday afternoon, I got rear ended in Spring Arbor. UGH! I was driving home to try to get the kids by 5:15 so we could go to a community picnic at the school before the football game. And, of course, I get hit by a big ole white van. Someone was turning left off M-60 onto Teft and I was slowing down to stop behind them... I saw in my rear view mirror that this van was SO NOT GOING to do the same behind me... so I started to get over.... they still hit me, but luckily my car was no longer poised right behind the car in front of me, so instead of my car getting crunched from both ends, just the back is all jacked up.

I am actually surprised the damage to my car appeared as little as it did. Huge safety kudos to the Nissan Murano! That thing takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin!!!

So... it wasn't my fault and I don't have to pay a thing, even the deductible... but it's still an annoyance that I have to be without my car for a week once they get the parts in.

We still made it to the picnic on time and a bit of the football game! Luke and I only stayed through halftime... and Scott and Ally watched it all. Concord actually won in overtime, so they saw a great game....... Luke and I were tuckered out from our days of car crashes and colds.

Saturday, Scott woke up feeling HORRID. He was convinced he had strep both Saturday and Sunday because his throat hurt that bad. A doctor's appointment this morning proved he doesn't, which is good for the rest of us. But... I'm still waiting to get this cold. I always do :-(

Luke wasn't doing so well either and frankly, Ally is still on an antibiotic and she doesn't seem to have an energy as a result... so we had a pretty lazy Saturday. Watched some football. Took some naps. Made some chicken chili.

Sunday came around... and I had to get the kids out... no matter how anyone was feeling. Two days in the house is hell. One is barely tolerable. Scott couldn't swing it... so the kids and I went out and about.... the entire purpose for our day was to get to an open house at the Jackson School of the Arts because we wanted to sign Ally up for some art classes that they offer.

Ally absolutely loves to draw, paint and color. She loves it!!! In fact, a painting that she did in Kindergarten last year was selected for the Art a Loan program here in Jackson (if you go to the link, her's is the Crab). We are excited to go see her art at the Ella Sharp Museum where it is professionally displayed. She even has an official "exhibit and reception" in October. How freakin' cute is that?!?

So... we were excited to get the flier about the Open House.... and then...

After we actually WENT to the place, we were even more excited! This place is just adorable and it's really exciting that Jackson HAS something like this to offer. I always assume I have to go to Ann Arbor or the like to get these sorts of opportunities that really are in our backyard! I forget to give Jackson the benefit of the doubt sometimes, ya know!?!

Not only is Ally going to take a really amazing art class, but she is also going to take ballet at the school. They offer a variety of art, dance and even theater classes!!!! You really need to check this place out...

She is so excited to get started... tomorrow! I'm excited to keep her busy because I think she needs it... and hope we are able to keep up with getting her there twice a week. It's no small task to get out to Concord to pick her up after work... then, get back to Jackson for class... but, what is life if you don't have a little over scheduling? It's how we operate in the McIntosh household...

.... Where chaos rules!!!!

Happy Monday people!!!!! I wish you all HEALTH! :-)

Traveling with the Devil...

I have many, many wonderful things to say about my travels over the past two weeks... and I have every intention of getting to that... but first I must start at the end... because it's such a VERY good place to start.....

"Our Flight Home from North Carolina"

Screenplay by: Nicole McIntosh
Starring: Luke McIntosh
Supporting Cast: Allison McIntosh, Nicole McIntosh, Cathy McIntosh, Jane Dawson, Grace Dawson

What you are about to read were atual events that took place on Sunday, August 30, 2009.... the names have NOT been changed. There are no innocent parties to protect. Only guilty...

After a long, tiring, but wonderful week on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.... the McIntosh family must make the long journey home back to Michigan... for the past two years, the men (my father-in-law, brother-in-law and husband) have driven while us women (my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I) fly with the children (Luke, Ally and Grace - my children and niece).

We fly into Norfolk, VA as it is the closest airport to the Outer Banks. We rent a minivan from there and it is about a 3 hour drive by car to reach our destination....

Sunday morning, we have to check out of our cottage by 10 am. Since our flight is not until 4:00 pm... we have some time to "kill" before we go to the airport. We take a leisurely drive up to Duck on the Island... and do a little shopping before we head to our prechosen lunch location. We know we need to hit this fabulous Southern Style restaurant because last year the fried chicken was to die for! Duck was very quaint... shopping went well. I bought the kids each a final "souvenier" at this adorable toy store. And we looked at some little boutiques to pass our time.

We then head to lunch... and are disappointed to learn that the place has changed ownership and does not have the same food we had last year. A bit of a bummer... but we are there and have to eat.... so we do....

We head to the airport.... and I am going to drop the kids, my mother-in-law and Jane off at the curb to make it easier.... I will drop the rental off on my own. We reach the curbside drop off point.... and start to unload.... we cannot... for the life of us... get Luke's carseat out!!!!! We are either too weak to manage or just too dumb to work the thing correctly... but we have to ask two police officers to assist us because (of course) we don't have the freakin' time to mess around with this... as we like to cut everything pretty close and we just have enough time to run to our gate for departure.

The police officers (yes, it took two) were able to get the seat out, thank god.... and I did about 90 around the airport to return the car to the rental company. I run to the terminal in time to help check the car seats in with Jane... we then run towards our gate.....

Uh oh.... STARBUCKS.... it's been over a week since I've had an iced latte. Must stop quickly and get one.

Fatal error. Fatal.

Luke sees this latte as ICE CREAM. He is convinced I just got some sort of ice cream drink and that he is missing out. He starts to scream at the top of his little 20 month old lungs.....

"I CEAM!!!!!! I CEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I give him a sip... thinking this will prove to him that is NOT in fact ice cream.... but the little shit LIKES it and keeps screaming for MORE!

"MOY!!! MOY!!!"

I am under no circumstances giving this child espresso. Holy shit. Not a good plan!!!!!!!

So, the fight begins. He is not happy. I try to calm him. He is pissed............

We go to our gate and our seats are unassigned. WTF? They assign them as we board... and Ally and I are not together. I explain to the friendly gate attendee that this "ain't gonna work for me buddy..." :-) He asks me to board last and that he will take care of "moving individuals around"

I am in the very front row (small plane, no first class)... so the poor bastard who has to move gives up his front row aisle seat. For what seat in what row, I don't know, but I'm sure it was not as good.... and I'm damn glad I'm not the one asking him to give up his seat.....

We sit down..... and Ally has a total and complete BREAK DOWN that there is no tray!!!!! The front row has no seat in front of it... so therefore, no tray visible. I, of course, know the tray comes out of the side... but cannot convey this to her fast enough. She is in full meltdown mode. Holy shit. You have GOT to be KIDDING me. Over a tray. Seriously?

So..... we overcome that......... I show Ally the tray. She starts to breathe normally. In the meantime...... Luke is barely holding on by a thread. He's really quite upset...... and becoming more and more so as the minutes tick by.

Jane hands me a sucker......

This calms him for a couple minutes......

The flight attendant brings beverages around. She asks me what I would like. Seriously? Think I can balanace a cup of liquid and these two children? REALLY lady? REALLY???? Ally asks for cranberry juice. We pull her tray out.....

You can see where this is headed, can't you?

Oh yeah... cranberry juice goes flyin...... all over her precious stuffed animal, her back pack and her new toy....... meltdown city. She is heartbroken................ tears, tears, tears........

Luke starts to lose it again......

Jane hands me Grace's milk......

He throws it......

Here we go. Full. F-in. Meltdown.

We are screaming. We are ANGRY! He is screaming at the top of his lungs.... GO!!!! DOWN!!!!! OUT!!!!!! He wants off this plane. Believe me buddy... I do to!!!!!!!! His face is bright red. He is kicking.... he is strong as hell and it takes every ounce of my strength to hold on to him and keep him in my lap. This goes on for quite some time. Felt like two hours... probably 10 minutes...

My mother-in-law is seated a couple rows back..... she tries to take him.... this does not go well. I take him back and he is even angrier than before.

Jane hands me another sucker......

My mother-in-law takes him and tries standing up with him up near the cockpit.... he throws the sucker. He hates the world. He hates suckers. He hates planes. He is one angry little shit.......

So angry that he has explosive diarhea............ oh yeah......... shit everywhere............ it's lovely.

We go back to the very scary, tiny bathroom to change his diaper...... I am balancing his screaming, smelly, shitty ass..... the diaper and wipes in there.... I put the diaper down and it falls into the sink, which is OF COURSE full of water........ I desperately try to dry the diaper. I cannot make the trip back to my seat to get another........

He is screaming all the while. This time, screams of complete horror for the place he is in. He cannot believe I have placed him on a table in this scary, loud closet!!!!!!! Totally freaking out......... we use all the wipes in the case to clean him.... change him......... rediaper him......... and get the hell out of there.........

He starts to calm as I walk down the aisle. I stay standing for a while at my seat with him. He is calming down........... THANK YOU SWEET BABY JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The flight attendant tells me I need to take my seat. I mentally stab her with a large knife.......

Luckily, Luke is okay with this............ the bathroom did him in......... he is physically exhausted...... he passes out..... I hear the pilot say we are landing......

That's about right............

So, the little shit sleeps for the last 15 minutes of the flight. At least there were those 15 minutes of silence on the 1 1/2 hour journey. I am certain everyone on the plane wishes me dead.

We land...... still sleeping....... we have to wait forever on the runway...... still sleeping........ we arrive at our gate and everyone starts to get up and commotion ensues. Luke wakes up. Oh lord....... he is pissed, pissed, PISSED at this. For some reason, the freakin' jetway is taking about forever to get to our plane.................... and all the bastards are standing up in the aisle....... not letting ME with the screaming child stand up....... did they NOT notice this is what shut him up the last time?

No........ they are in a hurry to get off that plane......... I guess I can respect that...............

We finally start to move off.

I get the stroller and put him it it... my arms are so weak I can barely push the stroller........

Luke absolutely FLIPS out in the stroller.......... OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DOWN!!!!!!!!!! He is screaming as he is trying to work his way out. I am RUNNING down the jetway with him......... holding the stroller all the way back so he can't get out............. but he has turned himself all the way around... onto his belly and is sliding off the front of the stroller...... "DOWN!!!!!" he continues to yell........ and his literally hanging on to the stroller front.... and hanging off the front as I continue to run off the plane.....................

We get into the airport and he breaks free of the stroller.... and starts to run as fast as he can BACK TO THE DAMN PLANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really? You really want to go BACK there buddy? REALLY????????

A disgruntled passenger runs interference for me and grabs him.

I am hysterical at this point......... hysterical.............

Mommy needs a drink. Stat.