ATL here we come

The monkeys and I are off to ATL this afternoon. I have to put in a few hours at work and then go to a doctor's appointment and then we are on our way to visit my parents. I am excited. This is my last get away before the littlest monkey's arrival. It is going to be a long trip and late but then we are not coming back until Monday so I will have a couple of days to rest while the monkeys entertain Grandad and Gigi. Hubby is staying home for a good reason. I have been hesitant to mention this because I fall prey to superstitions, but we are signing sales papers on the business Monday! He has finally sold it and as long as I don't jinx us by writing about it before it is over and finished with, the big yellow vans will be out of our drive way as of Monday afternoon. I am trying to not let my nerves get the best of me and my husband is very excited. So he has to stay home and work Saturday and then clean all of our carpets, tile floors, and upholstery before Monday afternoon! Plus he needs to do some finish work in the bathroom while we are gone.
So he will be a full time student until he graduates in December if all goes well. Of course with the economy this makes my stomach get into knots.  But he is going to find some part time work and that will help!

Have a great weekend.  Looks like we might see some snow in ATL this weekend.  How exciting!

Chunky

Has anybody seen Madagascar 2? I just saw it for the first time Friday night on our pizza and movie night. It was pretty funny, though not as good as the first one. There is a lot more adult humor and of course that is what the monkeys picked up on. Sometime early last week big monkey came up to me and said (imagine a 4 year old using his best Isaac Hayes voice here) "Moto Moto likes 'em chunky!". Yes, I did a double take and asked him to repeat this several times. I had no idea where he got this new punch line. Well I finally figured it out when I saw the movie and I laughed so hard I really thought I was going to pee myself! So now he goes around saying it all of the time. Of course he also said, "Girl - you huge!". And that was not too funny.

A coworker let me in on the fact that I have a really big belly now! Yes, he did. I did not actually run over and poke his eyes out. I just laughed in pity for his wife who is about 4 months pregnant with their first. I know my husband was pretty clueless with our first, but he had the common sense that told him to ask questions and learn stuff quickly. This guy is incredibly clueless about everything woman and even more so about everything baby. Should be interesting when September rolls around.

Can anyone tell me how to imbed a youtube video on this thing?

In need of a labotomy

I have a horrible migraine and am trying desperately to keep on track at work today. It came yesterday afternoon and is still here. Tylenol and dr. pepper are not cutting it this time. Have to keep this post short!
Weekend highlights:
1. Big monkey came down with a fever Saturday evening, it reached 103 degrees on Sunday. I am hoping he does well today, our night went better last night. He called my dad yesterday because he said that his grandad knows a lot of stuff and healed his own broken leg, so he could take the fever away! Still so cute when sickly!
2. Outlaws were in town yesterday. Found out we are expected to stay the night with them when we go to the cousin's wedding at the beach (first weekend in March at 6 pm... um we don't live near the keys people... we are going to freeze).
3. My wonderful husband invited extra people to come to Mardi Gras day with us... yes, I think you can guess who.
4. Splitting headache started yesterday afternoon. Karma is a force not to be reckoned with. I am sure I deserve the headache after getting out of going anywhere since I had to stay home with big monkey yesterday.
5. Washed baby clothes and blankets. Fun time reminiscing the big and little monkeys' baby times. I realize I have the wrong season of clothes though. And that I had one baby that puked everywhere and one that pooped everywhere!

I will be sure to post more on our "visit" this weekend. It was pretty uneventful. I do not understand why the entire time is spent talking about when the monkeys are going to visit or spend the night with them. Ouch, this just made my head hurt even worse.

Say a prayer please

On a more serious and less selfish note. My nanny's nephew, Isaac turned 2 today. He goes in for surgery to remove a brain tumor on Monday. Please keep him and his family in your prayers and hug your little ones a bit tighter this weekend.

I was wrong

Why can't I just keep my mouth shut?! After 30 something odd years, you would think I would learn. So, after complaining about my inlaws (outlaws, whatever) not visiting, I get an email. Yes, they are coming this weekend. I don't have time for this. It won't be that bad, the worst thing is the mood it puts me in for several days before the visit. I am going to try to work on that. Sunday is Joe Cain Day here. We will be going to church and then downtown to picnic and wait for the Joe Cain parade. Usually I run in the 5K and the monkeys do the moon pie dash, but we have opted out of that this year because of a littlest monkey who is making it hard to breathe and lack of good running sneakers for the older monkeys! Well now we will be dragging two more people with us. Two people who are not going to have much fun. Well, really one who will not. The other will at least fake it enough because I do believe she really likes to spend time with the monkeys despite the infrequency of this occurrence. I may count how many times I am asked if I am okay, it is a favorite saying by some. I will let you know if I get any weight comments. I was told that I must have eaten a lot of candy bars with my second, since he was so much bigger than the first monkey. I am bad and I have already figured out a smart ass comment to say back.

Just wondering if anyone else has checked out www.stimuluswatch.org?

Interesting perspective

Being that I am still incredibly tired, I am hoping this post makes some sort of sense!
Sunday night was my mardi gras ball and parade. This makes for a long day, as I have mentioned before. All in all, it was a successful evening. My good friend had a successful and fun ride and I think she had a great night even with surrounding stresses.
I got to see our parade and ball from a totally different angle, completely sober and well into my third trimester. Let's just say I would prefer not to have to do it that way again, ever. Parts were still so exciting. I was excited to be in the auditorium area with the really great high school band getting everyone pepped up and ready for the parade ride. That school is great and can really get things going. I am always in awe though with the attire and dance moves these teenage girls wear and do. I can't imagine being their mother!! They are great movers and shakers though. It is a bit amusing to watch the costumers trying to shake their bodies the same way as these teenagers!! (Yes, I am usually right down there with them!!) It was exciting and almost choked me up a bit when the ladies were on their way out the door to their floats. I was saddened I was not right there with them and so excited for them. It is something really hard to put into words, you just have to experience it.
I watched some of the float load and then booked it to where my monkeys and my parents were standing waiting for the parade. It was a great parade. The monkeys caught lots of trinkets and loved it. We had a bunch of great bands and pretty floats. Then I booked it back to the ball and put my costume back on and sat around in our party room eating and picking out music on the juke box. I even let my heinie wiggle a bit a few times!
We had to sit around for call outs (the most boring and buzz killing time of the entire day). This was a little bit more interesting as a marshall fell off of the back of the stage. He was unhurt, but spent most of the night in an argument with his wife! It is always interesting to see how people act under the influence. Usually quite comical. And then there are the stupid drunks. Unfortunately my husband was one of them this year. I will not get into that part of the evening, as it would take an entirely separate post. I did get to see several people bust their rumps, doing moves they probably have never done before, and many being supported by friends as they stumbled out the door.
I had some good food and even tried a few dance moves in the dj room. I would have to say that the littlest monkey did not care for that. Every time I tried to get my freaknasty on, he threw me an elbow in the ribs. I was also quite out of breath! I can't understand how I can run and the little booger is just fine, but dancing.. not so much. Maybe he could sense that my inhibited inner white girl was showing through. I don't know!!
I will try to post some pictures. Interesting enough, someone has gone through and erased any pictures showing how stupid drunk he/she was, and this left about 5 pictures on the camera... can't imagine why my husband someone would do that. I guess it was a good time had by all anyway!
I am still feeling tired from it all and am skipping the gym today to go home early and get to sleep early.. I hope.

It is time everyone

Our Mardi Gras ball is this Sunday! How exciting. I am really ready for a fun night out. Of course it will be much tamer this year than in the past, but still a good time. I am really excited for my friend who gets to ride for the first time this year. I will be living vicariously through her since I will be on the sidelines at the parade this year. With the ball comes a very busy weekend. I am adding to that by having a yard sale Saturday morning. I need to get rid of some of the piles I have accumulated since clearing out space for the newest monkey (who may have a name at this point!!)
Hope everyone has a great weekend. I will leave you with a couple of pictures from past Mardi Gras balls/parades!

This is two years ago. A friend and I after the parade. I am sure we were on the dance floor getting our freaknasty on! (Best word ever - I heard it on the radio this morning).

This was last year. I always ride next to my friend on the float. She is hilarious. We had had several sports bottles full of happy juice by this point and the parade had not even started!

One of those people

I have officially become one of those people. You know, the heavy breathers. It is going to drive me crazy. I can't stand to listen to people breathe, well except for the monkeys when they are fast asleep and I sneak in to watch them. There is a guy at work that is annoying to begin with, but even more so because I can hear him walk in the door due to his heavy breathing. Not out of breath, but just loud. Let me apologize if you are a heavy breather. I am not completely insensitive, sometimes it is something that is a medical problem. We all have our pet peeves and this is one of mine. So now I am a heavy breather. Karma is a bummer. I don't know if it is the pregnancy (all of a sudden this baby boy is taking up most of the space in my abdomen and stretching into my rib cage. I also have a bit of sinus congestion. The pollen was all over my van yesterday, so maybe I have finally developed allergies. Who knows. All I know is I can't stand to be in a silent room with myself because all I can hear is my breathing.

Another venting note, my mother in law is back in the country for good this time. She got back the first weekend of the month. She was gone for a year and a half with visits back every 3 months. I should tell you that we saw them more when she lived in the middle east versus 2 hours away (I am not complaining, just saying). So she has been back for nearly two weeks now. No attempt to see her grandsons or son - or wonderful daughter in law. And I am willing to bet we don't hear from them until the cousin's wedding the first weekend of March. Wanna bet? So pathetic.

If you are sick stay home

I don't understand inconsiderate coworkers who come to work sick. A common cold is one thing, these can seem just pesky sometimes and I can understand not wanting to waste a sick day. How about bronchitis?! Don't you think maybe you should stay home if you have a raging case of bronchitis and a sinus infection!?!?! Especially if there are pregnant people who work with you - and I am not the only one. Is bronchitis contagious. The quick amount of research I did (via internet of course) said it came along with a virus. Well being that I do have some biology courses under my belt, I know that viruses can be contagious. Bronchitis causes coughing, coughing causes your germed up saliva to be spread, germed up saliva gets on things and gets people sick! So please do not go to the doctor in the morning and get your shot/antiobiotics/cough meds and then come to work directly after your appointment looking and sounding like crap. Go home and get some rest, you deserve it. Some of us really should not take anything for illness (mostly I prefer not to take anything except my doctor recommended tums or tylenol when needed). Have some common courtesy.
I can totally understand the dilemma of not wanting to take time off work. Some of us are saving our sick and vacation to spend at home with new babies.

So so tired

Well third trimester exhaustion seems to have taken over my life. It has been bad this week. Partly because I have been staying up a little later than normal, which is by no means late. And part is not sleeping well. The baby has had a growth spurt and is taking up quite a lot of space now. He sits low and high and I am afraid he might end up as big as Little monkey was, or bigger! I was hoping for a nice average size baby, like big monkey was... though I do love those big chunky newborn cheeks!

We got good news yesterday, big monkey got into the preschool we wanted. That sounds sort of snobbish and like the school is some sort of elite school. In reality, it is a great school, but smaller than your average private school so it is a little harder to get in. I am not against public school, I went to many, MANY public schools and turned out fine! I just fell in love with this school and they can have their religion classes during the day instead of fitting it in on the weekends - so I am just lazy! HA HA We also live in Midtown and the public schools can be a challenge. His buddy also was accepted. We were a little worried since they are not from our parish and therefore were further down on the priority list. So now we wait till sometime this summer when we get the welcome packets and further instructions! A whole new mess of logistics to figure out.

It is really cold here this morning. It sort of puts a pep in my step though. It does make me miss college days, which cracks me up because I remember cursing the entire walk to class when the wind was cutting through my body and I was trying to avoid slipping on a bunch of ice on the sidewalk. Call it selective memory.

Did anyone see any signing day news last night? I saw one boy, I think he was the number one pick or something, and he held a press conference with hat exchanging and hoopla that I just thought was so INCREDIBLY ridiculous. I don't get how his mom could stand back and approve of that. He has not even shown how good he is with the "big" boys and he is already that cocky. I hope it does not come back and bite him in the rear end.

Another great LOST episode last night. This is part of my tiredness this morning. After watching the show I just can't seem to fall asleep right away. And now I must go read a few blogs about the show so I can see what I missed and what those french people were saying... so much for 2 years of french in college!

Weekend update

Very busy weekend here. I had to come to work for a few hours Friday so I brought the monkeys. They loved it and were so good during the morning work time. I actually got a lot of work done while they watched a movie on my other computer. I took them to get their hair cut at lunch time and then to Chick fil a for lunch since they were so good and still for the haircut. They ate their chicken and fruit and played for a half hour or so.
It was so fun to hear them play, even though I hate the idea of those play places - they gross me out. The climbing structure was quite tall and the monkeys were a little afraid at first. They decided to climb up anyway and Little monkey got stuck at the top. I asked Big monkey to go up and help him so for about 10 minutes I kept hearing "you can do it Little monkey. Come on, you are strong and can get down like the big boys". It was very heartwarming and cute.
We had to come back to work to get my check and then off to SuperTarget for some grocery shopping we went. They were pretty good the entire day, other than a few moments at the end of the grocery trip. I was exhausted and went home, put the groceries away and then sat on my rump while they ate and watched yet another movie!!
Saturday was pretty busy too. I had a mess of a house to clean and then Mardi gras rehearsal that afternoon/evening. I was spent at the end of the day too. I got my costume, but have yet to put it on. I am going to make myself this afternoon. Sort of afraid of the reflection in the mirror! I was a bit sad when we stopped by the Mardi Gras store to pick up a boa. I started to get all excited for the parade and kept reminding myself I can't ride this year. But I did find out I can watch the parade instead of being stuck in the party room while everyone else is parading! Parades start this weekend and the monkeys are SO excited.
It is really hard to concentrate during this time of the year here!