Being Hard on Myself

I feel a little like I am losing my grip on life.  Today I said a lot of stupid things to people.  And why am I always acting so superior?  I'm not doing the right things to teach my kids, my home is messy as always, and tonight for dinner we had frozen pretzels from the dollar store that I tried to doctor up with turkey pepperoni and some cheese.  I'm sure that good things happened today too.  Actually, I know they did. But why is it so easy to focus on the negative instead of the positive?  And why do I say and do the things I do?

Is it a Sausage? Is it a Grits?

The thing that I like about travelling to new places is that it humbles me.  I usually think that I have life and people and stuff all figured out, but it's nice to know that this is not the case.  People are living lives quite unlike mine and they're happy and I'm happy and we're all good.  One experience that I had in a Jackson, Mississippi Wal-Mart made one of these differences very apparent.  I will write it in play form so you can act it out with your friends and family.

Me: (approaching Wal-Mart employee)  Excuse me, do you have tofu?

Wal-Mart Employee #1:  I'm sorry?

Me:  Do you carry tofu? 

1:  I'm sorry, is that a food?

Me:  (somewhat embarrassed)  Yes, it's made of soy, it's a vegetarian-type product.  It's white, and comes in a little white box with water surrounding it.

1:  Hmmm, I may have to call someone on this.

Me:  Okay, sorry.  It's usually in the refrigerator section.  [at this point I am beginning to realize that I am the problem- I mean, why didn't I just look near the produce instead of by the vast carnivorous stretch of turkey necks and pigs' feet?  I do not know]

1:  (gets on his walkie talkie- some confusion about the purpose of the call ensues)  Okay, Linda will be here in a minute, she's just in cereals.

Me:  Thank you

Linda:  Now, what is it that you all are looking for?

Me:  Tofu

1:  We have some vegetarian-type products in the frozen foods- sausage and such.

Me:  It's a vegetarian food- it's white and packed in water in a white plastic box.  It's refrigerated.

Linda:  Now, I know that you're telling me that it's a food, but what type of a food is it?  I mean, is it a sausage?  Is it a grits?

Wal-Mart Employee #2:  (sidling up)  What is it that you all are looking for?

Me:  Tofu?

#2:  Oh yes, we have tofu.  It's in the produce section.

Me:  (thanking #1 and Linda- but forgetting to say sir and ma'am)  Well, I don't know why I didn't look there first.

#2 was very helpful in the tofu search, and after some confusion between it and the won ton wrappers, Lucy and I were able to leave Wal-Mart with our vegetarian protein source in tow.

Where Have You Been?

We've had a very busy past couple of weeks.  Clark got a haircut.



 This is the after.  He looks spacey because I was interrupting the TV watching.  That's the only way I can get my kids' hair cut.

 We had Easter fun with our best pals who are moving next month (boo hoo)

 I got to go to Mississippi and take care of my sister while she had a baby and my amazing husband took care of all of our kids and took them on two cross-country plane trips in the process.  (note- they were not going to let me help them get to their plane.  They said that was just for extreme circumstances.  I said, "my husband is flying alone with three small children- that's pretty extreme!"  They let me through.)

 Rachel pre-baby.  Not so comfy.

Lucy being entertained at the zoo while her mom has a baby.  Just a normal day! 

 Post-bath cutie

Post-baby cuties.  Lucy checking out baby Lily.  Rachel did a great job delivering this little (9lb 7 oz) sweetie!  I'm so proud of her.  She's a great mom and she and Vico and Lucy and Lily are all working hard together in Mississippi.

Nothing better than a sweet new baby

Dad and big sis agree

Then we came home from our travels (oh, and Paul had another cross-country trip in between) and we got to go to my brother Dennis' wedding.  He married Marissa, and I think that they are a terrific match.  Who knew that playing World of Warcraft could get you hitched? 

 My mom made these amazing box lunches for the rehearsal dinner which was held on Breaker's Beach at the Naval Base in Coronado.  Mom spent alot of time agonizing over the details of the boxes and putting them all together and she did a great job. 

At the rehearsal with Marissa

The last picture that I got before my battery died.  Nice.  I wish that I had a video of the girls scattering their blossoms, pictures of the bride and groom, pictures of the sweet lego cake-topper that they constructed together (yes, they are both lovely nerds), and pictures of all of the friends and family that attended.  It was so nice to see people that I don't usually get to see and to share in Dennis and Marissa's special day.

Shopping Bags Out of Old Tee-Shirts

Such a great idea!  I can't wait to try it out later today.

The Best Mother's Day Gift Yet!

The kids and I (Paul) just got back from a trip to Virginia to visit Grandma and Grandpa Heaton; overall it was a great success. We went to a minor league baseball game, saw the picture I drew that is hanging in the National Air and Space Museum, went to a local farm, ate out a lot, and got to play with cousins Caleb and Peter.

Really the only down part was the trip home, which was a non-stop flight from Dulles to LAX.  Things were going pretty well until, about three hours into the five-hour flight, Clark felt the unfortunate need to vomit all over me, himself, my plane seat, and his Elmo shirt, which I had brought as a spare for him.  I was forced to put him in the only additional unsoiled clothing I had left for the remainder of the flight home, which was one of Grace's dresses.  He accepted this turn of events with equanimity.

Grace vomited four times as well, but she managed to confine her throw-up to the vomit bags from the plane's seat pocket and the sidewalk in front of LAX.  Nice work, Grace!

I've decided that my Mother's Day gift to Sarah this year was not experiencing that trip!

A Morning on the Farm

The kids are in Virginia this week visiting Grandma and Grandpa Heaton. Today they went to a local farm with their cousin Peter. Although they have been having lots of fun here, they miss Mom!