Random Notes

1. The surprise anniversary dinner went off without a hitch (save for a tired and glassy-eyed but content little girl). B&B were surprised and delighted. I must say I am rather proud of myself for that one. I made dinner, I decorated, I picked out and bought the group present and they’re not even my parents! I am good. And oh so very humble.
2. Brian and Hattie decided to share their colds with me. They’re very generous people you know. Mine has now developed into a cough. I remembered an email I received not too long ago about putting Vic’s Rub on the bottom of your feet before going to bed to stave off a cough all night. I must say it is so strange, but it totally works. As soon as I put it on the tickle in my throat went away. I didn’t cough until about 5:00 in the morning. Amazing. So, there’s at least one true email floating around out there in webland.
3. And you wonder why we’re all fat…
One of Brian and my favorite Asian restaurants closed down about a month ago. It was very disappointing, as it carried us through many pregnant nights when nothing sounded good but a ‘tofu hot pot’ or ‘beef noodle soup’. We just saw that they reopened (same owners – different name) as a buffet. Are we really that hungry? Does one good entrée just not suffice anymore? Do we really need 25 entrees and all the fried appetizers we can shove down our gullets? I guess so. We went back to investigate. Fried Rangoon. Fried egg roll. Fried rice. Humph. But there is one saving grace…you can order off a menu that resembles their menu of old. Steamed rice. Miso. Tofu. Light sauce. Main dish soups. Heaven. Maybe we can begin again, Tien Tien.
4. Hattie had her first swim on Sunday at my aunt’s pool. She was pretty funny with it. Didn’t like it at all at first and just made this whining/grunting noise when I dipped her in. It was pretty comical. After awhile I guess she got used to the temperature being much cooler than the bathtub and started to get into it more. By the end she was splashing a bit (notice her wet face in the pic) and sitting on her floaty while we swished around. We will definitely be back. My girl’s going to be a water baby…she looks too good in her suit not to.

Blah Blah Blah

Words are falling out of my mouth today. Every once in a while, and way more often than I’d like, I have days where things come flying out of my mouth before my brain can edit them. Today has been one of those days. I don’t think I’ve offended anyone or anything, but I feel like a jackass when I blurt random things out. Sometimes I can cover with ease. Other times, not so much. I wish I had the foresight and intelligence to edit myself or at least the grace and poise to recover when I do say something offensive, wrong, or just plain stupid. But alas, I do not. A rewind button would be nice, but I suspect I would become neurotic with that and always search for the absolute perfect thing when, in life, there is no such thing as perfect. My new goal is to quit revisiting it all and move on. I am pretty good at kicking myself for past wrongs. Not to say I wouldn’t apologize or make amends if something goes terribly wrong with this mouth of mine, but nearly all conversations are fleeting and should remain as such. And I can continue to wish that people only remember the funny, kind and clever things I say. A girl can hope, right?

7 Months

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. I guess 7 months could be considered ‘later’ –my baby has her first cold/flu. It arrived on her 7 month birthday’s eve. I think I said a hundred times yesterday, ‘poor lil thing’ or ‘poor lil peanut’. Of course to add insult to injury, Brian is also sick AND tonight we are hosting a 50th wedding anniversary surprise dinner for his parents. Great timing. 20 people coming to our germ-infested house for a fancy sit-down dinner. Eeek. I’ve already got the tables out, china placed, 7 pork tenderloins marinating, and two little glassy-eyed snot balls. Oh well, I will Lysol the heck out of the house and hope for the best. I know Brian is so disappointed to be feeling crummy, as his brother and sister in law are in town for the weekend from Houston to surprise his parents. When they are in town he practically lives at his mom and dad’s house for those few days to catch up on lost time. His whole family does. And I know he is so excited to introduce Hattie to them in person. I really hope she can smile through the germs…
She did not sleep well last night, poor lil thing (101). She is so congested that she had a hard time breathing when laying down, was coughing and sneezing, and cried out with every turn in her crib. She was surprisingly happy before bedtime, just moving a little slower than usual and needing more cuddle-time. Of course, this is never a problem for Brian and me. Today may be a very different story with her rotten night. Although, she better be able to step it up tonight for our guests... her show starts at 6:00, poor lil peanut. 102.

Rose Colored Glasses

Well, it’s official. I am getting new eyes. New eyes! I had an appointment on Monday and found that I am a good candidate for lasik surgery. Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, I feel a bit guilty about spending so much money on ‘cosmetic’ surgery, but boy am I excited! No more fumbling for glasses first thing in the morning. No more squinting in the sunlight because I don’t have prescription sunglasses. No more big dents on the sides of my nose. No more little hands deftly trying to grab my glasses clean off my head. It’s going to be great! Everyone I have talked to who’s had it done said it was the best money they ever spent. Let’s hope it holds true for me, too. My surgery is scheduled for Friday, July 13th (no I am not superstitious). It only takes a few minutes and I should immediately see around 20/20; something I haven’t done since elementary school. Hooray! Now if I could just do something about these wrinkles…

Genuine Smiles and Happy Toes

Friday night Brian, Hattie and I went with my parents to Gardner Lake for a wine cruise at sunset. My Great-Uncle Dick and cousins go every night at 7:00 on their pontoon boat. It was a perfect night for it. We snapped some pics...I especially love the one with Grammy, Grandpa and HP in the evening sunlight.
The rest of the weekend was crazy but good, with birthday parties, Father’s Day events and general busyness. Hattie was a trooper with all of the running around we did. As Brian said the other day, she becomes more and more her own person everyday. This is so true. She definitely has her likes, dislikes and quirks. Right now her quirk is toes. She LOVES toes. Will stretch and strain to get a peek at them, and smiles like they are talking to her. It’s pretty comical. She is sitting up well, and loves the bath tub and high voices. If Brian sings to her falsetto or if I do my Minnie Mouse voice, she giggles at us like we’re nuts. Of course we are, but I am surprised she figured it out so quickly.
Upon waking from naps now, she gets on her tummy and peeks out her door. We get giant smiles when she sees us coming. That is my favorite smile, I must admit. Tired eyes, stretched neck and genuine happiness. It makes my heart melt every time. I have loved her from the start, but it grows exponentially every single day. Every day as she becomes more her own person.

'Scuse me while I kiss this guy

I perform a test on Tuesdays that takes me most of the morning. It also requires I be alone in a small lab (which I rather enjoy). The only station that comes in is a classic rock station, so I daydream back to my youth, sing terribly out of tune and contemplate what all is happening with my week. While singing, I always realize how much I truly suck at interpreting lyrics. Brian laughs at me all the time and asks what I am singing. So I thought I would make a list of a few of the ones I know I have wrong (and there are more everyday). The funny thing is, even when I figure out the correct words I usually regress back to my own funky version.
Enjoy. I'll add more as I think of them...
White winged dove by Fleetwood Mac AKA White winter by Amy
Big ol’ jet airliner by Steve Miller AKA We go jet airliner by Amy
Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac AKA Well yeah….no by Amy(Sing it, I swear it sounds just like it!)
Dirty deeds done dirt cheap by ACDC AKA dirty dee dunder chee by Amy
Eminence front by The Who AKA Evelyn Strut by Amy
I’d be a great lyricist, huh?

Rebel Rebel

I did something bad this weekend. Funny, but bad. I have been conflicted about it since it happened. On one hand, I giggled for several minutes. On the other, my stomach kind of knots up when I think about it and I feel bad for being mean. Oh well, here’s the story. Don’t call the cops on me.
Saturday I went to a friend’s house for a birthday party. I had a great time chatting and being out (something you appreciate so much more after having kids). Later in the night, I had to go out and move my car to allow someone out of the driveway that I had blocked in. Upon reparking, I notice this cool old sports car. I don’t know a whole lot about cars, but I thought it was a Corvair. My understanding was that in the 60’s Cheverolet made kind of ‘special edition’ Corvettes called Corvairs. Well, I guess I was wrong. When I went inside and asked whose car it was, a boy answered with whom I have never seen eye to eye. Not even a little bit. But, I try to be nice to everyone (thanks Mom and Dad) so I tell him genuinely that his car is very cool and I ask him if it’s a Corvair. Well you would’ve thought I went up and punched him in the gut and insulted his mother. He got all pissy and snuffed at me and denied that’s what it was. I had no idea I could offend someone so easily. I apologized and backtracked saying I do not know much about cars. This had no effect on the a-hole. He was saying something about calling his car a Chevette or Pinto or god knows what. Sheesh. I say again, “Well, it’s a nice car.” At the time I let it slide and didn’t think too much about it. But by the time I left I was revisiting the whole thing and thinking just what a p**ck this guy really is. When I was leaving I had to pass the car again. This time I thought it was a pretty car and I wish I had a can of paint to dump on it, a bat to smash it, a beer to throw at it, a key to scratch it. Visions that I would never follow through on, obviously. But I did have a bottle cap in my car. A shiny little cap could do no damage, right? So as I drove away I tossed it into the convertible. It made a little tinkling sound when it landed and I giggled all the way home. I am SUCH a rebel. I pictured him getting in his precious little Pinto and crying when he realized someone was mean to him and his car. Of course the next day guilt set in. What if he sat on the cap and it scratched the leather seat? What if it poked him in the rear? I’m no outlaw I realize. I almost called to apologize. Outlaw no, coward…maybe? I think I will stick to daydreaming about possible transgressions and give my gut a rest.

Chompers

The pic does not lie. Our girl has teeth. And they are razor sharp. I can’t imagine those little things bumping against my top gums all day long. Ouch. No wonder she’s been ‘not herself’ (mama’s nice way of saying crabby) in the evenings. This and the fact she’s decided only one nap a day will do. No young one, it will not do. For all of us, please take two. We love your 11 hour nights, but please give us one more during the day. Mama needs it just as much as you do.
We took her to the park on Sunday. We sat by the water and watched the sailboats and ducks. Well, Brian and I sat by the water and watched the sailboats; HP watched the grass and her dad’s sunglasses most of the day. Before long she will be begging us to take her out there to feed the ducks. There are so many things like that I look forward to experiencing with her. Zoo trips, days at the pool, roller coasters, bike rides, camping adventures, Colorado trips, beach days, and Disney World. Already watching her discover something new makes me light up like a candle. And these are small things, like noticing her toes or watching a bird in the sky. This will only become more magnified as she grows and we witness the joy of discovery together. It makes me appreciate life in a whole new way. She makes me appreciate life in a whole new way. Thanks, Hattie Pearl. I can’t wait to continue our ride together.

Socialites

Last weekend was Jazzoo. For those of you who’ve not heard of it, it is a fundraising event for the kc zoo. About 5,000 attend at $175-250 a head, so it is a monster money maker. There are something like 100 restaurants that have booths with nibbles, along with free booze and several bands. Jackie serves on the steering committee, and we were honored to receive her additional free VIP (!) tickets. I have wanted to attend for years and it did not disappoint. Brian and I got dolled up and met Jack, Ted, Jilly and Tim and ate and drank ourselves silly. We strolled, chatted, people-watched and listened to music. The rain held off for us and the liquor flowed freely. I did not want it to end. It was a delicious evening.