The dentist office

Well, my dislike for the dentist has just reached new heights. I really do not like going to the dentist. Never had a good experience as a kid, and no dentist since then has managed to change my mind about the "service" that they offer but I do still drag my anxiety ridden self there every 6 months to have my teeth cleaned. This morning I had an appointment for a cleaning at my dentist office, which shall remain anonymous. My appointment was at 11:00 am. I arranged for a friend to meet me at the playground and hang out with my kids during my appointment. I arrived at my dentist's office about 10 minutes early (which is a feat in itself for me) and checked in, the receptionist telling me that the hygienist would be "right with you". Well, I don't know in what language "right with you" translates to "you are going to have to wait at least 45 minutes" but I can assure you it is not English!! After my 45 minute torturous wait, I approached the desk only to be told that it would be at least a "few more minutes" - who knows what that really means so I told her that I would not be waiting any longer and needed to go. My kids were probably hungry and tormenting my friend at this point. So I stormed out the door and went to get my kids and my friend and her kids and we went to lunch because as predicted my kids were STARVING - after all it was 12:00 by the time I got back to the playground. Needless to say I will not be returning to this office as this is the 3rd time a situation like this has happened to my family there and I just don't have the time or patience to put up with this. In fact, maybe I'll tell the office they need to pay me for my time, since if the tables were turned and I was 45 minutes late for my appointment, I would have had to reschedule and pay for the appointment that I missed!!!

Embarrassing mommy moments 101

OK, I feel like the biggest loser mom in the state of NY. My dear middle child, Allison, has been taking private dance lessons ALL SUMMER, every Thursday at either 3:30 or 4:00. Well, about 1:30 today this brain-dead mother realized that YESTERDAY I forgot to take Allison to her dance lesson - DUH!! So, thank you technology, I texted her teacher and begged forgiveness. The best part is that last night I was at the dance studio for my boot camp exercise class and Jenna was there and didn't even say "so you blew me off today?" God bless her - she's way too nice!! With my humble apology today, I gave her permission to yell at me tomorrow at registration. She just laughed and said not to worry. I must have looked as bad as I felt last night for her to be so kind!! I know that had this been MY dance teacher I had as a kid, heads would be rolling right now and I would have been run out of the class last night! Jenna, however, is not only extremely talented and an awesome dancer, she's extremely nice and understanding. Even at that, I still really feel bad that I forgot!

Who Needs Chicken Soup When There's Watermelon?

Sometimes some good ole' fashion watermelon is all it takes to get kids to feel better and stop whining. Since Jacqueline and Harrison have not felt well the last few days all they have wanted to eat is canned chicken soup. Not my cup of tea, but if they're sick and that's what they want, poof, that's what they get. Anything to make my kids better. Unfortunately, the chicken soup magic just hasn't been there this time. They eat it and everything......but what kid wouldn't eat Cars soup, or Princess soup, or Dora soup - if you have kids, you get the idea. But these little ones just got more grumpy - no one seemed happier after their bowl of chicken soup. So, yesterday there was no way I was dragging my runny-nosed sweethearts food shopping at Wegman's so my beloved husband spent his lunch time food shopping (his office is across the street from Wegman's anyway!) He brought home everything on my list (except what I was planning on having for dinner tonight!!) and, of course, a "few" things that weren't on the list - One of the reasons I don't send him alone too often! But, he did bring home a small, whole watermelon. Now, my kids go crazy over that particular fruit. And yesterday was no exception. Once Harrison spied it on the counter, there was no mercy. I had to cut it "NOW" and they ate that thing faster than I could cut it. So here is a picture of all that was left after the watermelon was voraciously attacked by my children and a picture of Harrison, with the first smile of the day, sitting on the counter, eating his watermelon with juice dripping all over him and my counter. You may also notice the shnoogies (as we call them) dripping from his nose. Kids. Colds. Watermelon. Who needs chicken soup?

The weather changes and.......ACHOOO!!!!!!

Well, here we are at the end of August and the weather has been very cool, especially at night. Certainly doesn't feel like your typical August hot, humid weather. I think I can count on one hand the number of days this month where it has been hot. So, last week I commented to Jack that I had not been sick in a really long time and how nice that was. JINX!!!!!!! Although I am not sick (yet) Jacqueline and Harrison are miserable. Jacqueline is a bear when she is sick - grumpy, whiny, and clingy. Harrison is just cranky. He was awake with a horrible sounding cough last night at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, and awake for good at 5:45 this morning. Jacqueline had a terrible time falling asleep last night and then started coming in to my room at 3:30 this morning and was in every 30 minutes for about and hour and a half then must have gone back to sleep. She just came downstairs already (6:20am) all whiny and looking pretty miserable. Harrison is lying on the couch coughing and sneezing. I fully expect Allison to wake up sick this morning, too. Welcome cold season!! So my plans for going to Wegman's and getting some food in the house are foiled as well as anything else I might have hoped to get done today!! In my eyes, it way, way, way too early for the "season of sickness" to begin - going to be a long winter!! Hope you are all healthy out there!! Have good day - I feel a sneeze coming on.........
Sam

Walmart and the Birthday Party

For those of you who don't know this little fact, I loathe the Walmart here in Ithaca. For different reasons than you might think, however. It's huge - not a Super Walmart (yet - thank you God) but huge in it's own right. And, it's not set up in a pattern that makes any sense to me. I can never find anything in it and get lost, frustrated, and on the verge of a panic attack EVERY time I go in there. It also smells - now I can't tell you what it smells like, but it just smells......badly. For those that don't know this other little fact about me....I don't do smells, nor does Jacqueline. So here I am with 3 kids in tow (kids who desperately need to go back to school) in my huge, smelly, disorganized, anxiety-producing Walmart to get Camp Rock birthday party supplies for my dear oldest, Jacqueline. We finally find the &$@* party section and she sees the Hannah Montana party stuff and the PINATA that goes with it and bing.......we're doing Hannah Montana now. Ok, so you might not think this is such a big deal HOWEVER last week we were at our decent sized, non-smelly, well organized, usually non-anxiety producing Target (we're regulars there - Jack says we make a "daily deposit" there and that they might go bankrupt if we ever move away :) !) At this lovely establishment was the SAME EXACT HANNAH MONTANA PARTY WARE THAT WE JUST BOUGHT AT WALMART!!!!!!!!! Now I had tried desperately to convince her to get this at Target last week but NOOOOOO she had to have Camp Rock. So I have put off going to Walmart (which I might also add is on the OTHER side of Ithaca!!) to get the Camp Rock party crap for a week because I really, really dislike going there and when I do finally muster up the courage to drag my sorry butt there, we end up getting the same stuff they had at Target (Actually I put it off longer than that - the girls also wanted 3-D glasses that they only had at Walmart for the Hannah Montana 3D movie and I never went to get oh, about 3 weeks ago!! Also suckered in to buying the bluray disc of the movie complete with 4 pairs of 3D glasses this morning at Walmart.....) I love my kids, I love my kids, I love my kids...............But I STILL don't like Walmart!!

Antiques and a Treehouse

Good morning! The sun is out and it's suppose to be a beautiful day here today - actually like summer is suppose to be!!! Yahoo! Well, I made it thru the weekend. Saturday was a complete bust - I had the migraine to end all migraines and never even got out of my jammies!! Luckily I felt better by Sunday and I went to the Madison-Bouckville Antiques Show with my friend Beth. I've wanted to go to this huge antiques show since we moved here to NY and finally got the chance. Well, it was HUGE and we had great weather, and I was armed with cash, checkbook and credit card just to cover all bases. And guess what I bought? NOTHING!!!!!!!! Everything was so overpriced it was depressing!! For me to not go crazy buying antiques spread over 90 acres of fields, you know it had to be way too pricey. Don't get me wrong, there was some nice stuff - beautiful furniture, crocks of any size, and on and on, but $375+ for a little bitty crock - I don't think so. Not from this bank account!! So we left early and went shopping at various little shops on the way home. I got a great little plate shelf at an adorable antique shop in Cazenovia, which was a quaint little town, reminiscent of those in Vermont or New Hampshire - 2 of my favorite places to go. We also stopped at an amazing furniture store which I will be dragging my poor hubby back to sometime in the near future!! We had a great lunch in this whole in the wall tavern which was really cute!! And the food was amazing. Then back home after a stop at Marshall's - a luxury we don't have here in Ithaca!! I came home to a quiet house and a new tree house in the backyard - guess my family was quite busy while I wasn't home! When they all came home from a nice dinner out, they gave me the grand tour of the treehouse which they were quite proud of and I have to say, it is quite the work of art! I bet if you took out a level, it would be perfect - leave it to Jack to build the "perfect" tree house. Anyway, Monday morning is here and we have dance and cheerleading placements this week. The busy season is upon us!! Hope you all have a great week!
Sam

Missing......Blog entries............

OK, so I have been really bad about updating my blog. No excuse, just haven't done it. I have been hanging out on Facebook these days and update photos, status, dogs' status and any other part of everyday life regularly there. So, if you aren't on Facebook yet, get an account (yes, it's free!!!) and look me up by email and ask me to be your "friend" then you can get regular updates on what Cooper is chewing and my moods.....kind of scary! I am REALLY going to try to update this blog monthly - that's my goal. So, what's been going on here......I decided not to put the kids in camp this summer (no, I am not on drugs!!) except for one week when Jacqueline had Cheerleading camp. She loved it and got her back handspring- yay!! Although I am too chicken to let her practice it at home. She practices everything else though and has really improved! Allison has been taking private dance lessons this summer. She is just so cute. I cry every time I watch her. She is going to be on the dance team at The Next Jennaration this year where she has been dancing. This fall, Jacqueline is only going to cheer and Allison is only going to dance. Their decision not mine. I'm happy that they each have their "own" interests and are pursing them. They are quite supportive of each other and it's so nice to see! Jacqueline is going in to 3rd grade and Allison in to 1st. Harrison is finally potty trained - daytime and nightime - and is out of his crib sleeping in a big boy racecar bed! My baby is growing up!! He will be starting preschool 2 days a week at a Cooperative Preschool right down the road. He's been going to playgroups there Thursday mornings and he's pretty excited about it. I'll probably be going to help Jack out in his office one of the 2 days Harrison is at school. Jack's business is going well. He's been really busy, which in this economy is very good! He broke some ribs 4th of July weekend while trying to body surf so it's been a slow moving summer for him!! Luckily he is feeling better. Jack and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary back in June. We took the kids and went to NYC for the weekend. We had a blast - the girls got to go to American Girl Place. Summer's been relaxing, even though having the kids home 24/7 has been a bit challenging (I'm being nice here) I have really enjoyed spending time with them and not running around. I know it'll all start up again way too soon!! Well, off to check my email, Facebook, and take some more Advil for this headache!! Hope to see you on Facebook soon......Sam