First Visit to the Dentist?

The question mark is not an indication of indecisiveness, but rather a question of logistics. In truth, this was Zoe's 2nd Trip to the Dentist, but the first trip didn't go very well. She refused to sit in the chair, refused to show the nice hygienist her teeth, etc. For someone who took off early from work to take her daughter to the dentist I was not happy with my child's behavior, but it seemed pretty clear that the nice lady that works in the dentist office would not take kindly to me using duct tape to strap my child to the green leather chair and metal tongs to pry her mouth open. So as not to make a scene, I took my darling daughter home and explained very gently to her in a very calm, controlled voice that we would go back and that SHE WOULD show the lady her teeth. Zoe said, OK and that she was ready NOW! When I shared this story with MIL, she informed me that Zoe got it honest. She had that same experience when she was girl, only she was 12 (I don't think it was her first visit, but she switched dentists or something).

A month later, we both went in for our cleaning together. To prepare her, I told her I would go first so she could watch and take pictures. (Those pics are not making it onto my blog! However, here are hers!) She was EXCELLENT! She was a little scared of the dentist himself, but otherwise it was the perfect dental experience! I came out of the office feeling extremely triumphant!

By the way, Zoe has 10 teeth on top and 10 on bottom and two are loose! Tooth Fairy, get ready!

Lobster Dinner Party for Two!

Last week Hubby surprised me with a lobster dinner for two! The girls were served Happy Meals from "Old McDonald's" (That's Zoe-speak)! They were entertained by Bear from Disney's Big Blue House while we sat down to dinner. Now that our dining room and living room are attached, this made it easy to be in both worlds! We hadn't had a lobster dinner since fall, so this was a treat! We sat and reminisced about past trips to Prince Edward Island and a little lobster restaurant in Maine we stopped in at for dinner on the way there. Good memories! Poor Sammy hasn't been there yet (except in the womb) and she won't get to go this summer either! Next summer! It's fun to dream about beaches and starfish and vacations while stuck in COLD, COLD, COLD Ohio! Today, almost all of the schools had a two-hour delay since the temp hit the single digits and the superintendents have mercy for those kids who have to stand outside while waiting for the bus! Hubby has me hold his coffee at the door so it can stay warm until he can get the kids buckled in their car seats. The sad thing is, is that there is NO snow, just pure COLD!

So let's dream of strolling down warm sandy beaches with lots of pretty seashells and rocks to collect!

The Undomesticated Housewife & Mother

I am the undomesticated housewife. How's that for an oxymoron? It's true though! I qualify! My darling hubby wishes I would've taken Home Ec in high school. (In fact, we just joked about that at my 15th high school reunion this fall while touring the old facility of my youth!) But let's face facts: I don't cook. I sort laundry into two piles: clean and dirty. If our dishwasher ever broke, I truly believe I would just go out and buy all new dishes.

Cleaning is NOT my thing! You might be thinking that's not unusual, but I'm hear to tell you that there are some very sick people out there who actually enjoy cleaning and organizing. I even know some of these people personally! They can't go out Saturday nights because that's when they have a weekly appointment with the vacuum cleaner and the area underneath the couch. Another friend, who will remain nameless to protect her identity, doesn't even have a junk drawer in the house! I know, it's scandalous!

When hubby isn't looking, I sneak in a load of laundry. I do clean the bathrooms when we're expecting company (including tubs & toilets). Cooking...well, that's something I can do, but not without totaling our kitchen in the process unless I grill out. In preparing me for marriage, my mother taught me how to make a pie from scratch. Believe it or not, this is something I can do it quite well. The irony is not lost on me when I tell you that it's not my fault I married the only man in Ohio who doesn't like pie! Dear hubby is one of those people who doesn't like sweets or (gasp!) chocolate! Coffee is his vice and he can't resist a Tim Horton's donut occasionally!

So that leaves me as the official person in our house who puts things away because if hubby puts things away they would all land in the same place: the trash! I think if he was in charge of our house it would look much like a hospital or jail. Think no knick-knacks, no photographs, and sterile walls.

So how do I contribute to the household? I bring home the bacon. It's not much bacon, but it's bacon. OK, so hubby brings in more bacon, but we take my insurance because mine is better. He works three jobs and I barely have enough time to work one! That's one of the things I'm trying to work on this year. Cutting back on the hours I put into work and balancing my life a little better between work and home. I'm the type of person that if I finish my to-do list, I don't call it a day, but start an entirely new project!

So I'd rather like to see myself as the Career Woman and Super Mom who lets her kids smear paint on the wall (because they're going to do it anyway!) instead of the mom who has a homemade dinner on the table every night. Hey, we do all eat together each day as a family, and it is homemade, but Daddy's just the one who makes it! He prefers it that way and so do I!

We just do what we can do! Come over and I'll make you a pie! Apple's my specialty!

What a Woman Wants...

Had to share...

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of
a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved
by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom,
as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would
have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no
answer, he would be put to death.

The question?....What do women really want? Such a question
would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it
seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he
accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the
princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He
spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she
would have the answer.

But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout
the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but
to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would
have to agree to her price first.

The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of
the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend!

Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous,
had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc. He had
never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.

He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a
terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with
Arthur.

He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's
life and the preservation of the Round Table.

Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's
question thus:

What a woman really wants, she answered....is to be in charge
of her own life.

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had
uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared.

And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his
freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself
for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited
him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the
bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened.

The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when
she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth, be her horrible
deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half.

Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day....or night?

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful
woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his
castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch
during the day, but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous
intimate moments?

What would YOU do?

What Lancelot chose is below. BUT....make YOUR choice before
you scroll down below.








Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice
herself.

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful
all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge
of her own life.

Now...what is the moral to this story?










The moral is.....
If you don't let a woman have her own way....
Things are going to get ugly :)

After Christmas Shock....

So here I am on MLK Day. The girls are at school doing their thing. Robert is at work and I get to do.....whatever I want! LOL! So I am rearranging furniture, sweeping places that haven't been swept since we moved in, catching up on laundry and "Murder She Wrote", and basically giving the entire house an Early Spring Cleaning.

This brings me to my computer so I can lament about the hundreds of toys, books, stuffed animals, and billions of tiny plastic parts that have invaded our house. It no longer belongs to us: Fisher-Price, Mattel, and Leap Frog have taken over! So I sit and sort and sort and sort. (This is great thing to do while the kids are away!) But it is hard to decide what to keep and what to give away and even what to throw away. What if I find that critical missing piece to such-and-such toy that takes 3 different kinds of batteries in the basement later?

Since we have two girls, we are lucky in the fact that we can hand down clothes and age appropriate toys to Samantha. Robert's brother and his wife have graciously handed down things that their girls have out-grown. Of course, we are extremely grateful; the only thing we need to buy for our oldest daughter, Zoe, seems to be socks and underwear! However, we are storing totes sorted by size in the basement. Bottom line: MORE STUFF, but useful, practical stuff! However, I couldn't pass up some of the toys they were letting go in a garage sale (read, MORE stuff!)

So I personally have an issue with accumulating stuff. I admit it.

Now add in the grandparent factor and well-meaning aunts and uncles, friends and family! Yes, we have serious problem on our hands! I've even had this conversation:

"What do the girls need?"

"Socks and underwear."

"I don't want to get them that! That's not fun!"

"I know, but you asked!"

Or how about: "They need SOMETHING to open!"

I'm as guilty as the rest! I had a great time shopping for the girls, anticipating the excitement I'd see on their faces when they opened a wished upon toy. I spend all year buying them the necessities that it's really fun to buy something for them that's just for fun. So now our house looks like a toy store!

After wading through this mess today I think that from now on, we will have to tighten the reins once more (yes, I have made this pledge to myself in the past). So girls, get ready; you are getting socks and underwear for Valentine's Day! (With little hearts on them and I'll throw in some chocolate too!)

"Because I'm the MOM!"

If you haven't seen this yet, it's a must-see! This is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE YouTube! It's the ultimate! Enjoy every second of this! This lady deserves a standing ovation!

I'M THE MOM!

An Island Quote from Agatha Christie

There was something magical about an island-the mere word suggested fantasy. You lost touch with the world-an island was a world of its own.

from And Then There Were None

OK, I took this quote completely out of context (since someone is always dying of unnatural causes), but it works here just the same! I just finished And Then There Were None this morning in the bathtub! It's the best place to read books! However, the bath water got extremely cold by the time I finished just "a few more pages"! Of course, I only read my own personal collection of books in the bathtub, so no scoldings from all those librarians out there! (The girls kept coming in and checking on me and threatening to throw things in the tub like books, cell phones, and gum.) I was fortunate enough to have nabbed a boxful of Agatha Christies' books this summer at a garage sale for $5 and recently began devouring them. This is probably my 10th or 15th book from the box. They are part of my bedtime routine-the only chance to be by myself and truly relax at the end of each day. You know what they say, don't you? A book lover never goes to bed alone!

(By the way, I'd highly recommend this read. Quite intriguing. I'm proud to say I figured out the who, but not the how. Very good book!)

Gilligan's Island

Last night, my co-worker Dianne and I went to the Encore Theater for "Gilligan's Island: The Musical." It was adorable! You never know what to expect at a local theater, but last night's performance was entertaining and full of talent! Mary Ann almost stole the show! She had the best voice and facial expressions even though she wasn't a brunette, but a blonde! (In real life, she is married to the Professor.) To go to an island with beach...which as you know, is a passion of mine (thus the name of the Blog!) as well as to go back in time to the days of my carefree childhood and visiting those old characters from the past...With Gilligan, the Skipper too,
The Millionaire and his wife, A movie star, the Professor and Mary Ann, Here on Gilligan's Isle!

So vote now! Who is your favorite character from Gilligan's Island? I just added the poll feature to my site...top right! Vote now! You only have until the end of January to cast your vote! LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! YOUR VOTE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Well, probably not in this case, but it's still a good time!

Mine is Mary Ann. Robert and I dressed up like Gilligan and Mary Ann (respectively) for my brother's and his wife's Halloween party. If I can dig up that picture, I'll post it here! I know you're all dying to it! LOL

High School Friends

One of my best friends from high school, Susie, was home for the funeral of her grandfather. Her grandpa was a person who was always fun to be around! He was very sweet, caring, loving, and always had a hug for me! So it was bittersweet visit.

Since she has moved to Texas, I've only been able to see her twice and now it might be 3 years before I see her again. Thank goodness for cell phones and email! It's helps us stay connected and I get to see pictures of her adorable kids who are growing so fast! It's not quite the same, but it works!

We were able to get together for a spicy Mexican dinner with another old pal, Karen. Just the three of us for a girls' night out. We had lots to catch up on! I was starving for some adult conservation. Every now and then I just need that after being around kids at home and at work. It's nothing personal, but sometimes I just want to reconnect with myself, that inner woman, you know? Nights like these with old friends are so rare!

Yesterday, I hosted a play-date here and the girls enjoyed it immensely! Every single toy we owned was played with at some point with someone! The kids all played great together which gave all us gals the opportunity to catch up! I didn't even attempt to take a picture of all the kids together this time. Let's see...there were 10 altogether (counting the bun in the oven!) An award goes to Nancy who is due any day now and traveled out of town to see everyone! She made it home OK and is still waiting for the Big Day! I'm so glad Nancy, Sarah, Kathy, & Susie were able to come and hang out! Our conversations have changed since the good old days. Yesterday, we rehashed our birth stories, pros and cons of public education, and different ideas we can try to prep our children for kindergarten over pizza and chocolate chip cookies. Guess the food hasn't changed much! (Although we did have salad and no beer at this luncheon-that's different from our college days!) LOL!

The Next President...

"I still believe in a place called Hope." Hillary Rodham Clinton

If people knew how bent out of shape I get over this question: "Do you think the United States is ready for a woman or Black president?" they would not ask this in my presence. However, there it is.

As a nation, why wouldn't we be ready? In fact, we should wonder why we haven't had a woman or Black president yet!

This month, I am obviously teaching a unit on Martin Luther King Jr. and as I discuss the happenings of the past, my students can't even comprehend such a cruel world. They are naive to the crimes of hate in the past and they react with strong emotions of anger, confusion, and passion for justice to prevail. They've heard me read his "I have a dream" speech. They've seen pictures of the dogs, water hoses, and "Whites Only" signs. They are shocked by the drawing in a book depicting the "Negroes" at the counter with hamburgers and French fries while ketchup is dripping down their hair and faces. They are most disturbed by the fact that schools were once segregated and they look around the classroom at all the faces of their classmates, their friends.

Their innocence. Their passion. They responded with outcries of anger and confusion. They beat their fists together in protest.

As we got further into our study and swam through books, observed the video "Our Friend, Martin," and more discussion, they get it. They realize how right MLK was to use nonviolence to make change. These difficult and brave these peaceful demonstrations were effective.



My point is...one day, there will come a day when my students will be just as shocked to hear that in 2008, people were asking,"Do you think the United States is ready for a woman or Black president?"

And my response to this is the same as Hillary's: "I still believe in a place called Hope."

Even if you aren't a Obama or Hillary fan, please don't say "Do you think the world is ready for a woman or Black president?" Try, "Do you think the world is ready for Hillary or Obama?" and I promise not to take offense!

EVITA!

Don't cry for me, Argentina!



So.....my parents had tickets to Evita. Broadway shows seem to be their new hobby. Maybe it's because now that they're retired, my dad doesn't have any really good excuses not to go when my mom asks him. Regardless, in preparation for the big show, my mom gets this great idea to search the web for more information about her life and watch the movie "EVITA" starring Madonna 3 hours before show time. The show itself is about 2 hours. That's a big dose of Evita for one day!

I don't know how many Madonna fans are out there, but I have to say that this movie showcases a side of Madonna that the public had never seen before. She really lives the role and her acting and singing are emotional, believable, and probably one of her best projects in her career.

I must mention my other two favorite projects (even though they are completely different genre and a different level of entertainment): her video with Austin Powers and (my all-time favorite) the video to "Material Girl" in which she embraces the Marilyn Monroe image. Anyhow, I think Madonna really shows off her true talent in this movie. Maybe it's because she can relate to Evita on a level many of us can't.

My dad walked in on this EVITA 101 video course and promptly decided that "there was too much music" and that he really didn't want to go after all and promptly made him wonder what I was doing that night. Thus, I was invited! I really enjoyed it.

The first thing I noticed was that they were smoking on-stage. Initally, I thought it was just part of the special effects as the smoke trailed up and around the characters, but the smell was pretty strong. Soon the entire civic center was filled with clouds of smoke and people started coughing and coughing and coughing....that lasted pretty much throughout the entire production. The cigarette smell is not one I'm overly fond of myself, but the cigars weren't too bad.

The lead screamed or shouted her lines and that was little distracting from her character. The movie portrays a much more personable, romantic side than the Broadway show. Of course, there's been time to refine all of those things. The most intriguing part of the night was the real footage they showed of the true Evita throughout. That was really fascinating and put in an element of truth and credibility to the whole thing. I loved the costumes. The white dress she wore was spectacular! Absolutely gorgeous! It could've been a wedding gown. And I also enjoyed the Lauren Bacall outfit.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that my mom's cell phone went off at the very end during Evita's funeral on-stage. That was a trip! Never mind that there were repeated reminders from myself and the staff...If you know my mom, you know how very typical this is...every time we go to there is always a crazy story to go with it, but we always have fun and we laugh about it later (sometimes, MUCH later!) I'm grateful that we are able to do things together!

More Rock Star Pics!

It's really hard to pick just a few pictures to post here...even our girls got involved! They had a blast! I think their favorite song was "HEY! HO! LET'S GO!"

We All Want to be a Big Rock Star!

OK, so you probably wouldn't believe it unless you've seen it! Yes, we have on the Anne of Green Gables hats. It's part of our rock costumes!?!? We are going on world tour! Click on the video below so you can listen to the song while viewing the pictures to get the full effect.

Rock Star

I'm such a Miss Goody2Shoes I can't really believe that I'm really posting this song on my site, but it's all in the good spirit of fun, plus it goes with my pics! SO ROCK ON!(The above was posted with my parents in mind who were both mortified that this song mentions drugs. I'm not quite sure what they're worried about since I've never touched the stuff...., but there it is!)

Happy New Year!

I thought I would start the year out with a handful of resolutions....one being, that I would begin to blog! So here I am! I have been inspired by fellow bloggers: Dianna, Bryan, McFarland, Jennie, Tony, & Lori (as they were introduced). What better way to start than at the beginning of the new year? Do you get a free T-shirt by joining? One that says something like "I don't care about your blog!"

So we began by ringing the New Year in with Robert's Switzerland Friends. I call them Robert's "Switzerland Friends" because for some reason I feel a need to classify our friends into categories. Don't ask me why I do this!!! I frequently talk about my "friends from high school" or "college friends" or my "friends at work". Does anybody else do this?

Jason, Josie & their girls (Lima natives, not Swiss) also joined us for the night of New Year's Festivities! Our girls thoroughly enjoyed their company, as always! :)

So I digress...back to the Swiss...we spent New Year's Eve Day on the slopes of Mad River Mountain which was really fun! The sun was out and the snow was almost perfect! Tony was a fantastic beginner! He only went down the Bunny Hill three times before we deemed him ready for the chair lift! I was impressed! Of course, we also got to witness Joe's Jumps on the slopes! I'll quote Jennie here and tell you they were "WICKED!" LOL!

We then spent the evening "Skyping Out" after newly forming the Rock-N-Roll Band, "The Skype Outs". Jennie and Bruce brought the entertainment! I'm not sure I could tell you how many hours were spent singing, dancing, and rocking to "It's it, what is it? It's it, what is it?" I now have some new favorite rock songs-Maps is the name of the one song I remember.

We slept eleven people (twelve if you count Annie and since she weighs 125 pounds, she deserves to be included!) under our little roof! I love slumber parties and only one person ended up on the couch! Not too bad! It's great to have a house full of people who truly enjoy each other's company! We loved having everyone here! Happy New Year! Life's a BEACH!