Thanksgiving

I do have loads to be thankful for this year, as I have for the last 4 years. There are days when I get so bummed about finances and work and just life in general. But once I take a step back and look at what is going on around me in my life, I have to realize that it really isn't all so bad. I mean really, there is someone who is always worse off than I am technically speaking. So there is a lot in life that I am truly thankful for. Obviously, my health, husband, and child, and roof over my head, food on the table....all the typical things that we always say that we are thankful for.

But today I was thinking about all the little things in life that I appreciate. See, there are a slew of things that Cate will say to me from time to time that just make my heart melt.

...."Mommy, can we go up to your bed and be snuggle bunnies?"

...."You're the best Mommy a daughter could ever have."

...."I love when you read me bedtime stories Mom."

....Singing her princess songs at the top of her lungs in the back seat when we're driving.

...."I love you as big as the sky and moon and stars Mommy."

.... "I love you Mommy."

So today I thought about my girlie and how thankful I am that, first and foremost, she is here with me and able to say all of these wonderful things; but also how excellent they make me feel when she says them. If they make me feel this incredible as an adult, I can only imagine how they make her feel inside when I say some of the same things to her :)

Romance Titles gone wrong

I am not a fan of romance novels. They have just never appealed much to me. Thesse on the other hand could be quite interesting to read.

So I stumbled upon these somehow and thought they were just too good to keep to myself. I got them from The Wonderful World of Longmire. I wonder what the actual titles of some of them are???

McDonald's PlayLands

As a child, the playland of Mcdonald's is truly an amazing sight to behold. Imagine being 4 years old and being told by adults that this is the one time that you are allowed to run, jump, climb, slide, scream....all indoors. It truly is the mecca for toddlers and children.

On the flip side of this, there is the parents view of the playlands. To name a few of the horrific things: germs, screaming children, germs, extremely loud noise, germs, parents that don't watch their children, germs, children that don't listen to their parents, germs, horrible food, germs. Did I mention the germs that float around that place???? But we go anyway. Not for the nutritional aspect, nor the quality time spent with your child, but to prevent the tantrums that could ensue when you tell your child that they can't go. Well, that, and the hopes that they will be so damn tired by the time that they get home that they pas right out for the night.

So off to the play land we venture tonight. I drag Matt with me as I am not going to be the only parent to suffer through it. As we are walking up to the door, it is obvious that there is a birthday party going on in there. At least that's what I suspected it was with all the balloons and streamers hanging around. However, upon entering, I quickly learn that it is not a birthday party, but....a baby shower?? I am a little taken a back by this as I can't imagine having such an event at Mcdonald's. Matt quickly reminds me that maybe the employees were throwing it for a coworker. Or maybe someone was just being silly, after all, my mother did throw me a 21st birthday party at Burger King.

So we get our food and enter the playland area to sit down. So that rather than Caitlyn eating, she can run around like a maniac and I can plead with her to eat and threaten her 1000 times that if she doesn't eat we are leaving. (Which by the way, I never follow through on that threat.) However, there are no seats to be had. Why? Because there are about 25 guests at this baby shower...and only about 5 of them are children. Not only have they taken up all the seats with their adult size asses, but they have monopolized the tables for all the food they had catered in as well as using one table for cutting watermelon. Yes, you read all of that correctly. Let me break it down for you...

1. Baby Shower at McDonald's Playland
2. Approximately 20 adults in attendance
3. Food catered into playland
4. Watermelon being cut up on one of the tables
5. Gift table that uses up another 3 tables

So I am naturally thoroughly pissed off beyond all comprehension. Here I am paying way too much for food that I am convinced really doesn't even come from an animal, and my kid can't sit in there to play. So I start ranting, much to Matt's dismay. But he knows this is who I am..that I am so not quiet about things like this, especially when they are so fucking out of the ordinary. I storm back into the restaurant part and continue to piss and moan. And my anger is only intensified with every mutter of "it's not fair that I can't sit in there" from the girl.

Finally, I put all Cate's food back into the bag, tell her to take her damn shoes off, leave Matt sitting in the booth, and storm into the Playland so my child can have her 20 minutes of sheer elation. I snag a chair as all of the party guests are in line and sit my adult sized ass on it. A woman comes up to me and says, "Excuse me I was sitting there." Now....I take a few deep breaths before speaking, when what I really want to do is tell her to fuck off and punch her in the face. But I refrain. I simply look at her and say, "Oh? I'm sorry." But I don't get up, I continue to sit. Cause damn it, they can't have all the chairs and tables for their watermelon.

Here is my plan. Tomorrow I will be calling. I will be telling the manager that as a paying customer, I am not a happy camper that there is nowhere to sit in there because of the baby shower. I will also be sure to mention that there were 2 employees in there enjoying watermelon in their uniforms instead of cleaning tables or making burgers or whatever the hell they were supposed to be doing. With any luck, I will get some free food (or whatever it is they really serve). And chances are, I will be back there next weekend to sit and suffer through all of the aforementioned atrocities.

She is wise beyond her years

It is funny to me at times how kids are just so literal. They pretty much take everything that you say to them at face value. Which I suppose isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes maybe we as adults look too deep for the meaning, when the kid sees it clearly for what it is.

Caitlyn has somewhat of an "outie" belly button, what it known around our house as her "nubby button." This little appendage of hers is the beautiful result of being bron so early and having so many wires attached to it. I often tell people that it looks like the knuckle of a finger LOL.

So we are on the couch and I am pulling at the nubby button and tickling her, resulting in her squealing. She then asks to ssee my nubby button, which really isn't a button at all as it is an inny. She looks at it confused, pokes at it, and says, "how come I can't push yours in like we can push mine in?" Now not wanting to give this child a load of medical terminology about lines and IVs, I take a few seconds to ponder what I should tell her. When she so graciously figures out the answer on her own...

"I know why yours is different from mine mom. It is because all people are made different, but we still love them."

Better than ANY answer I could have come up with to give her.

Caught in the act

I have debated for a few days now on whether or not to blog this incident. However, Shawnee has given me the courage and strength to know that I can. Actually, after reading her incident, I know that nothing I post here could be nearly as horrific as that. As a sidenote, I must tell you Shawnee that I about pissed my pants reading that entry, though I do feel for you, know that it is a fabulous story.

As a child, whenever there was mention of your parents having sex, remember how uncomfortable that made you feel? As an adult, it may still. But so many people have that one very vivid memory of walking in on their parents having sex. Now when they are too young to know what is actually happening, it isn't so horrible. But it's when you know that the image of it has been seared onto their brain that you worry about their psychological future. By now, I am sure you know where this is going, but I will continue anyway because it is not the fact that we were "caught" rather than what my child's reaction was.

Tuesday afternoon, I approach my darling husband with the idea of a quickie, mid afternoon, while the girl is quietly enjoying some Mini Oreos and a cartoon. Naturally he jumps at the chance. Because I am so hot? Not likely. Because he is a man about to be laid and he is not going to miss the opportunity of that. So we sneak up to the bedroom and leave the girl quietly watching her cartoons and said snack.

Time passes, I can't recall how much as I was "in the moment." When suddenly there are footsteps in the room and Caitlyn is literally squealing with glee. Yelling at the top of her lungs.....

"THAT LOOKS LIKE FUN!!!"

Needless to say the "moment" I was so captured in is quickly GONE!!! I tell Caitlyn to go get her pillow from her room so that we can lounge together. Giving me those precious few moments to don my clothing and Matt can race into the bathroom to remove certain coverings from his body. When Caitlyn reenters the room, she is very quick to ask me what Daddy and I were doing.

My mind races...searching for something appropriate to say other than...well I don't know what, but something believable. So I tell her that daddy was tickling Mommy. Is this a lie, not really. Just an understatement of sorts. Caityln being who she is responds...

"I want daddy to tickle me too."

Matt being who he is responds....

"Maybe in some parts of the country (I won't say what state he mentioned so as not to offend readers) but not here in Chicago honey."

I don't think that she was scarred by this incident as she truly believes Daddy was in fact tickling Mommy. Poor Matt will never get an afternoon quickie again while Caitlyn still resides in this house.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Tonight Matt and I attended our first parent teacher conference....as parents. We have both attended several over the last 8 years or so, but they never revolved around our own child. So this was interesting to us. Not to mention the fact that we were both a little confused as to what there really is to "confer" about when it comes to Pre K. But we went none the less because we don't want to be "those parents."

Top of the list, teacher said my child is very very bright. Which of course just makes me want to jump across the table and hug and kiss her. It was after she spoke those very words that the one topic I wanted to ask her about left my mind. You see I needed more room up there for her to fill with dotings of my child. Which she most graciously did. Telling me how she loves to read and she always has such great things to say about the book that they are reading. And how when Caitlyn isn't there, she wishes that she was cause the other children don't always "get" what's going on in the story. But of course my child does cause she's brilliant right? Regardless of whether or not she says this to every parent who walked in that room tonight, I could care less.

So why is it so important to me that my kid has her wits about her? Well, I know I don't have to tell the preemie parents that read this. But for those who don't have preemies, it's because of all those damn doctors who told me the horror stories of what could have been with this little girl. So to them, I now say, "Kiss my ass. We have arrived." Ah, I shouldn't be so harsh on them. They were all wonderful to us and most importantly, to Caitlyn. And naturally I am forever grateful. But I am reveling in the moment, and want to stay there for a while.

The teacher did say though that she sometimes worries about Caitlyn's physical abilities. In a nut shell, she has no coordination and seems to always be the child that is getting knocked over on the playground. I have had no less than 3 phone calls from the school telling me that she has been hurt on the playground, one of which resulted in a minor concussion. But we knew this about Cate. See, she is Matt's child. And well, apples and trees you know. They are going to keep an eye on her and if need be, contact the PT and get her on a 504 Plan to get her some consultative services with the PT. In English, that is a step down from an IEP. Meaning, the school needs to provide her with something for the area that she is lacking in.

There is also the concern about some of her sensory issues. Mainly, loud noises. Poor girl can't stand them. And it seems to have gotten worse since school has started. But again, this is something that is manageable. So we are not fretting.

So all in all a fabulous conference. If that's what you call chatting for 8.72 minutes.

Fall Fun

This picture reminds me of ET in the closet....though she is a little easier to pick out as she isn't an alien with gigantic eyes.

We spent the morning raking leaves...Cate and Kelly spent the afternoon jumping in them, causing us to have to rake them again.