Today was a busy day. It was the first day of Cub Scout Day Camp and I was there with the boys all day. It was scorching hot all day and there was very little breeze. By the end of the day, we were all hot, sweaty, and ready to head for Grandma's pool.
We made it to the pool around 5 pm and I left a voicemail for the Asst. Zookeeper letting him know where we were. He called back a few minutes later and asked where I wanted to go for dinner. I was touched. He knew that the last thing I wanted to do after spending all day at camp was to make dinner. Definitely getting the brownie points!
He arrived at the pool at 6:30 and promptly handed me a medium sized, lime green gift bag. I was very confused. I assumed that he was giving me something that someone had asked him to pass along to me. But I still gave him the confused puppy look. He smiled and said "Happy Anniversary."
And it STILL took a minute to dawn on me. Today was my anniversary and I HAD FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT IT!!!!!! And the Asst. Zookeeper, not only remembered, but had gotten me a present as well!
Needless to say, I was completely mortified and apologized profusely. He smiled, and said that was the best present I could have given him. "I win!" he shouted and then gave a very evil chuckle.
I'm sure I'll never live this down. Nor do I think I deserve to!
Happy Anniversary to the Asst. Zookeeper! :) You are definitely a keeper - even if you did spend the rest of the evening shouting "I win" everywhere we went!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Pickles, Dumpsters, and Butterfly Pee!
For those of you who have waited so patiently for this story, here you go!
Two weekends ago, our Zoo traveled into Canada to take the Heathens to Niagara Falls. Heathen #1 had been there as an infant, but has no memory of it. And Heathens #2 and #3 had never gone.
Journey Behind the Falls:
Maid of the Mist:
Saturday evening, the Heathens all rented these go-cart-things for about two hours. They had the BEST time.
We packed up Rover and headed to the Butterfly Conservatory. It was breathtaking. Another "must-see" when going to Niagara Falls.
I learned that motors have lots of belts to make them work. You really only need 1 belt to make the thing "go" and the rest can all be done without. Yup - we broke the only necessary belt, the alternator belt. And we were still in Canada and were nowhere near an auto parts store.
The Asst. Zookeeper nursed Rover a few miles down the road until we found a small group of stores - including an auto parts store! However, most stores in Canada close at noon on Sunday, which meant that the auto parts store was already closed. There was a thrift store still open however, and the Asst. Zookeeper made two purchases: a multi-tool and a pair of pantyhose.
After some minor surgery for Rover in the parking lot, we managed to make it across the border and back into the United States. We went approximately 5 miles, and again, heard Rover make a "bad" noise. We had snapped another belt. And again, there were no auto parts stores in site.
We nursed Rover along mile by mile, hoping to find a store that would be helpful. The Asst. Zookeeper made two belts to get us along. Both were made out of rope that he lashed together to form a circle and then wrapped with Duct tape to make it thick enough. The rope belts managed to get us to a Home Depot parking lot that was next to a 24-hr Denny's. At this point, it was after 11 pm and we had only made it approximately 15-20 miles from the Butterfly Conservatory where we had started. We all crawled into bed.
How am I supposed to respond to that? Should it be, "Oh, sorry"? My response was very intelligent. It was a "huh?" He laughed and explained that with the motor overheating, he had gotten antifreeze on him and that it itched.
We limped the Rover another 2 miles to an OPEN auto parts store where the Asst. Zookeeper purchased 2 belts and the appropriate tools to tighten the belt once it was on (which is why the second belt had broken).
Two weekends ago, our Zoo traveled into Canada to take the Heathens to Niagara Falls. Heathen #1 had been there as an infant, but has no memory of it. And Heathens #2 and #3 had never gone.
We left Friday around 2 pm, as soon as the Asst. Zookeeper returned home from the mine. Instead of driving the Nitro, we decided to take the "new" motor home we had purchased a few weeks before. It was lovingly dubbed "Rover."
We went to Jellystone Campground. It was really nice and the Heathens really liked it. Definitely a "kid-friendly" place and it was only a few miles from the Falls.
We made it to the falls that evening just in time to see the fireworks over the Horseshoe Falls. It was beautiful. And after the fireworks, the American Falls were lit with the colored lasers.
Saturday, we did the typical touristy type of things:
Journey Behind the Falls:
Maid of the Mist:
We also had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. If you have never taken your children there, you definitely must go!
About this time into the trip, our debit card QUIT working. We knew there was enough money in the account, but figured we went over a limit in daily spending. No problem - we had a second debit card to a different account. It's all good.
Saturday evening, the Heathens all rented these go-cart-things for about two hours. They had the BEST time.
And the Asst. Zookeeper had to give it a try as well. Go figure!
Sunday morning, I was up before all the Heathens. As I was getting ready to leaver Rover and take a walk, the Heathens started talking in their sleep. This is something they frequently do at home. Heathen #2 sat straight up in his bed (eyes still closed) and started mumbling something about pickles. Heathen #1 promptly rolled over and said, "Put it in the dumpster." Heathen #2 laid back down and continued sleeping.
We packed up Rover and headed to the Butterfly Conservatory. It was breathtaking. Another "must-see" when going to Niagara Falls.
Around 2:30 pm, we loaded up Rover with all of the Heathens (and the Duchess, our shepherd/husky mix that went along) and headed for home. About 2 miles from the Butterfly Conservatory, we heard a "bad" sound from Rover and the Asst. Zookeeper promptly pulled to the side of the road.
I learned that motors have lots of belts to make them work. You really only need 1 belt to make the thing "go" and the rest can all be done without. Yup - we broke the only necessary belt, the alternator belt. And we were still in Canada and were nowhere near an auto parts store.
The Asst. Zookeeper nursed Rover a few miles down the road until we found a small group of stores - including an auto parts store! However, most stores in Canada close at noon on Sunday, which meant that the auto parts store was already closed. There was a thrift store still open however, and the Asst. Zookeeper made two purchases: a multi-tool and a pair of pantyhose.
He managed to rig a belt that got us about another 10 miles to an auto parts store that was still open, but was closing in about another 10 minutes. He ran inside and bought the new belt - we were saved! We'd get home late, but we would still get home on the planned day.
After some minor surgery for Rover in the parking lot, we managed to make it across the border and back into the United States. We went approximately 5 miles, and again, heard Rover make a "bad" noise. We had snapped another belt. And again, there were no auto parts stores in site.
We nursed Rover along mile by mile, hoping to find a store that would be helpful. The Asst. Zookeeper made two belts to get us along. Both were made out of rope that he lashed together to form a circle and then wrapped with Duct tape to make it thick enough. The rope belts managed to get us to a Home Depot parking lot that was next to a 24-hr Denny's. At this point, it was after 11 pm and we had only made it approximately 15-20 miles from the Butterfly Conservatory where we had started. We all crawled into bed.
Monday morning, the Asst. Zookeeper and I both work up before the Heathens. He was scratching at his legs constantly and I asked him if he had gotten a lot of bug bites while we were camping. I knew I had gotten several, but he rarely does. His response was, "No, the butterflies peed on me yesterday."
How am I supposed to respond to that? Should it be, "Oh, sorry"? My response was very intelligent. It was a "huh?" He laughed and explained that with the motor overheating, he had gotten antifreeze on him and that it itched.
We limped the Rover another 2 miles to an OPEN auto parts store where the Asst. Zookeeper purchased 2 belts and the appropriate tools to tighten the belt once it was on (which is why the second belt had broken).
Rover pulled up in front of our Zoo at approximately 2:30 pm on Monday afternoon - only about 15 hours later than we had planned. But the Heathens had a wonderful time and so did we!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
24-Hour Cheese
Yesterday evening, after Heathen #1's soccer game, I headed to the grocery store to pick up a few things that we needed for the Zoo to make it through the week. I took the youngest Heathen along for the trip.
Heathen #3 sat in the seat on the cart and had control of "THE LIST" and was in charge of crossing things out as they were placed in the cart. This is actually harder for a four-year-old to do then you would think - especially when the list is written in cursive.
When we arrived at the deli, the lady behind the counter offered him a slice of cheese, which he happily accepted. As we wheeled away from the counter, he informed me that he couldn't eat his cheese at the moment because he was busy crossing things off "THE LIST."
I tucked the cheese (wrapped in one of those little pieces of waxed paper) into the side of my purse so that it wouldn't get lost or smushed.
fast forward 24 hours....
This evening, we stopped at Sheetz to put gas in the Zoomobile. I decided that I wanted to run into the store and grab a cup of coffee. I opened my purse. And I immediately stopped, stared, and hung my head.
I then pulled out the wrapped up cheese and handed it to the Asst. Zookeeper, asking him to throw it in the garbage.
The look on his face was perfect. And I didn't even have to explain anything more than, "I was at the grocery store yesterday with one of our children." He just nodded, and put it in the garbage.
** In honor of all the other women in the world who carry cheese slices around in their purses for 24 hours WITHOUT noticing: Happy Mother's Day!
Heathen #3 sat in the seat on the cart and had control of "THE LIST" and was in charge of crossing things out as they were placed in the cart. This is actually harder for a four-year-old to do then you would think - especially when the list is written in cursive.
When we arrived at the deli, the lady behind the counter offered him a slice of cheese, which he happily accepted. As we wheeled away from the counter, he informed me that he couldn't eat his cheese at the moment because he was busy crossing things off "THE LIST."
I tucked the cheese (wrapped in one of those little pieces of waxed paper) into the side of my purse so that it wouldn't get lost or smushed.
fast forward 24 hours....
This evening, we stopped at Sheetz to put gas in the Zoomobile. I decided that I wanted to run into the store and grab a cup of coffee. I opened my purse. And I immediately stopped, stared, and hung my head.
I then pulled out the wrapped up cheese and handed it to the Asst. Zookeeper, asking him to throw it in the garbage.
The look on his face was perfect. And I didn't even have to explain anything more than, "I was at the grocery store yesterday with one of our children." He just nodded, and put it in the garbage.
** In honor of all the other women in the world who carry cheese slices around in their purses for 24 hours WITHOUT noticing: Happy Mother's Day!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Heathen #3's Big Week
Friday night was Heathen #3's Spring Program at KIDDS Castle. Thus the pirate costume (complete with parrot, thanks to the wonderful Miss Cindy!) Again, another carefully selected outfit that included a tie! The poor child was roasting by the time the show was over.
And Saturday morning, his very first soccer game!
Golf, Beer, and a Cell Phone
What is wrong with this picture?
1. He's wearing a collared shirt.
2. He's carrying a golf bag.
3. He's wearing khakis.
4. He's the only man alive to own golf SANDALS - which he's holding in his hand.
Today, the Asst. Zookeeper had a "golf outing" for the mining company. I always love the stories that come home from these events. One day, I'm going to go hang out at the golf course and watch the fun.
This year, he sent me several text messages over the course of the day. I'm going to add them in below, along with the time they were sent. Tee time was at 1 pm.
at 4:02 pm
We played 9 holes. We have 4 guys, 2 sets of clubs, 1 baseball bat, 2 guys bleeding, and 9 more holes to go.
I responded:
So it is going well!
at 4:15 pm
Meerkat just scared off the beer girl. (I didn't respond. I was afraid to ask!)
at 4: 29 pm
And now we've flipped over a golf cart.
I responded:
You make me so proud.
When I spoke with him around 6, I learned that they had to pull one of the guys out of the ponds. Apparently, he had only brought one golf ball with him, and he was determined to take the same ball back home!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Why only at 3 a.m.?
Why never at 8 a.m.? Or, how about noon, when they are at school? I wish they could try for mid-afternoon.
WHY do my Heathens only feel the need to VOMIT around 3 a.m.?
Monday morning, it was Heathen #3. The Asst. Zookeeper's alarm sounded at 3 a.m. and he headed out the door for work. As I hear the front door shut, Heathen #3 comes around the corner of my bedroom. "Where's Daddy going?" "To work." "Oh, good." And he crawled over top of me to get to his father's side of the bed. About 10 minutes later, he sat straight up and yelled "I'm gonna be sick!"
After about 6 hours of him dragging around "the bucket," he was just fine.
I caught up on the missed sleep and the other two Heathens were healthy. YES! I'd dodged a bullet!
This morning, it was Heathen #2. He, however, managed to wake up the entire house. He goes running past my bedroom door screaming MOM at the top of his lungs. Once I got him taken care of and tucked into bed with me, Heathen #3 comes around the corner.
Heathen #3 has an issue with my bed. He thinks that the only two people allowed in it are him and me. The Asst. Zookeeper is only considered "good" if he's at work and Heathen #3 can invade the bed. Once he saw that Heathen #2 was tucked up, he suddenly had a "scary dream" and had to crawl in as well.
Really, is it too much to ask for these events to take place during normal waking hours?
WHY do my Heathens only feel the need to VOMIT around 3 a.m.?
Monday morning, it was Heathen #3. The Asst. Zookeeper's alarm sounded at 3 a.m. and he headed out the door for work. As I hear the front door shut, Heathen #3 comes around the corner of my bedroom. "Where's Daddy going?" "To work." "Oh, good." And he crawled over top of me to get to his father's side of the bed. About 10 minutes later, he sat straight up and yelled "I'm gonna be sick!"
After about 6 hours of him dragging around "the bucket," he was just fine.
I caught up on the missed sleep and the other two Heathens were healthy. YES! I'd dodged a bullet!
This morning, it was Heathen #2. He, however, managed to wake up the entire house. He goes running past my bedroom door screaming MOM at the top of his lungs. Once I got him taken care of and tucked into bed with me, Heathen #3 comes around the corner.
Heathen #3 has an issue with my bed. He thinks that the only two people allowed in it are him and me. The Asst. Zookeeper is only considered "good" if he's at work and Heathen #3 can invade the bed. Once he saw that Heathen #2 was tucked up, he suddenly had a "scary dream" and had to crawl in as well.
Really, is it too much to ask for these events to take place during normal waking hours?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Good Heavens - He's 8!
Yesterday, the middle Heathen turned 8!
He's older now that Heathen #1 was bringing home Heathen #3! (Everyone follow that?)
He's my own special kind of pennance - he's as impatient as I am. He has a temper like mine. He drives me bonkers most days!!!
But!
I get more comments about him then I do the other two - about how sweet he can be. I can't wait to see how this particular Heathen turns out...
He's older now that Heathen #1 was bringing home Heathen #3! (Everyone follow that?)
He's my own special kind of pennance - he's as impatient as I am. He has a temper like mine. He drives me bonkers most days!!!
But!
I get more comments about him then I do the other two - about how sweet he can be. I can't wait to see how this particular Heathen turns out...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)