I love my phone.

So I have to see if this works. It's boring baby video, but if it comes out clear, I'll be a video posting MACHINE. Can I just tell you about the relationship I have with my Blackberry? It kind of boarders on disturbing. It's not like the quality of pictures or videos, for that matter, is of the highest quality...but it fits in my purse, and it will be there whenever I need it. Ahh...those are two of my prerequisites for happiness. (A reason my purses are always so ginormous).

SUCCESS!!! A big thanks to my brilliant sister, Muff, for keeping me informed on the new and improved updates for my phone, and telling me step by step how to upload them. (And then Jeff, as well, when I still didn't get it). Otherwise, my stupidity would severely limit me and the fabulousness of my lil' Blackberry.

Late Night Updates

So I just wanted to thank those that offered their support and love. I appreciate it. I know that I've been really blessed to have a great family and friends.

I'm currently watching 30 Rock season 2, as Jeff and I just finished season 1. I'm loving it. It's funny and smart and I, probably like every other woman in the world, feel like I have so much in common with Liz Lemon. We both wear glasses, we love food...See what I mean?

Something that has made me happy lately has been hearing "Vault Soda" commercials on the radio. "Kicks like an energy drink/drinks like a soda". That guy's voice can turn a crappy day into a mediocre one.

Okay. I'm tired. More to come later this week, and I'll be keeping up with my tweets daily, because I KNOW you want to hear my random thoughts throughout the day. Have a happy Monday, y'all.

Death.

Disclaimer: If you couldn't tell by my title, this will be a downer post. I need to write this for my personal records...so should you feel like not reading it...I understand. I myself like to stay away from things that I can't control, that stress and worry me, or that are just negatively definite--no matter what I do. So I won't be offended should you choose not to read, or comment. Because as I said before, this is for me. There's something about my blog that I love...something about putting my thoughts out there...writing them down and being unapologetic about them. Or sometimes I am apologetic...but I say what I need to. I try to explain myself, even if it comes out harsh and whiny. This is therapy for me. And because I really don't know if I can put full trust in any "professional therapist", because they are actual people and have problems that they can't figure out just like every other human being, I'll go with typing all this out, and try to distinguish how I'm feeling about everything...and what kind of dealing will work best for me.

Anyway, I thought it best to put that out there. Because there are times when I read stuff and realize halfway through that it's "too deep" for me right then. That thinking back on that pain or hardship will do nothing but make me ache. And I have too many people depending on me. That sounds terrible even to my ears, but I have to be honest. One day, maybe I'll grow up and be able to take it like a man...whatever that means.

So dying...death. I guess I'm kind of privy to various types of emotional deaths...like: The death of a friendship or the death of love. Both sound kind of severe and cheesy, but the heartache is real. Like most people, I've experienced both and cried and thought I would die because of the pain in my heart. I've mourned both, as well. Sometimes I look back on those times fondly, and sometimes things are still too painful to really delve into.

Then there's the death of a marriage. And though I haven't experienced this on the marriage end, I was part of this by proxy--because the married people were my parents. That was hard, too. Though it worked out better for them, going through it was Hell...and eye-opening in a very negative way. I'd seen them fight and be mean to each other, but I'd never seen them be petty and spiteful. And suddenly I realized how childish parents can be. I wasn't the only one that was hurt in the process; like each experience, it was terrible for everyone involved.

I've also experienced the death of a pet--and though I've made it quite clear that I'm not an animal lover, I've shed a lot of tears for little pets I've had growing up, and I am one that gets attached quickly to anything that depends on me, and will show me love. I grew up with a lot of different animals...and hurt every time they did.

Then there's the more serious types of death. Serious to me, anyway. A death of a friend, or someone that is more than a friend to you. Where one moment they are there and everything is great, and the next you find yourself breathing quickly, and silently praying that this is just a stressful nightmare and you'll wake up soon. Or it's just a tasteless joke, and you plead that whoever delivered the bad news would realize that they'd gone too far, and take it all back. I've had the displeasure of these events in my life, as well. I've cried so much that I sounded like a wounded animal...where sounds were no longer human, and words were lost to me. And I've also felt so numb and empty that I couldn't find any sounds. And I just wanted to slip into the oblivion that is sleep; where reality bends to anything you'd like it to be. And death isn't an option because by some miracle, everything works out, and whatever caused the death was somehow avoided because I had circumvented it at the last second.
Unfortunately, this doesn't make me unique. Most people have felt these same feelings and can say that they've lost just as many important people that I have. I know this. It's inevitable. But to each of us, our individual pain is often so great that it surpasses our ability to think cognitively. And we lose ourselves in our own sorrow. For the record, I tried to think of ways to write all these thoughts down that didn't sound completely tragic and comparable to bad high school poetry. But I think that this is still a part of me that reverts back to that person that becomes more cynical with each experienced death. That person that is still surprised that it happens the way it does, and when it does. Logically I know that it happens to all of us, but there are times when the how and why just don't make any sense.

My father is dying. I've known since mid-December...a little after my birthday, and Sydney's birth. He didn't want me to know, because I'd just had my baby, and it was a happy/relieved time for me. But it's something that you really can't hide from people--it's something that you shouldn't.
Because of his request to not let anyone know, I've kept it quiet. My kids don't know...and I honestly don't want them to. This is something that I am trying to be diplomatic about, as it is a fact of life, and they will obviously find out. But for now, I don't believe that kind of stress and worry should rest on a child's shoulders. There is so much negative out there that they will eventually experience, and though some may think this is cheating them in some way, I highly disagree. My kids, my decision. Also my father's decision. He'd prefer they remember him as the Grandpa Steele that loves them. Not the Grandpa Steele that's wasting away. And he is. And it kills me. Watching someone you love continually getting worse and knowing that there's nothing you can do-nothing anyone can do-blows. There's really not an eloquent way to explain it; not that I've thought of, anyway. I'm hurting and feel like there's no one to talk to. And there are people I can talk to, I know this. But no one that has experienced it the way I'm currently experiencing it. So it's too much to explain exactly where I stand, and why. I can't find the words. Obviously.

I've been sad for a while now. I worry every time my phone rings. I just got a call that my dad is in the Emergency Room, and this has become the norm. I was told he'd have 12 to 14 months left, and it's been less than five. I feel cheated and sick, and I worry about my stepmom because she's losing her husband and she's living my worst nightmare. I can't sleep, and I can't think.
Phew. Okay. Too much, too soon. I'm trying to keep it together. And I'm trying to be strong. So that's where I am. I'm kind of checking out of things that normally would be important to me....that are important to others. And I think it's more fair that I explain why. I've had a few people ask me why I'm not visiting as often or why I seem even more detached or why I'm not as excited about certain things that I normally would be. I'm sorry, but I'm not there right now. I'm not really capable of it. And instead of pulling aside everyone that doesn't know, I'm just putting it all out there. All at once.

I hope that clears the air. I hope that things I've said will be taken as they are, and with the knowledge that these are my feelings. And they'll be respected.

Vegas, Baby!

Sorry about the lull in posts. Am I the only one that actually takes LONGER to unpack and get settled after a vacation rather than getting packed and ready? It's been so long since I've actually been on one-and with kids-that I'd forgotten how much work goes into washing all the clothes, and getting everything out of bags and actually getting back into the routine of life. Also, I've noticed that most of my posts start out with some sort of "sorry it's been so long", apology. This coincidentally happens with all my journals that I try keeping, as well. Does this mean that my blogging days are numbered? Could be.
So I'm not a millionaire. I know. I'm shocked, too. The last time Jeff and I were in Vegas was a little over seven years ago. At that time you could actually put coins into the machines/slots and gamble. So if you had a load of change just lying around, Las Vegas was the place to go. We did. But this time, it wasn't.
Now you're supposed to bring cash only, or better yet, pay for some sort of credit card that attaches to your pocket, and plugs into a machine so you can play for a little receipt of paper that says you can go to one of the cashiers and should you get lucky, they'll give you money. I was never lucky. I wasted a whole ten dollars. I hate this new way of gambling. It's too scary and you can't trick yourself with carrying around a dirty plastic cup of change. So I'm still as poor as I was before, (ten bucks poorer, actually), and for that, I'm glad it wasn't a vacation just for Jeff and me. I'm glad we'd decided on doing a lot of activities and maybe "trying our luck" at gambling on the side, rather than the other way around, as our luck in the gambling area sucked. Big time.
We actually stayed in Primm, Nevada. At Buffalo Bill's. This was because we got rooms for $3.00 a night. We had to get two rooms, because we now are larger than a family of four....but at three bucks a night, we did it without complaint. Also, having two rooms was really nice. Jeff would sleep in and the kids and I went to the other room and watched cartoons until he finally graced us with his morning presence. Our first day there was pretty relaxed. We checked in, and found out that the pool was only heated on the weekends. (Total bummer). That was the thing the kids were most looking forward to...but luckily, I've got great kids. They were satisfied with a few dips in the hot tub, and they still enjoyed the trip. We asked the kids if they'd like to ride on the rollercoaster. It was coincidentally Jeff's 32nd birthday, (LOVE YOU, BAYBEEEEEE!), and he said that riding would be something he'd like to do, but neither one of the kids wanted to try it. Because one of us had to hang with Syd while the other rode the "Desperado", the kids cooperation was mandatory...and no dice. Riley said it looked way too scary, and Cole said he'd try it, but "later". Anyway, our first night there was very low key.
The next day we went to "The Real Las Vegas", as Cole called it. Because we were staying in the "Fake Las Vegas". Our first stop was the Mandalay Bay. I would have loved to stay there--that place is huge and has so much stuff going on. (Instead of just a pool, they have an entire water park...and it's not closed on the weekdays. Fancy that). One day, for sure. We went to the aquarium they had there, and the kids, Jeff and I were really impressed with it. Kory and Amy had mentioned it to us, and they also told us about the miracle that is Google text/search--it allows you to have directions sent to your cell phone by text--why do I never know about any of this stuff? This is a white alligator. Apparently they are way cooler than the green ones. They had little misters going on and off inside the area that contained the wildlife. It made my normally oily complexion exceptionally shiny. And didn't have any effect on Jeff's face at all. Proof positive that is IS harder to be a woman. Obvious proof.
They had little remote/phone thingies that we had to carry around and listen to the back stories of all the featured animals. I can see where this would be a good idea for those people there that were on a date, or just random couples that were killing a few hours until happy hour. But when you've got kids and babies and loads of other crap that requires your hands, it was just stressful. So I didn't get the stories on each animal, but I think I figured everything out just the same. Then we got to the actual sea-life part, and this was equal parts really cool, and creepy. We saw a lot of sharks--thus the aquarium's name, Shark Reef. They had a tank with tons of jellyfish and an Octopus...I kind of wonder if this would be considered impolite in Octopus society, however, they didn't say anything, so...
Syd's favorite part by far was the the lion fish tank. It had the perfect amount of fish and florescent lighting and they would swim right next to her face. I thought it was funny to see a four month old that interested in what was going on around her--she actually paid attention to everything. Let's see, the kids got to pet sting rays, and though this was the cause of death for Steve the Crocodile Hunter, the kids love it each and every time. I am a little relieved by the fact that some say they remove the barb that excretes poison or whatever, but just a little. They still carry salmonella, are saddened by the fact that their sole existence now is just being handled by noisy people all day, and are slimy. So points for me in touching one, as well.
I've never been one to overly freak out in confined places, but after watching the sharks above, below, and to the sides of me, I began to think about the possibility of the tanks cracking or buckling under pressure. And how we would all die and there'd be no escape. Five minutes into those kinds of thoughts, I was ready for the the tour to be over, and we made our way out. It was a really great experience, though. I really want to take the kids to the aquarium in Seattle. I've never seen one that compares, and I know that they'd love it. Ahh...just keep taking these vacation baby steps, and one day...This is Cole and Jeff taking a breather at the Luxor. It wasn't that exciting there, as you can tell by Cole's face.
Then we went to MGM Grand and visited M&M and Coke world. There was an actual lady dancing on the bar at MGM. I was kind of mezmerized as it was about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and people were just drinking and not paying attention to her....Worst. Job. Ever. I almost took a picture, but thought it way too "touristy" for me, even. Then it got me thinking about strippers...as there are billboards and flyers everywhere to go see them. And though as a stripper you normally have a rock'n bod....you also have to dance/jiggle in front of a bunch of creeps while they occasionally stare, leer, and eat. I really come up short when I try to see the upside of it. I guess if you're successful, the money would be the only positive. As I watched that lady dance on the bar for all that she was worth, I imagined that I'd just be a fat stripper that would get pissed no one was noticing I'd skipped breakfast, lunch and dinner for the last two months in a row, and I'd have to admit defeat.
Coke and M&M world were quite interesting...Coke moreso than M&M in my humble opinion, as M&Ms are, I believe, the biggest waste of space in the candy world. (Unless they are almond or peanut butter). My little family disagrees with me, however, but this is my blog, so I can voice MY opinion. The last pictures are of us on the Strip. Though you can't tell, Jeff was actually holding both Riley and Cole up level to him. He was way bummed that I didn't show that in the actual picture, as he was using severe muscle all the while I was trying to get a photo that worked with him and the kids in it. But I feel like I need to explain for all his hard work; that he's still a complete and utter "He-Man", even at the old age of 32.
Our final day in Nevada was Cole's birthday. Happy 6th, Bubbers! All he needed was another year of courage, and he was willing to go on the Desperado with Jeff. Technically he was about an inch shy of the height limit--but that sneaky kid stood on his tiptoes while he was being measured. And no, he had no coaching from either one of us. Not one to be shown up by Cole, Riley decided that she'd go with me after Jeff and Cole got back. I was excited to go, but going with Riley could turn into a nightmare--as she's that kid that pukes when being spun on the swings. So while Jeff and Cole went and rode the rollercoaster, Riley, Syd and I went to the arcade and played games. FYI, Riley and I are pros at skee-ball. Or however that's spelled. Either way, we'd totally kick your buns. We were trying to figure out how to redeem our tickets into prizes when Jeff and Cole came back--Jeff looking bright-eyed and Cole looking green and grateful to be alive. He told Riley it was the scariest thing he's ever done, and Jeff was concerned that some crying would be involved in the middle of the ride, but Cole held it together. Let's just say he wasn't up for a second round, not by a long shot. (Seriously wind-blown hair). Then Riley and I went. I was actually getting a little scared...not of the ride, because I've been on it a few times, but because I just knew that Riley was going to barf all over me, and in addition to having to apologize to the innapropriately intimate couple seated behind us was going to be awkward. As we started off there was a little decline before the huge climb to the very top, and Riley screamed at that...so I knew things would just get progressively worse. For about thirty seconds we were pulled straight up into the air, everything below looking like toys. And then the couple of cars in front of us got to the drop, and we watched them fall before being jerked along with them. I spared a glance at Riley and her eyes were popping out of their sockets. And then we were freefalling. Straight down. The force of the rollercoaster made it hard to turn my entire head, but as I screamed and simutaneously tried to peek at Riley, I saw her look of terror and heard her screams of, "OH MY GOSH!!!!!!OH MY GOSH!!!" repeatedly and the expression on her face would probably be the same had she been being eaten by a pack of ferocious, rabid dogs. From there, in addition to my screaming out of fear of the drop and speed, I was also screaming in anticipation of flying chunks of whatever she'd eaten that morning. But to my surprise and pleasure, none came. We finally came to the point we'd started from, and I spared her a glance. She was deep breathing and finally looked up at me. She started out softly: "That....was....AWESOME!" She was glowing with excitement. Ahhh....that's my girl! :)
Following the rollercoaster rides and arcade, we went to the outlet stores at the Primadonna Casino. No pictures were taken, while there, sorry. Not that you all haven't seen an American Eagle or Gap or Bath and Body Works. Rest assured, though, I got some great deals. Some of the stores shouldn't have been able to have the word "outlet" attached to their titles, as an outlet makes you assume better prices. But, I guess that's just the rule of retail. All in all, our trip was WAY too short. There were so many things that I wished we could have done. If you go to Vegas, a day simply doesn't give you enough time to get past more than three casinos. But though the getting home and re-situated was a bit harder than I'd imagined, I'm ready for our next outing. It IS nice to be in our own beds, though. Until next time, dear readers. One day, I shall be all caught up. Maybe.

Hasta

Much thanks to all my responders regarding my last post. Nothing makes me happier than hearing that I'm not the only one that thinks my problems are big. And that I shouldn't HAVE to deal. So I believe that when we return from our Vacation, (the vacation that will be "stealing" education from my children causing them to get progressively dumber each second they miss), I'm going to do something seriously hard core. Like write a complaint letter. Or something.
In all seriousness, I am actually pretty riled up about this situation. After having time to reflect the meeting and the supposed law, and all that jazz...I think most parent's reaction to this situation is similar to mine...which is utter confusion. What can I do? Who can I approach? How can I continue to keep my children in public school, where they love their friends and their teachers? Ultimately, the most important thing here is for Riley and Cole to be happy. They really enjoy the school, their teachers, the principal, etc...so I'm going to try to be nice and not burn all the bridges that they deal with on a daily basis. Like I said, I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but it will be something. First I have to do some studying and find out what the specifics of the laws are and such, so I don't sound like a total doof.
Anyway, if I come home a millionaire from the nickle machines that I love, I may just forget the whole thing and move away. I'll hire tutors for Riley and Cole that will kick Cherry Creek's collective public arse.
Toodles for this week. We're gonna be partying Vegas style, or the style with an infant and two grade school kids, which I'm sure is just as fabulous. Regardless, you'll see lots of pictures when we're back. Later dudes!

PISSED.

This will not be a nice post. I'm not feeling nice. I'm feeling like I could take a certain someone by the hair and twirl them around and around in the motion of an old-fashioned sprinkler. For those of you that are easily offended, and may just disagree with what I will be saying because it's going to be crass and trashy...just skip this post and go look at someone else's blog. You may just want to anyway because this is will take an incredible amount of time, as well. But I'm documenting this, and it's gonna be very involved, cause I'm not holding back.

Today I went to a "mandatory meeting" at Cherry Creek School. Apparently I have neglected to take the supposed THREE letters they sent me seriously, and "most-likely just as many" phone calls that they've made, telling me they need me to be there or face dire consequences. Between you and me, I never received said letters. Or phone calls. In fact, I have proof because I have all my phone records. However, it's my word against theirs as far as the letters go. And guess what? They're not believing me. It's been a craptastic day, but a five hour nap, and some severe emotional over-eating later, I'm ready to talk about it.

Let me first admit that I'm not keen on all the new laws they've passed within the last year on Public Education here in Utah. I guess they put an insert in the yearly manual they send each child's parents in July, before the school year starts. But, after reading it two years in a row, I had memorized all the words of wisdom therein such as: "Don't drop your children off at the North entrance, as it's a busy intersection without a cross walk", or "Please be prompt in picking children up after school, as it's a liability for both the school and the parents should children be left at the building unattended". So I naturally thought that it was old hat--that despite there would be some new days off during the year, the information would pretty much be the same, and mainly I'd keep it around for reference. It's not like they put, "PLEASE READ IN ITS ENTIRETY, AS NEW LAWS THAT WILL AFFECT YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE". And maybe that's me being ignorant, but I think that it would have been beneficial to all if they would have done that.

Yesterday I received a call from the school. It was a message from a member of the school district in charge of attendance, and the reason she was calling was that I had failed to show to three previous mandatory meetings regarding the attendance of my children. They have missed 15 days of school, ten of which were unexcused absences. Should I miss the meeting the next morning at 9:30 a.m., my case will be handed over to the state and from there, I could face a monetary fine, or jail time. WTF?
Needless to say, I called right back. This is when I was told that I could have avoided the whole involvement of the school district, if I would have just shown up when I received the notes I was supposedly sent. I expressed my concern about NOT receiving anyTHING regarding any of this, and was politely contradicted, because certainly the school system wouldn't make the mistake of not telling me about each individual meeting. The weird thing is...when someone tells me in a phone message that I'm such a crap mom that there's a possibility that I'll need to do some jail time, I'll call back. And I'd remember if someone wrote that to me in a letter. I'm quirky that way.
So I told her that I'd for sure be there, because though I had better things to do, going to court instead wasn't a preferable option for me.
So today I showed up at five minutes till. I saw that including myself, there were about four other adults waiting to attend this meeting as well. This made me feel better because I had a little solidarity--apparently I'm not the only mother in the entire school that just "doesn't take her children to school for funsies".
The principal was the conductor of the meeting. He specified that the meeting taking place was "by Law", mandatory. And he reiterated that about twelve times. He apologized to all of us, saying that though attendance is important, he doesn't necessarily agree with the way this new law is being carried out. So, the law is this: Children are not to have more than 5 unexcused absences a YEAR. If they are sick, they need a doctor's note. If they are going on vacation, it needs to be verified by the principle as to whether it's excused or not. If there is a family emergency, the school MUST know. The child's teacher, the principal, and the office MUST know, so as to be sure that it will be excused. The same goes for if there are extenuating circumstances within the family, or some sort of problems with addiction that may encumber attendance. When a child is sick, you need to call AND personally talk to someone within two days of the illness and missed day, or else an excused absence isn't possible. This is to save your own ass, as things, information, can get lost, and then it's just your word against theirs. Though they aren't having any problems in school, and their report cards and teachers confirm this, should Riley or Cole accumulate one more unexcused absence this year, I will need to attend court, pay a 50.00 fine for each kid, and be put on a probationary thing where I have to check in with some kind of social worker every two weeks, explaining what my schedule is like, how we are doing, and whether or not I'm getting my children to school on time or just there, period.

So, let me explain WHY my children have missed this much school. But first off, let me also say that it used to be that 15 unexcused days a semester was the limit...and now it's five days the entire year. My kids get sick. CONSTANTLY. Now, I know why. When Riley tells me, at least once a month, about someone puking at their desk, I now get it. Everyone is so FREAKING paranoid with this new law, that they will send their kids to school regardless of whether or not they are sick. My baby got RSV because my kids brought it home from other kids. If Riley or Cole are snotty and continually coughing, I would keep them home. And the same if they had a fever. I thought by doing this I was being a good parent. And guess what? It would happen often--I've posted about the woes of having continually sick kids. It's not fun. Would I prefer a janitor to clean up my kid's vomit rather than myself? Yeah, honestly I would. I just thought that that particular task was my job as a mother; not the job of the school. But now, I've been forced to re-evaluate my previous ideas of what a Mother's job is. And now I'll be sending my children to school whether or not they're sick or contagious. Because I don't want to go to court. I don't want to be fined 1000 dollars per child and up to two months of jail time because I didn't feel right about sending them out to infect other kids. And what kind of an effing Nazi law is this that won't allow me the decision making rights of whether or not to send my kids to school? Regardless of grades, regardless of how they act towards their teachers and classmates, it's all about whether or not they are THERE. That's B.S. in it's truest form. A big, reeking pile of it. Honestly? I feel pretty violated. It's hard enough for me when I feel like my mothering is being questioned. However, when it's not just questioned, but I'm punished for it? I feel like all my rights are being ripped out from under me.

For those of you that don't know, Jeff and I are taking the kids to Vegas all next week. We've had it planned for the last two months. Made reservations. This is the first vacation as a family that we've ever had. We've never been able to before, as we never had the means or the time. Not that we have a lot of either right now--we're just going to Vegas for heaven's sake. But we are doing it as a family, and I was so excited for this. After the meeting, I had to explain my "situation" to the principal, so he could tell me whether or not it would be excused. I'd already arranged for the kid's homework and such while we were gone, but that wasn't enough. The principal had to give me the okay. I'm thankful that he's not a prick...otherwise, we would have had to cancel. However, I didn't get out of an uncomfortable pause and a look that kinda said, "you do realize you're making it harder on your children, don't you?"

So that's what we now deal with as parents. It's not just the fear of drugs or friends that are bad influences or bullies anymore. It's also the possibility of the school taking your concern for your children's health as a sign of vigilantism toward their attendance.
Regardless, I'm going to go to Vegas with Jeff and my babies. And we are going to enjoy an entire week of shopping and swimming, and riding roller coasters and visiting aquariums and probably a little bit of gambling, too. All the while knowing that school is going on WITHOUT them. And I refuse to let them make me feel guilty. Because my kids are smart and they are nice and healthy...and they'll have their homework done before we leave early Monday morning. But in all honesty, is this fair? I realize there are circumstances where some kids DON'T get to school. Some parents are the type where they don't give a flying eff. But does that make it right to "fix" that problem in this way? Does it make any sense that I'm so pissed? Just asking.

Updates

So, book club. I thought I'd branch out and choose a fun, short novel that I hadn't read before. I chose the book, He's Just Not That Into You. Not only wast NOT
fun, but it wasn't a novel, either. Essentially it was a self-help guide for clueless, dating females. Not only was I embarrassed for the this being my choice in the first place, but the advice was for the exceptionally dumb...and that's putting it at nicely as possible. Next time I'm just going to go with something I know: Vampires, Werewolves, and romance. Those three subjects never disappoint. Consider yourselves warned, Bookclubbies.
And the dinner? Well, it was good. But, that's no thanks to me. I went to Sam's Club and got a couple manicotti dinners and dressed them up to 'look' like I made them. (You know, transferred them into a different dish and added cheese). I tried to prepare myself to gracefully take credit for the meal, as I feel like I was entitled, because at least I have enough sense to admit that there was no way it would have been edible had I attempted to make it myself. But then there were comments like: "this is really good", and "how do you make this?" So I totally caved and had to admit that I had no idea. But it's prettier if you add some mozzarella cheese to the top and stick it in the oven for an additional 15 minutes. Rats. I tell little lies all the time, (read: exaggerations and diversions), so you'd think I'd be better at it. But no. The guilt and the lack of quick thinking always screws me up.
What's worse? I invited a couple girls to come over early and just visit...but I so grossly underestimated how much time my faux meal would take that they had to help me prepare it before everyone showed up to agree with me that I chose the worst book ever. Ugh.
Other than that, it was a successful night. The food was good, (cause I didn't make it), we exchanged bad dating stories, (like when my date broke my nose and made me drive home alone with a concussion), and set up our next get together, which will be so much more relaxing, because I won't be in charge.

After all my girls left for the night, my man and kiddos came home. Thanks to Kyle for babysitting. Cole was hungry and wanted me to fix him some "Smorgs". Which, coincidentally, is asparagus. And we've told him the correct name a bazillion times, but he refuses to conform. In fact, I thought he was saying, "smores", and so after accepting that Cole wouldn't say "asparagus", I decided that I'd play along, saying, "Would you like me to make you some smores?" He just rolled his eyes and said, "They're SMORGES, mom. SMORE--GS, SMORE--GS." Whatever. Talking to that kid is like talking to a rock. There's no way to reason--is it because he's stubborn? I seriously can't figure it out. It's funny, but at the same time he drives me insane.
K. I know this post was random and unorderly, but I have to jet. I have to get Riley to school on time today, or suffer dire consequences. I'll tell you all more about it later, as I will find out tomorrow what the deal is. Let's just say I'm in hot water with Riley and Cole's school, and I'm ready to fight the system. Like I said, more details later.