New Moon and TMI in the Car

I am so grateful to have two wonderful boys. I know it has been three years since I've last shared any Babaloo tidbits about my boys... but here we go. So, last time I posted, er besides the post from the other day (It's still here), the boys were 11 and 8. Well flip that and add a few years and you now get 11 and 14. Jake is in 6th grade and Alex is a freshmen in high school. Yeah, let that resonate for a minute or two. High-Frickin-School. Gah.
Anyway. So today they accompanied their mom to the movies to see New Moon. Yes, like a lot of moms out there, I'm a fan. Read the books, saw the first movie and couldn't wait to see the current one. I'm sure there is a word or a term out there for me. Probably a twelve-step program and support group too. I will totally own that. I liked the books. I like the movies. I am not ashamed.
They (the boys), on the other hand, are not into the whole Twilight / New Moon saga/series/phenomenon. When I brought home the Twilight DVD home to watch last year they couldn't have cared less. Alex even made the face and complained how all the girls at school were "sooooo" into that movie and that he wasn't going to watch it on principal. However, I pointed out that it might be to his benefit to be in "the know" about the things that the girls were into so he'd have something (besides himself) to talk to them about. Big mistake. He literally pulled out a notebook and pen and took notes. Remember what Bella ate for dinner at the Italian restaurant with Edward? Neither do I, but it is written somewhere in Alex's notes. Jacob was just not interested, even though I kept trying to impress him with the fact that there was a "Jacob" in the movie. Just didn't care. He was "team Jacob," but had no clue as to what that even meant. He went to wathc TV in the other room.
I knew it was going to take some finessing to get them to go with me to see this movie. So? I went strait to guilt. "Guess what?" I said to them a few months ago. "Ann said I could go with her and Emily (her daughter) to see New Moon when it comes out. "You don't have to do that, mom. I'll go with you." Alex said without skipping a beat. "Really?" "Yeah."
Yay! I was so excited. One down, one to go. Bribery is more up Jacob's aisle. So I prepared myself for heavy negotiation.
"Ugh," Jacob said. "I don't want to see that movie. Can't we see Alvin and the Chipmunks The Squeakquel?"
Omg. He had to be kidding me. The Squeakquel? They made a part 2? Why would they do that? I barely got out of going to the first one... now I had to get out of going to the second one, and worse, in the middle of a serious negotiation? This boy is getting good. He doesn't know it yet. But he's getting good.
Instead, I talked him down to taking him on Wednesday to see 2012 and a large popcorn. Alex had school and planned to see it with his friends anyway.
So, for those keeping score:
Alex = guilt, and the verbal acknowledgement that he would probably be asking for money to see 2012 at a later date with his friends.
Jacob = seeing 2012, large popcorn and the vague, deluded agreement (that I don't remember agreeing to) that seeing Alvin and the Chipmunks was in his Christmas vacation future (I have a few weeks to wiggle out of that one).
Babaloo = Seeing New Moon with her boys!
I went early to the mall and bought tickets for the 11:00am show. Did you know that movies at AMC theatres before noon are only $6? Score!
We got to the theatre about 15 minutes before the movie started and found seats at the top row, almost in the middle. Another Score!
We pulled out our contraband bottled waters, soda and Walgreen's candy. The previews started and I couldn't have been happier. The first three previews were of upcoming romantic comedies. I was slightly afraid of losing them at this point, but I glanced over and they were still there, though I'm sure I sensed a few inward groans. Alex got up once to go to the bathroom, but was back before the movie started.
The movie just flew by. So good. And? It was great seeing it with my kids. I was so grateful to spend the time with them. And the bribes and guilt? Slightly exaggerated. They probably still would have come. I was still marinating in the afterglow on the 5-minute drive home when it inevitably came to a screeching halt.
"Hey, you know when I went to the bathroom before?" Alex said to no one in particular.
"Yeah." Jacob responded, obviously sensing some good bathroom-conversation-while-mom-is- driving coming on.
"Well, it wouldn't come out."
Me: (hand over my face, shaking my head), "Groan."
The conversation progressed digressed from there. I won't go into details (you're welcome).
Let's just say that this always happens and that it always happens in the car. When I'm driving. And that I try to get mad and control the situation, but I end up laughing despite myself.
I call it TMI in the Car.
But the movie was good. Two Thumbs up. So? There's that. Sigh.

It's still here?

Wow. I can't believe it's still here. I thought Blogger would have deleted it for "non-use." So, I guess this is an appropriate time and place for a confession:

Forgive me blog for I have not updated. It has been almost 3 years since my last blog post.

Alright. Here is the short version. I changed jobs. My new boss mentioned (in the interview) that he (somehow, never got the full explanation) saw my blog. I was mortified at the time. Not sure why. That's not true. There are certain lines that I believe shouldn't be crossed. The boss shouldn't be reading about personal stories, excessive cussing in some cases or all out female/wifely/motherly venting as in other cases. However, that is the risk you take when you post stuff on the internet. It is perfectly reasonable that any employer (potential or otherwise) would have done some magical search and stumbled upon the Babalooooooooooooooooooo! blog. **sigh**

Anyway... (insert dramatic transitional theme music) skip ahead three years. I'm bored at home on the computer and (just as the boss did three years ago) stumbled across my blog! LOL! I had a blast reading through all the old posts. OMG! Did all that stuff really happen? I cracked myself up. Especially all the stories about my boys. Aaaaaah. Good times. Good times.

So, maybe I'll start writing posts again. I started another blog about a year ago that I update sporadically. It is called "Random Top Ten Lists." The link is here: http://randomtoptenlists.blogspot.com/. It is just a top ten list about whatever I feel like making a top ten list about. Mostly quotes (I love those quotes!), but there are other things mixed in there as well. I'm also on Facebook (who isn't?). You can friend request me here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1347470622&ref=name
I miss all the blog friends I used to follow. I seriously need to go through the old blogroll and see who is still out there posting.

How many Hail Bloggers do you think I need to absolve three years of absence?

More pictures and Christmas Meme

More pictures of Little P. This time with her uncles! Buzz (right) wasn't able to see her the first day. The nurses wouldn't let him back because he was too young. We snuck him through on day two! He asked me to print out pictures, THAT NIGHT, so he could bring them to school to show his class. The baby went home yesterday, is doing fine and as of today now has a name! However, her blogger name will remain Little P(rincess).

Christmas Song Meme:

I got tagged by Valerie (Adventures in Parenting) to blog my top 5 favorite Christmas songs. Here they are:

1. White Christmas (sung by Bing Crosby)

2. I'll Be Home For Christmas

3. All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth

4. Grandma got run over by a reindeer

5. Silent Night

I'm supposed to tag 5 of you. Since it's easy I won't feel guilty about it... so just do it (please?) Just for fun I'll tag: Jen, Bonnie, Jodi (cuz, she loves memes the most!!), Crazy MomCat and Jennifer.

If I don't check in before Christmas... MERRY CHRISTMAS! And many happy returns (hee hee :-) )!

Introducing... Little P(rincess)

Here are some photos of Drama's little girl. I'd like to say they are the first photos taken, but she was already 12 hours old by the time I got to see her and I think this was about her 10-15th photo shoot. Not even a day old and already a professional!

Drama had a name picked out for her, but decided after she was born the name didn't fit her.

The hospital staff told her she had 10 days to name her, so she is going to take a few of those to come up with the "perfect" name. Since I probably won't post her real name anyway... I have dubbed her Little P, for Little Princess.

I never once saw her little arm come down. We kept trying to move it, but she would make it stick strait back up like that. And so begins a new life... *sigh*

She's Here!

Drama had her baby this morning! Six pounds, three ounce baby girl! Her water broke last night around 11pm. Labor was about 5 hours and she delivered her this morning around 7:00 am. We are going to go see her this evening after I leave work. More details and pictures (!) to follow... (yikes! I'm a grandma)

It's The Small Things That Count

I have a cd that I made with a collection of songs that make me cry. They remind me of times or people in my life or are just about really sad things. I “creatively” titled the cd “Sad Songs” and even made a nice label for it and keep it in my cd case in the car.

My husband is a big believer in the small things in life. While he is as appreciative as the next guy when he receives a birthday or Christmas gift, what really touches him are the small things. The things that let him know I’m thinking about him or that I love him. Through him, I have learned to appreciate the small things in life and to sometimes stand back and drink in the moment when someone is thinking about me.

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of my mom’s passing. I wasn’t intending to write a post about it, but rather reflect privately and mourn the day in my own way. I did write a post about her some time ago here if you would like to read more.

As the kids and I were leaving yesterday, Woody opened up my cd case and pulled out a cd to play. He did his usual routine where he teased Buzz about playing the “Bad Day” song (Daniel Powter) and waited for Buzz to cover his ears and scream “nooooooooooooooooo...” Which he did. Only? Woody really put in another cd that they both really like and they both laughed thinking this was still funny even after the 36th time it's been done. After a song or two, Woody took out the cd and put in another one. It was my “sad songs” cd.

After listening to Frank Sinatra sing “My Way.” I turned to him and asked why he chose that cd to play. He turned to me and said, “Daddy said that you were feeling sad today.”

“So, you put in the ‘sad songs’ cd because I’m feeling sad?”

“Uh, huh.”

It was a small thing on his part, but it ran deep and touched my heart nonetheless. Isn't that what really counts?

S.N.O.W.

I got one of these yesterday from a friend of mine. I could not stop laughing. You can type in a message and the snowman will voice simulate your words. The one I got was full of "inside" jokes that no one else would even understand or think were funny. I was in tears! Do you have someone in your life that you share that inside humor with? You have to create one of these S.N.O.W. (simulated niceness of winter) cards and send it to them. Even if you don't send one, it is fun just playing around with it. Enjoy!