Totally Random Tuesday: No Bella, Just Edward

Sunday we were at Toys R Us looking for Christmas gifts for the kiddos. As we walked in the front doors of the store, there was a huge Twilight Display. My husband rolled his eyes. He knows I have a thing for Edward (and no I will never call him Robert, his real name, he will forever and always be Edward okay?) And then I see it. In all its glory. An Edward Cullen Barbie Doll. My mom always buys me a barbie for Christmas. It has been our tradition since I was 13. So I do the logical thing, I call her...and our conversation goes something like this.

Me: "Mom?"

Mom: "Yeah, you know I just woke up right?"

Me:" Yes, but I have something uberly important to tell you?"

Mom: "Uberly? Is that a new word?"

Me: "Just listen, I am at Toys R Us okay?"

Mom: "Tell me that is not your uberly important news?"

Me: "No,But I found the christmas gift you can buy me!"

Mom: "Buy you? How old are you Melissa?"

Me: " You know how every year you buy me whatever Holiday Barbie is out? Well this year, I want Edward."

Mom:" Edward? Who the hell is Edward?"

At this point I realize just how "uncool" my mom is

Me: "Edward. Edward Cullen. From Twilight. Tell me you have heard of Twilight"

Mom: "Nope"

Me: "OMG, how could you not know who Edward is?"

Mom: " Because I have a life. Which by the way I need to live, what is it that you want?"

Me: "I want you to buy me this doll for Christmas."

Mom: " and you are how old Melissa?"

Me: " But not Bella...Just Edward. I don't want Bella"

Mom: " Again, I ask How old are you?"

Me: "I am serious. I don't want Bella, she so doesnt deserve Edward mom."

Mom:"....ummm okay, well is that all you wanted"

Me: "Yep. Remember, Edward ONLY"

Mom: " Sure. Bye"

My mom thinks I am insane.

Wonder if Santa will understand...

Bronchitis and Bus Strikes

It's is nearly 9am here and I am just now sitting down to indulge in a cup of coffee, read emails, and get some work done. On a typical day, I would have been atleast 2 hours into my work day...but alas not today.

I have been surrounding by 4 coughing, sneezing and snotty kids for days now. My throat started hurting a few days ago. Shortly after that my nose was inoperable. Then it happened, as it does every year...it moved to my chest and turned into bronchitis. And it hurts. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to cough. It feels like there is a ten ton elephant sitting on my chest. And to top it all off, I cannot yell at the kids...which they are taking full advantage of.

This morning, I checked my email. And to my (not really) surprise...bus drivers are on strike in our school district and there would be no bus service. Why are they striking? Because they want to be paid in the summer, when they do not work. My opinion...they should be happy to even have a job. I get that it is a hard job and they do deserve to be treated with respect. But to strike because they want to get paid for not working? They should be happy to have a job, when so many people are out of work right now. But it is what it is. Of course, it throws off my entire morning...but we will adapt.

Loading 4 kids into the car, 3 of which are still sick, not fun.

Hoping this doesn't last too long.

Wordless Wednesday: An almost mobile Noah

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Noah got his shots today

For the past few months I have tried to silence the nagging in the nether regions of my brain reguarding Noah. He was an early baby and a small baby. And nearly everyone we encountered over the last few months swore that Noah would have developmental delays because of this. And while I like to consider myself a seasoned mom, hey having 4 kids makes me seasoned, right, I was still starting to worry. What would I do? How would we deal with a developmentally delayed baby?

Noah, thankfully, has been oblivious to my worrying. Chugging right along. Hitting milestones. Being a happy baby.

Today we hauled the clan into the doctors office, which I might add, takes alot of planning. I managed to get an early appointment, before nap, which met that the kids were in a better mood. (Not that it helped their behaviors at all)

I love my dr's office. I love all the nurses and the drs there. I knew that they would tell it to me straight if there was an issue with Noah.

Nurse came in...Noah weighs 13pds 40z and is just bit over 24 inches tall...2feet already and a foot away from being able to ride the kiddie rides at the fair...

Next the doctor comes in. I prepare to hear the worse. He asks me how Noah is doing. I proudly tell him about all of Noah's accomplishments..

"He holds his bottle, sorta, rolls over, pushes up on his knees, babbles a storm and laughs" "Good" "Oh yea, he also rolls all over the room"

The dr looked at me..."You mean, he rolls from front to back as well?"

"yes" ummm....isn't this supposed to happen, I think.

"Well it looks like Noah is an overachiever, he is ahead of schedule."

Ahead? My little baby that I just knew was going to have issues....ahead?

I was a proud mamma at the moment...I was thrilled to hear that Noah was doing great. On track (and a little ahead).

Buttt....my proud mamma moment didn't last...

As I quietly snuck to the corner as the nurse prepared to vaccinate my son I thought to myself....

I am such a wimp.

I. Don't. Do.Needles. Ever.

Is the T.V destroyed.

Yesterday, while sitting at the desk, planning out my workload for the coming month (I feel so good that I did that) I hear a crash. I think nothing of it. I do have toddlers you know. Then the sound of tears. But not the OMG I AM HURT tears. At that time, my husband calls and Aidan comes up stairs crying. He's mumbling something. "Mommy is on the phone, go back downstairs and play with your sister" and away he goes...never letting on that anything is wrong.

I am chatting with my husband who is telling me his work schedule for Thanksgiving weekend (Yes, I am happy) when Damien comes home. "Run downstairs and check on them would ya?" And away he goes...

"MOM!!!! THEY KNOCKED THE DRESSER OVER!!!!"

What?

So I run downstairs, only then remembering I haven't seen nor heard Morgan...and then Aidan's recent tear filled eyes.

My husband is saying there is no way they could have done it. I am thinking You don't know your kids Buddy

Sure enough, the big 5 drawer dresser is tipped over, its contents spewed across the floor. "Where's Morgan!?!"

I am looking around frantically...

I find her, behind the dresser, thankfully ok and butt naked....

The first question my husband asks....

"Is the T.V destroyed?"

Yes your kids are o.k

(And yes the T.V was fine, this happend in Morgan's room...the room without the T.V)

So how do 2 toddlers manage to tip over a semi-full, large 5 drawer dresser one might ask?

It's simple....

Aidan scales the smaller dresser beside it, climbs to the top of the larger one, stands up and then uses his weight to tip the dresser over

That is he was crying....

So, I am headed to Lowes at some point and getting hardware to bolt the dresser to the wall...

Or wrapping the kids in bubble wrap

What is that smell...

So many of life's defining memories are often triggered by a smell or a certain scent. Like the time I played quarters with Southern Comfort...to this day that smell makes me gag.

It doesn't have to be that drastic...but you get my drift.

Twittermoms and Downy recently asked us "What scent defines you?" and my first response was "Baby spit up and formula!" But I don't think that counts...does it? I mean it does define who I am...a mom of 4 children, one of them a baby. So I decided to pick something a little more pleasant, I mean no one wants to spend their day smelling like formula...do they?

So, I thought long and hard about this. So many different scents define me, I think. But if I had to pick just one it would be the "Appletini" body spray from Victorias Secret.

Why? Well, its a fun and somewhat silly scent. It is not traditional. It marches to a beat of a different perfume drum. It is not an overpowering smell. And it compliments me nicely!

I am all of these things. I am fun. I am silly. I am so far from traditional. I don't follow a crowd and am not overbearing.

It defines me because I am different and proud to be different.