Quite simply the best

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My mom is the BEST:

shopper
news watcher
calmer downer
teacher

friend
story teller
mother-in-law

grandma
hugger
consoler

party planner
phone conversationalist
advice giver

and of course the best MOM around.

Happy Birthday Mom! Hope your birthday this year is the BEST! :)

Viva La Mexico

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We’ve had a summer vacation planned for months. The party: my entire family. The destination: Cancun, Mexico. The problem? Possible drug induced violence and death by Swine Flu.

What problem?

About two days after we secured our ‘ocean view villas’ and booked our plane tickets to beautiful Cancun, Mexico the nightly news was suddenly full of warnings. Warnings for people to stay away from Mexico because of all of the drug violence taking place. My family discussed this and decided we’d wait and see if things got better before our trip. Things got better and we decided the trip was a go. Many swimsuit purchases later, the nightly news was suddenly full of warnings again. Warnings for people to stay away from Mexico because of the dreaded Swine Flu. This was a bit scary and it really seemed like we were NOT meant to take this vacation. Many e-mails were sent back and forth trying to come up with a consensus on our vacation plans. Basically, the men thought we should still go on the trip, while the women thought otherwise.
Our e-mails went something like this:
Erin: {long e-mail freaking out about Swine Flu….”People are wearing masks, people are dying, I’m not taking my babies to Mexico.”}

Brother’s reply: “Viva La Mexico!”


Husband’s reply: “Swine Flu be damned. If they close down the border we’ll break through. If they put up a wall we’ll tunnel under it. If they shut down the airlines we’ll hire out a boat. We’re going to Mexico baby.”

Mom’s reply: {long e-mail freaking out about Swine Flu…”People are canceling trips, cruise lines aren’t stopping anymore, I’m not taking my grand babies to Mexico.”}

Brother’s reply: “Viva La Mexico!”


Husband’s reply: “I say we throw on a gas mask (and possibly even radiation suits) and party it up. To hell with the flu. Just think how much fun we’ll have if we have the whole resort to ourselves. Bonnie, you can drive the boat while I parasail!”

Sister’s reply: {long e-mail freaking out about Swine Flu….”We’re at a phase 5 Pandemic Disease Alert Level, there are beautiful beaches elsewhere, I’m not taking my baby to Mexico.”}

Brother’s reply: “Viva La Mexico!”

While this isn’t the norm in our family, the men won the argument and we have decided that things have calmed down enough to go ahead and go on our Cancun vacation. Life is short. We’ll wash our hands. Face masks make great beach accessories because they take the attention away from not super thin butts and thighs. (my reasoning anyway)

So…Viva La Mexico!!! (happy now Austin?) And happy summer vacationing to you. :)

My baby…

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really isn’t a baby anymore. When I picked Addison up at her little ‘pre‘ pre-school last week she had made this orange caterpillar. While she was feeding it some leaves in our backyard I noticed that it just happened to match the outfit she had on that day. I also noticed how well the little orange outfit fits her right now and I remembered a day not so long ago that her sister wore that same outfit to meet her for the first time.

(May 30th 2006)
Feels like that was yesterday. It also feels like just yesterday we bought and assembled bunk beds because we found out we were having another girl. My sister and I shared a room and slept on bunk beds and I wanted the same for my girls.

(me and my sister on our bunk beds – 1983ish)

(Ellie on her new bunk beds – age 2 – March, 2006)

I remember Ellie was so excited and kept calling them her “big girl beds that daddy made.” Kenny loved taking all the credit for “making” them when all he really did was hook them together. :)

Two nights ago for the first time, we moved Addison in to also sleep in the “big girl beds that daddy made.” The girls were so excited.

They said good-night.

And their elephants said good-night.
(Addie – almost 3) (Ellie – age 2)
And then Addison stayed up reading books…just like her sister used to do. They also talked and giggled until way too late. Just like me and my sister used to do. And Kenny had to go up and tell them it was time to get to sleep…just like my dad used to do.
After they fell asleep, I went to check on them. And then I walked into Addison’s room and looked at the empty crib. And then I started to cry.

My baby really isn’t a baby anymore.

Thanks guys

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Just wanted to thank those of you who commented on my little questionnaire! Your words were eye opening, insightful, and quite frankly…hilarious. A special thanks to my husband who left a few comments of his own (in fact, if you commented and never checked back, he addressed each of your arguments individually). Ryan and Josie hit the nail on the head (they know Kenny all to well). It isn’t about the mail, it’s all about a good debate – arguing for the sake of arguing. I have to say that when Kenny and I first met this drove me crazy…the way he would spin my words and make points I didn’t even know existed. He somehow won every time, even on arguments where I was clearly defending the obvious choice. But now, after going to battle with him for over fifteen years, my vocabulary has improved, I know him well enough to know what he is going to say before he says it, and I am starting to win a few arguments of my own. Especially when I have my bloggin’ peeps backin’ me up. :)

Hope you all have a great Thursday night. I’m off to watch the Season Finale of Grey’s Anatomy and once again, marvel over the wonder that is the human body.