Feel like giving up

I've lost my flash drive. And I'm sick about it. It carts documents from home to school and back again. And before you ask - yes, there were some things on it that I did not have backed up on my laptop. I know, it was stupid of me. The plan was to create the documents at home on my laptop, take them to school on the flashdrive, and save them to my school computer. My files at school are automatically backed up by the school network, so I didn't see the point of backing the documents up at home, too. That would just take up memory, right?

Despite me normally calculating all of the things that could possibly go wrong in any given situation, I didn't foresee losing the flash drive. Seven very important SMARTBoard lessons were loaded on that drive. Seven documents which represented at least seven hours of work. Seven documents which I will now have to spend at least seven more hours of my time in order to recreate. You can bet I will personally back them up next time.

I knew there was a reason to hate carnies.

They prey on 9-year-olds. One of them made my son cry. And tried to blame it on Super D.

As we walked past a carnival game, the carny "dropped" a baseball, which rolled toward my son. Being the good boy that he is, C reached down, picked it up, and took it back to the guy. Of course, the con man immediately started in on his line, offering C a free throw. Super D simply said, "No." My husband wasn't born yesterday. He knows a set-up when he sees one. C begins to cry, and the carny had the gall to say, "Good job, Dad!" He doesn't know how lucky he is that one of those baseballs didn't make contact with his forehead.

What did you expect?

C had been looking forward to Book Club for weeks. It meets before school on Wednesdays, but he missed the first two meetings. He was really excited when we left for school yesterday. I forgot to ask him about it until this morning.

ME: Tell me about Book Club. How was it?
C: Boring.
ME: Really? Why?
C: All we did was talk about books and what happens it books.

Fare Thee Well

Maybe we just watch too much T.V. Our family can't just say "good-bye" like a normal family. We aren't even like a normal family in another country, saying "adios," "auf wiedersehen," "au revoir," or "ciao." No, we emulate the dysfunctional Barone family from "Everybody Loves Raymond" and say, "Habanadah!"

RAY BARONE: That's the restaurant where the crazy old Chinese lady yells at you while you're leaving, right?

DEBRA BARONE: You know what she's yelling, right?

RAY BARONE: Yeah, "habanadah!"

DEBRA BARONE: She's saying, "Have a nice day."

RAY BARONE: Oh. [pause] Well, maybe she isn't crazy.

Bilingual

One of Super D's favorite stories if from when A was little. She was learning to talk but hadn't mastered it yet. Many a day, we couldn't understand a word she said. One day she looked up at him and said, "Sah'-buh-doh duh-poo'-tee-tay." "Huh?" Super D was confused. "Sah'-buh-doh duh-poo'-tee-tay," she repeated. It was obvious that she knew what she wanted, even if we didn't. To this day, we don't know what she said, but "Sah'-buh-doh duh-poo'-tee-tay" has remained a catch phrase in our household.

Fear Factor Failure

Super D bought a cut of meat that we have never had before. I think if he had prepped it and served it without me knowing what it was, I might have been able to eat it. After all, I eat hot dogs, right? But, as it was, I couldn't hold back a gag as I chewed a bite of cow's tongue. I couldn't get the image of the tongue on the cutting board out of my mind. I quickly swallowed it and declined any more. All four of us decided we just couldn't eat it. I guess I wouldn't fair well on a reality show where the contestants have to eat or drink something vile.

Poor baby!

A, the texting queen, complained tonight about doing her math homework, saying that she her fingers were tired from having to press too many buttons on her calculator!

I won't grow up!

And Tuesday night, I felt just like a kid again! For my 18th anniversary, my husband bought our family 2 season tickets to the Broadway season at our local theater. The four of us plan to take turns using the tickets since none of us are jazzed about all five musicals, and last night was opening night of the first one - "Peter Pan". I have wanted to see "Peter Pan" forever! About 12 years ago, I barely missed seeing it when it travelled through Tulsa. We had absolutely no money for the theater. This was especially disappointing because a high school friend had the role of "Slightly Soiled", and I missed his performance. In an effort to assuage my sadness, we eventually purchased the VHS that A&E had produced. My family watched that video so much that we nearly wore it out! My daughter was particularly fond of the musical. She used to watch and rewind during the song "Ugg-a-Wugg", trying to learn the choreography.

So, A and I went to the theater. We left in plenty of time to find parking and get in our seats. Unfortunately, we were halfway there when I discovered I had left the tickets at home! By the time I turned around, drove home, and drove back, we were about 10 minutes late. We missed the Overture and part of the first scene. We made it just as Mr. Darling was putting Nana out in the yard. I would have again been the "Worst Mom Ever" had we missed Cathy Rigby's entrance!

Speaking of Cathy Rigby . . . from our seats in the nosebleed section, we couldn't tell that she is nearly 60 years old! She was bouncing, tumbling, and flying all over the stage as she has done off and on for 21 years!

From the moment the music began, I was grinning like an idiot. And when Peter Pan flew onto the stage, I was literally on the edge of my seat! There's something about the theater that makes me feel like a child again, giddy with excitement. There's something almost magical about it. I was on a high all day yesterday, with "I'll Never Grow Up" running through my head nonstop!

It's David's turn next. He's taking me to see "Memphis". I have never heard of it, but I'm sure we will have a fabulous time!

I don't need the headache

I came home from church with a horrific headache. I had been feeling fine before I arrived. It occurs to me now that my headache began in the bathroom, and it plagued me throughout the evening. I am now aware that there was a smell in the bathroom that I carried out with me when I washed my hands. The soap I used was a Milk and Honey scent which had permeated the room. It's a pleasant smell, that is, until it forms a dense cloud around your head that follows you wherever you go, leaving no fresh air anywhere. I could have done without a headache tonight.