Crocs!!!

Almost forgot my new-product rave!
In my packing haste for this trip, I forgot several important items.
One such item was my comfy "track shoes". All I had with me was a pair of uncomfortable high-heeled boots; clearly not ideal for the miles logged at a race weekend.
A few hours into the event, I was smiling through the pain when I saw the Crocs booth. Aha! I'd heard good things about Crocs, and surely they must be more comfortable that the boots-from-hell.
$29.99 plus tax later, my feet were happily housed in a pair of navy blue Crocs.
Aaaaah.
Worth every penny and then some!
I think I am going back tomorrow to buy 4 more pairs for the rest of the family.
Two thumbs up for Crocs!

P'hoenix

Yes I spelled that correctly.
Remember the FedEx commercial from a while ago, that came out right after they bought Kinko's? A guy walked into the store and said he wanted to ship something to P'hoenix?
Ever since then, I can't think of the city as Phoenix....
And here I am. Arrived Thursday evening, just in time for a dinner reception. Facilitated a big conference on Friday AM (which went very well!), jet-lagged as hell, and then went to the race until 1 AM body-time. And here I am now. Like the Energizer bunny, LOL.
My skin itches. My lips are cracked. My hair is full of static electricity. My body does not like dry air. I am quite accustomed to the humid climate I live in, and as soon as I travel somewhere dry, it rebels.
Ugh.
One more day at the racetrack and then a red-eye back tomorrow evening, with a lovely 3-hour layover starting at 5 AM on Sunday.
Not fun.
I miss my kids. Traveling sucks.
I guess we can consider this a whine post....
Goodnight.

His, Hers and Mine

My old college roomate visited from Michigan a few days ago. She was on vacation at Disney with her two girls (3 and 5) and her boyfriend - she's divorced - and his two boys (6 and 8). His two and her two got along famously with my three, and the group became fast friends. LOUD friends.
It was a very relaxing day - casual playtime at my house while the adults chatted, a walk to the park, hot dogs for a simple dinner and a trip to McDonald's in the rain for ice cream (because the cute local frozen custard place has no indoor seating).
It's really nice to see her. I realize that I don't spend enough time with friends. Most of them live far away; I should really branch out and develop more local relationships, beyond our neighbors...

Did you know that dammit is a noun?

I was drawing shapes with my 4-year-old son yesterday. He's got the circle, square and rectangle down pat, but struggles mightily with the triangle. After multiple frustrating attempts, he drew yet another non-triangular shape.
"Mommy, that's not a triangle! That's a dammit!"
Once I cleaned up the coffee that had spewed from my nose, I corrected his use of that word.

Bunny Disaster

It's been a truly exhausting week. Hubby is laid up in bed post-surgery, and I am struggling to keep up with the house and the kids and him, and occasionally find time to shower and brush my teeth.
Seriously!
The sleep deprivation finally took over. I passed out with the last-to-fall kid last night, around 8:30.
And as they all started to stir around 6 AM, I realized the Easter Bunny hadn't yet arrived.
EEGADS!
Hubby is always the bunny!! How could I fall asleep and TOTALLY FORGET????!!!!
Quick fix was a movie in bed with Dad for all three kiddos, while I "got the medicine" for my eldest's snuffy nose.
The baskets weren't in the closet where I left them last year!! (Thanks honey - great job cleaning!) A whirlwind search of the house, and I found two in the attic.
Three kids.
Not perfect, but do-able.
Three dozen plastic eggs rapidly stuffed with Sweet Tarts and quarters, placed into one basket.
Three chocolate bunnies and some other candy lined up in the other basket.
Baskets hidden in bathtub.
Dimetapp for eldest.
Then they asked about the Easter Bunny. "Can we go hunt for our baskets?"
Whew!
After a short search, the baskets were found. Both of them. "Let's keep looking for the third one!"
Gulp.
"Guys, it looks like this is it. There are three of everything right here in this one..."
"But last year the Easter Bunny left us three. The year before, too."
Three sad faces.
My mommy-brain whirled. What to do?
Solution - a quick distraction to the candy. There's nothing like raw sugar at 6 AM to make them happy.
But then....
"None of these eggs have beans in them. They just have the spicy candy. Why aren't there any beans?"
A pile of rejected "spicy" (translation - tangy) Sweet Tarts lay in front of them.
Strike two against me - I didn't buy jelly beans. Crap, crap, crap!
Like I said, Hubby is always the bunny!!!
My mommy-brain whirled again.
Solution - a note from the Easter Bunny with a ten-dollar bill. The note said he ran out of baskets and jelly beans, but left us money to buy them at the store.
I feel absolutely terrible.
I suck!