Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Last week my sisters and I took my Mom out for a three day jaunt to St. George, Utah. We decided to give her a really special Mom's Day present (it was my sister, Margy's idea) this year, and do some things that she doesn't get to do much with Dad. Well, you know, most men don't like to go to the theatre or sit through movies, and go shopping.

We were able to plan it around my visit to my daughter, (Hailey was going to Romania and Paris and I was going to get to watch the G-babies!) so it worked out well.

I got in late on Wed. night, and on Thurs., my sister picked me up at Haileys, along with my other sister and my Mom and we were on our way! We had a great visit on the way down, trading stories of husbands, and children and animals and tricks to weight loss. (Well, that was me, asking my sister, as she is a bona-fide dietitian, thank you very much. Her tips? Eat more and don't forget my whole wheat, protein, and fruits and veggies---we'll see...)

We arrived in St. George and I stepped out of the car and almost died! Yes, it was THAT HOT!! ( I'm sorry, but I was whining quite a bit the whole trip----just not used to it.) We checked into our luxury motel---actually really nice---thanks, Marg.---and decided where to eat dinner.

Well, I won't take it day by day and hour by hour, but we had a blast! I would recommend it to anyone! Have a girls weekend---I mean, really, who else can you giggle with and just laugh out loud with----and pee just a little bit----then keep on laughing?

Some things we did:

*Went to an outdoor theatre to see "Les Miserable", my favorite musical. (Margy wanted to go to "The Sound of Music", but I was in it in LA----three month run, seven shows a week---well, you can see why I couldn't stomach it again) The play was great---even though when I stood up, my butt was damp from the sweat----it stuck to the plastic seat---ick.

Waiting for the show to start---Shawn, Mom, and Margy

*Went to the St. George Tabernacle and got a bit of a history lesson. We wanted to walk around to the various church history sites, but did I mention that it was WICKED hot and are you crazy? So, we opted not to.

*Went to a "spa" to get pampered. We got our nails done and several of us got our feet done. (Not me, I can't stand to have someone touch my feet---especially a stranger---eewwww!)
It was nice to hang in the relaxing room, making too much noise when we were supposed to be "relaxing."

Janene, Shawn, Margy and Mom at the spa...

*Went to eat---alot. Remember, I am supposed to eat more times a day. Nice... We had a great salad bar, and some Italian fast food---interesting, but I wouldn't recommend it. We had our breakfast at the motel, so that was cool. But the highlight of the trip was a dinner at a great Thai restaurant. The owner liked my haircut, and wants to get hers cut like mine, so she came over and brought us some fresh shrimp rolls that she had made especially for us, and chatted for a bit. A great last night dinner!

*Went swimming....or rather....watched my sister do her "laps". Yes, she is amazing, as one day, she did about 60 laps. I just tried to do 10 laps with my side stroke and then treaded water for about 10 minutes. That is my swimming limit.

*Went shopping. Well, duh....we are women.

*Got a lot of sleep. Didn't get any sleep. My sister, Margy, said that she slept the best she had in a long time, whereas my other sister, Janene, had a bad bout of insomnia and ended up getting up to read in the bathroom for most of the night. (Yes, we were all sharing a room, with two queen beds, so there wasn't a whole lot of space for insomniacs!) My Mom had to get up several times in the night to use the restroom and I,....well,.....I just woke up whenever anyone else stirred or paced or went to the loo, or whatever. Yes, I am a very light sleeper. Someday I'll write about the routine that I go through every night to get to sleep.

*Went to a funny movie. We went to see "Get Smart" which was one of our favorites when we were little girls, so it was fun to see it in movie form. I will never think of a miniature crossbow the same again!

*Laughed A LOT!! Margy gave each of us some Bath and Body products for our Girls Trip, and the best part of that was the "smoofy" socks. Now. if you don't know what that means, its because I made it up----my kids all know what it means---it is the softest, cuddliest, warm and safe feeling in the world! Picture your bed when you are toasty and soft and warm----smoofy!
But we had these great socks and had to put them on and pose for pics, of course.
I guess you had to be there---but it was hilarious!

....and there they are...the "smoofy" socks....

....but can you tell who's butt is whose?

*Decided that we need to do it again in two years. Only this time, we are going to go on a cruise. Why, you ask? Because my Mom has always wanted to go on one, and well....we might as well enjoy it together!

Kids With Glasses Are Intelligent!

About six months ago, as I was asking Aydan to sit down and stop standing right in front of the t.v. for the hundredth time, it occurred to me that maybe he couldn't see. I talked it over with Bret and we decided to test him. We would ask him to read signs as we were driving or play the "find the states" game on license plates as we drove on long distances. But of course, he couldn't and just said that he didn't want to play. His teacher had complained to us that he wasn't concentrating at school and acting up every once in a while, which believe it or not, wasn't like him. (It is like me, but he doesn't take after me---thank goodness!)

So, we finally decided to get his eyes checked.

Well, being who we are and how much stuff we have to do, we put it off and continued to be bad parents and not give our child what he needs. The gift of vision.

Until a few weeks ago.

First, I called many optometrists and finally found one that would take our insurance. They didn't have an opening for the next month and a half, so I made the appointment. (This made me feel even more guilty about not doing it sooner, as I had to wait even a longer time to help him see...)

Fast forward to the day of the checkup. He went in and sat in that big chair where they had him read the letters far away and put drops in his eyes, so that his pupils were dilated for two days after---you remember that stuff----to check for cataracts or something. They used to use a puff of air and you knew that it was going to puff your eyeball, but they wanted you to relax and keep your eye open. Yeah, right... So, this was much better.

Well, he turned out to have a -2.00, so he wasn't exactly blind, and it made me feel a bit better. (I am a -5.75, and I can't see a thing, so that would have really been bad if his eyes would have been worse.) We got the prescription and asked about glasses. They informed us that it would take about two weeks to get the glasses, so I thanked them and moved on.

I bet you are saying; "Go to Lenscrafters! You can get your glasses in an hour!" Yes, I too have seen the ads and actually had to use them about six months ago when I found out that I had an eye infection and had to do a gig that night.... And yes, you guessed it, I had grandma glasses that I had had for about 15 years, so I had to stop by Lenscrafters and get something cool.

But thats where we headed.

They have really cool girls glasses by the way, so if your child has to have glasses, lets hope that its a girl, because just like boys clothing----its boring, boring, boring. We did finally agree on a pair---it was actually the first one that he had tried on, and even though I tried to get him to pick the round, Harry Potter style, he went for the practical.... Hmmm....just like his Dad.

He does look really cute in his glasses. And he informed us that a boy in his school told him that when you wear glasses, you are intelligent. I am sure that the boy said smart, but Aydan kind of uses big words. So, here he is---looking dapper and intelligent:




I was finally feeling good about myself as a parent---taking care of my child---when we walked out of the mall and he gazed around in awe. "Wow!", he said, "Everything is so pretty! I don't think that I have EVER been able to see----my whole life!"

Guilt, much?

Operation Carpal Tunnel

Tomorrow is Fathers Day, and I wanted to write a bit about my amazing hubby, Bret:

He has been having problems with circulation in his hands and elbows for years. He is one of those macho types that doesn't complain about the pain. He just mentions every once in a while that he can't feel his fingers, or that his hand has gone numb. So, after about 8 years of this, he finally went to the doctor to see what it was. (This only because a friend of ours had carpel tunnel and had had surgery, and the symptoms were the same...)

So, after going to the regular doctor, then a specialist and then another specialist for more x-rays, etc., he found out that he did INDEED have a severe case of carpel tunnel----in both wrists, no less.

So, about a week and a half ago, he got the surgery done. He had an amazing recovery----our friend had her cast on for three weeks, with limited movement for about 6 weeks, but Bret had his surgery, then two days later, removed the cast, and went on a fishing/camping trip three days after that. I asked him to please be careful, as I didn't want him to permanently hurt his wrist/hand area, but he said, "No, if I do too much---it will hurt, and I will stop."





Yeah, right...

He has continued to do his work; (he is a cabinetmaker) lifting, pushing, carrying, etc. and never complaining of pain. Well.....one time last week, he said that it was "sore". Now, for you and me, it would probably be unbearable, but his threshold of pain is high, so he takes it like a.....well,.....a man.

He is indeed, as the song describes, a "macho" man.

Although, if he ever thinks he has a fever....its all over.... Then I have to wait on him hand and foot...

Happy Fathers Day, Bret! Thanks for being the best husband and father/stepfather ever!!