You know you're a child of the 80's when...

This evening we were trying out our new home sound system (with new HDTV!!!!....SWEET!). Our cable provider has a plethora of music channels including 2 of the 1980's genre. We tuned in and watched as Drama writhed as if in pain and plugged his ears. This is TERRIBLE mom! he screamed. Sheena E's "Strut" came on and Sunshine and I started dancing. (She doesn't care yet that the music is not of her time) . I looked at the screen and it said it was released in 1984.
I said "Hey (Drama), this song came out when I was 8....just like you".

He muttered in disgust and wandered upstairs. The next time he came down the Duke and I were in the 40th refrain of "We are the world....we are the children". Now instead of our lighters we can sway with our cell phones like the cool generation. We got annoyed after the 60th or so refrain and changed it quickly to classical like most 30-something repectable adults do.

It was nostalgic while it lasted and made me want to take that walk down memory lane. I know you want to come too...so read up. If you really are a child of the 80s....this will never get old.
I have to admit that I recieved this via e-mail forward, but I almost fell out of my chair I was laughing so hard that I had to share it here as well. All but about two of these were true of me.

You know you grew up in the 80’s if….
1. you’ve ever ended a sentance with the word “sike”
2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton
3. You know that “WOAH” comes from Joey on Blossom
4. If you ever watched “Fraggle Rock”
5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
7. On Friday nights you stayed in to watch Full House, Step by Step, and Family Matters
8. You played MASH (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
9. You wore a lot of plastic jewlery
10. You knew the profound meaning of “wax on, wax off”
11.You wanted to be a goonie
12. You ever wore florescent clothing (some of us head to toe)
13. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
14. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
15. You took lunch boxes to school…and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.
16. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
17. You still get the urge to say “NOT” after every sentence.
18. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
19. You ever owned a pair of jelly shoes
20. After you saw Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure you kept saying “I know you are, but what am I?”
21. You remember “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”
22. YOu remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates
23. You have ever played with a skip it
24. You remember boom boxes
25. You remember watching both gremlins movies
26. You thought that Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot
27. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
28. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool…and don’t even flinch when people refer to them as “NKOTB”
29. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on “Saved By The Bell” The ORIGINAL class.
30. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
31. You just sang those words to yourself
32. You still sing “we are the world”
33. You tight rolled your jeans
34. You owned a banana clip
35. You remember “Where’s the Beef?”
36. You used to (and probably still do) say “What you talkin’ ’bout Willis?”
37. You’re still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren’t you!

...still LMAO!!!!

True love is....

When you are nursing your poor poor sick baby girl and you don't freak out and unlatch her when you realize there is a HUGE glob of green snot connecting her nose to your boob.

Tuesday's triumph!

Another gray rainy day today, but I had a fantastic moment.

I slinkied myself into a pair of pre-Sunshine jeans! Size 8....Hallelujah! They don't look the same. My thighs look bigger and the booty saggier...but they are on...and buttoned...and it feels wonderful.

Yay me!

Gray day, ugly day

This morning as I was walking out the door on a cold regular dreary December day, I received word from a friend that our dear friend, J, has passed away. We knew it was coming since Friday, but that never softened the blow of actually hearing those words. The beaming face, the posh British accent and the bear hugs that many times made my Sunday mornings will be no longer.

J and I had been planning the wedding of Drama and her grand daughter since they were in preschool together. We always talked about the beautiful children they would have. The kids both just looked at us and rolled their eyes as we snickered behind their backs every time they were in the same room.

She had a very unique and special place in mine and the Duke's hearts. She was there the day we met. She was my biggest cheerleader in getting up the nerve to talk to him. She went on and on about how gorgeous he was and that I was the only single person who could do anything about it. J gave him a pink slip of paper to write down my phone number one Sunday. She honestly believed that she was the matchmaker of the century when we told her of our impending wedding...and we were happy to let her take the credit. She gushed over our baby Sunshine. Her cheeks, her blue eyes, her curly hair. Her husband W, told th Duke he believed her to be the most beautiful little girl he has ever seen in the most genuine way you can imagine. 2 years after her famous matchmaking, she knitted the most beautiful pink baby blanket for SS with little hearts all over it in remembrance of the pink sticky note.

I ran into her a few days before I delivered Tinkerbel. I was going in for pre-op paperwork and she was just sitting in the waiting room to be admitted for a biopsy. They thought it was leukemia. I sat there an hugged her, we talked about baby names (her daughter was also pregnant with a girl). She really wanted us to name our baby Claire (it was so British) and promised to come up to see us right after the baby was born. Unfortunately after TB was born, she was rushed to the NICU, and by the time she was out J was too weak and sick to come upstairs. I did hold her up outside her hospital room a week later. I could tell it made her week to see another one of our babies. But other than that... she never saw our littlest angel...nor held her.

I can't really find anymore words. I can't imagine church or choir without her. We offer our prayers and love to all her family and friends as we celebrate the life of a truly amazing woman....our matchmaker.

May God grant her eternal peace.

Deadly G-string surfaces again in Texas suburb

I'm sure you all remember my daughter's first incident with the above named suspect. Well, this time it was more funny than frightening AND captured on video for your viewing pleasure.

Friends and mommy time

I called for a much needed, and very timely, Girls night out last week. I called my friend Mrs Swizzle since she said she needed one, but didn't want to plan one. We had another friend join in as well and we were off to BJ's Brewery for some drinks and dessert...or so we thought. Being the women that we are, we didn't take into account that the Cowboys were playing a huge game and people would flock to any restaurant with a tv. The wait for a table was over an hour. We eventually ended up at Macaroni Grill. It was the right call. The place was empty and the Peach Bellini's were fabulous.

After chatting with the girls, it became clear to me that the funky mood I have had is contagious. All three of us have children. All three of us have one child in grade school and a 1 year old at home. The only difference is that I am insane enough to have two in diapers at home.So our dear friend D asked how we have alone time with our hubbies. What? What's that? I'm not sure I understand the question.
You see, with two babies at home (and a big kid too) the Duke and I are always playing what we call "damage control". "Hold her so I can....." and "Ok they are both asleep I am going to run to the store and...", "You put SS to bed and I will nurse TB" "Can you help Drama with his homework while I get the girls ready for bed?". I'm sure you can see the pattern here.

I miss our coffee in the mornings from before we had the babies. I would take D to school, come back, brew a pot of joe an we would sip and chat for about 30 minutes before the Duke went to teach classes. It wasn't much, but it was a special and cherished time of day. Drama went to bed around 8 back then, so we had from 8-10 or 11 to chat at night, cuddle, watch movies...or whatever we wanted. Now we are lucky to get a few minutes alone. Tinkerbel has been pushing her bed time later and later. It doesn't leave much time for anything since I collapse somewhere in the vicinity of 10. We don't feel comfortable hiring a babysitter while TB is in this screaming phase. Couple that with the fact that she won't take a bottle and we are pretty much stuck for now.

I didn't really start this post to complain. Our children have touched our lives in ways I never thought possible. I never wanted children for myself. I wanted a career in the medical or research field (still do!). I knew my brother was sent to Earth to populate it. He was great with children while I have always been mediocre at best. But God sent me three angels and I love them more than they will ever know. They bring me the kind of joy that warms you from the inside and makes your heart feel as if it could burst. He knew what he was doing, and hopefully will keep blessing me with the tools and the grace to raise them the right way.

Where I was going with the post was that it was nice to hear that I'm not the only one feeling a disconnect with my beloved spouse. I had a brainstorm to make time for the Duke a few weeks ago and things were great, but then I got tired again and stopped trying. I have felt so alone in the world of breastmilk stains, spit-up and diapers. But my friends showed me that I am normal. Or at least as normal as I can be...and that it is ok not to be perfect.

I missed most of my MOPS meetings this fall because of no sleep and a few baby colds, but I did make it to a very powerful talk called "the Power of a Positive Friend". Our need for companionship as women is so important for support, validation, trust and comfort. People that are like us that can hold us up and cry with us or for us. We love our men (mine is my best friend) but they can't possibly understand us. I am lucky to have many friends whom I love and cherish. Each of them bring something to my life that is so important to me. Music (friends I sing with), God's love and wisdom (friends from church and other Christian friends), sanity and knowledge (other friends with children), comfort (the friends who have known me the longest and love me despite my many failings)...and there are so many more.

Go ahead and tell your girlfriends today how much they mean to you and how much you love them. You may just make some one's day.