My Boy

I've talked many times here of Annabelle's love of Winnie the Pooh.  It's been almost six years and she still loves him above all else.  So because of that, I have a love for Pooh Bear too.  I don't remember having any real connection to any of the characters until Annabelle came around.  There is just something about her face when she's holding her bear, the contentment when she finds him in her sleep.  Well it turns out another family member seems to have a little connection with Pooh too.

Nigel obviously thinks Pooh is pretty comfy since he napped on him for most of the day on Sunday.  My boy is so cute.

Irrational

I know that I have stated in the past that I am a mega, huge Buffalo Sabres fan.  Not necessarily a hockey fan, but a Sabres fan.  There's a difference there.  When you are a fan of a team, there is normally going to be players on that team that you despise, Christian Erhoff, and ones that you love.  Sometimes that love makes no sense.  My go to love on the Buffalo Sabres was Paul Gaustad.  Did you see the past tense there?  He was traded to the Nashville Predators yesterday and I'm just sad about it.  I know that it's irrational to be sad about him being gone.  I've never met him and only once had a close up encounter with him, but I will miss him.

He was not and never will be a super star.  He has the worst hands and skates like he's moving through molasses.  But he is is top 10 in face off wins which is huge in hockey.  He was a big hitter and the go to guy when you wanted an honest answer about team and personal play.  He worked hard every night and was big in the community, working with Camp Good Days, teaching people how to save the planet and planting trees.  Living in Buffalo, you hear the rumors of the local sports guys, Bills and Sabres.  Sometimes you hear the dirt, which ones are down on Chippewa all the time, girl hopping, acting like playas.  But Goose wasn't like that.  You never heard anything bad about him as a person and I liked that.  I like rooting for the underdog.  I always have.  Every favorite player that I've had, has been the guy on the side. 

He is just a guy that people fall in love with.  Everyone loved him for working hard every night, both men and women.  He came back from an injury that should have sidelined him for almost a year, in about 4 months because he worked hard and pushed himself through surgery, rehab, strengthening, etc.  Just for the love of the game.  I loved Goose because of all that and then once I realized how nice he seemed as a person, I realized he also happens to be nice to look at.  So just wrap all that up and I'm sad he's gone.  I hope he wins a Stanley Cup this year and then comes back to us over the summer when he's a UFA.  Again, I realize this won't happen but, fingers crossed.

My one last HONK for the Goose. :(

Kalahari Water Park

We are back!  Our trip to Kalahari is over.  We had such a good time but three whole days in the water is more than I'll ever need again.  Annabelle was a brave girl and was willing to try everything at least once but she hated the bigger waterslides because she didn't like "slobbering around" inside the tubes.  We figured out that it meant the side to side sliding, the out of control feeling you get inside a tube water slide.  Her favorite part was the lazy river and the wave pool, where we spent a majority of our time.  She's already asking when we're going back, but I think it will be awhile.

A view from above.

Posing in her new bathing suit.

Mom and Annabelle in the wave pool.

Now it's dad's turn.

A small fountain in the kiddie area.

Getting ready.

On her way down, eyes closed tight.

She could have played in these for hours.  She loved them at Disney too.

Waiting for dinner with Brian and Kaylin.

The chlorine was very strong.  Annabelle was getting rashes on her skin from it.  We had to prop her up on the bed with no pants on otherwise she was in a lot of pain.

She got to watch a movie, so she was pretty happy.

We had so much fun together.  I'm sure we'll end up going again sometime but hopefully once Annabelle's a little bit more comfortable in and around the water.

Mini Vaca

And we so need it!  We're heading on over to Ohio to go to one of those indoor waterparks, Kalahari.  We had promised Annabelle we would go to one last summer.  I had it all planned out that we would go and then lo and behold, I'm talking to some friends and they were planning on going too.  So then e-mails are sent out and now five other families are all going at the same time we are!  Now Mark and I will be able to go on the zip coaster together because there will be other adults to watch Anabelle for us.  I know it's been less than a year since I've last been on a vacation, but we are in great need to just be together and relax.  I know there will be plenty of time that we will be together with our friends but I also know that we will be the family that most likely separates from the others.  I love being able to spend time with just Mark and Annabelle, all alone without having the day to day stuff to worry about.  I'm sure I'll be posting pictures next week.  Until have fun this week!

A Dream

I'm at school even though I'm an adult and I can't remember which bus I should be on.  I eventually pick one that seems to be going in the direction I want to go but it's crowded, so crowded that I have to stand.  After  quite a bit of time, we head into a forest or campground.  When the door is opened, a raccoon gets on the bus and starts attacking.  Biting and nipping, running over people, hopping on top of seats.  We're all screaming and crying and then... I wake up.

I've had this dream for two nights in a row now.  So I had to look up what it might mean.  I've done this in the past when I've had weird dreams and it usually makes no sense to me.  But this time, it resonated. 

• school bus- venturing on a new journey, self discovery
• raccoon- keeping a secret, anxiety
• forest- searching for a better understanding of yourself

Maybe my dreams are trying to help me understand what my next step should be.  I hope they help soon.

Another Reason to Love

 Mark knew better than to get me chocolate this year.  I've been working hard to eat healthier but if there are treats in the house, I have to eat them until they are gone.  Usually that means I end up with a tummy ache and in a bad mood. 

He will occasionally buy me flowers throughout the year.  Just grocery store flowers but I still love them.  This year though I got two dozen, multi colored roses- delivered!  They are looking even better today now that they have had a drink.

But the part that makes me love him even more is that he came home with one single pink rose for Annabelle.  She is crazy about flowers and I'm sure was more than jealous at my bouquet.  I'm so lucky that my little girl has the most special Valentine, her Daddy.

Valentine's Day

I know so many people out there see Valentine's Day as a Hallmark holiday, and yes it is somewhat, but it's also helpful when you need a boost in a relationship sometimes.  Mark and I have been together for almost 17 years, that's half of my life!  There have been ups and downs, days I want to strangle him and others when I would love to spend the whole day in bed with him.  I know deep down in my bones though, that he is the one for me, my best friend.  I'm so tangled up in him that there is no way we will ever be apart, so Valentine's Day is just a day for us to remember how all that tangled-up-ness started.

Our first Valentine's Day was back in 1996.  It was close to the only day I'd had off from musical practice at school in a month and a half and it was one day before our six month anniversary.  Back then we celebrated every month.  I can remember going to Mark's house and he had made me dinner, one of those pre-cooked chickens from the grocery store, mashed potatoes that his mom helped him with and can of corn.  He set up a card table in the basement and light a ton of candles.  There were balloons and flowers on the table.  We danced to Rainbow Connection and ate dinner together.  It was cheesy and wonderful and perfect to my 18 year old eyes.  No guy I had ever dated had done anything like that for me before.

Now, all these years later, Valentine's Day is different.  We are going to Brennan's for lunch because I'm craving their pretzel bread sandwich (yummo) and Mark requested bacon sandwiches for dinner.  Exciting!  Plus, I have dance class tonight, so romantic right?  But it will be another Valentine's Day under our belt.  And Annabelle is here with us to celebrate, to tell each other how much we love each other.  It may not be very memorable but I wouldn't change it for anything.

I love you Mark!