Hiatus

I have no urge to write anything down.  I haven't in weeks but tried to soldier on.  I am taking a break but part of me feels like this blogging chapter is over for me.  We'll see what happens in a few weeks, maybe the bug will hit again.  Or maybe not.  If this is really good bye, just know that I did love sharing myself with you.  I love your comments and the feeling like other people out there "got" me.  Thanks.

Addiction

I am crazy addicted to shoes.  I know that most women are but I was once known as the girl with all the shoes when I was in high school.  People would come into class and look at my shoes every day just to which ones I was wearing.  I didn't have a million pairs or anything but they must have been special or different enough for people to notice.

I was sorta high maintenance in high school.  Contacts in, make up done, hair curled, outfit picked to not look too much like everyone else's.  I wore lipstick every second of my life- deep, dark red.  Slowly though, I let it go.  Mark didn't want to kiss me with lipstick on, it was so hard wearing those fancy heels while trying to make it to class at UB.  I had my moments to dress up and feel pretty- weddings, special date nights, girls night out at the clubs dancing to all hours.

The I got married and had a baby and stopped working and all those opportunities to but those cute new shoes were few and far between.  But then three years or so ago.  I found a new brand of shoe that I love.  I am now the proud owner of five pairs of Crocs.  Not the big ugly gross looking Crocs, but cute little sandal-type Crocs.  And I have just gone and bought myself two new pairs plus a pair for Annabelle.  They are so comfy and cute all at the same time. 

Mark is so not going to be happy that I've spent $80 on more shoes that he thinks I don't need but can you blame me?  They are cute!

Smorgasbord

• Another post of my ramblings.  I feel like a have a ga-billion things that I should be doing, but no will to actually do them.
• I'm feeling down on me right now.  I'm trying to pull myself out of it but I had a big fight with Mark this morning so now I feel worse.
• Mark's having surgery tomorrow.  I don't want to fight with him right now when I know he's just as stressed out as I am.
• I'm trying to find a good yet cheap place to send Annabelle for swim lessons.  I think she would do better with private lessons but remember, I want inexpensive.
• Mark finally got his bonus.  It will pay for our trip to Disney with a good sized chunk left over to go into savings for all the things that are slowly breaking down around here.  After 10 years in this house, our appliances, computer, cars, etc are soon going to need to be replaced.  Blah!
• Annabelle told me that she was put on bad card #1 yesterday at school for not finishing her work.  She didn't do her domino math but made a puzzle instead.  She said it's the first time she's been bad.  I'm glad she told me. 
• Annabelle has a new fear of dying or people around her dying.  She keeps getting herself so worked up about it.  Anyone have any ideas how to help her?
• I went to Wahl's candy shop yesterday and bought all of our Easter chocolate.  There is something so peaceful and calming standing in the middle of the Easter room smelling the chocolate every year.  I love it in there.
• I'm making Slutty Brownies this weekend for Girl's Night In.  I'm a little bit afraid of them but they can't be awful right?
• I still haven't gotten my bloodwork done yet.  I really need someone to kick my ass and make me make the stupid appointment.

You Give Me Fever

When Mark and I first started dating, we worked together at Burger King.  I will always tell people that it was one tough job, which I know people scoff at, but there were so many little things that had to be done on a consistent basis.  You very rarely had any down time.  I made lots of friends and acquaintances while I worked there and though it was hard work, I also made sure that there were fun times too.  Time to laugh and be an 18 year old kid. 

One of the friends that I made there was a giant of a black man, named Butch.  Six foot two or three and easily 300 pounds but he was a teddy bear of a guy.  His real name was Alfred, which he absolutely hated.  I had so much fun laughing with him every time we worked together.  I can remember one particular night, it was either after we closed or it was just dead, but we were doing all the little miscellaneous stuff that doesn't always get done.  Washing windows, polishing brass, wiping down ice machines, things like that.  Mark, Butch and I were getting our work done, talking, when all of the sudden Peggy Lee's Fever comes on.  There is just something about that song that I have always loved, so sultry.  And Butch, my big old teddy bear Butch, starts dancing around the restaurant with a broom.  Singing into the handle like an old microphone from the 50's.  All three of us laughed and sang and danced and just had so much much fun.

So you're probably wondering why in the world I'm writing about this.  It probably seems so random.  This week at Zumba, we started a new cool down song.  The previous one was The Way You Make Me Feel by Michael Jackson.  There's always a 30 second lull between the last song and the cool down to let everyone catch their breath, get a drink.  That's when the instructor mentioned it will be a new song.  And then I hear those first few notes of Fever this one by Michael Buble but still so, so good.  As soon as I heard those notes, I was transported back to Burger King, to the innocence that I didn't know I had back then.  Without the worries of adulthood.  I remembered my friend.  I felt good and light and happy.  Sometimes memories hurt me but this one buoyed me up.  I think that this song will always do that for me.

Report Crads

On Friday we had a parent/teacher conference with Annabelle's teacher.  Overall, I knew she was doing fine.  I could see the progress that she is making but I was still worried (though that is probably too strong of a word) that we would get some less than stellar news.  I worry that she is just too much like me.  I wish she had gotten more of Mark's resolve for things.  She tends to fall into her own little world and it's hard to get her out of it.  I was like that as a child and to be perfectly honest, I still am.

But all went well!  Mrs. Tripi told us we have a smart, exceptionally kind, sweet, thoughtful little girl.  She's a bit more immature than most of the other kids in the class, which we already knew.  Without another sibling to push her along, we have let her stay in a younger world than would have happened with a baby around.  We are OK with that though.  We want to her to be little while she can, because she grows too fast.  She told us once again what an amazing artist she is, one of the best in the class and that her journaling is improving leaps and bounds.  We were able to voice our concerns, ask if there was a way to request a certain boy in her class not be in it next year, and see what we can help her to work on.

I walked away from the conference feeling like at least I'm doing one thing right.  I'm raising a little girl who is loving and loved by others in return.  I am one proud mama right now.

This and That

• The weather here is outrageously warm, ranging from the mid 70's to over 80 today!  We've been living outside on the deck and Annabelle's swing set is getting a workout, that is for sure.
• One good thing about all the fresh air is that Annabelle crashes when we put her to bed.  One book and she's out.
• I'm trying to figure out what I want to to for Annabelle's birthday party.  I know that I have more than 2 months until she turns six but for me, this is really late to start planning.
• I'm starting to slowly go through the menus for the restaurants at Disney World for our trip in November.  I need to sit down with my mom to figure things out so that we can make our reservations on June 2.
• Since I mentioned Disney, it is so hard trying to keep it a secret from Annabelle.  It's all the girl can talk about!
• I really want to see Mirror, Mirror when it comes out at the movies.  I'm pretty sure Mark will try to veto me though.
• I still haven't gone in for my blood work.  I'm such a baby.
• I have six books checked out from the library right now and I'm spending every free minute reading and reading and reading.
• I think Annabelle will be getting her dance costume tomorrow.  Fingers crossed that it looks cute.

St Patty's Day Party

Every year, our friends Scott And Joleene, have a super fun St. Patty's Day party.  We all wear our green and dance and sing karaoke and imbibe.  Here are some of this years antics.

Me and my guy.

The girls.  Notice how everyone else has the same shirt on?  I had to be different, I made mine all by myself.  That way I stood out from the crowd:)

Singing some Bruno Mars with Jo.

Hot, sweaty and dancing.

There was mood lighting.

Five of the eight GNI girls.

Mark decided to put one of their chairs up onto their basketball net.  Don't ask me why he thought it was funny.

Licking the leg lamp.

As usual, we had a blast!  When's the next party?