Because Everyone Should Have Fireworks on their Birthday

Things I Love Thursday: 13 Plans For My Birthday

I really love this Thursday, because it is the day before my birthday!!

I don’t know why, but I still, to this day, get really psyched about my birthday, even if I’m not planning anything extravagant or exciting. And this year, I’m not renting out the 40/40 Club, or The Four Seasons, or some other swanky place like the sistas on My Super Sweet 16; I am planning some things; and they make up this week’s 13:

1. I have asked for, no demanded, to have Tijuana Flats for my celebratory birthday dinner. Hi, I’m Shash, and I’m a taco-a-holic. Join me, won’t you?

2. I’m planning to get my hair cut and highlighted, as well as my son’s haircuts. I don’t know how “celebratory” that is, put I’m planning on it anyway.
3. I’d like to get my nails done too.
4. I’m hosting a game night, but since I do that every Friday, there’s nothing new there. It’ll just feel party-like since it’s my birthday.
5. I plan to drink pomtinis poolside. Now if only mom nature would accommodate with the stoppage of the rain, I’d be all set.
6. I also plan to try mojitos.
7. I guess I plan to take Advil, to stop all of the hangovers that will happen with all of the drinking.
8. I plan to watch World Cup Soccer on Saturday. In HD and with the surround sound on.
9. I plan to cheer on England. (Beckham is SO hot!)
10. I plan to visit with family who have flown in for a little summer vacay.
11. I plan to have a girls night out and go see The Devil Wears Prada.

12. I plan to go out for a drink after the movie.
13. I plan to take pictures of the “birthday weekend” and share them with you on Monday.

While I Am At It, Why Not Just Torture Myself?

So just to recap:

It’s STILL Raining.

It could stop anytime now, and I wouldn’t mind. At all.

Today actually started out beautiful. I woke up to the sun shining, muggy, but what appeared to be a potentially nice day. I ran Spiff over to the designated meeting place so he could spend the night with friends, and got back home in time to get Scamp ready to go to his playdate. He insisted we watch The Wonder Pets before we left, so we did.

Then we got ready to meet his friend at the dreaded of all places. I can’t believe I actually agreed to go there, to be honest.

We had agreed to meet our friend at Chuck E. Cheese.

I know, I’m certifiable.

This place is so horrible. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s colorful, kid-friendly, video-gamey goodness is exactly what the kids love; but the parents? I don’t know about you, but I’m checking my watch every ten seconds to see how soon I can convince the kids to get the heck outta there. I think I’ve even resorted to bribery to achieve that goal. Whatever it takes.

We got there before my friend arrived. She had phoned while we were en route to let us know she was running behind. Scamp was immediately hit with sensory overload; and I was afraid that this time for him would be like his last time; complete with screaming and wanting to go home ten seconds after he walked in.

Actually, I was kind of hoping for that reaction, and was kind of disappointed when I didn’t get it, but I digress…

This time? He was EXCITED! He was READY! He wanted to go see Chuck performing on the stage, and ran into the “Theatre Room” to get a closer look.

And then turned right back around and ran back to me. Hid behind my legs and said; “Mom, Chuck E. Cheese is scary.”

“Yes, son, he is.”

We ate pizza (regret #1), played skee ball (my favorite), lost tokens in 3 games (regret #2), but generally had a great time.

There were 3 church groups of kids there, and I can’t explain what it is about those groups, but they seem to always have the kids who push and shove and barrel their way around the place, and there never seems to be anyone watching them while they do it. Is there a separate room that those chaperones get to go to while the kids play and create havoc? If so, I want in. Because with all the screaming, and the running, and the pushing, and the yelling, (and that was the other kids!) that private room would have been nice for some peace and quiet.

That would have made the trip just that much better.

Now I can cross that off my yearly to do list.

See you next year, Chuck!

Here, There, and Everywhere (but actually nowhere)

I feel as if I’m going in 20 different directions, but the reality is I haven’t really gone anywhere lately. It’s been raining pretty much all day the past few days, and it really has affected my mood.

As my mom used to say as a joke, “my get up and go has got up and went.”

Rainy days do this to me. I don’t know why, and it drives me nuts when it does. I just want to curl up on the sofa and melt into the cushions, but even that’s not what I want.

It’s frustrating, maddening, and annoying. I just want it to stop.

Hopefully the weather is improving in the next few days. I need to get out of this funk.

I need to feel like me again. Soon.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Love

Grab the Scavenger Hunt code.
Photo Theme: Love. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

Spiff and his Aunt, walking home from the beach, Scituate, MA, 2004.
I wanted to use this photo because this weekend and for a few weeks, Spiff’s aunt is visiting us from Massachusetts and we’re very excited to see her. We don’t get to see her as often as we’d like, so it’s very special when we get to.

Next weekend we get to see MORE family members, and just in time too, because Friday is my birthday!

Have a great weekend!

The Royal Adventures of Count Fishy-Fish

So, if you read yesterday’s post, we acquired a betta fish during our errands yesterday. What I didn’t tell you was that after we bought the fish, I still needed to go to my allergist, whose offices are inside a local hospital and get my weekly allergy shots.

(As an aside, they upped my dosage this week, and both arms immediately started itching. Now they are so bruised and puffy. The girl who gave me the shots looked at my arms before I left and said that they didn’t look bruised. They don’t look bruised, but lordy do they feel bruised!

But I digress.)

So, this being Florida, and 90 degree heat, I quickly realized that if we left the fish in it’s container and left it in the car; by the time we got back, it would be poached fish. This meant that we had to bring the fish in with us. It was amazingly transportable; it was in a cup with a hole in the lid.

There I was, my boys, arguing while they walked over who was going to play with the new GameBoy we just bought; and me, carrying a red fish in a cup in my hand. The looks started immediately. Some laughed. Some shot quizzical looks and asked me “where we got that”. One man, however, shot me what I could only decipher was a look of utter disgust when I got off the elevator on the allergist’s floor. So this is what I said to him in response to his look:

“Listen, if all those celebrities can carry their little puffy dogs around in little handbags all over the place, why can’t I carry my fish in a cup? We’re starting a trend here!”

I think he died laughing.

Good thing we were in a hospital so he could get immediate attention.

The Count was the hit of the allergist’s office. A nurse actually fish-sat (she asked if she could!) while I took Scamp to the bathroom. I would have brought The Count, but I didn’t think that would have been a good way to start off our relationship, you know?

It might have given him a complex or something.

This is What Happens When Toys R Us, Best Buy, and PetSmart are Right Next to Each Other

…You come home with this:

Meet Count Cadifor Ionnain Fishy-Fish

So, anyone care to bet on how long it’ll take before my kids over feed it or my cat figures out how to get the top of the aquarium open and has a “midnight snack”?

It’s actually rather difficult to get the top open unless you have opposable thumbs, so I wish her the best of luck with that.

Total adoption cost: $15.00
Keeping us the heck out of TRU: SO PRICELESS

The name comes from me and the boys. It breaks down like this:

Count = Because everyone should have a title, don’t you think?
Cadifor = Gaelic for Battle Lord. He’s a boy, and he tried to attack my fingers when we lifted up the cup. We like our fish feisty.
Ionnain = Gaelic for Adopted Son. We thought it was fitting.
Fishy-Fish = Well, it’s kind of obvious, and Scamp’s contribution. We hyphenated it because it seems that a lot of royals do that to their last name, and we wanted the full royal treatment.

He’s settling in very nicely. Hopefully he likes it in our little casa.

For the record, the original plan was to only go to Best Buy to pick up something we DESPERATELY needed, and is now charging as I type. But you know, the best laid plans go to heck when there is a Toys R Us near. Fortunately, the Count helped us resist the pull…

…But only barely.

Things I Love Thursday: 13 Photo Moments

As you can see from the photos I post, I’m usually behind the camera, capturing our moments for posterity (or for primo embarassment years down the road, whichever works). Here are 13 photos that are among my favorites (way too many to post here!) that I currently have access to, thanks to a few explosions of the hard drive, and my stupidity when it comes to backing things up.

You’d think someday soon I’d learn, but no; I really AM that stupid.

It’s a gift.

Anyway, on with the show!

1. 
   This photo is one of my screen savers.
   
2. 
   Same day, I love non-posed moments like this, where he isn’t trying so hard to smile.

3. 
   This is such a great photo. This was Scamp’s first real train ride, and Spiff was looking around, but also very protective of his brother. This really captured that moment beautifully.

4. 
   Taken in Islamorada, Summer ’05. This is a great photo, if only for that it captures the “It’s MINE!” grabbyness that Scamp demonstrates even to this day.

5. 
   First day of school, ’05. Scamp was so excited to be going to school with his older brother. He was ready to go at 6am.

6. 
   Climbing trees is Scamp’s favorite activity. The second one is using my sofa as a trampoline.

7. 
   Lighting the Hanukkah lights. My (and the boys’!) favorite tradition.

8. 
   Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. Taken while on vacation, Spring Break ’06.

9. 
   I moved the cat condo out of the office to clean it out, and they staked their claims. Who needs a jungle gym for kids to play on when you’ve got one of these?

10. 
    One of my favorite family photos; this was our Holiday card for December ’05.

11. 
    This photo is another one of my screensavers. Taken on the T in Boston on the way into the city to walk the Freedom Trail.

12. 
    This photo was taken in October, ’04, at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, MA. I love taking photos of the boys with their father, and this one I cropped and it hangs in my hallway. My hubby’s childhood was spent at this lake and another which is my last photo:

13. 
    This is the cranberry pond near my husband’s childhood home. Taken in Fall, ’04, this photo has a place of honor over the big screen TV in the family room. I love this photo.

I Am From…

I am from divorced parents, from cream soda, pastrami sandwiches and music.

I am from the year-round vacation home, cozy, welcoming, familiar, warm.

I am from the family palm tree, and the blooming, fragrant gardenia.

I am from Sabbath dinners and Hanukkah candles and long-winded stories with maybe a point, from Evans and Barons and Ola Belle and Juan Milan and Bobbie and Joseph.

I am from the stewardesses who fought against “Coffee, Tea or Me”. I am from night owls and day-trippers. I am from Rainbow Girls, Job’s Daughters and DeMolay. I am from floor work, studying your Ritual and your schoolwork, and dances that ended too soon.

From “Come in when the streetlights come on” and “I just called to say I love you”.

I am from Judaism, and converting out of love. I am from lessons I have learned and lessons still to learn. I am from teaching my boys about Judaism, and hoping they pass it on. I am from the thought that there is more than one way to get to Heaven.

I’m from two Orange Counties, from Disneyland and Walt Disney World, homemade tacos made from a family recipe, Grandma’s famous kugel, potato latkes, catfish and chili rellenos.

From the times I spent all day at Disney World – while I waited for my mother to get off work, the car trip in the family station wagon to El Paso to visit family, and the summer I spent with my Grandma in Baltimore.

I am from boxes and albums of photographs, keepsake boxes of pins and dried flowers. From photos of women all lined up to get their wings, to the anticipation of being crowned Miss El Paso. I am from love letters and hopes and dreams that continue on in love and loss.

______________________________

This is my writing entry for Loni at Joy in the Morning.

Thanks TN Chick for the heads up!

Who Ya Calling Four Eyes?

Fun with 3-D Chicken Little glasses and kalediscope glasses on our tummy.

We need to get out more.

Click on the photo to go see it bigger and with notes! It’s noteriffic!