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Ever have one of those days where you feel like nobody likes you? Like everything you do or say is frowned upon? Like when you reach out to friends to give support, send love or simply say "hi" and no one reaches back... at all?

Yup.

I'm having one of those days.

Fun huh?

Murphy's Law

Without fail, every time we say the words "movie night" (which, for us, means curling up on the couch with cocktails and popcorn in front of our 62" TV) one of the kids has a bad night.

I kid you not.

Every time!

I think I'm done.

I tried. I really did, but who am I kidding.
I am a blonde.
I was born blonde.
I got married blonde.
I had my kids blonde and I desperately miss it.
I thought I would get used to the brown because it really is a gorgeous color, but every time I look in the mirror it's just not me. So next week, I am heading back to my local hair salon and begging them change it back. Maybe this is a sign that I need to take time out for myself every other month to upkeep my blonde. I can live with that.

Honor

This past weekend we went to the wedding of an old friend. Two different cultures came together to celebrate the love of this couple. One family from the US and one from Mexico. It was amazing to see how many people came such long distances to be a part of the festivities. The ceremony was traditional and the reception full of dancing, loud music and laughter. Through it all, the most endearing part of the whole weekend was watching the speeches. I don't know the bride or her family, but to hear her father speak English for the very first time in his toast to honor his new son in law brought me to tears. I've been the bride and I've heard the love my father spoke of in his speech. I saw the same respect, admiration and pure joy in this bride and her father and it made me cry. There really is no replacing the bond a father and daughter have. To see it represented in a different culture was amazing and I was honored to be a part of it.

Yes, we are a little late to the game,

but at least we are showing up!

This week we finally get to go and see Harry Potter and I cannot wait!!! A little sushi, a little sake, some popcorn and my favorite person sitting next to me on a much needed date night! 

This blows my mind.

I am used to fearing for my parents in Key West when I hear the word "hurricane." Their house has already been under 2 feet of water since they moved there, but it can always happen again. Mother Nature does not take that kind of thing into account when she unleashes her wrath. So you can imagine my shock and awe when it was my in-laws this time, who live many miles inland from the coast in New York, that I had to worry about. 

This is the town they live near. 

I have been down this street. 

I am speechless.

The Help

I was fortunate enough to see an early showing of The Help in San Diego this past weekend and all I have to say is - Love !! It tugged at emotions I had buried for a long time and sobbing in a room full of women was just perfect. I swear I soaked my tissue into nothing and at that point just started wiping my snot on my sleeve. There is one particular scene where I just couldn't stop crying. It was a good cry. One I got to share with so many other women, but please don't misunderstand the sobbing for dislike. I meant it when I said I loved the movie. It was cast well, directed well and the acting was amazing. I am currently reading the book, but I did go and see the movie with women who had already read the book prior to seeing the movie and they also agreed that they loved it. So if you can get out to see it, I highly recommend it... maybe not as a date movie per say, but grab some girlfriends and a big box of popcorn with a side of tissues and enjoy.

Parenting lesson #2547

On our way home from NJ this past weekend, I saw a father accidentally knock down, then yell and ultimately embarrass his 8 year old daughter in the middle of JFK airport. She was in tears and all I wanted to do was give her a hug and tell her it would be OK. I am sure they made up and ultimately (I hope) he apologized to her for treating her that way, but what makes me so sad is that it was obviously a summer family trip and she will most likely make that a prominent memory above all of the others. He was angry at her for slowing them down as they tried to get to their flight and in the end, his actions made them even later. I understand that your children can frustrate you (trust me, I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old) but to embarrass them in public is unforgivable in my mind. I wanted to know what could make a dad do that to his child. Why didn't he take her aside and explain to her his frustration? Even a stern grab of the arm to move to a quiet corner would have been better than what he did. As I watched all of this unfold, I couldn't help but think of how important a father/daughter relationship is and how I felt like he may have damaged a small part of that with one simple incident that could have been avoided. As we walked to our gate with our own daughter in tow, I tried to store the emotions I felt in hopes that if a similar situation ever occurred with me, I could recall how I was feeling right then, and take a deep breath before I did anything I might regret later.

I've told him to pack his bags!

Don't get me wrong, I love him, but Oi Vei buddy! 

He has been an amazing cat for 11 years. He and I have moved countless times and even driven across the country together twice in a car packed full of stuff. He has been there through tears and happiness and has lived with countless other fur babies that roommates and boyfriends have brought with them. I have forgiven the scratched furniture, the stinky litter box, the incessant need for cuddles in bed at inappropriate times and the often middle of the night meowing, but peeing on a brand new carpet has pushed me over the edge. We have had a professional carpet cleaner out here 3 times now and still it smells. Locking him out of the playroom does not solve the problem and I refuse to replace a carpet that has only been in our house for three months. I need a miracle carpet cleaner to come kicking on my door like a fairy God mother or I really will send him packing. 


I cannot stand the smell of cat pee. 

I wear my heart around my neck.

Courtesy of 3 different sellers on Etsy.

Dusting off the ol' blog.

I thought it was time to dust off the old public blog to give myself an outlet for some fun posts that aren't private and don't really relate to my family. Stay tuned.