Leaver vs. Leavee

My husband and child left yesterday on a plane to NC. This marks Dolly's 8th trip via airplane and he might very well just be the most air-traveled tot under 2. Who knows?

I realized that it's much harder to be left than it is to leave. When I went to Brooklyn sans kid, it was a dream. I left with a smile on my face and relished the time I had with my friend in NY.

When I dropped the fellas off yesterday morning at the airport, I was very, very sad. Returning home to an empty (devoid of human occupants--4-legged occupants were present) and quiet house was startling. I'm used to having at least 2 stereos going, for Dolly is very much into listening to music. Ok, he's very much into pushing buttons and turning knobs and somehow the stereos in this house satisfy that need. So, normally, I'm listening to Fleetwood Mac, Mitch Hedburg and OutKast on one stereo and Peter and the Wolf or The Wiggles on another.

But now....silence.

I have to admit that I was the one who arranged for it to be quiet in my home. Over a month ago, when I was in the throes of pregnancy fatigue, I called my mother-in-law and asked (nearly pleaded) that she keep my son for the 3 days that Brian would be in NC taking the NC Bar. She gleefully accepted and I counted down the days. So, my son is currently in NC with his Grammy and Grampy having a wonderful time, or so I'm told, going up and down the stairs in their home.

And here I sit listening to Jodie snore.

I have enjoyed both mornings of being able to get out of bed on my terms. I've enjoyed being able to leave drinks, food, my computer laying anywhere around the house. It's been nice not to have to tidy up, rounding up the thousands of balls that comprise my son's toy collection and placing said balls in their respective machines, pit or box. It's nice not to step on little toy zebras, cows, pigs. I love not having to worry about meal planning. I hate meal planning. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

But, I miss the chatter, the squeals. I miss how Jacob brings me a book and then gets right by my knees and turns around, waiting for me to pick him up and put him on my lap so that we can read the book and oooohhhh and aaaahhhh over the pictures. I miss him holding up his sippy cup and saying to me, "All gone" and I miss him running to the ice maker saying, "iiiiiice, iiiiice."

I miss a lot...a lot more than I thought I would.

So, I will work these next couple of days until they return on Thursday. We certainly need the extra money and I need to keep my sanity.

Oh, and for you bad guys out there that read my blog, don't even think about breaking into my home since my big and strong husband is gone. I have a dog whose breath will bring you to your knees and then my cat will dismember you like the the mole that he left for me on my patio 2 nights ago.

2 weeks

2 weeks from today, at this time, I will know the gender of my next child. What's that you say? Am I pregnant? Why, yes, I am. 17 weeks pregnant, to be exact. Due at the end of July. I haven't announced it until this point for several reasons, with the biggest reason being because I've miscarried 2 times, with the last incident at 8 weeks in September. And, it's just not a lot of fun telling people this happy, fun news and then having to say, "About that pregnancy thing...."

I feel like I've been pregnant forever. I realized the other day that I've been pregnant every year since 2006. So, yeah, I've been pregnant 4 times. Crazy, huh? This will undoubtedly be the last...I'm ready to have my body back and to get on with being a family. I'm not excited about being attached to a breast pump for the next year but 'dems 'da breaks, as my husband would say.

So, am I hoping for a boy or girl? Good question. Here are my thoughts: Certainly, it'd be nice to have a girl. I already have a boy, so a girl would nicely complete a family and I would surely enjoy learning about the mother-daughter bond. The thing is, though, I get nervous at the thought of having a girl. I haven't had a girl and so I think, "What would I do with a girl? She will NOT have bows in her hair nor will she wear frilly dresses; probably won't even wear pink. Her hair will be kept short and she will be required to play in the dirt. So, might as well have another boy."

Also, it'd be reeeeeeal convenient to have another boy. I have all the necessary "boy" things: clothes, toys-things like that. And I can't help but think that same-sex siblings would get along better than their opposite-sex siblings counterparts, but I don't know this for sure (may need to research this).

As far as family goes, I think everyone's hoping for a girl. And it's weird because with Jacob, I was fairly certain that he was a boy. With this one, not sure at all. Sometimes I think in terms of a girl and other times I think it's a boy. So, it will be a surprise, either way.

Sooooooo, I'll be in touch about baby news in 2 weeks!!

Side gig

Apparently my cat noises are hilarious!:

As such, I've decided to turn this laugh-inducing skill into a lucrative business. I am available for birthday parties, corporate events, bar mitzvahs, sporting event half-time shows, rehearsal dinners and opening acts for the likes of Cold Play, Dane Cook and Barenaked Ladies. If you're interested, please contact my attorney.

Good, Dean Fun

It was about time that the old crew hooked back up for some hilarity. The Dean's made their way down to VB last Saturday to spend the warm, sunny day with us.

We first went to lunch at the new, and only, Italian restaurant in VB. It just so happens that no one in the place is Italian, go figure!, and that, quite frankly, the service sucked. Brian received the brunt of the bad service, but not before he launched into Sussudio by Phil Collins. He maintains that he had been saying his order in his head over and over so that, when the time came, he'd be able to pronounce it correctly. He wanted something like the Sicilian Tortellini but, when he attempted to order it, it came out as the "Suss, Suss" before the waitress cut him off with the correct pronunciation. So, he had difficulty living that down.


Then she came and told him that they were out of tortellini and he attempted to order the Sausage Parmesan Pasta. The lady said, "Oh, the sub?" and he said, "No the pasta." She was confused and brought him a menu so that he could point to what he wanted. He did, but he ended up getting the sub anyway. When she brought out the sub, not the pasta, he mentioned that he had ordered the pasta and not the sub. She said, "Oh, well. The sub's cheaper. I'll just charge you for it instead of the pasta." So, the waitress was nice enough to charge us for the dish that Brian was served and not what he ordered. Now that's good business!


We then wrangled up the kids and headed for the park. Since William has such a bad attitude, we put him in jail on the slide. (Seriously, folks, the kid has the BEST disposition!)
He may look like he'd cut you but he's as sweet as he can be.
Willian and Jacob enjoyed swinging, running around and spending time with their dads. I was a little worried about Brian. We've had several run-ins with "other's peoples' kids" and Brian hasn't dealt with it well. Like the time we were at the playground at McDonald's. I hear Brian going, "Stop. Stop. Don't do that. Get away." I look over and he's talking to a little girl, who apparently is not letting Jacob go up the stairs. I then get the, "I f---ing hate other peoples' kids" rant. But not at this outing. He handled himself like a gentleman.

So, the outing was a success, the Dean's were great company...




...and I had the lyrics to Sussudio in my head for days.

There's this girl that's been on my mind All the time, Sussudio oh oh Now she don't even know my name But I think she likes me just the same, Sussudio oh oh

Oh if she called me I'd be there I'd come running anywhere She's all I need, all my life I feel so good if I just say the word Sussudio, just say the word Oh Sussudio

Now I know that I'm too young My love has just begun Sussudio oh oh Ooh give me a chance, give me a sign I'll show her anytime Sussudio oh oh

Ah, I've just got to have her, have her I've got to get closer but I don't know how She makes me nervous and makes me scared But I feel so good if I just say the word Sussudio just say the word Oh Sussudio, oh

Ah, she's all I need all of my life I feel so good if I just say the word Sussudio I just say the word Oh Sussudio I just say the word Oh Sussudio I'll say the word Sussudio oh oh oh Just say the word