So are you cold or what?

You will never guess who I sat across from, at the dinner table, at New Years Eve. Just one guess, give-up? THE HAIRDRESSER!

Yeah, she was talk’n smack about the triathlon again and that she could kick my ass. And yes, she did use those exact words. As a matter of fact, she makes my potty mouth sound like I am signing the most beautiful folk music you’ve ever heard. I started keeping count of how many times she used the phrase “I’ll just strap one on” at the dinner table. I remember clearly raising my glass up and shouting “SEVEN”, but the rest of the night got a little fuzzy and I think that’s where I just stopped keeping track.

ANYWAY, before dinner began, I was talking with her and another woman at the party. This other woman is nine years my junior, has a laugh like a hyena and bosoms that CT would love to nestle right into. The three of us ladies were talking about breasts, bras in fact. I shared with them that I like my bras comfortable, which seems to mean less is more. And by less, I mean they are a bit stretchy and they have no padding or under wires or anything else that could get in the way of comfort. So, with that in mind, I simply asked about “nipping out”. I couldn’t believe the response. These two women started frothing at the mouth, loudly telling me that in no way shape or form should a woman show her nipples. That bras should be padded enough to cover-up the nipple and if the padding isn’t thick enough and you can still see a form rising up out of your shirt, that you can simply place your old bathing suit pad in your bra to cover it up.

Since neither one of these women are prudes and they both dress fairly provocatively, I was astounded at their reply. Am I just so “out of it” as a stay at home mom that I have been breaking this no showing nipple rule? What gives people? Tell me, is everyone padding? Are nipples not allowed anymore?

Erik’s Christmas Present

Yeah…I’m not getting him one this year, he’s been naughty. BUT, if I was, this is what it would be.

And, it might just be the most perfect ungiven gift I have ever not given.

Merry Christmas Erik!

The morning run

Liv’n la vita Karma

Right now I am reaping the rewards of play date sharing. One mom steps up to the plate and take the kids, the next time it is your turn. You see, I don’t just set-up play dates for the benefit of my kids. Many times it actually makes it easier having another living soul in the house mixing things up a bit.

This morning I had two souls, one for PJ and one for CT. It was good. I was prepped and ready for the adventure of having five kids versus three. I had several things planned once “just playing” went south, then I fed them all lunch and then they all went home.

Twenty minutes later, my kids were both picked up and whisked off for the second playdate of the day. Is it a bit of over kill? YES. Are they going to be crabby and tired and nasty when they come home tonight? YES. Am I going to be kicking myself for accepting this last minute afternoon playdate? YES.

But right now, in this one moment, I have the joint to myself and I can do anything I want in peace and quiet. I have the goose bumps!

Green tiles red walls

Saturday night I was lucky enough to be invited to a dinner party. This gathering consisted of six women, two of whom I knew and three of whom I did not.

As I walked into the house and met Meredith, I immediately knew I had met her before. So we went through the litany of ways we could have bumped into each other; college, high school, parks, gym, neighborhoods, neighbors, new houses, church (since we don’t go, that was never going to fly), friends, work, husbands. We kept trying but kept coming up empty handed and all that even before I had downed my first drink.

The wine kept coming and I almost felt like a stalker in the room. I sat there and stared and stared at her. I couldn’t figure it out and now it was driving me crazy. The way she talked, her mannerisms, her daughter, it all seemed so familiar I knew I had spoken with her before.

At the dinner table the conversation turned to pregnancies. All the women present had children, fifteen amongst the six of us in fact and another due in less than a month. The pregnancy discussion went full circle and ended on bed rest stories. I was telling my tale of 10 weeks of bed rest with CT and how we had to move in with my in-laws because or cute little English Tudor house had only one bathroom and it was on the upper level with the bedrooms and I couldn’t take the stairs up and down to watch TV, make food, or go to the bathroom.

At that point in the story, Meredith says, “I know this is so random, but what color was the tile in your bathroom?”

“Green.”

“With red walls?”

“Yes.”

“AAAAhhhhhaaaaaaa, you were selling your house and I walked through it.”

Three years ago, when we put our house on the market, she and her husband and her daughter came to look at the house. My kids were sleeping, so I told the realtor that I would not wake my sleeping babies but they could come look and I would hang out in the back yard. And in the back yard Meredith and I had a lengthy conversation about the house and the neighborhood and kids.

How “random” is right. How small of a world we live in. How lucky that I got another chance to meet Meredith, she’s way cool…even though she didn’t buy my house.

Dear sweet and trusted friend

Erik,
Happy 35th Birthday my friend! My it be the best so far.

Mmmmm

As I was hang’n out in the front yard, watching the kids on the slip n’ slid, my neighbors came over with their two kids, their bathing suits and a few rum and Frescas.

Now, I typically don’t drink rum and I don’t think I have ever drunk a Fresca, but SWEET SANTA ON A SLEIGH RIDE, I’ll haves me another!

And the gift was…

Yeah, I know you’re dying to know.

Ed gave Cindy a beautiful planted garden of perennials, toped off with cypress mulch.

Please hand me the tissue, I’m weeping

Cindy

Happy 35th Birthday!

Cindy is my friend who doesn’t read my blog. I don’t take that personally. It’s ok that she doesn’t think I have anything funny or interesting to contribute to the internet. No seriously, I love my friend Cindy. So, on her birthday, since she doesn’t read my blog, I’m going to tell you a little about her.

Cindy is a city girl who grew up on a farm with four sisters (one of the four being her twin). You would never know she grew up on the farm by the looks of her. She is a pretty stylish chick, with good taste in all things from fashion to food to home décor. The only time that I am reminded of her farm experience is when she starts talking about things like the mating frogs in our pond down the street, “yeah, they’re croaking so loud because that’s their mating call”. Like dah, didn’t you know that?

The really interesting thing, or I guess the most envious thing, is that Cindy has an “Ed”. Ed is her husband. Ed is one of those guys that does EVERYTHING, and everything for his wife. He too is very stylish; is a metro-sexual for sure, a gourmet cook, no I am not kidding or exaggerating and he even cooks most nights. He loves to eat at the best restaurants, smoke great cigars, drink great wine-port-martini’s-etc. He also refinishes bathrooms, kitchens, tiles floors and since he is an Art Director (during the day) he has the vision and “sense” to make it all come together. Along with all that, he cleans. YES, he cleans! The running line amongst all the girls and even the gay men is, “Everybody needs an Ed.”

So, it will be interesting to see what Eddy has in store for the love of his life on her 35th birthday. I can’t wait to find out.

WIZZZZ

It is 5:30 am. We have been up since 3:00 and I think I have slept less this weekend then all my weekends with any one of my three children as newborns.

As a matter of fact, I think I’m still drunk. Adam just looked over at me and asked if I wanted to join the Mile High Club. I think he’s still drunk too. Yes, I am sitting on a plane heading back to Minneapolis. Oh, and the answer to Adam’s question, hmmm, I’ll just have to think about that for a little while, NOT.

The Boston wedding weekend was fabulous. From High Tea at the Four Seasons on Friday, to the USS Constitution Museum on Saturday, then off to the church on Sunday for a beautiful wedding, a tour of Boston in the Bustonian, equipped with plenty of drinks and complete with brass pole running from floor to ceiling, and lastly off to an award winning meal at L’Espalier to conclude what was a spectacular event in every way.

Anne Marie and Joe I wish you nothing but the best as you embark on your new life together. Thank you both for letting us be a part it.