Darlene from Pluck the Petal tagged me for this “Moaning MeMe”. Since I’m rather good at that whole moany, whiney thing lately… Here we go:

I’m supposed to begin by tagging 5 people for this meme, but I just can’t do it. If you want to do this meme, please consider yourself tagged. I personally like being tagged for a meme, but I know some don’t.

4 things that should go into room 101 and be removed from the face of Earth:

1. Five o’clock traffic in a small town. I don’t know if it’s better or worse in a super big city but seriously, some folks can’t drive at 5 o’clock.

2. Snow before December or after February. I know you guys think I’m crazy living in CO and saying that. But can’t we just get 10 HUGE blizzards in 2 months, get it over with, call her done, and move on to what some climates call “Spring?” That sounds so much better than the piddley snows over a span of 6 months.

3. That roll of chubbers that has made its home like a lifesaver around my hips. What the heck is this? Where did it come from? Why won’t it fargin’ leave?

4. Eyelashes in my eyeball. Also the gesture of offering to blow it out for me. Not only does quick, dry air not fix the problem, but it’s just a weird concept. No thanks. Please don’t blow in my eyeball. (yes, I have an eyelash in my eye right now)

3 Things people do that make you want to shake them:

1. Men staring at other women when they are standing/walking with their wife. Stupid fools. They don’t even try to be discreet and respectful! 

2. People who lay on their horn in a neighborhood during baby naptime.

3. When people spit, snot, and slobber in public pools. Yucky.

2 Things you find yourself moaning about:

1. Wanting a pedicure.

2. Wishing I could have a date night out with Jeremy. We haven’t been out alone together, even just for dinner, since Bella was 10 months old! I also got pregnant with Noah around that time. That’s what happens, Folks, when you never get a night out with your hubby. You get knocked up when you finally do.

1 Thing the above answers tell you about yourself:

Ummm. That I’m totally random and a little unstable? Don’t know.

Rules:

~Link to the original meme at freelancecynic.com so people know what it’s all about!

~Be as honest as possible. This is about letting people get to know you.

~Try not to insult anyone unless they really deserve is or are very, very ugly!

~Post these rules at the end of every meme.

We went camping for the first time in two years last weekend and had a blast of a time. We went with our friends Amy and Steve, who have kiddos that are Bella and Noah’s age.

We set up camp in the lovely spot next to the lake. We brought the weed whacker to help clear a nice spot for us. This was also the place we went camping at a few years ago and there was a rattler just feet from our tent. So I thought that clearing a spot was the smart thing to do so we could watch where we were treading.

We got all set up– shade tents, bbq grill, tent city, etc. The kids were having a great time. But the Park Rangers came around and told us we had to move because we were camping in a prohibited area and we were breaking the rules by even stepping on the grass. Good thing she wasn’t there to see us when we were weed whacking it down. Oops.

So we had to move but there were no camping spots left except at an RV park, which totally defeats the purpose of camping, don’t ya think? We went anyways and made the best of it. There were older folks there, so we were the youngsters. Everyone was quiet and in bed by 9 pm! We surely weren’t. We sang by the fire, chased the kids around until they finally zonked (which was after 10, as they were all wired up on marshmallows), and then broke out the drinks and adult laughs. I haven’t gotten tipsy in a long time, but I sure did that night. I was all giggly and stupid, but feeling youthful and funloving! We had a steep hill right by our campsite and we all rolled down the hill, did sommersaults, made silly dares. Amy dared me and Jeremy to roll down the hill together and when we did, I knocked my head into a rock really hard! I knew if I weren’t tipsy that it would have been super painful but I just jumped right up like nothing happened and went for another roll. The next morning I woke with sticks and twigs all tangled in my hair, red wine splattered all over my white shirt, and the worst headache ever. I don’t know if it was from the wine or the concussion I probably gave myself by hitting my head on that rock. What goof-balls! Amy and I went for a walk once we got up to go brush our teeth in the restroom and went past the hill we had so much fun playing on the night before. She said, “Steph, do you remember how big that hill looked last night?” It was microscopic with sober eyes! I couldn’t believe how we had acted like we were brave cliffhangers, doing our drunken acrobatics on this wee, tiny little hill. I guess this is what happens when you don’t get out of the house much!

The kids made quick work of our tent. I slept with toys as pillows, hotdog pieces and marshmallows stuck to my cheeks and hair, and crumbs from goodness knows what in my sheets. But I slept sooooo good with all my kiddos curled under the comforter like little pigs in a blanket. They snuggled and nuzzled warmly all night, hiding from mosquitos and the desert cold.

Here’s Bella and Maggie coming down from their smores high…

Steve played us some Oh Brother Where Art Thou folk music on his guitar. Made me close my eyes and remember how wonderful the South sounds…

I can also close my eyes and thank God for Colorado, no matter how homesick I get. This is a beautiful and amazing place to call home, and goodness knows we’re havin’ fun!

I cope with bumps in the road by trying to be positive. You know, things do always get better, no matter how bad they seem in a moment. They just do.

This reminds me of a time my mother-in-law (who has tested my goodness from the get-go) said something to me that completely floored me. She was going on about how hard a time she was having with her sons and her relationships with them. After listening for quite. some. time… I did what I do. I consoled her the only way a person like me can. I just told her that I knew things would get better, that time would heal things, just to keep her chin up and things will come together. That was just the jist of my reply to her, but pretty much summarizes it. Her reply?

“Oh, shut the f^*k up, POLLYANNA.”

Ummm. Ok.

So. Not everyone deals with life with a positive and hopeful manner. Some people are nauseated by my optimism. I personally try to save my name calling for people who are hateful or nasty to me, and maybe not even then. To each their own.

But I am not always optimistic and positive. Nope. For instance, this week really bummed me out. I have a little Noah, who despite his cuteness and contagious smileage, has been one heck of a meany pants. I’ve thought in moments that I should take up drinking vodka or popping a daily Zoloft. He’s made me want to jump out the window and go screaming up the street naked and talking in tongues. Wouldn’t you know he’s got to cut 4 teeth at one time! Why would he go and do something like that? Crazy Nooskers.

Of course the only things that I have that are an outlet and release for me (camera, computer) went awry. Gimme some cheese to go with this whine. Zoloft or Vodka will do fine too.

My sweet potty trained girl has been a wild woman this week. She has insisted on using the potty every 2 minutes whenever I take her out of the house. Now I’m glad that she’s potty trained and I will never, ever refuse her requests to use the potty. But? I mean, how many times can one little bladder need to relieve itself in a Wal-Mart trip? How big can a toddler bladder be!? She LOVES public restrooms. She wants me to line the seat, put her on the potty, wait patiently while she fusses at me to ”Go away. I potty.” I wait. No tinkle. No tinkle. No plops. No drips. None. Nada. “Done Mommy.” Then we wash hands, leave restroom, do the whole rigamarole again in 5 minutes. All the while I am wearing a 23 pound toddler on my back, trying to get back to my grocery shopping, wanting a pedicure and a massage, all while said 23 pound baby is pulling my hair, drooling cookies on my neck, shaking juice down my shirt, and yanking on my hoop earrings. Ugghh. Calgone.

Noah had his one year check-up today while Bella got seen for a thrust infection in her mouth. Noah cried all. afternoon. long. from his shots. I was pacing and coddling and singing and dancing and making up rediculously silly songs to make him smile.

But I know tomorrow will be wonderful. Or maybe chaotic and crazy. Either way we’ll survive it. It’s all good. And if you want to comfort me by telling my that everything will get better, I promise I’ll never cuss you out or call you names. Especially Pollyanna. Now that’s just mean.

And things do get better cause guess what!? My computer fixed itself. Yep. I had to call her a few names and cuss her ass out. Maybe I even threatened her a bit with a flood of drool and a stampede of toddler toes. But she’s running like the little dream that I fell in love with last year. Yahhhoooo!

Get this: My camera broke last week, right? Guess what!? My computer is on the fritz now! What are the chances? This is an injustice.

They both had a one year warranty that ended a few weeks ago. I think that gadget makers put a self-destruct chip in them so that they go awry right after the one year mark. I can’t tell you how many times this happened to me. I bought the extended warranty on this here Toshiba laptop. But that’s another story for some other time. Needless to say, extended warranties don’t work if you lose your receipt. So now I’m having to dance sideways through fire hoops to get a copy of my receipt from Office Depot. Ugghh.

You know what’s so funny about this computer fritz? I can do anything in any program as normal. Everything works except internet explorer. I can’t visit any website EXCEPT my own and dlisted.com! Those are the only two sites my computer agrees with. So, until I get this fixed, please don’t think me a blog snob. I just can’t visit you right now without going to the library. I can’t even check my e-mail!

Ok, enough griping! The world is seeing greater injustices than my losing internet connectivity. If any of you go and have a baby (Jenica), or you win the lottery (will you buy me a camera and a new computer?), or you break your leg table dancing at Starbucks (ok, I’m making stuff up now)– post it here or e-mail me! I’m checking my e-mail every few days at the library until I find a remedy! Maybe I’ll borrow a book while I’m there, and that can’t be all bad!