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That's all I have to say for today.

So much to update with!

Gosh. Where do I start?

Well...I could start by saying that I need to learn to read for content again. I enjoy reading for pleasure, but haven't really been reading too many research journals and articles lately. I felt like an idiot at class on Monday. Even though I had read the info, I didn't read it thoroughly enough and wasn't able to really offer any insight to the discussion. it won't happen that way again.

Last night the soccer team won against Geneva 6-0. Martine got lots of playing time. She grins the entire time she is on the field, which is so nice to see. After we came home from the game she needed help with homework. I was hoping the homework was English....Social Studies...French...something, anything in the humanities. Oh no. It was math.

Do you remember how to do quadratic equations or how to find the axis of symmetry or the vertex? Neither did I, but I do now! Okay, so math homework done.

I made my first visit to the chiropractor yesterday. Overall a good experience. I had a spasm in my lower back Sunday morning as I was lifting Belle over the baby gate in the living room. It has been in pain ever since and I had finally reached a level where I could not take it anymore. So, snap, crackle, and pop my back is adjusted.

The other good news is that I can look out my window and see a brand spankin NEW windshield in my Jeep! Hallelujah life is good!

Life as a "soccer mom"

I don't recopmmend going from no kids to a sixteen year old overnight. It is exhausting. I am always running somewhere, buying something, picking something up. Who would have thought that it annoys me when I have to pick things up. I used to leave things lay aaaaallllllll over the house and it didn't phase me. Ever.

I had the experience of making dinner for 20 high school soccer girls tonight. It's not a joke. I really did. 7 pounds of ground beef, 7 packets of taco seasoning, two big bags of shredded cheese, two tomatoes, one humungous onion, 2 containers of sour cream, 36 tortilla shells, 2 bags of tortilla chips, a jar of salsa, a jar of hot sauce, 2 peppers, and 2 boxes of ice cream sandwiches later the dinner was complete. They swooped in and huddled around the table. They had their plates picked up and ready to go before I even had the meat out of the oven! (I was keeping the meat warm in teh oven...good thinking, eh?) The only things that remained at the end of the night was a bowl of diced onions and a bowl of diced peppers. Everything else? Ravaged. You may be asking "Why would you do this?" to which I would answer "Because it is what soccer moms in Seneca Falls do." Each night when there is a home game the following day, the entire team has dinner together at one of the girls' house. We sign up and provide food. I am glad I got mine out of the way.

So what is it like to be guardian to a 16 year old blonde bombshell? Well....she is currently grounded. She "missed" curfew by an hour and ten minutes. Yeah. Not like 5 minutes. SEVENTY MINUTES. To make me even crazier, there were sirens going by the house at about the same time she should have been coming home. I was neurotic. I got to experience going to look for a teenager at midnight in my baseball hat, Dansko clogs, and mismatched pajamas. I was ready to go to the door of the house, ring the doorbell, and go in and drag her out of the house. I didn't really care about my personal pride or whether I would embarass her at that point. Did. Not. Care.

So, I would like to say the following to my parents:

• I am sorry I left lights on in rooms I wasn't it. If it makes you feel better it drives me nuts now.
• I am sorry that I really thought that I could lie to you and you would believe me. I now realize that when I told you I was in the house at 11:45 and wasn't that you really did know I was not in the house at 11:45.
• I know that "helping to clean up" is more than just standing in the kitchen watching you actually put things away and wash the dishes.
• I am no longer mad at your for "not getting me up on time." I realize that you tried to get me up on time, when I asked you to get me up. I now take responsibility for the fact that I stayed in bed 45 minutes after you woke me up. I am sorry I blamed you for being late.
• My room would have been clean if I would have had a wall shelf. At least that is what Martine is trying to convince us of. You should have bought the damn shelf.

I think that is all for now. I am tired and my back hurts. Being a mom sucks and so far the pain hasn't gone away. :)

Belle's first visit to the vet

I took my little gila monster to the vet for the first time today. She was wonderful and sweet. If only they could see her at home. Argh!

I wasn't sure how I would do since Belle is going to the same vet I took Mag to. As I pulled into the parking lot I was a little apprehensive, but I also knew it was a new start and it would be okay. As Belle and I were walking around I noticed Maggie's picture in the lobby. She was so beautiful. All of the vet techs came to meet Belle and said how happy they were I was back with a puppy. They are all so kind there.

The vet gave me the run down on crate training, overindulging with treats, letting them chew rocks, etc. Belle is definitely a rock chewer...and everything else that will sit still including people, cats, and coffee tables.

I know this is short, but at least I blogged. I am sooooo tired. There is NO way I could have done three classes a week. I have about 120 pages of booooooring reading to do before Monday. Yikes.

Disney, Daughters, and Dreams

I am alive! I really am. As you can imagine, things have been INSANELY busy. Anyway, I need to get everyone updated on Disney, Belle, Martine, and school. Argh!

Anyway, I figure the easiest way to get the Disney report in is to rip off what Michelle has written on the Disney message boards. She is pathological. I will include most of the pictures she used so the stories make sense, but let me just say I had no idea I looked as awful as I did in some of them. In any case, I was not even close to being the biggest victim of fashion there!

Anyway...here goes....Day 1:
Transportation was a NIGHTMARE! Short version? We were on the plane. We were on the runway. Electrical problem. Sat some more. Approached for take-off. Electrical problem resurfaced. Deplaned. Sat in airport for hoooooooours. Shuttled via limo to Philly. Tickets were screwed up. Made it to Disney at 8:30...six hours later than scheduled! So let's pick up where Michelle starts...
I finally received a call from Mom that she and Jennifer were on the ME bus and heading for POP. I was practically bouncing off the walls!! I told her to give me another call when they hit the Disney arch. That way I could meet them when they got off the bus. I timed it wrong and they were already walking through the lobby by the time I got there around 7:30. I was soooo happy to see them!!

I took them to the room so they could get freshened up and relax a little bit before heading to the Magic Kingdom. As we were getting ready to go, they told me a bit more about their trip. Apparently, Delta put them in a limo with 6 other people to shuttle them to Philly to catch a non-stop flight to FL. It sounds like Delta doesn't screen their limo drivers very well. Mom and Jen both said they thought the guy was drunk - he kept nodding off and driving off the road. It's a miracle they made it to Philly. Then, once they were on the plane, Mom started chatting to the lady next to her. Turns out she is also a DISer - mrsnj91!!

Once they were freshened up, we made our way to find a bus to the Magic Kingdom. We were starving but decided we would eat at the park. I don't think we had to wait very long for a bus to come along. We made it to the Magic Kingdom and decided to find a place to get our Extra Magic Hours' bracelets. There was a huge, long line next to the train station. Jennifer spotted cast members standing next to package pick-up also handing out bracelets. Best part? No line!!!! We got our bracelets and headed down Main Street. This is what we saw:Once the fireworks were over, we headed to find something to eat. It was just after 9:00 PM. This is important information. We did not have a map but headed to the left and ended up in Liberty Square. I knew Columbia Harbor House was close by. We went there. We were told they close at 9:00. Okay, could you please tell us who is open? We were told to go to Pinocchio's. I have eaten there before and was happy they were open. So, we headed to Pinocchio's. We walked in and the place was completely empty. Yup, they closed at 9:00, too. We asked them if there was a place still open. They sent us to Cosmic Ray's.

BINGO!!! We have a winner!! Cosmic Ray's was open, but since they were the only restaurant open in the park, it was packed. We finally made our way to place our order. All three of us had the 1/2 baked chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and carrots. Mom and Jen had carrot cake and I had the chocolate cake. All of us were way too stuffed to eat dessert, so Mom insisted we stick it in her backpack - not a good thing to do. When we were done eating, we headed out for some rides.

The first one was Pooh's Hunny Pots. I love this ride. Jennifer screamed when Tigger jumped out of the bushes!! I thought I was going to pee my pants, because I was laughing so hard. After the Hunny Pots, we made our way to the carousel. We found this guy along the way:
After meeting Goofy, we found the entrance to the carousel. I told Mom and Jen that there was one horse that was special - it's Cinderella's horse. I told them it has a gold ribbon on the tail. We made a pact that whoever found it first while we were waiting got to ride it if it was free during our turn. There were a bunch of people in front of us, so we didn't think we would get it. Well, one of us did get to ride it:
I had a hard time getting on my horse - and it was all the way down. My legs are too short. Well, once the carousel stopped, my horse was all the way to the very top!! You have got to be kidding me??? There was no way I could gracefully dismount. I ended up with my knee in my nose!! Mom and Jen had a good laugh at that. Once we were done with the carousel, we headed to Mickey's PhilharMagic. There was absolutely no line. We only had to wait a few minutes until the next show. All of us loved, loved, loved this show.

After that, we headed to Snow White's Scary Adventures. Jennifer and I were huddling together afraid that something was going to jump out at us. Hey, if Tigger can scare Jen, then something with "Scary" in the name certainly could!! We made it through alive and headed to Peter Pan - also known as "Peed Her Pants" (that is what Jen's Goddaughter calls him). This was the longest line we had to stand in all night. I think it was about 20 minutes.

When Peter Pan was done, it was getting very close for EMH to be done. We made our way to the exit. We got to walk through the base of the castle. I was very excited. The other two times I had been, the castle was closed off. It was beautiful. The mural is stunning. Definitely taking the time to walk through and just take it all in. Plus, the view of Main Street from the castle is beautiful.

We made our way to the bus stop. It was a madhouse. I don't remember exactly how long we had to wait to get a bus, but it felt like forever. We finally made it back to our room around 1:00 AM. Mom and Jen's luggage hadn't arrived to the room yet. I found that a bit odd since it didn't take that long for mine to arrive. Jennifer called luggage service and was told it was at the resort. Mom decided to get the desserts out of her bag. What a mess. Chocolate cake everywhere!!! So much for breakfast! The luggage was finally delivered just after 2:00 AM. All of us had been up for 23 hours at that point. YAWN!!! Time for bed. We needed to get sleep, because MGM was waiting for us in the morning.

OKay...that is all for today! Look for Michelle's MGM update tomorrow!