Another work weekend over :)

Tim and I have been watching alot of Flight of the Conchords. I highly highly recommend it to everyone (except, mom, I think you might find it 'weird' :). Anyway, it's HI-larious! You've got to check it out.

Funny A stories:
The other day A was putting her pants on in the kitchen (why the kitchen? i'm not sure..dressing and undressing herself is one of her new hobbies) and I am doing something near her, close enough to hear her utter, " Damnit! I can't get my leg in!" I say, "what did you say, Alex?" and she looks at me and says, "damnit, my legs won't fit in". That's what I thought. So I explain to her that is not a nice thing to say and she hears me or dad say it sometimes but we really shouldn't and blah blah blah. That same evening as I am getting her ready to get in the shower, I turn the shower on and the nozzle was facing us a little bit---outside of the tub---and she says--so seriously frusterated, "Damnit, mama! you sprayed me with the shouwa!" Nice. So, again, I explained. ugh! I really need to watch my mouth. I didn't even realize that I say that but evidently I do?! And she uses it SO appropriately! ha!

Also, she recently told me in the car during one of our really great conversations [I love our car talks], "mama, i'm growing wings...buttafly wings and when I'm all big I'm gonna fly away and live up day-a (there) [points to the sky] in my own house....[she's quiet for a moment, imagining and then says]....mmm hmmm---with Grampa." Oh, nice. She's all ready to leave me AND she doesn't want me to move in with her! Of course she wants Grandpa!

She was crying after I 'scolded' her the other night [I was in a bad mood and later apologized because she really wasn't being that bad] and mid tears, big huge sad tears, she yells, "GRAM-PAAAAA.....[tears, tears]....GRAM-PAAAAAAAAAAAA" Talk about my heart falling out on to the ground, not because she was calling for 'grampa' [I love that they are the best of buddies] but because I had made her feel so sad that she truly wanted him to come save her from mean ol' mama! :(

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Holiday weekend. I enjoyed it with my babes at work. Over the course of the last 5 weeks I have let a new pea-pie sneak into my thoughts and heart at work. He and his family are amazing. AND his mom told me that she thinks I am his favorite nurse! sigh....it's good to hear that sometimes----makes ya feel good! :)

Three red leaves...

A and I had a conversation the other day about leaves and what ones were our most favorite...the colors that is. Hers were blue, of course. Mine are red and have always been red, and then she agreed..."yes, mine are red, too, mama". They are the color of my favorite season. This evening as I was carrying A down my stairs we peeked out our front door window and I saw Three red leaves, small and all on the same branch, right there on my front porch step. There are no trees with changing leaves or bushes with red leaves near by so it made me smile to think these beautiful leaves traveled to make their way to my step...my favorite red leaves, not even 24 hours after I proclaimed them to be my absolute favorite and in a group of three, my absolute favorite number. I love red leaves. And it's the small things, really, that offer such beauty to our lives sometimes. What are your small things? For me, tonight, it's three red leaves...

Jeans shopping...

I hate to shop for jeans. I love jeans, I have an obsession with jeans, I own at least 20 pairs but I HATE to shop for them. Yesterday I did just that. I tried out some new stores I hadn't visited since my high school and first round of college. Abercrombie, American Eagle, Charlotte Russe, and some others. No luck. I am convinced they keep making the sizes smaller. I own a pair of Abercrombie jeans that fit me wonderfully! I love them. When I held up that same size jean at the store yesterday I'm pretty sure they might---MIGHT have fit around one of my legs...maybe an arm. Anyway, I finally went to Express. I usually have luck there. Their jeans allow you to breathe, and they don't cost an insane fortune (as I did not have an insane fortune to spend) and that makes me happy. It's the same Express I typically don't like to go to because of the same sales associate that always helps (hounds) me [I'm thinking I have mentioned her in another post in the past?]. She is very friendly and can be helpful at times but rather annoying. She always calls me "sweetie" and "honey" and I might add uses them quite excessively.

So there I am looking at the wall-o-jeans. She approaches. "Hey, sweetie, would you like me to help you pick out some awesome jeans, honey?"

"No thanks, I can do it on my own but thanks for offering."

"Ok, sweetie. Just so you know the Mia line (one of their lines names, and the line I just so happen to walk in front of first on the wall-o-jeans) is for really tall and skinny build" now she looks me up and down and seriously says, "But since you're more of the average build (grabs her own butt here), not quite so 'little in the middle' and have some more 'junk in the trunk' like myself you might like the Eva's or the Stellas." Of course I could have figured this out since the signs explain the body types they fit and how they fit and even have helpful pictures [Mia jeans: long fit, 'skinny' jeans---right, got it], I really enjoyed having her look me up and down and use such great euphemisms such as 'junk in the trunk'. The kicker here is she was definately a 'Mia' body type and was even wearing a pair! Thankfully, I am comfortable with my body and enjoy having some 'junk in my trunk' and have accepted the fact that I won't be able to particpate in the stylish 'skinny' jean fad, but I was thinking about what if I wasn't? What if I fancied myself a 'Mia' girl and here comes this sales woman letting me know the 'big booty' jeans are on the other side. HA! It makes me laugh just remembering it.

So I find a pair of Stella and Eva jeans to try on (no Mia's, I mean how could I even if I wanted to? She totally called me out and she would see my carrying them to the dressing room! Ironically the Mia jeans do run the full size list all the way up to 12s..I wonder if she redirects those higher more 'average' sizes to rethink their purchase and go with an Eva or a Stella?) Anyway, she lets me in a dressing room after asking me if I have a credit card there. I have finally learned to ALWAYS answer yes to this question. It really eliminates the 'convincing' you to open one and save 8 dollars but pay 20 in intrest! So I enter my dressing room and, Ahhh, I'm free from her for awhile.

Wrong.

She continues to knock on my door every 2 or 3 minutes and say, "You doing okay in there, sweetie?"

"Yes, thanks"

"No problem Honey. Let me know if you need anything, sweetie. I'll be right outside your door if you need me, sweetie-honey"

Enough with the sweeties and honies! But it gets better. She finally says, "What's your name, sweetie?" So I tell her. Then she says (laughing) "Ok, Melissa. Now I can stop calling you sweetie and Honey!" Yes! That would be great! THANK GOD, I think to myself. I just laugh along with her. I'm relieved, we are on a first name basis now. Two minutes go by. Knock! Knock! "Melissa-sweetie, how you doing with your selections? Do you like the fit, Melissa-honey?"[yes, i'm serious, she really did say them both with my name attached] Damn! Now my name has just become hyphenated and added to the sweeties and honies. Bummer. Finally, I make my selections (luckily no Mias would be purchased today, I mean how could I have faced her when she rang me up?).

So, I ended finding two pairs of jeans that I really really like. They fit great for those of us with junkie trunks and not so 'little in the middle', ha! I highly recommend them to you if you are jean shopping, in fact. They are soft and flexible and allow your body to move in them, which as I said before is a nice feature I look for in jeans. Now weather or not the Mias allow for movement, I can't honestly say...I'm more of a Stella and Eva kind of girl :)

She did bring up the credit card a few more times. Saying, "it's too bad you already have one. YOu could have saved [however much] by opening one today." I just had to play along and act really disappointed, if only I could open ANOTHER one!

[ Marla took this pic of M and A. I think it is too cute!]

Not much new here in the big city life. Enjoying the rest of the summer and enjoying the cool nights and loud locusts and crickets at night! Work is going well, not too much new there. We are all doing well with nothing much to update on. I haven't posted in so long I thought I had better post something.

Alex stories<><><><><><><><><>

The talking back has begun. And way before I was expecting it, and in a way I was not expecting it to happen...Whenever T and I say something sternly or in a voice other than the one we typically use she will look down, stick out her bottom lip, make her chin to quiver, and say, "Don't talk like that to me, mama" or "that hurts me, mama, don't say that to me" in a very sad, hurt little voice. Sometimes she can squeeze tears out or sometimes she does without. She has also just begun to say "I AMMMM" if I tell her something she is already doing or in the process of doing, i.e. I say, "finish your dinner" and she says, "I AMMMM!" and the list goes on with that one---I thought that didn't come until they were around pre-teens!! And now when we catch her out of bed at night and we go in to her room she'll make up an excuse as to why she was out of bed, excuses like, "my feet are cold, mama" or "my knees hurt". When I check on her after she is asleep I will find her in a completely different getup than the one I put her in hours before and in the morning there is always a very interesting reason she gives me for outfit change! She seems to be getting a bit wilder. Sometimes she goes from thing to thing to thing I think I may lose my mind sometimes. She pressess my buttons well at times, but it is usually only when she's bored. Oh, and yesterday she told me I was old...but not Grandpa or daddy--they are "young" like her. Nice.