Random Thoughts and Musings

Yesterday, you read about the Wedding Day. Today, I’ll tell you about our trip home … which was fun and relaxed, despite the circumstances.

We were all fairly bummed out about having to leave early. Tween-no-more was going to miss the SECOND surprise party we had planned for her, we were not going to get to hang out with the family after the wedding, and we were missing our chance to socialize with the new bride (who had been too busy preparing on Friday to really spend any time with all of us). However, as any of you can relate, I am sure, the children come first. And Baby S needed to be near her own doctors, and people who were familiar with her medical history, should whatever virus was being passed around hit her harder than it hit anyone else.

We changed into travel clothes and hopped in the van, making a quick pit-stop at WalMart for ice, gatorade, pedialite, and fresh snacks for the other munchkins. Once we had the coolers situated, we got moving as quickly as possible. We only hit one traffic snafu, and it was minor - thank goodness! B & I had tried to work out a way from Tween-no-more and I to stay for the rest of the night, but the cost just worked out to be far too much. Tween-no-more had been told about the ‘after’ party in her honor by then, and was slightly bummed about missing it … but she was more upset because she thought it was her fault Baby S was sick, despite all of us trying to reassure her otherwise.

Despite the circumstances, we were all in fairly good spirits. Baby S was lethargic all morning, which had us worried, but she had revived some just before we left the reception. The kids were all calm, relaxed, and happy to rest and play with their goody bag items. Tween-no-more was given the back seat to herself, so she could lay down if necessary. All four older kids were given a small dose of dramamine so we wouldn’t take any chances with car sickness, since time was of the essence.

B, C, and I were worried about Baby S, but otherwise relaxed and in good moods. We were all very happy coming away from the wedding - it was truly beautiful. The three of us joked around about B’s spontaneity the previous trip, about C & I fighting on Friday, and about everyone we met Friday night (there were LOTS of dogs involved). We joked about my not getting Jack in the box (I had resigned myself), despite craving it so much. We teased each other about various things.

We also spent some time telling the kids how proud of them we were, for their behavior on the first car trip, for their good spirits on Friday despite the circumstances, and for their roles and behavior during the wedding. They all did such a great job, and they were impressively well-behaved - especially knowing what monsters they can be under normal circumstances! 

The kids did ask to watch one movie … but they otherwise occupied themselves for the remainder of the trip, falling asleep early in the evening and staying asleep most of the trip home. 

Baby S was irritable and agitated - she didn’t want to be in her seat, so she would fuss and cry to be let out. Once she was out, she didn’t want to nurse like we thought: she just wanted to play. Little stinker. We were happy that her fever stayed low-grade, and did not spike up again. Tween-no-more was still running a low-grade too, at times, though it was not consistent. Tylenol seemed to do the trick for her.

We ended up stopping at a Wendy’s when Baby S started fussing again. We wanted to make sure she was well-fed and changed. The Wendy’s we stopped at was FABULOUS - far better than our local Wendy’s. As we walked in, I joked that we would hit a Jack-in-the-Box 20 minutes up the road (we hadn’t seen on in quite a while). The fries were crisp and salted, the sandwiches were fresh and delicious, the tea was friggin sweet (WOOOT!), and the decorations were awesome. It was a combined store/Wendy’s/gas station … the store sold wood furniture, and the Wendy’s had solid wood tables and chairs that were gorgeous. 

After dinner, the kids fell asleep rather quickly. The adults sang (badly) to the radio, chatted, and read. I was working on a fill-in puzzle when C suddenly burst out with, “Oh my God!” and slapped her hands over her mouth. I glanced up, and saw what she had seen: a damn Jack in the Box sign. Go figure! She told B they should have put it into the GPS (we hadn’t thought of it before, because baby S was crying and we knew we needed to stop for her). I was laughing, but slightly (very very very very slightly) annoyed. 

The trip home was relatively easy. B stopped for gas, and C & I went in to change the baby … except we walked into the restroom and about died from the smell, so we ran out. C changed the baby in the van, and while i was tossing the diaper, she asked B to go to the gas station across the street. He was annoyed with us, but complied. We ran in & used the facilities, bought B some jerky, and bought C some coffee. 

As we were sitting in the parking lot so C could nurse Baby S (she’s weaning, but still night-nurses … she had been nursed earlier in the day, but only because she was sick and needed fluids), B went inside to look around for snacks. C and I witnessed a hilarious (and a little worrisome) argument. Two women were in a small van, pumping gas. One got in to drive, the other had gone in to pay and to pick up some items - she was trashed. Ms. Trashed got back into the van, and started screaming at her friend, who screamed back. As the friend/driver started the van & tried to pull out, Ms. Trashed started hitting her and screaming some more. The friend/driver stopped the van about halfway between the pumps and the parking spaces, and started dialing her phone. Ms. Trashed got out of her side of the vehicle and walked around to the driver’s side, using a key to unlock the door. The friend/driver got partway out, continued talking agitatedly into the phone. Ms. Trashed grabbed her by the hair and yanked her out. The friend/driver stood in the doorway and continued to block Ms. Trashed’s way into the vehicle, but then Ms. Trashed stared slapping at her and screaming again. Finally, the friend/driver tossed her hands up, turned the vehicle off, took her keys, and walked into the store. Ms. Trashed climbed into the driver’s seat, started the vehicle with her own key, and slammed on the gas. We thought she’d hit the car not too far away, but she didn’t. Then, she made a fast loop back through the parking lot -coming within a few feet of our huge van. The friend/driver came out of the store and started walking towards the road (presumedly to walk home), and Ms. Trashed came flying through the parking lot again. She came dangerously close to our vehicle again, and then we thought she was going to aim for her friend, but luckily she headed back out towards the street and drove off in the opposite direction her friend was walking. We hope she was pulled over, and that the friend was on the phone with the police, but we’re not sure. We got Baby S buckled in and got on the highway and drove away as quickly as possible.

So, on the drive home, the only drama found was not our own drama, but someone else’s!

A little after 1 am, i finished reading a book & closed my eyes. I kept thinking I was falling asleep, but I would open my eyes and it would only be two minutes later. I laughed at myself and told C & B, and so B told both C & I to get some sleep so we wouldn’t all be too tired to deal with the kids when we got home.

Friends in Low Places came on the radio, so we all sang it together, then C lay back to try and sleep. Baby S woke up, so i sang her to sleep, then settled in myself. For some reason, I could not sleep straight through … I’d fall asleep pretty hard and then wake up to settle Baby S back down, or to switch positions in my seat. I heard Friends in Low Places three more times while I was supposed to be sleeping, which makes me wonder why it was so popular that night! 

B made it home without feeling drowsy and needing to pull over (thank you, Red Bull), so we made it home about 4 a.m. Later that evening, after he made us dinner, he made fun of C & I for snoring while we slept in the car. *L*

So, that is the conclusion of our trip … the actual driving times went well, while the rest of it seemed to have nothing but missteps and crap happening … which we found kind of funny. Normally, people have a great time on vacation, but the trip itself is difficult. Go figure.

Luckily, Baby S didn’t vomit anymore. She did have one more runny poop diaper, and she had only one wet diaper. But, she didn’t get any more ill. C said she woke with a fever on Sunday, but then she went most of the day without having the fever resurface, so that is good news!!

xoxo

Yesterday you read about our not-so-fun Friday. That brings us to Saturday, the day of the wedding, and the reason for our travels. M.T. and K.N. (now K.T.), I love you both and hope you truly have a lifetime of love, laughter, respect, admiration, and unity.

Saturday morning, we all got packed up and dressed. I wore a completely different dress than any of the ones i had on the blog (it was a last minute find, and ended up being perfect because it was in shades of blue!). I’ll post pics when I can find them. We went to the Chapel to dress the kids in their wedding attire, and while there, Baby S showed signs of not feeling well. She stayed with me the whole time, sleeping (unusual: she likes to be in on everything).

If you remember, Tween-no-more, Lil B, and Lil K were all invited to be train bearers. Lil C was the ring bearer. Lil B & Tween-no-more had matching dresses and necklaces, and silver sandals. All three girls wore matching veils in their hair (K.N.’s mom made them!). Lil K wore a slightly frillier, little-girl-dress and white flip flops with jewels on them. We finished getting the girls ready right on time (a little silver eyeshadow and lip gloss for all three girls, a small amount of eyeliner for tween-no-more, hair pulled partially back away from their faces, but left down to show off the veils), and the kids headed to the back to get ready to walk down the aisle. B and Lil C wore tuxes, of course, and all the men in the wedding party had been gifted cufflinks.

C & I took our seats for the ceremony with her sister, A. A’s oldest son was also a part of the wedding: one of the groomsmen (so friggin CUTE!). 

The mothers came out first, and lit the unity candle. Then the wedding party came down and took their places. C.J. was so handsome standing up with his two Uncles (C & A & M.T’s brother, M - who is also my boss - was the best man; B was a groomsman, and then one of M.T.’s local friends was a groomsman). Little C came down the aisle with the ring pillow (adorable … friggin adorable!). The bride walked down the aisle to You Are So Beautiful, and her groom was teary-eyed as he watched his leading lady come down the aisle towards him. And she really, truly was beautiful … her dress was a magnificent beaded off the shoulder white gown with gold and silver accents. She had a royal train and full veil. Absolutely gorgeous. The vows were sweet, and the bride could barely contain her tears. The kiss was scrumptious - WOOT!

During the ceremony, Baby S spiked a fever. Just as the wedding was over and the newly-married couple walked back down the aisle together, she threw up all over C. We took her into the bathroom, got her cooled down a bit, cleaned her up, and then went out to the car for the thermometer and tylenol. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get Baby S’s temp down, so we decided to stay and feed the kids, do the wedding photos, and then head on out to go home. The reception was great - the bride & groom danced, the couple danced with the parents and new in-laws, the kids all danced, the bride & groom made the rounds and thanked everyone individually for coming and participating. Food was served. The garter and bouquet were tossed. The cake was cut and eaten. Even though we could not stay the entire time, we had a great time (and Baby S’s fever stayed down while i snuggled her so mom & dad could spend time with their family). 

Tomorrow, read about our trip home. We left several hours earlier than originally planned, because we were rushing to try and get Baby S home to her own doctors, in case she became seriously ill.

xoxo

Yesterday, you probably giggled over our hotel fiascos … today, read about the “Free day Friday” fun …

The next morning was … bad. *L* Lil B & I woke up early to go down and get the birthday girl’s breakfast so she can have breakfast in bed. Only, the continental breakfast was not only not free, it was $10/person (yes, for mini boxes of cereal or a bagel - WTFE!!) … a fact we did not realize. We got back up to the room, found out the birthday girl wasn’t feeling well. I didn’t have a car, so I had to wait for C & B & the kids to wake up. I’d been texting for nearly two hours at that point, trying to find out if they were awake. I got back into my pj’s and crawled back in bed (it was 8:30, but i’d been awake since before 6 am).

C calls to say they plan to go get breakfast in a little while … only she’s at my door much quicker than I expect, rushing us. She snaps at me to hurry, I snap at her that I am trying, I had to wait for her daughter to finish up first. She snaps again, so I snap back that she can just go, I’ll walk or take a cab. It was more involved and uglier … but that is the basic concept. It didn’t make either of us happy - we hate fighting, and we hate when it isn’t resolved within a few minutes (normally we snap, say our piece, and it is over). They head out the door to go to breakfast, I head out right after them and walk to the gas station down the road. They end up AT the gas station, getting gas (of course). I walked over and we sniped some more, cried, then apologized, and it was over. The argument *actually* stemmed from the fact that the plans had been changed FOR us, and neither of us like when that happens. We hadn’t been given full information, and things were being shifted to change our full day, which we had planned around having fun at the botanical gardens.

With the birthday girl not feeling well, I tell C & B to go on without us, and we’ll see them for the gathering that night for the wedding rehearsal. They offer to call before they head out to the gardens, so I said that would be great.

In an effort to help my daughter feel better, I fed her breakfast in bed, flipped the tv to something she would enjoy, and let her relax and nap the morning away. After a couple of hours, I took her down to the hot tub b/c her tummy still wasn’t feeling well. I figured if we could encourage the inevitable to happen quicker, all the better. We went down to the hot tub, enjoyed it for 7 minutes (i watched the timer), walked around the hotel a bit, then headed upstairs. As we walked up to our door, she said to hurry b/c she though mebbe she was going to be sick. Poor kid puked for about five minutes straight (anyone who has had the pleasure knows it feels like five hours). I gave her mouthwash and water to rinse, tucked her into bed, let her sleep another hour. Woke her up with water and semi-flat soda. In the meantime, BFF had called & I told her to go on w/o us b/c the birthday girl was definitely sickly. She told me about the surprise party the wedding couple had arranged for the birthday girl that evening. I told her I would do everything in my power to make sure she was feeling better by then.

They came back a little earlier than planned, to hit the pool. They said the gardens were absolutely beautiful (and it was free!), but it was really REALLY hot out there. They were all drenched with sweat just from walking around, and it was 95 degrees in the shade. Yikes! Good thing I didn’t try to talk my siccie gyrl into going … she would have ended up in the hospital! They also had lunch that the onsite restaurant. They were handed a menu, which was pricey, but had some delicious meals listed. Then, the waitress said, “Oh, the kitchen is only minimally staffed, so we can only offer you salads, this soup, and this, this, and this, sandwich.” Jeeeeez louise!

Evening came around, we headed over to the wedding rehearsal dinner … but the birthday girl had to go lay down, isolated from everyone else. She didn’t feel like she could eat or drink, and she might be sick again. We left her with TV & a cool washcloth for her head (she sprouted a fever, of course), and headed over to meet our  new nephew (BFF’s younger brother & his lovely bride-to-be had a baby a few months after Baby S was born … we didn’t get to meet him, b/c of Baby S’s health concerns). We saw the groom’s cake being decorated (Bride’s mom did a fabulous job with all of the cakes), socialized, and then went out to the front porch, where BFF’s brother joined us to chat a while. I had kidnapped the baby and was enjoying making him break out into gorgeous smiles (he looks so serious when he’s not smiling!), just like his daddy’s. The food arrived (brisket, beans, and tater salad), so we ate. The bride showed up and we gave her hugs and kisses. We caught a brief glance of the bride’s special photo in her wedding dress (absolutely gorgeous). The evening was a success despite my sweetheart being sick on her special birthday (#13!).

We asked how they wanted to handle the birthday surprise party, and if we could do it outside so the birthday girl wouldn’t infect anyone else … and the bride offered to have the party the following day, after the wedding and official reception. We asked if she was sure, because it was her day, and she said absolutely - a 13th birthday was something a girl should enjoy. I have the greatest friends, truly! Not many brides would be willing to share their day!

So, we packed up to go back to our hotel (the birthday girl did manage to eat some food, though not much). Once there, I convinced the hotel bar to get me a piece of apple pie although the restaurant was closed. They also found me a candle, and so my sweet gyrl got a birthday slice of apple pie.

I am sure you all know that the worst fights can be with the ones you love most. Luckily, BFF & I know each other well enough to know when we’re fighting because there is a problem, and when we’re fighting because of stress. And, also luckily, her husband knows how to laugh at us and let it go … he doesn’t try to get in the middle of it, and he waits til the right moment to try and diffuse the situation so that we do not turn on him.

So, “free day Friday” was not nearly as “fun” as originally planned. Honestly, though, we made the best of what we could do, and none of us came away feeling awful about the day (other than the arguing, which we know by now to just let go of … ). Tomorrow, read about the wedding day …

xoxo

Yesterday, you read about the trip out … here is what happened when we arrived in Texas.

We got to the hotel a little later than planned because … well, because B forgot the ‘east’ on the address when he put it into the GPS system. *Grins* We went on a nice little tour of the countryside, found a beautiful house we would have LOVED staying in, and realized they wouldn’t likely enjoy us knocking on their door expecting rooms. *giggles* B decided this was us being spontaneous again, and while he was really aggravated b/c he was tired (he worked the night before we started our drive, and got home at 7:30 am, we were on the road by 8 am), he was really trying to stay in a good mood. 

Once we were in the hotel and checked in (the Radisson in south Ft Worth, 100 Altamesa Blvd East - FABULOUS, BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL hotel!), we headed up to our rooms. They had reserved a king for me, when I requested two doubles, but at least they were able to find me the two doubles with no problem. However, we get to our rooms, to find out B & C’s room has one king bed with no pullout sofa. They have four kids with them … this is not *quite* going to work. LOL 

We head back down, get a second set of rooms. We’re really excited b/c now we’re next door to each other rather than down the hall from one another, which means we can unlock the door between us and open up our rooms. Except … their room is STILL wrong. LOL

We head back down again, and B & C are given a room down the hall. :/ They had a pull out sofa this time, but it is small … so Lil B spent the night with us, and shared a bed with my daughter. Feels odd that I can no longer call her Tween … i need a new nickname, b/c Teen just doesn’t have the same fun ring to it!

Stay tuned for the “free day Friday” fun …

xoxo

Yesterday, you read about our arrival home, and Tween-no-more’s birthday party. Today, I’ll take you through our trip to Texas. 

The trip to Texas was wonderful - despite being in the car from 8 am til 10:30ish pm, we had a GREAT time. BFF & I chatted with her hubby, took care of the kids, and were in high spirits. We laughed - a LOT - and sang, read, made fun of B (her hubby), and drank sweet tea (we bought a gallon at Publix - they have fabulous sweet tea!).

C and I had put together “goody” bags for the trip. Each of the four older kids got a canvas bag filled with fun things to do - puzzle books, coloring books, drawing paper, games to play, puzzles, things to read, etc etc etc. I had done the shopping at the dollar spot in Target and in the Dollar Tree store. 

B & C also have a travel dvd player with two 7″ screens in their van. Normally, the kids would be asking for movies constantly … they were so engrossed in their trip bags, it took them over an hour to ask for their first movie - and that was only because B asked if we had the movies with us! They did watch two movies … but mostly, they talked amongst themselves, played with their goodies, had a couple of snacks, and slept. We were a few hours into the trip before anyone asked if we were there yet (they usually ask pretty quickly), and it was about 3 hours into the trip before the first car sick episode occurred. Lil K succumbed to the upset tummy and got her blanket filthy. Poor kid.

C had mentioned she’d like Cracker Barrel for lunch, so B took us on a nice hour-long detour while he searched for a CB that the GPS swore was 6.6 miles away. Problem was, the GPS took us in a nice loop through this old town (there was a beautiful Church & cemetery there - if it had been BFF & I alone, we would have explored the cemetery … B isn’t as much for spontaneity-and the kids were starting to get hungry, but he does try [he’s such a great husband, father, and friend … always tries to incorporate what C, all the kids, and my daughter and I want]).  

We finally got to a CB in another town, had lunch, and hopped back on the road. I didn’t feel well after lunch (go figure) and I hadn’t slept the night before the trip (I did sleep about 2 hours in the car before lunch tho), so I got Baby S settled in, and then took another nap. Once I woke up, C & I resumed picking on B, letting him know we didn’t mean for his spontaneity initiation to take place before lunch when the kids were getting hungry, nor did we really expect him to play along. :) 

I started noticing Jack in the Box signs … when we lived in Cali, C & I used to LOVE going to Jack in the Box with the kids. The one near us was fabulous, and the toys were always far more fun than the McDonald’s equivalent. When we started seeing the signs, I started getting cravings, big time. C & I talked it up, so B said we could go there after the family gathering after the wedding on Saturday (the reception was early afternoon - about 1pm - so the kids would be hungry again by then). WOOT! 

Tomorrow, read about our hotel arrival.

xoxo

We had QUITE the weekend! I wrote this post out, and it was a novel, so I decided to get a few days worth of posts out of it.

I’ll start with Sunday (yesterday), and then through the week you’ll get a little tidbit from the weekend’s fun.

We got home around 4ish. As in a.m. Daughter and I grabbed all our gear and tossed it into our backseat, then drove the five minutes home. She decided to stay awake (she’d rested plenty in the far back of the van: she had a whole seat to herself), but I went to bed and crashed. She tried to wake me for Church, but I couldn’t even understand what she was saying, much less get out of bed and drive the thirty minutes to our Church. I watched the service online at night, instead.

We went back to BFF’s to hang out and relax for the afternoon, then B made a delicious steak dinner with mashed potatoes and corn. BFF had gone to the store and bought some stuff to make a special cake for Tween-no-more’s birthday, and we FINALLY had a birthday celebration. I have the greatest, most wonderful, friends ever. I know BFF didn’t get but 2-3 hours of sleep … and it takes all day to bake a cake and decorate with icing and toys. She’s wonderful. <3