Just One Day

It's not been a great day over here today. I've been attacked by Japanese Beetles that didn't want me to cut back their food source in the landscaping this morning. I've got two kids that don't understand that not every day is a party. Some days are just simply not always going to be fun. Yes, mom does need to actually do some laundry and clean the house if we're going to go on vacation in a few days. Heaven forbid should we get back and find a not so pleasant smell coming from the garbage can or refrigerator. And by the way, the bird's cage needs to be cleaned out as well. Any one up for that pleasant job?

I love being home with my kids this summer and it's been a blast, but I really just need one day by myself so I can get stuff done without being interrupted. Either that or a cleaning lady.

Update: My friend must have sensed from two blocks over that I was majorly stressing today. She asked if Ryan would like to come over and play with her son tomorrow after lunch while I get things done before our trip. Libby, you are the best!

Damn Smokers

Three and a half hours later, we're finally here in Chicago at my mom's house. Three and a half hours. Ugh.

The drive here started out fairly normal until 45 minutes or so in when Ashley started feeling car sick. We pulled over to a gas station about twenty miles past Bloomington, IL and got some crackers for Ash and other yummy's for myself and Ryan.

Back on I55 again, I'm talking to my mom on my cell phone and twenty minutes have passed when I see a sign welcoming us to Bloomington, IL. What the...?! Didn't we just come from that direction? Crap! I went the wrong freaking way - and it took me twenty minutes to figure it out.

I get us back on track and am still fuming over my own stupidity. Ashley is still feeling really sick and Ryan is telling me that he has to go potty - after we've already stopped at a gas station. I sigh, put my turn signal on and pull over to the shoulder. I press the button on my fancy overhead console that magically opens the sliding door on the shoulder side of the road. Ryan gets up and stands in the doorway, does his thing and I close the door - all without having to get out of my minivan. Awesome! You've gotta love having little boys!

We're finally back in route and other than the standard every 10 minute, "Are we there yet?" that comes from Ryan, things seem to be going fine. We merge onto I80, excited to almost be there, when the idiot in the lane next to mine, throws his still smoldering cigarette butt out his window and it hits my windshield dead center!

If it hadn't been for all of the above events that lead us to being exactly where we were in that exact time and place, we wouldn't have been accosted by a smoldering cigarette butt. Weird. I am so glad to be a nonsmoker now! 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days y'all!

So now Ryan and my brother are plastered in front of the TV playing the Lego Star Wars game on PlayStation 3. Little does my 6'7" manly brother know that my daughter is dead serious about him doing her Dance Dance Revolution game with her. She even brought him his very own mat!

Are You Serious? Another One?

I could barely get through the last one, it was so bad. And if it's not bad enough, they've had to look outside of the good ol' USA to find a guy that might possibly not screw up this time? Whatever.