May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 3

[tigger137]

Never heard of December as the forgotten month for birthdays, but it sure makes sense. I feel for you, with an early January birthday here, don't know how many people have forgotten it (hangovers??) or how many times my mom used the excuse at Christmas, "This is for Christmas AND your birthday!" People are just kind of party-ed out by 1/5! (Personally, I kind of like it as I don't tend to like all the fuss!)

Carolyn

As someone who has their birthday just 2 days before Christmas I know just what you mean.....my brother's birthday is also the day before mine (just a year younger). We even used to get presents between us, for Christmas & birthday....must've have saved people loads of money!

My poor parents though didn't organise that very well eh?

My birthday is New Year's Day and I've always hated it. Although my parents made a point of not giving me a joint Christmas/birthday present, it always seemed like the birthday present was just one they kept over for a week. Then 51 weeks with nothing while my siblings and kids at school had birthdays to look forward to. As an adult, everyone celebrates New Year's Eve so even going out for a meal on my birthday is either impossible or unsuccessful. And even my family seem incapable of grasping that no mail will be delivered on my birthday (UK public holiday) so cards are generally late, if they arrive at all.

When I got married my DH suggested I swapped my birthday to a date in the summer. But my mother was horrified so I didn't do it, and after she died I decided it was too late to bother.

It's reassuring to see that some of you have had similar experiences. My DH can't understand why I get depressed about it, when it's been the same for so long now, why I can't just accept it. And I don't know either - any psychiatrists out there that could explain it to me?!

 

[clynne]

When I got married my DH suggested I swapped my birthday to a date in the summer.

Just go ahead and do it! I've known families that celebrated half-birthdays, six months into their year...or unbirthdays chosen out of the blue because the birthday falls during a busy time of the year. Pick a day, make a plan (or let DH make the plans), tell everyone and have a great birthday!! (This from the gal who didn't have a birthday party until she turned 18 away at college and, then, somehow managed to have two in one night!)

Carolyn

 

[lillygator]

so the game has started and they are still here. I left to get some Hooter wings which are going to be ruined in the oven. FIL took John to Home Depot to get something...just ruins the whole Sunday sitting around.

 

[kimerinc]

Kim, we figured this was an Easter thing, but just reading it with no context to put it in just made me . Cousin is crazy for putting his arm around a stranger and the rest of the family is on top of a hill rolling eggs down it! I just got this visual and .

Actually that is exactly what it looked like and when you put it that way, I am still laughing. Of course, when Brad did that, we were laughing so hard we could not stand up straight so we looked even wierder!

 

[HollyTyler]

Have fun, Holly!! The BEST time we've ever had at Chuck E. Cheese was on a weekday morning! We'd been to TWO parties there the weekend before that were madhouses, so we'd left early (bad mom!) and I promised to bring the kids back early. We were the first family in and had the place to ourselves for almost an hour. Heaven!

Carolyn

Up until last September, I only worked 3 days a week, so we used to go there on weekday mornings too. It was great to have the place almost to ourselves, with the exception of another family or 2. But now that I work every day, we're stuck with all the crowds whenever we go. It's still fun though!

Don't think you can post a throw away comment and not have someone pick up on it, young lady!

Carolyn

Just can't help myself! He's a cutie and I'm hooked.

 

[HollyTyler]

I have no idea who or what Chuck E Cheese is by the way.....but I'm guessing it's like McDonalds or something?????

www.chuckecheese.com

Very popular place when I was a kid in the 1980s.

In the 80s when I was a kid, we didn't have Chuck E. Cheese in our city. It was Showbiz Pizza, which is owned by the same company I think. Same thing, just different characters on stage. My mom absolutely hated taking me there, but managed to suffer through it a couple times.

Chuck E Cheese is a big indoor playhouse for chidren - mostly younger than 10. There are video games, structures to play in. You can get tickets for winning the games and then turn the tickets in for prizes. They have pizza, salad, etc. It is very noisy, children love it.
It also has a stage with robotic furry characters who play in a band. Chuck E. Cheese is the lead singer, there's a bird dressed as a cheerleader who sings, a dog who plays a guitar (I think), an italian guy named Luigi playing some other instrument (and dressed in a chef outfit), and a big furry purple monster named Munch playing the keyboard. They do a show every 15 minutes or so, then the curtains close around them in between acts. Somebody comes out in a Chuck E. Cheese costume to play with the kids, does the hokey pokey with the kids, tosses game tokens or prize tickets on the ground for the kids to scramble over. He usually holds a sign up first that says "Follow me" and leads the kids all through the place like the Pied Piper. Really fun! I absolutely love it!
Unfortunately, ours near us has had a few incidents. Most notably a little girl was reportedly attacked in the play structure by a 13 year old boy (whose mother was asleep in her car). My second to youngeset (3 years old at the time) was pushed by some older girl in the playstructure - it was after that incident that I did research and found out about the other incident. We had just moved here, so weren't aware of its reputation. We haven't been to that location since.

HOWEVER, they all of course are not like that. I'm sure the one Holly goes to is completely safe. Probably has something to do with where they are located. It did highlight to me to pay special attention when we are visiting play structures that have hidden areas where adults can not see. I'm sharing in case others haven't thought about this. I had never thought about it until our incident with our 3 year old. I was SO mad...I tried to find the girl, but it was hard to rely on my 3 year old's description. I reported it to the staff and they were just like "oh well." That is when I knew this particular place was mismanaged. More answer than anyone asked for!

Lisa

Lisa, what an awful experience you and your kids had there! We've never had anything like that happen, but I can surely see how it could happen. There was an incident, however, when he went with his dad and stepmom to Caesarland (another similar place, but without the characters--it's part of Little Caesars Pizza) and a boy bit Tyler on his chest so hard, he had a perfect circle of teeth surrounding his little ni _ _ le, it turned into a big bruise! His dad and stepmom were furious and tried to find the boy and his parents, but told me they were nowhere in sight. Probably got out of dodge pretty quickly when they saw 2 angry parents coming towards them!

We had an incident when Tyler was 3 at McDonalds. He came out of the play structure and told me a bigger boy pushed him down, so I told him to just stay away from him and play with other kids instead. Then, as I watched, I saw that bigger boy walk right up to him for no reason at all and shove him down, really hard! I was up in those tubes before I even realized what I was doing, and told the other boy, "Excuse me, but we don't play like that. It's not nice to push kids, especially kids smaller than you. If I see it happen again, I will let your mother know you're not playing nice." I didn't raise my voice, just calmly spoke to him. Well, his mother was LIVID! She came barrelling up the tubes and started yelling at me for "disciplining" her child (which I did not do). I remained calm and tried to reassure her, but it was no use. I just had to walk away and ignore her comments to her son about how he can play however he wants. Sheesh!

 

[HollyTyler]

Wow, V, I'm impressed! Only thing I could ever sew was little sunsuits for the girls. I did try to make a leisure suit for DrHug years ago , but the collar just wouldn't go together right. Kind of a Lucy does sewing thing.

Could be worse! I can't sew at all. I'm ashamed to say this, but thank goodness for Tyler's wonderful stepmom! Whenever a button falls off, or he gets a small rip in some clothes, he says, "It's OK....Sheilah can sew it." So I failed in one aspect of parenting. Not the end of the world. And I know it makes her feel good to be a part of things in that way, so it works!

Gee....I can't cook or sew....gonna be hard to keep Alejandro around! Good thing I'm super nice.....and funny!

 

[HollyTyler]

We do not like Chuck E Cheese. It is a loud pizza place with game machines that give tickets for prizes and a rat that performs! We have a Bullwinkles here that we like much better for the kids. Same idea, pizza and game machines with prizes, but the difference is that the tables where you eat are in a separate room so you can get away from the noise for a minute. Bullwinkles also has go-karts and mini-golf.

Bullwinkles sounds really fun! Tyler loves mini-golf already...wish they had Bullwinkles around here.

Up until last September, I only worked 3 days a week, so we used to go there on weekday mornings too. It was great to have the place almost to ourselves, with the exception of another family or 2. But now that I work every day, we're stuck with all the crowds whenever we go. It's still fun though!

Fun AND wore him out! Tyler's snoring on the couch and he doesn't take naps anymore! So much for wanting to ride his bike! Too cold for that anyway. It would need to be above 40 for me to consider that...it's only in the 30s right now. Brrrrrrrr!!!

(There I go, quoting myself again....I have entirely too much time on my hands!)

 

[clynne]

So, Holly, Tyler's back to his normal self now??? (Very nice comment about his dad's wife, btw...keeping it positive for him is really important!)

Carolyn

 

[lillygator]

now, I never said I could sew!!! I was going to try! I have tons of ideas....but the sewing machine was gone before I got there...I was bummed....! We do have one, but it belonged to DH's grandmother and it is probably an antique.....!

The Outlawz are gone, we are watvhing the Gators who are getting beaten at the moment. ..... COME ON GUYS! GET IT TOGETHER. I'm not a huge fan or anything.

 

[HollyTyler]

So, Holly, Tyler's back to his normal self now??? (Very nice comment about his dad's wife, btw...keeping it positive for him is really important!)

Carolyn

Yup, he's his normal self. Whatever was going on is done with. I'm sort of leaning towards constipation, especially after a few questions I asked Tyler.

His dad, his dad's wife, and I all get along really well. She's been a part of Tyler's life since he was a baby, so he just thinks of her as another parent. It's clear how much he loves her, just as he does his dad and I, and she has made it clear to me many times that she wants me to let her know if I ever think she's overstepping any boundaries. In fact, I even went to their wedding last September. People think it's strange, but we all think there's no reason for us not to get along because we want Tyler to grow up as stable as possible in a split home. After all, he didn't ask to be put in this situation, so we feel we owe it to him to make it as easy as possible for him. I get along well with his dad's family, and even Sheilah's family. And both of their families have even met some of my family. Everybody knows everybody and gets along, so far. He's one lucky little boy to have so many people who love him!

 

[lillygator]

CEC, I went as a child...and I took Samantha to a birthday party....what a madhouse...I had the worst headache when leaving there...but ours is in Bradenton and there isn't one in Sarasota, so that was the one and probably only time we'll make it there.

 

[clynne]

far. He's one luck little boy to have so many people who love him!

Yes, he is!!

Carolyn

 

[lillygator]

Holly - that is fantastic what you and your ex are doing for your son. Divorce is a tough situation, my mother is working on her third and she couldn't have been more bitter throughout each one of them. I would have loved for everyone to get along. To this day I still have seperate "parties" (birthday, xmas, tgiving) because she is unable to deal with my dad rationally.

 

[HollyTyler]

Holly - that is fantastic what you and your ex are doing for your son. Divorce is a tough situation, my mother is working on her third and she couldn't have been more bitter throughout each one of them. I would have loved for everyone to get along. To this day I still have seperate "parties" (birthday, xmas, tgiving) because she is unable to deal with my dad rationally.

That's how my parents are, so I certainly understand. Well, actually, it's my stepmom who is bitter about my mom. My mom and my dad can get along if they have to, but then my stepmom would go into a jealous rage. So we have to go to their houses separately for every holiday and it's a complete pain in the booty.

Tyler's dad and stepmom and I actually discussed having one giant birthday party for him instead of having one at his dad's and one at mine. Makes sense because of course, Tyler wanted his friends to go to both parties last year and of course, that doesn't work, so since I had his party here first, they all came here and none could come to his dad's party. I didn't know about his dad's party until after inviting kids to the party at our house....otherwise, I would have invited 1/2 the kids and had his dad invite the other 1/2. So we're thinking of just doing it all together this year and if that works, will continue doing that. Seems like a major undertaking though, but I know they will both help.

 

[LiserAnn]

I think that is a good idea but we would have to ask everyone who gave us their email address if we could share their address. What do you think Lisa?

Most people are already giving me their email addresses....but not everyone, but there are a good number of email addresses on the list!

 

[lillygator]

Oh I'll give my email and street address....I figure I am not a likely target for stalking!!

Holly - one birthday would be such fun! I get upset (tummy troubles) when holidays or birthdays come around...I mean, I am not divorced yet I have to arrange everything as if I were....! The whole problem lies with my mother though, and I always try and take the high road...she is my mother and no matter her faults I love her and try and respect her decisions she has made throughout her life.

Come on GATORS!!!! Bily is about to blow a gasket!

 

[lillygator]

do they really need to post the teams colors every five minutes?? COME ON GATORS, get it together!

 

[Mom323]

My goodness, what a lot there was to catch up on today!!!!

Well, we went to London yesterday, my sister and I and our Mum. had a lovely time all 3 of us and decided we really don't do it often enough.

If anyone goes to London and Harrods, do try their afternoon tea in the Georgian Restaurant. It's really wonderful! Felt extremely civilised to be drinking champagne and hvaing tea, sandwiches, scones & cakes I think Mum really liked her surprise so I'm please.

While we were in town we saw a great parade by the Irish Guards outside Buckingham palace too, as we drove by in our taxi. That was an added bonus! (We kidded Mum it was just in her honour of course!)

I'm a little sad today so could do with a hug or 2 as my 'baby' is n't here to wish me a Happy Mother's day, for the first time ever. She's still over in germany on her college trip, hopefully having a blast.

OK...back to catching up.......

Happy Mother's Day!!!

 

[lillygator]

I love how Noah gets elbowed in the you know what and HE gets the foul....come on!