Hump Day

Do the words 'hump day' make you giggle like a prepubescent teenager? 'Cause it does that for me... Eh, well, what can I say, small mind - easily entertained?

I have to say that I am at a loss as to what I should write. I poured my little heart out the past few days in various ways so I have NOTHING. Nothing. Oh I am sure I will come up with something to ramble about here... Aren't you glad?!

I can tell you that Matthew would not go to sleep last night and he woke up in the middle of the night saying his tummy hurt - it did not really hurt (I was not feeling well last evening and I was laying on the couch half asleep feeling yucky and I think he was imitating me and I did not really explain to him why my tummy hurt so he may have been worrying about me in his sleep? Do you think kids do this? Eh, well it was TOO much greeeeasy pizza...).

I think Santana actually woke him up because he (Santana) was being a freaky spaz. Santana wanted to go out 50 times and his stomach kept making crazy ass un dog like noises. Then at 3am it dawned on me that no one feed the dogs last night... Shit. Santana also took it upon himself to not only be loud and annoying most of the night but also to pee on the corner of the couch (likely to let us know how unhappy he was that the poor underfed dog missed his meal... HA) so I had the opportunity to clean up the pee this morning. Yeah for me... Also, Lucy started barking for no good reason at 5:30am. AND. and Kevin slept through it all. That is the part that irks me the most really ;) I finally dragged myself out of bed at 6:15am because I just figured the hell with it. Kevin slept for 40 minutes longer... GROWL.

Err, ah, so how about those striking workers in France? I note this because I have a co-worker who likes to travel the world and she is leaving this evening to go to Paris and then rural France to go the Beaune Wine Auction and wine tasting in Burgundy. I live vicariously through Laura because she is super hip, fun and has this sense of adventure that I hope I can foster down the road once Matthew is older.

I had the chance to go to Europe as a young person but I was truly a petulant teenager and never took my mom up on the offer (Nice segue way, huh?) I wish I had but I did not so it is a place I dream about visiting all the time! I have many relatives who still live in England, The Netherlands and France. I will go one day soon but for now I am really interested in learning some of the traditions from my heritage. I am some what of a mutt - my father's side is Italian and Polish (with some Ukrainian in there as well) but my mom is 100% Dutch.

My mom visited her family in the Netherlands often when I was child and always brought back lovely treats (that surely gave me this mouth full of cavatities but oh my lord, the licorice, stroopwafels, and Hagelslag - oh if you ever have a chance try all these dutch treats and more - makes me drool just thinking about them!) She also would often tell stories about growing up during the war and post war in Holland.

I used to know a handful of dutch words, I could sing songs in dutch, I generally could understand the language when my mom had her parents or sisters to visit and I could count to 20. My mom and I also used to visit this lovely little Dutch store in San Jose my whole life and I miss this place dearly. But that has really been the extent of my Dutch knowledge.

I decided this year now that Matthew is getting older I wanted return to some of my Dutch roots so I am planning to celebrate St Nicholas Day on December 6th as best I can. I may not be very savvy at this so I am going to start out small! I have ordered some stuff from a Dutch web site that I found. That is about all I have done...

My mom even told me how her mother used to do St Nicholas Day (she said they actually started the celebration on November 5th in the evening) There were white and black gloves involved. I highly doubt I will go that far but it was neat to hear her story about how they would celebrate when she was young and the war had ravished most of Europe. I could just imagine what it was like back then - I could just picture my Oma & Opa, my mom and my two aunties giggling over the changing of the gloves all their tiny apartment in The Hague!

I am trying to find an inexpensive pair of wooden shoes but holy crap real wooden shoes direct from Holland (or even a store stateside) are expensive (both the painted and unpainted kind.) So that is what I am planning for December 6th because I am not really stressed out enough for the holidays! In all seriousness, I am very excited to start doing this with my family! Now I just need to come up with some fun little poems for Matthew and Kevin.

Shhhh...

K said to M at dinner last night - "Look at Lucy she is being such a good dog." She was lying there beside the table sleeping while poor neglected (ha ha) Santana was being annoying and eating the food out of M's hand practically.

M looked down at Lucy and stopped any movement. He said very seriously and in a very quiet whisper "Shhhh Daddy. Lucy is asleep." He looked from K to me and back again. He was dead serious. K and I were fighting from laughing. I think I actually squeaked. Any noise we made, M would hold his finger to his lips and say "Shhhh, Lucy is sleeping. Be quiet, Mommy & Daddy." We finally both bust out laughing and M smiled and wagged his finger at us.

Lucy woke up at this point and M looked SO relieved to have Lucy up. He yelled "Lucy's up!"

He has been really into interacting with the dogs much more. He always noted them and liked them but now he wants them to be his "playmates" and he takes care of them most of the time. He wants to feed and pet them or give them hugs & kisses. It is really very cute and we love that he loves them so much! A boy and his dogs... Awwww.

$12 Million Dollar Dog

Okay, I have to admit when my husband and I drew up our will last year, we included our dogs in there. We set aside enough money for someone to take them and care for them for a period of time. We are talking a couple thousand. We wanted to ensure that if something happened to both of us, Santana & Lucy would not be left behind (or in Lucy's case end up right back at the animal shelter.) We LOVE our dogs.

Santana is my baby, a Jack Russell/Fox terrier mix - we got him when he was SIX weeks old and he almost died from Parvo. We used every bit of our savings at the time to keep him alive. I sobbed every day the entire week he was in the animal hospital and the most horrible moment was when the vet said 'you should probably go say good bye to your dog because it does not look good.' Two days later he came home with us having survived the ordeal - literally skin and bones. My wee pup who is yippy, loving and annoyingly jealous of Lucy. He licks and gets "right up in your grill" as one of our friends put it.

Lucy is the rescue dog, a lab terrier mix. We brought her come weeks before we found we were pregnant (ACK!) She was a mess. Clearly have been abused - she is terrified of women and dotes on Kevin. She would not sit near us and the only place she felt comfortable was pressed up against a wall as far away from anyone as possible. She had mange on her chest and stomach. She hated being on a leash, someone kicked and/stepped on this dog regularly because she could freak out when you touched her ribs and paws. She is much better now two and a half years later but she is still an odd ball. She loves me now but in a weird 'I am scared you will haul off and beat me' sort of way. She is a gentle 'giant' which is relative since Lucy is actually quite small. She will take food from your hand without even touching it barely and loves a good lick. That tongue is all over your face all the time. She is a spaz but we love her nonetheless. I will dig up some photos to post...

BUT still... Can you imagine leaving $12m for the dog AND nothing to your grand kids???? WOWZA.

Dude, think of all the people that money could have helped in the world... Strange lady.

Five Reasons...

I got out of bed this morning (and most mornings for that matter...)

1. ) To see M's smiling face over the rim of his crib (and get a sloppy wet kiss and one of those amazing hugs!)

2.) To take a long hot shower that relaxes me

3.) To let Santana and Lucy out (and I was happy about that because Santana actually let me sleep through the night last night unlike the night before...)

4.) To hear M giggle and laugh and yell "Sant-ana, Ucy, get in crates NOW" while clutching their treats high above his head - HE IS SUCH A BIG BOY NOW!!!

5.) To get to my job which I love and I realize every day I am grateful that I have it to go to.

Your turn!