California Dreamin' , Part One

We just returned from our family trip to Orange County....or as I call it the "Potty in the U.S.A Tour 2010" (I pee in the pot like yeah, mom likes it a lot oh yeah) - Connor's reward for finally graduating from pull ups and into full time big boy underwear!!! We started our trip a day earlier than anticipated, because I fell for California's oldest trick in the book....the threat of incliment weather later in the week (I lived there how many years? It NEVER happens!!!) but it meant an extra day in the OC, so who cares. The first night we spent in Vegas, and that was just swimming and chillaxin' in the room. The real fun begins when we hit, the happiest place on Earth, the house of the Mouse....Disneyland!!!

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Highlights of the Day.....
-Connor on the Disneyland Railroad yelling "Toot Toot" and "All Aboard!!" - He says that was his favorite ride
-Connor wanted to go in Sleeping Beauty's Castle....twice!
-Getting on Pirates of the Caribbean with no wait! (Though I think this scared Connor a bit, I really enjoyed it)
-Meeting Minnie Mouse (though it's kind of hard to tell by the picture, he warmed up to her of course, after picture taking was done)
-Getting to go on It's a Small World - after all, as it was closed most of the day
-Lonny seeing that there was not one little boy in line to meet the princesses and opting not to wait in line to do so (Connor loves him some princesses)
-The awesome fireworks show (that was apparently so awesome, I forgot to take a picture)
Quote of the Day from Connor - "Mommy, can I have a bite of your horn dog?" (I was eating a CORN dog - trust me when I say, this is hysterically funny at 9:15 in the evening when you have been with a toddler at Disneyland all day and you are pretty tired)

Great Day! And Connor has decided, worth putting it all in the potty!!!

Goodbye, Gwen

Finally getting a chance to post about our little memorial service for Gwen. It was a beautiful, perfect California spring day, albeit a little windy. We found a perfect spot at the park - you had to go through a wooded area and down a hill into a clearing. It was so amazing to stand there and watch people as they came through the trees - you never knew who was next - and see some faces you haven't seen in almost 20 years! It was a small reunion, but it was the people who were supposed to be there. We started the service by playing a song Gwen had recorded of her singing "El Shaddai". To be able to hear her sing again, was incredible. We did a brief history of her life and talked about how happy she was to know that we were all together again. We were blessed to have our friend Steve there from Texas (Gwen, Steve and I were all roomates back in the mid to late 80s - sort of our own version of Three's Company) and he sang "In My Life". We had readings from Isaiah, Ecclesisates and a couple of poems. Jimmy did a reading about how the soul is like a balloon - it is tethered to the earth and fighting against the breeze until one day it lifts off into the heavens and becomes part of the air that kisses our faces (we had beautiful jeweled tone balloons). I sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and we had a balloon release. One by one we would take a balloon into the clearing and let them go. It was truly moving and there wasn't a dry eye. Then we shared memories....Linda, who was one of Gwen's oldest friends in California (she was originally from Michigan and transplanted during high school) brought photo albums and it was so fun to relive so many memories. We told stories and we laughed and we cried. It was beautiful. Afterwards we went to lunch at a place that Gwen had worked for a long time while we lived together and during college. It was a great day and so fitting. We received a beautiful e-mail from Gwen's mom expressing her gratitude. She was busy closing her home in Mexico and preparing to move Logan with her to Temecula where they will start a new life. I believe that Gwen was right there with us, and that she was so happy with her tribute. I simply have to believe it or it's just too hard.





Also got a chance to go to lunch with Jimmy, Steve and his sister Patti who was a very good friend of mine in high school but who couldn't make the memorial. Talk about a blast from the past...we used to cruise around in her VW Bus and had many adventures....

It was a good trip...I am always happy to go back to Orange County. In between tears of sorrow, tears of joy and tears of laughing so hard my tummy aches (special thanks to Jimmy and RuPaul's Drag Race) it was a journey to remember.

From the Open Mouth, Insert Foot Department....

STOP READING IF YOUARE EASILY OFFENDED!!!! I wish I could.....

Connor really loves those super balls that you bounce and they go up way high. But he loses them. Alot. I am thinking about one particularly ugly incident where he lost one in Costco and the howling was such that complete strangers were trying to help me find it. Including a couple with a guide dog. No such luck. True story.

Now I buy them whenever I think about it, so there will always be plenty of substitutes on hand. I was at the supermarket last night and was getting checked out (in the grocerial sense, not like "hey, check her out" although I guess I shouldn't assume) and paying for my purchase. There were two men in line behind me, a male checker and a male bag technician. I started to walk away and I heard one of the guys behind me say "Hey, these aren't ours" and I turned around and saw him holding the package of balls. We realized that I wasn't charged for them so we started the process of purchasing them. To try and be funny, I turned to the guys behind me and said "What? You don't want bouncy balls?" Ever have one of those moments that the very second something leaves your lips you want the proverbial trap door to open and shoot you down to a dark dank basement because it would be better than feeling that blush rush go shooting up your head? Mine was worse than that. Hoping that the "gentlemen" behind me would be inclined to play it cool, I turned to see one doubled over while the other one is hitting him. The grocery employees won't even look at me! I can just imagine what was said after I left.

In an unrelated story, I am trying to find a new grocery store. Great prices, beautiful produce and trap doors at every register. Anyone got any recommendations?

No Place Like Home

Just returned last night from my California trip to say good-bye to Gwen. I will post a few pics, all in all it went well. It is hard to let her go. It was so much fun to see my old friends again, but when it comes right down to it, there IS no place like home, my home now that is (even if the previous home IS sunny, beachy and darn near paradise). I missed my guys and my life here. It's good to be back and have that behind me. I feel like I can move forward with life now, like it just all had to wait until I could get this done. We got a very sweet note from her Mom, and I think Gwen loved every minute of it. So, now on to 2010! Let's get this party started!!!

Sticks and Stones

Went to pick up the little man from school only to walk in right in the middle of a scolding from his teacher about making his friend Larkin feel bad. Apparently there were words uttered in the heat of battle and Connor was completely unrepentent. He refused to apologize! The offending words? He called Larkin a "diaper". Apparently, in toddler speak, thems is fightin' words. I was appropriately apalled (as you can be when you are trying not to laugh) and told Larkin that I am sure Connor is sorry. Once in the car, I asked him WHAT UP with calling Larkin "that" name and he retorted with great indignity "Well, (which is how Con starts every sentence these days) she called me POOPY!!" (Are you sensing a theme here?). Tried to tell Connor that he needs to turn the other cheek (so to speak) and not let it get him down. Ah, the life lessons, starting already. Good to know he can hold his own, though!

Zoo Dates!

Atomic Amy has just secured three dates at the Hogle Zoo for this spring. Mark your calendars!
April 24th - Party for the Planet (times to be determined, watch for posting) Hopefully it won't rain this year!
May 8th - Macy's Mom & Me - make sure you stop by AFTER the Race for the Cure (I am going to try and do both, why don't you? We can run together!) Probably from 12-3....
June 26th - Dari's 50th Birthday Party - This is to highlight Hogle's African Elephant! She is the oldest African Elephant in North America! It will be a 60's theme party at the Zoo.

Hope you can come to one (or more) of our dates!

Up and Running!

I have our "other" blog (am I cheating?) that is focusing on adoption or other ways for us to bring a child into our home going. It's called Born in Our Hearts and we would love for you to visit (and tell your friends!) and please please pretty please, add a link to us on our blog, facebook page whatever! Ch ch check it out!

http://adoption-amy.blogspot.com/