You'll really only get the title of this post if you have small children that habitually watch the "Wonder Pets". There's one episode where "The Wonder Pets Save the Caterpillar"...and they sing a little ditty about how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly..... and for reasons that escape me I've decided that I should post the lyrics here:
They start as a caterpillar...A caterpillar?!....A caterpillar!
They start as a caterpillar...Fa la la, hey!
They grow a real snug pupa...A pupa? Supa-dupa!
They grow a real snug pupa...Fa la la, hey!
They come out as a butterfly...A butterfly? Oh me, oh my!
They come out as a butterfly...Fa la la hey!
So - now that this is all cleared up I'll move on with my regular post. I am in the process of becoming a social butterfly. I was in the caterpilar stage and am now in my snug little pupa! In my previous post I talked about needing to make some friends here in Texas. I was talking to my best friend Kate about this last week....she recently moved to Oregon and is in the same predicament.
It's amazing how easily you lose your friend-making skills as you get older. In high school and college it's almost too easy to meet people. You're young and thrown into a similar life situation with other people that are looking to make friends and you just seem to bond with people so much more easily. Then as you get older and have long time friends you just get used to having those people in your life and the need for new friends is gone. We are now both in the situation of needing to make new friends. At this point we recognize that we're just going to have to get out there and introduce ourselves. I feel like a nerd..."Will you please be my friend???" but that's really what it comes down to.
Over the past few days we have tenatively gotten to know the neighbors that live caddy corner from us. They are our age and have a little girl who will turn 3 in November really close to Emma and Katy's birthdays. This past weekend I put myself out there and invited them over for dinner Saturday night. Well, it's not a huge shocker that we had a great time. The girls loved playing together and it was really nice to have a pleasant evening with another family who seems to share many of the same ideals and values that we do. They've been married about as long as Robby and I have. Their little girl was an absolute doll. They are somewhat new to the area as well and don't know many people here. So, hopefully this is a first step towards having some great friends here in our new home.
With that first step behind me I am looking forward to how I can branch out even further. Now that I'm remembering those long lost friend-making skills I think I can really make some good progress in this area of my life. Sometimes I think I forget that I am a social and likeable person and that I needn't put so much pressure on myself that people are going to think I'm some kind of weirdo or something and want nothing to do with me. Now that I type that out it really sounds rather dramatic and I sit here wondering what the heck is wrong with me?!
So I can't say that I'm a full fledged butterfly at this point...but I'm in the pupa stage and the metamorphosis is occuring. Maybe there should be an episode called "The Wonder Pets Save the Relocated Mommy!" I wonder what my theme song would be?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
5 Months and 15 Days.....
Well, it's been 5 months and 15 days since my last blog entry - saying that this is just sad is so much a gross understatement that it's really quite funny. After numerous friend requests to begin blogging again I have finally been inspired by three separate people/groups to start up again: my husband, my friends, my oldest child.
First - my husband: For the record, I am married to the best man on the planet. There is nothing to compare to him and all that he is. A few weeks ago while he was mowing the lawn he got a really bad blister on one of his fingers from trying repeatedly to start the trimmer. Emma saw his "owie" and decided that a band-aid would solve the problem immediately. All of life's hurts can be cured with a band-aid according to Emma - we should buy stock for all the boxes of band-aids we go through. We were in the kitchen making dinner and I asked how his blister was healing at which time he said "it's fine, Emma gave me a band-aid", and there on his finger was a purple, Dora the Explorer band-aid. How can you not love a man who would proudly wear the band-aid that his little girl had given him all day at work for everyone to see. I know it's simple and of no huge importance to anyone else - but to me it was just another small but profound example of what an awesome daddy that Robby is.
Second - my friends: Really this should be about my lack of friends - at least in Texas. Two weekends ago I went to Indianapolis for the bachelorette party of my high school best friend. I am fortunate enough to be her Matron of Honor - so I was in charge of hosting the event. To be honest I didn't know quite what to expect of the weekend. I had never met any of her friends in Indy and I was going to be the odd woman out. It has been a very long time since I've been out with a group of girls - especially to a bar. I see now that I needn't have worried one bit! Every one of the girls was absolutely delightful - I had the best time!!! We went to this dueling piano bar called Howl at the Moon - SOOO much fun!!! I was able to see IU where the girls all went to college - what an amazingly beautiful campus. I learned how to play "Sink The Biz". But more than anything I enjoyed some quality girl time and laughed ALOT!
What it really showed me though is that I really need to make a more concerted effort to make friends out here. While I am always more than happy to hang out with my family, having girlfriends that are the same age and in the same place of life is really important. No one can ever replace my best friends (you know who you are :-) ) , but it's an important part of me making Texas my true home for me to have friends that I can hang out with on a regular basis.
Finally - my oldest child (Emma): Last night I was reading a bedtime book to Emma. It was a new book that we had picked up over the weekend. Robby had read it to her the previous night - and last night was my turn. The book was called "Priscilla - Superstar" and it's about a little girl that goes to see a "Rollerina" show (think ballet on roller skates) and then wants to become a Rollerina Princess herself. Well, it was the part in the book where Priscilla is at the Rollerina show; here is the dialogue that follows:
Emma: pointing to a picture of the rollerina princess dancing - "Look Mommy - this is where she pees.!"
Mommy: "PEES??!! What are you talking about??!!" (At this point I'm wondering just what kind of book has been purchased here.)
Emma: "Yep - see she's peeing."
Mommy: "Emma - she's dancing, not peeing."
Emma: "No Mommy, she's peeing, see..."
Mommy: "Emma - where in this situation do you see that she's peeing???"
Emma: (with an exasperated sigh) "Mommy! She's peeing, daddy told me last night, that's the situation."
At this point I read the lines below the picture and sure enough there is a mention of pee. Apparently "peed" is the word that rhymed with the previous line - but it says "Priscilla was so excited that she nearly peed." I then explain to Emma that the dancer is not peeing - it's that Priscilla was so excited that she almost peed - that no one actually peed. This worked for her.
So with that issue all cleared up I'm left to wonder: WHO IN THE HELL PUTS THE WORD "PEED" INTO A CHILDREN'S BOOK??? I mean I can understand if the book is about using the potty - but SERIOUSLY, COME ON!!!!
First - my husband: For the record, I am married to the best man on the planet. There is nothing to compare to him and all that he is. A few weeks ago while he was mowing the lawn he got a really bad blister on one of his fingers from trying repeatedly to start the trimmer. Emma saw his "owie" and decided that a band-aid would solve the problem immediately. All of life's hurts can be cured with a band-aid according to Emma - we should buy stock for all the boxes of band-aids we go through. We were in the kitchen making dinner and I asked how his blister was healing at which time he said "it's fine, Emma gave me a band-aid", and there on his finger was a purple, Dora the Explorer band-aid. How can you not love a man who would proudly wear the band-aid that his little girl had given him all day at work for everyone to see. I know it's simple and of no huge importance to anyone else - but to me it was just another small but profound example of what an awesome daddy that Robby is.
Second - my friends: Really this should be about my lack of friends - at least in Texas. Two weekends ago I went to Indianapolis for the bachelorette party of my high school best friend. I am fortunate enough to be her Matron of Honor - so I was in charge of hosting the event. To be honest I didn't know quite what to expect of the weekend. I had never met any of her friends in Indy and I was going to be the odd woman out. It has been a very long time since I've been out with a group of girls - especially to a bar. I see now that I needn't have worried one bit! Every one of the girls was absolutely delightful - I had the best time!!! We went to this dueling piano bar called Howl at the Moon - SOOO much fun!!! I was able to see IU where the girls all went to college - what an amazingly beautiful campus. I learned how to play "Sink The Biz". But more than anything I enjoyed some quality girl time and laughed ALOT!
What it really showed me though is that I really need to make a more concerted effort to make friends out here. While I am always more than happy to hang out with my family, having girlfriends that are the same age and in the same place of life is really important. No one can ever replace my best friends (you know who you are :-) ) , but it's an important part of me making Texas my true home for me to have friends that I can hang out with on a regular basis.
Finally - my oldest child (Emma): Last night I was reading a bedtime book to Emma. It was a new book that we had picked up over the weekend. Robby had read it to her the previous night - and last night was my turn. The book was called "Priscilla - Superstar" and it's about a little girl that goes to see a "Rollerina" show (think ballet on roller skates) and then wants to become a Rollerina Princess herself. Well, it was the part in the book where Priscilla is at the Rollerina show; here is the dialogue that follows:
Emma: pointing to a picture of the rollerina princess dancing - "Look Mommy - this is where she pees.!"
Mommy: "PEES??!! What are you talking about??!!" (At this point I'm wondering just what kind of book has been purchased here.)
Emma: "Yep - see she's peeing."
Mommy: "Emma - she's dancing, not peeing."
Emma: "No Mommy, she's peeing, see..."
Mommy: "Emma - where in this situation do you see that she's peeing???"
Emma: (with an exasperated sigh) "Mommy! She's peeing, daddy told me last night, that's the situation."
At this point I read the lines below the picture and sure enough there is a mention of pee. Apparently "peed" is the word that rhymed with the previous line - but it says "Priscilla was so excited that she nearly peed." I then explain to Emma that the dancer is not peeing - it's that Priscilla was so excited that she almost peed - that no one actually peed. This worked for her.
So with that issue all cleared up I'm left to wonder: WHO IN THE HELL PUTS THE WORD "PEED" INTO A CHILDREN'S BOOK??? I mean I can understand if the book is about using the potty - but SERIOUSLY, COME ON!!!!
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