Okay, get this. It's all packed and we stayed within our four bag, self-imposed, limit. Wait a minute, we must not have shopped enough! I took Mary Catherine to kindergarten at Mom's school this morning and snuck off to Target for one final run through. Two outfits for Mary Catherine, a PS3 game and a present for friends who have a new baby (congrats Hasnain and Benazir!), I was all finished. Not shopped out, mind you, just didn't see anything else to purchase.
Andrew's just brought all the bags downstairs and not only are there only four of them, they're not even packed to the max like they normally are! What's wrong with us?! I suppose we'll chalk it up to quality, not quantity.
Mary Catherine is ever so fragile at the moment (so is my mother, but that's a different story). So we're really trying to keep her calm and occupied (thank you Disney Channel) until it's time to go. I know she will cry all the way to the airport (ditto for my mom) and then absolutely fall apart when it's time to separate from my parents. So far today she's renounced country, school and parents. Go figure.
Ask me if we've started packing yet to go home.. Go on, I'l wait. Uh, the answer is no. Not one bit. We do hope to get to it at some point today, but we're having a good time sitting around, not doing very much. Mom made Andrew's favourite meal (meatloaf and mashed potatoes) and my favourite dessert (brownies).
We've been discussing the possibility of Mary Catherine staying with my parents for part of her summer break later this year. Now I have to do a gut check and ask myself (and consult Andrew, of course) if I could live without my daughter for three or four weeks in another country. Part of me says yes, part of me starts to ache. I'd like to think that it's something that we'll definitely be able to consider later this year. Interesting that she's old enough for us to think about stuff like that. She would have a blast being here for a while - she could ride her big wheel every day!
I've just switched over to the new Blogger today. So if the site goes haywire, that's why.
We went to Lenox Mall today and I tied one on at the Kiehl's store. Oh it felt good! I've never used a product of theirs that I didn't just adore. It's so different from, say, Bath and Body Works in that it's mostly all unscented and the packaging isn't cutsie - it's just good, extremely functional lotions and potions. Yes, it's expensive - but you get the feeling that they put the money in ingredients, not marketing. The fact that it's posh stuff doesn't put me off either, mind you!
Hmm.. what else to share about our trip to America... My curly haired daughter has recently discovered the joys of brushing her hair. This used to be a major daily battle, but thanks to a Mason & Pearson boar bristle and nylon brush, she's aok with it. Thank goodness!!
We fly back to the UK on Monday. So tomorrow is our last full day here. I know it's going to be hard for everyone for us to separate. Insert my usual feelings of guilt here. Andrew and I are planning on packing most everything tomorrow. I think my mom and dad are really going to miss Shmi, our Nabaztag! He's been plugged in and chatting away for two weeks now - such good fun! I keep telling Mom she needs one too... see, I'm just spreading the nerdy love.
I'm visiting here at Mom's school and have just had an interesting discussion (with no children around, of course) centered around one main topic that is quite a hot button for me. The Gays. One person my mom works with believes that homosexuality is wrong and while I know, sadly, that is a widely held belief I just couldn't sit and listen to her spew her views without getting in on the action and presenting an alternative perspective.
Specifically - we spoke about children being taught by a gay teacher. I, for one, would be thrilled if my child, male or female, were taught by a gay teacher as I want them to be exposed to as much diversity as possible. As parents we are responsible for teaching our children values - and while I know I'm incredibly liberal - I also think that bottom line is for everyone to love everyone. The presence of gays, and/or anyone different from 'normal' (which is of course a relative term) in our society - well, let's just say they're not going away or going to dwindle in numbers. To teach our children that they're wrong and bad is just teaching them to be narrow-minded and hateful. Why would you encourage your children to hate?
Mary Catherine is already aware that some people have a mommy and a daddy, some have one parent, some have two moms or two dads. It's just not a big deal. I want her to be around people in loving relationships, regardless of sexual orientation.
So there - put that on your soapbox and smoke it. (sorry mom if I offended you by speaking my mind)
We have a new car in our family. It's a Barbie Big Wheel. All lovely, pink and when she puts her mind to it, fast. It's just toy central here at Nana and Grumpa's house. (thanks to Nan for the picture)
We're all very attached to our Nabaztag/tag which we've named Shmi. You can go here to send my rabbit (and me) a message. Address it to Shmi - you can choose something pre-recorded (which are all pretty funny), an mp3 (send us a new song!) or just type something for Shmi to read. Eventually, I think I'll be able to put a button on my site where you'll be able to send us messages whenever you like. Man, I love technology.
We've been enjoying watching Shmi do tai chi and tell us the time on the hour. He also talks to us with random messages when he feels like it. Nerdy, nerdy.
The next time I feel the need to find my inner college student - please remind me that I just can't drink like I used to. I feel so horrible. So, so, so horrible. But we had an excellent night out!
Why yes, that IS me on Nancy's blog... have a look and you'll see that I haven't really changed that much over the years. I'm still crackin' 'em up like I did in the way back of the way back. Now, of course, the fact that that picture (and yes, if you're curious I was very, shall we say - altered when it was taken) is 14 years old freaks me right out. I mean, other than the obvious fact that I've now learned how to tame my eyebrows, I'm still the same girl - right?
I haven't changed that much in 14 years. I suppose the fact that I'm on marriage number two, country number two and career number four does mean that I've been around the block a few times (watch it, I know what you were about to say and I resemble that remark). I am far more sober now than I was back then and have actually been called responsible a few times. Of course, I'm also now someone's mother - which is both cool and pretty scary at the same time. I've shown Mary Catherine this picture (many thanks to Nan, who had it framed for me - I just love it) and she doesn't believe it's me.
Yes, I know she's four.. but to me it went a bit deeper in that she'll never know me as I was back then. I guess that's probably a good thing. No one wants to know their mom was.. uh.. fond of the good time - shall we say?
Oh well - deep thoughts aside. MC is out with my parents this evening so Andrew and I are heading out ourselves. I'm hoping to meet up with Nancy and give us both a chance to let our inner collegiate selves be free a bit.. Now - if I could just find (and fit into) those awesome acid wash jeans!
Andrew and I are just home from our night out at the Glenn Hotel in downtown Atlanta. It was fantastic - definitely better than the W Atlanta where we stayed last year. As we slept in until 10am, we skipped breakfast and went straight to the Waffle House on the way home. Now that is the perfect ending to a 24-hour long date!
On our way to the hotel yesterday, we stopped at Little 5 Points and walked around and had a look through some of the shops. Some places, like Junkman's Daughter and Wax n'Facts are just as I left them in my high school and college days. We drove around downtown last night and went past a few places where I used to hang out when I was in college. Like, Stan and Fred's house off 10th Street... the now empty lot where Backstreet used to be... the Varsity... Piedmont Park where Alexa and I went to the Pot festival one year and thought ourselves to be very free thinkers.. Ah - memories.
Andrew and I are back at the house now after our 24 hours of being adults without responsibility - but Mom, Dad and Mary Catherine aren't here. So much for getting back because we thought we'd be missed!
My husband is a real gem. I'll tell you all about our Christmas morning later, but I have to tell you - Andrew really gave me an excellent present. For quite a few years, I'd enjoyed giving Mary Catherine toys, but always felt a bit sad about being grown up and not having that really cool moment that you had when you were a child - you know, the one where you saw your big ticket toy of the year and were so excited to have such a cool toy.
Okay - maybe I'm the only one who ever felt like that. So, back to my adultness. It's always been fun giving Mary Catherine toys and this year, watching her discover all that Santa left was really good fun. But I've gotten to have a toy moment of my own this year.
I got a new (Red) iPod, that I was expecting - thankfully. I also got a Nabaztag, which I'd seen, but had never really looked into. It's just 100% proof that my husband knows me better than I know myself. It's amazing! (more info here. It's just so very, very cool.
It was at the point that I found myself actually stroking the box as I read what fun lay ahead that I bowed down and embraced my inner geek. Get this - everyone apparently already knew I was nerdy. Go figure.
We had a wonderful visit with Santa at Phipp's Plaza today. Mary Catherine wasn't scared of him and climbed up into his lap without reservation. Of course, as she doesn't watch commercial television - she actually doesn't know what toys are out there to want, so when you ask her what she wants for Christmas, she has no idea! Today she told Santa that she wanted a cake. Thankfully, my mom just made her one to open tomorrow. A big pink cake with a Barbie on it.
On the way home this evening. Mary Catherine told me that she had just one Christmas wish. Her wish? She wants to be a Christmas elf and help Santa deliver presents. Uh - I'm still not sure how to make that one come true! She kept telling me that she hoped it would come true and then burst into tears telling me that it wasn't going to happen. Poor thing - she's so jet lagged and tired.
Speaking of tired - I'm going to bed. Not only is it Christmas Eve and the good child in me knows that I have to go to bed.. but I'm also the mother of a four year-old who was up from 3am until 7:30pm with no nap. I'm exhausted.
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