Today was proof that Heathenville really is a state of mind. Aaron and has been sick all week with a nasty cold. Yesterday Mike came home from work with a temperature of 101.4 and was feeling really lousy. Today I had to take Marissah to get her fabric for home living class (they're sewing pillowcases) and needed to return some books to the library. Being a nice wife (and Mommy) I took both Marissah and Micah along so Mike would have it pretty quiet here in the house while I was gone.
We hit the library and decided we'd take "the back way" to Wal-Mart. This is no big deal because Stacie (my navigation system, so named because she's quite bossy, just like another Stacie I know) leads me wherever I want to go. We were almost to Wally World, stuck at a monster red light with tons of cars ahead of us when Micah pukes. Oh. My. God. Tell me he didn't do that. But, alas, he did.
I did some quick calculating and reconnoitering. If I turned right at this light the Goodwill store was a block away. Right next to it is a Dollar Store. We pulled in the parking lot and I issued orders: "Micah stay right where you are. Marissah, take this money and go buy your brother a bottle of water or a bottle of Gatorade from the Dollar Store. I'm going into the Goodwill to buy a towel."
As I was checking out at the Goodwill with my lovely fuchsia towel (it was the biggest and fluffiest I could find. I figured it'd be very absorbent and I wasn't wrong.), the lady asked me if I needed a bag. I don't know if I looked harried or what, but I assured her that I did need a bag and off I went.
When I got back to the van (where Micah was locked in, of course), Marissah was back with his water. I set to work cleaning up the puke (which had lovely chunks of hot dog in it-TMI?) and I started gagging. Marissah kept telling me I was fine. I agreed with her. Until, suddenly, I wasn't and I was puking all over the parking lot. Marissah started screaming, I kept puking and Micah just kept watching. Between heaves I tried to assure Marissah that I was fine. In the midst of this, I heard her tell Micah: "See, this is why I don't like you, Micah!" If I hadn't been so busy up-chucking I would have laughed.
Finally I was done puking up my Campbell's Zesty Azteca Meatball soup (TMI again?) and finished cleaning up Micah's mess. I used the bottle of water to first rinse my mouth and then I poured some directly on the floor of the van so I could blot more puke up. Oh, what fun. I then bagged the towel in the Goodwill bag and tied it shut because there was no trashcan to be seen and I didn't want to risk being found next to a big pile of puke in the parking lot.
We did go to Wal-Mart. Micah said he "felt much better" after his puking and I really didn't want to drive him all the way home and come all the way back again. Turns out Marissah was crying because she figured this meant I was sick and wouldn't be taking her to get her fabric. Silly girl, Mommy wasn't sick, she just can't see a pile of vomit without adding her own.
When we arrived at Wal-Mart I found that I had yet another battle to fight. Marissah had decided she couldn't go inside because her mascara (wearing make-up is new to her....like she's been doing it for about two weeks now) had run all over her face while she was crying. Okay, this is ridiculous. I assure her she doesn't look that bad, but she says she needs to wash her face. The first time in this child's entire life that she wants to wash her face and I can't scrounge up so much as a used napkin in the van. I do however have a lovely, absorbent fuchsia towel, but she wont' go for that. I even offered her one of the untouched-by-vomit corners, but it wasn't happening. In the end, she walked into Wal-Mart with her coat pulled up to cover her face, a la the perp walk you see on the nightly news. Oh yes, it really was that bad. She's thirteen, remember. When we got into the store we went directly to the restroom where one swoop of a wet paper towel on each cheek was all that was required to restore her beauty.
We got what we needed. The Goodwill bag and the fuchsia towel were dumped into the trashcan in the Wal-Mart parking lot. We arrived home with no more puke. Ah, if there's anything to be said for living with a houseful of heathens, it's that there's never a dull moment.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
Stacie visits Seattle
Yes, that's right! Auntie Cee Cee came to Seattle for a visit and we had a fabulous time! The kids were thrilled to see her, to say the least. She did not, however, make them the Buckeyes Micah so desperately wanted. She did make Autumn Chowder (delicious, cheesy soup) and egg bake (her own special recipe).
On Friday Stacie, Marissah and I went to the Seattle Premium Outlets mall. Wow, what a great place! Too bad I can't afford Kenneth Cole even at outlet prices. Lots of great stores there, including Coach, Banana Republic, Michael Kors and Liz Claiborne. We bought some goodies at Harry and David's (yum!) and Marissah had a wonderful time at Claire's (big surprise).
On Saturday Stacie and I went to Pike Place Market. We had a great time, in spite of getting accosted by many weirdos. Apparently my sister attracts them like honey attracts flies. One of them was even surprised to learn she was "English" and opposed to Hispanic. Because you know, with her blonde hair and fair skin she looks SO Latin. He started speaking Spanish to her and was surprised when she didn't reply in kind. He bummed a cigarette off of her and then tried to give it back five minutes later. Um, no thanks, dude!
Off on a little tangent here......Neither Stacie nor I have ever felt so completely conspicuous as smokers as we did in Seattle. I don't think *anyone* smokes in this state. Whilst having a smoke outside of Pike Place Market we were even coughed at. Talk about passive-aggressive. It was weird to feel so out of place.
We ate so much at Pike Place Market that I thought I was going to explode. We sampled everything from goat cheese to dark chocolate fettuccine (it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't great either) to rose petal jelly (that was disgusting). For lunch we had a seafood feast. Stacie had clam chowder, oyster shooters, seviche and steamed clams. I had clam chowder, steamed mussels and Dungeness crab cakes. I also had some of Stacie's seviche and it's now my new favorite food. Oh, it was so delicious. I need to find a good recipe and make it for myself this summer. We ended up buying some delicious cheese: a garlic and dill chevre and a rosemary and garlic feta. I am so decadent that I put the chevre on my ham sandwiches and feel not one ounce of guilt. It is that good.
And back to our visit with Stacie, on Sunday she and I took the kids on the ferry to Whidbey Island. The ferry ride was fun. It wasn't too long, only about 20 minutes. We went to a beach and found shells, rocks, and even brought home a hitchhiker in the form of a teeny, tiny crab. When I say "teeny, tiny" I really mean it-it was smaller than the very tip of Stacie's index finger. Stacie named him Hitch and we fed him some hamburger after a quick Google to see what crabs eat. And then he promptly died. Oh well. We had a lovely funeral in the bathroom and Aaron loved being flusher.
On Monday I took Stacie to her hotel so she could get on with the real reason for this trip: WORK! Unfortunately, I dropped her off at the wrong hotel. Fortunately, the right hotel was just a few feet away. I mean, really, who puts a Holiday Inn next to a Holiday Inn Express and just expects people to know the difference?????? Sheesh!
We really had a great time-at least I hope she had as much fun as I did. I hope she'll come visit again. Maybe next time we'll remember to look for Mt Rainier.
On Friday Stacie, Marissah and I went to the Seattle Premium Outlets mall. Wow, what a great place! Too bad I can't afford Kenneth Cole even at outlet prices. Lots of great stores there, including Coach, Banana Republic, Michael Kors and Liz Claiborne. We bought some goodies at Harry and David's (yum!) and Marissah had a wonderful time at Claire's (big surprise).
On Saturday Stacie and I went to Pike Place Market. We had a great time, in spite of getting accosted by many weirdos. Apparently my sister attracts them like honey attracts flies. One of them was even surprised to learn she was "English" and opposed to Hispanic. Because you know, with her blonde hair and fair skin she looks SO Latin. He started speaking Spanish to her and was surprised when she didn't reply in kind. He bummed a cigarette off of her and then tried to give it back five minutes later. Um, no thanks, dude!
Off on a little tangent here......Neither Stacie nor I have ever felt so completely conspicuous as smokers as we did in Seattle. I don't think *anyone* smokes in this state. Whilst having a smoke outside of Pike Place Market we were even coughed at. Talk about passive-aggressive. It was weird to feel so out of place.
We ate so much at Pike Place Market that I thought I was going to explode. We sampled everything from goat cheese to dark chocolate fettuccine (it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't great either) to rose petal jelly (that was disgusting). For lunch we had a seafood feast. Stacie had clam chowder, oyster shooters, seviche and steamed clams. I had clam chowder, steamed mussels and Dungeness crab cakes. I also had some of Stacie's seviche and it's now my new favorite food. Oh, it was so delicious. I need to find a good recipe and make it for myself this summer. We ended up buying some delicious cheese: a garlic and dill chevre and a rosemary and garlic feta. I am so decadent that I put the chevre on my ham sandwiches and feel not one ounce of guilt. It is that good.
And back to our visit with Stacie, on Sunday she and I took the kids on the ferry to Whidbey Island. The ferry ride was fun. It wasn't too long, only about 20 minutes. We went to a beach and found shells, rocks, and even brought home a hitchhiker in the form of a teeny, tiny crab. When I say "teeny, tiny" I really mean it-it was smaller than the very tip of Stacie's index finger. Stacie named him Hitch and we fed him some hamburger after a quick Google to see what crabs eat. And then he promptly died. Oh well. We had a lovely funeral in the bathroom and Aaron loved being flusher.
On Monday I took Stacie to her hotel so she could get on with the real reason for this trip: WORK! Unfortunately, I dropped her off at the wrong hotel. Fortunately, the right hotel was just a few feet away. I mean, really, who puts a Holiday Inn next to a Holiday Inn Express and just expects people to know the difference?????? Sheesh!
We really had a great time-at least I hope she had as much fun as I did. I hope she'll come visit again. Maybe next time we'll remember to look for Mt Rainier.
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