Seven Years? Really?

Hubs and I passed our seventh anniversary last weekend. We totally celebrated, by which I mean we went camping with his family. That would be 11 other adults and 27 kids. In the woods. We slept in a tent with our children, skipped showers and peed in a dilapidated outhouse.  What? Isn't that how EVERYONE celebrates their seventh anniversary? Hubs also bought himself an enormous board game. I got flowers. From Wal-Mart. The day after our anniversary.

But don't worry. Hubs is totally making up for it this weekend. We're going to eat at Fudruckers and play mini golf. Hey, there are trade offs for KNOWING your husband will never cheat on you.

Luckily, he's married to me. I've totally remedied this situation. I'm taking us to the batting cages.
Now I just have to figure out a gift that will signify how amazing a wife I've been for the last seven years. I'm debating between legs for our bed and a can opener.

PS In case you think this post is how I really feel there's a disclaimer at the bottom.


DISCLAIMER: I totally love The Hubs. He's perfect for me. He lets me make fun of his still-awkward dating. What could be better than that? And if I *REALLY* cared, I'd plan the date, right? 
Exactly. So this was a work of satire. 

Vacation: Lake Tahoe Day Three

Today I sorta forgot what day is was. Not just the date, the day of the week. Yup. More than anything my life resembles the movie Ground Hog Day.

Hubs didn't come home last night. He stayed with a friend in Reno so he could get his after party on with a bunch of other (published) authors. Guess what they did? Played card games. Not like Uno or Whist , we're talking geek card games. I can't even give you an example, because I'm not that geeky. If I were invited to an after party, it wouldn't be the kind with card games. Just say'n. (Mama's still got game.)

Anyhoo, I spent four hours last night holding an overly tired, screaming Zsa. By the time I finally rolled into bed, it was today. And the kids got up at 5. That would be am, in case you need clarification.

Luckily my super awesome cousin, Marge, lives a couple hours away AND likes Tahoe so she came up today with her two super cute cutie pie boys and we played on the beach all afternoon. She literally saved my sanity. Plus, she brought me a nectarine. I was in serious need of a pit fruit. Serious, serious need.

Can I just say, Marge and I were pretty good friends growing up, because we were the same age and all our cousins were lots older (or in the case of my sisters, lots younger) but since we've hit adulthood, we never manage to be in the same part of the country at the same time, so it was really great to get to visit and relax with her. She's pretty much da bomb.

The kids had a great time, got burned in random places and generally filled every bodily crevasse with sand.

Supposedly Hubs will be coming home tonight, though he said he'd be here around 5 and I just got a text saying he found a class at 5 he wants to attend, so who knows. All I know for sure is, he's not authorized to purchase any more clothing. He bought a new shirt today so nobody would see him in the same thing two days in a row. I'm pretty sure that's the first time in his entire life he's been concerned about that. Ferills.
At least if he doesn't buy any more clothes, he has to come back at some point, right?

Vacation: Lake Tahoe Day Two Point One

You know how Hubs is at Geek Convention TM? Well, he's there partly to have fun, but more to make connections and today he was part of a writer's panel. His work was reviewed by some professionals in the field and later he met with some famous authors and went to dinner with said authors. That was AFTER he was invited to attend a party tonight being hosted by a publishing house. You have no idea how hard a time I am having not tossing around names here. Let's just say this particular house is one of two, maybe three companies that publish the bulk of the type of writing Hubs does. This house is the Babe Ruth of publishing and it's the top of the top in his genre.
This has the potential to be a freaking huge deal. Especially because we're only on day two of Geek Convention TM. But it also means Hubs did not come home tonight. We all make sacrifices for greatness, right? Slowly going bonkers for lack of adult conversation is my sacrifice. Not only is Hubs gone while I'm awake, I have spotty cell coverage. I'm good for texting, and that's about it.
Anyway, I hurriedly ordered some business cards for Hubs since he forgot his, and he picked them up before the party. Hopefully (fingers crossed) he meets the right people. Hopefully he actually talks to people and doesn't spend the whole night in his typical wall flower pose. Hopefully, he channel a little me tonight. (Or really, a little anyone who isn't half agoraphobe.)
Later: I just found out Hubs isn't going to come home at ALL tonight. Which means he won't be here in the morning. Which means I get to explain that to my kids. Super. It also means I will have been on single parent duty for 48 hours by the time he makes an appearance and it ALSO means, I don't get a nectarine. I could kill for a good nectarine about now. Seriously.

PS It took me FOUR HOURS to put Zsa Zsa to bed. No lie. I thought we'd both go crazy before she passed out. This child needs confined and defined space like no one I've ever met.

The SURPRISE

I believe I mentioned two posts ago that a surprise for The Hubs was in the works.
Because he knew a surprise of some sort was coming for his birthday, I had a bit of fun with the misdirection:

1. Discussed hot air ballooning ad nausim
2. Left http://www.cruise.com/ up on the browser of our shared laptop
3. Mentioned it's cheaper to update your passport in Idaho than in Arizona ( by kinda a lot, but not enough to make it worth the trip)
4. Told him I'd need a blood sample and current passport before I could finish booking his "surprise"
5. Oh, did I mention his surprise came a month early? No? Well, a birthday surprise ON your birthday is not so much of a surprise, now is it.

Let me clarify: we're on a budget here, folks. The Hubs is no dummy, but he's also married to an extremely expensive wife (I make it a point to never be more expensive than the paycheck...if I can help it)
He didn't have a clue that we were going to....

DISNEYLAND!!

But first, we wentt to breakfast with The Hubs Uncle E. Have you tried The Original Pancake House. Oh my goodness. I'm still carrying around an extra couple lbs from this place, but it was SOOO worth it. The crepes were awesome, the apple pancake was awesome. I must resist all temptation to reverse engineer these marvels of culinary genius or I will NEVER fit in my skinny jeans. Not that I have skinny jeans, but you know what I mean.

But Idaho Becky, you ask. How did you do Disneyland on a BUDGET?!?!?!

It helps to know someone. A Disney cast member, to be exact, because then, the tickets are FREE!

So I shelled out $120 for gas there and back, $130 for two nights in a three star hotel (I love Hotwire, don't you?) and then about $60 for food. Grandma and Grandpa watched our adorable kids. Strangly, the kids got even more adorable after our absence. Imagine that!

Cheapest three day trip ever.

Plus and also, I got to go to the beach, which is more my thing than The Hubs, but I went on California Scream'n with him, so I deserved it, don't you think? I'm WAY to old for that ride. Needed me some ocean to get my bearings back. People are just not meant to go upside down at 60 miles an hour.

We met Woody in person. He's really very nice. Not much of talker, though.

I ran out of film, eh hem, but The Hubs totally got the sword out of the stone. He's awesome like that. He can even unstick stuck jars! I know. Amazing, right?

To make up for the fact that The Hubs had to smell fish on the beach AND walk in, gasp, sand, I took him clear into Hollywood to eat at the best Thai restaurant EVER; Thai Patio. Seriously. The drunken noodle is to die for. We got FOUR meals so there would be leftovers for dinner (and lunch the next two days).

Love you, babe. Happy Birthday...A month early.

I should mention at this point that yes, The Hubs was taken completely by surprise. So much so that he didn't believe me. I had to show him the email from his boss, granting the time off I'd requested, and the travel bags packed and ready to go. Yes, I'm THAT devious. Makes you a little bit scared of me, doesn't it?

And a big shout out and thank you to Matt's Uncle who so sweetly took us to breakfast AND got us past the gates of Disney with our wallets in tact. You're the best, Uncle E!

The Bed-A Satire

I don't know WHAT The Hubs gets up to at night, but every morning our bedding is in complete shambles. Before I was married, I woke up in a bed that was already made. One flip of the covers to get out, and reverse it to make the bed.
Now, it takes a planning meeting and SpecOps forces to put our bed back together again, because All The Kings Men and All the Kings Horses just weren't cutting it anymore.
I've quit trying. Making the bed simply can not occupy half my morning.
I had a new strategy that consisted of :

1. Agreeing with The Hubs that the last person out of bed had to be the one to make it
2. Getting up earlier than The Hubs.

Apparently, he thought of the same strategy, because suddenly I'm waking up to an empty bed at 4:45am.
I can't compete with that.

Resistance is futile. I'm giving in to the dark side and leaving the bed unmade. Don't tell my mother.

Katydid Funeral

A while ago I wrote about our impromptu Katydid Funeral.

Here it is, in pictures.

Poor, poor dead Katydid

The pallbearers 

(As a side note, if you would like to tell The Hubs I need a new, non-broken camera go here)

Even the gravedigger is sad.

(side note dos: if you would like to tell The Hubs to get me some photography lessons ASAP, go here)

This is my favorite photo, but I'm not saying why. 

(Let's just say it's a shame The Hubs isn't wearing football pants.)

The Hubs

I thought when The Hubs saw my last post, he would instantly want me to do one for him. I was wrong. His response? "I'm a writer. If I want, I can post a favorites list on my own blog".  (www.arizonamatt.blogspot.com) for those of you keeping track)
Ye-eessss, but this is our FAMILY blog. Plusandalso, more than 2 people read it.
So I made him tell me some things he likes, because I'm evil like that. I'm really hoping this list is no particular order, because I'm sad to say, I did not get top billing. Here's what did:



And then:

• Belgian Chocolate

and

especially WITH ice cream.

THEN

• Me
• The Kids
• Reading
• Programming
• Writing
• And last, but certainly NOT least: Plotting To Take Over The World.