Kids say the darndest things

When we were on the plane to California, my daughter sat next to a nice man who looked exactly like Ray Liotta. When the plane landed, she decided to talk to him about travel.

"My mom and I are going to Disneyland!"

"Wow, I want to go to Disneyland, too. I'm just here for a conference."

"I've been to Disneyland before; this is my second time."

"Wow! You are one lucky girl! I wish my parents took me to Disneyland. I wish I could go to Disneyland this week."

"Well, we are meeting my Daddy later tonight. You know what? My mom is having a baby and you know what? In November we are going to London and the baby gets to go to London!"

"Wow, you really *are* lucky!! You get to go to Disneyland *and* London in the same year! I wish I could go to London. I've been there once and I would love to go again."

"Uh, I have to tell you something. My mom is NOT divorced if you were thinking..."

At that moment both the man and I turn red and burst out laughing. He then said, "Oh, well, I am glad you told me that...I really didn't want to go along."

The lady in the seat in front of me turned around to say, "I really am enjoying listening to this conversation."

My daughter then said, "I don't know why I say things to embarrass myself! I am just a bit too dramatic!"

Fragilay...it must be Italian

I was just reading some other blogs when my husband sat down next to me.

"What are you reading?"

"Oh, just this blog."

"Doo-chay? What is this Italian blog about?"

"Honey, it's pronounced 'Deuce'. And it takes place in Utah."

The Happiest Place on Earth

Oh, joy....it would have to be right here at Monkey Hill with the incessant rain and bark of the little dog.

This past week our family returned from 4 fun filled days in the Magic Kingdom. I have been recovering, thus the lack of immediate update. (If you have ever been to Disneyland, you know that it is not a place one ventures to to relax.) I'm sure you all don't want to hear about every minute that was spent in Anaheim, so here are some of the highlights:

*Though I promised my husband I would not complain about how expensive it is when you are staying in the resort and going nowhere else, I must tell you how much I hated spending $2.79 on every bottle of water I purchased. I averaged 6 bottles, just for me, per day. The amount we spent on water alone was about the same as my monthly payment on my Honda Civic. My husband says I love to spend money, so, yeah, I was happy doling out my shekels for water. But really, I'm not complaining! You just can't nickel and dime your way through Disneyland.

*My daughter rode *every roller coaster* at both Disneyland and California Adventure at least twice. It was the California Screamin' roller coaster that she could only do once and right after she stepped off the ride, we had to go back to our hotel so she could nap. Don't worry, I did not join her on any; she rode with her daddy and her uncle.

*All the princesses remembered my daughter from her last visit to the Magic Kingdom 3 years ago! How utterly magical! Ariel told her she got even prettier and Cinderella was amazed by how much she had grown. What great memories Disney characters have!

*Peter Pan does not stop talking. He cornered our family in the courtyard gallery of the Disney Animation attraction at California Adventure and chatted endlessly about the 'Fantasmic' fireworks extravaganza that he stars in. I was nice and didn't let him know that I had already seen the show and the real star is actually Mickey Mouse.

*Being in the early stages of pregnancy I could not ride any of the fun rides, but I was at every exit to hear what a fantastic time my family had on each one. My nausea only creeped up on me at Splash Mountain when the person standing near my husband happened to be Paris Hilton and she turned to me when I asked my daughter how she liked the ride. No, Paris, I was not talking to you. What was even more sickening were all the people who realized she was in the park and had their cameraphones ready.

*We could not escape Goofy. That dog was everywhere. From dinner, to our hotel, to wandering the park, I wondered if he was part of our entourage!

I am sure you can tell from my lackluster expressions that I am still tired from it all, but all in all, our trip was exciting, magical, and overwhelming. And of course, we are planning for our next trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!

I'm not kidding, really. I'm not.

I don't think most of you believe that I really am pregnant. I mean, hardly any of you have even *commented* and I know there were 41 one of you who read the original post just after it was published 12 days ago. And then bundles of tens throughout the week. I know you are a small group, my readers, but I know you are loyal. Right?

Today I had my first ultrasound. It was the horrible *vaginal* ultrasound, or as quite a few of my girlfriends like to say, 'the dildo' ultrasound. I went through it with MY MOM, DAUGHTER, AND HUSBAND all sitting next to me- yes, my daughter heard me use the term 'dildo ultrasound' and my mom saw me use a dildo- and we all got teary eyed when the technician focused on little baby and turned on the sound to hear the heart beating. 182 beats per minute. Very strong and all of 2.5mm long. Baby is due on or around August 23.

So there, it's real. And I am celebrating by going to Disneyland tomorrow and puking in Sleeping Beauty's castle.

Here comes the rain again

I'm not one to complain about the weather, but c'mon...

23 days of rain here in Seattle. In a row.

I loathe having to towel off the dogs after every walk. I loathe that my yard has turned into a mud bog. I loathe that my trusted old REI rain coat is no longer a shell of protection having worn out whatever protectants magically coated it's surface. Granted, it is 9 years old.

And I loathe that Monkey Hill smells like wet dog!!

Dear Mother Nature- please let the sunshine all day during our vacation to Disneyland next week. I promise I will buy a new parka and stop complaining.

The agony and the irony

Are you a believer in fate, thinking that the mysterious power of destiny can shape and control your life? It could be called the same thing as karma, the golden rule- what goes around comes around. You know that I am a firm believer in that, however, I've been sitting on the fence with my thoughts on fate and destiny. Is there a mysterious power that can shape my life for the better? Or could it be irony? My own ignorance as to the coming fate?

For the past 12 years with my husband, we have steered along one path...a path that has led us to the exact spot where we want to be: strong relationship, financially secure, dedicated parents, karma in check.

Well, all my thinking and planning has gone to hell in a handbasket. We just bought another house that needs about 15K in repairs before we can rent it. OK, we can deal with that, even though we were looking for something that was completely turn-key. If it is meant to actually explode in our faces, then it will. We will learn from the experience.

Last month my husband had a vasectomy. It was something we both agreed on, having thrown back a shot of whiskey and a firm handshake. While his surgery was scheduled for the beginning of November, it got pushed back to December. Is it fate that directed his urologist not to be available for that extra 30 days? You might say so when you learn this:

I'm Pregnant.

How's that for a bit of irony?

What a learning opportunity this will be.

My mother said something to me the other day which brought tears to my eyes- and if you know my mom, she is not one to say warm and fuzzy things. She said, after a long pause, "Even though you always said you wanted only one child...you are such a kind and nurturing person that having another baby is only going to make your family stronger." By golly, not only did I start to cry, but then I realized that to my mom, learning about having another grandchild was like that scene in 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer', where Hermey the elf pulls out all the teeth of the Abominable Snowman and then he became all nice. Again...irony.

So, if you are a believer in karma, fate, destiny, would like to hear more similies about how my family's actions relate to those in the magical world of claymation, or love a good dose of dramatic irony, stick around Ce Soir ou Jamais (which you do know means 'it's now or never', right my Elvis fan friends?) for more updates. (And here you were getting all bored with my blog!!)

Happy Anniversary to Me

And Happy New Year to you!

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated 12 years of marriage. 12 years...in a row!!!

Relaxing time was had this new year's weekend as we spent it with the best nieghbors in the world who happen to have a vacation house at the beach! And wouldn't you know...the house down the road from theirs is for sale.....