Summer Wedding

This July Dexter, Flip and I went to New Mexico to watch my oldest sister, Buffy, get hitched.  Seriously, when you think weddings, don't you immediately think of New Mexico.  Apparently my sister does...

We decided to leave Vivian with the in-laws because destination weddings aren't her thing.  She probably would have had fun, but there was something about bringing a two year old on a three and half hour flight,  two hour drive and then hanging out for three days on desert ranch that just didn't feel right.

Flip was ecstatic about his first plane ride.  He wore his jeans and cowboy boots that we bought for the wedding and didn't let go of his dad's hand while we checked in and went through security.  Of course, as soon as we got on the plane, Dexter found a seat by a quiet adult and snoozed the entire flight while I got to convince Flip to stay seated for three and a half hours.  This is unnatural for a five year old therefore it was difficult for me.  I did have my other sister, Bitsy, to help with what I call Operation Entertainment/Containment.  We had books to read, stickers to stick, colors to color with, but somebody in our traveling party thought that candy was a good snack for an already overly energetic boy.  So to be kind to all the passengers on board, I ate the candy.  Flip would not have done well after access to all that candy.  Of course Flip had lots of great kid questions:

Flip: Mom, are we flying higher than a dinosaur?
Me: Yes.

Flip: Are we close to heaven?
Me: I don't know.
Flip: Why not?
Me: Because I have never been there.

Flip: What happens if the wings break off?
Me: They won't break off.
Flip: How do you know that?

...and so it went all the way to Albuquerque.  We were on the road after feeding the boys (Dexter was hungry after all that napping and Flip was hungry since I ate all the candy) and making a necessary stop at Wal Mart.  We were informed by Buffy that the ranch was completely off the beaten path so we had to gather up supplies before heading into Billy the Kid country.

Once we arrive in Carrizozo (population 18, us included) Buffy meets us at the Rainbow Inn (I'm not kidding) and we crash.  The next day we are up way too early since we were still on Eastern time, so we stumble over to a really great coffee shop which immediately became our favorite place.  But once Buffy arrives and has had her cup of Joe, we are off the the ranch to clean up and set up.

A few days work by the Randerson sisters will make a desert ranch look like someplace you want to get married...at least we hope that was the case for Buffy.  The wedding was lovely, the people were awesome and the wind made the desert feel more comfortable than Hotlanta.  There are a few things we learned on our trip that I would like to share with you in case you are looking into a destination wedding in New Mexico:

1.  There is a lot of dirt and sand in the desert.
2.  Wild horses do NOT like watermelon, Doritos or your company.
3.  If you don't like Mexican food, then you probably won't like the food in Carrizozo.
4.  Watch out for poop and snakes.

Fwimmin'

So we joined a neighborhood pool which was the best decision we have made in like a decade.  Every other day the kids and I would swim for a few hours.  It turns out that swimming will really wear them out.  On the days that they swam bedtime came a lot sooner.  The kids tan very well.  They just think about the sun and their skin starts to bronze.  This is not a trait they inherited from their pale, red headed mother.  So by the middle of the summer they could go without sun screen, but I have to lather up with 50 SPF no matter what time of day or season we are in.  This annoyed them a little to have to wait that whole extra 2 minutes while I got ready.

"Mom, Come on!"

I have NO idea where they learned to talk like that.  Really I don't.  Every time we went to the pool we would stock up on water toys, floaties and food.  The toys were for the kids to fight over, the floaties were so the kids wouldn't drown and the food was to stick in their mouths when they started complaining.  Really.  But not really.

Flip is actually a good swimmer.  Dexter has coaxed into diving enough that now he will show off to anyone who asks.  He will dive down and get the little torpedo toys too.  I think I will sign him up for the swim team next year.

Vivian was nervous at first, but once she figured out how fun it was she would jump in as soon as I released her.  She would kick and use her little arms while announcing rather loudly, "I fwimming!"  I know I am biased but she really is the cutest little girl.

I like my kids.  I really do.  But I am tired.  The summer was fun, but it was non-stop entertaining them. That being said, I like my kids in school.  I really do.

A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

Do you remember that book?  I do! Alexander really did have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  Older siblings and kissing on TV can do that to a little boy, I suppose.  Poor kid.  I just so happened to have one of those days this week.  Not older sibling problems or kissing on TV problems - REAL problems.

It started like any normal day...I was woken up before I really preferred to get up.  I walked to the kitchen trying to shake off my morning stupor.  Then I fixed the kids some breakfast, nagged them till they ate it then argued over outfits before I was able to get them dressed.  Bur that's when the normalcy stopped...

I took the kids to school and left them there...so I was alone in the car...then I got home and donned my swimsuit...then I drove to pool...once I was situated on the lounge chair I read entire pages of my book without interruption...when I felt hungry I walked up to the poolside restaurant...I ordered my food and called Dexter to scare him.  This is how it went:

Me: Dexter, guess what I'm doing (I honestly thought I could hear him typing in the our bank account website to see how much I had just spent and where)?

Dexter: Oh, no Vicki!  What did you do?  What did you buy?  How much was it?

Me: I bought lunch.

Dexter:  That's it?  No therapy shopping?

Me:  Nope, I just wanted to call and let you know I was at the pool, eating lunch.

I didn't mean to rub it in since he was in his dreary office on such a lovely day.  OK, who am I kidding, I really did want to rub it in.  I'm that kinda girl.  After that thrilling conversation I left soaked up some more sun then left at my leisure.  It was so nice.

So it wasn't really a bad day - well, it was for someone, just not me.   Now that school is back in session, I finally get my vacation!