Candy issues

My close friends will laugh at this, but Melisa over at www.thesuburbanscrawl.blogspot.com asked these questions about M&Ms.

"1. Do you eat your M&Ms one at a time, a couple at a time, or by the handful?

2. Do you eat them according to a certain color first, or do you not care about color?

3. Do you suck on them, bite them in half before eating, or just chomp on them in a carefree manner?

4. Do you miss tan-colored M&Ms in the bag of assorted colors?

5. Did you think it was a travesty to replace the tan with the blue? Would you have preferred another color (I think purple was the other choice) or did you just want them to leave the tan in there?"

So, I grabbed her questions for my post because this was just too good to answer in the comment section of her blog. I am an M&M addict. I should be in a rehab somewhere (preferably warm) for M&M addicts. If you could get arrested for eating too many M&Ms, I would have lost my license for the rest of my life. I was thinking how I needed to get to BJ's to buy a supersize bag tomorrow because I am out of all my supplies. I usually eat about 6 at a time and suck them. No regard to color. When the reds first came out, I was worried about them and wouldn't eat them because I heard they caused cancer. Now that they come in any color..... any color goes. I am ok with blue now, too. I just don't care about the color, just the oral fixation on them and the taste. I often time mix them with planter's peanuts. This has a different, more saltier taste than the peanut M&Ms.

Now you know. It is an addiction I am not proud of, but one that is fed by stress and driving. (I like to eat when I drive distances). Please forgive me, because I am sure that I have seemed like the perfect person, wife, mom so far, I have an addiction stronger than me. My dentist (who is my neighbor) couldn't understand why I had 2 cavities 2 years ago. I asked, "hmmm, could it be all the M&Ms I eat during the day?" He didn't believe I ate that many, but I guess, my teeth don't lie. I would probably be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swim suit addition if I could kick this habit, but the allure of being Ms. Green M&M 2008 is a stronger goal.

Spring Soccer, MA style

Yesterday was the first game of spring soccer. Never mind that our first game was over 1 1/2 hours away (East Bum F*@k, MA), but it was CHILLY! I was disillusioned years ago when I signed my girls up for spring soccer. Weekends, sitting in the sun cheering on a soccer team. I must have been high when I thought that, because in reality, MA spring soccer is down right chilly and you're lucky if the field does not have snow or rain puddles on it. This was B playing yesterday.....

Notice hat, 2 layers under team shirt, and sweatpants over shorts. Brrrrr (along with a few sprinkles). But, there is some sign of hope and warmth in the picture. Can you spot it? Yup, that's right, beach chairs. I didn't even bring mine to the game because I couldn't put my hand on them minutes before we left. Must be somewhere in the basement, I'll have them for next week. I had to keep jumping up and down at this game anyway to make sure I had all my appendages still intact.

B has been coughing a lot while running and I took her to the Dr. Friday. She has been diagnosed with exercise induced asthma. Does anyone know anything about this? She is on Singulair and an inhaler before running. She does not like the taste of the inhaler and she doesn't think it works (she's only used it 2 times: yesterday's game and today's practice). I have to look more into it, but evidently it is pretty common. Anywho, if you have any knowledge, advice, spare wine you can send to me, please let me know. Oh and a great ending is that she scored the winning goal in yesterday's game!!!

Hubby Meme

OK, sweet Melisa tagged me for a meme. {Mom, that means she did a post on her site and wants me to do it on my site. I know that last one confused you.} It's an interesting one because it's about my DH. A few of my friends have asked me what DH stands for. Well.. some days it stands for dear husband, and others, damn husband. Honestly, before you read this post, Matt is a great guy (his mom paid me to say that- Hi Pat :), just kidding, anyway he worries about providing for us, keeping my checkbook in the black etc.....I'll just get on with it.....

How long have you been together? Since October of 1990. OK, sit right back and you'll hear a tale.....the way we met is kind of a cool story about fate....When I moved to the Cape in 1990, I didn't know anything about it. I watched a local show that spotlighted the cape and all it had to offer. There was a dad and his 2 boys (strapping young men) on the show. I thought , "Hey maybe, I will run in to them some day?". Fast forward to October, when I was at a coffee house(as in bar with live music) and in walked Matt, the hunk I had seen on the boat with his dad. Me, not shy in alcoholic situations, "Hey weren't you on tv in June with your dad and brother?" And it has been bliss (hahahaahahhahhhahhh) since then!
How long did you date? Ah, before we got married? Almost 4 years.
How old is he? 41, we are the same age for a month, then he's older.
Who said ‘I love you’ first? Hmmm, has Matt ever said that? It was definitely me the first 400 times, then I think he caught on.
Who is taller? Me shrimpy- 5'5, Him tall guy- 6'2
Who is smarter? I would love to say 'me of course' and do say that quite often, but he is very smart in certain subjects I have no knowledge of. Business planning, taxes, insurance, fixing anything on a boat, math. Me, I am more of the schooling smart kind of gal.
Who does the laundry? Um, me. Do men actually know how to use a washing machine?
Who does the dishes? Yeah, that would be me, too. Once, when we first go married, we had a thing going where one cooks, one cleans up. What did happen to that rule?
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? OK, this has long been my side, but over the last year, Matt has conquered it. He says I have the better alarm clock. Maybe, it's time we switch alarm clocks?
Who pays the bills? Crap, we have to pay them?
Who mows the lawn? Your's truly. Yup, I am wonder woman. I learned at a young age how to mow the lawn on a riding mower and loved doing it. Now, I just love the look of a freshly mowed lawn and would wait to the cows come home if I waited for Matt to do it.
Who cooks dinner? ME,ME,ME,ME,ME,ME
Who is more stubborn? HIM,HIM,HIM,HIM
Who kissed who first? Um, memory is failing me on that one....
Who asked who out? Well, it might have been slutty me. We were in a bar one night and I asked him to play darts with me. Little did I know he didn't like to wear his glasses because he didn't think they were cool and he could barely see the dart board.
Who proposed? He did, but that's another story. He had the ring before Christmas, chickened out until I demanded my unopened Christmas present on Valentine's Day. He wanted to save it until my birthday (the end of March). He was so stressed out, he practically threw it at me.
Who is more sensitive? Sniff, sniff, me

Ok, so now you know who wears the pants in the family. Me, obviously. Somedays I would like to take them off and wear a ball gown and eat bonbons on the couch, but that's so not me or my life and that's OK!

I'm new to this tagging thing, so I am going to open it up to anyone reading. If you want to share your husbands (cushy) life with blog world, bring it on, just let me know!

Matt, me, K and B (Fall 07)

DJ Sue

In case anyone was wondering.... K woke up with a smile on her face this morning. Nothing was mentioned from last night. Today was crazy hair or hat day. This is what my little petunia looked like this morning...


When I was younger, radio stations fascinated me. Maybe it was just that I loved music so much. I loved meeting radio announcers in real life to see if they looked like what I imagined them to look like. (Sadly, that was usually a disappointment). Remember WKRP in Cincinnati?

Yeah, ok, loved that show. Something about the big head phones and microphone always appealed to me. So, when my sister mentioned last night that I could come do a radio spot today with her, I was all over it! We are part of a group (Women of Fishing Families) that puts on a maritime festival in the spring. We went to the station with another woman who runs the Maritime Museum in Hyannis. Together, we have gotten a grant to run a photography contest for kids to see their take on the fishing, clamming, lobstering, basically maritime atmosphere of the Cape. We were interviewed to talk about the contest and our respective groups. It won't air until next Sunday. All I can say is the guy should have done the uncut version of our interview. We were all chatting away, cracking jokes before the red studio light went on and then after it went off, we all breathed a sigh of relief, wiped our sweaty palms and continued our "pregame comedy show"! My sister, Karen, compared the red "on" light to the scene on The Brady Bunch where they are shooting a demo and Peter freezes when he sees the red light. She felt she froze when it went on, but honestly,she did just fine! I think we all did. Doesn't she look like a natural? Very laid back!

Right before, I asked her if she shut off her cell phone and she assured me she did. However, it was on vibrate and it buzzed for about the first 3 minutes of the interview. Hopefully those big mics didn't pick that up (or me giggling about it!) All in all, a fun experience. I did really want to bust into one of the DJ rooms and set up some tunes. Maybe if I ever get invited back, I will talk my way onto the air as a guest DJ, impress the masses and wind up as the DJ on the Ellen Show. Sure Stryker is a babe, but I am sure Ellen and I would have a great time together!

A*s Kicking

I often wonder how a 65 lb 10 year old can kick my a*s to the curb in the matter of an hour.

Let me preface this with our afternoon. K went to a friend's house after school, B had chorus. I picked B up at 3:30, K at 4. We ran into Job Lot (discount "crap" store), went to wish my brother in law Happy Birthday and wound up talking with nephew,S for 1/2 hour. We got home, I had dinner on the table by 6 (this hasn't happened in awhile thanks to the time change), the girls and I(DH out fishing) ate and laughed.... Where/when did it go downhill?

At some point the good mood started to crumble. K got in the shower, B was on my bed watching tv. Both girls were whining about how they needed a back massage so I obliged. Maybe that was my mistake. Maybe I should have whined to them and made them give me one! One's wasn't as long as the other, one started whining to the other, one started yelling at the other, one started singing to annoy the other..... You get the picture. They were both in respective rooms at 7:45 with no finishing program they were watching. K could not handle that and slammed the door in my face. B just got into bed and read. K pushed her luck and tried to watch more tv, but I said, "Do that and no going to BFF's birthday party on Saturday". Something must have registered because she claimed she didn't care about BFF's party, but did everything except turn on the tv . She cried for quite some time and claimed she didn't like me, I was the meanest mom, wasn't tired.. the works. I told her I loved her, put B to bed and came downstairs to a big bowl of popcorn and glass of wine. Or was it a big glass of wine and a few kernels of popcorn? Either way... She came downstairs (9:15). Said what was really bothering her was that she didn't want to go to school tomorrow because of a writing project. Yesterday the teacher said her opening was great, today she said it needed some work and she was writing like a 4th grader. (she's a 5th grader). This is the kid that has struggled with school since the get go. Until this year, she has been pulled out for extra reading help. She blurted out this afternoon that she got a 100 on her oral report that she gave yesterday and she was so proud of herself! (As was I!) So, she is not the best writer. Please don't insult her by saying she is writing like a 4th grader. Oh the horrors, I know, a 4th grader.

I do love her teacher and she does many a creative project with the class. K loves her too (for the most part). I might have to tell her that the next time she compares something K has done to a 4th grader, she may have to take her home for the night because I only have so much wine and can only handle so many a*s kickings.

Shaw's Rocks!

When did I become the person that gets excited about grocery stores? This, to me, is VERY scary. Excited? About a grocery store? When I was younger, I used to go to the grocery store with my mom. It was that oldest kid guilt thing, I guess. I felt like I should go with my mom to the grocery store to keep her company. Why that was, I don't know. She knew EVERYBODY in the grocery store! We would stop in the middle of each aisle and catch up with each person we saw. Maybe I went with her just to get her to buy food because now she will think and talk about going to the grocery store for a full day and a half before she actually gets there.

So, back to me, (it always comes back to me)..... I dropped B at soccer practice in Orleans tonight. That is a different town than which we live. I had to run to the grocery store because I was out of the basics: bread, milk and paper towels. The paper towels being the most important because I go through like a roll a day. I went to Shaw's instead of my regular Stop and Shop which is closer to my house. I grabbed a little basket because I only needed 3 items. Got that? Only 3 items. What woman actually goes into a grocery store and buys only the 3 items that she needs? My husband could, but not me. Half way through the store, I upgraded to a cart. This is where the story becomes sad. I was getting excited at the different things this store carried than the store I normally shop at. Obviously I was missing out on new products by not experimenting with different grocery stores! Normally, I get bored by the grocery store (and a little angry too, at how much money it sucks out of me each month). I get bored of making the same lunches, dinners, snacks etc... But at Shaw's tonight, I was practically giddy with excitement! I am shaking my head in disbelief at how pitiful that just sounded. Ugh. These are some of the new products I found....

A new Ocean Spray drink? Yummy! One that will give me energy and help prevent bladder infections?! Cool! Pickles in little bowls that I can put in B's lunch? Ooooh, is she going to be psyched when she opens her lunch box tomorrow! Breadsticks to dip in peanut butter? What a great snack that both girls will like and it's different than goldfish and pretzels! Plus, not pictured are the large pork bones that I bought my dog and my nephew-dog for a treat when they are on their playdate tomorrow. Have I ever seen these items at Stop and Shop? I think not! I've got to go lay down and rest now. I just had a full cardio workout at the grocery store!

Happy Birthday, S!

Today is my oldest nephew, S's, birthday! He is turning 14! OK, that in itself is unbelievable. I remember holding him in his little primary colored Gymboree clothes and wondering if I would ever be responsible enough to have my own baby. I guess someone thought I was responsible because I wound up with 2. Anyway, more about S. I have so many snapshots in my mind of him. Standing in his Dad's fishing boots when he was about 3, having baths in the sink, being the big kid in the tub with his brothers and cousins, playing soccer, finding every jump on the hill to ski off, and the swagger he adopted when he was about 11 because he was so cool! In November of 2005, S looked like this...

He had just survived 5 months of intensive chemotherapy. He fought the C word like a samurai warrior. He put up with hospital stays, blood transfusions, nausea, cravings, a summer spent mostly inside instead of outside and all the other crap that comes with cancer.

Now, S looks like this....

He has gained weight, grown a few inches and still has that great smile. He plays soccer, basketball, baseball and skis like a downhill racer. He still allows me to hug him and I even got to give him a kiss this morning when he ran in to pick up his cupcakes. You got it, I am the aunt/mom that likes to bake, so I get asked to make the special funfetti cupcakes every year! Do I mind? No way. He is a real trooper and has worked hard to come out on the other side of cancer as a better, stronger person. I am so proud of him!