A Little Help From My Friends...

I am breaking into my usual sarcasm this morning to bring you a heartfelt post.

Crazy, I know.

Some know and some might not know, but I am independent (OK, extremely independent). I not only do the laundry, the dishes, take the garbage out, but also own my own small power tools, mow the lawn and go to the dump.

I am most certainly not Rapunzel. She waited for someone to rescue her instead of figuring out how to get out of that damn tower herself.

In the past 9 months, I have had to depend on my independent (some might say stubborn) side and do more than usual myself. Then 2 things happened this weekend that made me think that maybe a little help is a nice thing now and then.

First, the girls and I moved. It is very hard to find a year round rental on Cape Cod, but miraculously we did it! Our landlord is super nice and the house is pretty cool. And somebody mows the lawn! I have been mowing lawns since I was 12. Maybe I will take the time to get a manicure while SOMEONE ELSE is mowing my lawn. Anyway, not the point. The point is that I sent out a FB and email request for some friends to help me move on Saturday.

8 beautiful people showed up at my door and said, "Let's do it!". All they asked for in payment was one of the brownies I made. The fact that they gave up a Saturday afternoon in the drizzle and helped me is humbling. The fact that there were another dozen or so people that wished they could help, but had plans, was as equally so. Seriously, it brought tears to my eyes.

Now, people that know me, would say, "Sue, you would do that for your friends." And my answer would have been, "Of course". "Count me in." "Let me help YOU." I am just not accustom to the other way around. Sure people offer me help and I usually am too proud (stupid) to take it.

But this weekend, I let my guard down, let my friends in and my new house will be all the more special for it.

The second thing has happened over time, but this weekend I actually made a little money at it. A blog friend of mine is kind of my mentor (and friend). She has taught me more about blogging, tweeting and raising kids than I thought I could know. She is always on the ball when having to RSVP to special parties at Blogher in NYC, she helped me set up a twitter account, and she sends me interesting inquiries people have made for sponsorship on her blog. She does all this selflessly. She doesn't ask for anything in return, (except to be my roomie at Blogher).

In conclusion (I feel like I am making my case in front of a board), I will still be the independent girl that I have always been. However, I see the advantages of opening oneself up a little bit to let some friends in.

So thank-you friends and you know who to call if you ever need any help moving, some brownies or your picture taken. Love you!

Frag'n Friday

What happens if you have too many fragments to spit out on a Friday and your head is spinning like this:

In the next few weeks, I have to move (hopefully for the last time for awhile, like YEARS); go through the end of the school year last minute projects, parties, exams; help plan a few baby showers for my sister; go with B and the jump rope team to Texas all the while continuing to do the everyday stuff of cooking, cleaning, laundry, babysitting, shooting weddings.....

Ugh!!!

At least softball season ended last night in the rain. There's one thing off the list!

Happy Weekend :) I've got to go pack!

Scanning the Day Away....

My very cute sister is pregnant and due in September. My mom, sis and I went and registered the baby at Babies R'Us this weekend anticipating the questions of "what does she want/need". Way back when, when I got married and had my girls, you had to write down all the sku numbers, the price, the color etc... It was a process!

Now?

They hand you a scanner and let you go to town. Once I pried the scanner out of Karen's hands, I went crazy! She will be very surprised when people say, "I got it off your registry!". She was painstakingly deciding over what bottles to get, when I snuck into the toy aisle and pretty much registered the kid for toys that will get her through the 1st grade. I might have registered for a few things for my own girls. (Hey, they really like soft blankies....)

The thing that stopped me in my tracks was this

My mom: "Why are you taking a picture of that?"

Me: "Oh, there's a blog post in here somewhere."

My mom: "Oy"

This is how the website described it

For parents wanting to give their baby the very best experience during bath time..

It has a whole demo and everything. It has a shower nozzle and a whirlpool spa with claw feet on the tub. They promote the shower nozzle by saying it, "provides a clean rinse to wash away the stresses of the day." Let's see..... what are some stresses a newborn could have?

My mom didn't get my bottle/boob out fast enough.

I was in my vibrator chair 2 minutes too long.

Change me now! I pooped!

I think the company would be better off making a claw foot spa tub for the MOM! From experience, I know that the mom feels a lot more stress during the day than a baby.

And no, I didn't put that on her register.

Sundays in My City

A few weekends ago, we had a maritime festival sponsored by the Women of Fishing Families (WOFF). It was a fun, sunny day complete with a visit from Wally the Green Monster (Red Sox mascot).

We had the fishermen Olympics where they had to dress up in Sumo wrestling suits, put on survival suits and bounce on hippity hops. I have never seen fishermen laugh so much!

Hope you are having a great Sunday!

Frag'n Friday

Welcome to Friday Fragments, the brain storm of Mrs. 4444s. The place to throw all those little tidbits that you have collected during the week and organize them into one little pile, I mean, post.

*I have never been so happy to have been so fat! Rent these suits for a fun time!

*Now we know what Santa does in the off season...

*Saw this license plate at a wedding I shot last weekend. How cool is that?!

*My kids are famous. We went to the mall last weekend and I sent them into PacSun while I went into Macy's. A woman walked up to them and asked them if their mom wrote a blog! Yeah, they were spotted by Kathy and her daughter who write a cute blog called Two Hands Full of Daisies. I missed getting to meet her, but hopefully we can plan a rendez-vous soon!

*We finally found a year round house to rent! It is very cute and will look even cuter when we paint the inside pink. Just kidding. I threatened the landlord that we would. He laughed, but looked a little nervous! I am sure I will have plenty before and after pictures in the next few weeks!

*And the winner of the Chocbite chocolate bar is TexasHolly

I will let chocbite know! And check out Texas Holly's page because she has quite a few giveaways and good ideas over there!

*That sums up another week of this and that! Have a great weekend!

Damn Orthodontist

Dear Orthodontist Whom I Have Paid Way Way Too Much Money To:

I am sure you don't understand what it is like to have 2 kids in braces. 2 kids in braces that once upon a time screamed bloody murder any time I would take them to the regular dentist. 2 kids that can only now tolerate any dentist, but at least I don't have to hold them down. We chose you as their orthodontist because our lovely pediatric dentist recommended you. That is why we drive 45-60 minutes away to go to your beautiful office.

The girls have nicknames for you and your staff. There are stellar dental assistants that they secretly fight over getting. They high five each other if they both get "a good one" afterward in the car. I am sure your whole staff is very nice, but we are dealing with 2 dentist-challenged pre-teens here. I have sat through numerous demonstrations on how to brush their teeth the "correct" way. Perhaps you don't have pre-teens or kids at all, because trying to get into a bathroom and help brush their teeth without busting down the door first is pretty much impossible. And those are the nights I remember that they might need my guidance. Sorry I have those other things like cleaning up the kitchen, laundry, getting ready for the next day, a few committee responsibilities, facebook, email and my blog.

The anticipation for an appointment begins days in advance and by the time we are within 30 minutes of said office, the butterflies in the stomach are in full swing and we need to keep the windows open in order to breath. So when we arrived at your office on Tuesday, we were surprised to see the lights off. I thought, "late lunch?", but it was 3:30. I called the office and found out that you are closed until the middle of next week. All I could think of was WTF, while my lovely girls were doing the biggest touchdown dance of all time in the hallway. You sent me an email reminder that we had an appointment on the 1st of June. I confirmed it. Yet, you are closed for a week and a half.

Let me share a little insight into what that afternoon was like for me...

2:00 pick girls up from school. Drop one of their friends off at after school program. Race home to brush teeth, grab a snack and pee.

Drive 50 minutes to ortho.

3:30 Closed.

Drive another 25 minutes back to swim lessons.

Drop B at swim lessons and take K to the Dr. 10 mins away. K does not like Drs.. K had a cough that could rattle the dead. Sit at Dr's for about 1 hour. Drive toward home, stopping to get a piece of pizza for dinner.

Pick up B at friend's house who brought her home from swimming. Drop K at home and bring B to softball game where I am one of the coaches. Game gets rained out after 3 innings. I get home at 7:30. Time to start homework, showers and bedtime.

Do you think I might have really appreciated a call saying that you were CLOSED, so I could have done laundry or gone to the grocery store during that time? To say nothing of the pre-stress of a DENTIST APPT. I had to deal with? Let's just say I am a little disappointed that you could not send out a call or email to say that you had to close for this week.

Next time, I will call and confirm with you. And if I have to cancel at the last minute, then I don't even want to hear about your call before 24 hours cancellation policy.

Yours truly,

Debt Upto Myears

He Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea....

I love mornings when the girls play along with each other....

Setting: Me cutting a pineapple because B has turned into a Hawaiian and can't get enough pineapple.

K: Why are you cutting that pineapple? Don't you know people live in pineapples?

Me: Whaaa?

K: You know like SpongeBob. He lives in a pineapple.

Me: Hmm, right. Didn't think of that.

K: You are killing their habitat.

B: What are you PETA for pineapples?