Friday Night Leftovers

Lately I've been reading a few blogs that do this so I decided to play along.

• The in-law's trip here went well. GV did work his magic with them but not with Kevin. He was flying off the handle with every slightest thing. But to be fair, they do make the same comments/ask the same questions about everything that is different about here from over there. It can get old and for Kevin it has done.
• GV is still doing the stupid army crawl. He won't use his knees and lift his tummy off the ground. Reminds me daily how I don't swiffer enough when at the end of the day his shirt is dirt-dirty and FULL of dog hair. Arg! However he is cruising a lot now! From coffee table to couch to chair then he'll "crawl" into the kitchen and use the cabinet door handles to cruise around our kitchen. 
• myParents bought a 2-person kayak to go with Wiki's single kayak. Wiki's single kayak that she bought shortly after she moved back early last year and didn't use until a couple of weeks ago when we took the in-laws kayaking. Good grief!
• GV is 11 months old on Sunday! Holy Heck! I gotta start planning what to do for his birthday. Should I have a party here at the house or out on the beach (like everyone else does). Should I invite just family or friends or family friends? Because of the moms group I'm in we know kids his age but they aren't really friends are they? When do babies start having friends?
• I was asked to be a VP for the moms group. I declined but decided to do treasurer. Kevin laughed when I told him because he doubts my monetary ability. Hello! Who was in charge of a huge college yearbook budget & ran her own business?!? This person right here!
• The in-laws think they might want to come over for Christmas. Which I'm totally okay with. But I've warned Kevin that he should warn them that it's Christmas with myFamily not Christmas in the USA. As in we will be hanging out with myFamily a lot — Mum commented to us over Christmas last year that when they visit us (now that we live 35 minutes away from myParents & Wiki) they don't want to have to share us with myFamily all the time while they are visiting. Occasionally is nice but not everyday.

Preparing

We're in super organizing, cleaning mode right now. Kevin's parents and sister (& her boyfriend) are visiting for the next two weeks. They get here Tuesday. We spent Christmas in England staying at Mum & Dad's and while I was ready for our usual rocky visit it actually went really really smooth. I guess GV was the missing piece. He made everyone get along. Hopefully he'll do the same for this visit. Last time SIL came (for our wedding) it got really bad and we actually had to separate Kevin and SIL.

GV is 10 months old! Holy Heck! He's still creeping not crawling. I don't know if he'll ever get on all fours. He can move around the house though! The other day the sprinklers went off in the middle of the day and so I went into the garage to figure out what was up with the timer. Suddenly the dogs leashes started rattling and I turn around and GV is in the garage playing with the dog leashes! I had left him in the living room! Les came running out of the bedroom convinced she was going for a walk. When she saw that it was just GV she sulked all the way back to the bedroom.

At his 9 month appt he was 30 inches, 20 something pounds. Only one pound heavier since his 6 month appt. His ped said she'd be concerned if he hasn't gain more weight by his year appt. I was shocked that he had only gained a pound (he feels so heavy sometimes!) and that his next appt was going to be at 1 year old! That's only two months away now! Anyways since then I've been more consistent about offering food after every nursing session. Before I just did it if we had time or a lull in our playing.

Great news! GV is sleeping through the night! It took a while and quite a few bad nights. I'll write more about it later. But he is sleeping from 7-7:30pm to 7:30-8:00am. Yay!

Okay I'll update more soon...I hope.

Vacation Plans

For the past several years Kevin and I have been using our vacations to visit family or go on vacation with family, in fact we haven't even had our honeymoon. Since our wedding was a destination wedding for everyone we didn't think it was right to take off for a honeymoon right away. So the plan was to spend a week here in RVA with everyone and then the following week go on our honeymoon. And then I got a full time job and so there was no way I was going to be able to get 2 1/2 - 3 weeks off within my first 6 months. So we pushed off our honeymoon till March. Kevin's grandfather died in February and so the time off (& money) we were going to use for our trip was instead used for a last minute trip to the UK. So we settled on going away for our 1 year anniversary. Then Kevin's parents decided that they wanted to come visit us over the summer, but wanted to go somewhere else in the States besides coming to RVA. The remainder of our vacation time went to that as well as the 5 days we used for Christmas in England. And then myMom wanted us to go to Colorado (where Wiki lives) for 4th of July. Kevin mentioned the trip to his parents and told them that they could come too.
After thinking about it a while one evening I told Kevin that I would rather the vacation we took in 2009 be just the two of us and somewhere not in the USA. He suggested Egypt as he's always wanted to go there. We decided to do it in the spring as soon as we had the days saved up and so that if for *some* reason we need more time in the fall we would have it available.
Over the holidays Kevin, Mum and I were sitting in the living room when Kevin asks me again, "So you don't want to go the Colorado for 4th of July right?" Immediately Mum pipes up complaining that she thought her and Dad were going to Colorado with us. Then she asks why we're not going and Kevin stops talking. Eventually I get to tell her that we've decided to go to Egypt in the spring. Of course she starts complaining about if we're going away then when are they going to see us and all that. She knows that we trade off Christmas so that we won't be coming over in December 2009. Well apparently every time she calls she complains to Kevin that they're not going to see us this year and such. And now I think Kevin is wavering on our trip. I've told him to tell his parents that they can visit us whenever they want, we'll just not be able to do more than an extended weekend and most likely be working some days that they'll be here. Is this unfair? Does anyone spend all their vacation visiting family (or them visiting you?) I was willing to not go on my family trip this year so that Kevin and I could have our vacation together. I'm going to be really annoyed if Kevin backs out because of Mum.

A Pleasant Surprise

Tonight when Kevin got home from doing the grocery shopping, he asked me why there were flowers on our porch. I went out there to look and I saw this big arrangement of beautiful white flowers sitting next to our door. I brought them inside and opened up the card. It read "Merry Christmas Love From J, L & S." Kevin's uncle, aunt, and cousin. I was kind of distraught to receive this as we had pretty much ignored his aunt and uncle this Christmas season. There's a lot of family drama behind this but long story short, this spring Auntie L decided that she (and her family) wanted nothing more to do with her sister (Mum). Auntie L lives in the same small village. Everyone knows everyone and it just killed Mum that people outside the family would know about the problems between Mum and Auntie L. Anyways a little while later, cousin M and his wife S told Mum that they never wanted to cut off all contact and cousin S said the same. This was back in May/June and true to her word Auntie L hasn't spoken or even seen Mum since then. Needless to say, Kevin is very upset with Auntie L and so this Christmas Kevin specifically told me not to send them a card. While we were in England, he didn't want to go visit with them. When we got the mail yesterday, I found a Christmas card from them. So I know that I'm going to have to write thank you note for the flowers but I'm not really sure what to say. I know I should have sent them a card especially since SIL said that she had received a card from them. Anyways, as Kevin said when we were reading the card, "Well this is a interesting development." Pfft.

And finally the last day...

Today was our last full day in England.  Today was good because we got to try out our new suitcase, Mum and I crushed Kevin and Dad at Pictionary, Kevin and I got to see the Jo-Nathans at the pub and when we got home Peep Show was on the telly. So two more SIL & Mum stories because I just can't help myself. So Saturday afternoon when Kevin and I were just getting started packing, Mum came up and asked if we wanted to play a board game. Kevin started to say no, because we were packing but I cut him off and said "Sure!"  We head downstairs and into the dining room which just happens to be the ONLY room that you'd be able to play a board game in and who's in there all spread out with her 1000-piece puzzle but SIL. Mum sees her and asks her what board game would she like to play and SIL says none, she's just started working on her puzzle. So Mum says "But I just asked you if wanted to play a board game and you said yes." "Well now I'm doing my puzzle," says SIL. Mum replies "Okay we'll just work on your puzzle together then." SIL harrumphs at this and then gets up and walks out of the room and goes upstairs to her room. Leaving all her stuff behind and her puzzle spread out all over the table as well. Mum and I had to clean it up and then Mum went upstairs to get Pictionary. I kick A$$ at this game! Seriously, you want to be on my team if we play this during a game night! Oh and never go against me & Wiki (as a team) in any game cause we'll mow over you.  We've even been banned from being on the same team at certain friend's houses *cough*Trolley*cough* because of how good we are.

Second story involves Mum and SIL as well but this time SIL isn't the villain. So I go into the kitchen, seeing that Mum is in there alone.  She's usually never alone in the kitchen because SIL is always with her. Anyways, I ask Mum if there's anything I can do. She says no. So then I ask again if I can help and she says something about checking to see if the table has been set (it has). Then I ask her if she's sure there's nothing I can do and she says that she's got everything covered. So I finally give up and go into the living room. Not 5 minutes later Mum walks in and bends over SIL and asks her cut up the vegetables (carrots, parsnips and cauliflower). Seriously?!? I just asked you!  Do you really think I'm incapable of handling a sharp instrument? Mum does this all the time. The most responsiblity I ever get is setting the table and she has Kevin and SIL cutting and chopping and stirring. I mean I don't really like to cook but I like to help.  And meaningful help, not just something any ol' idiot could do.

Boxing Day

So EVERY time Kevin and I visit, Kevin's family loves going on big walks. Big walks with lots of hills, muddy fields and done at a brisk pace.  No not brisk, maybe more like power-walking pace.  Oh, and these walks usually last a couple of hours, with some even being almost a whole day thing. I am not a walker, I am not a fast walker, I don't like walking up hills just for the heck of it.  I've mentioned the pain that comes everytime I walk somewhere in England (even when I walk slow).  Kevin's family knows about this.  They have to know that I'm in physical pain when we go on these walks at their million-miles-a-minute walks. Pain that can bring on tears with every step. Yet every time the five of us set out for a walk this is what happens: Mum and SIL walk at their normal speed steadily increasing the space between us with each step. Kevin stays behind with me and walks at my pace, missing the time to spend and chat with his family. Dad varies in location from waiting for me to catch up, leading the walk (cause he's got the guide book) or falling behind because this portion of the walk "creases" him (his words). So if you can't tell, I don't really like these family walks. Before we went to bed on Christmas day, Mum announces that she wants to go for a walk tomorrow.  Great! So as Kevin and I were settling down for bed I told him that I wasn't going to go. I listed my reasons very clearly and said I would rather go into the village and do a bit of shopping, spending some time alone and giving Kevin time with his family without his having to worry about me. Very clear, very unemotional (I thought) and figured that was that.  Well, while I was in the shower getting ready for the day, Kevin announces to Mum that he doesn't want to go on a very long walk, nor does he want to go on any muddy walks (he didn't bring his hiking boots) and that he wants to go on a walk that isn't so strenous that they end up leaving me behind. This is not what I said! Of course Mum had already decided which walk we would go on and so this absolutely flustered her(Her and Kevin don't deal well with sudden changes to laid out plans). She goes on and on about how he didn't say anything they night before about any of his "requirements." I am in the dining room at this point, eating breakfast when they (Mum and Kevin) start arguing about where they're going.  Mum disappears for a bit and then comes back with Dad and rehashes the same argument with Kevin which upsets Kevin to the point that he storms out of the room.  Then Mum starts in on Dad about how he didn't back her up and that instead of telling her to just drop it - He did several times try to get her past the issue of Kevin's sudden requirements to actually pick a new walk - he should have gotten angry with Kevin because Kevin was being difficult and shouting at her. Well then Dad gets annoyed at Mum and he walks out of the room.  Then it's just me and Mum sitting there and she starts talking to me, wanting me to say that Kevin was wrong and that he shouldn't have sprung these sudden requirements. What am I suppose to do? Anyways we ended up going on a very boring walk along a field next to a motorway. Mum was very deliberate in her attempts to stay at the back of the group and go slow, so I'm pretty sure Kevin said something about them walking too fast. Ugh! The rest of the day went pretty smoothly, including some fun after dinner making balloon animals.

Password Found, Connects All-Around

So I had Kevin nudge FIL a little bit and it worked. He found the password. We tried it out and now both my computer and iPhone are online again. So good times. Of course the first thing that Kevin wanted to look up was my facebook account to see if SIL's post/status were still there. See, yesterday while he and Mum were out picking up SIL from the train station, I went onto the internet. I checked my facebook account and saw that SIL had posted a photo from the Cowboys game onto her account on Thursday(?). And her comment on it was "Look at my tragic brother." Then on Friday she changed her status to "SIL thinks her brother is a tool." At first I wasn't going to tell Kevin but then when they got home, SIL ran up the stairs to her room and slammed the door shut. I went to find Kev and he said that at the station when she arrived, she walked right past him without saying a word to him and didn't even hug Mum hello. So I showed him what I had found. I could tell he was upset about it. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

After a bit of awkardness while Mum was opening her gifts (still with no words aimed at Kev or I from her), we went out to the stores to find outfits for last night's concert. When we got home from the shopping, SIL was a bit more friendly actually asking me about the baggage and bringing up our tea to Kevin's room. Since then she's been okay. Not great, but okay.

So anyways, when we checked this morning, the post/status weren't there. She would have had to unpost and delete them, so maybe she felt bad about it.

In other news, our bags have finally arrived! The brown bag was fine, however the grey bag was smashed to pieces. Seriously! It's a hard-shell case and pieces have been broken off of it like it's a piece of brittle. It's horrible! And all the presents were in that bag. I checked the contents of both bags and it seems that everything is still there.

Tonight we're going to dinner out to celebrate Mum's b-day. She's decided not to wear any of the jewelry given to her as presents because they don't go with her outfit. Whatever. I always try to wear birthday items right away (even if they clash), so that people know I appreciate them. Pfft.