Happy Easter

This year, Darling Daughter is 13 years old.

I am not climbing into the attic to search for her Easter basket and the ziplock bag of three dozen colored plastic eggs.

I am not going to insert coins and chocolate into three dozen colored plastic eggs.

I am not going to get up at dark-thirty to hide three dozen colored plastic eggs filled with coins and chocolate.

I am not going to take pictures of Darling Daughter hunting for three dozen colored plastic eggs filled with coins and chocolate while wearing jammies with feet.

I do observe yet another sign of my daughter growing up.

Easter morning, we will all sleep in. When we awaken, I will give her Lindt chocolate bunnies. Because she will always be my baby girl.

And I will be well-rested.

Birthday Blessings

Happy Birthday to you, my Darling Daughter. Today you are officially a teenager, though you've looked (and acted!) like one for several months now. Happy, happy 13!

I'm tickled to see how pleased you are about being 13. I remember my own 13th birthday and the excitement that went with it.

You're a fantastic girl, moving quickly towards being a fabulous woman. I see you on the path to being a happy, responsible, caring adult. You're an amazing person and you're going to make such a mark on this world!

I know this is great thing. Yet, my heart breaks a little, for each step you take toward going out in the world feels like a step farther away from me. I know that's the way it is supposed to be. I remember taking those steps away from my own mother, and not thinking twice about it. There's a world out there to be discovered!

Now you, my Darling Daughter, are emerging from your cocoon of childhood, taking these steps away from me, and I realize what my mother went through.

I love you, my Darling Daughter, and I'm so very proud of you!

I just hope you remember to come back to me now and then.

And now, I think I'll go call Grandma.

Nobody puts baby in a corner! (with apologies to fans of Dirty Dancing)

This weekend is Darling Daughter’s 13th birthday. In New England, a March birthday is a winter birthday. Celebrating is confined to indoors. Unless it’s something involving a snow sport - and March snow is not as exciting as November snow.

D.D. decided she would like to celebrate with a weekend outing to Cape Cod, inviting her best friend along for the trip. A hotel with an indoor pool for the girls would be a fab get-away.

I got a great deal on two adjoining suites, thus ensuring that I wouldn’t be kept up until 2am while they played Guitar Hero (yes, they brought it along). Dear Hubs, sensing an overload of estrogen (and Guitar Hero), wisely decided to opt out of the weekend adventure.

We didn’t leave home until 7:30pm Friday night, for what would be an hour and a half drive. We were so hyped up and excited - we were PSYCHED!!

Half an hour or more down the road, BANG! Power steering was gone, lights on the dash were flashing, and broken belt clunking under the hood. VERY lucky for us, we were near an exit - I coasted off the freeway and into a well-lit parking lot . Whip out the cell phone, call The Hubs, call AAA. Of course tow truck can’t take 3 people, have to wait for The Hubs to come and pick us up.

The Hubs finally arrives in his little commuter car to get us and all our baggage and assorted crappola. I call this car the Clown Car because it’s small enough to be the car that arrives in center ring at the circus and then 47 clowns crawl out of. We’re talking small.

But we manage to squeeze all of us and all our stuff in, and start for home. My thinking was, drop Hubs off at home, take his car and get back on our way. (We are a three vehicle family). We start on the half hour trip home – and the Clown Car loses a hose and power steering goes out. Good Lord, must we call AAA again? No! The Hubs, being a manly man, boldly declares that he don’t need no stinking power steering – after all, the road is pretty straight all the way home!

We arrived home after 10pm. Tired Mom and Dad, disappointed girls. The girls are so disappointed to be back to square one, they ask if they can sleep in the CAR.

How pitiful is that? My baby’s special birthday reduced to sleeping in a clown car?

Are we doomed? Are the Automobile Gods angry at me for mocking seat warmers in a previous post? Is Darling Daughter destined to have a disappointing birthday?

Heck no! MY baby deserves a happier birthday! [shamelessly insert famous line spoken in Dirty Dancing]

After getting a good night’s sleep I did what any good mama would do – I called Enterprise Rent-a-Car. And look what they gave me! [Caution: Put on sunglasses prior to viewing...]

Isn't it the cutest thing?!? I swear just driving it takes 10 years off my age. (Except when I try to put it in drive and my windshield wipers come on).

And the girls are now happily swimming in a warm indoor pool and mom has her feet up and is starting a new book…all down at the Cape. The End.

The Dog Whisperer

In my house, we really enjoy watching the t.v. program "The Dog Whisperer". The man is amazing - he works with dogs that are so aggressive that they may need to be put down if they don't immediately change.

He has several techniques he uses to subdue the dog. My favorite is when he takes two fingers and gently 'nips' the side of the dog's neck, while at the same time making this little "chhttt" sound. It teaches the dog to be submissive to him, and lets the dog know that HE is the pack leader.

I've been thinking, wouldn't it be great would it be if this worked on people too?

Teenage daughter calling you OLD, and in a big booming voice lets anyone within earshot know that her mom is almost 50?

CHHHT.

Mother-in-law won't shut up about how perfect your husband was as a child, so obviously your kid's out of control behavior is from your side of the family?

CHHHT.

Driving, with your husband as a passenger, and he continually gives you instructions about HOW to drive even though you've been driving for 35 years? ("Why don't you pass this guy?"..... "You're using the brakes too much, you're gonna wear 'em out"..... and my all-time favorite, "It's not a race, SLOW DOWN!")

CHHHT CHHHT CHHHT.

I'm picturing each of them afterwards...shocked and speechless. I think it just might work.