Cleveland rocks!* (unless you are staying at the Radisson)

OK, I'm still tired. But I'm not sick - I promise. Just whiny.

Feeling a bit more rested now after spending a weekend away with just the hubs. Yes, friends, my main man and I got to finally celebrate our 10th anniversary (which was last October) and my husband upcoming big-numbered birthday (I won't say which one) with a weekend away.

And we chose Cleveland. Well actually I chose Cleveland. When I mentioned it to Jeff he wrinkled his nose and said "Cleveland?" (much like many of you are doing right now). I actually said "Let's get excited about Cleveland" and he told me I was the first person ever to say that. In fact about half of the reactions to our Cleveland trip were "Cleveland? Really?" Even our emergency room doctor at the Cleveland Clinic wondered why we were vacationing in his city. But I'm getting ahead of myself ...

Yes, Cleveland. Partially because of it's close proximity to where we live (only a three hour drive) so we could easily get there and back in one weekend. Partially because we could do it on the cheap and partially because there are actually a number of things you can do in Cleveland.

The trip started rather uneventfully. Except I ended up with the second half of the driving shift which had me driving into Cleveland. I'm not a big fan of driving into larger cities that I am unfamiliar with (not sure that anyone is) but it seems most times I am doing it, there is construction and it is raining. Then we ended up walking farther than we should have because Sarah is not so great with the parallel park.

Highlights of the trip included:

- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Being passed by dozens of bicyclists yelling "Happy Friday!"
- Grossly under dressed for a mediocre meal in Little Italy
- Impromptu (and unwelcome) visit to the Cleveland Clinic for some emergency care for my hubby
- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- A better meal (and more appropriately dressed for it) downtown
- Learning the California valley girl vernacular is alive and well in Cleveland (I blame MTV)
- Kids these days call nuggets, nugs (or at least valley girls do)
- A visit to my husband's 'Graceland' can almost make all the pain of a rib contusion disappear

The Cleveland Museum of Art was very lovely (and free) and full of wonderful pieces of art. While I like to think of myself as sophisticated, when I walk into someplace like that I quickly realize I am not. Because some of that art I just don't get. I'm more of a smack-me-in-the-face-with-the-meaning kind of gal when it comes to art, rather than interpreting the subtle meanings. Plus all those naked paintings and sculptures turn me into a 13-year-old boy. Nope, sophisticated I think I am not ...

Lovely place though. And did I mention free?

I am sure you are all a bit curious about our trip to the hospital. Well you see, when we looked into hotels for the trip we purposefully tried to pick one that could be walking distance to restaurants and attractions. We didn't want to have to try and find parking everywhere we went. We did not realize that when we were looking at hotels we needed to check the grippiness (it's a word, kind of) of the bathtub floor. If that had been in our criteria we certainly WOULD NOT have picked the Gateway Radisson.

I don't know if the higher ups at the Radisson know about physics, but when the something is wet, and that something is a bathtub, it gets slippery. And maybe the folks at the Radisson don't use a lot of soap, but when you add soap to slippery it gets even MORE slippery. And if there is not a suitable amount of resistance on the tub floor - like a bathmat - someones feet could go one way and his body could go the other causing his rib cage to fall full force on the side of the tub.

Yeah, so that happened. And a trip to the emergency room and two and half hours later we we back at the scene of the crime with the hubs with a rib contusion. The tough guy kept going and we were at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame only a couple hours later.

(That's the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the background

He is smiling through the pain.)

Some other points of interest:

- I very much enjoy Sleep Number beds and hope some day to own one

- The Goggle Maps lady is not very familiar with Cleveland. We took more indirect routes to get places than direct ones, including down a back alley that I'm pretty sure was not a really street.

- There is something very special and unique about the City of Cleveland. Something that I have not encountered in any other city I have been to. No matter what direction you walk in - the wind will be in your face. It's quite amazing.

The highlight of the trip however would have to be Sunday. As we drove out of downtown and into the outskirts we could tell that this was not the part of Cleveland everyone brags about, but then we saw it - like a glowing beacon at the end of the street. My husbands face lit up and as we walked closer he slowing regressed into a 12-year-old. You couldn't wipe that smile off his face (rib contusion and all). We were at the house from A Christmas Story.

This is my husband Graceland. 

I am sorry to say that I did not see is glorious movie until I met my husband (I lived a sheltered life), but now that I have I love it. So this place was as much fun for me as it was for him. (Well, maybe not as much - his level of excitement was pretty high up there.) It still was awesome though. We got to tour the house - pose by the "leg lamp," climb under the kitchen sink, hold a Red Rider BB Gun and even taste Life Bouy soap if we wanted (we didn't).

I know it was the highlight of the trip for my husband and quite possibly may have been for me too. 

Hmm, what does that say about me? Choosing Ralphie's house over priceless works of art and Micheal Jackson's sequence glove? 

Oh well, don't care. It was fun and I hope some time before another 10 years go by we can do it again. But this time we are bringing our own bath mat.

Did this post rock as much as Cleveland? If you would be so kind, please click on the Top Mommy logo at the top and vote for me!! Thanks! You rock!!

Is it nap time yet?

I. Am. Tired.

It's not just should-have-gone-to-bed-earlier tired (although I probably should have). It's not need-another-cup-of-coffee tired either (but I wouldn't say no to one). It's not even the I've-been-up-all-night-with-a-crying-baby tired. This is a different kind of tired. I am tired in my bones.



I am so tired I almost fell asleep in my car sorting coupons in the grocery store parking lot yesterday morning. I think I would have if my youngest hadn't been in the car with me whining "Moooommmmy, get me out of the car!"

I know that just about everybody is tired all the time and I that I am not unique or special in feeling this way. But these last few days of feeling uttering exhausted as made me realize one thing: I am getting old.

I will turn 35 in about three weeks and while I know that does not make me old - gotta wait until 40 for that -  I know I am not as spry as I used to be. (Wink wink to my hubby is will be turning a number I won't mention in a few weeks. Suffice to say, he will now be old!)

I'm not old, but I am getting there. The idea of staying out until after midnight - or even midnight for that matter makes me tired and requires me to drink a large amount of coffee at about 7 p.m. to actually be able to do it. I can barely stay awake enough to watch he ball drop on New Year's Eve.

I'm not sure if that makes me old or just pathetic ...

I don't have any problem with aging, I really don't. I had a lot of fun in my twenties (along with some questionable hairstyle choices) but I feel like my 30s have been the decade where I have been the most comfortable with myself. So turning 35 and then 36 and so on does not bother me or scare me or depress me. I am not a bit worried that the BIG 4-0 is just fives years away. (Although ask me that again in four years and 11 months.)

Age doesn't bother me. Being this tired does, however. Because this isn't the tired you say you are but deep down you know you really aren't. (Be honest, we all have done it.) This is just plain worn out tired, worn down to a nub tired, I-could-fall-asleep-as-soon-as-my-hiney-hits-a-chair tired.

As life gets more busy and more hectic I am sure I will only get more tired, but by then I will be so used to being this tired that I should be able to handle it. Right now, however, I can't so I am just going to whine about it.

Go with your strengths, Sarah ...

Zzzzzzzzzzzz ...

Walking a tightrope

I read an article from NPR a couple days ago about a teenager who has food allergies and what he and his family are doing to bring more awareness to the issue.

The article was fine, but the comments people wrote about the article is what irritated me.

I'm no dummy, I know people can (and do) write whatever they like about whatever they like and then hide behind their little IDs. Sometimes the things written are purely for shock value - just to get a rise out of others.

Maybe that is all this comment was. It doesn't really matter. It worked.

This insensitive idiot thought what this family was doing was outrageous and the parents were make a mountain out a mole hill. He even thought this whole food allergy rise may be just a conspiracy. Needless to say this person was immediately attacked by other commenters and called all sorts of names (rightly so). I didn't leave a comment but I was pretty ticked off after reading it.

You see, my son has food allergies. A lot of food allergies. The little guy is allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish and peas. He has an Epi-Pen with him at all times. No one else in our family has food allergies so we have no idea how he ended up with so many. So yeah, I get a little irritated when people say they think this food allergy thing is a bunch of over protective parent hooey.

I know that is difficult sometimes for people to understand food allergies - especially since it getting to be there are a lot of people with food allergies now then there were even 20 years ago. I know I can not remember any one is my school have food allergies.

We don't know why more and more kids have food allergies these days but we do know two things: they are real and they can be a matter of life and death.

So why wouldn't every parent want to do what they could to help protect the life of a student at their child's school? All the family in this article was trying to do is spread a little awareness. Education leads to understanding and understanding leads to compassion. And that is all I want. People to understand food allergies and have some compassion for my son who can not be around peanuts because if he is he may have trouble breathing or worse (and I don't want to think about the worse).

But it's not just food allergies. Any parent who has a child who needs a little something more - weather its an allergy, a mental disability, physical disability or social disability - wants their child to be included and to be safe.

We just want our kids to grow and prosper and be successful like every other parent. We are the champions for our children and we want them to be safe and sometimes we have to make a little bit more noise to make sure that happens.

But I think there is a thin line we must walk between obnoxious and passive. I know I feel that way. I want my son to be safe so I want to make sure I speak up to ensure that, but I also don't want to go into every situation waving my arms in the air screaming like a manic because there may be food there he is allergic to.

He's just like every other kid - he just has to be careful about what food he is around.

We have been very fortunate so far with a terrific preschool that is wonderful and I feel completely comfortable when I drop him off at school that he will be safe. Next year, however he moves to another school. I am not ashamed to admit that I am nervous. It's a bigger school with more kids and a cafeteria full of food he is allergic to.

Hopefully with the help of the principal, teachers and staff we will all educate his classmates on his food allergies and once everyone understands, we can all have compassion for my little guy and no one will roll their eyes or make a snaky comment when the kids can't eat peanut bitter and jelly sandwiches.

In the end it's all about a child's safety and who doesn't want their child to be safe?

Whether you agree with me or not, I sure would appreciate it if you clicked on the Top Mommy blog logo at the top and voted for me! Much thanks!

Because Minions

I woke this morning kind of grumpy. I didn't want to get out of bed.

I know many people feel the same way and, like me, after they eventually stop hitting the snooze and grumpily get out of bed, mentally calculate the number of hours until they can get back in it again.

I am not a morning person.

Even though the sun was shining (not when I got out of bed of course - a couple hours later) and even though it was going to be another "warm" day in Michigan I was irritable. (I say "warm" because although Michiganders consider 55 degrees warm, not everyone else does. We take what we can get people. It's been a long cold winter.)

But I am pulling myself out of it. You know why?

Because Minions.

For those of you who just crawled out from under the rock you have been living under for the past four years (and kudos to you for choosing THIS blog to read), a minion is a lovable, incomprehensible yellow little creature from the movie Despicable Me. I guess they really are supposed to be bad guys, they do work for an evil genius after all, but you can't help but just love them.



Last year big wigs at Dreamworks milked the cash cow a bit more and come out with Despicable Me 2. * Spoiler Alert!!* It in the minions actually do turn evil.




In my funk this morning I had a thought - what kind of minion am I?

For the most part I think I am a good minion (and by good and mean the cute yellow ones). I am pretty much an hopeless optimist. Maybe even to a fault. I fully admit that I am more than a bit naive. I like to think that everyone is good and honest and wants to do the right thing. (See the naivete there?)

I know I have lived a bit of a sheltered life to still have this outlook, but what can I say? I have and I do. (Don't worry though I'm not going to send my bank account number to some Prince in Egypt or anything.)

I'm just a glass half full kind of gal.

Let me tell you it's not always easy. Sometimes it's difficult to find the good in something (or someone) or even a silver lining. Bad stuff happens. Negative thoughts creep into my mind all the time. But I have leaned, usually the hard way, that tearing others down to build myself up is the not the path to happiness.

And pessimism - that evil, purple minion, can be tough to shake, but it is a sad lens to look at the world through. Everything is not doom and gloom (despite what the news tells us). A lot of good is happening. Even what may not overtly appear as good.

There will always be pain, there will always be sadness, there will always be tragedy. Even someone as optimistic as me knows that. Bad stuff happens. Sometimes not even the sliver of a silver lining can be found.

So why not make the most of every other moment we have? Let's try to find good and happiness and joy in everything we see and do. Let's be the happy little yellow minions as much as we can and maybe this world will little a brighter because of it.

And the next time my mood is more than a bit foul, I will take a breath close my eyes see an adorable little yellow minion and smile.

Because Minions.

You will certainly make my world a little brighter by clicking on the Top Mommy Blog button at the top and voting for me. Thank you!

And then there was one

Kids are with grandparents for a two night sleepover. The hubs is at work. I have the WHOLE HOUSE to myself.





I love my kids, I do, but it was so nice to be able to get through an entire bowl of cereal this morning without being interrupted. I actually made it to the bottom of the bowl with out my Raisin Bran being a soggy mess. (Yes Raisin Bran, I am a boring mom, what can I say?)

So what to do, what to do? Well, two lists come to mind: the things I should be doing and the things I want to be doing. Very different lists you see.

The "should" to do list has things like:
Laundry
Dishes
Vacuuming
Cleaning closets

And the like.

The "want" to do list has things like:
Nothing
Watching a movie
Shopping
Reading a book

(And if I am being honest I should probably put reading a book on the "should do" list. The book I am supposed to be reading for book club is not very interesting. I hope it get better. I have the movie on stay-by just in case.)

Though basically everything on the "want to " list is trumped by doing nothing. Ahh, sweet nothing! Just sitting back in my favorite over-sized chair, feet up on the ottoman, eyes closed. Stillness, silence - sweet silence. I love my children, but they are very loud (unfortunately they get it from me) and always competing to be heard over the others. So a few moments of blissful, peaceful silence have become very valuable to me. I usually end up fall asleep, but sleep is also very valuable to me.

So what to do? Should do, what to do ... Should do, what to do ...

The responsible "mom" in me feels obligated to do at least a few things on the "should do" list, but the lazy part of me only wants to exert as much energy as is takes to change the channel.

I guess we'll see if anything gets checked off either list by tomorrow afternoon when I pick the kids up and the volume increases dramatically in our house.

At least I can check "write blog" off the list.

Wait a minute that wasn't on a list ... bullocks!

If you "want" to make me very happy you "should" scroll to the top and click on the Top Mommy icon to vote for my little blog that could. Many thanks!