Final Jeopardy

I was watching Jeopardy with Rob the other night.  Well, he watches and I sit there hating Trebec and his snotty attitude and pretentious accents.

Final Jeopardy question is about Literature.

Knowing that Rob claims to only know anything about 2 books, the Grapes of Wrath and Rumblefish, I quickly steal his answer, "the Grapes of Wrath".

Rob answers "Worthington Heights".  I, of course say "What the hell is Worthington Heights?"  Rob starts laughing.

Trebec announces the answer "Wuthering Heights"

Rob says "See?  I told you."

I just cannot win.

Make 'em Laugh

The great comedy teams of a lifetime.

Abbott and Costello
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
Rob and Lucy

In the last half hour, they have argued about Cheese Doodles,
(he yells "one!One!ONE!" - she grabs two and runs away laughing)

she has tried to undo his zipper,

and every time he gets distracted by whatever "Smart ass who isn't a cop but helps the cops" show he is watching, she dives on him and attacks.
(this time is wasn't the Mentalist, Castle or Psych, but rather, Elementary)

We have far too many days without a reason to smile lately.  I'll take them when I can get them.

Herding the Sheep

Because you care...
She has courage
Because you challenge...
She has confidence
Because you encourage...
She has character

This was a card I received from Girl Scouts USA in honor of Leader Appreciation Day.  It reminded me so much of every day with Abby.

On Saturday, we went to a wedding.  My kids were the first ones on the dance floor.  I took a break from dancing with them and Lucy and I went and sat with Rob for a few minutes.

Rob said "What is Abby doing?" and raised an eyebrow.  She was doing a version of Mick Jagger's chicken-like dance and was circling the outside of the crowd of dancers.  It was hysterical (my mother later coined it "herding the sheep") but it was also quite remarkable.

She didn't care what she looked like.  She wasn't holding in her stomach, wishing her Spanx was working better, like her mother.  She wasn't self conscious about anything.  She wasn't keeping to herself, in a 3 foot square piece of dance floor she carved out for herself, like most of us tend to do.  She proudly strutted around the crowd.

And I must say I am jealous, for she dances like no one is watching and if she knows you are watching, she flicks her bangs to the side like Bieber and gives her arm a quick snap.

Courage
Character
Confidence
Abby

Starve a Cold, Feed a Fever...

...Shop through Sadness.

Bombs are going off in the streets.
Children are being injured.
Mindless violence.
Conspiracy theories.
Loss of life and limbs

What's a girl to do?

I shopped online.

Wedding gifts for Vincent and Terrence.  Yes - a gay wedding - take that terrorists.
Mother's Day gift for my mother
Birthday gift for my mother
Printer cartridges that I have needed for weeks

All purchases were necessary
All purchases were on my long term to-do list

Searching for the perfect items distracted me from the news coverage
If only for a moment

What I Like About You

I use the internet, via facebook, email and other blogs to do a lot of bargain shopping.  And one bargain that I recently purchased has proven to be priceless, even though I got it for free and only paid shipping.

I bought the "I Like Book for couples" recently from www.theilikebook.com.  It was a special I found that gave 1 book per household for free,and you only paid shipping.

When I got the book, I was slightly surprised at what I found.  It was a book strictly made up of the following prompt "I like.....", 730 times.  That's it.  No relationship tips - eh, a random poem here and there, but that's it.  But this book has been a pleasant surprise.

Each person in the couple is meant to write what they like about the other person every day, for an entire year.  Rob and I have been writing for a week and in my case certainly, it has reminded me of what I like, as well as love about my husband.  I have also learned things about Rob in the last 7 days that I didn't know.  Things he likes about me - and if that doesn't perk up your ego after nearly 15 years, nothing will.

The company makes books for couples, parent and child and several others.

Even if you don't grab this book, maybe make a conscious effort to tell your partner what you like about them every day, maybe on a post-it if you want.

Tell your child.  Tell your best friend.

Tell yourself.    


I like sharing our life on this blog with our family and friends (and 25 Russians).
Go back a few posts if that confuses you.

I am a mom.
I am a damn good mom.  And I had a damn fine day.

Today, I cooked three different breakfasts for 4 people.
Thank God Rob eats the same meal as me.

Today, I gave an inspirational speech about "showing a poop who is boss"
Twenty minutes later, I congratulated that person on "being a really good pooper"

Today, I watched a 1 year old fall asleep clutching a french fry.
Twenty minutes later, I ate that french fry.  Not my finest moment.

Today, I told a teenager she could NOT join Justin Bieber's fan club for 99 dollars a year.
I will probably have that conversation again tomorrow.
Oh - correction...$99 plus shipping.  What the eff are they shipping?

Today, the local mall had a gun show and kids in a Lego building contest at the same time.
When my husband mentioned this scheduling was lunacy, I fell in love just a little bit more.

Today, we saw two parents struggling with a child who was clearly autistic and in the middle of a meltdown.
Tonight, I will pray for those parents, and for that little boy.  And many, many others.

I hope your Saturday was as nice as mine.
Sarah

Random thoughts

Is there any chance Rachel Maddow wants to be my best friend?

Why can't it be as easy to block, hide or delete someone in real life as it is on Facebook?

When will people stop karaokeing "I Can't Make You Love Me"?  If your heart isn't laying on the ground, broken, bruised and bloody at the end...leave it to Bonnie Raitt, please and thank you.

I found out a few weeks ago that my husband hates Wynona Judd.  I guess one plump, sassy redhead is enough for him to handle.

Sometimes I ask myself..."Am I really a baseball fan, or do I just enjoy a well-groomed mullet?"

and lastly, I had 25 hits on this website from Russia just yesterday

...hello my Russian friends, how the hell did you find me???

Dart disaster

As those of you who follow my facebook page know, Abby and Rob were in a youth dart tournament over the weekend.  They have been practicing twice a week for about a month, since we found a bar that would allow her to play during the afternoon.

Practice was fun, and she had moments of skill/luck and many moments of darts missing the board and hitting the floor.  (Truth be told, now that I am out of practice, I throw about the same as her.)  We got to the tournament a day earlier than everyone else and we introduced her to the new dart boards so she would feel comfortable.

She had her SWAG hat and SWAG t-shirt (as did Rob) and we had repeatedly discussed with her that it wasn't important that she win, just that she tried and had fun with Dad.  As many times as Rob wins at darts, there are plenty of times when he doesn't and we thought we had explained it enough to Abby that having fun was the goal.

But Abby wanted a trophy.  And she was not going to be denied.

The rules of the tournament were that the child and adult took turns throwing, trying to take their score from 501 down to exactly zero.  When they got close to winning, the child had to be the one to hit the final dart.  The tournament directors actually modified the event right before it started and made it easier for the kids to win the game.

Abby and Rob played well in her first match, which was Best of 3.  (First team to win 2 games moves on)  They actually played a friend of ours and his daughter, which was nice.  Abby and Rob did not win their first match (I can't even type the "L" word) and had to next play another team who did not win in the first match.

Long story short (and I can't bear to write all the details), they didn't win.  She didn't seem to be too upset about losing at the time, though.

Abby went to check the chart to see when they would play next and I called her over to explain that everyone gets two losses, and then they are done.

That didn't go well.

She started to cry loudly and Rob and other members of our family rushed her out of the room while I stayed to explain to the woman running the chart what was happening.  I tearfully told her about Abby's autism and she teared up with me.  I quickly exited and found Abby in the hall, surrounded by her loved ones, still crying.  When I got there, Rob escaped to the bathroom because he was overcome with emotion and needed to cry himself.  He felt like he let her down - my heart was broken for them both.

My brother and brother-in-law both tried to make her laugh with stories of their many losses over the weekend.  Tournament officials checked up on us and told Abby that someone wanted to talk to her.  It was Johnny K, the Number 1 ranked American dart shooter, who was running the event.  He tried his best to comfort her with stories of losing and continuing to practice to improve.  He also said he had a medal for her, but he would get it to her after his next match.

Eventually, Abby calmed down enough to go inside with Uncle Pat, her godfather and wait for her medal.  She got her medal, thanked the tournament directors and we went home.

Which brings me to the biggest doubt any parent of a special needs child has:  Am I challenging them enough?  Am I pushing too hard?  Will I ever have all the answers?

Would Abby have been better off never trying to play darts?  I don't think so.  Could we have prepared her for possibly losing more?  Maybe.  Will things ever go the way I expect them to?  Never.  Will I ever stop second guessing myself.  Not a chance.

"Team Swag" at the beginning of the event

Usually, blogging about something makes me feel better.  Not so today.  

Happier days are coming.