Home sweet home. Thank you Kelli and Dennis for your awesome hospitality! I had a wonderful time in Texas, but it's nice to be home. Savannah and Lexi got sick while I was gone and they have fevers. :( Although I was only gone 2 1/2 days, and Joe was perfectly willing and capable of caring for our kids, I felt guilty about leaving. I honestly think it's a good idea to get away for a little bit now and then whether it's to a movie with your girlfriends, or dinner with your sister, an overnight retreat, or a short weekend away. If you can swing it (and believe me I know it's not always possible to find the time, money, or child care to do this) I really recommend it. There's just something about escaping for a little bit that can clear your mind, refresh and renew your spirit, and make you really appreciate what you have. That said, I have to admit that I felt guilty leaving. Why is that? Why do moms feel so bad if we take a little time for ourselves?
Anyway, I got to the tiny airport in Corpus Christi about 45 minutes before my flight. No problem because the airport is small and there were only 4 other people in the whole place. So, I go through security where the guy tells me that my driver's license is going to expire in a couple weeks. Yes, I'm aware of that, thank you. As my belongings are going through the xray machine, the TSA guy asks me, "Do you have any liquids with you?"
I answered, "Yes, right here in my quart size, zippered bag, duh." He didn't buy it and made me open my suitcase so he could rummage through it. I was a little put out, thinking that the guy was wasting my time and I needed to get to my gate. I know the drill. I had my little baggie of 3 ounce bottles separated from the rest of my belongings.
He looked through my clothes. That's fun - having a stranger look at your underwear in the middle of the airport. He pulled out a gallon size ziplock bag holding my Sonic cup filled with sand and seashells. He gave it a strange disgusted look and put it back. And then he pulled out the little bottles of hot sauce. Oops. I had totally forgotten that I'd bought them! I felt like an idiot. Everyone behind me in line pointed at me and implied I was a terrorist for trying to smuggle hot sauce into Illinois. Ugh.
The TSA guy escorted me out of the security area so I could go check my bag where the lady at the counter helpfully informed me that my driver's license was going to expire soon. Then I got to walk through the whole security process again. I walked through sheepishly, head hung low, for forgetting about the hot sauce and the TSA guy reminded once again (in case I'd forgotten in the last 5 minutes) to take care of my driver's license when I got home.
On the second leg of my trip, from Houston to Chicago, I got to sit next to Coughy McCougherton. Oh man, did that gross me out! Want to take bets on how many days until I get sick?
Oh yeah! I joked that I'd probably have sand and hot sauce all over my luggage when I got home. Well, the hot sauce was ok, but the sand....notsomuch.
OK, here are this week's questions...
Dawn, I just LOVE that you do this. Are you always this quick on your toes? - BoufMom9
Oh yes, I'm especially quick on my toes trying to catch up to my friend Gin when we go "walking".
When you were pregnant with your kids did you ever have morning sickness? We want to have more kids but I had morning sickness so bad when I was pregnant with my first that im not sure how it will affect how I take care of my son. Any tricks you had? - Angela
I had morning sickness to some degree with all six of mine. Things that helped me were eating sour candies, drinking ginger tea, and eating almost constantly (which may have had something to do with now lovely physique.)
Seriously - how did you plan the kids that way? I've seen you post it twice already, the first time I thought it was a joke, then you said it again and I am now guessing you are serious. - Anonymous
Well, if you eat red M&Ms while you're pregnant, it will be a girl and if you eat blue ones, it will be a boy. (I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist.)
Oh, and a SSO question for next week, how long do you actually follow through with grounding your kids? You say your oldest is grounded until the second coming. My mom could efficiently ground me for a whole month before it wore off (gradually), but I have a hard time grounding my kids for more than a week. (Is it just circumstances or am I really that weak? LOL!) - Anonymous
Good question. It's really important to say what you mean and mean what you say. Although on my blog I said that Austin was grounded until the second coming, I actually told him that he was grounded from TV and going out and doing anything fun until he was caught up with all his missing assignments. I stuck to that one. He's just now gotten his TV privileges back. I also told him that he was grounded from video games until March. I've stuck to that one also. I know it can be hard sometimes, but I think it's very important to follow through with what you say, not only when you dish out a punishment, but if you make a promise to do something also. Your kids won't respect you or trust you if you aren't true to your word. Like I said, it's easier said than done... This is why it's imperative that you think first before laying down the law. For example, it may not be a the best idea to tell your 3 year old that he can't watch tv for the next year. Really, who is that punishing? You obviously won't be able to stick to that without landing in a nut house. Try to make the punishment fit the crime, and make it age appropriate. Yes, I took video games away for a long time, but I give my 2 oldest kids a fair amount of freedom when it comes to school work. They've always brought home As, with the occasional B. They've always completed their assignments, therefore, I don't hound them about homework. Austin slipped up and blew it. He showed me that he'd made poor decisions with his time management and chose TV, video games, and goofing off instead of completing his work. Because of this, I limited his options, so he would have no choice but to do his work if he wanted the freedom to play games. When he proves that his brain is functioning once more, I'll give him more freedom to make his own choices with his time again.
Are you kidding me? You were able to answer all those without thinking? I hurt my brain on the first one! (Thinking, "Back seat? The one directly behind the driver? Or the one all the way in the back? Good lord, I haven't climbed back there since the fam came back from their Thanksgiving exile -- er, trip! I wonder if that's where that haunting smell is coming from. Or -- wait, this couldn't be asking about all four rows of back seats, could it?")Thanks for the invite to take the night off from thinking, Dawn. Yeah, thanks a lot. - Kalynne
You think too much, Kalynne! :)
Your blog has become daily humor therapy for me! Just wondering - do you receive more or less e-mail now then you did during the Pokemon auction? - Janelle
I get less now than during the auction, but I get more insane ones now.
okay, so aquamarine *reminds me of a movie my daughter watched on Disney...I think* is your birthstone...which means March...when is your birthday and what do you want? - Bre's Mama
You are right! And I'd like a house someplace that doesn't get snow. :D
Question: Do the normal folks in your life know of your online success? (Such as your pastor, doctor, grocery store check out girl) Or, is is still safe for you to go outside the house without paparazzi following you? - Angela
LOL! My pastor, the pediatricians, and a couple check out girls do actually know about my blog, but it's no big deal. I'm just a regular ole mom who goes to the grocery store in jeans, and t-shirts smeared with peanut butter, her hair stuck up in a ponytail, a bunch of kids hanging on me.
Have fun! Of course you found the glasses! Are you going to see Mimi? - Grandmother Goddess of the Garden
I would LOVE to see Mimi in person, but no I didn't get to her neck of the woods while I was in Texas. I think we may be meeting up soon though... :)
Do you think you can get that recipe for the curry dish? I love Thai and curry and it sounds wonderful. - Deb in OPKS
LOL! I told Kelli that I had readers who wanted her recipe and she said, "I think of recipes as more of guides. This dish is kind of an amalgam of a couple different recipes." She promised to try to remember how she made it and post it on her blog though.
You flew into Houston and drove to Corpus? - rusrhi
I flew into Houston and then walked 8 and a half miles, took a bus, a tram, and a helicopter to get to the other side of the airport so I could change planes just for fun and fly on to Corpus Christi.
Actually Joey got stage fright, you needed Chandler to step up and do the job. Because, yeah, He stepped up! But really, we should never, ever talk about it. - Julie Oh my gosh! My face is red! I can't believe I messed up my Friends trivia! You're right! I kept picturing Joey saying, "That's right! I stepped up to the plate!" but I forgot that he got stage fright! LOL!!!
Do you find yourself saying dumb stuff, out of habit, as if the kids were there? "Oh, look, an airplane!" "See the horsie?" - Suburban Correspondent
I totally do that! This weekend, I also grabbed for a diaper wipe in my camera case and it took me a second to realize that I didn't have the diaper bag with me!
Pardon my ignorance (I've never been to a beach and apparently skipped biology class), but what happens when you touch a jellyfish? And are those jellyfish alive or not so much alive? - Raising Country Kids
According to Kelli, they were still alive, waiting for the tide to carry them back out to sea, but I believe you can still get stung if you touch them even when they're dead.
Check back here tomorrow for my great contest!
LOVE your answer to punishing the kids. (and totally agree) I have been guilty on more than a few occassions to threaten to throw out every toy they own...but alas, I paid for them, so it punishes me too. UGH! I have however sold their toys on eBay in exchange for not auctioning off the kids. (who would want them if I gave a "proper description?)
ReplyDeleteSo, Texas question... is everything bigger?
Jellyfish--depends on where you touch them. Don't ever touch the tentacles. Yes, they can still sting you from beyond the grave. I have been able to prod the squishy tops of box jellyfish, though. I don't recommend trying it with those jellyfish you saw, though. They look kinda fragile on top, whereas box jellies are much sturdier in the body.
ReplyDeletePoke with a stick if you have to, but remember...never, ever touch a jellyfish's tentacles!
I have to laugh when you talk about the Houston airport. I live in Texas, Fort Hood actually. I had to fly to MN for a funeral last month. I flew from Austin to Houston and then up to my destination. The airport in Houston is way too spread out. I had an hour layover both times and was so afraid I'd miss my next flight because of the craziness. My daughter, however, loved the tram. I think that is the first and last time I've gotten so much exercise in a short amount of time. I'm glad you survived. They should have a warning or something. :)
ReplyDeleteDawn, I too carry sand home from trips and vacations. I went to Guam a year or so after 9/11 and brought a small baggie of sand home with me, in my suitcase. After the suitcase went through the x-ray machine, they called my name (not a good thing to hear your name over the loudspeaker) and went to the TSA people. They asked what was in my suitcase. I told them, I thought. They kept asking, I kept telling. Finally, they asked if I'd open the suitcase. They wouldn't do it. So I did, and they asked ME to go through the items. I did. Then I saw the bag of sand and pulled it out. I saw mass relief on the faces of the people. They put a big red sticker on the bag and let me repack my suitcase. As I was doing it, one of the TSA people told me that sand sometimes looks like plastic explosives when it goes through the x-ray since it appears as a solid mass. Now I bring home SMALL amounts of sand and it's in my carry-on where there's no question about what it is. Where are you headed next? (For the next SSO!) Chris
ReplyDeleteJust for those who're wondering..that kind of jellyfish is a Portugeuse Man-of-War..I know this because I'm from the Florida Keys and they are abundant down there. And I can personally attest that they HURT LIKE H*LL, and yes, their tenticles will still sting even when lying on the beach apparently dead. Hope that helps :)
ReplyDeleteI left my kids for a few days recently, and during the trip I found myself constantly reaching for the diaper wipes! I resolved to buy a small pack to carry in my purse forevermore. Apparently I can't live without them.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the comment about saying stupid things even when your kids aren't there... I teach preschool. I asked my husband a few months back if he had to go potty before we went somewhere (I was doing something and totally not paying attention.. I swear) When he said "WHAT? NO".. I proceeded to say "go try.".. OOPS!!
ReplyDeleteYou only get stung by a jellyfish if you touch the tentacles. The top, mussy part has no stingers.
ReplyDeleteWelcome home!~
ReplyDeleteIs Illinois getting rain or snow? Either way - it's wet and ugly!
At 50 degrees we are putting on the tank tops and shorts - I can't wait!!!!
Looking forward to the contest - ooohhhh what can I win?
I love Kelli's "I think of recipes as more of guides. This dish is kind of an amalgam of a couple different recipes." :D
ReplyDeleteHehe....Recipes are more like guidelines.....:) Glad you had a cool time in Texas, I have never seen a blue jellyfish, just the plain ol' white ones. Well this has been a great way to procrastinate picking up the house. (Not literally...) But I really should go clean up some.
Take care, and hope you had a great day today!:)
<3<3
Yep, it's the size of a small country at Bush International. Hobby Airport on the south side however, ain't so big. You didn't get the best weather here, so sorry...it has been nice in the past 2 weeks though because I washed tanks and shorts. Come back anytime Dawn~! oh, my mom asked me if I got a perm after I moved to TX, from dry California, hehe.
ReplyDeleteKate
Hello Dawn. My name is also Dawn and I grew up in Corpus Christi (now live in the beautiful Texas Hill Country).
ReplyDeleteAbout those blue jellyfish. They are actually called "Man-o-War" and if you have ever been stung by one - you remember it for the rest of your life. It is a stinging pain unmatched by all other stings. If you get stung, the ranger/first aid stations on the beach will put meat tenderizer to help ease the pain (no pee). Growing up in Corpus and spending time at the beach, you learn very quickly to avoid those little blue monsters.
Move to Arizona! Our drivers licenses don't expire until our 60th birthdays! For real--mine expires in 2038! The only reason you have to go to the DMV is if you get a new car, a new house, or you need to renew your plates. It's actually kind of scary. I don't want to know how many of those 59 year olds have not been to the DMV (or had their vision checked) since their sweet sixteen!
ReplyDeleteI'm like you...I've never seen a jellyfish besides on Spongebob or in Finding Nemo. I would've totally touched the top of it to see if it was springy like in Nemo. ;)
ReplyDeleteSo was that really Texas humidity or just the ocean air? (I always thought Texas was dry)
Amen on the Houston Airport. My husband and I met his family in Mexico and I had to fly back early because I was starting a new job. I had never flown by myself and had about 1 hour to get through customs and make my connecting flight. It is very hard on chucky girl to run and I do mean run the 8 1/2 miles, catch the tram and bus and make my flight. I thought I was going to have to have oxygen when I finally made it!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got home safe, despite the security fiasco!
ReplyDeleteI love your approach to disciplining your children--well said and I completely agree! That's what we hope to do with our children.
Lucky you with the blue jellyfish, ours are usually clear and I always manage to step on them or one will find me while in the water. Meat tenderizer also works and if the beach is well populated someone's Mom always has some so no worries about needing someone to pee on you.
ReplyDeleteI want a trip to corpus now, I need a vacation!
Dawn, serves me right for not reading your blog for a week! I live 15 minutes away from the Corpus airport. Wish I'd known, I would have loved to at least stop over and say hi. :)
ReplyDeleteTO another reader... DON'T TOUCH THE JELLYFISH! We live at the beach and travel to a lot of places with beaches. Me, my husband and one of out two children have been stung by jellyfish at one time or an other. It burns! Of course, you could pee on yourself to help with that if you really wanted.
ReplyDeleteYou should really get together sometime with Mimi. That would be really good for both of you.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin once stepped on a dead beached jellyfish, and yes, you can still get stung. She vividly remembered it enough to tell me two years later (when she was only 8) that I should watch out for those, because they hurt, "REAL BAD!!"
ReplyDeleteYou have some great pictures.