Great Adventure

We went to Great Adventure on Thurs. It was meant to be a couple hours that lasted aaaaallllllllllll day. We had a pair of free tickets from last fall that would have expired today, so we had to go. First, we went to this place around the corner and had the mother of all breakfasts. We really gorged ourselves and rode out to the Safari. Of course, we all had to 'go' before we started to drive through.

I normally don't take pictures of the animals anymore in the drive through. The Kid has been through there a million times (well, at least 6) and I have taken every picture there could possibly be for him to collect. He LOVES the animals. Except for this time. The Zebras had a couple new babies, and one was nursing on his mommy. It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen, so I had to dig out the camera and get a shot.


Warning: Mini Rant ahead

They freaking changed the age limit for the free kids this year. The Kid was free last Sept when we went and he was 3, well he is still freaking 3 and we were 'supposed' to pay for him. It was under 4 is free now it is under 3...read 2 AND under free. We just put him in the stroller and breezed on in and no asked any questions, which is good since the Kid has been telling people he is 4 already since we had his birthday celebration at school already. It's not like he got much taller. He could still only go on the same rides he did last year. I would have totally played the pregnancy card (ie. I CAN'T go on any rides, so why should I even have to pay??) if they gave us a hard time.

But no one did...thank goodness, because I don't know if I'd really have the balls to play the pregnant card. Then we went in and I just took a few pics. Here is my favorite. The rest didn't come out that great.

God he is getting SO big. I have another shot from 2 years ago at the same fountain. And no, he isn't on his tip toes in the shot above. The railing is no longer in his armpits!

Next year we will be getting season passes.

So the reason the day was Soooooooo long.... after we left G.A. we went to grab a bite to eat. It was aournd 3 (and breakfast had passed and we were starving), and somehow he didn't pass out, yet. So we went through McDs drive through and then headed over to the Jackson Outlets and the Stride Rite store for new shoes for the Kid. We got an awesome firtruck light up pair for only $20! Then we HAD to stop at the Disney store and spent some more money. Finally we realized it was 5:30! Ooops. The Kid STILL didn't pass out on the way home and didn't go to bed until 8:30. What time was he up the next day? .... 6:30 AM!

I can't believe that tomorrow is actually June! Half this year is almost over already...anyone else feel like it was just January??

I've Been Tagged!

The House of Mis-Fits tagged me on this one. It's my first tag ever!


You know the rules: Answer the questions. Tag others! :)

• What were you doing 10 years ago?

May/June 1998; Just getting home and settled from college and working at the boardwalk as a parking enforcement officer.

• What are 5 snacks that you enjoy?
  

1. Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream
2. Oreos
3. potato chips
4. cheese sticks
5. pickles
   

• What are 5 things you would do if you were a billionaire?
  
  

1. pay off all of our debt
2. buy a new car for me and a new truck for Hubby
3. save money for the kid's college
4. pay people to come in and renovate this whole house in a week - home makeover style
5. give a chunk to some charities
   

• What are 5 things you wish you could do today?

1. ride my bike
2. sit on the beach
3. stop having heartburn
4. go back to sleep
5. go to a church carnival (oh wait, I am doing that today)
   

I tag: Modern Matriarch & Tranny Head


You're IT!

Kid Quotes

I have been collecting some quotes from an almost 4 year old for about 4 weeks, when I remember to type them here, of course. And since I am exhausted from a looooong day at Great Adventure (will post about tomorrow) you will get them now and I'll start a new list when more pearls of wisdom that come from the Kid.




His response to the 1st ultrasound he was at.
"It's like water is splashing in Mommy's belly."



Standing in the doorway of the kitchen with one hand on his hip like a cowboy, after watching the cowboy Backyardigans.

"Do you know where a fella can get some apple juice around here?"



After watching Curious George when he visits the country:
"If we lived in the city and all of our friends lived in the country the carpenter ants would eat the pipes." Wha?? Huh?


And the creme De la creme today...
After seeing our construction guy's pick up truck in our driveway:
"Doug has two gas holes."



Seriously, I couldn't make this up!

Rejected Again

Well, I got my '98 Jetta inspected today since it is due to be done before the end of the month.
Now I have a big fat red REJECTED sticker on it. I think my car's feelings are hurt. No one likes to be rejected. Especially for all to see. It's not the first time my poor car has failed...but at least last time there was a crack in the exhaust system that we just didn't know about.
You wanna know why my car failed? The back 2 tires are bald on one side. Seriously, that's it. My step-dad is a mechanic and he can't believe the guy actually noticed that. So now I have to get new tires AND go back and get my REJECTED sticker peeled off.
Here in NJ you are supposed to get 45 days to get your car rechecked or you are 'subject to a full reinspection' and we don't want that! What if my check engine light comes on in the meantime? (That has happened already too.) BUT on the failure form they give you it says right below that line 'if you do not get your car inspected by 6/30/08 you can be subject to registration suspension.' WHAT?? Where is my 45 days?
Damn Jersey. Poor car. Thank goodness my step-dad is a mechanic or I would have been in big trouble over the last 12 years that I have since owned 2 Jetta's (an '86 and '98). Let's just say we are never buying a VW ever again.

Boardwalk!

Well, it just started raining here around 8pm. It ended up being an awesome day!
The Kid and I went over to the boardwalk (<--check link for the specials/times/days!) on our own around 4:30 and got back around 7:30, and I have to say, all of you that live nearby need to get down there and have some cheap fun!! (I know there are a few of you nearby that read me.) We parked in the lot at the aquarium and it was FREE...although they were charging $5 in the lot right next to the rides. Then we walked down to the rides and he went on a couple, then at 5 they slipped like a slip cover over all the ticket signs and reduced all the tickets needed for each ride by about 1 or 2 tickets (depending on the ride). All of the rides he walked right on, and some of them he was the only one on it at all! That's how empty it was.
Then we went to Little Macs and got 2 burgers (reg $5.95 for $1.75 each), 2 sm fries (reg $3.95 for $1 each) and a large lemonade, I figured I could splurge for the $5 lemonade since I didn't pay to park....all for a whopping $10.97. That's as much as McDs.
Then a few games were only $1, so the Kid and I (and ONLY the Kid and I- so no one could beat us.) played the water gun game by the train and he won one of those red rubber balls that look like they are covered in nipples. Chuck E Cheese training did him well...he actually did really good!
Then on the way to the car we each got a soft serve ice cream cone for $1 EACH! It was awesome. And it was beautiful down there.

Hope you guys can all make it down one day in the next 2 weeks while the deals are going on. And the fireworks don't start until the end of June, so don't worry about going on a Thurs. It was seriously awesome and relaxing. Except for when we were eating and the freaking seagulls were almost dive bombing us. The rats with wings were freaking me out!

We also played mini-golf for his 1st time. We went to the cheap rooftop golf and I only paid $3 for him to play. And I am so glad it wasn't much more than that, because after the 1st 2 holes he just liked to go to each one and just plop the ball in, laugh and move on to the next one.

Of course, I didn't bring my camera because the battery was dead and it was a last minute decision to go down there before it rained and I didn't have time to charge it. :(

Weekend Recap

Wow! What a beautiful holiday weekend we had over here at the Jersey Shore.

On Friday we went strawberry picking. They are starting to get mush already! I thought they would last much longer when you get them right off the vine. But they were much cheaper than the store, so it's all good.

Saturday we just bummed around and then went to the fireworks.

There was traffic galore coming down here on Sunday...thank goodness I was going the opposite way to my dad's house. My brother and my grandfather were also there visiting for my dad's birthday. The Kid is so lucky to have 3 GREAT-grandparents still around. We got some more stories from India. My brother said that they WORSHIP cows over there like you wouldn't believe. The McDonald's (yes, of course they still have McD's) doesn't even sell burgers in most parts of India. Families will never kill their own cows, they use them only for milk and cheese, etc. Most of the country is vegetarian, except for the few that will eat chicken and fish...but that's about it. That is how my brother lost about 20 pounds...mmmm maybe I should get over to India for my diet. Nah, I can't stand curry. Which they have tons of different types of curry over there and my brother loved every minute of it. Plus they swim all.the.time. So he always had his workout in too.

Yesterday was a little windy, but we went on a nice bike ride down to the little beach near us. It is awesome to know that I still have all the balance to ride around with the Kid on the back. We love the bike. And when I told him that this would be the last summer he could ride on the back he was not happy about it. Mostly because he is almost 40 lbs and that is the limit on the seat...not to mention next year the baby will be in it and he is going to have to learn to ride his own bike!

And now today. As I sit here looking out the window there is the trickle of rain. Not fun. But I guess it has to rain sometime. We really lucked out this weekend, weather wise. There is a hanging plant outside my window on the front steps and I am watching these 2 little sparrows flying in and out of it with nest supplies. I guess we will getting baby birds soon!

America the Beautiful

Please take a moment from cooking your burgers and downing your beer (mmmmmmm beer) to remember why you are able to start a small fire in your backyard and cook meat on it (or whatever you like to enjoy at a BBQ).

The men and women that have fought in war after war since the beginning of America to give us the freedom to do as we want, vote as we want, and well, drink as much beer as we want. (Can you tell I am missing the beer this weekend??)

No matter what you think of the way this country is run or not run, whatever the case may be, remember the people who have died to give you that right to feel anyway you want about this country. Hug a vet, or two, I know I did - my one grandfather joined WWII near the end and was a paratrooper that dropped into concentration camps and helped liberate them. And my other grandfather was a bit young for the war, but he joined the Navy right after it ended.

Enjoy your day!! It is gorgeous here in Jersey and as soon as Hubby comes home from work we are going to be putting some London Broil on the grill and kick back and he can drink my share of beer. ;)


(Those pictures above probably look familiar. They came with the computer and I thought they fit perfectly.)

Day at the Museum

No, not a really artsy fartsy museum. I'm not that cultured... but my friend (since we were like 6) and I took our boys to the Please Touch Museum in Philly yesterday. My friend's son will be 3 in June so he and my Kid are about a year apart. They are so funny together. They are such typical boys. We went to the Camden Aquarium not too long ago and they just couldn't stop wrestling each other everytime they looked at each other. Yesterday was a little different, they weren't wrestling, but they just wouldn't stand still. We got very few pictures of them together. One would always run away when the camera went. There was just so much for them to do.

A Whole Lot of Nothing

ok, I didn't do the pictures yet for our trip to Philly and the Please Touch Museum. I will...maybe tomorrow.

We just did a whole lotta nothing today, but still had a productive day. Amazing how that works. So here are a few things we did today.

~My 27 yr old brother came home from India yesterday He came over to visit this morning. He was there for about 2 months. A little background, my brother has become sort of our family's world traveler. He lived in Prague for about 2 years and that was about a year ago he came back. But he has travelled all over the place in Europe and Asia during and since that time. The Kid loves to look at maps and ask where is Uncle D now?? And he loves to sit and listen to the stories he tells. In India apparently they are having massive monkey issues. They are EVERYWHERE. He said they were funny and cute at first, but it wore off quick. You can't even leave your windows open over there without them getting in and stealing your food! Can't wait to see those pictures. The Kid already has one from Uncle's last trip to Thailand riding an elephant.
He came bearing gifts. Everything was handmade and bought on the streets of India. He gave the Kid this little carved drum that he told him to try to drive mommy crazy. I said that was impossible and it would take a lot more than a little drum to do that, plus I am practically there anyway. (crazytown)
He gave me a beautiful set of jewelry boxes (3) that nestled into each other. Also a gorgeous scarf and a wrap around skirt. I said that it would be a great skirt for a cover up at the beach since it won't close all the way around. He tells me 'nah, that skirt is huge' HA! Thanks Bro. It totally doesn't fit around my 5 month pregnant belly, but it is also beautiful and will be an awesome cover up for the beach! :) He said he also got me a bracelet, but he left it home.
I was very surprised by all the gifts. He isn't a cheap guy, but when you are travelling it's not like he stops and gets a job anywhere. He was purely living on what he made while he was here working before he left. Thanks!

~I did all the Kids sheets in the laundry today. That may not seem like much of a feat, but when he threw up on Monday I just threw his set in the wash (on cold) and Hubby put the spare set on temporarily. The Kid has the dust mite allergy, so his mattress in encased (that had to be taken off and washed too, in cold, which is why I did the rest in cold for that wash). I washed both sets of sheets in HOT water today and re-encased and all that jazz. Luckily he is still in his toddler bed, so it was a task I could do by myself, since Hubby was (and still is) working today. I can NOT wait for his big boy bed when we move upstairs!

~We just got back from seeing the Memorial Day fireworks around the corner from my house. OMG! What a plus to live at the shore. Traffic bites the big one, but there are much more positive than negative. We walked to this little beach and sat and could see the fireworks from the ocean. It was an amazing view. But, how many kids do you know fall asleep in the middle of a firework display? None....well, now you do. MINE! Thank goodness I brought the stroller along and I didn't have to carry him home. Hubby and our construction guy were also working until 10pm last night upstairs (all the power tools going) and the Kid slept right through that too. And a few weeks ago we had a thunder storm around 5am, Hubby and I sat up and thought there was some sort of explosion that the house shook. The Kid? Sound asleep.

~Can't wait for the rest of the weekend. My dad just got back from hunting in Alaska. Yes, all the way over there. Usually he goes to Canada or upstate NY, but for some reason Alaska seemed like the good idea. Can't wait to hear the stories. Tomorrow is also his birthday. So we are going over there for some dinner and cake. Oh yea, and my step-dad...his birthday is Monday. Funny coincidence right? A day apart...oh wait, no, many many YEARS apart. My mom married a man that is only 6 years older than my Hubby. GO MOM! ;)

And eventually I will post my pictures from the museum.

Belly or the TV?

The Kid felt the baby kick for the first time this morning!! I was sitting here writing a post about our trip yesterday (to be posted after I upload pictures later) and I felt some kicks around 5 o'clock- as I am looking down on my belly and my belly button being the middle of the clock and the kicks around where the #5 would be. I called the Kid in here FAST and held his little hand to my belly and the baby kept on kicking. His little face lit up and laughed, and then promptly ran back out to watch Jack's Big Music Show. Short lived thrill. I can't wait until the baby does those long stretches that you can actually see moving across the belly. I think I may get more attention than the tv by then. hahaha!

Pre-school & College

So yesterday my computer was acting up so bad that the Hubby had to run a mess of stuff on it. It kept kicking me offline and freezing up. Thankfully it is up and running fine now *knock wood*

The Hubby also graduated from college yesterday!! He had gotten his associates when he first graduated HS and then got a job right away and never went to a 4 year school. So over the last 4 or 5 years he has been taking one class a semester and got his degree! I am so proud of him. He is finally as smart as me...on paper! ;)

The Kid only has 5 days left of school. I can't believe he is almost done with his 1st year of school. When you are a stay at home mom I feel like it is so much more heart wrenching. I have friends whose kids have been in day care since before they were 6 months old (just as heart wrenching for them at that time, that I didn't have)...so their years of pre-school will just blend right into daycare. It was such a huge deal to drop off my baby for 2 1/2 hours a day just 2 days a week for the first time in his little life. Today we celebrated his summer birthday, complete with cupcakes we baked yesterday and a crown with 4 (paper) candles in top. He was so excited, now I just have to convince him that it really isn't his birthday for 2 more months!

Changing the Sheets at 5AM

Why is it when you have certain plans to do certain things your kid messes it all up?? Not on purpose of course, but still!
A friend of mine had a baby a few weeks ago and I promised to make a meal for her and her family. I always make my kick ass simple ziti, buy a bag of Caesar salad and a loaf of garlic bread. I made the ziti yesterday and was supposed to drop it off to her after I dropped off the Kid at school today, and wouldn't you know it at 4:30 this morning he wakes up throwing up all over the place. ugh.
And why oh why does it take SO long for a man to strip the sheets off the bed and remake it while I am sitting on the cold bathroom floor with a 38 pound sleeping kid in my lap while my back is doing spasms??
I am so freaking tired this morning.
So I waited 6 hours after the puking to give the Kid any food. So he has had two pieces of plain toast and some water so far and he seems to be just fine. I don't think he ever had a fever, and he is running around here like nothing is wrong. Maybe it was just the dinner he ate at the diner last night...
He had 1/2 a roll, 1/2 my cream of turkey soup, all his scrambled eggs, 2 strips of bacon, all 5 of his silver dollar pancakes AND 1/2 of my chocolate pudding! I think I wanted to puke just watching him eat. It is so funny that some days he will eat like a bird and then, well there is last night.
I feel like I totally jinxed myself. I was actually lying in bed last night thinking before I went to sleep. 'His celebration at school for his birthday is Wed (since his BD is in July) I so hope he doesn't get sick because there is a BD everyday until the end of school (lots of summer bd's in his class.) Who would I switch with? Would they double up?' How sad it that?? I actually was thinking that just hours before he blew chunks all over my floor. Damn.
So I will call my friend (who now lives 40 min away) and see if she wants me to drop off their dinner...or wait until Wed when I can drop it off to her at her son's school which is only 5 min from my son's school. We both moved and kept our kids in the schools they were in.

Fishing Day

Yesterday the Kid was in a cute local fishing contest. It was at a little pond that the just stocked with all kinds of fish. The fishing sucked because of the nasty cold rain we had all day yesterday. We were there fishing for 3 hours and not even a nibble. Well, I should say, I was fishing there for 3 hours...the Kid found the playground much more fun.

At the end they raffled off all kinds of poles and gift certificates for local places. There were more g.c. than there were kids left... so they all got some. Thank goodness! The Kid was not happy that he didn't catch a fish, but the $3 g.c to get ice cream at Dairy Queen made him very happy!

Ewwwww, worms!

Loooooong Day

I am so exhausted. Yesterday, Friday, in the pouring nasty weather we were having I had to bring the cats 30 min away to get them thier rabies shots. My gram came with us to help and she really thought I was exagerating when I told her Zoe will cry all the way there and all the way back, well, I wasn't. But it was still worth it to pay only $50 than the $170 it would have been at the vet around the corner. Then we came back and dropped them off, I went to boro hall and registered them with the town then we ran over to the library. Then to KMart to get the Kid a fishing pole for the fishing contest we had no idea if it was going to be cancelled or not. (See tomorrows post about it, it's sunny now and we'll be heading over soon) Then we had to go to Shop Rite. It was a long exhausting day, but I still made another batch of Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins! This time I bought organic white whole wheat flour. They didn't puff up as much as the plain white flour, but the Kid is still plowing through them. And so is my pregnant ass. YUM!

Is It Really Friday Now?

Wow. I really lost track of days this week. When I sat down at the computer yesterday I totally thought it was Friday when I posted the Friday Funnies.

The Kid went to his new doctor yesterday morning and all was well. The lumps have gone down so much they are almost gone. The Kid said the doctor was really funny and liked him. So I think we'll be happy there. And the big plus is that he is about 3 minutes away.

Did I mention that I also had an OB appointment on Wed?? Didn't think so. It was good. Good heartbeat, good blood pressure and I only gained about 2 pounds. Not too shabby. I also got to pick up my script for Rho Gam. For those of you who have positive blood, you are so lucky you don't have to worry about that. I have to go to the hospital between 26-28 weeks and get a shot, since I am O-. I have no clue what blood type the Hubby is, but the Kid is O+, so I have a god chance that the new kid could have + blood too. And if he is + then I have to get another shot after birth.
I also got my yummy orange sugar drink to chug before my next appointment next month. I am hoping all will be well again with the glucose test. I only had to do the 1 hr with the Kid, so I am praying I never have to do the 3 hr one.

It is a rainy crappy day here. Tomorrow (for real - Saturday) there is a cute fishing contest for ages 3-13 in a local pond and I am hoping the rain eases up a bit so we can go.

Friday Funnies

For any of you who have a kid or are going to have a kid...just something to think about.

Count your blessings
• The penis of a rhinoceros is 2 feet long.
• The penis of a mosquito is a hundredth of an inch long.
• The praying mantis bites her mate's head off while he impregnates her.
• Elephants are pregnant for two years.
• Many animals give birth to a dozen or more babies at a time.
• Your baby won't be born with hooves


(Thank you Babycenter for the belly laughs of the week!)

Wordless Wednesday - 1st Time on the Fire Pole w/o Help

Back to the ER

Whew. It's been one heck of a weekend.
After the broken toe incident on Friday, we were back at the ER with the Kid on Sunday morning. He woke up and said his head was itchy. So he took a shower and hopefully washed whatever itchy gel that may have been lingering (I can NOT wait to get a bathtub!) and about an hour later I touched the back of his head and he had a lump. Not a 'just bumped my head' bump, but like a something is under the skin bump. So the Hubby does what he does best and freaks out. So I take the Kid to the ER alone. Hubby is no help when he starts asking all kinds of scary questions and freak out the Kid. Plus if there was any chance he may get a shot, Hubby would have left the room anyway and been no help. So I left broken toe home.
They said it is most likely swollen glands. He gave us a script for an antibiotic in case it is infected, and it seems to be getting a bit smaller and better now. But the Kid was itching the back of his head in his sleep last night. So we are going to a new pediatrician (finally) on Thurs to follow up and see if he wants us to check out a dermatologist or what to do next.

After we got back from the ER my gram and I started putting together dinner and making cupcakes. Then we went over to my MIL to see the family. The Kid loves to see his aunt & uncle over on that side that he doesn't get to see often. Then we came home and my mom came over and we had a nice dinner.
I didn't get my breakfast in bed or pampering all day, but it was a nice day with our family.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day tomorrow! My celebration started last Wednesday at the Kid's school. They had a Mother's Day Tea planned that they have been working on for weeks. We all dressed up and wore party hats and we weren't allowed to move while all our kids served us. They started out with a little show.

Gimmie an M! M!

Gimmie an O! O!

Gimmie an M! M!

What's that spell? MOM!!!

They moved into "I'm a Little Teapot" and it was just SO adorable.

It was a strawberry and pineapple tea party (that's what they served) and the place mats were strawberry shaped with our names on them. We got a card with how much he loved me written on the inside.

"I love her as high as a giant!"

We also got a heart shaped 'pin' that was made out of cookie and I think it was shellacked or something. He colored on it and it will be with me forever. We also got a strawberry plant!

He was wearing his little 'detective' blazer that he loves to wear.

I also got a drawing of me with a description that he told his teacher one day. On it was:

My Special Mother

My Mom likes to cook "Daddy Pasta!" It is a little pasta...it has holes in it! She likes to shop a lot. She shops at Shop Rite. I go to the Scrunchy Play House. She buys me eggs. Together we watch TV and we play together. Her favorite color is red. I love her 5 Big Times!

We really didn't have tea, but we had a delicious punch! And the cutest thing was that all the kids served us and cleaned up after us. We weren't allowed to get up. There were cookies, strawberries and pineapples.

This was after bringing me a whole handful of strawberries.

At the end, all the kids went to get their totes and the mommies went to bring everything to the car. When we came back to get them we got another surprise. A laminated card with his hand prints on it covering an adorable picture 'peak a boo' style over top. Precious.

All the mommies got to wear party hats and the Kid stole mine.

Next year his teacher is going to have a lot to live up to. Thank you Mrs. C. You are the BEST first teacher my son could have had! You just made my day.

The Clumsy Husband

We had a fun trip to the ER today...no thank goodness it wasn't for the Kid. My clumsy while drowsy husband hurt his left foot last night. He was coming back from the bathroom at 5am and stubbed his toes on a suitcase that was near the bed. When he woke up his foot was all swollen and bruised. My grandmother was here so she watched the Kid while I took Hubby to the ER. He had it x-rayed and sure enough, his little toe next to his pinky toe is broken.

So the toes are taped together and the poor thing is in a lot of pain. Now we have to go over to his mom's house to pick up her car for him to drive, since we both have manual vehicles. He won't be able to push on the clutch for a while.

Of course, he blames me that I left the suitcase there. But, it has been there for the last 5 days and he must have passed it 200 times since it's on the way to his side of the bed and his dresser and out the back door.

Luckily *knock wood* I have never broken a bone before. And I have only had one set of stitches when I was a freshman in HS. So I really don't know his pain...but then again he has never pushed a human being out of his body! HAHA! Men are such babies sometimes.

The Lizard Guy

We went to the library the other day on a whim, and Silly Billy from the Lizard Guys was there! It was so freaking cool. I love all that animal stuff; snakes, lizards, turtles, well I wasn't too fond of the Millipede. Kinda gross with all those legs.

See all those creepy little legs?

Anyway, the Kid was attached to my grandmother's lap for the first 15 min. Then I asked him if I went on the floor with him (with the rest of the kids) would he come sit with me. We saw a Dumpy tree frog, a Black King Snake and a couple lizards before the Kid would go down on the floor...then came the African Spurred tortoise. Our old neighbor had the same one and it was so neat. It was the 1st thing the kid touched!



Then came a Blue tongued Skink. We liked that blue tongue, but he didn't do any touching. We also saw at bearded dragon...both lizards, and did you know there are only 2 poisonous lizards in the world?? Can you name them?

This guy was full of cool info.


The last animal was the most awesome animal! I am a big fan of snakes. My brother actually owned a Ball Python when we were kids, but I don't think he ever got longer than 2 feet.... this one was a 10 foot loooooong Albino Burmese Python.

THE KID TOUCHED HIM!!

All in all it was a really fun presentation, I even laughed at a few of his bad jokes. I would consider hiring him for a party, if the Kid was more into it in the beginning...but you never know. He touched a snake!

Something to Bitch About

Insurance Company's.

I got a bill today from my OB for $865. YIKES! So I called the office and they said that the insurance company has put my bills on pending. Well, it is from 3 different appointments (all ultrasounds) from January (6 week check since I had the miscarriage last October), March (the downs test) & this last one on Friday (the anatomy scan).

I called the insurance company and they said they are having "technical issues." And that it is all on their end and it should be straightened out in 30-60 days from the time the started trying to fix it (which he didn't have a start date of that.) But I think it was before March 3rd, because I was in Florida and got really sick and was trying to get an in-network doctor and they were having problems then and told me there was one doctor nearby that I could go to. SO I called the office to see if I could get in, that doctor wasn't there anymore, but she said I could come in. I got there and the doctor that was there didn't take NJ HMO. So I had to pay $75 out of pocket for the visit, since it was already 4:30, I was sick as a dog and there was no way in hell that I was going to an ER in the senior citizen capitol of Ft Myers. So the $75 was well worth the 1 hour I was there. Since it would have taken hours at the ER and still cost $50.

Anyway, a little off the main topic, sorry. So I called back my office and left them a message that we are on pending until they can sort it out.
I feel bad, I am not one to pay bills late and my darn insurance company already is backed up since January. I know the doctors probably make money hand over fist, but they still have their own bills to pay too. Especially the malpractice for OB's here in Jersey. It's crazy.
I wanted to talk to the guy from the HMO longer, but the connection was bad and he really wasn't much help. I didn't think of it at the time, but my February and April visits seem to be paid for. At least they aren't on this bill. WTF?

Pimpin' Out My Friends...

You have to go check out this new blog that a couple of my bloggy friends have started. Chop.Stir.Mix. I have even contributed my own favorite recipe. And as I type I have AndreAnna's 'Naughty Like Lindsay Lohan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins' in the oven. You will have to go check out their site for my review on them later. But they smell fab-u-lous!
They are having a great contest going on with some awesome prizes...so you HAVE to go and comment over there and enter it! The goal is for them to get over 50 posts...because then those of us that have pimped them out will be eligible for a $50 AmEx gift card, and I could really use one of them! If you have a blog, pimp them out too, and you could win! So, go over and comment and tell 'em Beach Mama sent ya! :)

Happy Cinco de Mayo

I really don't have much of an idea of what this holiday is all about. Is it like the Mexico Independence Day? Is it just an excuse to drink Corona?


It is actually much like St. Patricks Day, Okoberfest and Chinese New Year are used to celebrate Irish, German and Chinese heritage in America.


I found this site that has the history of May 5th. If you really read it, it seems to be a battle in a war that the Mexican's fought on the same side as American's.

Mexican Independence Day is actually September 16th.


But what ever the reason, I love to have a nice cold Corona with lime (but not for me this year) and a few yummy tacos to celebrate too! :)

Oh no she didn't!

So the sleepover didn't happen last night. My dad ended up going to work and long story short, they ended up just coming here and watching the Kid while Hubby and I went out with one of the two couples we were supposed to go out with, we'll call them couple #1. The other couple (who we were supposed to be celebrating hubby #2's birthday) has a son who came down with a high fever so they had to stay home with him, couple #2. We went to a different place than couple #2 had planned on going because wife in couple #1 didn't like it anyway. She is the person who's mother married into money, so she thinks she has money. Seriously, snob alert. Here is how some of the night went.

We get there about an half hour late because my hubby had to go to Lowe's to get stuff for the massive construction project upstairs, we get there and couple #1 already have their dinners! Him: red snapper and her: BBQ ribs. We get the menu and almost fall off our chairs. My hubby is the pickiest pain in the butt when it comes to food, but even I didn't see anything I wanted on the menu, since they both said their meals weren't too good. We both got $8 burgers. It was either that or a $25 fish fillet or steak. Thanks, but no. The burgers were good though.
It was all downhill from there.

Scene: Paying the bill.
Hubby and I- easy just paid for our part that wife #1 told us we owed after she had tallied it all up.
Couple #2 argued about who owes who money and who was going to pay. (huh? what? Aren't you married and have a daughter and share money? - I was thinking)
Wife #1 works full time outside the home (which is totally fine, but just wait until you read what she says!)

Me: Wow, I don't remember what its like to have my own money. (totally joking around, and if she knew my humor it would have been funny.)
Wife1: You should get a job. If not just for the money than for your own sanity.
Me: I do just fine.
Wife1: Plus then you can buy all the Prada and Coach bags you want. (Yes people she was serious!)

After I got home I had one of those 'damn wish I said that' earlier moments. What I should have said to 'You should get a job' was 'I DO have a job, I am raising my children.' But Hubby was glad I didn't say that, it would have started a war! LOL!
*Disclaimer- I am SO not anti-mom's working....just her high and mighty that we had dinner with. I don't need to be told to get a job.

Earlier in the night she was saying how she loves her daughter's nap time. (Who is about a year younger than my Kid.) I told her that mine stopped napping sometime last summer. She says that she would lose her mind if her daughter stopped napping. WHAT? I was thinking, seriously the 2 days a week you are home with her you would lose your sanity if she didn't take an hour nap?!?!

I totally understand if you are a working mom and need to get other stuff done during naps, or have a little quiet time when you are home with your kid. But she acted like she would just jump off a bridge if she had to spend too much time with her daughter. It just killed me.

My Hubby has a long history with both these other hubby's they were both in our wedding so we have also known these wives for a long time. This is not the first time we have seen this side of her. But, oh man, we won't be 2 on 2 with them again anytime soon. And even Hubby agreed.

Needless to say, couple #2 owes us big time. As soon as their little man is better we will be going out with them and I am sure we will have much more to talk about.



And the grandparents are home. They love to be early. When we got home last night the Kid was still up playing with grandma & grandpa at 10:30. He didn't get to sleep until 11...so I was SO glad when we were able to sleep until 9am! But, at 10am we got a call the gram & pop (from Fl) were about 45 min away! WHAT?! I wasn't expecting them until the afternoon. I didn't clean out the fridge where they are staying, I didn't wash the bathroom floor yet, I didn't even take a shower! So everything got pushed aside and I took a shower and welcomed my Gram & Pop home. These are the Kid's GREAT grandparents we are living with when they are home in the summer.

Ultrasound

So, yesterday at the ultrasound was awesome.

This little man was squirming all over the place. We could see him waving and moving his head and legs. It was amazing. And all is looking good.

For some reason I can't figure out how to crop the scanned picture, and it's pissing me off...but here are some pictures to put a smile on everyone's face. Say Cheese! Baby Boy!

It's A.....

BOY!

I don't have much time right now to write. But I wanted to let you all know. I'll write more later tonight. :)

May Day

May 1st? Seriously, today is May 1st?!?! That is the 5th month people, this year is almost half way over! Memorial Day weekend and the little thing we like to call around here at the Jersey Shore - Benny time - is only 4 short weeks away. Argh, the traffic is awful!!! Plus you have to go over one of 3 bridges in this area to go anywhere. Thank goodness they finally replaced one and it never goes up anymore.

I am halfway done with this pregnancy already. 20 weeks tomorrow. I am excited for the next couple days...tomorrow being the big one. :)

Boy or Girl?

And then Saturday the Kid is going to sleep over at grandma's and grandpa's house and Hubby and I are going out to dinner with some friends and have a house to ourselves before the grandparents come home on Sunday. Whoo Hooo! Will I still get up 20 times to look and see if the Kid has fallen off his toddler bed? Probably, and then go pee for the 100th time of the day. (We do share a room now until we get upstairs and we can get the poor Kid a twin bed and his own room.)

Today, while the Kid and I were still in our PJs at noon, Hubby decided to go out and mow the back yard since the grandparents are coming home in 3 days. I went out for a minute and the next think I know the Kid is running out of the house all dressed in shorts, t-shirt, sneakers and his sun glasses on and sprinted over to his toy lawn mower to 'help'. It was hysterical! Then when daddy brought out the weed whacker, he went and got his toy one. It was very cute. I had to run inside and get the camera. Don't you love how he matched his black shorts and his blue shirt...and it was not even that warm today!

I made him change into pants for Shoprite. Do any of your food stores have a little playhouse that you drop your kid in? Shoprite has Scrunchies and he LOVES it. And now we are heading to Chuck E Cheese for dinner. I know you are all jealous. But I will have some more pictures for you tomorrow! :)

Oh and for the love of Rolaids! I finally got some heartburn recently. With the Kid I had it from the moment I conceived, I swear...but just within the last week or so, at night when I lay down, I have been getting it bad. I found the most awesome product ever! Soft Chew Rolaids! OMG, they are like candy. I had to suffer through that chalky gross Tums everyday 4 years ago.