It Was All So Very Exciting

So only 3 weeks after Christmas my 5th child (Lizzy) has a birthday. Two weeks later, my 6th child (Caleigh) has a birthday. And then, two weeks after that my 2nd child (Nate) has one also. So, where most people get a lull in their schedules over the winter months, ours is full... and somewhat stressful.

Lizzy turned 16 this past week. She's a child who doesn't ever demand anything, really, but... ASKS for everything. I told her she has a gift! Its become apparent that people WANT to give her the things she asks for. I don't know why. The night before she turned 16, her two besties "surprise decorated" her bedroom while her sister took her out shopping as a distraction.

Then they gave her a Michael Kor watch $$$ and brought her over to a friends to make sure they all celebrated her birth, once it was midnight.

The next day she had her besties hanging with her all day long and later, got to have her birthday dinner at her favorite restaurant together with them (and me).

This was a good plan, because while we were eating out, her other friends were gathering at our house to surprise her when we got home. Poor Terry was sicker than a dog, so he stayed in the bedroom mostly.

She was very surprised and delighted to be loved and cheered. The friends stuck around for a while, had ice cream cake, gave her the big time spanking machine and then went home because it was a school night.

The next day I was picking Lizzy and Caleigh up early from school to go into the city to see Wicked for their birthdays... only... a BIG snowstorm was forecast (8-12" with blizzard conditions). I went through all the scenarios for several hours throughout the morning as the snow began to fall about 2 hours earlier than predicted. Ayi yi yi. Here's how it went on FB. (Idea stolen from Just Mom's blog).

January 20 Karen Taking the birthday girls to see Wicked tomorrow. Hoping the "impending doom" won't ruin our plans. 

January 21 Karen First I will take emergenC to to boost the immune system. Then some quiet time and reading. Next a shower and off to work before lunch. (And snow). Then it's kids pickup and heading to NYC to see Wicked. Maybe we will make it home tonight or maybe not.   

January 21 Karen So far I've already vered greatly from the said plan.

January 21 at 2:41pm Karen It went more like this... drank cup of water, took down bday decorations downstairs, took down decorations upstairs, switched over laundry, gather 4 more loads of laundry from Lizzy's room, vacuumed all the confetti from the entire house (confetti is of the devil!!), had a cup of emergenC, bowl of cereal, cup of coffee, quiet time and reading, more laundry, walked the dogs, did a little office work (very little), post office, school pick up, and then decided to take the train and get a hotel. Will we arrive to the Gershwin theater in time??? Ayi yi yi.

January 21 Karen It's snowing.

                 

January 21 at 1:58pm Karen I think we've added another person to our count. She wants the adventure.
January 21 at 2:21pm · Karen Jennah is coming too. woohoo
January 21 Karen New plan. We're taking the train and staying overnight in a hotel. Say a prayer. This had better be the best performance evah!             

January 21 at 2:33pm Joan Great idea, I was thinking about you driving to NYC today on my treacherous drive to Springs.January 21 at 2:36pm Karen I hope we make it in time. 

January 21 Karen We are on the train. 

January 21 Karen The conductor just announced a delay due to equipment trouble. Agh

January 21 Karen Oh Jesus please. We don't have time for delays. 

Karen Moving again. This is stressful. 
Paula You have 3hours ...right? Curtain at8.
January 21 at 5:01pm · Like
Karen  Curtain at 7 waaaahhhh
January 21 at 5:02pm · Like
Karen This happened to us before when going to see Miranda. Her show was only an hour and we missed the first 20 minutes because of train delaysJanuary 21 at 5:03pm · Like
Paula You are still in okay shape....it will be great...and you'll have a fun story!
January 21 at 5:04pm · Unlike · 1
Paula I wrote that before I knew you missed 20min...
January 21 at 5:04pm · Like
Karen At least wicked is 2hr20m!!
January 21 at 5:09pm · Like · 1
Melanie  Hopefully they still show it.
January 21 at 5:15pm · Like
Karen  The show must go on but I wouldn't mind if they held the curtain for us.
January 21 at 5:22pm · Like 

Paula Are uou there yet???
January 21 at 6:46pm · Like
Todd There will be singing, dancing, jazz hands...you'll catch up. Have fun!
January 21 at 6:47pm · Unlike · 2

Karen  We are late. Only at Jamaica
January 21 at 7:01pm · Like
Sohailah Oh Karen. Blech.
January 21 at 7:05pm · Like
Paula  Oh dear...

January 21 at 7:10pm · Like 

Karen  Not even at penn station yet
January 21 at 7:02pm · Like
PatriciaOh man!
January 21 at 7:39pm · Like  

January 22  Karen So we had a lovely 4 hour train ride to the city. Many mechanical problems took place to get us to Penn station an hour late. Missed the show but our tix will be honored for another date. We ate dinner at Rice and Beans on 9th Ave and 51st. It was amazing!!! Staying the night in a pricey hotel.

January 22 Karen So this is what ended up doing. Cake Boss!

January 22 Karen This about sums it up. We are catching the train home. Watch video

January 22 Karen These two beauties and Mr Buttcrack photo bombing in the background.

So Lizzy enjoyed the whole thing. SHE LOVES NYC and wants to live there. Caleigh is only happy to hear that we can see Wicked only a few short daze after her Super Bowl birthday. So there you go. The Karenkool adventures.

Many Tales of Wonder and Woe

Tale of Wonder:

I hadn't been walking or exercising in probably a gazillion daze until finally...

My bud, Lillian, who is a total inspiration--always--about walking and taking time everyday for your health and wellbeing, got me an amazing Christmas gift/package. She got me a jawbone wristband to track my steps and sleep, as well as some cardio kick boxing classes!!! And somehow I even ended up taking that 5.5 mile walk to the beach IN THE SNOW! I'm eager to go again and the kickboxing is the total bomb. Love it. Sore.

Tale of Woe:

This little girl, who tries ever so hard to do everything right and be pleasing and acceptable in the sight of everyone (we are working on that whole people-pleaser thing)... was handed a couple of manilla folders from a classmate the last day of school before break. She was also given a large box of items people had purchased from her for a fundraiser and she would need to deliver. It was a Christmas Luncheon the last part of the day and of course everyone was eager to get out of there. Not a lot of focused thoughts.

So she made it home with items she could have quickly handed out to teachers and been done with it. But those things had to be given to them upon their return from the holidays two weeks later. The packets that a fellow student handed to her ended up in the garbage because they didn't need to complete them after all... however, one of the folders was NOT a homework packet. It was her flute music for the upcoming Hampton's Music Educators Association Festival. She unknowingly threw it away. [GASP] She didn't even know she was selected for HMEA because the student just handed it to her and didn't say who it was from (I guess). She needed to be practicing the music all during the break because its very difficult and stretches her playing abilities greatly (which I love)! But talk about a girl in panic mode all week. She felt so embarrassed about the music that her band teacher needed to replace and get her started on. She was terrorized with great anxiety that she will have to play before a judge to determine what chair she will get for the concert, because she only has 4 daze to learn the four pieces. There is wonder in this tale as well. We have practiced and practiced and she has learned this music very quickly and been expanding her abilities greatly, only in a matter of one week's time. She sure is a go getter!!

Tale of Wonder:

We got this room painted in two daze time.

Changed the green (which I did love but not together with the accent wall) to a soft cream.

It wasn't an easy job.

But we had about 10 college kids all coming to stay at our house for a few days so we had to kick it into high gear. Voila.

Caleigh really wanted to help paint but we left her to making the signs because this needed to be done fast and top notch.

Tale of Woe:

Nope. Actually my sweater WON the ugly sweater contest. hehe $8 but 3 of those dollars were what I put in. baaahaha

Tale of Wonder:

My girls have grown way taller than their mama.

Tale of Woe:

Nope. Only a Wonder of how great my friends are..

Tale of Wonder:

Milena is going to have a baby in July!! Yippee!!!!

Tale of Woe:

Nope. They are crazy but in a wondrous way. :-D

Tales (tails) of Wonder:

All the snow came and went and the temperatures have gone up. Noah is feeling better after being on Doxy for the past 2 weeks... 2 weeks more to go (blasted tick-borne illnesses).

Peppermint can fly!

Tale of Woe:

Its tricky out there and you never know which surface is just wet with the rain and which is actually a sheet of ice. I slippity-slippy-slid right onto my backside today. But I'm ok. I'm fine.

Happy 2014!!