Beach day = great day

I think I've officially fallen in love with Galveston. Our Family Adventure Day was a beach trip to Galveston today, and it was pretty awesome. We had no traffic on our trip down, found a good parking spot along the Seawall, and enjoyed some time sitting on the beach and hunting for shells. I won't lie to you, it was super warm and too humid. There was a breeze that was not refreshing, but it wasn't too terribly uncomfortable. The new Pleasure Pier is open, too. Sydney was pleased to see a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. there, so she chose that for lunch (Brian and I were hoping for something Galveston-y, but she was allowed to choose). We decided that ice cream was the best way to end the day, so stopped at Ben & Jerry's on our way back home. A couple scoops of strawberry in a waffle cup were just perfect.
And then we were home in plenty of time to get everyone showered before dinner. My kid is happy with her day; my husband is happy with his day; and I think I've fallen in love with Galveston. It may become one of my favorite destinations. But I'm not a huge fan of "summer" in Galveston. It's warm, and there's a lot of people (not so much on Thursday though; my good idea!). Day trips during the week are the ticket, that's for sure.
And weekends during the fall, winter and spring, I hope. I need to find a dog-friendly hotel.

Damn the mosquitoes!

Sydney got her first mosquito bite today. It's on her right lower leg. She's quite distraught.
"I thought that I would never get a mosquito bite!"
"Well, baby, I wish that was so, but eventually everyone gets their first mosquito bite."
"But it itches and it hurts."
"I've got some medicine to put on it that should make it itch less. And then we'll put a bandage on it."
"If I got bit by a hundred thousand mosquitoes, would it dead me?"
"I imagine that if someone got bit a hundred thousand times, their body would go into shock, and they'd die. But you've only got one bite, so you'll be fine."
"Okay, but my mosquito bite really itches and hurts."
"I'm sure it does."
(p.s. This picture is not Sydney. She is very happy to have a Dora bandage.)
I find myself incredibly pleased that we've been here for so long, and are at least halfway through the summer, and Sydney is just now getting her first mosquito bite. And I wish I could say that this bite doesn't even count because I have no idea where it happened. She first told me about it in the restaurant at lunch, and claims that it happened there. But what the hell was a lone mosquito doing in The Rainforest Cafe in a mall in the middle of the day? That doesn't make sense. Could it have happened in the movie theater? That seems just as unlikely. And we didn't spend any length of time outside. But alas, the bite is there. And she was so somber when she told Brian about it. ("Daddy. There's some bad news. I have my first mosquito bite.")

New Year's in July

Brian and I watched New Year's Eve tonight. It was not a terrible movie, but was certainly not a wonderful movie. But my goodness, you'd have a hard time finding an actor who was not in this movie. I was incredibly entertained by the scenes that included Robert DeNiro, Halle Berry and Hilary Swank. There were three Oscar winners in one scene of one not-at-all-Oscar-worthy movie. It blew me away. I have no idea why all these people decided to be a part of this movie, but they clearly were donating to some kind of charity. Of course, there were a few scenes that we enjoyed, but on the whole, if the movie was 90 minutes long, we want 60 minutes of our lives back.

4 tips to happily sleep apart

I read an interesting article about married couples who don't sleep together. According to an article I read about a study by the National Sleep Foundation, 25 percent of married couples sleep apart every night. I'm going to pull out some quotes from the article for you:
Many who choose to sleep separately are reluctant to discuss it, but for most people, the decision to sleep in separate beds is a practical decision. It seems that sleep is elusive when you bed down with a partner who snores, tosses relentlessly, traipses to the restroom repeatedly, hogs the covers or is drenched in sweat each night. ... One partner often retreats to a guest room, kid’s bed or the family room sofa while hoping that people won’t assume the worst about their relationship. By 2015, The National Association of Home Builders says that it expects 60 percent of custom-built homes to include dual master bedrooms for this exact reason. ... Sleeping separately may mean you’re both getting better rest, but will it chip away at the romance or take a toll on overall intimacy? Some folks think that sleeping apart robs a marriage of its special connection.
So, to be helpful, the article gives some pointers for the couples in this situation, in an effort for them to keep the intimacy in their relationship.
1. Stay touchy-feely with each other. -- Cop a feel as you walk by each other in the hallway.
2. Engage in pillow talk. -- Even if it's not on an actual pillow, keep up the quiet chats.
3. Plan your romps between the sheets together. -- Grab your calendars, kiddos. No spontaneity when you aren't in the same bed.
4. Find other ways to sustain your emotional connection. -- At the end of the day, you're on your own. Do the best you can to be sure you both still like each other.
Oh, come on, you guys. I just read it for "a friend."

Little ITEM!s today

ITEM!: I stayed up until 2 a.m. last night finishing a book. Honestly, that is the best kind of sleep, the one where you don't get enough because you took the time to find out what happens next. But also, it makes you tired. So, I managed to score a nap this afternoon. Which was pretty awesome.
ITEM!: It's been raining here quite a bit lately, so we haven't been able to get out and about and do much. This makes for cranky and irritable mother-daughter duos. But we have been powering through the Batman game, so, there's that.
ITEM!: It's time to dig into the Nook, and read my first book on it. I've gone through the paper books that I want to read right now, but the next tome I'm after is an expensive hardcover. So, rather than buy that, I'm downloading the e-book for much less. Exciting!
ITEM!: Also, I need some cookies.

She's really pretty awesome

So, it was a valiant attempt at a concert movie, but Katy Perry: Part of Me was, for Sydney, an epic fail. She managed to get about 20 minutes into the movie before asking me if it was almost over. She asked me again about 20 minutes later. She asked me several times if we could leave yet. And finally, with only 30 minutes to go in the film, she crawled up into my lap and fell asleep. But, the movie poster is up on her wall, and that's her doing.
As a concert documentary, the movie was a good one. As an entertainment piece for a five-year-old, not so much. I had hoped for more actual concert footage, rather than so much behind-the-scenes stuff. I was anticipating more singing and dancing, and less background and sad. But that's strictly from Sydney's perspective. I enjoyed the movie. And I think I like Katy Perry even more than I already did, if that's possible.
On the up side, today proved that the child will fall asleep in a movie theater, if she's comfortable and tired enough. So, maybe a nighttime movie for Brian and I isn't such a bad idea after all.

Tuesday, Tuesday

I just spent the last hour flipping through photos from the last six years. Procrastination, thy name is Kimmie. Not that I'm really avoiding doing anything. I've just become a professional at finding ways to fritter away an hour or two on a computer. I didn't mean to do it, but fritter around online I have, and now I'm too tired. And oh my goodness, do I have a whole lot of pictures of my kid and dogs. It's weird how I can see the same face in that radically changing little body of hers over the last five and a half years. And also, Oliver rocks. And Daisy used to be really little. And I used to be younger.

Respect the man, at least

I love watching the Home Run Derby every year. It's my favorite part of the All-Star weekend, and always has been. The captain for the American League's team competing in the Home Run Derby was New York Yankee player Robinson Cano.
Now, I'm no fan of the Yankees. In fact, as a Red Sox fan, I glory in their failures as much as I do my own team's successes. That's just part of cheering for the Sox. When it comes to individual players though, you know, everyone's good, and they are all still professionals, and most importantly, people.
And like I said, as a whole, I like watching the Yankees lose. But as a person, Cano was there to represent not only his team, but his league and himself. Players don't have to participate in All-Star activities. And this makes the booing of Cano even more of an embarrassment for baseball fans.
Apparently, the fans in Kansas City were annoyed that Cano didn't select a Royals player to the team, and displayed it by booing Cano throughout his turn in the batter's box, and cheering every time he struck an out. I'm sorry, but I found this to be incredibly mean. The "fans" kept this behavior going for the entire Derby. I get that they would do it for a little while, but for the entire event? That's a bit ridiculous, right?
People deserve respect. Baseball players on a baseball field deserve respect. This guy's a professional player who was participating in an optional activity for the enjoyment of the same fans who were booing him. It was embarrassing as a baseball fan, and as a human. Why do people have to be so mean? Damn bullying mob mentality.
By the way, Prince Fielder from the Detroit Tigers won the Derby, and it was awesome.

A dynamic duo

Well, we totally did not drive to Austin for lunch yesterday. Because of the nasty weather, mainly, but also because we just kinda lost interest. It was a slow day, to say the least, but we did manage to pick up a couple video games at Best Buy.
For whatever reason, Sydney saw this Lego Batman game at Best Buy weeks ago when she and I were looking at the e-readers and also wandered the store, and thought it would be really fun. She thought she and Brian would have fun playing it. Last weekend, we did end up picking up the game. She was right, and it was a blast. Also, it seems as though we may have found the perfect video game genre for me, because I thoroughly enjoyed playing it, too. And this pleases my gamer husband.
So, our trip to Best Buy yesterday was to pick up another Lego game. In fact, we got two, because of the three we saw, these two look the most fun, and because they'll all still be there in the next several months, after we've gone through these, and assuming I don't lose interest in them.
The games are Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, and Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures. Last night, after Sydney went to sleep, Brian and I dug into Star Wars. And it was fun. There are a lot of games and levels, and it should be a cool thing for us for the next few weeks. I'm actually kinda bummed we won't play tonight, since we'll be watching True Blood and The Newsroom instead. But I am also pretty excited for when Sydney goes back to school, because then I can play the games all by myself.

Yummin' on the road

Brian and I watched too much Diners, Drive-ins and Dives tonight. We're both totally hungry, and are inspired to drive three hours to Austin for lunch tomorrow.

Movie bitchery: CHECK!

Well, I was that woman at the movies today. It was actually pretty liberating. I only acted out twice, but they were lovely.
First, about halfway through the movie (of course), Sydney decided she had to go potty. After we left the bathroom, and were on our way back to the theater, the young usher at the bottom of the theater's main hallway says to me, "Could you ask her to not skip so loudly?" Wait. What? I slowed for a beat, looked the kid in the eye, and said, "Really? ... No. She's skipping in a soundproof hallway. She's okay."
Second, towards the end of our movie, the guy in the row right behind us got a phone call ... and answered it. And then had a conversation. I turned around twice, and when he continued talking, I finally turned all the way around, and said, "Get off the phone! What do you think you're doing?" He immediately stopped his conversation, and once the movie was over, he bolted out of the theater. I appreciate that as I turned around to say something, I noticed that the man in the row behind the talker also was leaning forward to say something, though I got my statements out first.
As for Sydney's first trip to a grown-up movie in a theater, it was a positive one. She cried when -- SPOILER ALERT! -- Uncle Ben died, and she clapped as Spider-Man fought the mean lizard guy. She seemed to like it, but when asked if she enjoyed it, was sure to tell me, "Not really."
Anyway, we left out the back door so no one could put my picture on a Do Not Allow In The Theater sign for my condescending treatment of the usher.

Freedom from Cruise

I remember being a pessimist in regards to the relationship between Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise when it started, and well into it. For the last couple years, well, whatever. But now that Holmes has filed for divorce from Cruise, I find myself cheering her on and sending her my good vibes for a clean break from the guy. And that a big reason behind the split is Cruise's love of Scientology seems like she really dodged a bullet by getting out when she did. Apparently (and I'll say that a lot because everything I'm commenting on is from articles on the Internets), he was a real fan of the Scientology boarding school that ships kids off onto boats for work and schooling. There are blogs devoted to the kids' horror stories on these ships, and their participation on them can start as young as six years old. Does Suri being almost six have anything to do with that? Cruise has been said to be a big fan of the shipboard schooling. Holmes is not. Excellent reason to take the kid and walk out the door.
Also, this from Yahoo!:
Ever since the two first got together in 2005, the Mission Impossible star has insisted on referring to his wife as “Kate,” even though neither her friends nor her family has ever called her that. And it clearly was a name Holmes herself did not identify with because she never went by it professionally, despite her husband’s consistent use of it every time he mentioned her publicly. In fact, in her statement announcing the split, Holmes’ lawyer said, “This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family.” Cruise’s response? “Kate has filed for divorce.”
It first began in April 2006, when Holmes, now 33, was still pregnant with Suri, but not yet married to Cruise. During an interview with All Headline News, he explained, "Katie is a young girl’s name. Her name is Kate now – she’s a child-bearing woman."
Ugh. I dislike him more, now, which I didn't think was possible. "A child-bearing woman"? That's ridiculous, and bothers me more than I can explain.

My blood! Mine!

I had my first emergency purchase of mosquito repellent today.
Sydney and I were off to the Houston Zoo this morning to check out the animals as well as the dinosaur exhibit they have for the season. We were about half way there when I realized that I hadn't prepared us for the mosquitoes that seem to prefer the downtown area. In the car, I thought, "Well, maybe it won't be too bad." Well, we had arrived at the zoo, had been there for about 10 minutes, and were making our way through the dinosaurs when I felt the first little sucker on my left leg. Then I felt one on my right leg. Then I felt like I felt them on every exposed bit of skin.
Happily, there was a dinosaur gift shop at the end of the exhibit, and in that gift shop were little purse-sized bottles of mosquito repellent in a spritzer spray form. The spray was only $5. I told the girl that I probably would have paid twice that for the stuff, and that they were missing out on some serious profits in regards to the bugs. And before she was even done charging me for the spray, I had the bottle open and was spraying my legs. Then my arms. Then Sydney's legs and arms.
We ventured through the exhibit again, and I'm happy to say that Sydney and I were protected from the little bastards throughout, as well as for the rest of the day. And now, I have a purse-sized spray for the next time I forget to apply the stuff. And I think I'll pick up a couple extra full-size bottles the next time I'm at Target, one for the car and one for home.
I fight the mosquitoes. And with the assistance of chemicals and other stuff I'd rather not think about, I just may win.

Bedtime snacks rock

Does anyone else's body say to them, "Hey, it's 10:49 p.m. It's kinda late. We should totally have a cookie. You know, or three." (I know Mom's does. We discuss this.) Thank goodness I made chocolate chip cookies today, so I was able to appease this craving. And right now, I'm two and a half cookies in, and they're delicious. (Actually, having finished typing that sentence, now they're all gone.)

I'm that dog mommy

My dogs are asleep under my chair right now. Do they have any idea how much that stresses me out? I live in constant fear of rolling over their tails, ears and legs. A squeal from them would haunt my dreams, and they don't even care. They just lay there, with their eyes closed. Oblivious to their potential peril, and to my inner turmoil. When I stop being at the computer, I always make a bunch of noise, and make a deal about closing down the laptop so they know that I'm getting ready to move. But Oliver ignores that, and instead, I have to contort my body to lean over to the side, without moving the chair, and ruffling his fur to let him know that it's time to move. And then I wait, until all manner of doggy hairness is far from the wheels of my chair before I move.
I'm in fear of an emergency happening, and my having to leap up out of the chair, and maybe hurting one of them.
"Okay, my boo, time to move."

Also, the Summer Olympics begin in a few weeks!! YAY!!