keepin' it interesting

our midwest winter home...
some Mondays look like this:

but are followed by Thursdays like this:

and i love it

stop and go. and stop. or just go

is it just me, or does everyone come to a 4 way stop at the same exact time as the car to your right, wave them on since it is their right of way and then sit and stare at them, eybrows raised as they wave back.
why does that piss me off so much??
it is every time! if someone waves at you to go... GO... don't wave back all ladies and ford escapes first...
every other time, i expect politeness, but not at a four way- just go people. when i get there clearly BEFORE the next person though, they very nearly always shoot through the intersection like they are being shot out of a cannon... driving is just so hard, you know.
anyway, november is for being thankful, so i will start that tomorrow.
today i am crabby.
and in pain- my stupid rib is all jacked up (a technical term of course) and my chiropractor is unavailable. and even though you doctor folk might relaize this already, it is not effective to try to kinesiotape your own injuries when they are behind you and over your dominant shoulder. you just might injure another 1 or 17 ribs getting into position.
so once again, tomorrow.
i will be thankful tomorrow.

until then.
i will try to distract myself with uber halloween cuteness.

 nintendo has never seen such characters as these sugared up lovelies :)

hello karma, you bitch

and it has happened. the first bad behavior report :(
after a couple weeks of green apple good behavior, yesterday was apparently, "not a good day"

i am so disappointed.
and maybe slightly wondering if karma has come around after my gloating.

we have been doing fiengold, which translates to spending 16,000 to switch out all of our products that we thought were "clean" to even cleaner approved products. and i guess since we missed some of the prohibited stuff for the last two weeks, then we really weren't even doing fiengold at all... i guess it is promising that he had such a good response with what we have done, but overall, the backtracking behavior is so so frustrating! apparently that is to be expected in this first stage, as they essentially "detox" from what is built up in their systems. while i have never fed them much artificial anything, he has LIVED on salicylate containing fruits and vegetables all summer so there is certainly that to contend with, but wow.

when you tell your teacher you "don't have to listen" to her and cover your ears when she is talking to you and then "sssshhhh" another teacher while you are in trouble and sitting in the hallway....
at least  he didn't punch anyone...

ahhhhh- i don't know if i can do it all. there is just so much to consider from the soaps in the school bathroom (or any public place really), to paint in the craft room and of course the shared treats and classroom parties. when i received the full 320 page shopping list, the enormity of it all hit me. part of me is desperate for this to work- it would explain so very much and solve even more and let him thrive. but honestly, the other part of me hopes it doesn't work so then the full program doesn't have to be our new and forever normal. one thing i am sure of though is anger. anger at the food industry that has allowed all this... shit... to be in our food. many times it is not even labeled and make no mistake, it IS shit. coal tar derivatives and petroleum and waste products of manufacturing just dumped into our food or used to refine all the oils used for cooking them. it is out of control. it makes me sick that you should have to spend money to get "the list" to find clean food for your family.

the night before yesterday's crazy day, he drew all over himself with markers. what kid has not done that? and it should be no big deal, except it was. as he was getting dressed last night, the remnants of all that artificial dye remained zigzagged across his fair little belly and it all came together. that simple act was like an iv of crazy for him. not all children, but for him. not food. just common childhood "things". it is truly a bummer. i HATE to be that crazy mom but i guess i have to be that crazy mom.

he is worth it. and no one is going to "ssshhhh" me about it.

so i gained a few "travel" pounds

well.
it IS that time of year again- no sense denying it, much as i want to.
it's detox time.
and you thought i was going to say something about back to school :)
well that too, sorta. for Aaron at least.
i've got a few more weeks until fall semester (i am still in the midst of summer session actually) and almost that long  until i curl into the fetal position and sob into my knees about sending N off to kindergarten.

but detox time is NOW people. and it sucks just like the last time we said we'd never do it again.
so if detox time and relatively fleeting misery is now, blissful family travel time was last week.

and i think i'll just attempt to revel in that for awhile. maybe it will distract me from my raging caffeine withdrawal headache or the hunger pangs. it was a glorious week full of sand and seafood, airplanes and gators. let's start from the beginning, shall we??
(ridiculous photo overload disclaimer now)

we drove overnight to pensacola beach, fl in an effort to avoid as much backseat kiddo drama as possible- it was generally successful except for being left with zombie parents who would spontaneously pass out in the hotel room beginning at 3 pm. there were several seconds or possibly a full 20 minutes where i'm sure our children were without proper parental supervision but try not to judge too harshly lest you be faced with well rested, vacation-food stuffed minions hyped up on how exciting hotel rooms are on zero hours of sleep. it happens ya'll. i am saying ya'll now as you will soon understand. before our said hotel check-in, we had driven STRAIGHT to the beach, because, obviously. it was overcast and sprinkly and completely fabulous all the same because no one was there.


after a few hours of hotel narcolepsy, we decided we had to get out again because there was no way we would remain awake until bedtime if the lovely pillow-topped beds kept sucking us in. plus, you gotta cram as much vacation in as possible, according to me at least. Aaron is more the resting on vacation-type but i usually win. we got cleaned up and headed to pensacola beach. and on the way, this happened...

I know.

 it is a perfect beach party destination with scores of restaurants, beach bars and shops. we found the perfect place for us at Flounders Chowder House. on the beach. beach music. sand volleyball. frosty drinks. playground... perfect. and delicious.

Oh so you're saying you'd rather be snuggling in the hotel bed right now? Interesting.

Interestingly enough, Flounders was also the site of the largest toddler tantrum fiesta to date. Wow.
The next day found us all happy and well rested and up for a day of sunshine, which had decided to come back. We drove through Firehouse Subs to get some sandwiches. Actually we drove through twice because Aaron "forgot" to order the first time... hmmm maybe not so well-rested. We took our picnic back to the same beach at Perdido Key State Park and were delighted to see that there were only a few more people than the day before. Score.

on the way back, we grabbed ice cream and found an amazing playground. and we sweated. and felt sad for a little girl who informed N that 1) her mom was in jail and 2) her daddy cried because her mom said she didn't love him anymore and then she asked me to take her picture. so i did but you can't see it. the things you learn on playgrounds...

we stopped off at the Mellow Mushroom for pizza on the way home. also a great place. it was trivia night and we dominated until little people had had enough fun for one day and we had to hightail it out of there. plus, my skin felt a little fried and i was wearing only my swimsuit cover-up.

the next day promised rain. we heading to the naval air station/naval aviation museum where Aaron was in absolute heaven. he loves planes. he even used to fly and hopefully he will again soon.

on our way out of town, we paused at the Crab Trap for one more beach dining experience and more seafood gluttony. so good. it was raining so we ate inside, but took one last walk to the sand before hitting the road for baton rouge, la where my husband's family lives.

 before i start in one leg 2 of vacay, i'd like to mention that i am still hungry with a mild headache. for those of you still with us, here we go...

on friday, we were starting to feel a little tired, so we rested up for the morning and then headed out to see some baton rouge sites in the afternoon. the uss kidd is a battleship that was hit by a kamikaze pilot in ww2, and was repaired before it headed back out for the invasion of japan. it is well preserved and very interesting. it also fit in with our overall vacation theme of warfare in all types. we sweated more in case you're wondering.

that evening brought a boy's plane ride with aaron's uncle. A was in general distress the entire time watching "brudder" and daddy take off and leave us and she ran to them as soon as they got out. it was pretty cute.



the next day began with a kid-free brunch date at my favorite restaurant in the world, Cafe Des Amis. they have a zydeco breakfast every saturday and it is fantastic. zydeco band. mimosas and bloody marys. dancing. eggs benaud, stuffed beignets, and cafe au lait. it has everything. we were there 4 years ago and some of the SAME people were there dancing. you must go.

this handsome gent was there four years ago dancing with all the ladies. keeps him young!

and as if the day wasn't great enough, we took the kids to Kleibert's Alligator and Turtle Farm for the afternoon. they were on the history channel's swamp people special before there was a Swamp People show. gators, gators everywhere. big one's and small one's, all who are scary ones.

and then there was gumbo.

also lots of family time and frozen yogurt. and pocoyo on portable dvd.

i'd like to do it all again tomorrow.

ps- still hungry ya'll