About a week and a half ago T lost his appliance. Trust me, this kiddo needs that thing. This thing is the only hope we have at the moment of fixing his snaggletooth.
He looked like crazy. We offered a five dollar reward so D looked too. (D is quite thorough.) No luck. So when we were at the dentist last week to have D's teeth checked, the dentist decided to just make new impressions and then if we didn't find it by tomorrow they would send it to the lab.
I thought we were out of luck. Then T and D got into a fight which resulted in a bloody nose. Both boys were at fault in many ways and they both got a bunch of time in their rooms. We got a quiet afternoon as well as,... drumroll.... a found appliance.
I'm so glad that T found it before tomorrow because once I bought a new one, it would be too late. I'm so grateful we don't have to fork over the dinero for a new one. I'm much rather buy something fun :)
So his birthday and Christmas are back on :)
Sunday, July 31, 2011
The Lake
Yesterday we spent the day on the lake with friends. I was surprised that the kids lasted so long. We were out for about 7 1/2 hours. T and D managed to get up briefly on the wakeboard. D stayed up longer. He was so determined to get up that I think he might have managed it without a boat if it were possible. T got up long enough for me to get a picture. His feet were too big for the boots on the child sized board and so he tried my friends board. T's feet were actually just a tiny bit bigger than hers. But a bigger board is harder to control. Still, he tried it and I am glad. He's a bit less adventurous than D when it comes to that type of stuff.
S and C tried skiing. S got all the way up. C managed to go a little ways in a crouched position. It was pretty funny.
Most of the kids had a great time on the tube until they hit a bump and S went flying through the air and landed on the other little girl's head. T was on the tube at the same time and was oblivious to the whole thing until it was over.
But I think the kids had the most fun just hanging out swimming and playing around. I love it when kids can just be happy with more simple things. It's awesome.
It might be the only boating trip of this season. The weather has been crazy this year and of course, dance starts up next week. That make for many busy evenings. I'm glad we got to go though. It's always fun to make those kinds of memories with the kids.
S and C tried skiing. S got all the way up. C managed to go a little ways in a crouched position. It was pretty funny.
Most of the kids had a great time on the tube until they hit a bump and S went flying through the air and landed on the other little girl's head. T was on the tube at the same time and was oblivious to the whole thing until it was over.
But I think the kids had the most fun just hanging out swimming and playing around. I love it when kids can just be happy with more simple things. It's awesome.
It might be the only boating trip of this season. The weather has been crazy this year and of course, dance starts up next week. That make for many busy evenings. I'm glad we got to go though. It's always fun to make those kinds of memories with the kids.
Meeting With Friends
I have to fess up. I have met Internet friends. Yes, it makes me sound like a crazy person. You see, many years ago when I was in the hospital after having Niko I plugged an old computer in (we are talking dial up style) and found a group of women who were all dealing with the grief associated with stillbirth. When your baby dies, many people in real life just don't know what to do. I was lucky to have a few good in real life people. Still, I needed people I could just type to and then come back to later. Not only that, you can take as long as you need to when responding. I found many dear friends there that first year.
Now, 12 1/2 years later, I have met several of them. One in particular has become a great friend. My kids are friends with hers and we see each other whenever we are in the same state.
This past weekend I got to meet another on of my Internet friends. She and her family were on a family vacation and she snuck away long enough to have dinner with 3 of us that live in the state. It was supposed to be a kid free night, but that didn't work out because I had to bring T along. (It was planned for after his LC meet.) I've met the other two ladies on a few occasions before and I so knew we could start chatting it up. I figured it would be the same with Lisa. Heck, I totally know all about her family, what they like to do, etc. And I was right. It was so easy to sit down and just start chatting about everything. (I did refrain from eating off her plate though ;) ) The nice thing is that although we did spend some time talking about our stillborn babies, we have much more to talk about.
Every time I meet some of these Internet friends (my only Internet friends are from what I call the dead kids group) I remember that it is a gift given to me from my boys, specifically from Niko, since his arrival sent me looking for them.
T kind of zoned out on a video game. (The poor kid only owns a Leapster Didj, but was thrilled that I let him play it in a restaurant which is so not something I would usually allow.) He periodically popped into the conversation to remind me to tell them something. But for the most part he was happy to eat and play the math game.
Anyway, it was a great night. I love how so far the real life person matches what the person I have created in my mind.
Now, 12 1/2 years later, I have met several of them. One in particular has become a great friend. My kids are friends with hers and we see each other whenever we are in the same state.
This past weekend I got to meet another on of my Internet friends. She and her family were on a family vacation and she snuck away long enough to have dinner with 3 of us that live in the state. It was supposed to be a kid free night, but that didn't work out because I had to bring T along. (It was planned for after his LC meet.) I've met the other two ladies on a few occasions before and I so knew we could start chatting it up. I figured it would be the same with Lisa. Heck, I totally know all about her family, what they like to do, etc. And I was right. It was so easy to sit down and just start chatting about everything. (I did refrain from eating off her plate though ;) ) The nice thing is that although we did spend some time talking about our stillborn babies, we have much more to talk about.
Every time I meet some of these Internet friends (my only Internet friends are from what I call the dead kids group) I remember that it is a gift given to me from my boys, specifically from Niko, since his arrival sent me looking for them.
T kind of zoned out on a video game. (The poor kid only owns a Leapster Didj, but was thrilled that I let him play it in a restaurant which is so not something I would usually allow.) He periodically popped into the conversation to remind me to tell them something. But for the most part he was happy to eat and play the math game.
Anyway, it was a great night. I love how so far the real life person matches what the person I have created in my mind.
LC Championships
T didn't make any cuts originally for the long course state championship. There are few 8 year olds who qualify due to the fact that they swim 10 and under and there is generally a big difference between an 8 year old and a kid who might be close to 11. Anyway, T was made an alternate for a couple of relay teams.
Thursday night we got a call that he was needed. Apparently, a kid scratched an event and as a result was no longer allowed to swim for the team at that championships. They picked T to go. I was a bit worried. He had three disastrous meets before this. He just wasn't giving it his all. So DH and I sat down with him and told him how it wasn't about him, but his team.
Then next day we went to the meet. I was a basketcase. It wasn't one of those meets where you could be with your kid the whole time, making sure he was doing or remembering what was needed. Then, I had the fact that he was the anchor of his relay on my mind. There's nothing like your team creating a good lead for you to lose it because the anchor is too slow.
T watched and waited as the kid in front of him butterflied down. Then in he went. And T was fast, really fast for him. I was waiting for the 40m mark where he sort of gives up. He didn't give up. He kept his lead and just kept plowing away. His relay team won the heat. His teammates had to help him out of the pool because his arms and legs were so tired. He came over just as happy as can be. He was thrilled that all these people were cheering for him. (Yes, a lot of people were cheering for him, but it helps that it was a relay and the crowds go wild.)
One really great thing about this meet too was that Aunt Melissa brought her family over to see him race. It was the first time that a family member other than our family (which can create quite a cheering section) has come. My parents have both come to practices, but they never seem to be in town when it's meet time.
He went over to his coach who informed him he took off 10 seconds. In swimming a 50m race, that is HUGE. If he had swum like that at the last meet he would have qualified for the state championships all by himself. He also would have most likely been on every relay. But it doesn't matter. He learned how to really race.
The crazy thing is that I looked up his time and had he raced the 50m free with the time he made in the relay he would have placed in the top 8 kids for 10 & under for the state. He also would have been the fastest 8 year old in the state. How did this happen? Are we certain this was my kid? He was only 3 seconds off of qualifying for Western Zones. What the heck? He can't be that close. He's only 8. He can't swim a straight 50 meter backstroke outdoors yet. At last year's Western Zones there were kids who swam slower than his time. And they were all 9 and 10. I'm just flabbergasted I guess. We aren't real athletes in our family. (Well D might have a chance, he's one heck of a runner.) But DH and I don't have a super athletic gene pool from which to draw.
I asked T what was different about this race. Why did he try so hard? It was because he was on a team. He didn't want to let his team down. Awwww..... Oh, and he said his new cap was lucky. I guess we should stock up on those things.
Luckily, or unluckily, it's short course season next and that time might be unattainable as T doesn't have super tight turns. Still, I am excited to see what he can do now that he knows how to try really hard.
Thursday night we got a call that he was needed. Apparently, a kid scratched an event and as a result was no longer allowed to swim for the team at that championships. They picked T to go. I was a bit worried. He had three disastrous meets before this. He just wasn't giving it his all. So DH and I sat down with him and told him how it wasn't about him, but his team.
Then next day we went to the meet. I was a basketcase. It wasn't one of those meets where you could be with your kid the whole time, making sure he was doing or remembering what was needed. Then, I had the fact that he was the anchor of his relay on my mind. There's nothing like your team creating a good lead for you to lose it because the anchor is too slow.
T watched and waited as the kid in front of him butterflied down. Then in he went. And T was fast, really fast for him. I was waiting for the 40m mark where he sort of gives up. He didn't give up. He kept his lead and just kept plowing away. His relay team won the heat. His teammates had to help him out of the pool because his arms and legs were so tired. He came over just as happy as can be. He was thrilled that all these people were cheering for him. (Yes, a lot of people were cheering for him, but it helps that it was a relay and the crowds go wild.)
One really great thing about this meet too was that Aunt Melissa brought her family over to see him race. It was the first time that a family member other than our family (which can create quite a cheering section) has come. My parents have both come to practices, but they never seem to be in town when it's meet time.
He went over to his coach who informed him he took off 10 seconds. In swimming a 50m race, that is HUGE. If he had swum like that at the last meet he would have qualified for the state championships all by himself. He also would have most likely been on every relay. But it doesn't matter. He learned how to really race.
The crazy thing is that I looked up his time and had he raced the 50m free with the time he made in the relay he would have placed in the top 8 kids for 10 & under for the state. He also would have been the fastest 8 year old in the state. How did this happen? Are we certain this was my kid? He was only 3 seconds off of qualifying for Western Zones. What the heck? He can't be that close. He's only 8. He can't swim a straight 50 meter backstroke outdoors yet. At last year's Western Zones there were kids who swam slower than his time. And they were all 9 and 10. I'm just flabbergasted I guess. We aren't real athletes in our family. (Well D might have a chance, he's one heck of a runner.) But DH and I don't have a super athletic gene pool from which to draw.
I asked T what was different about this race. Why did he try so hard? It was because he was on a team. He didn't want to let his team down. Awwww..... Oh, and he said his new cap was lucky. I guess we should stock up on those things.
Luckily, or unluckily, it's short course season next and that time might be unattainable as T doesn't have super tight turns. Still, I am excited to see what he can do now that he knows how to try really hard.
Friday, July 22, 2011
A Mish Mash of This and That
I should do this in a timeline or something. But I know I will forget a bunch of things and so it's easier to just type it out as it comes.
The first thing that comes to mind is a big fat BUMMER. That bad news that music lesson prices are increasing came today. Before I gripe I must say that I knew this was coming. Our teacher has fabulous prices considering she is a Suzuki teacher. We knew her lessons were a great deal and I wondered how she could spend so much time for what she charged. That being said, our lessons went up according to the paperwork over 700 dollars a year. That's right, over 700 a year. She put a sticky on the paperwork and said we'd talk about it at the next lesson. I'll be totally bummed if I have to cut their lesson time. Right now we go for 1 hour and 45 minutes three times a month and then the kids have group lessons once a month. Our teacher is great and the kids are doing rather well. Of course, M really needs a 45-60 minute lesson herself. T needs 25-30 min. D, because of the way he likes to learn in small chunks really needs about 15 minutes and C needs about 15 minutes. And well, S is taking a break from violin to save my violins from her frustrations. So, already they aren't getting what they need. But that's a mighty chunk of change to find. If I cut their overall lessons to 90 minutes it still goes up but it's less significant. Doesn't it figure that this happens just as M is really cruising along. She's starting the Bach Double right now and it feels like such a big piece for her. T is finishing up his book 2 graduation piece and should hit book three in the next month. David is finding more confidence. And C, well, she is who she is. Some days she shocks us and other days she can't hold still. Anyway, I understand why the lesson prices need to increase. It's just a big hit to take.
T has been swimming a lot lately. He did quite well three meets ago and cut some significant time. Since then he has been in a rut and has been adding time like crazy. He has his state meet this weekend. This morning he added time to all three of his events. We don't care if he adds time as long as he is trying his hardest. But it seemed like he was sort of giving up as soon as it got hard. In his 50 free he was totally in with the leaders for about 30 meters. Then he just got sluggish. I would say he didn't have the endurance for it. That might be true. But he got out of the pool and ran to play with friends. He didn't give it all he had. I think this might be T's thing in life. The trick is that he is usually quite adept at whatever he tries. He can really usually get pretty good results with less effort that most. It's like this at school, in sports, making friends, and at home. You want your kids to be smart, athletic, etc. But it's more important to us that they are hard workers. In T's level of his swim team only a couple of kids got cuts for this meet out of I don't know, maybe 30ish kids. He just doesn't realize what it takes to really work hard. Maybe it's not just T, but what 8 years old looks like. We told him we don't care if he comes in last if he works hard. And we aren't as proud of a first place if it's not his best effort.
What else.... S had her meds changed last week. I'm not so certain I am on board this time. I'll give it a try. The psych put her on Kapvay. She thinks maybe she's an ADHD type of kid as well and can't control her impusivity. So far she has been grouchier and much more sleepy. I read that it takes a few weeks for things to normalize. So we will keep it up. Between this and the therapist's new recommendations we are busy people. I would love if the meds helped her to have enough time to think things through before she does them. Boy oh boy would I LOVE it. It just doesn't seem like a match to me. But we'll give it a go. She's super excited for first grade. I know she'll love it. I'm hoping we can get these meds figured out before then. She also has been reading a bunch this summer. She's not usually thrilled to do it. It's not that she doesn't like books, it's just that I ask her to do it. But still, she is getting to be a great reader. I really want her to be able to immerse herself in books. It's calming to read for me and I would love for her to be able to get lost in stories.
We've gone swimming a few times in the past few weeks. The kids have had a bunch of fun doing that. I let myself get a might sunburn. It doesn't help to spray sunscreen on your arms if you don't reach the back of your shoulders. OUCH! But the kids had such a good time doing it that it was worth it. This week we haven't done anything like that because T's coaches told him to stay out of the sun. They also told him not to do any strenuous activities. He tried to get out of his violin practice with that one. Nice kiddo.....
D is have a hard time adjusting from having his neighborhood friend move. T and D move in slightly different circles of friends and D had one friend with whom he really liked to play. That buddy moved to Texas recently. When school starts it'll be better because he'll be able to see his other friends more.
C is herself still. She's the little fashionista. She wore a size 10 dress to church the other day. It was meant to be worn short. I just couldn't muster the energy to fight her on it so I put a white shirt under it and let her wear it. I never would have let M do such a thing. She's going to be one with whom I have to carefully select my battles. Tonight she came up with tin foil that she had shaped into a lowercase e. She then proceeded to make every letter and number she could out of it. I gave her a good job and then made a mental note to store more tin foil because mine will be gone soon.
M is enjoying her time off of dance. She has had a real babysitting job and LOVED it. She also has been practicing like crazy. The other day she did her 1.5 hours for that day, .5 of an hour owed from the day before and then another .5 of an hour so she could stay up late. What kid will practice 2.5 hours in one day? She's been a reading fool. The kid always has a book. If she has a book to read she is happy.
Life is cruising along. It's definitely not boring these days. I'm not getting done what I had hoped to, but am getting enough done to keep us going. Oh and I have been off added sugars and wheat now for 22 days. I made this deal with myself and so far I am keeping it. Other than my ranch dressing and ketchup I am pretty much extra sugar free. It's not doing a whole heck of a lot though and I know it's because I am still eating dairy. But come one... how much do I have to give up.
DH's running and biking more. Hopefully all will go well before his marathon. I think he will do great. But these feet of his are making him rethink his finishing goals. Maybe that's this marathon's purpose.
No vacations this year. We did the family reunion thing which was um, okay. I kind of blew it but that's not a story for a blog. The kids had fun and I got good pics. And now that this blog is at least a little bit caught up, I can focus on trying to get my picture one up to date.
And with that I go to bed nice and early. I have to have all the kids out of the house by 6:15 for T's meet tomorrow.
The first thing that comes to mind is a big fat BUMMER. That bad news that music lesson prices are increasing came today. Before I gripe I must say that I knew this was coming. Our teacher has fabulous prices considering she is a Suzuki teacher. We knew her lessons were a great deal and I wondered how she could spend so much time for what she charged. That being said, our lessons went up according to the paperwork over 700 dollars a year. That's right, over 700 a year. She put a sticky on the paperwork and said we'd talk about it at the next lesson. I'll be totally bummed if I have to cut their lesson time. Right now we go for 1 hour and 45 minutes three times a month and then the kids have group lessons once a month. Our teacher is great and the kids are doing rather well. Of course, M really needs a 45-60 minute lesson herself. T needs 25-30 min. D, because of the way he likes to learn in small chunks really needs about 15 minutes and C needs about 15 minutes. And well, S is taking a break from violin to save my violins from her frustrations. So, already they aren't getting what they need. But that's a mighty chunk of change to find. If I cut their overall lessons to 90 minutes it still goes up but it's less significant. Doesn't it figure that this happens just as M is really cruising along. She's starting the Bach Double right now and it feels like such a big piece for her. T is finishing up his book 2 graduation piece and should hit book three in the next month. David is finding more confidence. And C, well, she is who she is. Some days she shocks us and other days she can't hold still. Anyway, I understand why the lesson prices need to increase. It's just a big hit to take.
T has been swimming a lot lately. He did quite well three meets ago and cut some significant time. Since then he has been in a rut and has been adding time like crazy. He has his state meet this weekend. This morning he added time to all three of his events. We don't care if he adds time as long as he is trying his hardest. But it seemed like he was sort of giving up as soon as it got hard. In his 50 free he was totally in with the leaders for about 30 meters. Then he just got sluggish. I would say he didn't have the endurance for it. That might be true. But he got out of the pool and ran to play with friends. He didn't give it all he had. I think this might be T's thing in life. The trick is that he is usually quite adept at whatever he tries. He can really usually get pretty good results with less effort that most. It's like this at school, in sports, making friends, and at home. You want your kids to be smart, athletic, etc. But it's more important to us that they are hard workers. In T's level of his swim team only a couple of kids got cuts for this meet out of I don't know, maybe 30ish kids. He just doesn't realize what it takes to really work hard. Maybe it's not just T, but what 8 years old looks like. We told him we don't care if he comes in last if he works hard. And we aren't as proud of a first place if it's not his best effort.
What else.... S had her meds changed last week. I'm not so certain I am on board this time. I'll give it a try. The psych put her on Kapvay. She thinks maybe she's an ADHD type of kid as well and can't control her impusivity. So far she has been grouchier and much more sleepy. I read that it takes a few weeks for things to normalize. So we will keep it up. Between this and the therapist's new recommendations we are busy people. I would love if the meds helped her to have enough time to think things through before she does them. Boy oh boy would I LOVE it. It just doesn't seem like a match to me. But we'll give it a go. She's super excited for first grade. I know she'll love it. I'm hoping we can get these meds figured out before then. She also has been reading a bunch this summer. She's not usually thrilled to do it. It's not that she doesn't like books, it's just that I ask her to do it. But still, she is getting to be a great reader. I really want her to be able to immerse herself in books. It's calming to read for me and I would love for her to be able to get lost in stories.
We've gone swimming a few times in the past few weeks. The kids have had a bunch of fun doing that. I let myself get a might sunburn. It doesn't help to spray sunscreen on your arms if you don't reach the back of your shoulders. OUCH! But the kids had such a good time doing it that it was worth it. This week we haven't done anything like that because T's coaches told him to stay out of the sun. They also told him not to do any strenuous activities. He tried to get out of his violin practice with that one. Nice kiddo.....
D is have a hard time adjusting from having his neighborhood friend move. T and D move in slightly different circles of friends and D had one friend with whom he really liked to play. That buddy moved to Texas recently. When school starts it'll be better because he'll be able to see his other friends more.
C is herself still. She's the little fashionista. She wore a size 10 dress to church the other day. It was meant to be worn short. I just couldn't muster the energy to fight her on it so I put a white shirt under it and let her wear it. I never would have let M do such a thing. She's going to be one with whom I have to carefully select my battles. Tonight she came up with tin foil that she had shaped into a lowercase e. She then proceeded to make every letter and number she could out of it. I gave her a good job and then made a mental note to store more tin foil because mine will be gone soon.
M is enjoying her time off of dance. She has had a real babysitting job and LOVED it. She also has been practicing like crazy. The other day she did her 1.5 hours for that day, .5 of an hour owed from the day before and then another .5 of an hour so she could stay up late. What kid will practice 2.5 hours in one day? She's been a reading fool. The kid always has a book. If she has a book to read she is happy.
Life is cruising along. It's definitely not boring these days. I'm not getting done what I had hoped to, but am getting enough done to keep us going. Oh and I have been off added sugars and wheat now for 22 days. I made this deal with myself and so far I am keeping it. Other than my ranch dressing and ketchup I am pretty much extra sugar free. It's not doing a whole heck of a lot though and I know it's because I am still eating dairy. But come one... how much do I have to give up.
DH's running and biking more. Hopefully all will go well before his marathon. I think he will do great. But these feet of his are making him rethink his finishing goals. Maybe that's this marathon's purpose.
No vacations this year. We did the family reunion thing which was um, okay. I kind of blew it but that's not a story for a blog. The kids had fun and I got good pics. And now that this blog is at least a little bit caught up, I can focus on trying to get my picture one up to date.
And with that I go to bed nice and early. I have to have all the kids out of the house by 6:15 for T's meet tomorrow.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Celine
I should have done this a month ago and I might have been able to remember a thing or two. So I guess all I will get down will be a few memories of our quick getaway.
You have to know that Vegas is so NOT my favorite kind of town. The suburbs are fine. One time when DH was at a conference I think I hit every TJMaxx and Ross in the metropolitan area. (They both had big shipments of Gymboree for cheap...) I know where the Costcos are in that town. I really like the burbs. I don't like Vegas proper though. It seems like there is soft porn just about everywhere. The taxis have scantily clad people on them. The signs entice people to do things they usually would find wrong. And it's really hot in the summer.
One thing Vegas usually has going for it in the middle of June is a large amount of inexpensive rooms. I mean, really, who wants to go to a million degrees in June? I'll tell you who does.... a bunch of crazy youngerthanmesomethings who want to party in the desert with crazy lights, practically nothing on, and a lot of unknown to me music.
Anyway, we were shocked to find that even the dumpy old hotels had few rooms available in the middle of June and most of those 'cheap' rooms were still $400 and up. The decent hotels that we have staying in before were over a $1000. There was no way I was paying $1000 a night to stay in a decent room in a casino of all places. Two nights of that and DH and I could have tickets to Europe.
So we decided to have an overpriced room in Mesquite. The rooms there aren't worth $100 a night either but it sure beat $1000.
We drove there on Friday night and stopped for sushi along the way. I'm not super duper fond of sushi. I can handle tempura because it's cooked but the raw stuff just isn't my cup of tea. And I figure why spend so much on something you don't really like. Still the food was good and it wasn't in some loud casino.
DH was sick and so the main thing he was looking forward to was sleep. So we slept and slept. At home I feel lazy if I am up after 7am, but there I rolled out of bed at 11am. We finally grabbed some breakfast/lunch, went to the local Walmart. (DH was flying out for California as soon as we got home and needed a new suitcase.) I'm telling you we are big adventurebugs. We slept and went to Walmart.
Shortly after we headed into Vegas. We hit the Cheesecake Factory in Caesars Palace. Can you believe that I have never been there. DH has gone several times but there isn't one too close to home and I can always find something I want to try more.
Going to Celine's concert was fabulous. You enter the colosseum that was built for her and you leave Vegas and the casino behind. Everything feels classy. When we bought our tickets there were hardly any two or more seats together areas. In order to get seats together we had to buy decent ones. I was actually grateful though because the seats were fabulous.
I sort of figured I was going to have an empty seat next to me. There were three seats when we bought ours and a few minutes before the show started it was still empty. Then comes Mr. Tee Shirt and Shorts with a shaved head. He also seemed a little young. Celine, although uberly talented, obviously appeals to a more mature audience. It seems like I am on the young side of things. So I was surprised and Mr. Tee Shirt and Shorts. And it was weird because the guy had a single seat. What guy goes to a concert like that by himself?
Mr. TSS turned out to be a huge fan. He would stand up and clap when no one else would. He was really into it, leaning forward in his seat and everything. Then Celine sings a famous French song called 'Ne Me Quitte Pas'. I don't know how they translate it but it literally means don't leave me. So the words are powerful and touching. However, it just seemed a little weird when Mr. TSS started crying away. DH looked over at me with that, "Is that dude really crying?" look and the lady next to DH leaned forward an looked over to see if he was really crying. I never would have expected some man to be in his own deluge of tears right next to me.
As for Celine... she was fabulous. Her voice is beautiful. Her clothes are for the most part stunning. She seems gracious and kind. It's so much better to see than the conceited stars who are on magazine covers all the time. Everything about her was classy.
DH and I took no pictures. We just headed back to Mesquite to get some sleep and then headed home the next day.
It was a great break from everyday life.
You have to know that Vegas is so NOT my favorite kind of town. The suburbs are fine. One time when DH was at a conference I think I hit every TJMaxx and Ross in the metropolitan area. (They both had big shipments of Gymboree for cheap...) I know where the Costcos are in that town. I really like the burbs. I don't like Vegas proper though. It seems like there is soft porn just about everywhere. The taxis have scantily clad people on them. The signs entice people to do things they usually would find wrong. And it's really hot in the summer.
One thing Vegas usually has going for it in the middle of June is a large amount of inexpensive rooms. I mean, really, who wants to go to a million degrees in June? I'll tell you who does.... a bunch of crazy youngerthanmesomethings who want to party in the desert with crazy lights, practically nothing on, and a lot of unknown to me music.
Anyway, we were shocked to find that even the dumpy old hotels had few rooms available in the middle of June and most of those 'cheap' rooms were still $400 and up. The decent hotels that we have staying in before were over a $1000. There was no way I was paying $1000 a night to stay in a decent room in a casino of all places. Two nights of that and DH and I could have tickets to Europe.
So we decided to have an overpriced room in Mesquite. The rooms there aren't worth $100 a night either but it sure beat $1000.
We drove there on Friday night and stopped for sushi along the way. I'm not super duper fond of sushi. I can handle tempura because it's cooked but the raw stuff just isn't my cup of tea. And I figure why spend so much on something you don't really like. Still the food was good and it wasn't in some loud casino.
DH was sick and so the main thing he was looking forward to was sleep. So we slept and slept. At home I feel lazy if I am up after 7am, but there I rolled out of bed at 11am. We finally grabbed some breakfast/lunch, went to the local Walmart. (DH was flying out for California as soon as we got home and needed a new suitcase.) I'm telling you we are big adventurebugs. We slept and went to Walmart.
Shortly after we headed into Vegas. We hit the Cheesecake Factory in Caesars Palace. Can you believe that I have never been there. DH has gone several times but there isn't one too close to home and I can always find something I want to try more.
Going to Celine's concert was fabulous. You enter the colosseum that was built for her and you leave Vegas and the casino behind. Everything feels classy. When we bought our tickets there were hardly any two or more seats together areas. In order to get seats together we had to buy decent ones. I was actually grateful though because the seats were fabulous.
I sort of figured I was going to have an empty seat next to me. There were three seats when we bought ours and a few minutes before the show started it was still empty. Then comes Mr. Tee Shirt and Shorts with a shaved head. He also seemed a little young. Celine, although uberly talented, obviously appeals to a more mature audience. It seems like I am on the young side of things. So I was surprised and Mr. Tee Shirt and Shorts. And it was weird because the guy had a single seat. What guy goes to a concert like that by himself?
Mr. TSS turned out to be a huge fan. He would stand up and clap when no one else would. He was really into it, leaning forward in his seat and everything. Then Celine sings a famous French song called 'Ne Me Quitte Pas'. I don't know how they translate it but it literally means don't leave me. So the words are powerful and touching. However, it just seemed a little weird when Mr. TSS started crying away. DH looked over at me with that, "Is that dude really crying?" look and the lady next to DH leaned forward an looked over to see if he was really crying. I never would have expected some man to be in his own deluge of tears right next to me.
As for Celine... she was fabulous. Her voice is beautiful. Her clothes are for the most part stunning. She seems gracious and kind. It's so much better to see than the conceited stars who are on magazine covers all the time. Everything about her was classy.
DH and I took no pictures. We just headed back to Mesquite to get some sleep and then headed home the next day.
It was a great break from everyday life.
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