Thanks again for babysitting Dad!

Tonight we had a Christmas party for my Mom's YW. We worked all day on cleaning house and making treats so everything would be perfect {okay, you caught me, we squeezed some 'crafting' in there too}.

Anyway, Pop Pop was volunteered to take the kids off our hands during the party. I guess a trip to the 99 cent store got tacked on to the original itinerary that had only consisted of happy meals and McDonald's play land.

Yeah, so Dad pretty much thought it would be pretty hilarious to give Laine a Dora 'tramp stamp' {okay, I give up, it was hilarious} with the Dora tats courtesy of said 99 cent store.

Here's Laine with her 'reading glasses' {like Grandma?} picking out some Dora tats for everyone else to share in the fun. She later remarked of the evening:

'I'm not super Laine, I'm just Laine, only, I'm not Laine, I'm Dora'

Sounds kinda like her typical logic...

And that's Gabey showing me his 'gockit' -chocolate.

It was a pretty exciting night had by all if you were wondering.

just fartin around

Greetings from my continued vacay with my family. It has been a lot of fun and the kids continue to be in heaven with their Gaengy & Pop Pop and Hannah. They're also enjoying being part of a family that has pet dogs. Gabe spends about an hour each morning out in the cold -no shoes on of course, playing with his goggies and jumpin' on the tramp. I must get footage, it is thoroughly entertaining. PS -I think he may have ADHD... {as with the time I wondered if he had Prader Willi Syndrome, I am only half joking...}

We've had lot's of time spent at Pop Pop's firehouse functions where Gabey has been in 2 year old boy heaven. He loves trucks. The bigger the better. And if you can climb on them and jump all over them and goober 'em up -so much the better.

I think it has been fun and eye-opening for my parents to spend so much time with this wild boy. He sure does love life. Almost as much as being naughty... And Laine and her new alter-ego 'Super Laine' have continued to be bright, cheerful angels -most of the time!

We've had a lot of laughs and good times. As many of you know, Katie and I, and possibly others of my sisters, have a real knack for having the craziest and stupidest things happen to us. However, I had no idea that it all started with my parents...

We keep laughing and laughing about a story they told me a few nights ago over dinner: When my older sister Nicole was in kindergarten, they had their first parent-teacher conference. Being new parents, they were really excited and welcomed the new experience and had high hopes for not only this child's, but their their others' as well.

On that high, they arrive to the conference and sit down to talk to the teacher, only to have her say, 'Nicole doesn't stay within the lines when she is coloring' and then she honestly, purely and genuinely looked at my Mom and Dad and to their faces asked 'are either of you retarded?' No jokes, no kidding. Purely, earnestly a serious question.

Needless to say it is the new family inside joke, well, one of them... and it was almost as good as this story of Katie's that pretty much goes down in Gildea history as the MVP. Will it be topped? Sorry if you've already read it on this blog and HG, I just can't get enough of it, and I'm worried that 1 or 2 new readers may have missed it, which would be such a shame.

Okay, I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Gabey and Gaengy 'fartin' around' on the truck

*FYI *Bringing out a classic Gildea inside joke. Allow me to elaborate... When we were in HS, my Dad loved to torment us in any way possible {what am I saying?? He still does. He lives for it actually} He used to see the caller ID and know who was calling and obviously then who they were calling for -so he would answer in a mock-woman's voice, 'Natalie Hotline, how may I help you?' or something stupid like that. Anyway, when we weren't home at the time, and our friends ever asked where we were and when we would be home -Dad's classic response was, 'I don't know, they must be out somewhere farting off"

It was kind of akin to all of the friends of mine who when they came to the door, he asked why they looked different and if it was because they'd had their head gear removed -when they obviously handn't ever had it on. As if my Dad wasn't intimidating enough. But it was hilarious, I'll admit it.

In a sick way, I miss it...

More farting off...

Can you believe she is the Grandma?? She's Madonna's clone. She hates that, but she is. She has the gap and everything -but not the fake British accent. I think I'll get her a leotard + corset and some heels for Christmas

The whole crew. We've been calling Laine 'Margo' from the Royal Tenenbaum's in her fur coat. I think I really will darken the eye make-up and get her a purse for a fabulous-hilarious photo-op. I'll of course enlist Katie's help since she was her for Halloween...

Awwwwe... cute

Inside eating, Gabe being a buckin' bronco on Gaengy's lap. I spared you the action shots, but the reel was pretty funny

Margo forgot to open her eyes for the pic

Why were we in some half-finished building eating do you ask? Days later I'm still not sure, but when there's free food involved I tend to not ask questions...

Okay, now this was the day we went to 'King's Buffet' -one of my Dad's favorite restaurants. Yes, it's an all you can eat, Chinese buffet, I'm sure you were wondering. Since we were going some place so nice, he wore his Rocawear shirt, as you can plainly see

That's why I dance so good, cause my Dad's a thug



Unrelated to our day at the buffet, here is a candid shot of my Dad the next day in the Marie Callendar's parking lot -rocking his G-Unit jeans

Back to Kings,

Laine and G

Even though we joked about Laine's helmet hair and call her the baby broadcast journalist, she really doesn't look 4 going on 44, as this picture would lead you to believe

Gabe, drinking his ice cream...

Okay, I know I always make promises that I don't keep, but there truly is plenty more where this solid gold diamond mine came from. I've got a whole other 2 posts worth of pictures, I'm on it.

This post needs pictures

Ugh, I've been meaning to post all of this for weeks -does anyone else get major blog back-up paired with a complete lack of desire to post? It's a nasty combination... one that I sometimes fear that it is lethal and has no cure.

Anyway, I did want to repost this story I already post on HG for many of you who don't read HG, sorry for the repeat for those who do:

A few weeks ago was Laine's last week at preschool. She will be sad to say goodbye to David, her first 'boyfriend' she's had at school all year. He is such a sweetie cutie. He always led her to the door and helped her sit in her seat. He's a real gentleman at the ripe old age of 4.Last week when I went to pick her up it was just David and Laine left. I talked to David's Mom for a minute and then Laine came up and interupted me with the usual patting and 'Mom Mom Mom!'. I finally stopped my converation and said, 'What??' and she said {as David's Mom was right there listening of course}:'

Mommy... I don't want Daddy break David's legs, cause he's my friend...'

Ah! I was so mortified! Obviously as I had ooed and awed over how cute they were, Ben was polishing his rifle and getting out his baseball bat -he seriously HATES hearing the cute stories. So the threat of breaking his legs was one of Daddy's usual responses and I was SO embarrased as Laine overshared. It actually was pretty funny though.

That was also a few days after I attempted to wear the first hat I'd worn in years. With my short hair I felt like I truly looked like a lesbian or homeless -or even possibly a homeless lesbian {nothing wrong with it! Just not the look I typically go for...} Now that my hair has grown out some, I thought I'd brave it.

I came out of my room with Laine beaming "Mom, you look so cute!" -Wow, that was the reception I was hoping for and more! Then she followed it up with "Yeah, you look like a Dad!" ...hmmm

Seems like something else funny happened, if only I could remember. This is why you should blog more often, so you don't forget! Maybe it was the 75 year old pregnant man in a blonde wig and pink sparkly outfit we saw on the streetcorner before we left... not sure...

So how as the flight you ask?

Hell.

It truly was. Gabe slept all of 45 mintues during the whole 14 hours. Instead he stuck to a healthy regimen of 1 part running up and down the aisles laughing during the 'night' when the plane was dark and most everyone was trying desperately to sleep -including me. 2 parts kicking the seat in front of him as if it were his last kicks on earth. 2 parts using my quads as a trampoline. 1 part practicing for his big debut as a WWF wrestler. 3 parts sending Daddy to a fit so severe he may need anger management afterall. 1 part waking Laine from her blissful rest. 2 parts playing with his Thomas trains, praise the heavens. 1 part spilling drinks or food and then whining about it. 1 part meltdown... let's see, am I forgetting anything? The look {I mean scowl} on the crusty old woman's face in the row in front of us WAS priceless, and surprisingly it never did get old.

And a huge thanks to the Quantas team who was so patient and didn't treat us like we were diseased because we had children unlike some airlines I know of {UNITED!}

Okay, I'm getting the urge to get out my paperbag since posting this has not been the therapy I hoped it would be, instead it is inducing rage as I'm forced to relive it. Out.