Today I am...

my little happy calendar at work

Wearing... grey dress, pink tights, houndstooth Sorel boots, white puffy coat, red/white stocking cap, black/white/red mittens.  Rocking the snowstorm fashion. 

Listening to...  Def Lepard, Joan Jett, Duran Duran.  Its 80's on Pandora people!  Whats not to love?

Trying to remember... that some day bedtime battles will be over and that I will miss snuggling those cranky little people that live in my house. 

Drinking... lots and lots of coffee.  3 am starts to the day will do that to a girl. 

Playing... Candy Land (always the yellow piece) and Go Spidey (marvel's version of Go Fish).

Laughing... at Dottie's constant need to "shake her booty" even if she prefers to do so without underwear. 

Wishing... Charlie was a better sleeper, how can such a happy daytime baby be such a crabby night time baby?

Looking forward to... seeing Barb this weekend and Luke's wrestling tournament. 

Only Five? Barb's Greatest Hits

Its a Ventage Birthday!  The lovely Miss Barb had a birthday yesterday.  I have known this dear girl since she was 16 years old.  I can say with confidence that there are far more than five things we adore about her - but here are a few:

5.  She is my cooking accomplice.  When my kids were born, it became difficult and expensive to get a lot of nights out to do big dinners, as was our habit before said children.  Barb and I devised a solution - the Year of the Feast.  Every month, we planned elaborate menus and made so much food we were stuffed for days.   It made the transition to Mom of 2 under 2 a lot easier for me because I always had something to look forward to.  Did Barb mind the chaos? Finding food that the kids would like?  Having lots of little helpers?  I don't know, but her menus, food and fellowship was enjoyed by our whole family.  In fact, I think we should have a year of the Feast Part 2.  

Barb even touched meat with bones, for the feast - she was that committed to making it happen. 

4.  Road trips - Barb and I have been on many.  Most memorable?  When I was pregnant with Dorothy we decided to go on Cheese tours.  We were envisioning the wine tour experience and instead got quite a lessen in milk marketing and dairy business.  It was a hoot  - and I loved every very weird minute of it.  Barb had lists, and maps, and detailed plans, all of which lasted until our first major debacle of the first day.  We just went with it and laughed the WHOLE time.  

3.  Calm in the Storm.  Other than my husband, there is no one in my life who can grab my hand and in a stern voice say - you can do this - and make me believe it.  When times have been tough she has not been afraid of my emotions, she has listened to me cry.  She has offered solutions but not judged.  She has been everything a friend could be.  I hope you all have someone like that in your life.  

2.  Greatest Auntie ever.  My children adore Barb.  They love to make her laugh, play games with them and read books.  She is a constant and steadying force in their lives.  She taught them that it is ok to have ice cream for dinner once in a while, she risked her life to teach Luke how to roast marshmallows, she indulges Dottie's inner princess, and has been thrown up on by Charlie more than anyone.  

1.  Past Present and Future.  I knew the Barb who skipped class and hated high school.  I knew the Barb who threw up in her yard after celebrating her last final exam.  I know the Barb who was the first person besides Mike to hold all my babies.  I know the Barb who is rising above some very petty and juvenile people in her life.  I know the Barb who is making a real future for herself that she is and can be proud of.  I will know the Barb who eats Thanksgiving turkey with my family when she is 70.  I will know the Barb who calls with triumph in her voice.  I will know the Barb who will be my best friend.  Forever.  

Love you babe.

Turkey Day Redux

Do you have those little traditions that, because of their importance in your mind, sort of take on a life of its own?  Man,  Love me some traditions.  The problem with that, is sometimes the reality doesn't live up to the memory - rose colored glasses looking at the past. 

Thanksgiving is a BIG tradition for my family.  For many years, it is the one holiday we do not travel for, no obligation to do the big family dinner back home.  We have had our nice little Friends-giving for a long time.  Before Luke, Dottie, and Charlie.  It was always the Angie and Barb Thanksgiving show. 

Some years, our participants were more appreciative of the efforts than others.  There may have been a year where the house almost started on fire, where the ginger beer did not cure morning/all day sickness, where someone (who sucks and whose name will not be mentioned here) had his fresh kill in my driveway.  There were pingpong tournaments, naps, teaching the kids to rabidly hate the Detroit Lions. 

It was always the Angie and Barb Thanksgiving show.  If you want to see some recaps - Barb has been much more diligent of keeping our memories - check it out here. 

This year, because there has been a huge readjustment in our lives, I was a little worried that the actual event could not live up to the mythical place it held in my heart.  We had pinterest boards of ideas, multiple menu discussing emails, serious phone discussions.  Could it really be as great as in my mind? 

Then, 10 days before Thanksgiving, my knee gave out on me.  I couldn't walk.  Couldn't stand.  Was scheduled for unexpected surgery. 

I may have sent an angst filled email to Barb saying _ I cannot do this. 

Luke making Turkey decor (a must have).

But we did.  And it was, again, the Angie and Barb Thanksgiving Show.  Barb has a beautiful post with lots of pictures of the food. So I won't rehash.  I just want to share a few of my favorite pictures.   

I may have a new found love for Bourbon.  Yum.

Snow White (Dottie) making my family recipe for cranberry relish. 

Turkey Relish Tray, made with love by Barb and Dottie

I am a little bummed that there is not one picture of me and Barb.  In all our preparatory glory.  The food was wonderful, the house if not super clean, was presentable, the guests were fantastic and wonderful company, the drinks were plentiful and the day was just as wonderful in my heart and mind as in reality. 

We have a no Christmas till after the Turkey is put away rule in our house.  So Thanksgiving night, Mike the superdad, took Luke and Dottie out to work on the Christmas lights.  Charlie wanted in on the action too. 

We will plan on for 2013 - no lumpy gravy next time.  I promise. 

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes...Ventage Tuesday

I know that I have been a Debbie Downer lately.  But too bad.  Life is hard sometimes.  But life is really damn good too.  I have all my needs.  I have the time and ability to have wants.  We are on a Cinderella kick here in our little corner of paradise.  I have always thought A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes was the ultimate princess song.  But as a momma, when I sleep?  I don't dream, I am too dang tired.  I dream when surfing the inter webs... 

So in the fine Ventage Tuesday tradition, here is my list of the week.  A wish list.  Some are bigger dreams than others, but I am actually very easy to please.  

I really love Wonder Woman.  Always been a superhero kind of girl instead of a Princess kind of girl.  

I love this print. 

This Cloud 9 necklace.  Reminder that happiness is right there for the taking.  

This print just makes me happy.  

If we are dreaming big - I would love this gorgeous (and outrageously expensive) orange stove/oven

In the land of the frozen tundra, I think this snow gauge would be an excellent addition to our front yard

Been drooling over these Le Creuset French ovens for years.  In Flame please.  

I am a Star Wars geek.  When I was little I used to demand that my mom do the Princess Leia buns in my hair.  I could really rock that look.  I would only like this gift from Mike, but these rings say it as only Han Solo and Leia could.  

I like the design and sentiment of this House Rules decal.  

I think it would look great in our basement.  

As you know, I love me some make up.  Would love this Urban Decay Vice Eyeshadow palette 

Most of all, right now, I would like Mary Poppins.  To be my coach, friend and nanny.  

I am sure that Em, Katrina, Barb, and Steph will have some pretty great lists... since one of us will hopefully win the Powerball on Wednesday night, maybe we can make these wishes come true?  Happy wishing girls!

I know.

 I know that real, true friends are hard to find.  

I know that friendships can have some strange paths.  

I know that our neon campaign would have been a big success if only those bitches had listened.  I know our road trips have been some of the funnest days.  

I know all my children's lives are better because you are their auntie.  I know that they are learning important things -sometimes ice cream for dinner is ok, books are important, laughing is necessary and that there is always a reason to party around the corner.  

I know this was not your plan.  I know you love the traditions and rituals we have built for our grown up lives.  I know that we will continue to build traditions and memories and find new adventures to laugh about when we are 100 and 98 respectively.  

I know that you deserve (and will have) such big happies.  I know  that anyone who could be such a dear and important and necessary friend can only be that way because the light and love is in their heart and that is what the happies are drawn to.  

I know I will miss having you so close, being so accessible, ingrained in so much of my (our) day to day.  

I know this is not the end, it is an ebb in a friendship that has ebbed and flowed for almost 20 years now, a friendship that has spanned different cities before and will successfully do so again.  

Mostly, however, I know that I feel sad and miss you already.  I know I am not often at a loss for words - but there are no words to say how much you mean to me.  

I hope YOU know that.  

Cue the Golden Girls Music

I have some wonderful friends on these interwebs.  Their daily emails are often what push me forward when I feel like I am running on empty.  In the past six months, we have had some real life events.  I mean, big heavy stuff.  The stuff that can really make you wonder. 

The funny thing?  It is those girls.  They are the ones who keep my life light.  Who have made me laugh, cry and so damn grateful for their presence in my life.  Let me introduce them to you -

Barb - She is my BFF.  Barb is smart, funny and creative.  She puts up with a lot of grand ideas and has the ability to boil them down into manageable pieces.  She loves starbucks drinks that I can never successfully remember to order correctly.  She loves books.  LOTS AND LOTS OF BOOKS.  She has an infuriating habit of reading books and skipping to the ending and then going back to finish the guts of the book.  She has been with me through it all.  Seen me at my very worst and chooses to ignore all that baggage and sees me as my funny and most of the time kind self.  She has given me the - you better shut up and make things right talk. She has brought me diet cokes when the world was falling apart.   She is the best auntie to my children and they adore their Bahb.  (I do too). 

Stephanie -  Stephanie is one of those people who is so positive and sweet and just, well, good.  Momma to two sweet boys, she is a full fledged member of the moms with husbands who travel club.  She is the queen of one liners. She is our resident expert on Disney, and the inner workings of tv news.   She loves Florida Gators (but we forgive her that, not everyone can be a big ten girl).  She shares my love of shrimp.  She is a fantastic photographer.  She is a mom who understands that speech delays are tough on moms as well as kids.  She is fierce and fun and I love her. 


Em - My fellow Badger.  Lover of all things grilled cheese. Momma to two littles, music teacher by day, scrapbooker by night.  Her swearing off dr pepper gives me hope that she does have at least one vice.  She is the author of my favorite rap, ever, Lice Lice Baby.  I hear she is known for ranting voicemails in more than one language (although her voicemails to me have never been ranting).  She is a little overwhelmed these days with the working mom blues but let me reassure her that everyone has a messy house, overflowing laundry and nights where cereal for breakfast looks like a gourmet option.  She is funny and kind and I love her. 

Katrina - Katrina is the mom who reminds us that we will survive these preschool years.  Her Austin and Hope are beautiful and kind and smart and funny young adults that give me hope that my children will also be such great additions to the world.  She is FUN - NY although she wants to believe that she is only dark and twisty.  She might be twisty but in my life, but she light not dark.  Lover of green smoothies, kale, swiss chard and other hippy foods - she is our resident meditator and reminder to be zen.  She is too damn far away (VT) but such an important part of my daily routine that I miss her and when I don't get emails from her I am sad.  She is embracing the eyeshadow and teaching me many things about cosmetics.  She is good and honest and hilarious and I love her.

These girls are the backbone of my support.  They are my Ventage girls and I hope you all have friends like these that lift you up.  Little reminders that you are more than a daughter, wife, mother, employee, whatever lable life sometimes slaps on you. 

Ventage girls - you may not change the world, but you have changed my life.  Love you forever.