Mambo Italiano

     Its really true, dear readers- We got it! We got another trip! (insert akward air-high-fiving and elbow nudging) But no. Not just any trip. We decided to try our luck this time and go for Europe and by some small (huge) miracle, we got it! It was confirmed two days ago and I am  still in a state of semi- disoriented shock. The happy sort...by all means, the happy sort.

The thing is, we are not these people! The people who take trips to Italy as if its no big deal. Or for that matter, the people who take trips, period.  As I've mentioned HERE and HERE its basically a big fat giant blessing to average people like us. So I am beyond thrilled and, well, lets just be real here- basically about to poop myself with excitement. We get to spend 3 nights in Milan and 3 nights in Florence, Italy! Sweet baby Jesus in a manger! We dont actually leave for 5 months so that's probably (maybe) enough time for me to calm down and behave like a normal person. Husband might have to pack an extra tranquilizer dart in case I get overly excited when we step off the plane and I start to speak incoherently or go crosseyed or something. We cant have that.  (I say "extra" eluding to the fact that he has any tranquilizer darts at all, which alas, is not the case. I just thought I'd give Husby a brooding and mysterious element of danger in today's blog post. Ya know, for fun.) Tranquilizer darts completely aside, Im sure I'll  put my foot in my mouth at least once or have some kind of unfortunate mishap while we're there to tell you about in an Akward and Awesome European Edition. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, I just had to share the good news.

Postcards From Paradise

Husband and  I were lucky enough to spend the last glorious week in the Bahamas, on the aptly named Paradise Island. And I have to say, it lived up to its name. It was gorgeous. White sand beaches, the brightest, clearest, turquoise water that just so happened to be the perfect temperature. Amazing food (shocker that that made it at the top of the list, right?). Sunshine. Laughter. Romance. Fun. Sleep. Repeat.
As I explained HERE, this is pretty much a big fat deal to us. Travel is something we both have always wanted to do, but have not always had the time/money/gumption to just go ahead and do. Not very much at least, especially since having kids.  Husband lived in Europe for a year before we dated and has always remembered that time in his life with such fondness that it always gives me a small pang of regret to not have shared in those memories with him. So, Europe aside, we have been beyond thrilled to have earned two vacations (part of Husbands compensation at work) in two years now. As we boarded our plane I thought about how Im a pretty big fan of Edward Jones these days. In fact, if ol Teddy Jones wouldve been there, I might have been obliged to give him a big frencher for coming up with the brilliant idea of this all-expense-paid vacation business! Genius, if you ask me.

So I could go on and on about how wonderful and peaceful and lovely the whole week was and how grateful I am to have had time alone with Husband to just enjoy his company and recharge my batteries. But I thought it'd be a little more fun to sum it up in a little something I like to call  "Akward and Awesome, Bahamian Edition."

AKWARD: Husband and I lying in the shallow water looking for seashells for Bigger One, when a small but ferocious fish out of nowhere bites him directly on the nipple. Which was so funny it made it also a little bit awesome.

AWESOME:  Well, the whole bit.

Taking in the delightfully unfamiliar scenery.

Celebrating being married for 9 years to the man I love. (Awe. Look at him. Isnt he cute?)

Swimming with the dolphins.

Napping under palm trees.

Afternoons spent reading on the beach. (Outlander, no less. Husband by my side, waves in the background, and James Fraser on the page? Me likey.)  Followed by leisurely, candlit dinners that came in courses and lasted for two hours. Bliss.

Akward and Awesome

Our family likes to play many different versions of this game -asking the kids the peak/pit of their day at the  dinner table, recognizing both the akward and awesome highlights of the week or of certain events, etc, but they all basically boil down to the same idea. I mostly love hearing these stories from my 4 year old daughter who's entire life plays out as a minidrama. Her colorful insight and perspective almost always catch me off guard. She's got a lot going on upsairs and I find it delightfully interesting.
So here is the highlight reel of my personal akward and awesome moments this week:

Akward: As you know, Husband and I have been trying to lose a few lb's and with vacation only a week and a half away, we've really kicked it up a notch recently. (Of course I've been working at it for a few months and have lost only 10 lbs. Husband mentions offhandedly at dinner one night a couple weeks ago how he "thinks maybe he'd like to lose a few pounds"...and wakes up ten pounds lighter the next day. Rude!)(Im happy for him, really. But still. Rude.)

So Tuesday was just one of those days. You know the kind. Where the odds just seem against you. The dog rolled in poison oak, the kids were tired and whiney, Little One is cutting his 2 yr molars and is super fussy, it was hot and muggy outside so all outdoor activities reduced us all to sweaty crankpots, there was a rancid, undefinable stench coming from somewhere in the fridge that I could not for the LIFE of me pinpoint (Incidentally, I never did find the source of the smell. I emptied, scrubbed, and restocked the entire fridge and never found anything suspicious... which I found completely vexing. Oh well, the fridge got cleaned.) But you get the picture.

I'd not had much time to prepare healthy food all day either, which resulted in me only eating an apple, a yogurt, and a granola bar, which left me ravenous by the time Husband walked in the door at 6 oclock. (Admission Alert!) Me starving, equals me with devil horns. Its true. And so embarrassing. But mostly just the cold hard truth. Whenever I get cranky or emotional Husband always asks me if Im hungry or about to start my period. Which I find enfuriating! As if every emotion I feel must be validated by my stomach or my lady busines? Pshaw! But as much I hate to admit it (and I do) he's pretty much got me dialed in.

Needless to say, I was seriously lacking in carbs and in positive outlook, not to mention being about 'thisclose' to gnawing my own arm off by the time Husband had changed out of his tie. I cornered him on his way out of the closet, grabbed him by the arm, and pleaded "I cant take it anymore! Im starving! Take me to Applebee's!". LOL. Yes, Applebee's. My freind Poopie (its a nickname- long story) tells me that no one eats at Applebee's anymore but I dont care. They have the best buffalo wings ever. Husband could tell by my urgency that I was not to be messed with, so we loaded up the kids and headed to Applebee's. And discovered to the all of our delight, that on Tuesday nights kids eat for only .99 cents (how's that for economic?!) and they even had a clown there to paint faces and blow up balloons. True story. And no, this post was not meant to be a plug for Applebee's, its just turning out that way on accident.

So we ordered some buffalo wings to "share", and about 87 seconds later Husband turned around to find them almost all gone and me, happy as a clam. At which point, he openly started laughing and teasing me about the direct link to my appetite and mood. Match Point goes to Husband.  Shrug. Oh well, whaddayagonnado?

This week's Awesome highlight: Well... THIS!  Where we are breaking ground on our new home!

So its not much to look at just yet, but soon our new home will sit right there. Very exciting stuff.

So, what was your akward and awesome this week? Come on, its only fair, I told you mine.