Damn you, Pinterest!!!!

So today Madison had her Valentines Day party at preschool. This is my first time to have a child in preschool…first Valentines Day party. So we bought Valentine cards for her class….let me clarify….we bought the "old school" Valentine cards for her friends….cute little Disney princess cards. They even came with extra stickers…WOW! Then, I thought why not add some cookies….so everyone got a cute little sugar cookie with pink sprinkles. Cute. Happy Valentines Day from Madison!!!

Umm….NO! I go to pick up my kid from school and I should've brought luggage to bring home all the crap she got!!!! She came home with a box of stuff…..a BOX!!!! Everything didn't fit in the box so thank God I had grocery bag with me to put it all in. I saw curly straws, candy, magnets, lip gloss, hair clips, hearts, kisses, puppies, chocolates….and we haven't even gone through all her stuff! It's like Christmas. This made me feel like a crappy Mom because my kid took a little Disney princess card to everyone (WITH matching stickers…don't forget that) AND cookies.

So….we are preparing our Valentines for next year…..here's my supply list of things to buy:

1. 3-D glasses….that's right! Our Valentines will be in 3-D next year.

2. USB connectors/adapters……yes, our Valentines will be compatible with all Apple and Microsoft products. You can also use our Valentines to charge your electronic devices…so it's a two-4-one!

3. Glow sticks and glow-in-the-dark paint…..our Valentines will ROCK in black lights!!!!

4. Scratch-off Lottery tickets…….you just may win $5000 with our Valentines!!!!

5. Scratch-n-sniff Chanel No.5 paper……we aren't using cheapy old "candy" scented paper…..we're using high-end luxury fragrances.

6. Clown fish…..like the actual little saltwater tropical fish. What kid doesn't want their own "Nemo"??? So everyone's getting a heart-shaped saltwater aquarium with Nemo in it!

And of course, we'll need the regular "run of the mill" craft supplies: glitter, puff balls, 14k gold flakes, pipe cleaners, stickers, and swavorski crystals….

TOP THAT, BITCHES!!!!!!

(ps. She really did get some cute stuff…..I obviously need to step up my game! and I'm crafty person…I should've known better!!!!)

I'm back….in WASHINGTON!!!

So….I live in Washington now! We made the cross country move…and survived….marriage intact…children breathing. 

     Interesting place this Washington….I've never lived in a place where I feel like a foreigner. I am a fish out of water here!!! Everything is different here….EVERYTHING. The tree, roads, the way people dress, the terms people use, the time zone, the time the sun rises/sets…..it's all different from the South. 

    I never thought I had a Southern "twang" until it was pointed out to me..and my daughter. Little Madison was playing on the playground and an older girl said "Mommy, she talks so funny"…her Mom said "it's because she's from the South." Then our pediatrician asked where I was from because she could hear a little "Southern" in my voice. I feel like I talk "normal"…but I do love my "y'all"….my favorite word. 

    More about Sequim….this little tiny city I never knew existed until my husband informed me of our cross-country transfer. It's a city (not a city…it's a town…..more maybe a large village) of about 6000 people. It's a small city east of Port Angeles (which I had never heard of either until the Twilight movies came out). Here are my observations of Sequim…from a "South Texas" girl…..:

1. There are NO tall buildings here. NONE. There's one old mill that's about 3 stories high…known at the Sequim Skyscraper. That's it. 

2. Downtown consists of cute little shops/restaurants…similar to Avondale for my Jax peeps. 

3. The average age of everyone in Sequim is 75. It's a retirement city…people come here to live out the rest of their lives. So everywhere you go, it's ALL old people and maybe a few young'ins. The local businesses cater to the retirees, so you see a lot of financial planners, insurance providers, coffee shops, hearing aid stores, etc. 

4. Everything in Sequim opens at 10am…and closes by 6pm. There are 2 restaurants I know of that stay open past 9…that's it. Even local gas stations will close early so you are screwed if you want gas late at night. However, we do have Walmart….good 'ol Walmart open 24 hours. 

5. The speed limit in town is 25 miles per hour!!!! Yes, 2-5. Then on outer streets the speed limit goes up to 30mph. It's perfect for old people because no one drives fast….you can't. Everyone is going slow. 

6. It's GREY here. We can go days and days without seeing the sun. It may pop out for an hour or two in the afternoon, but other than that, it's just grey and wet. It's wet but not from actual rain. It's constantly misting and drizzling here. So everything is soaked and wet but it isn't from actual rain showers. 

     On the plus side, I have found some wonderful "positives" to living in the Northwest and in a small town. I've met some wonderful people, in the Coast Guard and out. There is a sense of community here…when you run into the same Moms out and about, you get familiar with them and they become friends. Moms with small children tend to go the same places…the library, the parks, etc. I've met so many great people….I'm proud to call them my friends. Madison LOVES her preschool…it's warm, inviting, and the staff is great. 

    The other thing I have to comment on is my husband. When you move across the country to a small city where you don't really know anyone (except one friend), I had no choice but to really lean on my husband…to cry…to laugh…to vent….for everything.  I felt like this move strengthened our family because we did so much more together. The four of us got up every Saturday and said "okay, where are we going today?" and we went out to make memories and have adventures. Whether I felt out of place or not, I had to make this place "home" to my girls. I had to show them how great it is to be here. 

  Jim and I have made so many memories here and it's only been six months. I can honestly say we've seen more, done more, experienced more here in the Northwest than I have any other place.