Skip to main content

Guest Postapalooza: The lady of the house

There was one guest post I wasn't able to fit into last week's Girls Girls Girls week. It's from Staci, my wife. She's awesome...but you have to wonder why she puts up with me daily...it can't be easy. Now that there is a mini-Kenny around it will only get worse.

She's fantastic teacher, a great wife and a awesome wife.

You may know a bit about her from the blog but here are some things you might not know:
  • She makes the word "cold" into a 2 syllable word. Co-wald (think about that as you read)
  • She used to 2 spaces after a period but it looks like she made the switch to 1...which is correct
  • However she doesn't bake...I wish she baked...I like baked goods...especially scones
  • She does buy good pastries so that's good.
  • She has tiny feet. I once bought her snowboard boots by seeing if my hand fit...it did and the boots fit her
  • She adds extra modifiers onto words. Like if she has a cut on her knee she says she cut her knee-skin
  • She has a super cute laugh and smile (yeah that sound mushy but it's true)



If you've read Kenny's blog over the year you know his lifelong dream of having his child join him in his love for snowboarding. He enjoys cold weather, loves the mountains, in fact he could could snowboarding for hours on end.

I am always willing to try new things but not in the cold. I prefer to stay inside. However, when Kenny and I started dating (back in 2000) he convinced me to give the 'sport' a try. We were newly-dates and so I wanted to keep up with my new boy.

The moment I told Kenny I would try to snowboard he made sure I was fully set up with gear. I was excited as I really thought I too could look cute as the professional snowboarders. I figured I would impress my new boyfriend and we would forever be boarding all over the world. Filled with love and coolness.

When Kenny showed me the gear I needed it was then that I learned that I had to bundle up in serious amounts of layers which included:
  1. skin tight thermals head to toe
  2. socks that were so thick it makes me sweat thinking about them
  3. thick snow boarding pants that of course don't match the jacket which doesn't match the board which made me feel like a circus clown. 
  4. I needed to wear my contacts so I could wear the goggles and
  5. Kenny made me wear a helmet over my hat
WTF? This was starting to make no sense to me.

Clothing on, I immediately felt like the little boy in A Christmas Story. I was bundled, restricted and had to pee. As I waddled around it was time to "gear up", step into the boots, click the bindings and hit the slopes

It felt like when I put on ice skates. That's when I realized that I couldn't wiggle my toes. I have to say that I cant stand not being able to wiggle my toes and if I can't, I want to wiggle them more. OK...panic attack begins.

However, it was new love, I was younger (24 or so) and I could do anything right??? So I headed to the resort, Kenny signed me up for a beginner class which would last an hour. I walked my board outside and kept a really fake smile on my face to make Kenny happy. He was so excited people must have thought I was a celebrity as he was following me with his camera clicking away at my every move.

I approached my group for the lesson. Met my instructor who must have been born a few months prior, said 'waz up' (I think he gave me a fist bump) and off I went with with my new found friends (aka classmates) who I believe an hour ago hit puberty.

As I scooted to the gondola, I turned to wave to Kenny. I figured it might be the last time I saw my future husband. I headed up the bunny hill like a champ....feeling like a teen at heart.

Right of the bat, it was not good. As I tried to get off the gondola, I wiped out, got stuck and took down a group on little kids all waiting to go down the hill. I believe they had to stop the gondola in order for me to slither off to the side.

My instructor helped me get back on the board as my classmates watched. He gave them a quick tutorial and off they went. Down the hill. He then turned to me. I guess this was going to turn into a private lesson. He told me that the first thing he wanted to teach me was how to fall properly. Seriously? I had to learn how to fall? That makes no sense. Well I practiced a lot in fact I believe I fell approximately 5345 times. Perhaps a new record. I was proud. The instructor told me I was good at falling. Thank you I replied.

I continued to make my way down, falling, heading toward the trees, bumping into kids who were skiing with out poles, etc. Finally I made it to the bottom of the hill. As the rest of the classmates waited for me to get down the hill I decided I was done with the lesson. I could make much better use of my time in the chalet, crazy zoot suit off, feet up, warm and cozy. So when the instructor said, OK lets go again. I told him he was flippin crazy, a good instructor but I was opting out. I said thank you, and turned toward the chalet. It was then that I saw Kenny right behind me. Camera in hand. I was busted. He read me the riot act and some how persuaded me to go up again. This time I made him come with me to prove that I did indeed suck, it was a hazard to have me on the hill and I was much better (and cuter) in the chalet. You know what, I was right. Second time down, not much better just more and more and I really thought that I might need a hip replacement.

Long story short (ha ha) I still try to be a good sport. We do travel to the mountains but Kenny snowboards, I spa. Good times had by all and no broken bones on my end.

So, back to mommy and daddy relevant info.

Every time Kenny talks about our Miloh becoming a snowboarder I think to myself...have fun, meet me at the chalet, the spa or go off on your own daddy son bonding time.

But then what is my sport or activity that I want to get him excited about? I want it to be Miloh's choice but what could I picture myself doing? Music, dance, art, etc maybe circus trapeze? Anything daredeviley in warm weather. I thought gymnastics since I was one for over 15 years.

Then as I was driving the other day it hit me. I could see myself being an awesome soccer mom. OK wait...not a mini van soccer mom, but a different kind of soccer mom.

This is what I think....
  1. Soccer is an international sport. I love all jerseys. I own tons if puma and Adidas zip ups...they are do cute.
  2. equipment isn't expensive...ball, kleets, shorts, shirt, water bottle, I guess a cup since Miloh is a boy but not sure if they wear those. 
  3. summertime or indoors. No snow, no crazy goggles, helmet, ski lifts. It's on the ground. Grass..real or fake, it doesn't matter. Its flat, it's warm and yes, you can wiggle your toes.
  4. my role is simple...i get a chair that folds up (one with a cup holder for my ice coffee) and I am set. Front row and center cheering on my Miloh.
  5. soccer players are hot. Miloh is cute, easy for him to fit in.
  6. if it rains, I can sit in my car and can still watch him play.
  7. I can do this with him. I can kick a ball. Don't need to do much more than that for playing in our yard.
  8. We could travel to the professional world cup soccer games which take place in the summer and I am a teacher therefore I don't work during the summer. Great family vacation.
  9. This is the best part...i could get a cooler and bring snacks for his teammates, the parents, the coaches and everyone is happy. 
Now all I need is for Miloh to start walking and we are good to go.

David Beckham, watch out. Miloh has arrived!!!!

(side note as I am a mother...if Miloh hates sports I would never pressure him to do them, he can be or do whatever he wants in life...OK I feel better now).

Comments

  1. I LOVE this -- because:
    1) I remember visiting Chicago the weekend of your 2nd date with Kenny (remember, NBMBA's with all the yukons?), and we shopped all day for the "perfect" outfit for you. Little did we know you just needed a helmet.
    2) Soccer players are all also small -- compact little people... just like you an Kenny (no offense Kenny). Perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The snowboarding debacle sounds much like the time I tried to learn to cycle with clipless pedals to impress my husband. I set a record for falling over and stopped trying when I landed on a car.

    ReplyDelete
  3. i think i love staci. the part where kenny is following you snapping pictures made me laugh out loud. so funny!

    i say cold like that also. so, we should be friends.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm not a snowboarder either. When my husband goes, i sit in the lodge, watch people bail down the hill and drink and drink and drink, until he is done.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love it when we get to hear from Staci and thrilled to hear how reasonably she handles snow and cold. Hot toddies all around!

    ReplyDelete
  6. hilarious story! My husband is also an avid snowboarder and has tried multiple times to get me to follow suit. The first couple times are the worst, but trust me, it does get better! This was the year that I was supposed to really get into it, but then I went off and got myself pregnant. Whoops (kind of.. not really).

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for the comments. I may try it again but we'll see. Kenny is determined that I will still love it. But, he supports my mission to spa when I am on vacation and I am sure loves hitting the slopes on his own. Both meditating to one another.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Giveaway: ABC's for Expectant Dads - 10 awesome copies

Winners have been picked for the giveaway. Todd was so nice as to give all who entered by the deadline a copy of his book. Thanks all who entered...I sent an email to you for your info. Please email me (info on the header) if you don't get that email. Rommel I could not find your email...please let me know your contact info. A bit ago I found Todd Lieman in Twitterland and he sent me a copy of his book ABC's for Expectant Dads: The Ultimate A- for Dads-in-Training. I'd looked at a bunch of expectant dad books and I thought most were terrible. I did pick up The Expectant Father and I liked it but I haven't looked at it in months. I think it's tough for dad's because we're just reading about what's going on with the mothers and it's easier to hear it from them. Staci is reading so much that she keeps me up to date on things I should know and I'm sure most expectant moms are the same. I'm also luckily in that doing this blog has connected

The Cat in the Hat Knows Pretty Much Nothing About That

I find myself saying it a lot but we don't let Miloh watch a lot of TV... Mostly because it goes a bit against Montessori at home (although we're pretty reform with that) and also because we, read I, watch too much and we don't want Miloh in the habit. On the list of things he does watch is The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That. Netflix is our friend in the mornings so he will get a bit of that or Sesame Street while the person who's on duty that AM tries to actually wake up. And Miloh truly loves the show. He calls it hat and pats his head. He let's us know that there's a fish on screen every time the fish comes on screen, he dances and says "Go, go, go" when they sing that song. Unfortunately since we really only watch on Netflix we've only seen eight episodes... But this gives me time to really think about the show. Here are some problems with it: The Cat in the Hat actually really knows almost nothing about everything. He does

Dear Scott the Paleontologist – the response... Wait sorry... the awesome response

In my last post I asked some incredibly pressing questions to Dr. Scott Sampson aka Scott the Paleontologist. Questions that any parent of a Dinosaur Train fan wants to know... I got a reply and I have to say Dr. Scott is hilarious and pretty awesome... But I'm a fan of science humor... So here are his responses in line with mine. They're in blue because that's the color of most of  Shiny Pteranodon. Dear Scott the Paleontologist, My son Miloh and I are fans of Dinosaur Train and as an avid fan I have some questions regarding it that I hope you can answer: The train is a steam engine. Does it run off coal? If it does use coal is there a possibility that greenhouse gases from that could have lead to the extinction of dinosaurs? How come this isn't a theory? Very interesting question. Yes, to the best of my knowledge, the Dinosaur Train runs on fossil fuels, but we actually do have an episode upcoming where we investigate alternative fuel trains. Given that