Did that really just happen?

Yep. I had one of those moments last night after bath time. We have an after bath ritual where the boys run around naked for a bit while we are getting their jammies and bed ready for quick placement. This usually entails getting Eli out first while Brody enjoys the last two inches of water and toy fun.

So, I got Eli out and let him run around his bedroom and jump on the bed. :gasp: I let my kids jump on the bed. Yep. I'm that mom. Anyway, as Eli was jumping around, I notice that he was squatting kind of funny so I went to investigate. About the time I get over to the bed, I smelled the foulest stench ever. I thought to myself...it smells like poo over --- OMG, Eli. Stop. Don't jump. STAY WHERE YOU ARE. OMG. TOO late. It was like this weird slow-motion situation but my almost two year old took a crap on the bed and then proceeded to bounce all in it. Only Eli could/would do that. I was mortified and dry heaving all at the same time. I yell, and I mean YELL for Brody to get out of the tub so I can toss Eli in with minimal poo damage and then run back into their room (still dry-heaving, mind you.) and start ripping bed sheets off and surveying the damage. The thought process that ran through my head is kind of comical. This morning as I was relaying this awesomeness to moo-moo, (my mother), as she watched the boys yesterday, she tells me how awesome and healthy they ate yesterday. Yes mom, I could tell what you fed my child. Disgusting.

I walk back into the bathroom to see Brody shivering from the cold-air and Eli happy as a freaking lark in the bathtub, watching the little bit of water left draining. I get them dress, put them in bed and go sit on sofa. Alone. Cracking up laughing as I think about the craziness of what just happened.

This is my life, people. Don't be jealous.

Montana should be called "Mantana"...

I'm baaaack! What a glorious 5 days, 4 nights I had in Montana.  During this trip I learned that chivalry isn't dead, the men in Montana are adorable and a vacation with friends is exactly what I needed. I learned a lot about myself this trip - more on that later. But most of all, I learned there are still nice people in the world.

I left at the crack of dawn on Thursday morning and did all the necessary airport stuff. I headed towards my gate and waited. As we started boarding the plane, I noticed an older, elderly woman struggling with her bag. A young guy, without hesitation, helped her get her bag in the overhead and seated. I smiled to myself as I heard the lady thank the gentlemen profusely. Then I started thinking: that's exactly what I want my boys to be. I want my boys to put others ahead of themselves at times and make a difference. It really melted my heart. So, my goal is teach my boys to go the extra mile, hold the door open, shake hands firmly and smile often. It might make someone's day and they will never know it!

After about 6 hours traveling, I landed in Billings. I got my luggage and headed to my rental car. Imagine my surprise when some adorable cowboy held the door for me. Score! I smiled, batted my eyelashes and thanked him nicely. I got on the road to Glendive and drove f o r e v e r (imagine that in my best Sandlot voice) and ever. About an hour before hitting Glendive, I stopped in Miles City for food and to stretch my legs. As I walked into Wendy's, another adorable Montana cowboy held the door open for me. Totally made my heart happy.

I'd like to say that if you ever have the chance of driving in Montana, do it. It's a beautiful, beautiful state. The landscape is so peaceful. So clean. Breathtaking. I'm not going to lie though, at one point I expected to see Ox and Pioneers all around but I didn't.

The moral of this story is that there are still decent people in this world. People help people when they need it, smile at you for no reason and open doors for the ladies.  Bottom line: there are some nice dudes in Montana. And there are still some douchecanoes in Montana too.

More on my Montana trip later...

Mommy's taking a vacation. By herself.

In less than 24 hours, I will be boarding a plane for Montana. I'm going to see my friend Kim and her husband, Rudy. This is the second time visiting Montana in three months. I was just there in July for Kim's wedding and it was kind of a cathartic time for me. I mean, I reconnected with a group of gals from college and our group kind of exploded. We talk often, usually over email and have even started a virtual book club. They're pretty awesome and have helped me realize that I'm still me, just a different me.

But that time away allowed me to kind of find myself again. This mom and wife thing can be pretty challenging for me sometimes. I give so much of myself to three other people that I lose a little bit of myself. I'm not saying this to be all martyr like. It's how my life is. Which is pretty funny b/c I was adamant that when I had kids, I wouldn't lose myself. I wouldn't give up me time. Don't get me wrong, I love my family. I do. I'd cut a bitch for my family. But momma just needs to pee alone. I need to eat hot food. I need to remember that my name is Lisa and not just "honey" or "mommy". So, my adventure begins. I'm not sure if I'll blog from the road or I'll journal it and post later. Who knows--maybe I'll video blog (or vlog as the cool kids like to call it!)