Vegas Baby!

Paranoid me waited to post anything about our trip until we were on our way home.  You never know who reads these things.  

Ben and I flew to Las Vegas on Monday for the International Builder's Show.  It is a large conference and our second year attending.  Last year the show was in Orlando and we took Madison with us.  To her dismay, no Vegas for little six year old!  

The weather was great, mid-sixties.  A little cool for shorts but beautiful none the less.  When the sun was out it was great but did cool down very quickly when the sun slipped behind the mountains.  Our view from the condo was of the Stratosphere which was spectacular at night.  

As I sit here at the airport (5:30 am Vegas time) wondering why in the world Ben scheduled such an early flight, I realize it is much less congested flying at this time of the day.  After all, we are getting on a plane at the time most people are going to bed.

We managed to get in quite a bit of eating, shopping, walking, three movies, eating, more walking, more shopping, Freemont Street and Phantom of the Opera.  Did I mention walking and eating?  We saw Gran Torino, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Defiance.  After Gran Torino (which I loved) the other two just didn't quite do it for me.  Benjamin Button was long, but good, and Defiance was a little to intense for my liking.  

Our best meal, hands down, was at Gallaghers in New York New York.  We had a fabulous steak dinner, Ben's king prime rib tipping the scale at 28 oz, for a total tab of over $150!  Fortunately we sat through a timeshare presentation so the majority of that was covered.  

Last night we went to Phantom of the Opera with our friend Carol in the Venetian and ate at a great Italian restaurant beforehand.  

Our suitcases did make it under the 50 pound limit, thank goodness, or it would have been another $75.  Mine did grow by about 15 pounds since we've been here.  

I am very excited to be headed home and miss Madison and Reagan very much.  I was ready to come home the second day we got here!  No offense Ben, I just miss my kiddos.  Hopefully our moms don't need a vacation now after a week of babysitting.  

As Ben arrives with Cinnabon, I say adios Vegas and I'll just about home Madison!  She's been counting down the hours for the past 2 days.  Not to mention asking how many things we bought for her.  After missing a full week of work, it's back to usual tomorrow morning although I just want to stay home with the kids.  

Bedtime is the dumps

Well, I like going to sleep but a certain younger child of mine does not, not to name any names, Reagan.  The problem started when I went back to work full time and didn't have the heart to put the kids to bed as early as we used to.  Lately Reagan has been up until 10:00 or 10:30 most nights and very crabby.  Then this past week or so he has been waking up in the middle of the night two to five times screaming and kicking for anywhere from two to five minutes.  It makes for a very tired Reagan and very tired parents.  Might I add sometimes sore parents depending on how close in proximity his feet are to any part of your body when the kicking starts.  Yes he sneaks into our bed every night but I am so tired I don't care.

Well after a week of this extremely interrupted sleep and being as tired as I was when he was a newborn, I gave in and called the clinic.  I am pretty sure there is nothing physically wrong with him so I wasn't crazy about the thought of wasting 2 hours and a trip to the pediatrician.  I didn't want to take him in and have them give him drugs that he doesn't need.  I was blessed to talk to a wonderful nurse on the telephone who after listening to me quite patiently said that she thought Reagan was having night terrors from a lack of sleep.  As she described them, he could be put in the dictionary.

So begins our next life battle, which we thought would be potty training, but is now bed time enforcement.  8:00 is lights out for little man.  No lights, no television.  He is really ticked about the no television portion of the new program but it only took about 20 minutes of him being really ticked at me tonight and he is now sawing logs.  I so hope this works and think it will really improve the night for all of us, except Madison who can sleep through a tornado.  

I guess I just forgot what it was like to have a mind-of-their own toddler who loved to cuddle next to his mom at night and watch tv way too late for their little self.   Getting rid of the bottle at night and the pacifier will have to wait until this bedtime issue is resolved.  

Please wish us luck as we tackle day #2 of being better parents tomorrow.  

Addictions

I am addicted to....

My children.  I love being at home with Madison and Reagan.  We don't necessarily do anything exciting but I love spending time with them.  Ok, I like Ben too but I don't know that it's an addiction.  That didn't come out right.  

Tupperware.  I love Tupperware.  I am a little protective of it and will not let it in the dishwasher.  I am having another Tupperware party in hopes of getting some great new products.

Mary Kay.  I love ordering Mary Kay.  I love their make up and no longer use anything else.  

Scrabble.  I spend about 30 minutes each night playing Scrabble online through Facebook.  I truly stink and most of my words consist of four letters but someday I might win.  

Taco Bell bacon tacos and Mountain Dew.  Enough said.  

Movies.  I love watching movies after the kids are in bed.  This is a very rare happening since they tend to stay up as late as I do. 

Shopping.  I love shopping, more so for other people but if I'm in the right mood I'll shop for myself too.