that thing with the mail...

Not too long ago I did that thing where I sent out postcards. Remember that? Yeah it was a lot of fun. So much fun that when my cousin decided to come to Portland for a little end of summer visit she thought she would do it too.

We plotted. We schemed and decided it would be best to drink a few margaritas and THEN write the postcards.

But not enough people asked her for them... for my taste. If I'm going to get loopy and write stuff I want to form an assembly line of semi sober writing and hilarity.

Sooo... Do any of you want a Drunken Portland Postcard from the fab pair of Mielikki & CamiKaos?

Sign on up here. You have until Friday at 8am. If I have your address from my previous postcard party then just leave a comment. If I don't have your address please comment and then send me an e-mail with your mailing address to mommifiedme at gmail dot com.

Woo hoo.

******
FAVOR???

And I need to ask a favor... I am having trouble with blogger right now so if you pop by and read this, even if you don't want a post card, even if you have NOTHING to say can you just leave a dot or some form of comment so I can tell if anyone is actually able to access my page.... I am getting so frustrated.

rushing past...

Yesterday we spent the day here, at the hotel, quietly.

Mr. Kaos worked. K and I swam. We ate junk food (cause it was readily available) and we did our best to stay off our feet and rest. Breathe. Chill.

Because after 4 days of running we needed that day.

I needed that day to read my e-mail and to collect my thoughts. To write some postcards and rest my weary body and mind.

K needed the day to play. It amazes me that even though we've spent 4 days in 2 amusement parks bouncing back and forth K still needs time to play. She's had no time to just be.

When we woke up in the morning we had a big breakfast, downloaded some photos, snuggled and talked and then K played. She picked up her dolls, her crayons, some paper, all her loot from the shopping insanity and she played. Quietly, enthusiastically, here and there... like she was at home. It was good to see her play with her dolls, dance and sing and run around. It was good to see my normal K.

But now we shift back into high gear because in an hour or so we'll meet up with an old friend that I haven't seen in 9 years. EXCITEMENT.

For me.

K, she couldn't care. Mike, eh, he's fine with it. But me, it's like extra chocolate sauce on my already awesome vacation sundae.

babble babble... as I realize that is what I am doing.

There will be no post tomorrow. We'll be too busy wrapping up our last day of Di$ney action and running to the airport. Once we get to the airport I think I'll pick up the last HP book and make a start on the airplane... fear not... I will not disclose any secrets on this blog. I don't want it spoiled for me or anyone else.

Happy day guys...

xoxo - CamiKaos

dear bitch with the camera

Hey you, you know who you are. You were on main street last night with the other 7.2 million people trying to exit Di$neyland and being herded like cattle. You know when the crowd was so thick you could hardly breath let alone walk. You were there with your camera trying to take a picture IN THE MIDDLE OF MAIN STREET just as EVERYONE was trying to EXIT. People were trying to be nice and give you the room, but they all looked at you like you were some kind of crazy bitch. You are.

If trying to take that photo of that guy doing nothing in particular in the middle of that massive crowd didn't make you crazy, what you did next did it. When a guy with his two kids that he was trying to keep together, trying to keep track of saw the wide open space in the crowd and moved his two LITTLE daughters through it walked into "your" area (we all know you owned it right?) you yelled as loud as you possibly could "Look people I am trying to take a picture here!" In the rudest most disgusted tone I have heard. I don't even think that I, bitch of the century, could muster that particular action.

So maybe tomorrow night you could try to take your picture 20 minutes earlier... or maybe wait until the tide of people subsides.

Oh and don't come anywhere near me or I'll shove that camera where the sun don't shine, and here in Anaheim I can't think of many places... so you know you're in trouble...

Yours,

CamiKaos (the one who was too busy getting through the crowd with her daughter and husband to hurt you)


**********

Because none of you did anything wrong here is a little treat for you... What does it look like when the Kaos Family goes on the Matterhorn you may wonder? Well wonder no more...

had enough?

Did you get enough of my whining last night?

I forgot to mention one really big complaint. At the end of the evening, after that amazing dinner, we rode the monorail back to the park intent on going to the haunted mansion.

Well Mike and I intended to go to the haunted mansion. Nana and Papa intended to go to the haunted mansion. K had NO intention of going anywhere NEAR the haunted mansion.

ANYWHERE NEAR IT.

AT ALL.

So we divided up, Nana & Papa took K to watch them set up for one of their big night shows and Mr. Kaos and I strolled off hand in hand through Di$neyland Park toward the haunted mansion. Let me say that for some reason this was terribly emotional for me. That reason is that I am a crazy person and I admit it, but none the less it was important to me.

Since everyone was lined up for the big show no one was in line and we were able to zip right up to the house and into the elevator and start the ride in moments.

Awesome, especially since my whole tactic on this trip has been "hey look how short that line is" and then running.

It went along like always with a few new tricks and surprises since I had been there last but what was different this time was that I wasn't a kid. I wasn't thrilled by the spookiness. I was thrilled by the detail, the fun, the nostalgia and the man who sat there in the buggy next to me holding my hand.

Date night in the haunted mansion. Perfect until.....

What happened?

What could have gone wrong?

Did my phone ring? Did the spooks spook me?

No, but the buggy stopped about 2/3 of the way through and I was forced to sit in that buggy with no one but Mr. Kaos playing kissy face and snuggling.

It was really hard... and boy oh boy were we relieved when they finally got it working again...

and then she complains...

Today, ladies and gents, was day 3 of the crazy fun bonanza and I have my list of complaints for you to revel in.




Complaint 1: I can't go down to the bar and drink cause I have to put my kid to bed... so I have to sit in my room resting my tired feet while Mr. Kaos goes down to see David the super bartender who makes me my lovely "My Tie" (I'm not crazy that is how he spells it). Then I have to sit in my room watching cable TV while I suck it down.



Complaint 2: My feet hurt. You may have noted in Complaint 1 that I was resting my feet. I was. I am. They hurt. I have been pounding the di$ney pavement for 3 days straight and my dogs... they are a barkin'. It is torture being me.



Complain 3: I went on $plash Mountain with my mom, dad and K and they all got SOAKED. Dripping wet. AND I DID NOT!!! Hours later at dinner my dad was still complaining that his undies were wet. Nana was solid and quiet, but soaked. K was so drenched she had to change... luckily she had this old thing to throw on:


Complaint 4: I had too much to eat for dinner and only one hurricane to go with it... We went to an amazing... and I mean AMAZING Cajun restaurant. After we had the appetizer sampler and the family shared a bowl of gumbo and my drink was all drunk I still had a chicken breast and the most amazing food ever to be put on this green earth, andouille grits, to eat.




Complaint 5: I am too tired to read your blog. I haven't read a single blog since we arrived. I haven't even read mine. In a moment I intend to go read all your comments because, well that's the comment love and I gots to get me some.... but still, I miss you.



Complaint 6: It has been a roller coaster, in reality and emotionally. Who would have thought a vacation could turn me into a weepy neurotic mess... well, more of a weepy neurotic mess...


Wow, wait now, those last two were some what reasonable and even real... I'll try to do better next time.


We're here for several more days. One more day with Nana and Papa Kaos, one on our own and then my friend Chad will show up for a 1 day whirlwind Kaos family tour of the Di$ney Parks...



I have purchased all the post cards but I haven't had a chance to write any of them yet. Wednesday I am planning to keep K at the hotel, do some swimming, watch some TV and have a quiet day (off my feet). I plan to write them all then and send them out soon after.



Until my next Di$neyland consumer whore blog...


xoxo

sorry I'm late...

Hey all, sorry I'm late with this but we had a little bit of trouble on the technical end of things... all patched up now so LOVE FOR ALL!



But really... guess where we are?



Well not right now, I mean you could guess where we are right now but being in a hotel room at night typing away when I should be sleeping isn't nearly as exciting as where we were yesterday or earlier today.



Yep, you guessed it, we were on the moon, with Steve....



Not buying it?



We made it to Di$neyland. I have to tell you from the time we told K until last night I cried stupid frickin happy tears like 4 times because I am so very lame.



but right now I am more exhausted than lame and since I have another big day of park fun ahead of me I will leave you with this video from the very first ride we went on here...



Tomorrow I will try to thrill you with tales of the Small World, Dining with Princesses (C: I didn't squeeze her but she practically asked me to) and the awesome drinks we had at California Adventure...



so until then


xoxo - CamiKaos

cause I'm leaving...

on a jet plane... I know when I'll be back again and oh babe, I love to go oh oh oh oh...

yeah, that was cheap but what'cha ya gonna do?

I'll be honest in that I have given today's post a lot of thought. I've thought about it all week in fact. Everyday. I've actually sat down several days this week and attempted to get it written so that today when I am so busy tending to the last minute items I wouldn't NEED to think. To write. To talk.

To all of you or anyone.

Complete disclosure: It's actually Thursday morning as I write this with butterflies in my stomach thinking about tomorrow being one day closer to our trip. Thinking that while K and I are 100% packed (and have been since Tuesday) Mr. Kaos is not. It makes me nervous.

Don't get me wrong I know that when it's time to leave he'll be ready to go. He'll be all packed because tonight if he isn't I'll start bringing him things and asking if he wants me to pack them item after item after item until he takes the hint and smiles at me indulgently and packs his suitcase.

But other than the packing of Mr. Kaos and his stuff we're good. We're locked and loaded. We're ready. I bought snacks for traveling, and gum, and K has a brand new magazine with Harry Potter on the front and let me tell you she can't wait to get on the plane to get her little hands on that magazine because I told her she couldn't have it until then...

We had my my brother and Sadimac over for dinner (shredded chicken tacos, fresh salsa and guacamole and what I like to call tidy bowl margaritas... yum thanks for asking) to go over the house stuff, for them to hang with the kitties and to spend a little quality time with them before we go. So the cats are taken care of. The house is taken care of.

Jo has so graciously offered to stop by my blog and water my plants for me so there are no worries there.

And I just want to go. I want to get K and Mr. Kaos and get on the plane and fly away on vacation and tell her the secrets, let her discover the surprises and laugh and laugh. I want to see my parents. I want to see my friend. I want to eat sushi and go to the House of Blues.

But then I want to be home.

Because here in the house of Kaos I swear everyday has something new. Everyday is a surprise and even in the most stressful of times we laugh and laugh and laugh while we're learning and loving one another.


And that sounds so sappy. so... fake. But that's the way I feel about my family. I guess what I'm saying is, as excited as I am about this vacation I am just as excited about everyday after it.


Well that's that. Next time I talk to you I'll have flown on down to Cali... have ridden through the pirates lair and come out safe on the other side, dined with mermaids and princesses and made a very special little girl smile until her cheeks fall off.


xoxo - CamiKaos

I lie...

Surprises are a wonderful thing, wonderful magical things that can also be called lies.

Liar liar my pants are on fire.

Because I have been keeping that big ol secret from K.

The lie. The surprise of her 5 year old lifetime...

And it just got bigger. The lie. The secret. The surprise.

Why? This little liar just got a surprise of her own.

What is it?

I would keep it a secret and let you find out on your own but the knowledge is already out there floating around the big ol interlove and trust me it is very important to me and means very little to most of you...

I very recently discovered that my parents are meeting us in California........

Okay, there I said it, I spilled the beans. That bean only. To you.

Who doesn't know?

K doesn't know.

That's right another big scale liesecretsurprise that we have to keep. Only for a couple of days now but still... we are starting to fray at the edges from all of this powerful knowledge.

But still she has no idea and let me tell you something, if there is anything that could be more completely amazing and magical to K than to find out we are taking her princess loving self to Di$neyland it is seeing her Nana and PapaKaos walk through the door and realize that she gets to spend time with them... AND go to Di$neyland.

She loves her Nana and Papa SO much. Maybe it's because I have such a close relationship with them, I don't know, but whatever the case K misses them. Severely. If she doesn't cry once a week because they live so far away then said week isn't over yet.

And while we saw Nana for her birthday in March, we haven't seen Papa since Christmas. That is a very long time for a family to be without its Papa...

So it's one more lie. One more big ol secret. One more surprise to be handed down when we reach the land of sunshine and characters.

and if you ask me, it's the very best lie of all.

the prognosis doctor?

Mother fricken motherboard.

However bad this may sound this is very very good.

Why?

Because I am a total loser. Because we did not yet have our wireless super drive thing to back up to. Because I didn't back up my stuff. Because there were months of photos on my computer. School assignments. Favorites that I can not hope to recreate.


But because it is my motherboard NOT my hard drive we were able to download all my data. All of it.


Can I get a collective sigh of relief? No? Maybe just a little one?


This is where I say from now on I will be a good girl who backs her stuff up every week. In fact lets pick a day that shall be forever known as back up day.


Say Monday?? Monday is good for me. Is it good for you? So every Monday I will take my little computer (when it comes home) and back it up somewhere on to the 2 collective terabytes of data storage we have in this house.


With that said I can breathe easier. My little laptop is going back to the manufacturer to get this glaring defect replaced. After all I only had it for 5 months. Still though it's a mighty good thing we paid for that extra 2 year warranty because it would be costing us a bucket of money to get this thing fixed and that would piss. me. off. ROYALLY.

**********

Speaking of all things royal, we are leaving very soon so I thought I would give you one last chance to ask me for one of my amazing (much over hyped) postcards. Yes it is really true, I CamiKaos the royal pain in the ass, will send you a postcard while I am on vacation, BUT, I can only do that if you leave me a comment asking for a postcard and then send me your address at mommifiedme at gmail dot com.


Today is the deadline. That means that you need to get those requests to me before I wake up tomorrow morning.

Because when I wake up Thursday morning I am going to compile THE LIST of my lovely postcard people, print that sucker out and take it with me to the land of magic mouse mayhem. Only people on that list will be getting a post card. Why? Because as gifted and amazing as I am, I am not a psychic.

Which leaves me one last thing to contemplate for my little blog here. What to do while I'm away. I had thought about just ditching you all for a week, I also considered guest bloggers. But in the end I decided even if you didn't miss me while I was gone I might miss you... So my solution was a simple one; I will post (although it may be sporadically and sugar happy crazy pink marsh mellow fluff, cause apparently I should embrace the marsh mellow fluff) while I am on vacation through the magic of the hotel internet. But it will only be at nigh and I won't be able to read all of your blogs (though I will try to catch up when I get home but only if you write stuff that's GOOD while I'm gone). And... umm.. most of the posts will probably be gushing love about my kid and or my husband and di$sneyland... or about my new bras... I am taking them both with me.

so until tomorrow....

xoxo - CamiKaos

she who spills things...

Or rather she who comes painfully close to spilling things.



What kind of things?



Beans mostly. Not just any beans. The magic beans. Beans of knowledge. Di$neybean$.



This evening Mr. Kaos' parents showed up to say hello and drop off a little gift for K, some spending money of her very own for when she is in "california" (that's what we're using as code for di$ney).



She was thrilled. And she was packing. Thrilled and packing. She had money. HAPPY MONEY. THANK YOU FOR THE MONEY!!!! And then she went back to packing.



But as she is 5 years old her idea of packing for "california" is different than mine. She couldn't care less about the clothes she needs to cover her nakedness. It is california... lets all be nude...



No. I don't think so.

But yes, she wants to pack the toys, her broken compass, the milk bottle for her wretched evil panda bear (that makes sucking noises and burping noises and this awful crying noise) and her stethoscope and her flower pillow wallet and her extra hair brush and her play blow dryer and curling iron and her sun catchers, ring game, card game, play baby powder, unicorn, baby doll, polly pockets, the list goes on and on really. So while I was saying thank you to his parents she was shoving more toys in the suitcase and I said....



oh boy, what I said...



K, you need to listen, see this money? It can buy a lot of toys in Disneyland, but only if you....



OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OHMYHELLINAHANDBASKETWHATDIDISAY!!!



don't pack a lot of toys to take with us.



K looked at me funny, said huh?



To which I replied



When we go to California you will need room in the suitcase for new toys. If we bring all these toys we won't have room to bring any back. From California.



She said okay



And then I almost fainted from relief that she did not realize I told her we were taking her to that happy happy place where fairies pee gold and princesses wander around blowing kisses...



But when we tell her I have a feeling it will all click and she will realize all the little errors we have made that should have given us away...



And she will see us for the liars that we are and most probably choose that moment to ask if the Easter Bunny is real... and what about Santa for that matter.



Not only did I almost spill the beans, I may have opened up a can of worms to join them...



yup.

to do

It's idea thief & consumer whore all rolled into 1 little bundle... the bundle of me.

A while back Mr. Fab wrote his dear readers sick and twisted post cards. I did not receive one. No postcard for little miss CamiKaos. Ignored. Unloved. Dejected.

Of course in all fairness I didn't ask for one or give him my address so eh, probably not so much his fault?

This brings me to my point, my idea thieving... my further consumer whoring...

I'm taking a trip and when I go I am sure to see postcards everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

So who wants one?

I, the greatly inflated CamiKaos, will send you a post card. I can't guarantee it will come from *that* place, I may get tired of mouse faces and princesses and little boys who refuse to grow up (cause hello, we've all seen that).

But if you ask me for a postcard here in the comments and then send me an email (mommifiedme at gmail dot com) I will send you one. Oh and that email, it should contain your address... even if I know you out there, in the real world, even if I hand made your wedding invitations, even if I am your crazy twin, cousin, sister or your sister in law (I really do mean it send me your address if you want one cause I am shit at recalling addresses).

So do you want me to send one? To you? Of your very own? In my very own handwriting from my own little hand?

Because I have the love. And because it is a really good idea. That isn't mine.

Now I can't vouch for the content of the postcard. It could be naughty, it could be nice, it could contain saccharine sweetness, be full of lies or confess to horrible things I've never done (or did I?).

None the less I am jumping on the postcard bandwagon, so if you want one I will hook. you. up.

That's right.

I have the love people, and I need to get rid of it.

consumer whore cami is sick

You heard it folks, consumer whore cami is sick, ill, infected. I'm lousy with vacation fever and I want it to stop... or at least I'd like a little more control over myself...

I feel the drug that is di$neyland coursing through my veins and it's a high I know I need to come down from.

I need to get on with my normal life.

For goodness sake I freakin hate di$ney. I get all puffy and pissed off about them all the time... and then I give my daughter princess crazy coming out her ears.

That's how they get me... that and my fuzzy warm consumer whore memories of my childhood visits to di$neyland with my family.

Mr. Consumer Whore Kaos and I can envision so many aspects of our trip... especially that special moment when we finally tell little Miss Consumer Whore K that we are, in fact, taking her the the happiest fuckin place on earth...

We're in the plane, in our seats and we give her a present to open... when she opens it she finds the glorious Cinderella gown inside, the prettiest fanciest one I could find (I ordered it today it is soooooo pretty) and when she squeals with delight (which she will, she really wants that dress) and says "thank you thank you thank you so much I am so happy" (which she will, she is a very exuberant and gracious gift receiver) we will say "We're so glad you like it, we thought you might need it to wear to DI$NEYLAND to meet the princesses" This is where we get a little concerned that the other passengers may interpret her screams of joy and delight as some kind of terror and think we're poking her with plastic forks or some other weapon like plastic eating implement... but we're willing to risk it.

Actually that moment of joy right there, it's pretty much as far as our minds have gone, though we have a list of nifty things to do once we get where we are going...

We're normally totally not about buying our daughter's love (though Mr. Kaos tries to by my love on a regular basis, and I go for it, after all, he's my husband so it's not dirrrrty right?)

But my point is, I'm sick and not just with this damn lingering summer cold, I'm sick and the only cure in sight is that damn vacation and it is still 2 weeks away...

So like I told my dear friend today, if you want to ignore me for the next couple weeks that's okay, I probably won't have anything decent to say until I get home...

Cough cough.... oh man I need my fix bad.

take 3

It's one of those days where I can tell there is something I need to get off my chest. Something I need to say, to talk about, to discuss, to dispatch from my mind but I just can't quite find it.

I've written this post 3 time now, you wouldn't have cared for the first 2...

Maybe it's that K and I slept until 10:30 (she couldn't fall asleep until midnight and I didn't sleep until nearly 3am).

Whereas Mr. Kaos had to work today regardless of the late hour he fell asleep.

Maybe it's just that my cluttered mind that has something on it, something is weighing heavily on my chest. Maybe it's things I dare not breath. Maybe it's the aftermath of our big family day full of fun and friends. Maybe it's the anticipation of our impending trip. Only 2 weeks... and lets face it I am like a kid at Christmas with this trip. I just can't wait.

But no, it's not that. I just feel as though I am squeaking against the world but not quite making contact.

Nope, I'm pretty sure it's the trip, I feel like packing our suitcases and setting them by the door, I want to get our boarding passes and go to the airport and wait and wait until the moment I can hop on that plane with my kid and my man and fly on down for some fun. All just so I can see the look on K's face when she finds out what we're really up to...

the memory of a 6 year old me...

So far it really has been the worst summer vacation ever.

Hot. Muggy. Sweaty.

Some how my brother discovered my secret hedge world and has been trying to infiltrate it with his stupid friend.

They don't belong in my fairyland!

Damnit!

Then there's the situation with the laundry. I mean come on mom, how hard is it to keep my favorite clothes clean. I couldn't find my lavender shirt ANYWHERE and all my favorite shorts? Disappeared.

Not to mention the whispering. What the hell is with all the whispering. I don't even whisper as much as my mom and dad. What are they be talking about? What are they doing in there?

Never mind I so don't want to know.

I just want another ice pop, or some damn ice cream. I have rights you know.

And what is with this going to bed early crap. It's summer. It isn't even dark outside and it isn't like it's a school night. Hello. SUMMER.



Yep, that was so me at 6. I was kind of a little jerk. But I think most people can look back on their childhood and recognize some undesirable traits they may have displayed. Like being a shit-head.

The thing that makes that memory stand out wasn't what a jerk I was, it was what happened next. What happened after I fell asleep that night. My parents and my brother went to bed early too. Despite my best efforts I dozed off. It was hot and I had been playing hard all day.

Suddenly though I found myself upside down and barefoot in my nightgown.

WHAT THE HELL!

I was being carried over some one's shoulder and their shoulder blade was pressing uncomfortably into my stomach. I went to scream but just as I started to make a sound my father's voice hushed me. I saw the station wagon waiting in the driveway, my mother and sleepy brother already inside, full of suitcases and pillows.

Okay, seriously, what the hell was happening? Was I being kidnapped by my own parents in the dark of morning?

I actually asked.

They said no.

I asked where we were going.

They said they weren't telling.

So my brother got all puffed up and asked.

They said they weren't telling.

We both hemmed and hawed and pouted a little, where are the dogs, what's going on, blah blah blah.

They told us we had a long trip ahead of us and maybe we should just get to sleep.

Sleep??? In the midst of this excitement!! No -- yawn -- freaking -- yawn -- way -- snooooooooze.

We woke up a couple of hours later just as the sun was rising and we pulled into the Denny's parking lot. Mom gave us some clothes to throw on (we were still in our jammies after all) and we wandered inside to use the bathroom and grab breakfast.

I have no idea what we ate. No clue at all. It must have been breakfast food but other than that I have no memory of any food being in front of me. All I remember were the questions on top of questions.

If we play 20 questions will you tell us???

Maybe.

Yet somehow before we were back on the road my brother and I managed to figure out where we were heading. Mom and dad never confirmed it but from their sly energetic smiles we were able to ascertain the truth of the situation...

We weren't moving, running from the law, being kidnapped or heading to Mexico. We were on our way to Disneyland.

It wasn't the first time we went but it was the first time I was old enough to remember and appreciate it. Actually I don't know how much of it I remember. I remember the trip. I remember a few rides and I remember that late night parade seeing the whole park light up with fireworks.

And I remember that for a few days my whole family was really excited, really happy, really tired, and really united.

Yes, Disneyland is a commercial monster. Yes, it will be crowded and brimming with all manner of man and beast. Yes, the Disney company does all it can to warp the minds of our children, but you know what??? It's still the freakin happiest place on earth.

Or at least the happiest place in California.

trip...

A few months ago Mr. Kaos asked me if I wanted to go to Blogher, while I thought it was sweet of him to offer I was concerned about a few items

● I have never been away from K.
● If they came with me what would they do all day?
● I was kind of new to the whole blogging thing.
● With no offense to Chicago, I wasn't so thrilled to take a vacation there.
● Money. I was hesitant to spend so much on something just for me.

So I said thank you so much baby, maybe next time. Maybe when I feel like I’m more a part of this big crazy club of bloggers everywhere (at the time I was still feeling VERY shy) (very SHY).

Over the past couple of months as I grew more comfortable and spread my little blogger wings I thought maybe I should have taken him up on it and booked a flight and a hotel right there on the spot. RIGHT THERE. Yes thank you Mr. Man. I'll take that while you aren't thinking clearly.

A few weeks ago I found myself a little down about it. A little sad. A little pouty that I wouldn't get to be shy in person instead of here in my bed with the laptop.

Pouty. Sad.

Mr. Kaos noticed I was a little sad about it and he (you all think I'm gonna say he got me tickets right??? you think so don't you? NO! I'm not) suggested I try to organize some of the NW bloggers for a little get together. I thought that was clever and sweet but I am not an organizer unless I am forced to be. So no. Not that I'm opposed to a little blogger drink or park day but I'm not putting shit together. But it was really nice of him to suggest.

He's really supportive...

But really what I am trying to tell you is that I was really mopey about choosing not to go to Blogher... until....

UNTIL Mr. Kaos got signed up to go to that tech conference in Anaheim...

The same week as Blogher.

If I had gone to Blogher I wouldn't be taking K to DL for the first time...

Plus it's rumored (by me) that I may be spending one day with one of my best and oldest friends. WOO HOO!

How life plays right into my hot little hands I will never understand...

curious news...

The other day at the end of a post I stated that Mr. Kaos had called with some curious news...

Curious news alright...

While he was on his way home from Boston he got a voicemail asking if he would be available to go on another business trip...

Another business trip? That sucks.

When is it?

How long?

What is it?

Where is it?

In a month.

For the week.

Another tech conference.

In Anaheim.

Sigh... I hate it when you go away on busine... Wait where???

blah blah blah Anaheim.

What else is in Anaheim?

The D.L. babies. The big D.L.

So umm... yeah, this tech conference is really important stuff... so K and I are going to tag along. For moral support. Because we're a tight knit family.

And very selfless.

(we have to say D.L. because even though she is only 5 and has never been there K can spell D-I-S-N-E-Y)

our vacation?

Mr. Kaos is on vacation.

Nope, we're not going anywhere. really. at all.

Well maybe to the local tech super store, the plumbing store, the craft store.

Today.

But he's on vacation. ALL WEEK.

When I woke up this morning it was to K's quiet questioning voice

K: Can I have something to eat?

CK: Ask daddy.

K: Where is daddy?

CK: Ask daddy.

K: That doesn't make any sense.

CK: He's either upstairs or downstairs go find him, I'm still sleeping.

THUMP THUMP. SLAM. stomp stomp stomp.

K: DADDDDDDDY!! OOOOHHHH DADDDDY WHERE ARE YOU????

K: DADDY? ARE YOU UPSTAIRS???

MK: No.

K: WHERE. ARE. YOU?

By this time I was awake enough to look at the clock, by the time K realized DADDDDDDY was in the basement I had received and processed the information the clock was giving me. The information that I couldn't quite believe. It was 9:36. K and I both slept until 9:36 am.

9:36. Cool.

She went down to find DADDDDY and by the time they came back upstairs I was already firmly rooted here at the table working on the musical slide show tribute to K and her classmates that I need to have finished by tomorrow so they can use it in the graduation ceremony on Thursday.

Preschool. Graduation. Ceremony. Yes, with caps AND gowns.

Graduation is the primary reason for Mr. Kaos being on vacation. K is freaking out just a wee little bit about things being different. She doesn't like change.

His first official act as vacation husband?

To make me breakfast. Cheesy smokey grits with a side of assagio chicken sausage to be exact.

Boy oh boy did I marry the right man.

the cherokee, the road, and the dramamine pill...

Remember those road trips that your dad loved to take when you were a kid. The whole family would pile into the ol' station wagon you'd grab your pillow and a favorite toy, book, snack, whatever and drive until you got where ever your crazy dad was taking you?

My brother and I had the "He's touching me!" "I am not" screaming match within the first hour and would spend the remaining time in the car with a mental ruler making sure that none of each others items were over the imaginary middle line...

"His stupid football game is on my side"

Then sweaty, nauseous and irritated we would arrive from hours of travel ready to have some fun, ready to get things going and be told to go to sleep...

I never really looked at it from the parental standpoint before and now that I have I really have to ask Why do we do it?

We had a wonderful "long" weekend away in Sunriver. Friday morning we loaded ourselves, our stuff, our good friends and their stuff up in the jeep. Lets count. That is one, two, three, four adults and one kid. Yes five of us. in the jeep.

The back was piled high with all sorts of things... a lot of which most people wouldn't have packed for a 2ish day trip to a winter cabin, but we are not you everyday 5 crazy people heading to a cabin 4+ hours away...

There was your normal stuff, snow boots, mittens, helmets, hot chocolate mix... some groceries, you know, cookies, apples, pork rinds, saffron threads, sushi grade tuna, kosher salt, bay leaves, smoke house almonds, the most amazing cheese in the world, wasabi powder and for some reason 2 pineapples. We had bikinis and helmets, a paella pan, juice boxes, wine, champagne and cola, water, water, and more water, books, dvds, mp3s, cds, radios, cell phones, a laptop, cameras, toys, you name it, we considered bringing our kitchen sink too but since we aren't too fond of it we figured we would leave it at home with the cats...

After a long and harrowing trip through the Portland metro, then the mountains with sandwiches, tom waits, pirate music and one vomit bag along the way we finally made it to our destination.

The bear house. (yes it was the stuff of Stephen Colbert's nightmares)

Upon our arrival we discovered that even with all the crap we packed we had left some important items at home. Here is a brief and I am sure incomplete list... facial moisturizer, sugar, tortillas, an onion, nutmeg, 1 can of tomatoes, slippers, extra vitamins, tiki drink ingredients, game boy charger, music that was not Tom Waits, Captain Bogg & Salty or They Might Be Giants (what a soundtrack for a weekend getaway)...

We made do. Mostly we made do by stripping down to our bikinis within 45 minutes and climbing into the hot tub...

It was a good weekend overall (excluding the 8+ hours in the car), great food, great friends and a rocking bad 80's station that danced us through countless games of pool and basketball, mini bowling, magnetic darts and so much more fun.

Too soon it was over and though we all would have loved a couple more days away in our winter cabin we had enough of the ice skating, rich food, sleeping in a strange bed and missing our pets and we packed up in a big hurry to hit the road for Portland after 2 nights and only 1 full day...

This time I gave little K some dramamine to deter a repeat performance of her mountain spew and we headed straight on through to home stopping only for bathroom breaks and Mexican food...

Will we do it again? hell yeah. And K will ask "are we almost there?" the whole way...