I'm Baaaaacccck

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Honestly, I've been back since Monday night. What's that, you were waiting for tales from the road? I know, feel free to tell me how badly I suck.

It was a whirl whind trip that left me completely exhausted. Too many long days, late nights, emotional kids and pizza. I fucking hate pizza. I think we ate pizza at 1:00am for three days in a row because it was all that was open late at night.


So let's get the important stuff out of the way first.

I shopped. Bought these little gems -






The other chaperones were trying to figure out how I could buy two pairs of shoes when I was only in the mall for 20 minutes. They're obviously amateurs. Josh, the ED pulled one of the boxes out of the bag and I thought we were going to have to call 911 when he saw the price on the box. His face turned pale and he looked at me, completely horrified and said, "Does my wife spend this much on her shoes?" He then noticed I had two boxes in the bag I was carrying and I think he may have stopped breathing for several seconds. Poor guy has no idea. Reason #362 to never get married again....never having to justify shoe expenditures to a male.

So onto the kids. Please note I'm not calling them little fuckers. I have so many stories to tell about how wonderful these guys were. They shocked the shit out of me, and that's not an easy thing to do. It helped that they were, for the most part, completely scared of me. That's not an assumption on my part, they actually told me so. Out of 38 kids on the trip we had to discipline two of them for drinking. We never had to wait for anyone, we did not have to go looking for stray kids, there were no arguments, tantrums or drama queens. As I type all of this I realize just how incredibly damn lucky we were. During the two days of competition some of the kids had to be up at 5:00am to make their 7am start time. We did not have to wake up ANY of the kids. They were up, ready and on their way exactly when they needed to be.

The whole trip renewed my faith in teens. After the hellish time I've had with my own, it was heartening to know that kids do indeed have the ability to passionately care about something besides video games and ipods.

I'll be back with a few stories. Just wanted to let everyone know I'm alive and kicking - in really hot shoes.

One last thing - Daffy. Ducky girl we're with you in spirit. Someday you'll be able to remember your sister with a smile rather than tears. It will take a long time, but it will happen. The memories you have will keep her alive forever. It's little consolation, I know. Know that you're loved, and thought of often.

21 comments:

MrsBlogAlot said...
May 27, 2010 at 10:55 AM

You know I was ready for all the drama but I like the renewed faith in teens better. I have a teenager to be one day so it's good to hear (-:

BigSis said...
May 27, 2010 at 11:16 AM

When kids shock the shit out of adults in a GOOD way, it's a triumph for all parents.

Love the shoes. Can't wait for more stories!

Ian said...
May 27, 2010 at 11:27 AM

Pics of you in the shoes or the trip never happened

Salt said...
May 27, 2010 at 12:39 PM

YAY! I'm so happy you're back and alive and no one else died in the process! Those shoes are FANTASTIC. My husband and I have separate bank accounts and a don't ask/don't tell policy on such things. :)

Anonymous said...
May 27, 2010 at 1:11 PM

lol......shoes, awwwww they make the world go round...glad u r back ;)

Macey said...
May 27, 2010 at 1:50 PM

I'm glad you had a nice time!
And 2 pairs of new shoes...BONUS!

Linda Medrano said...
May 27, 2010 at 2:52 PM

Love the shoes! LOVE the shoes! I'm so glad you enjoyed the whole thing. I could have told you, kids can be fantastic fun, (particularly if they aren't yours!). I love teens! It's the babies I can do without. All that spitting up and crying and diaper business. Give me a 15 year old any day!

kyooty said...
May 27, 2010 at 4:17 PM

YAY! for good kids!

Aunt Juicebox said...
May 27, 2010 at 4:34 PM

I'm glad it went well, sometimes you just never know. I stopped chaperoning trips for my daughter back in elementary school because they always insisted on giving me the same damn kid who would not do what she was told and none of the other parents would take her. Those were just day trips though, I would have had to drop that kid off a bridge if it had been for longer. My daughter's class is possibly planning a trip to Spain next summer, I'm trying to figure out how I can weasel in on THAT one. lol

Maurice said...
May 27, 2010 at 4:45 PM

Two pair of shoes in 20 minutes? That's nice work. (I do the same thing, but I always buy the same style of shoe... time and time again, for years and years.)

GunDiva said...
May 27, 2010 at 5:39 PM

Glad you're back. But those things you say...they cannot be true. Teenagers you didn't have to fight with? Go ahead, fess up, you were really in the looney bin where they re-programmed you to say all those nice things.

Danielle said...
May 27, 2010 at 5:47 PM

I have those top shoes in White! We are like sisters I tell you!
Glad you had fun and we missed you!

Anonymous said...
May 27, 2010 at 6:18 PM

so glad you are back. I totally missed ya!

The Queen said...
May 27, 2010 at 9:16 PM

Crap, we had more than that drinking on our trip and they were just second graders.. and it was only one day..

Oh wait.. that was me drinking.. sorry.. my bad.. just forget I left that comment..

Meg said...
May 28, 2010 at 4:19 AM

Glad you had a good time and it all worked out. Remind me again where you were? I've had one of those weeks where I cannot retain information.

Tuppence said...
May 28, 2010 at 9:04 AM

Ooh, new shoes are always a good thing!

There’s a little something for you over at my blog http://tuppennytales.blogspot.com/2010/05/why-thank-you.html

Have a lovely weekend.

T
x

gayle said...
May 29, 2010 at 9:28 AM

Glad you are back and that the kids were good for you!! You were missed!!

Unknown said...
May 29, 2010 at 5:47 PM

I was hoping for more drama too, but in light of the fact that I'll have twin teenagers in a few years, perhaps this outcome is preferable.

Sorry about all hte pizza, but congrats on the shoes!

Crazy Brunette said...
May 30, 2010 at 10:53 PM

Did you tell him,

"YES! You're wife does in fact spend this much on shoes!"

Dipshit!

Menopausal New Mom said...
June 1, 2010 at 4:42 PM

You got you some sassy shoes girl! Makes me wonder why I keep collecting jewelry and run around in crocs!

Anonymous said...
June 2, 2010 at 6:25 AM

Come on girl you've been away too long AGAIN. Waiting for those stories... maybe you have fallen off your fabulous shoes?