Guess which one is Van...

Whenever I initiate a search through our web browser I can scroll through a list of previously entered "key words" from previous searches. Being that Van and I are the only ones who use our computer I am offering, for your mild amusement, a selection of words and phrases that are from previous searches. I'll let you figure out which ones are mine and which are Van's:

ADHD and gynecomastia
Bonne Terre Mine
best pacifiers
baby sign language
Best Buy
cockatiel molting
courtney ford lincoln mercury
dyspnea
disarm ford seatbelt chime
(and from the 'dog related searches series')
-dog shedding
-dog seizures
-dog pees while sleeping
eckert's
ford 5.4 triton
grizzley roll bar
german recipes
hooter hider (look that one up, it's not what you're thinking)
how to handle harassing phone calls
jefferson county sheriff's office
knights at white castles
neil sedaka
nights at white castles
ornate box turtle
painted turtle
personality traits of Libra
red lobster cheddar bay
ringworm in cats
RV
scallop scampi
seratonin syndrome
skulls unlimited
sonny wisecarver
stargate kennel
sublime directory
white castle songs
George Winter Park
Xbox hard disc
Xbox music

Oh and speaking of George Winter... THAT was quite the lesson in "hoosier". The hoosiers there last Sunday were very advanced. Not in a good way. More on that in the next post...

Van-braham

God it's hot. And I owe $75.00 to the library (shhh...don't tell Van). See Van is the type who sees nothing wrong with his own spending, because, I imagine, he thinks his spending is on the "necessities" like going to the 'house of rock'..his newest hang-out and my latest disdain. But if he found out about the library fees (which he most likely will because I think he likes to check this blog to make sure I'm 'being good') he would give me the "meredith, I guess you just shouldn't go to the library anymore".... which means I then have to make secret trips to the library, pay off the fines in secret and hide any library books I bring home. He's a great husband and father but when it comes to money his name might as well be Abraham. I knew this well before we married and while my own thriftiness revels in being with a man who gets just as excited over a good deal as I do, we clash when either of us does any "uneccessary" spending, like his bar hopping and my...well I guess my lack of ability to return books on time.
I was also almost banned from the garden shops because as much as I love buying plants and gardening in the spring, once it gets hot, the pitiful things always die from lack of care while I hide in the air conditioning. So this year I have been extra vigilant about the watering and I have a secret weapon...Miracle Grow, which, of course, I bought secretly because Van would have scoffed at spending nearly $20 on plant food. Now our water bill is nearly double but the flowers look fabulous and I'm hoping next spring I can mention how great my plants looked 'last year' and will get his blessing for any impulsive plant purchases I make. Van recently looked at my petunia's and sighed "so I guess these don't come back?". No Van they don't. Sorry.
We're still waiting to see if aunt/cousin whoever, will drive the RV down here from Chicago or if we are going to have to make a trek up there to get it. It's always a good idea to be in the car for hours along desolute Illionois highways when you're ready to deliver a baby at any time. But hey, it's a 'good deal' so we are both excited about it...oh and I hear it's going to the float trip this year. I don't know if anyone else will be making it this year but Van and his RV will be there.

R-Van

So, as the title to this blog might have implied, we are getting an RV. Oh yes people. An RV. now that you have that little morsel of information I'm sure your imaginations could run wild for HOURS thinking about Van, and his RV. Now we have yet to see this thing in person. Some aunt of Van's that lives in Chicago is selling it and she's driving it down once we get the money together for it's purchase. Now at first I must admit, I was flat-out against getting the 1980-something car/home combo. Van's mom had pictures that were convincing enough to show that it is indeed a nicely taken care of and not a decrepit-looking vehicle. But still, an RV is not something I pictured Van and I purchasing in the near future. A boat, yes. We talk constantly of how much fun a boat would be and how much we want one. We just don't have the time to care for one right now. I've known people with boats and they seem to need a lot of maintenance and basically boat ownership is a hobby in and of itself. And an expensive one at that. Van and I just don't have the time.
But somehow, we think we have the time for an RV. And I BET they are a total pain in the ass to take care of. But if you know Van, you know there's is a Clark Griswald (sp?) in him that makes him want to lead his family on fun-filled outings. We went to the science center this Sunday. Van's idea. Not mine, not the child's. Now we all had fun but it's Van who wants everyone to get up in the morning and starts asking me repeatedly "sooo, what are we doing today, what do you want to do today, where can we go?"
So despite being admantly against a purchase of this sort I must admit I am kind of secretly looking forward to having one and although Van has said he will sell it, "it's simply an 'investment'", he and I both know this is his way of purchasing it with my blessing because we "are only buying it to sell it". Then if we both hate it we can act like we were never planning on keeping it in the first place. I have already been cleaning and re-decorating it in my head. My nesting is way out of hand so maybe we could just keep it for me to "play" with until my nesting phase is gone and then sell it. God knows the dogs would appreciate less bathing and grooming.

Now for your viewing enjoyment and entertainment (though at my expense as it may be) I plan on posting pictures immediately upon the arrival of the R-Van. I think it looks something like this picture. But I'm not completely sure.

mini-van's coming soon...

So I've been researching and forming a baby registry for about a month now. Hours of reading reviews, pondering, making lists. I have strived for a level of baby registry perfection that is yet unknown to mankind. I add, edit and delete items off my registry weekly as I change my mind. I am disappointed that the final list doesn't include a picture of every item. Just some items. And I think having a small picture with each item would help stear people in the right direction.
Some guidelines for making the perfect registry:
1. Research before you even get to the store. If your anything near a perfectionist you could find yourself pondering strollers for hours like it was the most important decision you've ever made in your life.
2. Read the reviews. Target.com has reviews on almost all their products. Babies 'r' us used to but then changed their website which I think deleted all the reviews. Many a time something "cute" will be disappointingly torn apart by reviews describing all the faults of a product you wouldn't have otherwise known.
3. Don't just register for things online. Some products you find online no one will be able to find when they go shopping for you at the store. Hence, there's one more thing you won't be getting. Now if you have a potential guest who actually does all their shopping online then it won't be a problem for them to order something that could have also been found in the store. It just doesn't work so good the other way around.
4. Make lists. Since most of your research will actually be done online make lists of things you found that you would like. Then when you go to the store you know what to look for and if it's not there I would suggest making an alternate list of what IS in the store and then researching those items. I had the perfect baby monitor picked out. Only to find it wasn't on the shelf at Target or Babies 'r' us. So back to the drawing board.
5. I would recommend not registering for things you can easily buy yourself. Like baby shampoo, baby wash, clothes for baby. For one, there are some things you will get that you don't have to register for. Such as baby clothes and bath products. And two, if you do register for particular outfits you will undoubtedly be sending your guests on a wild goose chase in which they will just buy what they want anyway.
6. Your husband will NOT be interested in any type of baby product except for maybe the stroller and the toys. I found it much better registering by myself and since it took me three hours I'm sure Van is secretly thankful. I did take him along on what I call the "husband registering trip" which is the trip where you show him both the stroller you want and another stroller and ask him which he likes better while you build up all the neat features of the stroller you want him to pick. Once he picks you show him a couple other things that might get his interest (like the mobile) and you're out of there. You have accomplished two things: making your husband feel included while not boring him to death for 30 minutes while deciding on what bottle type to use and re-inforcing the idea that yes, a baby is going to be in the house very shortly. This way it's not such a shock to him when it happens.

A fourth of Van-toven

So after an entire day of cleaning the house and manicuring the yard to perfection everything is trashed. The yard is littered (which gently describes it) with burnt out fireworks, cups, etc. The inside has to be re-cleaned. My dogs are still in a pout about spending an entire day in the bedroom. And the best part I think is that Van and I both had to be at work this morning (the day after the party).
Now I'm not saying it wasn't fun. It was. and possibly the best part of any party for me is watching Van absolutely relish in mingling with and entertaining his guests. Especially when he can entertain them with fireworks. As sappy as this sounds, I am happy just watching him have so much fun. Later he passed out on the couch. No, not drunk. But rather like a little kid at a slumber party. Passed out happy. Then he drops the remote on the wood floor which wakes him up and he comes to bed, dogs in tow. And as tired as he is he makes sure that he waits with the lights on until the dogs have made it upstairs and into the bedroom. Otherwise they trip and you can hear them struggling to make it up the stairs in the dark. Apparently climbing stairs in the dark is something only the cat can do. Oh and the cat had fun at the party too. He must have because he puked on the floor which is a rare occurance and let me tell you; delightful to clean up at 7 a.m.