Bedtime fun

I could write a really long and drawn out soliloquy about my recent challenges putting Boo to bed, but this pretty much sums it up. Just add some pigtails, a few more glasses of water, a really botched up version of Hail Mary (three times), and you’ve got what I live with every other night (me and Homer take turns).

An otherwise great Vegas Weekend

Other than dealing with flu recovery and a cat with three legs, it actually ended up being a pretty good weekend. We got a lot done. Homer finished our taxes. I got through a mountain of laundry and even made a dent into some household chores. Two our of four of us made it to church.

One of the best parts of the weekend was taking advantage of a screwed up nap schedule and a gorgeous spring day in Vegas by sweeping up the kids and my mom and hauling them across town to the new uber-hipster parent hangout –Town Square.

It reminds me of LoDo in Denver. Lots of mid, to high-end shops, but with more chain dining. They have a nice movie theater. One of the coolest features is a really neat park complete with forts, houses, slides, a play stage, and a hedge maze. Granted, it’s Vegas so the hedge maze is composed of a kid-friendly chicken wire and plastic shrubbery, but the topiary animals on the top were nothing short of “awesome” (insert the inflection from Chef Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes) in Boo’s eyes.

Doodle was pretty content to hang out in the stroller most of the time with his big floppy hat. That’s my boy – either the easiest baby on the block or a total nightmare. I was happy to have option A for most of the day.

One of the funniest “only in Vegas moments” was when I was waiting in line for the only ice cream kiosk (one of the place’s few flaws). I had two teenage locals behind me, chatting about normal teenage stuff – boys, part-time jobs, school, shopping. Girl A tells her friend that she’s finally decided on what her parents are getting her (note – it’s not what she’s asking for – it’s what she’s telling her parents to buy her). It’s a Coach makeup bag. Holy High School Batman! Those things run like $100! When I was her age (yes, I know the dinosaurs roamed the earth), I was lucky to get a pair of costume jewelry earrings from the junior section at Mervyn’s and a gift certificate (yes kids, that’s what we did before gift cards) from the Wherehouse for a cassette tape (no, not an 8-track. I’m not THAT old.)

I wasn’t all that shocked to be honest. Vegas is a very brand/status-oriented city. I have perfectly sane and grounded friends who love their label-conscious choices. God bless them. They work hard and deserve to spend their money wherever on whatever they want. They’re responsible adults.

So anywat–that got me was that Girl A taps my arm and has the GAUL to ask me for 50 cents to help her pay for her overpriced coffee shake. EXCUSE ME?!?! You are demanding designer handbags and you don’t have two quarters to rub together in it.

I love this town.

Needless to say, I pulled a “vegas” thing and told her that I was sorry, but I didn’t have any cash on me. I use the same line with the homeless guy with his cardboard sign standing on the median. Somehow, I think he’s probably a bit more deserving of 50 cents than a spoiled teenager who can’t manage her own resources.

Hmmm, when you think about it, the parallels are a bit disturbing.