We’ve been busy today moving NikkiZ’s stuff into the BIG bedroom so we can paint for LilZ to take over the smaller bedroom. Since chaos is going to reign over this transition in the next few weeks (we paint this weekend) we decided we might as well take her out of the crib amidst the insanity. We can’t really afford to buy a twin mattress or bed right now, so we just decided to buy her some new sheets and put the crib mattress on the floor. We thought the new sheets would help her distinguish the BIG GIRL BED from the BABY BED. I decided to let her pick out the bedding with only a small bit of suggestion from me. (I could not allow her to choose that BRATZ stuff…it scares me so.) She chose two crib sheets: Dora and Diego. A Dora blanket, and a Mermaid pillow case. After I took her crib apart and put her mattress back down in her nearly empty room, I thought she was going to have a heart attack. Like Wait. When you said “No Crib” you actually meant it?. THEN — I put the new sheets and blankets on and she went KRAZEE. She is so very excited. Oh — to be a kid and so easily amused again.

Who am I kidding? I’m still on cloud nine from the new bedding my mother-in-law gave us for Christmas.

Actually – it was the prospect of being around other Moms. I built the group up in my head to be a tight-knit clan of perfectly coiffed women whose children didn’t have oatmeal on their faces. I saw them talking and laughing in their pre-formed group and glaring at NikkiZ and I as we walked in. I heard them whispering about my mismatched socks and wondering if my child had been bathed in the last week. Essentially? I predicted this to be the most heartless and evil group of women on the planet. Because that makes sense for story time at Barnes & Noble.

Do you want to guess what happened? Go ahead – try.

We were the only ones there. The Barnes & Noble employee read the story about the duck to us, and then we made our own duck puppet. All by ourselves. I wasn’t sure whether that turn of events made me happy or depressed that the day didn’t match the scenario in my head. At least in that scenario, there were other kids for NikkiZ to mingle with. Even if their Moms were glaring at me underneath their perfectly shaped eyebrows. I had kinda hoped for NikkiZ to get some interaction. Oh well. Maybe next time we’ll try Monday’s Story time. Maybe the evil Moms will show up then.

MrZ gave me a gift certificate for a facial for Christmas and I took advantage of that this morning. My relaxation period ended abruptly, however, when I found out the tornado-producing severe storms coming towards this area prompted ALL OF THE SCHOOLS TO CLOSE EARLY. BAH! Must go get kids! Must get them home safely and hide in the bathtub! AFTER I blog about it!

3-D was cool for about 20 minutes.

Then I fell asleep.

Then I woke up.

Movie over.

The VIP place was uber cool with couches and wine dispensing machines. (Someday I’ll be able to actually enjoy that.) Wine dispensing machines. Totally wicked awesome, as my kinda-tipsy husband called it. So, even though I didn’t really like the movie as anything more than naptime, the night was cool.

Unfortunately, I didn’t look at what movies were part of the VIP experience in advance. If I had, I would have known Beowulf was showing and I would have known he would pick it. And he did. And I have ZERO desire to see that movie. BAH. But now I’m stuck because it’s his birthday so he gets to pick. Not. Fair.

So, have you seen it? Is it going to suck as much as I fear? Or is it going to be surprisingly awesome?

Anyway – just some breaking news (from CNN, not TMZ) I thought I’d share with you. Keep them in your thoughts this afternoon.

My son! He’s not ashamed of me!

Unless, of course, he’s not planning on telling anyone he knows me. Which could be the case. And would probably be smart, now that I think about it.