This is an actual conversation that I had with my husband as we were sitting on the couch blogging, and waiting for a rear taillight to be delivered to my Mother In Laws house. The taillight story will have to come later, as we still don’t have one, and I would rather not talk about it right now.

“You don’t smell like you.” My husband stated.

“Um, what do I smell like?” I ask, not looking up but still on the computer.

“I don’t know, just not like you. Maybe like different laundry detergent?” He says.

“No same detergent, I didn’t put on any perfume today, thanks for noticing” I say, now wondering if I smell bad, so I start sniffing my shirt. “Oh, I smell like your deodorant.” Nonchalantly explaining that I couldn’t find mine this morning, so I used his.

“You used my deodorant? Who does that? Where is yours? You really used my deodorant?!” He asks.

“Yes, I couldn’t find mine, and I was guessing you wanted me to use something!” We are still out of town and keeping everything together is getting more and more difficult.

“You really used my deodorant? That is gross, now what am I supposed to use? I can’t believe you would do that” He says rather irritated.

“Are you being serious? It’s not that big of a deal. If anything you should be glad that I think you smell that good that I would WANT to smell like you.” I start defending myself because now I am wondering if it really was that gross. “And besides, it is just like I ran the deodorant on my leg because that is just like under my arm. It is gross for me because you have all hairy armpits and everything. So I am the one who should be grossed out, not you.”

“But you are the one that just used it without even asking. I would have have said no, by the way, and I should have known this before we got married, that you would just use anyones deodorant, without any regard for anyone else.”

“No, I was regarding you, that is why I used deodorant.” I state.

“Fine, just don’t do it again.” He says.

I sat for a minute completely mystified that he had this big of a problem with it. I mean I didn’t want to use his, I like mine, but unpacking and packing I couldn’t find it and we didn’t have time to go to the store. I was also a little embarrassed and had my feelings hurt. Then I knew what I had to do…

“You realize I have also been using your toothbrush also, right?” I tease.

“Are you FREAKING KIDDING ME??!!!!!” Paul closes the computer and starts walking to the bathroom like he plans on checking his toothbrush for my germs or something. “Who are you? That is gross, what is wrong with you?” His voice echoing from the bathroom.

“I use your razor as well… thats why you go through refills so often. Just FYI!” I yell to him.

“You think you know someone, and it’s all LIES, just LIES I tell you!” Paul cries from the bathroom. “I am taking my toiletry bag and you are not allowed to touch it!”

“So you would make out with me right now, but I can’t use your toothbrush? It is the same thing.” I argue.

“It is completely different, and I don’t want to talk about it, I didn’t know you were that kind of person.” He takes his dang toiletry bag from the bathroom and I think he actually hid it from me!

Now I am left to sit and ponder this entire conversation and what it could possibly mean. Paul is the most laid back guy about things, I am taken aback by his reaction. Somewhere in the past day my personal toiletries have been lost, if that happened to Paul I would TOTALLY volunteer MY flowery, baby powder smelling deodorant to him! I would even give him my toothbrush and my pink lotion filled razor. My kids or my siblings I would TOTALLY drive to the store and get them new items, but not Paul, I would give him mine to use.

I think this means I am just more giving than he is 🙂 And while we are at it, this entire conversation started while we were sitting on the couch waiting for a part to MY truck that he wrecked to get here, so we can get on the road to get home to the 20 flowery, baby powder smelling deodorant I have at home! I think this proves the entire thing is his fault I had to use his stuff 🙂

What do you think? Is it ok to use a spouses toiletries?

This is my baby jumping on the trampoline.

We had a trampoline, a really nice one, that my parents got the kids one Christmas with really nice sides and everything. A year or so after we got it my daughter jumped weird on it and fell on her neck, she is fine, but she was sore.  It scared my husband so bad the next day he sold it.

My little kids have not jumped on a trampoline before. My husbands Uncle has a trampoline and a beautiful pool, we had my sister in laws rehearsal dinner in his back yard this weekend. I basically stood at the trampoline for 3 hours while my baby jumped and ran her little heart out!

She didn’t want to eat, or drink, or do anything but jump on the trampoline.

So she jumped and jumped and jumped.

I have never seen anyone so truly happy!

I sat there watching her thinking deep thoughts about being more childlike, enjoying life more, and just letting go and having fun! She was in the zone, nothing was going to stop her!

There was also the pool. It was beautiful and so many kids to play with. The baby was not interested at all. We pulled her off a few times and stuck her in the pool. Only to give in and let her back on the trampoline.

I was sitting next to the pool watching the kids and trying to figure out what she was yelling at. There was one of the cousins in front of her and I thought the baby was yelling at him, so I didn’t pay too much attention. My sister in law walked over to see what the commotion was.

“Tiffany! She pooped in the pool!” She says.

“She what?” I say

“She’s trying to tell you she pooped in the pool!”

Sure enough, she is sitting there, poop all over the bottom of the pool, and she is pointing at it yelling at me.

Now, remember, this is a party. There are at least 20 people in the pool. There are 40 people out of the pool standing around it. These are all my husbands family and the wedding party. I don’t know ANY of these people, except the VERY close family. OMG! Seriously! I have had little kids poop in a swim diaper quite a few times, it happens. But not like this.

So what do I do? Turn around, walk inside, and find my husband.

“PAUL!! Your baby just pooped in the pool in front of EVERYONE and it is floating around.” I yell.

“So help her!” He says jumping up.

“I just can’t.” And I really couldn’t, I kinda just froze. I can handle puke and everything else, but poop, and in front of tons of people I don’t know. In the pool, was more than I was going to do!

Paul walks outside, grabs the baby, and a net and starts fishing poop out. By this time the kids in the pool are already screaming and clearing the pool out, they had figured out what happened. He hoses the baby off, and cleans off the deck.

Crisis over.

The baby, completely unaware or uncaring of the hysteria she has just caused, walks back over to the trampoline and pushes her way on with all the kids cleared out from the pool.

Where she promptly PEES all OVER the trampoline!!!!

It is then that I decide, that 1. Swim Diapers are NOT overrated, and 2. That jumping for hours on the trampoline knocks something loose!!

I love this guy. I really do. But should we happen to show up in LA without him, you might want to check the desert for his body….

Lets back up to China. At some point my wallet disappears. We figure it is in all the luggage or somewhere at my parents and are not really worried. When we left we still had not found it, but were hoping it was in the luggage somewhere. We get home and unpack, and never found it. 🙁 I could have possibly gotten pick pocketed. It had a little cash, all my CVS and store cards, and my license.

I am home late Tuesday night from the China trip and try to get things replaced but ran out of time. I have a passport and Sams Club card, what more do you need? 🙂 We leave late Sunday for CA.

At the hotel where we had dinner Paul leaves the debit card. We are only 20 minutes away when he remembers, we go back and thankfully it is there! You know that little voice that tells you “tiffany, take the card now and get a bunch of cash out of the ATM.” Yeah, that voice? I ignored it.

Monday we are driving all day, we stop to get gas in TX right by the border. The credit card machine does not work outside and so they are having you go in and PRE PAY with a debit card. We were not sure how much we needed so they had Paul leave the card with them and pump the gas.

This was about lunch time.

We ate dinner in New Mexico, and when Paul went to pay for dinner he couldn’t find the card. Instantly he realized he had left it 340 miles back in TEXAS. We start digging for cash. We come up with money for dinner and have $80 left on us. I also have 2 checks left in my checkbook and only my passport for ID. It is also 8pm. That was also the ONLY card that we have on us.

We have no idea what the name of the place was that the card was at. There was also NO WAY I was driving back to get it. We sit there for a few minutes completely stumped. I am envisioning us sleeping in the suburban in the parking lot until they can send us a new card days later. So we do what any rational people do and drive to a Walmart. I am figuring there has to be a way for us to wire ourselves money.

At this point, I need to add that not only has he lost the personal debit card at this point, but a week before we left for China he lost the business card we have as well. We had not gotten the replacement for that yet when we left on this trip. I am starting to do the math on what cash we have left. We can sleep in the truck, and with $80 I think we will be able to have enough gas to get to LA. Where then I could just write Paul’s Mom and check for cash until the replacement card gets there. The kids are not excited about this option.

We call Woodforest, our bank to see if anyone has been using it and if they have any suggestions. No one used it and as much as I have complained about Woodforest, they really made every effort to be super helpful. We were able to get our card number and they helped us figure out online how to wire ourselves money.

Inside Walmart, we were still trying to figure out what options we had to get cash. If I was a person at Walmart listening to the story I was telling them, I would have thought I was crazy.

“Um, I need to get as much cash as possible. No I don’t have a license, we are out of town and lost our debit card. But I have CHECKS! My husband has his license but yes the name on this is mine….”

I would have laughed at me!

I was finally able to wire Paul $800 + a $70 fee. This took 2 more hours, and the nice lady at Walmart kept the service desk open an extra 30 minutes for us. VERY NICE of her!  We were also able to find a hotel that would rent us a room without a debit card, we put a cash deposit. And no, we didn’t tell them how many kids we have 🙂

I can’t make this stuff up. No one really can do this many dumb things. I just wanted to share my evening with you guys so that next time you are traveling you will think to yourself, “Wow, we better have cash and a back up debit card, and NOT leave the one we are using in a gas station.”

See how I am there for you?!

P.S. I love my husband dearly.

Aren’t they CUTE?!

Since there is no one online today, I just checked and I think you all must be partying with Dad, I am going to not kill myself getting deals up today and get some housework done 🙂

I would spend the day pampering my husband but he is with my daughter (above) at a pageant downtown. Which I am going to review for you probably tomorrow as probably one of the biggest scams out there, don’t tell my daughter, she has had a GREAT time. But Mom (or Dad!) to Mom, I don’t want  you to get sucked in like we did and so I will post about it tomorrow!

Also, since the jet lag has finally wore off and I am not in a sleep deprived haze anymore. I am going to finish posting my China pictures this week, including the seahorses on a stick, and beetle – ka – bobs that I passed on.

PLUS, just as I am finally HOME, we are leaving again to California for my husbands sisters wedding. YES we are DRIVING. Have you seen National Lampoons Vacation??? Oh Yes…. live updates from the road with 7 kids in a car for 3 days! This will be fun… like poking your eyes with toothpicks fun! Sit back and laugh at us and be glad it is not you. That is why I am here for you!

I will have some traveling tips and tricks plus a number of “what not to do” ideas because we have plenty of those also!

Have a great Father’s Day and check back tomorrow as I am posting from the road for 3 days on 1-10. I am going to need to moral support! Comment people, comment, so I have something to keep me sane!

First before you read another sentence, go into your bathroom and hug your “western toilet.” No matter how dirty a gas station is I will never complain again, because at least in the states it was a regular toilet. About 90 % of the toilets here are “squat pots” and there is a reason for the name. It is a hole in the ground that you literally squat over and do your thing. Even in NICE RESTAURANTS and fancy hotels there are only squat pots. The girls and I have learned that you look for “handicapped” bathrooms because sometimes they have “western toilets” and ironically they have never been used.

Oh and there is NO toilet paper, you have to bring your own EVERYWHERE. I have NEVER seen Tp in any restroom here. I am also going to come home with a kidney infection for “holding” it all day to wait until I can use my parents bathroom at their apartment.

With that out of the way….

We saw the MOST AMAZING place the other day. We left for 2 days and went to a city called Datong about 5 hours away. Outside the city they have a place called The Hanging Monasteries, and that is pretty much what they are. Some crazy monks in 450ad built on the side of a CLIFF a 40 room monastery. It is BEAUTIFUL.

This is the kids on the way up posing for a picture with a guy who grabbed them and wanted a photo.

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