ThirtySomething

This was a good and horrible weekend all wrapped into one.  We’ll start with the good.

We went to Hershey Park!  We had a wonderful time, we stayed at a hotel for 2 nights (thanks Nannie and Poppy!!!) and went to the park on Sunday (we got great ticket rates at $20. a piece!  w00t!!!). 

The weather was perfect for the day and every one had a BLAST!!!  I asked Jack what his favorite ride was and he just listed almost all of the ones he rode!  LOL!  Aeryn loved the fishing game where she won her hot pink monkey!  Sweet!  Actually they both won a monkey (Jack’s was fluorescent green) and we didn’t help them…much.  Aeryn got her face painted at the end of the day (we didn’t see it until late). 

My favorite ride was the Great Bear ride!  OH that was AWESOME!!  But I had to ride alone, which was a bummer….but still sooo much fun!  :)  http://www.hersheypark.com/rides/detail.php?q=yes&id=1  I hope to get to ride again soon and maybe add some others…I only rode about 4 rides the entire day. 

I had to ride the space ship ride with the kids b/c they were too little and Chris wouldn’t ride, so they each got a turn with me!  :)  That was a lot of fun and both kids really loved it!  http://www.hersheypark.com/rides/detail.php?q=yes&id=74

Chris and I had to do the water ride with them too b/c they were too little and yes, we got just a little wet, splashed really.  They rode almost ALL the kiddie rides at the park minus maybe 2 or 3 b/c they just weren’t interesting enough to them!  LOL!  Jack actually rode the hot air balloon ride this year, he refused to get on last year and the space ship ride was also new to him this year.  I was so glad he decided to ride them!  Aeryn had no issues getting on either one of them this year either (I was too scared to let her on a lot of the rides last year…I was a worry wart).  Aeryn wanted to ride the froggie ride, but I just didn’t feel comfortable allowing it this year. http://www.hersheypark.com/rides/detail.php?q=yes&id=39  Maybe next year!

So, here are our photo’s of our fun time:

 

 

So, in other news, we got home at about 2 pm today and I got a letter from a place I had applied to for employment and in it was a letter denying employment and a copy of the background check they did on me…the one where they decided NOT to hire me from. 

I found out something very interesting, I have a criminal record from the time my sister stole a truck drove it into another county and also stole some other crap (and then told the cops she was ME…this is one of MANY times she’s done this)…plus some other crap…but those two were the only ones that REMAINED on MY record!!!  Something I totally did not do and WOULD NOT EVER do!!! 

Now, I have to go through the annoyance of filing (AND PAYING) for this to be expunged off my record!  I went as far as calling the states attorney on this matter (thanks dad!) and it’s all I can do apparently.  Never mind I was never officially charged with it and never mind that I DIDN”T DO IT!!!!!!  Why do I have to go through all this to get it off my record???  WHY WHY WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AND NEVERMIND SHE WENT TO JAIL FOR THOSE CHARGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I was already extremely inconvenienced when I had to show up in court a few times regarding this matter years ago and now it resurfaces SEVEN YEARS later!  Yes, I am miffed.  No, there is nothing I can do about it to change the process.  I am done complaining b/c really, there is more to life than these silly, stupid, ridiculous annoyances…that costs me a job offer!!

I am soo soo soo sad and sick over the tragedy that occurred in the town I grew up in, only a block or two from the home(s) I lived in during middle school and when I was a newlywed.  It was so surreal to hear that something so tragic could happen in such a quaint town, where crime is unheard of for the most part.  It has been quite a shock and a huge blow.  Then for it to be someone I knew.  Someone I went to HS with, while I didn’t talk to her on a daily basis or even know her phone number and I wasn’t even a FB friend with her.  I knew who she was and completely recognized her posts on FB.  I knew her as a very kindhearted person and not a single mean bone her body at all.  Her smile was infectious and her heart was HUGE!  She was merely a classmate to me and yet, I knew this of her.  She touched so. many. people. in her short lifetime than a lot of people touch in MANY lifetimes.  I am truly amazed and stunned, actually at the outpouring of love and support the families are receiving now from the community (and of those no longer living there, but will always call Middletown, MD home). 

I am not an eloquent writer at all, but I needed to write about this tragedy.  My heart pours out to the Billotti and Wood families for the tragic loss of their daughter (sister, cousin, aunt…), grandchildren (cousin, neice/nephews…) and son (brother, cousin, uncle…).  I cannot fathom what would push someone to do this sort of horrible act to their own flesh and blood.  It is so very tragic and horrifying and sad and….words just cannot describe it!!!  Not at all.  I don’t know what else to write really.  I mean, words can’t and won’t express the sadness I feel for them all.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyID=89209

 

This photo was from my sisters cheerleading squad in grade-school:

Francie is the curly headed girl in the top row…directly below her is my sister.

We went to Washington DC last Monday.  We were sitting in the kitchen finishing up breakfast when I was feeling bored and not sure what to do for the day.  It was spitting rain outside and the temps were cool.  So, I thought, how about we take a trip to DC with the kids…immediately everyone was thrilled and jumping for joy. 

We took the metro down, the kids loved that!  I did too because I was able to also get some knitting done.  :)

 

We ran into some people I went to HS with, in the Metro…which was so…I can’t even describe it, because not only did we see them on the way, we also saw them on the way back.  It was just wild! 

This guy greeted us first thing in the door:

Jack and Aeryn were absolutely amazed…awe struck, really.  They were so excited to be there I couldn’t possibly describe it with words.  It was so special…so very special for them.  :)

This is what Jack decided was his most favorite exhibit…

(a life-sized whale, suspended from the ceiling)

And a close second for Jack was this:

This was AWESOME!!!  I loved, loved, loved watching all these fish and other sea creatures.  Jack really enjoyed finding all the different sea-life.  They had a chart showing and describing all the different life.  We visited this exhibit a few times through the day.

Aeryn’s favorite site was this:

The Hope Diamond.  A girl after my own heart…and how fitting since her middle name is Hope.  She was in awe of this precious gem!  It was beautiful.

We neglected to get a photo of our favorite exhibit, which was the forensics exhibit…I guess we were way too busy reading and keeping track of the kids.  But it was oh so very cool!

The Dinosaur exhibit was quite impressive too:

We took sooooo many photo’s on our visit and this was just a teeny tiny glimpse into how wonderful this day was for us…we all had a blast and didn’t really want to leave.  We had a wonderful day!!!

  

So, then today was Easter, Jack and Aeryn really LOVED what the Easter Bunny brought them:

   

Then we got ready for Church, how adorable are they in their Easter outfits:

 

   

The rest of the day was spent having dinner with the in laws and then visiting with my parents…but I didn’t capture those on camera!  Oh well, it was a pretty good day!!  :)

Oh and just for the record, Jack has his first loose tooth…make that TWO loose teeth!!  My baby is growing up way too fast.  His outfit today was a size 7 and I don’t think I am ready for this!  And he can now read anything you put in front of him pretty much…he has been doing this for quite some time now and I am just so proud of my boy!!!!