What Happens in Vegas...

...stays in Vegas? But why? Why wouldn't we want to share all the fun we had last week on our 4-day getaway? No reason that I can think of. But first, let me backtrack to a time three years ago. When Shulamith was in college, I always told her that if she finished her undergrad degree still single, she and I would take a trip together. She did, and we did! We took a week-long cruise to the Western Caribbean, visiting ports in Cozumel, Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman Islands. It was the most wonderful vacation ever, and at one point, we had the following conversation:

Me: We really need to make the most of this trip. You know, this could maybe be the last time we get a vacation all by ourselves.

Shulamith: Why would you say that?

Me: Well, you're 22. I expect that at some point in the next few years you'll be getting married, and maybe your husband won't want you running off with your mom.

Shulamith: What? I can't believe you'd say that. There's NO WAY I'd marry anyone who wouldn't want me to go on vacation with my mom.

Hmmm. Okay, I thought. We'll just have to see how that works as times goes on, but I was skeptical. I guess she knew her own mind, as she always has. Here we are three years later, and she's blissfully married to one of the sweetest people I know, a guy who not only encouraged her and me to take this trip together but who even offered to help Isaiah take care of Seth while I was away. Have I mentioned how fond I am of Mathew?

So we were off to Vegas for four days of sunshine, swimming, good food, relaxation, and most exciting: Celine Dion. That's right! We had tickets for Celine Dion live at Caesar's Palace. And she was unbelievable. We knew she would be great, but nothing prepared us for how wonderful this performance actually was. We both would have gladly gone out and purchased tickets to see her again the very next day had the show not been sold out. We were immediately plotting how and when we might be able to get back to Vegas just to see her again.

That was definitely the highlight (way high!) of our trip, but we also enjoyed a fun Beatles review, ate some delicious food, hung out by a lovely pool, and yes....even did a tiny bit of gambling. I am definitely NOT a gambler. Not at all. I'm not a risk-taker; I don't like surprises. If I have money, regardless of how much, I'm sure not going to risk losing it when I could go buy clothes or shoes and have something sure. However, my daughter insisted that I try the penny slots, risking just $1.00, a penny at a time. Now $1.00 might not sound like that much, but well, think about it. It buys a large Diet Coke at McDonald's. Or two packages of peanut butter M&Ms (if you can find a good sale). Or a loaf of freshly baked french bread. So it's kind of a lot, don't you think?

Nevertheless, I caved under pressure and donated my $1.00 bill to the penny slot machine and began to play, one penny at a time. I'm not sure how far into the $1.00 I was when everything changed, but all of a sudden bells started ringing, lights blinking, and Shulamith cheering! "Hooray, hooray, you won, you won, you won!" She made such a big scene that people around began asking how much I won.

Forty-nine cents! A whole forty-nine cents! Wow! Lots of people lose money in Vegas, but not me. I won forty-nine cents. I am a winner! Now the dilemma is what to spend it on. What should I do with all my winnings? If you have any good ideas, feel free to post them.

Meanwhile, let me close by saying if you're looking for a great little getaway, I highly recommend Las Vegas. It's relatively cheap to get there, and hotels and food are inexpensive too. Besides that, Celine Dion is worth every cent you spend.

And for the record, what happens in Vegas does NOT need to stay in Vegas. No way!

Swen-isms

Shulamith's 5-year-old son, Swen, provides regular entertainment to his parents. Often, I tell Shulamith, "You need to write that down, so you don't forget it," but usually, she doesn't. She is six months' pregnant with Monster Baby #3, while caring for #1 (Swen) and #2 (Kennedy). When would she find the time to write?

So here are a few Swen-isms, recorded for Shulamith:

1. Swen: Her, what did you have a dream about last night?
    Me: I dreamed about Swen and me sitting in the chair together, snuggling.
    Swen: That's not a dream, Her. That's a real.

2. Eli and Amanda are in California this week, welcoming home Amanda's brother from his mission. Since they flew out of the Salt Lake airport, I have their car here.
     Swen: Why do you have Eli and Amanda's jeep?
     Me: Because they went bye-bye on an airplane, so I'm keeping their car while they're gone.
     Swen: But Her, the police will catch you and put you in jail if you steal Eli and Amanda's car.

3. Those who know us Erichsen-Webster are aware of our Diet Coke addiction. It runs through the entire family, all seven of us. At any given moment you can find large cups of Diet Coke sitting around our house, some old, some new, some in between. So Swen has learned to ask before tasting: "Is this old or new?" This morning, he came upstairs just as I returned from Chevron with a brand new, 44-oz, iced-cold Diet Coke:
     Swen (after taking a sip): This is so new! I love it!

4. Occasionally, Gerald takes Swen to preschool when Shulamith has other stuff to do. Apparently, he doesn't always use the same route Shulamith does.
     Swen: Mommy, when Gerald took me to school, he didn't go the right way; he went the left way.

5.  It's tough when you don't like girls but are surrounded by them for most of your day.
     Swen: I do not like girls, so no girls allowed. Baby is a girl; Mommy is a girl; Her is a girl. No girls allowed!

6.  Swen's sweet tooth is only paralleled by his mother's. The other day he was telling Shulamith about this new candy he discovered:
     Swen:  There's this one I really love. It's called "Sneakers."
     Shulamith: Do you mean "Snickers"?
     Swen: NO! Sneakers.
     Shulamith: You mean the candy bar with caramel and peanuts?  
     Swen: Yeah, that!!

7. Shulamith and I spend a considerable amount of time at McDonald's, where we sip Diet Coke and watch her kids play. Swen often makes friends with the other kids in the play area. The other day he was telling this new friend about us:
      Swen: (pointing to Shulamith) That's my mom, and (pointing to me) her name is Her."

8.  Gerald and I were in Las Vegas the past two days, so Shulamith gracious agreed to drive Isaiah to the airport, something Gerald or I normally do. On the way, this conversation transpired:
      Swen: Where are we going?
      Shulamith: We're taking Isaiah to the airport to go bye-bye on an airplane.
      Swen: Where do airplanes go?
      Shulamith: Wherever you want to go.
      Swen: Do they go to the dinosaurs?
      Shulamith: No, they're all dead.
      Swen: How did they die?
      Shulamith: I don't know.
      At this point, Isaiah went into a detailed lesson on meteors and what led to the extinction of the dinosaus.
      Swen: That's sad that they all died. Do you think they'll be back in an hour?

9. Driving to preschool this morning, Shulamith and I were talking about someone we know who is getting marred:
     Swen: What's "married"?
     Shulamith: When two people love each other and want to be together forever and ever, they get married. Like Daddy and I are married. And Gerald and Her are married.  So when you grow up, you'll meet a cute girl and get married.
     Swen: Or can I meet a cute boy?
     Shulamith: Yes! Or a cute boy.

10. And randomly,
     Swen: Kennedy, you're difficult.
     Shulamith: Why is Kennedy difficult?
     Swen: Girls are difficult. Boys are "intresting" [3 syllables]. Kennedy, Mommy, and Her are girls. They are difficult. Dada and me are boys. We are "intresting."

11. Discussion of tonight's activities:
     Shulamith: Tonight is our mommy-son date to Chick-fil-a. I'm so excited!
     Swen: But what about Kennedy?
     Shulamith: Dada is taking Kennedy up to the mountains.
     Swen: I don't like the going to the mountains. They're too rough.

12. Yesterday, Swen came upstairs and into our bedroom, where Gerald was lying on the bed, and I was brushing my teeth. He walked over to my closet and exclaimed:
      Swen: Oh my goodness, Her! You have a million shoes!
      Gerald: Right, Swen?

13.  Then he started asking me about my parents.
      Swen: Who is your mommy?
      Me: Great-grandma in Portland is my mommy. Do you remember her?
      Swen: Yes. Who is your daddy, Her?
      Me: My daddy is in heaven with Heavenly Father?
      Swen: Why is he in heaven?
      Me: Because he died, so he went to heaven.
      Swen: What does he look like?
      Me: Come here and I'll show you his picture on the wall.
      Swen: Why is he by a fire truck?!?
      Me: Because he was a fireman!
      Swen: Why did he died and went to heaven?
      Me: Well, he got sick, and then he died and went to heaven.
      Swen: Did he get bit by an inchworm?
      Me: Sure, something like that.

14.  We picked Swen up from preschool today, and this was part of the conversation:
      Shulamith: What did you have for snack today?
      Swen: Fruit Loops and raisins
      Shulamith: That sounds like a great snack! Did you eat all of it?
      Swen: No. I did not eat the raisins. I am allergic to raisins. They make me die.

15. I spend most of my life on a low-fat eating program in order to maintain a desirable weight. When he asks why I'm not eating ice cream or fries or pizza, I always tell him "Because I'm fat." So now he's taken it upon himself to monitor my eating:
      Swen: Are you still fat, Her?
      Me: Yep, I am.
      Swen: Then you shouldn't eat those pancakes.

16. Last week, Gerald somehow accidentally took my cell phone to work with him. He apparently can't tell the difference between a Samsung phone and an iPhone. Plus, he managed to take two phones, his and mine.
      Swen: Her! Where is your phone? I want to watch your phone [meaning he wants to watch you-tube videos on my phone.]
     Me: Gerald took my phone to work with him.
     Swen: Did he stoled it?
     Me: Yes, Swen, he stoled it, and I'm not very happy about it.

17. Swen's mommy, Shulamith, will deliver a new baby brother in exactly 19 days. Swen is very interested in that whole process. He knows the baby is growing in Mommy's tummy, so...
     Swen: How will the baby get out?
     Shulamith: The doctor will cut a hole in my tummy and take the baby out?
     Swen: How will get get all the food off the baby?
     Shulamith: He'll wash it off.
     Swen: Will he also use a vacuum?
     Shulamith:  Sure, Swen.

18.  Swen calls me "Her." Obviously, this isn't something we planned, but as he grew, Shulamith would often say, "Show her your new toy" or "Ask her to get you a drink of water." Eventually, Swen came to believe my name was "Her." Because it was so funny when he first started calling me that, we didn't stop him. Now both he and Kennedy call me "Her," and it drives Matt crazy.
     Matt: Swen, you know that isn't really her name, don't you? Because the word "her" is not a name. It can refer to all girls and women. Do you know what her name really is?
     Swen: Yes, Daddy. I know that "her" means all girls. And I know her name is Terrianne. But I don't like that name. I call her "Her."

19. Swen and Kennedy were playing doctor.
     Kennedy: I need some medicine.
     Swen: Okay. What kind you want? I got allergy medicine, Ibuprofin, or pills.
     Kennedy: Hmm, maybe pills. Do I have to give you money?
     Swen: No, it's free!
So proud of Swen for his inherent understanding that healthcare should be free to everyone!

20. Swen is currently adjusting to his week-old baby brother, Theodore.
     Mom: Swen, why are you angry and grumpy today?
     Swen: Because Heavenly Father made me like this.

21. Yesterday, Swen and I were running to the store, and the only car available at the time was Isaiah's. Isaish is a minimalist, and this shows in his choice of a car. When he purchased his first car after graduating from college, he deliberately bought one without automatic locks or windows.
     Swen: How do you roll down the windows in this car, Her?
     Me: Like this (and I proceeded to demonstrate how you grab the handle and literally roll it around to lower the window).
     Swen: Wow, I've never seen a car like this before!
To say Isaiah is not the neatest person in the world would be an understatement. The back seat and floor of his car is filled with all sorts of crap.
     Swen: Isaiah throwded a lot of stuff on the floor. He needs to vacuum this car and take it to a car wash!

22. Swen was mad at Kennedy and sort of attacked her. Immediately after, as Kennedy was screaming:
     Swen: Her, I want to watch your phone.
     Me: But Swen, you just hit Kennedy and made her cry. So that makes me not want to give you my phone.
     Swen: No, Her! That's not how it works!

23. So Swen was very unhappy to learn that his daddy ate all the apple Nutri-grain bars. I don't blame him because those are super delish.
     Swen: Where are the apple bars?
     Mom: Dada ate the last one.
     Swen: He is the stupidest Dada in the whole world! I want you to not be married to him anymore.
     Mom:  Well I already am married to Dada for ever and ever.
     Swen: Take Dada's ring and throw it in the garbage. Then you won't be married to him, and you can get married to Her.

24. Swen and I took a road trip to Rexburg to visit Eli and Amanda and also my friend Lindsey. As we were driving, we discussed traffic laws and what happens if you break them.
     Swen: What is that sign for?
     Me: It tells me how fast I can drive.
     Swen: What happens if you drive faster than the sign says?
     Me: Then the police can pull me over and give me a ticket?
     Swen: Do the policees have a very long string to pull your car over?

25. Swen loves to hear stories of him as a baby.
      Swen: I know we've talked about this before, but how cute was I as a baby?

26. So this one is more of a "Shulamith-ism." Recently, Swen has become a bit obsessed with smoke detectors. This has sort of replaced his interest in car washes, or at least set it aside for now.
      Shulamith (in the most serious tone ever): Swen, sweetie, I can't find you any you-tube videos of smoke detectors because, you see, not everyone is as interested in smoke detectors as you are.
      Swen: Why not?
      Shulamith: Well, they just aren't. Most people think smoke detectors are just sort of "there."

27. It's General Conference for our church this weekend. I was watching the session this morning. Well, when Swen came up, hoping I would give him some "conference treats." He stayed for a while and ate three Mint Milanos, then went back downstairs. Then this conversation occurred between him and his mom:
     Swen: Mom, do we have to be quiet when we listen to this church on TV?
     Shulamith:  Well you can talk, but just try not to be too loud.
     Swen: Well, Her said I have to be really quiet during church TV.
Yep, I sure did. Because I love this "church TV."

28. Shulamith: Ugh, I cannot keep up with the four of you and your messes!
      Swen: Mommy, that's why you shouldn't have three kids. It's so hard with three kids because Theodore cries all the time, and me and Kennedy make messes, and Dad throws his socks on the floor!

29. Swen: Mommy, why don't buses have seat belts?
     Shulamith: Well, buses are really big, so if another car hits a bus, the people in the bus don't get hurt.
     Swen: Also, buses are already flat.

30. Swen used to want to be a garbage man when he grows up, but lately, he has changed his mind and wants to be a fireman. But I'm not sure it's the best career choice for him.
     Swen: When I grow up, I'm going to be a fireman. But if there is a real fire, I won't go in the building because that would be too scary!

31.  As an extension of #26 above, Shulamith has managed to find a couple You-Tube videos about smoke detectors. Swen is thrilled! So the other day I was trying to take care of Shulamith's baby Theodore, and Swen wanted me to find smoke detector videos:
     Swen: I want to watch about smoke detectors.
     Me: Swen I don't know how to find smoke detector videos.
     Swen: You just type it in your phone.
     Me (trying to get out of this): I don't know how to type "smoke detectors."
     Swen: You can type "smoke detectors." I know you can. Sound it out: ssssss-mmmm-ooooo-kkkkkk-detectors.

32. So the Monson-Webster Family recently moved out of our home, and I am so sad that I really can't talk about it without crying (which is why I haven't given it its own blog post...yet). But Swen is also trying to adjust. Swen loves order and routine, so change is never easy. He is also obsessed with smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. About a week ago, he stole my carbon monoxide detector and took it to his new house. The following conversations have occurred since:
      Swen: Look, Daddy, I took Her's carbon monoxide detector, and now if there's carbon monoxide, she won't know, so she will be dead in heaven with Kitty [our dog, who died a couple years ago]. But I think she will still be crying all the time there, because she misses me so much at my new house.

Then today...
      Swen: Mommy, look, I still have Her's carbon monoxide detector. I hope she doesn't die because then we won't see her anymore or go places together. What will you say to me if I say "Mommy, can I go somewhere with Her?" but she's dead?
      Shulamith: I would say, "Well, honey, you can't go anywhere with Her because she's in heaven," and that would be really sad, so I don't want to talk  about it.
      Swen: I hope she isn't dead right now, because I'm sleeping in her bed soon. (Since they moved, Swen has been asking to sleep here with me, and we promised him tomorrow night he can).

And then a few days ago...
      Swen: Her, if I take away your smoke detector, your house will burn down, and then you can come live with me at my new house.

33. Like many new moms, Shulamith is still working to lose all the baby weight she gained while carrying Theodore. She's doing great, but still has a little left to lose. She was standing in a particularly unflattering position, when the following conversation between Swen and Kennedy occurred:
     Swen: Mommy, do you have another baby in your tummy?
     Kennedy: No, she doesn't. She just has fat.

34. So Swen and his dad have a great relationship, but they do run into conflicts occasionally. I'm glad Swen doesn't shrink from the fight; he always stand his ground. Go Swen!
      Swen: You are mean, so I'm going to live with Her for ever and ever and ever. That's what I'm going to do.
---or this
      Swen: I don't want to talk to you, Daddy. So I'm making a sign that says "Pass." I will hold up the sign, and when you see it, you can just pass right by, and don't talk to me!

35. Swen has been learning sight words in kindergarten. Those are very common words that can't be sounded out or that appear so frequently that they need to recognize them by sight.
      Swen: Her! Your name is a sight word!

How do you do five (without any alcohol)?

One time, years ago, I was standing in my brother's kitchen attempting to get a glass of water for some child (don't know which), while holding a newborn in one arm as two little boys hung one on each of my legs and an older kid was screaming a question to me from another room. My brother looked at me in dismay and asked, "How do you do five without any alcohol?" Keep in mind that he, himself, is the proud father to three lovely daughters so no stranger to parenting, but in that moment, my situation must have looked rather ominous.

It was not the only time I have been asked a similar question. My dearest and longtime friend, Lorrie, has posed that same question (minus the alcohol part) to me many times through the years. She is the devoted mother to two beautiful daughters, so the idea of five feels rather daunting to her. My answer to the question varies depending on the moment. Often I say, "I can't imagine it any other way; it just feels normal." Other times, a different, but equally truthful, answer comes to mind: "I focus my attention on the one who needs me most at the time, and the others sorta take care of each other."

That's how it's been this past week. Focusing on the one who needs me most at the time.

Newlyweds Eli and Amanda have been blessed with the most wonderful opportunity. Amanda landed an incredible job as an apartment manager at The Ridge, the very property where she and Eli lived when they met. It all happened quickly, though, and there was much to do. They had to find someone to buy out the contract on their old apartment and then move to the new one at The Ridge, all in less than a week. This job provides a lovely, spacious apartment with two giant bedrooms, all free of charge with utilities included. See what I mean about it being an incredible blessing?!

They asked if Gerald and I would be able to go to Rexburg last weekend to help them pack up and move. We were so excited to see the new apartment (and them!!) that we happily agreed. I was just grateful it wasn't the following week when Shulamith would be having surgery (Remember: focus on the one who needs you the most at the time). We drove to Rexburg early last Saturday morning and spent the day packing and moving. Their apartment is seriously so, so great; I sorta wanted to move there myself. Sunday, we cleaned the old apartment and helped the new family move in before we all drove back to Utah late Sunday night. Amanda had three days of training here in Draper Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We enjoyed some good "Eli time" while she spent three days absorbing copious amounts of information related to her new job. Amanda, you're gonna be great!

In the middle of all that, Shulamith and I prepared 24 freezer meals, 12 for her in preparation for the upcoming surgery recovery, and 12 for me in hopes it might motivate me to eat at home more. Yeah, that won't happen, but it sounds good.

Eli and Amanda returned to Rexburg Wednesday night, and very early (5:30!) Thursday morning, Shulamith and I drove to the hospital for her surgery to remove a hematoma from her uterus and to strengthen and repair the uterus sufficiently to support future pregnancies. I have been to the hospital with each of my five children at one time or another. Still, I'm not used to it. I worry. I worry lots. My own dumb anxiety kicks into full gear. It is what it is.

One very fun thing happened, though; I got to wear this name tag:

Yep, I got to be "Shulamith W." for the morning. And it was pretty cool. You see I love the name "Shulamith." It's probably my favorite girl's name in the whole world. And my name? Can you really think of anything more lackluster than my name? I try to glam it up a bit by combining "Terri" and "Ann" together as one word and even adding an "e" on the end, but really, let's cut the crap: It's a boring name. "Shulamith," on the other hand, is properly glamorous, and I loved wearing this name tag and pretending it was mine. Truth, though, in the surgery waiting room, the friend or family member waiting for the patient in surgery wears the name tag of the patient, so when medical personnel come looking, they can easily spot the right person to talk to.

The surgery took about 1.5 hours, but she was gone an hour longer because her doctor had to go deliver a baby just as she was being rolled into the OR. I did pretty well (for me, that is) waiting. Let's just say my anxiety has spun way more crazy at other times, so I felt proud to keep it somewhat under control for the 2.5 hours I sat in that waiting room, wearing my "Shulamith W." name tag. I was even able to distract myself with a book about a girl who hit her head and lost her memory of the past 10 years, which included the births of three children and a marriage breakup. It's good; you should definitely read it.

But you can't begin to imagine my relief when I saw Shulamith's doctor walk into the waiting room looking for me. He was smiling from ear to ear, so happy to report the excellent news. You see, this whole deal has not been at all normal. Placenta accreta in the first trimester and post miscarriage never happens, never. So this nice doctor really had no idea what to expect when he began the surgery. But his exact words to me, once we moved to a private area, were, "This is absolutely the best possible outcome we could have hoped for." As tears poured down my face, he explained that he removed the golf ball sized mass (probably a hematoma and old pregnancy tissue) from the outside of the uterus and strengthened and reinforced the old C-section scar three times over, and in just a few short months, she would be in the clear to get pregnant again.

My baby can have another baby! She can have the family she has dreamed of. This nightmare is over, and everything is okay. I texted Matt immediately with the news and told him I was being my wimpy self and crying from relief, and I didn't even care if he made fun of me because I was just so happy. I had to wait another 30 minutes to see Shulamith and tell her the great news. She stayed in the hospital overnight and most of yesterday. When I think of the very best part of all that, two things come to mind--(1) the unlimited Diet Coke on tap just about five steps from her room and (2) when Matt brought their two kids to visit. Her oldest, 4-year-old Swen, was mostly interested in watching the cars out the window and twirling around in the privacy curtains that hang from the ceiling, that is until a nurse came in to check Shulamith's vitals:

"Wa, wa, wa, wait. Wait! What are you doing to Mommy?" he boldly asked the nurse. Protective of her already, he is. As the mom to four sons, I get this. And I love it. Then there was 2-year-old Kennedy, who just wanted snuggles.

We came home about 5:00 p.m. just in time for me to help Isaiah do laundry and get ready for three weeks on the road (Focus on the one who needs you the most at the time). He got all packed, and I drove him to the airport for his 10:30 flight. He will attend the DotA international tournament in Seattle this coming week (vacation!) followed by a week in San Francisco and a week in Vegas, both for work.

About the time I returned home, Seth texted that he had finished his shift at Mac. Grill and needed a ride. Ahh, Seth, the fifth and final. I feel like he's gotten only the leftovers this past week, and there hasn't been much left over. Grateful for a super cool Young Men's President, who took him out Pokemon catching one night and for the fact that Seth is honestly the most mature, responsible, and independent 16-year-old I know. As one blogger put it, "You are the last great love of our lives."

And there you have it. One week. Has it really only been one? I'm sitting here in my recliner blogging. I hear raindrops outside, which means it's time to go for a quick run because those precious drops never last long. Then I might even take a nap. Or finish my book about the girl with amnesia. Or wait for gymnastics to come on the Olympics.

Whatever I do, I will continue to be the mom to five, focusing on the one who needs me most at the time.

Vegas mini-vacay, reimagined!

What happens when two moms take three kids ages 10, 8, and 5 to Las Vegas for an end-of-summer fling, and one of those kids has ADHD, but his mom leaves his medication at home because she is so focused on bringing all his Type 1 Diabetes equipment that she forgets the ADHD pills?

Chaos. 

Pure chaos.

And also, loads of loud laughter and fabulous fun.

(Mixed in with the chaos.)

Shulamith says this photo best represents the essence of our trip, as she holds Swen in a death grip, haha.

If you ever go to Vegas with kids, I highly recommend the Hilton at Resorts World . It's located on the north end of the strip, so a bit far from many of the fun attractions; however, the inexpensive bus passes work great, so it doesn't really matter where you are. You can easily get wherever you want to go. This hotel is only a couple years old and so nice. Here is the view from our room on the 54th floor:

The best part about this hotel is the pool, or rather pools. There are five of them! Lots of shallow areas for non-swimmers and one pool with spray park features for kids. For parents, there are lounge chairs that are literally immersed in water. Not even kidding. You sit in a comfortable lounge chair, and your legs are under water. So cool (both literally and figuratively)! I didn't get a picture of these amazing chairs, but here we are hanging by the pool:

We rode the bus down to the south end of the strip to visit two favorite places: the Coke store (fountain Diet Coke on ice, anyone?) and the M&M store. We all got bags of assorted M&Ms, including caramel, fudge brownie, mint, pretzel, crispy, and of course peanut and regular. 

The Vegas mini-vacay was definitely reimagined from when Shulamith and I go by ourselves. For example, we didn't go to any shows, and she didn't get to gamble away her usual $20. However, you can be sure we still ate all the Vegas food we like. Had to feed her kids McDonald's because they don't like good food, but we enjoyed Gordon Ramsay's Fish & Chips.

We also ate our favorite crepes from the New York - New York Hotel, and we discovered a new favorite treat: Siegel's Bagelmania. These bagels weren't quite as good as the ones we ate in New York City but a close second. Finally, we ate our standard yummy street tacos from Taco del Gordo.

I think Kennedy's favorite thing was watching the high wire flyers at Circus Circus. When I asked her if she would like to be a trapeze artist, her response was, "Yes! But no." That makes perfect sense, Kennedy. Here we are waiting for the act to begin:

I only got one airport photo, but I need to post it to document the adventure and to prove we did it! Two moms, three kids (one missing his ADHD meds) and a 2-day, fun-filled trip to Las Vegas.

Wasn't It Just Yesterday?

Driving home from Salt Lake City yesterday after marrying off my only baby girl, I found myself consumed by a plethora of memories. I began to put together this blog post in my mind, filled with so many humorous and heartwarming scenarios of the past 23 years. When we were around Idaho Falls, Shulamith called me to say they were back at their apartment getting ready for work. No, I'm not kidding. They actually worked last night. It was Shulamith's fifth Valentine's Day at Macaroni Grill, and I guess she felt that she couldn't let her boss down on the busiest day of the year. At least they were together, right?

Anyway, talking to her brought my already tender emotions right to the surface. Gerald said, "Don't cry too much, or I'll get pulled over." He was referring to another trip to Billings from Salt Lake City 5-1/2 years ago. After leaving Shulamith at Westminster College for her freshman year, I cried so hard we were stopped by the police. For details, see the May 21, 2009 post entitled "Angst." Fortunately, I didn't cry quite as much this time.

As this blog post continued to brew in my mind, with memory after sweet memory, I suddenly stopped cold and thought, "WAIT. NO. This sounds like a freakin' eulogy!"

Okay, Terrianne, get a grip. No one died. Shulamith is alive and well and happier than ever. I am alive and well and happier than ever for her. So no eulogy.

Instead, dear readers, if you would indulge me in just a couple fun memories, I will leave it at that. I promise. Because wasn't it just yesterday.....

Wasn't it just yesterday when she was two years old. People had such difficulty with her name that they tended to think it must he she who was mispronouncing it. They would say, "Is it Sheila, dear?" or "Shelly?" When she was perfectly fed up with all this, she would plant both her two-year-old feet securely on the ground, look people right in the eye and declare, "IT'S SHULAMITH. S-H-U-L-A-M-I-T-H!" So maybe you can see why my pacifist leanings are utterly forgotten and I want to claw people's eyes out when they massacre her beautiful name and call her "Shula" which is not even remotely pretty. Only in Utah do they do this, by the way.

Wasn't it just yesterday....

And wasn't it just yesterday when she was nine, and we were in Las Vegas together at a dance competition. Her first time there, she was positively awestruck by all the glitz. "Mom, put some money in those machines. We can be rich!!" I listened to this for three days. I tried a couple different angles to explain why I would not put money in the machines. First, I tried the religious approach: "Honey, our church leaders have counseled us not to gamble. It's just not a good thing to do." Absolutely no effect. "But Mom, look at all those machines. We could win millions of dollars." Next, I tried a more practical approach. "Honey, look around at all these beautiful things: the bright lights, the velvet carpet, the crystal chandeliers. The reason they can afford these things is because most of the time people do not win when they gamble; most of the time they lose their money." Absolutely no effect. "But Mom, we could be the ones who win. We could be lucky."

After three days of this, I decided to try the most practical approach I could think of. Frustrated, I led her over to a machine, took a quarter out of my purse and said, "Okay. I want you to watch and see what happens when you put money in these machines." I put the quarter in the slot machine and pulled the handle. And, of course, you can guess the rest, right? Chang, chang! Chang, chang! Eight quarters came pouring out. "Do it again, Mom. Do it again!"

Wasn't it just yesterday?

And wasn't it just yesterday that she walked out of the temple wearing my wedding gown, hand in hand with her eternal sweetheart, whom we already love like a fifth son? Well, maybe it was three days ago.

More on that later. Future wedding installments to come...