Lessons from Las Vegas

Well, I've been relaxing in sunny Las Vegas for a week now. It's been fun. My sisters both have new homes, my hubby was here for a few days, and Miles and Ella are too cute for words!

I always enjoy visiting. It can be tough at times. My sisters and I aren't those sisters who buy houses together, have the same friends, and spend all of our free time together. Don't get me wrong - we like each other. But we are just as likely to hang-up on you as we are to send you a card. That's just the way we roll.

Because of our willingness to disagree (often loudly), it can made for some uncomfortable times during visits. Add to that a 3 yr. old and 11 mo. old who are tired because the visitor has messed up their schedules, and the tension can build.

Miles, for instance, didn't sleep for two days. Then he slept (but not enough) and decided to stop drinking or eating. He's at the doctor's office now.

Then there's Ella. I'm supposed to share a room with her, but I go to sleep after she does and tend to wake up before she does. She's one of those kids who does NOT want to miss out on the action, so she fights the naps and ends up being tired and irritable.

As you can imagine, this is doing wonders for all of the adults in the house.

Having been here for over a week, I've learned some valuable things. I thought I might share.

- Dresses make you pretty; pants are ugly
- It's never too cold for a sundress
- If it's too cold for a sundress, put the sundress on over your long sleeved dress
- No one is as exciting as Daddy
- When all else fails, bounce
- There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on toys - the couch will do
- When you don't want to do something, just say "I don't know how"
- Blame the cats

As you can see, very little of this has anything to do with me. It doesn't help my sisters and me with our relationships. It won't help us rest. It contains no nutritional value. But they are lessons learned, and I try to learn something new everyday.

Now I'm going to work on my next lesson - outlasting a 3 year-old in a battle of the wills. I think I'm game.