Beauty and the Beast

I can't really remember where I left off. It's been such a tumultuous, hectic and generally busy couple of days. Friday D and I ran the girls around and then I took her to work. We picked up the girls from school and hit the road for Anchorage for a weekend at their NanNan's. It was the much anticipated weekend of Beauty and the Beast. I feel as though we've been talking about it for months now and it was suddenly upon us. The drive in wasn't bad and I got to see the sunset behind the mountains whose names I always forget. The girls kept asking the classic are we there yet while D and I enjoyed a nice adult conversation. Although you have to be careful what you say in front of kids whom you think aren't paying attention because they'll bring up the most minute detail the following day.

I don't think I slept at all on Friday night, between being sumo wrestled by the smelly twenty pound cat, the fact that I forgot my sleeping mask or that the couch is in the middle of the center of the house (redundant I know) and/or that their Nan Nan gets up suuuuper early.

We got the girls all dolled up in their fanciest dresses and hit the road for downtown. I hadn't seen much of Anchorage except for a few large shopping malls and of course Costco. The part of downtown I saw resembled much of the other nondescript centers that I've seen. All the same in their large buildings and criss-crossing streets.

We went to the performing arts center to see a live production of the musical Beauty and the Beast. All the little girls there were dressed up in their finest clothes or costumes from their dress up chests. The show wasn't the best production that I have ever seen but I always enjoy a live production. 90% of the songs were recognizable from the Disney classic movie and were well sung. Gaston looked a little odd and out of place but the rest of the cast was well suited to the show. There were some neat puppetry in the wolf attack scene and good choreography in the feast scene. The girls were entranced and sat patiently through the two and half hour production.

We had dinner at the local favorite Red Robin. I would have preferred somewhere local but I guess just like back home you settle for whats convenient and easy for everyone. I substituted a vegan burger in my wrap and didn't think twice about it. Then all of a sudden the manager comes out and asks who the vegan at the table is. I sheepishly raised my hand. He went on to tell me all the animal ingredients in my food and offered to sub them out. I've never in my entire veggie life had some one, let alone from a chain, offer food information. It was amazing, unlike my wrap.

Sunday D and I did the obligatory shopping trip to Costco and had to finagle it all into our already stuffed car. We're still having to do laundry at any one's house who will allow us. It makes packing the small SUV quite a challenge when you have four peoples dirty clothes that have piled up over 2 weeks. Plus add in Costco sized groceries and two car seats. You do the math.

The drive home was quite the contrast to the rather clear roads of Friday. There was zero visibility with blowing winds winding through mountains. D was white knuckled the entire way. We finally pulled into the gas station in Girdwood and called a friend to see if we could find some respite. Well we ended up "crashing" their small family birthday dinner. The weather report called for blowing gusting winds, zero visibility, icy roads and snow accumulation. Basically, they shut down the road. We were snowed in. Thankfully we were staying at one of D's close friends ski cabins.

In the past three months I have slept at more strangers houses than I have in the entire last year.  

Two of the lady's sons were in town to ski and the younger one was here for his birthday. They were quite the hoot and the girls had a blast with their two much older play mates. They served roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. I had roast potatoes and carrots.I cheated and had a delicious slice of Boston Creme Pie.

Since beds were in short order, I had the privilege of sleeping with Bear. It was another rough night of sleep. She spread out full eagle and I was left with a sliver of bed. Every time I tried to move her she'd go right back where she came from, sharp untrimmed toe nails and all. Did I mention the heat also went out? Did I also forget to mention I was awoken at 6:30 a.m.?

The drive home was much clearer and the roads were ten times better, for Alaska standards. We stopped for breakfast at the local bakery. Holy cow rip off city. D and I ate the stalest overpriced muffins of our lives. I'm a fan of breakfast pastries but I could hardly finish more than two bites and sip on the overly sweet apple cider.

Finally back home in Kenai I fed the girls lunch and sent them outside to shake off their cabin fever. Off to karate and crashing to bed.

We were back in the full thick of things yesterday:

Drop the girls off at school. Come home work out, clean the kitchen, eat, write, head out. Pick up Bean at school. Take Bean to a play date. Kill time at the coffee shop. Chat with a stranger about my "bubble wrap" skirt and pizza back home. Do some awesome people watching, including a lady going through some social crisis. Pick up Bean. Take Bean to the dentist. Meet D at the dentist. Run to pick up Bear early. Read some awesome parental excuses for their children being late on the sign out list. (Examples, busy morning, overslept, too tired.) Take Bear to the dentist. Take girls out to dinner. Eat burgers at the Mexican restaurant. Run to the grocery to get "pooping" fruit. (AKA prunes). Race to the ski trails. Look like an inverted pretzel trying to fully clothe two kids in the back of the car in full on snow suits. Fingers freeze getting Bear to her coach. Beans toes freeze. Drive Bean home who falls asleep. Clean up and unpack and wait for parents to come home.

Yes I was about to cry I was so exhausted.

A less busy day today. Amen.