NIT CHAMPS BAY-BEE (and learn to spell NIT)

So I pulled out some blast from the past photos for this blog since I don't have any recent photos of the kids in WVU gear. These pics are from a tailgate in Putnam County before the WVU/Marshall game (if you want to even call it a game). They have not attended a game yet except in utero but I think we're going to go for it next year. They're ready, they love to watch it on tv.


Now, onto the pressing topic- WE WON THE NIT! Now I know this isn't the national championship anymore, but it's proof we should have been in the big dance all along. Stupid selection committee. Look at the pathetic mistakes you made this year- Stanford in the tournament at all was a joke, they didn't even win 20 games and got ROLLED in the tourney (and they're in the Pac 10, please, UCLA is the only team worth a poo in that conference); then you had Duke as a 6 seed. What a joke. Duke was pathetic in Duke terms and played like a bunch of thugs most of the season after they figured out they couldn't win.

On another note, the idiots who made up the t-shirts spelled Virginia wrong. The shirts say "West Virgina 2007 NIT Champs." And us West VirginIans are the inbred hillbilly idiots. At least we can spell Virginia and know that West Virginia is, in fact, a seperate state.

Life as a working mom

Every morning you drag yourself out of bed, generally at least 30 minutes earlier than you need to be up so you can take care of any kid related emergencies or just get in some extra cuddle time. You make your kids breakfast while brushing your hair, taking care to give your daughter a swipe of lipstick from the makeup bag to keep her happy, and keeping your son’s milk glass full. If a miracle occurs and you actually are able to walk out the door with just enough time to make it to work on time, you peel your crying daughter off of you because she doesn’t want you to leave. You choke back a few tears, tell her you love her and that Nanny will have a great day with her, and you’ll be home soon, even though you know it’s never soon enough.

You fight the morning rush and barely make it to work on time, only to stare at pictures of your kids and wish you were home. You use your lunch hour to run and buy diapers, wipes, medicine, whatever you may be out of, while slamming down a frozen dinner because when do you have time to actually make a lunch? You struggle through a work day, trying to get enough done to prevent you from having to work that evening, and race home through numerous traffic jams. You’re greeted by smiling faces, the bright spot of the day, as you struggle in with bags, mail, etc. The kids “help” you change clothes so you can begin your second job of the day. You make an attempt to fix dinner with 2 kids wanting your attention or at least to both be held at the same time or to “help” with dinner and decide to scrap it til bath time in lieu of some play time. Your short hour of playtime is up, kids are stuck into the tub, you are running between the bathroom and the stove as you create something edible out of a frozen concoction from the fridge. Take kids out of the bath, put them into pajamas, get milk cups, lovies, binkies, etc. Off to snuggle on the couch. You then remember you haven’t eaten dinner but if you do it now you set bedtime back ½ an hour. Decide on cold dinner (again) and put the kids to sleep, sad because you didn’t have enough time with them. Eat dinner, and attempt to at least do the dishes, fold some laundry, run the vacuum, etc. Promise yourself that tomorrow night you’ll exercise. Make a grocery list for the weekend, check the calendar for this weekend’s activities, pray that somehow there will be an additional 10 hours in every day. Write out some bills. Do some work that of course didn’t get done. Promise that this weekend in between church, grocery store, shopping for birthday gifts, and general errands you will find time to work on the kids’ scrapbook. Figure out how you’re going to pay off your credit cards and how you can get out of paying your student loans back. If you’re lucky, watch some television and probably see yet another story on how mothers working is damaging children’s little psyches. Begin guilt cycle over again.

Fall into bed exhausted, ignoring the piles of clothes all over the bedroom. Pray that you can get at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep before starting it all over again. Promise that on the weekend you’ll go to bed at 8 to make up for the lost sleep time. Know that will never actually happen. Remember that you have a load of laundry in the washer that needs put in the dryer. Decide that you don’t care and leave it there, probably to be forgotten the next morning and needing to be rewashed. Make a mental list of the 10,000 things that need to be done around the house and promise that it will all get done the next weekend. Know that the list will never actually be completed in the next 25 years. Promise that next week you will be more organized. Laugh out loud at this proposition. Fall asleep, wake up to daughter screaming for pacifier at 1 am. Wake up again at 5 am when the alarm goes off and it seems you’ve been asleep for 5 minutes. Repeat ad nauseum.

But ain’t this worth it??

Tagged, darn it

First, some up close pictures. My son is a cheesehead. My daughter will not smile for a camera. She looks, um, "special" in her easter pics.

Darn you Kim! I’ve now been tagged so I guess I have to do it.

Four Jobs I've Had In My Life

Kroger Courtesy Clerk (fancy name for “bag girl”)
Foodland Deli (Don’t eat the ham salad)
DMV Customer Service Representative
Resident Assistant

Four Movies I Would Watch Over and Over

Pretty Woman

Beaches

Steel Magnolias

Shawshank Redemption

Four Places I Have Lived

Buffalo, WV
Athens, WV

Morgantown WV
Hurricane, WV (ok, I’m boring, I know)

Favorite Bands And Singers

Sugarland
Rascal Flatts
Brad Paisley
Martina McBride

Four Loves of My Life

Emma
Ethan
Michael (sometimes)
Fattening food

Four Most Memorable Moments

giving birth
Walking down the aisle
Passing the bar
Finding out I was having twins

Four of My Favorite Foods

Only 4??? Ok…
Peanut butter
Pizza
Cake
Tie- Mexican/Chinese

Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now

home
Any beach
Charleston SC
Boston, Mass

Since I don't know anyone hardly here on Blogger, and I know Heather will tag Jennifer, I'll post this on my MySpace too and tag Wendy and Amelia.

Go fly a kite...

So since this weekend was so lovely we were outside a lot. We made some attempts to fly the new Dora kite (a whopping $1 at the Dollar Tree- love that place!). It actually flies pretty well considering its cost. Here are the twinks attempting to fly it themselves.

The kite actually in the sky, thanks to Daddy.

Ethan flying the kite (with an attempt at help from Emma).
Ethan examining the kite...
Emma and daddy flying the kite.

I could not ask for more...

“These are the moments, I know heaven must exist…
These are the moments I know all I need is this…
I have all I’ve waited for, and I could not ask for more.” - Edwin McCain

We all have those moments in our lives, you know the ones. The ones you can replay in your mind, almost like they’re tape recorded there. When you’re having a bad day, you can go to those moments and feel almost as good as you felt at the time. I have several of those big moments: the day I found out I got a full scholarship to college, the day I got into law school (ok, so that’s not such a great one in retrospect but it was great at the time), walking down the aisle at my wedding, hearing my babies’ heartbeats, the moment I first saw each baby being held up over the screen in the operating room.

Then there are the little moments, those every day ones that just seem to stick with you. I remember so specifically holding my Minnie’s (grandmother’s) hand while walking when I must’ve been only 1 or 2. I remember getting up to bat in a game when we were down by a run, 2 outs, and our last at bat. I didn’t think I would get a hit, I knew it, and I did. Double to the right field gap. I remember dancing my first solo in a dance recital when I was 12.

This weekend I had one of those little moments that I will treasure forever. We were all playing outside and it was a beautiful spring day. You know the kind of day, the one that greater writers than me write poetry about. Ethan was giggling in his swing as Daddy pushed him higher and higher. Emma and I were rolling around in the grass looking for flowers. As I playfully tackled her and we rolled to the side, I looked at her little face and saw such innocent joy that it took my breath away. I will have that image and the sound of her laughter, intertwined with that of her brother’s, in my mind forever. It was one of those moments that cements itself into you, and that no one can take away. Even as I sit here now the beauty of it all brings tears to my eyes. I want every moment in their lives to be like that. If I could give them one thing, it would be as many moments like that as one lifetime can allow.

Forget all the other things I want to instill in my children- dedication, loyalty, a strong will, kindness, compassion, love, earnestness, a strong work ethic, a drive to succeed. I want them to have a thousand, a million, a billion moments just like that one. I want them to remember when the world was new, when love was all you needed, when you could find beauty in a backyard weed, when everything you dreamed of really could come true. I wish for them those moments when life can’t get any better than it is right at that second, and I hope I can be a part of those moments.

Mommy secrets

My mommy secrets:

I HATE “Goodnight Moon” and have hidden it before, but drat, we have two copies.
My kids love French fries and Pringles.
There is at least one toy in every room in my house.
I get frustrated if the kids are up past their bedtime because that backs my entire evening up. It’s all a well oiled machine, and if someone doesn’t cooperate it messes up the whole machine.
I put Dora on in the car to keep the kids awake if I think they will fall asleep and ruin naptime or bedtime.
My kids know way too much about way too many tv shows.
I always buy my kids 8 pairs of pajamas each so I don’t have to do their laundry more than once a week.
There are certain clothes the kids are not allowed to wear out of the house because they HAVE to look cute every time we leave.
The kids’ baby books are still not filled out, and their first year scrapbook is only 70% done.
My kids HATE Green Egg and Ham. I have no clue why but they won’t listen to it. Emma will close the book on you and say “End.”
I have actually considered putting them in a baby pageant at the local fair or festival but can’t justify spending the money.
I’m constantly afraid that my kids aren’t going to know enough when they get to kindergarten, but I have decided that my kids are not autistic finally.
My daughter may go to kindergarten with a pacifier for her naptime.
I really need to make the kids use a fork and spoon more. They have the ability but it’s messier and I’m lazy. Add that to the things they’ll be doing in kindergarten- eating with their hands.
I love it that I’m Emma’s favorite person in the world but hate it when she cries when I leave in the morning, so I put her in her highchair, give her breakfast and a kiss and run out the door while she’s eating.
Ethan went through an “I hate mommy” phase for about 6 months but thankfully he’s out of it now and I get my kisses back.

Twinkie bath time

Ok, along with my serious blogs I do a kid blog too so you people out there who are interested can keep up. I’m running low on pics so I need to take some more this weekend. Since it’s supposed to be beautiful I’m thinking a trip to the park is necessary. Kim, you and Sophie B wanna join us?

The first pic is Ethan in the bath. Doesn’t he look pleased to have his picture taken? He’s chewing on a turtle. We have all these turtles with shells that have shapes on them and different colors. They know all of their shapes pretty well and most colors now, but as you can see they are more of a chew toy than a learning toy.


This is Emma giving some speech about the letter she is holding (that is out of the picture, bad mommy photographer). I’m not sure why her eyes look dark blue in this picture, her eyes are actually light brown. Any ideas from you photographers out there?
I'm sure someday they'll be super pleased that I posted pics of them in the bathtub on the internet. However, I did not post the most nakey of the pictures. I'll save that one for their first dates.

Criminal excuses

Ok, I don’t blog about my job that much because frankly, a big part of it sucks. I do civil defense work, which I love, Plaintiff’s personal injury, which is all right, and some criminal defense, which is the bane of my existence. But, it does generally put me in contact with the, let’s say, most INTERESTING people. I’m not sure how this kind of person is created. We do appointments (which basically means people don’t have the money to hire a private attorney so the court appoints one to them), and so most of the people don’t have jobs. Now how do you exist if you are in your 20s and don’t have a job? I can’t even fathom that but I guess that’s why they need a lawyer. I’m constantly amazed at the able bodied young men and women who have no discernable job or source of income.

Anywho, the point of this blog was to give some of the better excuses I’ve heard as to why someone was arrested or commited a crime.

-I didn’t hit him, I threw a book and he walked into the path of the book and it hit him in the head.

-They gave me what I thought was an Advil and it knocked me out and the next thing I knew I was driving to the place where they wanted to break in and then they broke in.

-Well, my son stole these tools from beside a dumpster but everyone does it! (Uh, I don’t do it…but I guess that’s beside the point).

-those cops are out to get me. Look at my record, they keep arresting me for stuff. (stop committing crimes and maybe they won't harass you)

-He can’t remember who beat him up because he passed out so how are they gonna prove it was me? (scary that this is a valid point)

Don’t you want my job??

Boys v. girls

Just thought all you mommies out there with one child or children of the same sex should see this. Here is the difference in boys and girls. (I should stipulate that Ethan does love to read books, but he has to be in the mood or this is what you get) First photo, Emma and Daddy reading Ernie in "Too big for diapers." Here comes Ethan, so what's going on here people? I want to see!
I have to get really close now. Why is Emma taking the book away and laying her head on the floor like she doesn't want to see me come over here? Geez, sisters. They're always overreacting. I just have to get as close as possible to the book, sorry to crowd you out!
Time to pounce on Daddy! This whole scene was entirely too sweet for my tastes. Let's liven it up. (notice Emma has hauled her patootie out of here for this mess)
All out wrestling match. Remember when this was a nice sweet moment with Daddy reading to his daughter?

Personal responsibility

For once, a blog that isn’t about my kids. I’m gonna do some more pictures later but want to blog first. As most of you know, I am an attorney. I see first hand that most people take absolutely no responsibility for their actions. Everyone has an excuse or blames someone or something else. It’s very sad, really, but I guess at least somewhat that’s why I have a job. Now, don’t get me wrong, there ARE certainly people out there who have been injured, physically or otherwise, who deserve to be compensated for that. And there are people and companies out there who screw with the general public and deserve to be monetarily punished. But there are far too many people out there who just want money when they don’t deserve it. Some examples I’ve heard (people who’ve called our office): the woman who wanted to sue DNR because a deer ran out in front of her, she swerved, ran off the road, lost control, and wrecked her car; the woman who wanted to sue Beyonce because her husband heard her karaoking “Irreplacable” and left her because of it; the person who was involved in a single car accident and wanted to sue someone, until we explained he had to sue himself for his own negligence.

But my current example: the father who is suing Jack Whittaker (the dude who won 317 million in the lottery but says he’s now broke) because the son ODed on cocaine and died while in the company of Whittaker’s granddaughter. I have a lot of issues with this one. Yes, Whittaker gave her too much money for a teenager to be flashing around. Yes, he gave her anything she wanted with no regard for her true wellbeing. Yes, she eventually ODed also, probably because she had never had any boundaries. But NO ONE made your kid do coke repeatedly, not Jack, not his granddaughter. Your kid hung out with her because he knew he could score free drugs. I’m sorry, but if it was Jack’s fault, why wasn’t it the PARENTS’ fault for not keeping their kid away from Brandi? It’s very sad that two young people are dead because of drugs and an abundance of money, but no one made them take drugs. And no one intervened in their drug taking. But whose job is it to make sure YOUR kid isn’t using drugs? I think it’s my job, not someone else’s. Kids do stupid crap and unfortunately both of these kids died because of it. But that doesn’t make it someone’s fault.

Birthday wishes

So this morning I was discussing with Emma her upcoming birthday. I said, “little girl, your birthday is less than two months away, what do you want?” Her answer was an emphatic “Soapie!!!!” Thinking I misunderstood and she actually said she wanted a baby, I asked again, to get an even more emphatic SOAPIE!!! For those who don’t speak Emma, that means Sophie. So, Kim, since my kid wants your kid for her birthday, how much are you willing to let her go for??? Emma’s very good to her babies, as long as they are naked most of the time, so I hope Sophie doesn’t mind being a nakey baby. I think maybe Emma is currently associating everything birthday with “Soapie.” Either that or she wants a little sister. Fat chance.

Speaking of nakey babies, please see pics below. The first one is what I get every evening before bath time. Once part of the clothes come off, they run around like banshees til we can corner them to get them in the bath. Picture 2 is a picture of nakey babies hugging, isn’t it sweet??

Finally some pictures...

Here they are, some of my Sophie Birthday pictures. Sorry, I don't have an edit program on this computer, there is some red eye and they're probably blurry too!

First, the birthday girl checks out the toys (that's ethan in the background on Sophie's Pooh ride on) Ethan pulling Miss Sophie in her new wagon (Emma is in front nearly out of the picture)
The two princesses in the wagon, Sophie and Emma..."Dahling, this is the only way to travel." "I know, dahling, walking is so overrated."
Emma with her balloon, and Ethan checking out the ride...still!

I'll try to do some more tomorrow.

More random musings

Some day I’m going to remember to download pictures to this blog. I’ll try to add some later, but in case you don’t read Kim’s blog (see 3 Carrs link on the side) Miss Sophie B turned 1! It was great fun for all, especially those 3 feet tall and under. I am amazed that there were 5 one year olds in attendance and none of them cried at any point! Everyone played pretty nicely together, even though most are not around each other hardly at all. I was proud of my kids for jumping right in with the other kids. I sometimes worry that because they’re not in daycare or preschool that they won’t be social, but they don’t have a problem it seems. They jump right in at parties or at church and aren’t really scared. I was afraid they’d be the kids in the corner who didn’t play with any of the others but they’re not! Yay!

I’m considering preschool in the fall but not completely sold on the idea yet. I keep thinking, if I put them in now (I think it’s part time for 2 year olds but not 100% sure) then they’ll be in school for like the next 20 years at minimum. My other fear is that they might be bored. I really need to find the curriculum for 2 year olds at this school because my kids already know a lot of the stuff I think they generally teach 2 year olds, like their shapes, colors, body parts, etc. They’re starting to learn their letters, and Emma can recognize her name in writing already. I guess my best bet is to see if I can attend a day at the preschool and see what it’s about before committing. The last thing I want is for them to see school as boring and then not want to go.

On another note, I am constantly amazed at the words my kids know now. They pull stuff out that I had no idea they know. In the past few days, they’ve said scissors, bald, Slimey (Oscar the Grouch’s worm friend), shower, chicken (I knew they knew what this was but they don’t usually ask for it by name) and dip, all without prompting or simply repeating what I say. I was shocked mostly about scissors and bald. I’m not sure where they get it but we do explain everything to them, and name stuff that they see, so I guess the little sponges just absorb it and remember, then when they see a picture of a bald baby or see scissors laying on the island they know what they are. Now if it comes to repeating, they can say about anything now (including possum which Emma learned this morning). Kids are amazing!

More tales from Twinkieland

Some new tales from twinkie land today.

So last night while I’m making dinner Ethan pulls the pillows off the couch and proceeds to get up on the couch and jump off onto the pillows. He actually did a complete front flip once! I know, I should have stopped him after Jump #1 but I was sort of impressed by his ingenuity. Of course then Emma started, hers were more like belly flops. They actually were counting 1-2-3 JUMP and then jumping. Then, before I could get my camera, the inevitable happened. Emma “helped” Ethan jump, which made him overshoot the pillow pile and skid on the carpet. No lasting effects but lots of crying and kissing the boo boo. Bad mommy.

I also had an escaped convict after bath. Emma gets out and gets wrapped in a towel, then Ethan gets out. While I’m grabbing Emma’s pajamas (jam jams as we call them) she takes off running all through the house giggling. Ethan was thoroughly amused, I guess glad that one of them escaped the evil clothes. Finally I cornered her. You’d be shocked how hard it is to catch a wet little girl! My biggest fear was a runaway pee pee but we were safe.

Things I do not understand

There are a lot of things in the world I don’t get. Not that they’re bad, I just don’t get them. Maybe someone can explain any of these that they understand. So here it is, my list of “Things I Don’t Get.”

1. baby sign language- is it like teaching your kid a second language or is it actually for communication? I know a couple who did this with their kid- the kid didn’t talk for like 2 ½ years because of it. Seems odd to me, but then again my kids aren’t even 2 yet and they use over 200 words (yes, we counted the other day, I’m a dork).
2. why men want all offices to be about 13 degrees
3. people who don’t obey “lane ending” signs- do you think that you’re more special than the rest of us who merged or do you just not believe that the lane will actually end?
4. people who get on Weight Watchers and eat all of their points by lunchtime then say that the plan doesn’t work- duh, if you follow it, it works. Believe me, and my slightly less fat butt
5. people who say there is a teacher shortage in WV- why is it then that people can’t get a permanent teaching position in WV until they’ve subbed for like 3 years then? And why did so many people I graduated with go to NC to get jobs because they couldn’t get one here?
6. why I keep getting the same forwards over and over- you’re really not going to get a free Gap card for sending me emails, I promise
7. why my student loan payment comes out of my checking account on a different day every month
8. non-alcoholic beer
9. fake toenails- really, what is the purpose? Do people want long toenails and can’t grow them? It just doesn’t seem the same as fake fingernails but I have seen these things, they do exist
10. most importantly, why is the cake in the kitchen calling my name right this very minute??

Positive Thinking and American Idol

Good morning. I’m over my hissy fit of yesterday. I’m trying to comfort myself by thinking there has to be a REASON I am where I am right now, and at some point a wonderful opportunity will come my way if I stay positive. So that’s my focus right now. Positive thinking. I’ll let you know how that goes.

On another note, I generally don’t watch American Idol. I sort of lost interest the year Fantasia won, and have only watched bits and pieces since then. Well, during the commercials of To Catch a Predator (I know, I’m obsessed with that show, I blogged about it on MySpace before), I flipped to it. The only person I saw was Sanjaya (sorry if that’s spelled wrong but you get it). Now I did see him in his auditions initially, and while he was all right, he shouldn’t have made it this far in my uneducated opinion. He was like high school show choir level, not American Idol. Yet he is in the top 12. Well, last night he was terrible. The judges didn’t even know what to say, so they told him they liked his hair. That’s pretty bad. How did he get that far? That’s why I stopped watching, because people would get to the final 12 who weren’t very good it seemed.

I’m just mad that stupid AI has disrupted my evening television viewing, because they’ve moved House and I can’t even find Bones anymore at all.

In closing, just let me say GO EERS! You got hosed out of the NCAA tournament but we’re gonna take the NIT crown!! (stupid Stanford and their 18-12 record in the PAC-10, I hope you lose first round)

FRUSTRATED

I am having a stressful afternoon and I am blogging about it. I am so upset right now that it is so gorgeous outside, my kids will soon be waking from their nap, and I’m stuck in a windowless office typing on a stinking computer rather than preparing to go outside with them. Argh. If I could just take ONE DAY OFF without it being the end of the stinking world I would love that. One day. The earth will not stop spinning on its axis, the judicial system will not collapse. Oh how I miss my old bosses who wouldn’t freak out if you decide to cut out early one day every 3 months or so. But that’s a sordid tale for another blog. If only I could convince Mike and Cheryl to start their own firm…

I know the gut reaction from some people (I’ve heard it repeatedly) is just quit working. I wish it were that easy. I wish I didn’t have a mortgage and student loans and a car payment and credit card debt and a need for health insurance. However, none of this goes away if I quit working. I still owe almost $49,000 in student loans that are there forever until I pay them. I still have a house payment and utilities every month. I can’t just downsize my car since I owe too much on it. I have to have health insurance and since mine is free when I work, and my kids are about $300 cheaper through my work than Michael’s, I have to work. People who think all working moms are selfish evil wenches who work because they want to just don’t get it. Who is supposed to pay all of those bills? Granted, Michael makes good money but double every bill he has and we are broke. I have estimated that per month it would cost Michael an extra $3000 to support the whole family, because he’d have to pick up our insurance which I currently pay, my car payment, the entire mortgage, utilities and other bills, my loan payment and my credit card bills.

If anyone knows of a job out there where I can work less than 60 hours per week and have medical coverage, please call me! Bonus if you actually can take a day off without donating a limb.

Non-toys and birthday dilemma

What is it about non-toy items that make them so much more fun than the gazillion toys in my house? I just don’t get it. We now keep all of the diaper boxes because those are the greatest toys ever. However, what is so fascinating about laundry baskets, unused trash cans and step stools? I’ll never understand it but I’m no longer shopping in the toy section; I’m going straight to housewares for the great Twinkies Turn Two birthday.

My kids are now into playing King of the Mountain on the step stool I purchased so they can reach the sink to wash their hands and brush their teeth. It inevitably ends up in tears though as one pushes the other one too many times. Last night Emma was standing on it and Ethan was systematically dismantling the kitchen trash can lid, and she looks over at me and starts telling me to sit down, and pointing her little finger down like I do when I tell her to sit down. I asked her if she was the mommy now and she said yes, so I told her that was great and she needed to get a job to pay for her own diapers. I’ll let you know how that works out.

The current great debate in my house is to have a birthday party or not to have a birthday party. Now, I spent too much money on last year’s party, even though I think the twins’ party will pale in comparison to Miss Sophie B’s upcoming extravaganza which rumor has it will feature a 2 tiered birthday cake. I don’t want to have those kids who have a party every single year and make all the other mommies think they need to get gifts each year, but they’re not old enough for Billy Bob’s or Chuck E. Cheese yet, so I’m stuck. Only family or invite some little friends? I can’t decide.

Anywho, I’ll see some of you at the party this weekend!

old pics

Here are some of my favorite pics from last year- the kids' first swing excursion...

weight loss and my kids' country twang

Whoo hoo! It’s finally happened. People are starting to notice that I’ve lost weight. Thank goodness, and it’s about flippin time. I’ve officially lost 19.6 pounds but I’m calling it 20. I think I have that right.

It’s kind of funny because I worry more about my clothes than what I weigh. I have some “test” clothing that I keep trying on to determine what I’m losing. My “test” khakis now fit comfortably. My fat clothes from before I started this are now too big and I can’t wear them. My jeans that were so much too small that I couldn’t pull them up now pull all the way up and fasten, although you won’t see those on me for another few pounds. My test skirt is within about 3 pounds of looking good. The best part about this diet is that I certainly haven’t adhered 100% to it, more like about 90%, and it still works! I’ve had several people lately comment on the loss, so I’m pleased. However, I need to start working out and get some weight off my hips and legs, because I’m losing it other places and I need to get the booty down.

On another note, I played with the kids outside all weekend. It was great! If I were only a photographer I could have captured the weekend but I’m not unfortunately. If so, you might see pictures of us swinging, going down the slide, attempting to fly kites, throwing and kicking balls, taking walks and meeting new kiddos in the neighborhood. Anyone out there want to start following me around with a camera??

Oh, and another cute story: Emma now plays her baby piano and sings twinkle twinkle little star. However, her version goes like this: Tinkle tinkle staaawwwrrr, tinkle tinkle stawwwwrrr, complete with random piano notes. I swear my kids’ Boone County roots have popped out and they’re 3 generations removed. They also say “liiiiiigghht” and “iiiiiccceee” in a very country twang. I have no idea why as no one I know says light and ice in that manner.

Here’s a cute Ethan story to end this entirely too long blog: We’re teeter tottering with a kid on each side and mom and dad pushing up and down. Well, I have Emma and she actually holds on, so I’m just holding the seat to move her up and down. Michael fails to hold onto Ethan and I keep saying, hold on E, hold onto the handle. Right as the teeter totter reaches its apex down he falls, flat on his face. I expect a huge scene and missing front teeth, but he rolls over and says, “whooooaaaa” and collapses in a fit of giggles. That boy has no sense, and lacks the ability to feel pain.

TGIF!!

Good afternoon lovely readers! It is such a beautiful day I’m trying to figure out how to drug my workaholic boss so I can slip out. *Cough cough* Do you think he’ll believe I’m sick?

So I was watching this show the other day and thought “I should blog about this.” Does that make me a loser? Anywho, the show was about Siamese twins who are 16. OK, I think the proper term is “conjoined.” I have to say, they were AMAZING. Isn’t it wild how much humans can adapt? These girls have separate heads, hearts, and most organs but go to 2 legs and have 2 arms. One controls a leg and an arm, the other controls the opposite leg and arm. They write at the same time, and type better than I do. They have to have some type of psychic powers to be able to type together! Imagine trying to sit with a friend, and you type with the right hand and they type with the left. Also, these girls can DRIVE!!!! They were taking their drivers test soon. They also play softball. I was just in shock the whole show. So, when you think you’ve got it bad one day, think about how much those girls have overcome.

How’s THAT for a guilt trip??

I am a bad friend and I love HOUSE

I am a bad friend. I try really hard not to be, but I am just a bad friend. I forget birthdays often, and even when I remember, I forget to send a card or call. Or I go to the trouble of buying a card and then forget to mail it. I have a stack of unsent cards at my house. My oldest friend Tasha still hasn’t received her Christmas present. You’d think after being friends with someone for 15 years we could manage to get together sometime in the month of December and exchange gifts. Sad.

I’m also bad at returning emails. I save them in my inbox, and they beckon me to answer yet I always forget, then when I remember I don’t have time. And I hardly ever talk on the phone anymore unless it’s necessary.

So, to all my friends out there, I’m really sorry! I do love y’all to pieces but I just stink. I resolve from here on out to do better.

Side note: happy belated birthday to my friends Cheryl and Sara, who don’t even read this blog. It’s the thought that counts, right?

Now, onto something else…House was soooo good last night. I even sat through the last 10 minutes of AI just to wait for House. I am obsessive about that show. I have Season 1 on DVD and want Season 2. This comes from someone who thinks that having TV shows on DVD is stupid. House is clearly the exception and I am in love with Hugh Laurie. Hey, you! Stop laughing! He’s hot! I don’t watch Grey’s or Gilmore Girls or Desperate Housewives or any of the shows people often obsess over, so give me my House. And Bones is back on tonight! Whoo hoo. Stupid American Idol kickin my good shows off for 3 weeks and then after this week for 2 more weeks. But another new episode March 27! My calendar is marked!

Lessons learned as a mom...

I decided to do a blog today about the lessons I’ve learned as a mom. I’m sure you mommies out there can add to this as well, so here goes:

1. if you think something is out of reach, it isn’t. Move it another 2 feet above where you think the kid can reach and maybe you’ll get lucky.
2. Screaming loudly when you see your son has pulled a knife off the counter will cause said son to drop said knife and if you’re quick you can grab it before any arteries are severed.
3. Kids are virtually indestructible and will find numerous ways to prove it in their lives.
4. Kids will always learn the names of the bad foods you give them way before they know how to ask for healthy food, so by the age of 21 months they will repeatedly ask for chips, pizza or fries for breakfast but grudgingly settle for Cheerios, toast, eggs or fruit.
5. Every small round object looks like a grape, and a cherry tomato will always be repeatedly mistaken for a grape until the child in question bites it and spits it back at you, then gives you the stinkeye for 10 minutes for giving the child such a horrible thing.
6. Rubbing your tongue must get nasty tastes (like tomato) off of it when you are under the age of 5.
7. I am immune to the stinkeye.
8. Never let them out of the highchair in a restaurant or it’s all over.
9. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is a Godsend.
10. A 34 inch little girl can climb up on an approximately 4 foot high bed like a spider monkey, gripping the sheets, but cannot climb down without falling when trying to carry BunBun the lovie, a sippy cup, a bracelet and a blanket.
11. There will always be a missing sippy cup (usually full of curdled milk) and a missing paci.

12. There is some weird vortex out there full of pacis and cups. And one sock in every color.
13. Panties seem like a good idea until the explanation that to wear them you have to use the potty comes.
14. Little boys don’t give a hoot about underwear, even if you pay over $2 a pair for them and they’re emblazoned with Elmo, Cars and Diego.
15. A 21 month old little boy is practically an engineer when it comes to figuring out how to open any bottle or container in the house. And subsequently emptying said bottle or container into the floor, including shampoo.
16. Carpet doesn’t really matter. I suggest you plan to replace it when the kids turn 20.
17. The smell of puke will never come out of a carpet, no matter how many times you scrub it with numerous soaps and spray it with Febreze.
18. Anything in the house can get fingerprints, including but not limited to: windows, stainless steel refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, televisions, walls, baby gates, china cabinets, doors…
19. Popping Dora into the DVD player cures all the ills in the world but there need to be more Dora/Diego combo DVDs.
20. A little girl who has lost her pacifier in the middle of the night could wake the dead, but not her own father.
21. The age of one is not too young for kids to begin screwing with their parents, like turning the TV off right at the good part of a show.
22. There is no such thing as going to the restroom alone anymore.
23. Kids love to be naked.
24. My kids have a bigger wardrobe than I do, yet I still find myself drawn to the toddler section of every store.
25. Getting an unsolicited hug or kiss is the greatest feeling in the world.
26. My house will never be clean and I don’t really care.

A cry for help from Lovey Bear...

Hi! My name is Lovey Bear and I’m a blue bear head and arms with a blanket body. I’ve hijacked Andrea’s blog today because I have an issue that needs spoken about. I’m thinking of starting a petition or maybe even a support group. My issue is….lovey abuse.

Yes, that’s right. My name is Lovey Bear and I’m a victim of lovey abuse. My best friend Ethan loves me very much, but he is not so nice to me. I’m often carried away in his mouth, and sometimes I’m caught in a tug of war between my best friend and his mean old sister, who carries around this stupid pink bunny who looks remarkably like me. My arms are nearly stuffingless and I have a bright red stain on my forehead. Every once in a while the big one called “mommy” sticks me in hot water and I get swooshed around with a bunch of smelly baby clothes. I get stepped on, layed on and worse, drooled on, on a regular basis. I don’t get to eat, but generally have to sit right by Ethan and get crumbs dropped on me. My manly silky lining is starting to pull and fray, and I’m sure that my ears are loose. All this because I’m a good friend, and keep out all the boogymen at night and fight off the monsters in the closet.

Friends, it’s time to band together against lovey abuse. I’m going to pass out pale blue ribbons in support of my cause. Please join me in stopping this abuse once and for all.

losing focus...

Do ya ever just lose focus on just about everything in your life? I am at that point right now. It’s like I’ve developed ADD for adults. I only wish it was ADHD, I could use the energy of some hyperactivity. I can’t focus on anything at work for more than a few minutes, and the same thing with household chores, my diet, etc. I’ve lost about 18 pounds so far, and it’s starting to show a bit, but I’ve slacked some in the past couple of weeks. I think I need a vacation. Ok, I do need a vacation. I haven’t had a day off since New Year’s day, and had to work most of last weekend. I’ve just been exhausted.

On a random note, I’ve been looking at some people’s blogs, following links from my friend Kim’s blog and then through those blogs to other blogs. Many of those people are wonderful with cameras and are either amateur or pro photographers. The one thing I don’t get though- why do so many people edit their photos so much? Like I saw one photo of a little boy with blue eyes. In most of the shots his eyes were just blue. But in one of them the mom (I think she was his mom) had photoshopped the kid til his eyes were this strange electric blue and his cheeks and lips were strangely red. Why would I want a pic with my kid all altered? Seems odd to me. But then again I’m a crappy photographer and will not invest in photoshop for my sad pics.