Thursday Thirteen #3

13 Good Things that happened yesterday 1. I found something to wear that fit, and matched (sometimes hard when you haven't done laundry yet after a road trip)! 2. Even though we woke up 15 minutes late (neither of us remembered to set our alarms), we made it out the door at our normal time. Thank you, ready-made lunch items like Starkist to Go and bananas! 3. I promised myself a Non-Fat Peppermint Mocha for the commute and ....oh, sorry, got lost for a minute in that fluffy cozy memory.... mmmmm.... 4. I had one scheduled conference call with a client at 2:30, and it ended by 2:50. No complications, logical progress on their project, kind people. 5. AJ saw Santa Claus at school, and for the first time, didn't cry when put into his lap! In fact... 6. AJ TALKED to Santa Claus. I know this because he told us ALL about it later, at dinner. "AJ, what did you tell Santa you want for Christmas?" I asked. "I tell him I want TAN-DY. Ayy NEWWWWW Pay-Doh! Ayyy.... Buzz, ay Woody, ay Yesse (Jesse)..." He went on and on, and was so excited about talking to "Lanta." Apparently he finished his visit with, "Bye-bye, Lanta." This conversation was without a doubt the highlight of mine and my husband's day. 7. I made a delicious dinner in the new stove -- celery/wine baked chicken breasts. I used 98% fat-free cream of celery soup and light sour cream, which achieved "delicious" yet remained not too sinful. Served it over whole wheat pasta, with a salad on the side. YUM! 8. AJ helped with the salad. 9. AJ also managed to play by himself for about 10 minutes. Can I get an AMEN!! 10. Bedtime was a breeze. (I have a friend who's having a lot of trouble with his 2-year-old at bedtime. Poor things. They're all losing sleep, and not agreeing on how to tackle it, and it just sounds very unpleasant. I'm not immune to future bedtime struggles, I'm sure -- AJ already knows how to stall for time -- but so far, we've got a system that works and I'M GRATEFUL.) 11. Despite a headache and general post-8:00 laziness, husband and I put lights on the Christmas tree. (Without any bitching!) 12. We discovered one of our 5 strings of lights is half-dead. This is good why? Because I get to go to TARGET today to replace it! Mwhahaaa-ha-ha-ha. 13. I fell asleep on DH's chest, comfy cozy in our pillow-top, perfect bed. We love our bed. :) And remembered to set an alarm for today. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. http://www.mommy-inc.com/ 2. http://www.danno.org/blogs/ 3. http://dibookblogetc.typepad.com/my_weblog/ 4. http://westofmars.blogspot.com/ 5. http://karlascrazylife.blogspot.com/ 6. http://joelysueburkhart.com/blog/ 7. http://addiesramblings.com/ 8. http://greggdigressions.blogspot.com/ 9.... (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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You needed me

We returned from my parents' house on Monday evening, whiny toddler in tow. He'd been unusually fussy about "wann' go bye-bye" when we left Florida that morning, then when we pulled into our garage 6 hours later, it was all tears and "go bye-bye?" again. I think he was confused. We're definitely having a whining stage. And traveling is hard. (Hi: I've mastered the obvious.) I can deal with that.

It didn't stop us from having a good vacation. Six days! I didn't realize it was going to be six full days, but man, was that nice. Time with the family, lounge-around days, no plans whatsoever... it was heaven.

Except.... along with the whiny, I get the clingy. Do you? Man, does my kid NEED ME. After a few days of it -- don't get me wrong, I love vacation and getting to be with him, but! -- I was about ready to jump out of my skin if I had to let him "help me" do dishes, or go to the bathroom, or clean out my closets, or go to the store one more time. He's so funny. I'll say, "AJ, I'm going to the potty, I'll be Right Back." And he immediately pops up and declares, "I come, Mama," as he runs to catch me. My Mom was kind enough to encourage me, saying that even though I get "a break" when I go to the office, once I leave there and pick him up (on typical days), it's all-him all-the-time. She made me feel normal about being tired of him, is what I'm trying to say. Even though I'm not a SAHM. And I needed to hear that. So thanks, Mom. :)

Mom also told me that parents can't play with their kids too much. I worry sometimes that I'm making myself more of a playmate for AJ than a responsible (disciplinarian?) capital-P Parent. But she said don't worry.

It was our first Thanksgiving without my Grandmother, and I didn't realize that it was Mom's first dinner party since the funeral in August. We got teary about that, and of course it was strange not to serve Grandmother's one pretty glass of wine, or take her home after the evening was over. Husband very keenly observed that my Mom's having to adjust to not being needed as much as when Grandmother was with us. She absolutely took care of everything for Grandmother -- she was Relied Upon. And now that's missing from her daily round. Ironically, that was one of the things Grandmother talked about in her recent years -- she wanted to feel appreciated and necessary, and often didn't. So I'm thinking of you, Mom, and want you to know how much *I* need you. (See above.)

Interesting that the same theme drifted in and around and through the holiday for both of us.

We had some great moments at the piano. AJ was truly in awe of my cousin Tom, who plays. He would sit on the bench with him and wiggle his little bottom in time to "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Come Here, Santa Claus." Maybe you know it as "Here Comes." A musician in the making, perhaps? Or at least some to-be-treasured musical memories (and videos) of holiday time, which every kid definitely needs.

Good bye... and... hellooooooo!

(anyone get the Broadway musical reference? (one of my favorites) ...anyone?)

I have to admit I got a teensy bit wistful as they wheeled the Old Craptastic out the back door. It was the oven that baked my very first turkey as a wife and mother. Awww. The one where I boiled baby's bottles. (Once.) Other than that? ...nothin'. Take it away, boys!

The new stove rests peacefully, stainlessly, in its new home. I'm sure you're all THRILLED (that this story arc is ending). It will be used, I'm sure, on many a Thanksgiving to come. But for now, it has 5 days to sit and prepare itself for maximum daily use, while we escape to my mother's house. Oh, get this: I now have a broiler pan! (Yah, didn't have one.) I have an Oven Light! Pretty dings (instead of limp-sounding '80s beeps). A quiet fan! Okay, I'll shut up. It's just so exciting!

Step 1 on the path to holiness

Today I hopped over to one of the first blogs I ever discovered -- everyone say hello to the darling Summa Mamas -- Hello! -- and took a quick run down their long and distinguished blogroll. Catholic blogroll, y'understand. This is where I often go when I need a good dose of canonical instruction via the Internet. Lo! (to use a Biblical term) There I appeared, ON the list!

And then my face turned a little bit red.

I am so NOT devout. I'm honored to be on their list, but a little embarrassed if any of their other regulars come here and read me... literally, ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ad nauseum. (At least I do know a little Latin, heh.) Some of my favorite posts certainly happen when I get really inspired by the love of the Holy Spirit, which can come into your life and just positively SURROUND you, if you let it.... but there's been precious little of that here lately. I haven't taken any time to look or listen for it. I guess my excuse is that there has been a lot going on. And when you set weight-loss goals like I have this last month or so, a lot of times that trumps all other endeavors because it REQUIRES so much time and energy. I'm not trying to become a diet-blog, just trying to share my feelings about it... Not to mention work, household nonsense, and those all important MEMES! But when isn't there "a lot going on?" Like Gilda said, "It's always something."

Anyway, there is more to me than counting calories and making wish-lists. In the spirit of being more open to the Divine Uplift, I've claimed this blog for kindness. (See it down there on the right? I'm a big kid now, I have a badge!) I also hope to share more goodness here. To seek it out, and witness it. It's there, in the world... you just have to make it your business to see it. I haven't combed the archives so I can't promise that everything I've ever written here has been kind... but going forward it will be. It's the right way to be. It's a start.

(Thankfully, a bit of snark is still allowed. I looked it up. Hee.)

I Love Potluck.

For all my big talk about dieting.... I sure am cavorting around here irresponsibly with Tres Leches cake in my hot little hand.

It's just a TASTE, I swear. A nibble.

And there's fruit on top. Virtuous!

Thank you, appliance gods

Saturday, I was fully expecting a day of driving all over town, comparison shopping (one of my least favorite activities of all time), and general malaise at having to spend That Much Money.

Instead, we arrived at the first appliance store, walked in, saw it, On Closeout, for $1200 less than what I had seen online as starting prices. !!! Holy DEAL, Batman. The 19-year-old sales girl was pleasant and surprisingly knowledgable. Our stove was just sitting there, EXACTLY the model we wanted: JennAir, downdraft, slide-in, 30-inch, ceramic cooktop, black-and-stainless (which is awesome because I couldn't decide between them). Dingdingdingding! We have a winner. The end.

My family will welcome the return of actual meals on Wednesday morning between 9 and 12. Christmas comes early for me! I never knew how much I'd miss cooking. Even my harried-mother facsimile brand of cooking. :)

Bullets

• I keep sneezing. I bet my coworkers are fed up with "Bless you."
• DUDES. I just got really nervous thinking about Turkey Day, which really should be called "Side Items Day" because who cares about the turkey when there is sausage dressing, green bean salad, sweet potato cass., pecan pie, WINE & cetera??! I think the health plan is doomed.
• Perhaps a nice, long walk sometime that day will help.
• Perhaps suspending all calorie-counting in honor of our ancestors.
• Hrmph.
• When I want to Get Something Done (esp. for work), I want to DO it and be done with it. Not wait on others. Rrgh. CALL ME BACK.

He could handle it.

I was talking with my nurse a couple days ago -- the CNP is who I usually see -- and she was asking about our plans for a second child. Of course she told me about *her* 3 kids, and how the spacing worked for her: 3 and change years apart and hers weren't necessarily close, she said, as kids... but it was fine. AJ would be old enough, she postulated, to want to help with a baby and not be overly jealous.

Welllll... she obviously doesn't KNOW AJ (wink), but I think she's mostly right: He'll be fine. I thought more about it afterwards and said to myself, if anyone can handle it, he can.

And that in itself, was a neat thought -- his overall spirit is pretty darn strong. He knows he's loved. He knows what's what. I watch him at school and, yeah, some of the other snot-nosed punks kids pull on him and take his toys, but that's just kids. He may whine but all it takes is an "AJ, it's Joe's turn now," and he's fine. One girl was hugging on him this morning -- for 5 full minutes. I could tell by the way he looked up at me that he was kind-of thinking, "Mom, couldya get her off me?" But he stood there and played along. "Whatever" seems to be an attitude he can embrace, and that is a good thing.

We're so blessed that he's a good kid. Looking back over the past few months I'm surprised to report we haven't had very many breakdowns or time-outs (we've definitely had a few, don't get me wrong). No public moments of humiliation or interrupted meals. Wait... Church is a different story -- he DID have to be removed from Church once. But he knew he'd gotten in trouble. He feels that -- he seems to genuinely respect us and want us happy with him. I think we're doing an okay job showing "disappointment," not "angry," at the tough times. He's still missing all of his canine teeth which means there is definitely some grumpy-bear yet to endure. But he's generally willing to listen to reason, when he needs to be Talked To. "AJ, I know you want that candy right now, but it's bedtime... let's save it and have it tomorrow, okay?" "Otay, Mama." I think he GETS IT. That's pretty cool for a toddler.

I'd better quit while I'm ahead. No need to blatantly call down the wrath of the Universe. Just suffice it to say it's been a good run here lately.

Sister Love

I've been calling my sister out this week, since she went to Malaysia and didn't tell me. :) But she is not rotten. She is my favorite. :) She and I can be separated by miles and many miles, but still feel as close as when we shared bedtime stories and giggles. I love to remember that for many years, she and I wouldn't sleep apart -- we'd go kind-of in phases -- three or four weeks in her queen bed, and then 3 or 4 in mine. Something comforting about having your best friend there with you in the deep dark quiet of night.

And OH, did we have fun! And by that I mean, argued. ;) Before we fell asleep, I "breathed too hard" and annoyed her, and when she'd tell me that, I'd make her feel pretty bad by saying "WELL I HAVE TO BREATHE." Then *huff off and turn over.* It's funny now because I've grown overly sensitive in my adulthood, even to my own breathing, and especially at bedtime. If, for instance, I feel my own exhaling hit my bare shoulder? I FREAK OUT. Must cover up shoulder with sheet immediately.

It's special to have someone you'll tell your dreams to. Who'll trade back scratches with you. Who doesn't kick the covers off, unless you're conspiring to kick them together. Who'll turn off your lamp after you've fallen asleep with the book still open on your chest.

Sister love is one of the very best kinds. Happy Love Thursday, Beansy! And safe travels!

More Love Thursday here, here, and here. Spread it! Tell someone you love 'em.

138.5

One of my new daily reads, Mel, calls this "dieting naked." Putting the ACTUAL NUMBER out there for all to see. You'll notice, perhaps, that it has gone down again, from the last time I gave an official count. This is slow-going, but nevertheless, a victory. Begone, 1.5 more pounds!

I was about ready to give up 2 days ago. Was sick of the Halloween sabotage -- because we STILL have a Ziploc's worth of mini chocolate bars -- was sick of the feeling of failure as the scale stayed firmly at 139.5 -- was sick of logging calories and having to log "chips and salsa" AGAIN, because I sometimes just can't resist 'em... But a loss of even 1 pound can make you feel better again. Motivated.

I'll tell you something: I am not very fat. Thanks to having a husband who knows what to say when I'm looking in the mirror with my head cocked to the side, wondering, I know I don't HAVE to be doing this. However, with a height of 5'1", my position on this chart could certainly be improved. So that's what I'm working toward. Better habits. More control. I think a lot about society, and the kinds of jobs we all have now, versus the kinds of jobs people had up until this modern age, and how we've got to MOVE ON PURPOSE since we don't by default anymore. It must be funny to the ancestors looking down on us from heaven. Washing clothes with a washboard, hanging them on a line, rolling out pie crust dough, carrying cast-iron pots to the well water spigot, walking over to the shed to get a few onions... all that worked just fine, back in the day! Now we don't do any of that stuff and it shows. So we rack up our 30 minutes and use our dumbbells (wonder if the name is significant? It's DUMB that we had to create weights to push up and down, in order to use the muscles in our bodies!) and we steam our broccoli. It's all good.

Want to get healthier? Here, start with my favorite resources.
http://fitday.com/
WebMD Diet/Nutrition boards (I post on the 10-25 pounds one -- it just helps to have a community to share the ups and downs)
Great recipes! I may have to subscribe to this next year.

------

I went to my annual doctor's appointment yesterday and let me tell you, being in there brought on all kinds of memories of weekly visits. It made my ovaries tingle a little. Waaaaant. And I'm babysitting a teensy infant tonight. Just so you know. (to heck with getting skinny, what I really want is to get fat!) :)

FRITZ

Or, why I won't be getting any right-hand ring

First off, I just received email from my sister entitled "Hello from Taipei!" WTH?! If *I* were going to be traveling to Taipei by way of Kuala Lumpur (which I wouldn't even know about if it weren't for The Amazing Race), I would have TOLD ME about it. Why is she there? Is she a spy? Is she doing some really crazy Christmas shopping? Is this a 2nd phase of her postponed-so-it-could-be-more-wonderful honeymoon?? W.T.H.? Bring me a t-shirt.

** ** ** ** ** ** **
My whole house is on the fritz. I almost just said "f-ing fritz," because that is ABOUT how fed up I am with the whole thing. In fact, last night when the straw actually broke the camel's back of appliances, I gave hubby a fed-up look that could have stopped an army. And it is SO not his fault. I am sorry for that look, Hubby.

BUT LORD HELP IF I DON'T GET SOME NEW APPLIANCES IN HERE WE ARE ALL GOING TO STARVE, AND THEN GO AROUND IN WET CLOTHES, AND ALSO NOT HAVE ANY TOAST.

You remember when the dryer moaned and sputtered, yes? We never did replace it. It's limping along. We haven't started a fire yet. But that would have been a relatively painless replacement -- we saw some fairly decent dryers for about $300 all total. Didn't buy 'em. Hello, Lazy.

Saturday night, DH and I baked our cake, right? Wellllllll.... just after taking it out of the 400-degree oven, we recevied a series of warning beeps and an LCD display of "F - 1.... F - 1.... F - 1...." Indicating something wrong. Much like something ominous on Lost. This had happened once before, when our neighbors were over for dinner actually (NICE), and my neighbor got down on his hands and knees to fix it, because DH and I were standing around glancing quizzically at each other, like, "Hmm, what'd'ya think we should do?... Huh, did you say something?..." So Neighbor unplugged the oven to stop the beeping. We plugged it back in an hour later and all was fine. Fast forward 9 months or so, and same thing this Saturday, except in MY trying to unplug it (why did I have to be the take-charge female?) I got SHOCKED!! I've never been shocked before but WOW. Felt like a jackhammer. I crawled back out from under there and asked hubby if he had seen that bright light? In my super-buzzed state, I thought I'd caused a real electrical storm but really I just dropped the flashlight. Heh.

Then LAST night while I was trying to bake a pizza? Beeps again after a couple minutes. Mal. Function. &@!(!~^&fricking fracking. (Grilled pizza is delicious, btw.) I went to plug it back in this morning just now, just ONE last try. Immediate BEEP BEEP BEEP. F - 1. So... screw it. I'm done. I'm calling the JennAir place this week. Yeah, it's a JennAir. The kind of stove you just can't go to Home Depot and replace. *0%-@&!aaaghaaaahh. WOE is me and PITY me.

This morning I also put an English muffin in the toaster. Turns out the left-hand 'elevator' doesn't work! Ha ha!

Maybe we should just move?

Here's how the weekend's shaping up.

Seems like I have a lot of to-dos coming up. I'd better write them all down or I'm likely to forget.

Friday (tonight):
Sit and talk about Christmas lists with Hubby. (Lists for OTHERS. The Spirit of Christmas. Because you can only be selfish before so long before your heart starts to pickle.)

Saturday:
1. AJ. Haircut. (My turn this time, not the professional's.)
1. Napoleon to the vet (DH).
2. Clean bathroom floor (the one out of our three that I never did get to back then).
3. Laundry.
4. *Cantor 5:00pm Mass.* (this is the one I feel like I might forget)
5. Bake a Cake. Hubby wants to do this together. Maybe there will be some flour-flinging or frosting... making a mess. :) I myself am also looking forward to some Ginger and Jack, because the frosting recipe calls for Jack, so it'll be out on the counter already. Score. :) So to speak.

Sunday: sleeeeeep in. And maybe some Christmas shopping?

Monday: work from home

Tuesday: doc appointment 8:45 a.m., then work meeting 10:00.

Wednesday:
1. Work from home.
2. Bake cupcakes for coworker's birthday party (it's my month).
3. Babysit for a friend who has a 4-week-old baby girl. Eeeeeeeee! Can't wait to hold her. ....Oh, wait! insert above:
2.5. Pack small bag so I can take AJ with me to friend's house for the first hour or so, 'til DH gets home. (LeapPad, books? snacks, CapriSun, 3-4 diapers because you KNOW that's when he'd choose to have multiple big poops, all 45 of his DVDs in case of potential screaming fit that wakes the baby because he just HAS to watch ...whatever one he comes up with...)

Thursday: Don't forget to take the cupcakes to work.

And then it's the 17th, and the following week, work will have our Thanksgiving potluck so there'll be more cooking-and-communting, and THUS! begins



THE



HOLIDAYS (dun, dun, duunnnnnnnnn)...



...and it's a good thing I worked Christmas shopping in there THIS Sunday, because there will inevitably be MORE evening and weekend activities -- ones for which I might need real OUTFITS, no less -- pretty much non-stop, until January 2nd. And my in-laws might be coming. HERE. To my HOUSE. For Christmas. So if you don't hear from me every day? ...there's why.

(SOoOO glad I decided against NaBloPoMo. Good Lord!) November? Are you kidding me?

Thursday Thirteen #2

Thirteen Things I want for Christmas, by el-e-e Or, My Most Spoiled-Brat Post Ever. In boolean logic, think of these as "or'd" statements, not "and-ed!" 1. Tommy Girl perfume. I used to wear this -- when I first met DH, actually -- and haven't in some time, but I love it. 2. Starbucks. I want Starbucks. All of it. Heh, just kidding. I want Starbucks gift cards. Seriously? I think I want this most of all. I adore, and am loyal to one drink only: non-fat no-whip toffee nut latte. (I also like that new Maple Macchiato, but HELLO? 500 calories. That's the non-fat version!) Anyway, I think I will also be purchasing these for AJ's teachers, the girl who cuts my hair, etc. 3. Barnes & Noble gift cards. Mom and I always say "If I could pick one (or a few) stores and have $1,000 to spend there..." I'm not looking for a cool grand this Christmas, just a little something to put in my pocket. Books are my favorite. :) 4. I'm looking for a new cookware line. I don't need the whole line, but maybe a small skillet or saucepan in Jamie Oliver's T-fal, or something similar. I'm pretty sure it's unhealthy to cook in non-stick pots that are flaking on the bottom. 5. Lenox - soup bowls, dessert plates, or serving dishes in my wedding pattern. Sigh. So expensive. So pretty in my china cabinet. So hard to serve a meal on them, with no serving dishes. If you're into that kind of thing, here's my pretty pretty pattern and I LOAVVV it. (Sometimes I truly think the most fun job in the world would be in Macy's housewares/bridal registry. Just to be with all those pretty things all the time.) 6. New watch. No brainer, just something from the 35-dollar case at Target would be fine. I'm bored with my watch. And it's scratched all to heck. 7. (Wow, I really am starting to feel selfish here...that was the end of my 'official' list - the one I shared with Mom. But continuing on!) Hubby said he'd get take me to look at right-hand rings. Eeee! I really love that idea and YES, he should get me jewelry instead of a gadget. The last few years it's been gadgets. (wonderful ones, like my iPod nano, but still.) 8. New jammies/comfy pants. Not flannel, though, and not fleece. 9. Of course I hope someone gets me something from Bath and Body Works, 'cause that's just standard. 10. Ditto Yankee Candles. I almost always get one or two votives. 11. World Peace, of course. 12. No traveling. I really, really want AJ to be at his own home this year, so Santa can come down OUR chimney and eat OUR cookies and he can be awed at the magic. 13. Snow. I know for sure I won't get this one, but it would be SO COOL if there was a weather fluke and it happened. Talk about magic! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Amy 2. Chaotic Home 3. Beth 4. CJ 5. uisce 6. caylynn 7. she 8. miranda 9. debby 10. karla 11... (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Shopping in my basement

Yesterday I went on a brief shopping tear, looking for two things: new Thanksgivingy home decor, and jeans for AJ. I found none, and none, but when I got home I was in the basement putting away the Halloween knicky-knacks and lo and behold! I found a box labeled "2T-3T Fall/Winter."

larry, I love you. Thank you for having 3 boys before me. I now have a solid base of long-sleeved shirts, a couple of pairs of denim overalls that fit, about 4 more warm jammies than we had before, and more. I had completely forgotten this box existed.

Wish I had one for me! But this means there's more money in the budget for my winter wardrobe. Which is good because the sweater I'm wearing this morning is positively 3 years old and becoming an embarrassment.

* * * * *

So the dieting thing can be such a delicate freaking balance. I've been counting calories now for 3 weeks (this is the start of the 4th), and though I've slipped up on occassion, overall I've been within the range of 1 pound should be coming off each week. However, there's very little change on my bathroom scale. BIG changes in my attitude and definitely making exercise a habit, which are successes. And I know not to focus on the numbers. But dammit, if I'm sacrificing Ro*tel dip, I'd sure as heck like a little measurable reward out of it. So I'm readjusting today, lowering my intake by about 100 calories. Hopefully that will help. Also? Halloween candy is The Sly Enemy, just so you know. Hopefully my sealing it in a plastic bag and locking it in a dark closet will shut it up.

Dash off a post

I was desperately looking for a writing prompt or a fun meme to do this morning, to get my brain working here before I have to prep for a conference call and another meeting later. I found nothing. What's the deal? Is the Internet taking a day off?? Instead, I will share with you six random things about me today.

1. I found my list. (A 3x5" memo that had mine and hubby's Chrismtas wish lists** jotted down in pencil. Was worried that it had been thrown away and that all the things I WANT would never be recalled again!) It was in my jacket pocket. This is what happens when you only need a jacket once a week or so.

2. My nose runneth over. I can't get control of my sinus cavity these days. I take Claritin or Sudafed every day, and still... sniffly-snufly. It's worst from about 4:30 am 'til I wake up. Miserable.

3. Yesterday I did Pilates again and today I am .... NOT sore! not one bit! Perhaps this means the muscles are developing, hooray! Or perhaps it means I did not FEEL THE adequate percentage of BURN.

4. Afternoon shopping at Target can be made EVEN BETTER (hard to believe) if I get a Toffee Nut Latte and AJ gets a Snack-Size M&Ms to enjoy during the trip.

5. My friend Ann keeps trying to push her 13-year-old daughter on me for a babysitter. I'm being Nervous First-Time Mom, (still! 2 years later) and refusing her. Does that make me irrational, or smart? The girl, to be fair, has a 1.5-year-old brother, so I'm sure she's well-trained. She's also taken some sort of YMCA babysitter certification. In truth, she's probably better qualified than me. But I don't know.

6. I'm wearing a bright orange turtleneck, cream-colored pants, and black shoes/belt, and my hair is not following orders this morning.

**btw, Sis, Mom... it's TIME. :)

Wake up and understand him

It isn't always wine and roses. It isn't even always easy conversation. Sometimes love is a quiet dinner, when something - she's not sure what - is on his mind. Love is not asking. Love is letting him be. An evening spent apart, him in the office (basement) balancing the checkbook, her on the sofa, waiting to fold dry laundry.

Sometimes she forgets to snuggle up to him before saying good night, because in the time it takes him to go downstairs and check the locks, she's already fallen asleep.

Sometimes he's still a little withdrawn when he wakes up in the morning. Love is knowing it's okay. Love is being perhaps the one happy thing he can count on today. Smiling for him instead of sliding down with him. Carrying the hope that he'll be able to smile at her, when dinner comes around again tonight.



No picture today, Found a perfect photo, and happy Love Thursday all the same. :)

Reporting from Romper Room

...and the streets of our neighborhood...

In typical fashion, I was overcome... at the sight of someone ELSE's kid! Didn't even require my own! When the first PreK'er marched across the daycare lobby in the annual KidsRKids costume parade, my weakling eyes felt that prickle of little tears! Can you believe it? I am a sentimental freak. AJ cried when he saw ME (like his Mama in so many ways), so I got to march in the 2nd half of the parade -- he grabbed on and wouldn't let go.

Costumed kids -- at least twelve Spidermen, 5 Batmans, 2 Thomas the Tank Engines, a frillion Disney Princesses, and 1 Darth Vader -- are delicious and squishy-sweet, better than gum drops. After the parade, I hung around the classroom and helped AJ get over the fact that I might leave sometime in the afternoon. He was visibly concerned. I sat on the floor and became his classmates' human jungle gym -- once again, overcome... or perhaps more accurately, overrun. Kids love, for some reason, to CLIMB ON ME. Especially Meghan. Not sure if that means I would make a GOOD or a BAD daycare teacher. Heh. Not sure if I would want to, but... maybe. :) It's not a terrible way to spend a day. Sure beats databases.

I learned that Ms. M leads the kids in a little blessing-song before they eat lunch. I AM SO GLAD OF THAT! Who knew. I guess it's a private school, she can do what she wants. It's to the tune of "Frere Jacques:" God our Father, (God our Father), once again.. (once again..), we would like to thank you, (we would like to thank you), Ah-ah-men!, (Ah-ah-men). So sweet! The kids all sang it with her. (And now I know why AJ likes to sing Ah-men! so much.)

His other teacher, Ms. R., happens to live in our neighborhood and we ran into her and her family several times last night on the Trick-or-Treating adventure. Very cool -- kinda feels like a neighborly friend caring for him, instead of some random stranger. The whole "it takes a village" idea, which I love.

The Trick-or-Treating couldn't have been more fun. AJ was extremely chatty when a door was opened to him, performing his "Tick-oh-teee," telling each neighbor how he was Blue, and Daddy is 'Teve, and Mama a kitty-cat," and then wagging his little blue tail on command. He broke HEARTS. And managed to score quite a bit of c-a-n-d-y. So funny, his bucket got very heavy, but would he let us carry it? "NO." The neighborhood fire truck was out again with all its bright lights and honking sirens. The bigger kids get a kick out of riding on it. Maybe next year. We asked AJ if he wanted to, and it was another decided "NO." Oh, I never loved Halloween as much as I do as a parent!

Did you have fun? Did you open your door, or turn off all the lights? Did you take your kids out or relish the quiet by sending your spouse? Tell me tell me. :)

Room-Mother

I took the day off work today in the hopes of a) SAVING one of my 15 vacation days that the company promises are "really, really, no kidding for-true" going to be DELETED at the end of this year, (and what kind of unfair crap is THAT?), and b) attending the Halloween party so I can see AJ as "Blue," parade around the front desk with all the other freaks and ghosties and goblins. My coworker squealed and said, "Oh, fun! Are you bringing cupcakes??" CUPCAKES. Now that would have made sense and been very homemade of me... except you can't bring anything chocolate. And who wants non-chocolate cupcakes?! So I signed up for chicken nuggets. At Chick-Fil-A, you can get a "small" platter of 64 nuggets for just $21.95. That's pretty scary right there. Twenty bucks!

But for this one time, it's totally going to be worth the price to see those funny 2-year-old kids. I'm a Room-mother! It's not something I think of for daycare really -- there's not a lot of "volunteering" in my daycare reality, because I have things to do while the kid is there. And those things occur far from the school so I can't just pop over there for recess duty. I'd like to, but can't. Room-mothering, field-trip-chaperoning, bake-saling on a Wednesday... aren't things I envision being regularly available for in the future, either, if I'm still working. But they are a great way to spend my superfluous (and disappearing!) vacation days. So, a revelation for the working Mom. Take a Day Off. Not for you, for them. (And you.)

AJ had a bit of tummy trouble last night, alternately being crampy and gassy, and having some serious poops, once they arrived. Poor kid's bottom was all red, and now that he's able to express himself, he'd announce it. "Mamaaaaaa! My boddom hoots." Whimper, whimper. It was so pitiful. We treated him to gentle diaper changes and that wonderful brown cream, and he slept through the night just fine. When he woke up this morning, I asked him if he felt better. "Me all bettoo now... Me happy now, mama. Me not lad."

So it's a Happy Halloween, thank goodness. :)

Growl, hiss, and ka-boom

Perhaps the angsty dreams were in direct response to real life after all. There's a relative annoying, unexpected to-do list item I had conveniently suppressed UNTIL FIVE MINUTES AGO when I just remembered: after daycare today, I am supposed to gather up AJ and bop on over to our neighborhood retail appliance store during the almost-rush-hour, procure a brand-new dryer, and thus achieve our household's downy-soft laundry incentives.

Because last night at approximately 9:21pm, we heard a very loud and disconcerting "GGRrrrrggggggudueujjkkkll7sshhhhhh" coming from the general laundry vicinity. It was our dinosaur of a drying machine, abruptly halting avec burned-rubber-aroma, in the middle of Permanent Press! (Or else it was an electromagnetic ka-boom.)

Truthfully I was frightened when I first heard it, then "Hooray'd" its demise. That it has survived this long -- my Dad donated it to me when I was first out of college, and he'd gotten it used for my Granny, I think, several years before she died in '93 -- is a small miracle. I think Hubby even installed a new heating element in one of his first handy-man acts of our relationship. ANYWAY, I am not looking forward to having to schlep out to Best Buy tonight. Ergh.

Tell me about your mother

You know it's bad when you dream you've experienced a gigantic electromagnetic discharge explosion a la one of your favorite TV dramas.* I dreamed it took place while my car was in a parking garage that was bound to collapse, but I went back to the car, anyway, reasoning that I HAD to have my cell phone (in case Husband was going to contact me - this was a natural disaster, after all, and he'd try to contact his loved one). Once I got there, I realized I needed my cell phone charger, too (as if the electromagnetic charge wasn't enough!) as well as my iPod and various cords and attachments for it. Why all the devices?! Don't know. Next scene, I was running up and down and all around the elevator banks of some decorated-in-metal-and-mirrors hotel, unable to find the correct floor, with a group of girls from high school. It was Heidi's bachelorette party, of course. And poor Heidi, having to suffer through the post-trauma of the aforementioned event, all the while trying to enjoy her wedding (and her 1 carat, heart-shaped pink diamond, eww).

Crazy. No more chicken and rice casserole for dinner, I guess. Who knew.

*Lost, by the way, is really starting to piss me off. All questions and no answers makes Jack a dull boy.

Well now! That was fun!

DAY-um! That was a lot of commentary from you Internets! Thanks bunches! I think I like the Thursday Thirteen. Might have switch off between it and Love Thursday, both such worthy causes. ALERT! CRITICAL DECISION-MAKING HERE: I WILL DO BOTH LOVE AND 13 THURSDAYS. There. The world is so much better with my weekly lists and nonsense.

But... actually, isn't it? I mean, don't you find it comforting that the interweb is becoming this lovely social meeting ground where everyone is accepted, immediately? (Instead of a gigantic billboard, like it was in say, 1997, with flashing yellow UNDER CONSTRUCTION signs and everyone's local business having a single flat PAGE that basically was a glorified phone book?) I mean, that's the first time I ever did that particular blog exercise, and poof! There I am on Technorati like someone important. And random people came to see, and said nice things about me! When does that happen, in real life, by strangers? Hardly. Ever. There are no restrictions on who's allowed to blog and who's not. There's no credential required. I found a whole new gaggle of folks yesterday who're out there, being friendly, living their everyday lives with purpose and goodness, and trying to find the humor in it all... it's just a bit of a phenomenon. Warms the cockles of my little heart. I think it's amazing, some of the extra-nice things the Internet has done.

Only thing is... um... I've REALLY got to get some work done today. I started it yesterday, but convinced myself that if I didn't want to be bored TODAY, I'd better save some. Heh. I am pretty convincing. Besides, my shower needed a good scrubbing and the garbage needed taking out, and I kinda enjoy making it *seem like* I'm Super-Woman.

My first Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things I could eat for Breakfast this morning (around 300 cals each, I think) by el-e-e 1. 2 pigs-in-a-blanket, 1/2 banana 2. instant oatmeal, apples & cinnamon of course, 1/2 banana 3. 1 english muffin, toasted, with light cream cheese and tomato slices (probably my favorite breakfast of all time. 4. 1 scrambled egg with salsa 5. 1 Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie (I mean, uh, did I say that out loud? Whoops.) 6. 1 piece of white bread, toasted w/ lo-fat peanut butter 7. 1 slice of banana bread and warm coffee. Actually, all of these would need to go with warm coffee. 8. 1 apple w/ lo-fat peanut butter 9. 2 Publix brand (freezer-burned, most likely) waffles, toasted with apricot jam 10. Fruit Loops and skim milk. AJ eats a little snack of dry Fruit Loops and Craisins EVERY morning while we're getting ready for work/daycare. Some days they smell SO good I can hardly stand not to have some, myself! 11. 1 slice bacon. The end. (I recently bought the "already cooked" kind! Have you tried that? It's pretty easy. Hey, the hubby likes his bacon and eggs on Saturday mornings, I HAD to do it.) 12. Couple of pieces of French bread I got at the bakery yesterday (5-grain! Good for me!) w/ lite butter and jam, just like breakfast in Paris. 13. Six M&Ms and 4 candy corns (another of AJ's fave snacks). Just kidding. (But they're peanut ones, so... protein!) That got harder there toward the end! But I actually DO have all 13 of those options here at my house. Kinda rare to have so many! HEY! Why don't y'all GUESS which one was the Actual Retail Breakfast this morning. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. http://slacker-moms-r-us.blogspot.com/ 2. http://www.imperfectchristian.com 3. http://justtug.blogspot.com/ 4. http://practicalchick.blogspot.com/ 5. http://chaotichome.blogspot.com/ 6. http://caylynn.blogspot.com/ 7. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Smell that delicious dust in the heating unit

Mmmmmmm.

I'm skipping my workout this morning. At least, I'm skipping it until 8:00, and then if I feel like it, I might get my shoes on. It's near freezing outside - possibly the coldest Oct 24 has ever been in recorded Georgia history - and I want warm coffee and a toasty breakfast first (light versions of cream, cream cheese, etc., of course). My scale was teasing me this morning in the weekly weigh-in, blinking to 139 and back to 140.5, blinky blinky. Cheap piece of crap.

It's one of those mornings where you just CAN'T drag out of bed; it's too painful to leave your warm cozy nest. (It's no coincidence they call it a "comforter.") You have to call on all your resolve, and fight with the muscles that have somehow atrophied or... died during the night. They moan and creak when you force them to move. And then you remember you did a big ol' Pilates section yesterday. Owww. Dadgum, that V-sit is killer.

In other news, because I'm sure you've had about all you can stand about My Belly, I think we're skidding into the slow November/December lull at the office. It's a cyclical business and this is usually the season where we can take long lunches and not worry about it. But I'll tell ya, some days sitting in the cube, watching the Internet go by, wondering when the next scrap of work will come in, you sure do wonder what in the world ELSE you could be doing with your time. It's one of the things I like about my job, as well as one that I don't like. Maybe this year I'll try to be productive and learn some new software, or something. Or maybe I'll spend some vacation days and reacquaint myself with Macy's and Bath & Body.

Ooh, Christmas list! That could keep me busy for a while...

Love Thursday

I love the idea of Love Thursdays - of posting about, capturing with a lens, spreading and sharing what love is. Clearly, my cup overfloweth.

It's still kinda rare that AJ and his Daddy get to spend quality time together. There's just too much work in this life. But bedtime is the exception. Bedtime is stories, both made-up and on the page. Bedtime is cuddling. And jumping. And the warmth from his hot little head. Bedtime is colors, and numbers, and characters, and remembering the day with gratitude. Sometimes bedtime is fussing, too. No toothbrush. More stories. But Daddy - bless him - is calm and humble even when AJ says he'd prefer Mama tuck him in. Bedtime is all of us. Bedtime is love.

Read more Love Thursday.

As of today

Hey, how are you?

... that's good. Yeah, me too... enjoying this weather. Mm-hmm.

...what? Oh! How nice of you to say that. YES, asamatteroffact I HAVE LOST WEIGHT.

ONE pound, to be exact. A package of ground beef's worth. A jar of spaghetti sauce. A large Velveeta. IS GONE FROM ME. I guess you could say the diet (stupid WORD) is going well. :) I'm not feeling (overly) deprived, although I do feel some hunger late in the day, before dinner. Hunger is good -- it means it's working. But last night I had 2 chicken drumsticks, FRIED ones, and green beans and Stove-Top Stuffing, and felt pretty darn satisfied with that. And stayed within my calorie limit. In the beginning really, it's calories in versus calories out and NOTHING MORE. Sure, as you get good at counting cals you start to want to refine other things, like your percentages of fat to protein to carbs, your sugar intake, etc etc. But for now, just limiting portion sizes and paying attention to what goes in my mouth makes a great deal of difference. I've done this before (lost weight) and I remember that's it's sorta FUN even, to try to balance In vs. Out and make the numbers line up just right. Maybe it's the same brainwave that made me enjoy algebra in high school.

The working out, too, has made an enormous difference in my outlook. Yesterday I got the heart REALLY pumping. This will sound silly, but I just love working out in my house, all alone, with only the dog watching me. (He is concerned for my mental health, I bet. He watches quizzically.) It's embarassing to admit LOVING Denise Austin's workout shows on LifetimeTV, but during the commercials I will run around the first floor circuit (this is where a house with good "flow" is quite helpful) or do step aerobics on the bottom stairs, and it's just fun. And goofy. And a little goofy can go a long way, sometimes.

I keep waiting for a President to name Denise Austin the chairperson for the President's Council on Physical Fitness, like Ah-NOLD was that one time. Maybe she's been asked and turned it down because of being a mom (and having her own very lucrative stuff already going on). Maybe she doesn't want to give up working out in the Turks and Caicos 3 times a week. I sound like an ad for her and I don't mean to. But I do think about the (primarily) women that she's encouraged to "get up off the couch;" women who might otherwise have felt fat, depressed, unlovable, even hopeless, and I gotta give her a high-five for that.

One pound in one week = perfect progress toward my Christmas goal. The goal is 132 by Christmas -- 132 being my "happy weight," the number where my body seems to rest easily, within the "Normal" BMI. Today, I'm at 140.

Easy, Breezy Recipe What-day?

That's right, Tuesday. Because we had this for dinner last night and it was so yummy I cannot wait until Thursday, before sharing it with you, my darling readers. Also because I can't compete with Love Thursday, and if I could remember to take out my camera once in a while, I'd even post a Love picture and participate.

Anyway! YOU GOTTA TRY THIS Crock-Pot gem. It is super-duper, even-my-monkey-12-year-old-could-do-this easy (old office joke). It comes from Southern Living, so it's gentle and homespun yet at the same time, polished and nouveau. Er, something. :)

Loaded Potato Soup
4 lbs. new potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch slices
1 small onion, chopped
1 (32-oz) box chicken broth
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pint half-and-half
Toppings: shredded Cheddar, crumbled bacon, chopped green onions

Place sliced potatoes in lightly greased 6-qt. slow cooker. Top with onions. Mix salt, pepper, and broth, and pour over (it won't cover the potatoes). Cook on HIGH 3-5 hours or until tender. Mash with a potato masher to desired consistency, then stir in cream. Simmer on HIGH another 20 minutes or until heated through. Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Y'all, this is bar none the best crock pot recipe I have. Filled us up, warmed the tummy, easy clean-up. Not even THAT bad for you, if you go easy on the cheese and bacon (or use turkey bacon and lo-fat chs). [Hee hee, I just typed lo-fart.]

Anyway, make this. It's suppertime GOLD.

...and you smell like one, too!

Our trip to Zoo Atlanta -- a photo essay.

First stop, Flamingo Oasis. Because they're so pretty and graceful and... uhhh.... honey, do you smell that? Okay, WHOA. That is an unpleasant combination of poop and bacteria. And what is that pungent background stench? Bird B.O.? *gag reflex* Who knew flamingos stank so bad?! Lordy! (This was AJ's favorite exhibit. We came back twice.)

Yeah, this fragrance is better. Dirty sheep.

Too bad he wasn't blue like "GOAT!" (Vincent Van Goat). Still, AJ was intrigued.

Here's where the mood threatened to go to Hey-yo. AJ did NOT enjoy the carousel. And it WAS circling pretty darn fast, as you can see. I thought these things were minimum-impact rides. !

Luckily, comfort comes easy in the form of Sunchips. (Let's get outta here!)

Here we go, an actual exotic animal. Don't get up, though, Mr. Kangaroo. No, no, don't trouble yourself. :)

It was actually a fantastic day. Happy family time. This past weekend, too, was as sweet as a spoonful of marshmallow creme. We planted our pansies (hooray, winter flowers!), burned the stick pile in fall-bonfire fashion, attended a party where apples were bobbed-for, and breathed the clean, fresh air. Sometimes I really think THIS IS THE LIFE.

Gratitude Friday

I am grateful that it's Friday.

I am grateful for McDonald's coffee. $1.12, people. That excellent price plus the mile-long line at Starbucks this morning equals ME & RONALD being best buddies again.

I am grateful for health and fitness, having a plan, having a goal, and for feeling good about achieving it, 5 days in. Here's hoping the weekend doesn't derail the whole endeavor!

I am gratefully liking the Blogger beta. I had fun playing with it yesterday. What do you think? It'll take me AGES to categorize all my 419 posts. I'm doing them little by little. It was also hard to come up with the categories! I'd like to find an appropriate, permanent picture for my profile. I've searched my photos and can't quite put my finger on what I'm looking for, but good hair would be nice, and actually, I don't want a smiley photo because I just don't feel that's really who I am most of the time. I don't want to stage something either, because that would be silly. So we'll see. But it's fun to evolve!

I am grateful that Applebee's has curbside service, and corn dogs.

I am grateful that it's Friday. Did I already say that? ....Who even cares if it's the 13th?!

Fresh ground blog

Dudes, I've taken the plunge. Even cheapskates like myself want to have fancy features on our blog, so we're upgrading. Hold my hand, I'm scared! It says I can NEVER go back to my old alpha ways. Be on the lookout for Labels! Categories! And a new template (aaack)! Technology is such fun. But it just can't sit STILL.

Catch ya on the flip side.

Edited to add: Oh, I guess I don't have to choose a "new" template. Cool. 'Cause I'm pretty much in love with the barbie-pink, even when it sometimes burns my eyes. 8^|

Driving in the slow lane

My one friend from Alaska visited here a couple of years ago. I picked her up from her hotel and drove to dinner, an activity during which she said, "Can I tell you something honestly? You Atlantans are CRAZY drivers." I'm sure she's right, in comparison to Alaskan drivers. I actually think MOST drivers who are non-elderly have this bad habit: immediately trying to pass when we come up behind someone going the speed limit or less. I usually do this, myself. (I don't think it's necessarily crazy, but it sure is impatient. Indicative of our society's impatience for everything.)

Yesterday, however, I got behind a Geo Prism or some such and could NOT get around her. Too many cars behind me, doing the same thing. So I waited it out. I was feeling especially aware, I guess, and said to myself, "You must be exactly where you're meant to be. Behind this person, going slower than you'd like -- there's a reason for it. There could be a wreck developing up ahead that if I went faster, I'd be involved in." You just never know. (Maybe I had that thought because the night before, Husband had declared, "You were almost widowed today," proceeding to tell me about a semi that ran the red light to Husband's left, at our office's trepidatious intersection. (THANKS for that spectre of an image, dear. Thanks a really lot.) Turns out DH was also aware enough to put on his brakes, and the offending semi flew by without killing anyone. Obviously.)

Anyway, it was a good reminder to know that we're always exactly where we're meant to be, whether we're in the fast lane or stopped in our tracks. I try to keep that in my head but it's not always easy. Like yesterday morning, at one moment in a work meeting where the discussion was all, "action-scripting and betweening for Flash and blah-de-blah database-cakes" and I wanted to GOUGE MY EYES OUT. At least I was meant to be there.

---

Three days into my "diet" -- such a mean and terrible word -- but I'm still doing it! Today's not a workout day, but I decided I could still do the OTHER model diet behaviors, like drinking water. Which I am. I even packed a lunch last night, in preparation for today! Woot! I've felt really good about myself (Group HUG! Self-Esteem Class dismissed!) since I'm managing to stick to it. Last night? I RESISTED dessert after dinner even though I was HONGRY. I had no more calories left to eat, so I was not allowed. Not even an M&M. (Well, okay, six 7 M&Ms. But that's next-to-nothing for cals, so I still RAWK ON.)

---

Heh. I've always wanted to say "blah-de-blah something-cakes." A la amy. Some people talk so cute. :)

Starting off right...

ROARRR! Hear me? I just worked out. Aww, yeah. 7:00 am babee! I was hittin' it hard. Well, not really hard, just some lo-impact aerobics and hurts-so-good pilates with Denise on LifetimeTV. But I intend to do a 2nd session (!) later in the day when my butt is tired from sitting in front of the computer for a few hours. It's hard being a girl sometimes. The Last Ten Pounds should be the title of a book they give us in 6th grade after all the other girl-talk, because it seems like we're bonded for life with that topic. Up and down, down and back up. As if ten little pounds makes us better or worse. (At least our husbands promise to love us either way!)

It cannot be that hard to workout 2-3x a week. LORD, help me to do this! Monday morning. Tuesday morning. One day on the weekend. Easy, right? So that is once again the plan. Plus all the Wiggles dancing I can handle. Can YOU point your fingers and do the twist??

This is what happens, of course, after a weekend with house guests. :) My parents were here and we ate... a lot. But Saturday we also took AJ to the Zoo! It was a fantastic day. He liked the flamingos best, followed by the elephants and giraffe, I think. The very minute we got to one animal, he was asking, "What next, Mama? Let go hee homething elt." But that's good, I guess -- when you take a small child to the Zoo, you only have limited time to see it all. He was working in our favor, really.

I'm quite grateful for such a nice weekend. Despite the fact Husband had to work on Saturday morning, and therefore we were driving separately the whole day -- I really missed having him in the seat next to me -- it was a beautiful day and lots of fun. Then on Sunday morning we went to the park with our neighbors and AJ enjoyed the slide about a trillion times. He was scared to try it at first (the tall one), but after his inital anxious trip down with Mommy, he was hooked and took it on all by himself. That small bit of independence, with the breeze blowing his hair all the way down, looked great on him. His laughter was pitch-perfect. :)

For a Monday, I guess I'm feeling pretty damn good.

Not in My House!

Oh, dear, this is unfortunate news. I hope my husband doesn't see it because it just ISN'T TRUE:

Psst… Chicks Dig Technology
via wired
Reuters 07:15 AM Aug, 02, 2006

Diamonds are no longer a girl’s best friend, according to a new study that found three of four women would prefer a new plasma TV to a diamond necklace....The Girls Gone Wired survey of 1,400 women and 700 men aged 15 to 49, which was conducted by market researcher TRU, found that given the choice, women would opt for tech items rather than luxury items like jewelry or vacations....

Seventy-five percent of us are CA-RAZY, is all I have to say. I'll take your diamonds.

All work and no play?

Last night the husband and I were discussing the State of our Lives as we cleaned up from what we thought was Dinner, but what AJ thought was the Olympic event of Soup-Sloshing. Quite a mess -- which closely paralleled our discussion topic. We were both lamenting yesterday's decision to try to sell our precious little 6-game-Saturday package of hockey tickets. The one we hemmed and hawed about buying in the first place, but finally reasoned that it could be our one Thing -- our REASON to get ourselves out'da'house, since we'd PAID for it and all. (You know, like the gym membership? "If I PAY for it, I'll use it." Cough, cough.) But, after careful babysitter planning gone TO HELL -- I'm talking 3 babysitters renegging for this ONE game -- we just said "Forget it." Not worth the hassle.

People, if my husband is willing to give up on being a season ticket holder for hockey? It. Is. Serious.

So let's just chat about extra-curriculars for a moment, here. I got on the bandwagon early in life, as we all did, knowing we'd have to fill up that college application with plenty of Involvement... so you volunteer, you explore your talents and interests, you participate in things. PLENTY of them, as many a parent of school-age kids can attest. We've passed this habit of extending ourselves onto the next generation. (A topic we don't even need to get into, but one I'm sure you've heard about.)

But when you're a young parent of a baby/toddler/preschooler? It's not so much about YOU anymore. It's about them. As you know, a few weeks ago I decided to quit the church choir -- for lots of reasons, but the main one was that pesky 4-hour-a-week commitment-thing. 2 hours rehearsal, 2 hours prep and Mass on Sunday mornings. Um... well, sometimes I'd rather go on Saturday night. And sometimes? I'd rather sit with my family at church. So no, those four hours, I decided, were mine. I took 'em back.

I've kept 2 things on my calendar: my book club, and my performance choir. I almost think it's too many, but I don't want to lose the precious few girlfriends I have in book club, or my hard-earned sight-singing ability, either. DH does his fantasy football league with some friends. But that's it. No other clubs. No volunteer hours on our books. No committees. And now, no commitment to hockey. We'll buy a pair of tickets once or twice during the season, for date night. But just not a multitude of games. For us and our work/life schedules, this is plenty.

Some parents might disagree. (What? Parents? Disagree with each other? You must be joking!) They might argue that being involved and passionate and active is a good model for the kids. I agree with that, but just... not yet. Not while he's two. (Definitely not if we had more than one under 5!) I know it seems I'm advocating a complete sacrifice of self, like stamping a big "IGNORE" on your own desires and plans.

Yes. I am. And I'm totally cool with that, for now.


P.S. I realize we could just opt to take AJ with us to the hockey games. *chuckles to self, shakes head* Ohhohoho. That is a good one.

Favorite words and phrases.

Kid-tested:

Diapooh.

"Mama, what I got?"

"Mama, why me do dat?"

BIGAND'TRONG!!!

"Pees, I have 'pecial tweet?"

Wanna race?

Dooo. (As in, "I do!" AJ's standard answer for every question. Are you hungry? "Dooo.")



For Grown-ups, by grown-ups:

Craptastic.

RiDONKulous.

"Or you'll know WHAT FOR."

Brilliant.

"My name is Grumplestiltskin." (courtesy of Mir)

Fancy-pants.

Designers, make it work.

"If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." (courtesy of ME)

Life milestone

Today, for the first time, I am employing the classic pencil-eraser-as-earring-back technique.

I think I'm a real woman now.

Easy Breezy Recipe Thursday

I have had a really hard time finding Banquet Fried Chicken in my local Publix. Boooo for that. But once I find it, I am totally making this easy breezy recipe. It was one of my Grandmother's staples. It reminds me of her house in Dallas.

Spicy Fried Chicken

1 box frozeen fried chicken, skinless if you prefer (7-8 pieces)
1/3 c. melted butter, or squeeze margarine
garlic powder
cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Arrange frozen chicken on a baking sheet covered with foil (do not thaw). Drizzle butter over the top. Sprinkle with generous amounts of both garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Bake 30-35 minutes (follow box directions). Smells so good as it cooks! Serves 3-4.

With mashed potatoes and a salad? Heaven on earth. Got any easy recipes you'd like to share today?

The weather's still nice...

It's still cool and autumn-like here. In the mornings, AJ's wearing a jacket to school, and we've transitioned to pants instead of shorts. Must really be fall.

Weather's about the only thing I feel like talking about right now. I'm in kind-of a funk, despite my favorite season. One thing that helped? Going to the dentist yesterday. Surprising, I know! But my dentist is rather cool. He was playing really loud music yesterday, and the hygenist and I had a hard time figuring out who it was. We could tell by the instruments it was something '70s... it was pretty "hard" rock, not the folky stuff I like from the '70s... finally I put my guess out there: Kansas? And I was right.

I'm much too young to know who Kansas is, by the way. ;) But we did have fun playing guessing games and talking music. My dentist is cool.

While he was tinkering around in my mouth ("up to his elbows," Grandmother used to love to say) I was thinking about the history of dentistry, and how barbaric it was, back in its earliest times. I mean, the idea of banging a fat rock against the problem tooth? Even the idea of "bite down on this stick to ease the pain..." ...just unfathomable to us modern, numb-loving dental patients. But that's how it started, after all. So, like I always do when I get intrigued about something, I wikipedia'd it. Get this:

The barbers of former times were also surgeons and dentists. Most early physicians disdained surgery, and therefore, as well as haircutting, hairdressing and shaving, barbers performed surgery of wounds, blood-letting, cupping and leeching, enemas, and the extraction of teeth. Thus they were called barber surgeons...

Nice! "I'd like a shampoo and cut, please, and while you're at it, why don't ya stick your hands in my mouth and knock out this molar? THANKS."

Barber-ic. I can't seem to find exact etymology of "barber" as relates to "barbarian," but there has to be a connection there. Speaking of barbaric dentists, do you know about Tim Burton's upcoming Sweeney Todd? Starring who else? Johnny Depp! I love a good Burton/Depp collaboration, and this one's a Broadway musical, to boot. My hometown community theater produced it when I was doing theater, way back when, so I'm anxious to revisit the story. Even though it's pretty gruesome.

I also recently read Myla Goldberg book called Wickett's Remedy, about a woman and her husband who develop this pseudo medicinal tonic-water that becomes a soda. It's set during the time of the flu epidemic of 1918, which I also meant to lookup right after I finished it. Crazy history! I'd never even known of this. Millions died! Why were we not taught about it? Strange. I was amazed, though, by some of the medical practices described in the fictional novel. Or, "practices." I'm not sure you could call them "medical" so much as "experimental."

I don't know why this crazy sub-modern medicine stuff is fascinating me at the moment. I'm kinda creeped out by my own mind. Perhaps I'd better go sit in the sunshine today. Play with some kittens or something. Eat an ice cream cone. :)

hello, OLD self

I am falling apart. My left elbow and my right knee are both on the fritz. Not to the point of limping or garishly joinking my arm out to the side, in and out, in and out -- although, imagine that walking down the street for a minute. You know you're laughing at my pitiful state! But it IS to the point of Huuuuuuuuurrting. And you know how I like to whiiiiiiiiiine.

I can't hold my left hand palm-up when it is fully extended without pain.

(No, it doesn't hurt any other time but that, unless I am trying to stretch and therefore rotating my hand back and forth. But isn't that how YOU beg the Universe for money? Hand out, palm up? That's how *I* do it. Up shut. I was a cheerleader, after all: arms fully extended in Classic "T" position is something I do, sometimes. UP shut, again! So I like to revisit my cheerleading days sometimes, big deal! The husband digs it, what can I say?)

Also? My knee -- and excuse me while I shiver just a little, because knee injuries of any sort give me the absolute WILLIES, the *eyes roll back in head,* the bwwwweeeehcch! SQUICKS -- my right kneecap is now generating this adorable CRUNCHING sound when, for example, I'm trying to casually tone the glutes by taking stairs 2 at a time. There are particles of something in there, and they're grinding. NAILS ON A CHALKBOARD, HELLO!! It hurts mostly going down the stairs, but it is unpleasant (to my ears) going up.

What do you think, should I see a doctor about these things? Or maybe just take an Advil, cut out the "We-Got-Spirit-How-'Bout-YOU!"s, and suck it up, acknowledging my ripe old age of thirty-two?

Remembering September

One of the writing prompts I've seen recently (because I'm so fresh out of ideas that I need to be prompted) suggests that you revisit your teenage journals and share a poem or an entry from this day, however-many years ago.

Hahahahahahahahaha.

You can forget that. I mean, I could share an entry here... I just went upstairs to dig some journals out of the back of my nightstand, so there are some entries in the front of my mind (a poem called "Love Song," another called "First Love," and a third called "Beacons," having something to do with somebody's eyes, GAAAAH! *hides face in extreme pity for my teenage self*).... but, No sharing. I did find the journal from my first few months in college, and it was so neat to remember when everything was NEW. It was a new schoolyear with all that entails (uncracked books, pencil-smell, fresh paper), a different way of taking classes, and most critical, new people from all over. How neat that freshman year of college, everywhere you go, you meet new people? Every new class or group meeting, there's the potential to introduce yourself to a new friend. I wish that social excitement carried through the rest of life. I remember scheduling lunch with a different new person every day for a while. Or, hey! Dinner! Or even, let's go to the DUC at 10:30 pm and have a yogurt. "To study." Man, that was fun. I was always an early-class person (nerd), so I even liked having wet-haired, no makeup breakfast with someone who shared the morning class schedule.

Maybe I'm nostalgic for just the meals, actually! B'fast now? Is coffee in a spill-proof mug, in my car. Lunch? Either bring from home (bor-ing. leftovers.) or pick something up during errands. Gawd. Dinner? Awww, crap, what are we having for dinner TONIGHT - I've gotta think of something. That's no fun! No social! (Except on weekends, of course -- I do eat pretty stress-free on weekends.) Interesting, I hadn't thought of it before. See how the world does turn.

Anyway, the temperature on my back deck is 53 degrees this morning. In Florida, we used to call 50s "sweater-weather." Of course, it's going to warm up into the seventies today, but the cool morning air? Makes it really, truly September. I think it's my favorite.

What do you remember best about starting college?

Caffeinate me.

You take it for granted that you're going to get a full night's sleep, after the baby's turned a year old, or two. But I'm here to tell you: Not Always The Case. He woke me up at 2:50. Must have been a bad dream but I'm a little extra-jumpy since the night before, he was spitting up. So I hear one cough and I'm THERE. Thankfully last night, he seemed fine -- but then, my over-active brain wouldn't turn back off.

Aside: I blame my husband! He's gotten me into this, and I think now I have an over-functioning pre-frontal cortex! My brain age is currently 20, by the way. The BEST brain age you can have. So I rock! But, I also don't sleep.

Anyway, I lay there with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song -- or one of the seventeen showstoppers permanently embedded -- on continuous loop. 'Til four a.m. I know I should have turned on the light and read a book or something, but I was determined that in just another minute, I'd get comfortable.

Oh well. This is what coffee is for.

We had some significant cooking victories last night -- DH made me dinner, for one (Yay! Who has the best husband? I do I do!), and I made AJ some soup out of NOTHING! Well, not nothing -- egg noodles and chicken broth and a few spices. But it was tasty! I totally would have eaten it! Too bad I didn't have any canned carrots to throw in there, but he slurped it all down. Finally? Peach Jello. You forget how good Jello really is, you know?

(Now you're thinking: Brain? Noodles? Jello? Coincidence?.... Oh yes, it's gonna be a great day.)

Baby's (ahem.) First Meme

Technically I no longer have what you'd call "a baby." He is a Big Boy. A Toddler. A KID.

But it's not going to stop me from doing a "baby" meme. Linda posted this cute one. Thanks, Linda! Wanna be my friend? No seriously. I heart you and your uber-funny.

3 Things That Scare AJ:

-- The Blender. I'm not sure if it's the sound it emits when crunching up ice, or the idea that his parents are actually going to be drinking margaritas, possibly dancing wildly, that scares him. (Okay, that last part is made up. Pleeease. We hardly ever get drunk for kicks anymore. We go straight to "passed out.")

-- Umbrellas. I actually love this. He is scared of my little, precious, girly-turquoise umbrella. It's gotten better as he gets older -- he doesn't cry anymore when he sees it folded up -- but if I hold him with me, when it's raining, under the umbrella? He clings like a little suction-fish. Then he tells me "It way-nee outhide, Mama." I'm sorry you're scared, Baby, but That. Is. Adorable.

-- Sometimes, Napoleon will come rushing around the corner if, for example, we find his Squeaker and give it a single audible squeeze. Four furry limbs and tail akimbo, everybody watch out! AJ jumps to me eyes wide going, "Mama! Mama!" Can't say I blame him. 65 pounds of dog CAN be a little scary.


3 People Who Make Him Laugh:

-- Me! I am the family's supreme goofball and can prod a giggle out of him with faces and noises. "Squeeeeeeeeeeze!" seems to be the favorite, lately.

-- Uncle Teddy. Even when Uncle Teddy is not around, AJ laughs about him and his "Bah-bah-bah." (In a nice way.)

-- Napoleon wins again in this category. AJ loves to hear him bark, to hug him and watch him try to wriggle away, to pat him and watch him writhe around on the floor... Nap is the last coming standing at our house.


3 Things He Loves:

-- "The Three Little Kittens." (you know, who lost their mittens)

-- Erase! We got a dry-erase-slash-chalkboard easel for his birthday, and the best part to him is the eraser. He goes real fast, like he's in such a big hurry.

-- Blue's Clues.


3 Things He Hates:

-- When I DARE to push the DVD-player's buttons. "I wan'do id MY-LEL!!"

-- When I even dream of drying his freshly-washed hands FOR him. "I wan'do it MY-LEL!!"

-- (are you seeing the theme?)


3 Things He Doesn't Understand:

-- That when Mama or Daddy says "no," NO MEANS NO. But when AJ says it, it means, "Oh you just THINK you're going to talk to Mama that way."

-- That holding hands in parking lots or on the street is REQUIRED BY LAW.

-- That pens are not for babies. Toddlers. Whatever.


3 Things On His Changing Table:

-- Well first, should he even HAVE a changing table anymore at age 2? I'm waffling about this. I think it's time to move it out -- as we inch ever closer to full-time potty training -- especially since he seems to hate it. On the other hand, Mama doesn't want to push him to grow up too fast (my heart!), and the table is also better for my aching back, rather than crouching on the floor... And if we move it out, we might as well graduate from the crib, too... but back to the question. One: Boudreaux's Butt Paste. Which is rarely used anymore but in which I delight when he says, "Boo-doh!" My little Cajun.

-- Baby finger-nail clippers.

-- Johnson&Johnson Lavender Baby Bedtime Lotion. Nectar of the gods.


3 Things He's Doing Right Now:

-- Probably fending off Meghan, Official Biter of the Early 2s Classroom. (We had a biting incident last week where AJ got a Boo-Boo Report!)

-- Actually, I think he's in Circle Time right now, impressing his teacher by knowing colors like "gray" and "light purple." I can't check on him because we don't have Day-Care Cam, which is a bummer. I would be GLUED to Day-Care Cam.

-- Actually, I don't know WHAT he's doing since I'm not with him. Don't make me go there, I might cry. :(


3 Things He Can Do:

-- Ask NICELY to get down from his high chair. ("Peees I get out?")

-- Wield a bubble-gun. He is The Duke in a bubble-gun Mexican stand-off.

-- Climb into his car seat unassisted. I know! He's amazing!


3 Ways to Describe His Personality:

-- Independent.

-- Sensitive.

-- Two.


3 Things He Can't Do (yet):

-- Mow the lawn.

-- Rent a car or buy beer. Thank God.

-- Use his imagination. I can't wait 'til he can make up characters and play games like "Battle of the Forts" or "Store," or maybe "Star Wars."


3 Absolute Favorite Foods:

-- Red beans and rice

-- Froot Loops

-- Free cookies from the Publix bakery lady


3 Things He'd Like to Learn:

-- How to get his way!

-- How to count all the way to infinity! He is up to 12, and LOVES to count!

-- How to be perfect and charming like his Mama. (wink)


3 Beverages He Drinks Regularly:

-- V8 Fusion. (Red Juice!) It's pretty tasty, but with sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, and bananas, that stuff will fill you up so watch out.

-- Chokky milk.

-- Anything that is NOT plain water. I can't get this kid to drink water to save his life.


Strange to end on the beverage question, no? But I didn't write it. If you want to play, too, let me know in comments! :)

There and back again

Wow, it was nice to "work" in the same town I live in, Monday and Tuesday. I came home for lunch! And had time to spare before going back. It's a world I've almost never known.

On the other hand, it also feels good to be back in my normal routine today; I got to actually come to my office. And commute, in the rain. And get a latte. Sometimes it's the little things. Not that I LIKE my commute, it's just familiar. I feel anchored. The last 2 days I've felt very loose -- untethered to anything. I've wondered how my coworkers and bosses feel about my having to serve jury duty, right after a few days' vacation, right after being away most of August (or so it seems) for funerals. Of course if I hadn't gone to jury duty I guess they -- and I -- would feel worse when I was arrested. But it's just strange, being so disconnected.

Of course leave it to me to try and make it MEEEEEAN something. (Like, maybe it's a hint from the Universe that working closer to home would be nice? And I should REALLLLY think hard about that?) I said as much to my sister and she better have rolled her eyes. I NEED to have eyes rolled at me. I'm always trying to find meaning in the little things, and sometimes there just. isn't. any. It's life. It's just the daily stuff. Jury duty? Well everyone gets snagged one time or another, big deal. I just need to put one foot in front of the other today, and not Think about it all so damn much.

- - - - - -

Working world tidbit

I heard a great workplace story on the way in this morning, and it made me laugh.

Civics 101

What's a job where they pay you to sit on your azz all day, read a (whole) novel, take a sanctioned break at 9:15 am to visit the vending machines, come back and sit some more, check your email (but not for longer than an hour), maybe meet some new people (or maybe not, if you don't care to chat), take a lunch break, flip through Us Weekly and Time magazine for interesting stories, stretch, wear a special badge, sit a little more... and then they invite you to come back again and do it the next day?

If you guessed Jury Duty, you get a prize. Here, I'll give you MY special badge.

Day in the Life

Sheryl's fun little ditty about the nitty-gritty.

(HA!!!) I do love this exercise, though, because I can't fault myself for being mundane - that's the whole point. So you've been warned. :)

6:00am - alarm. Hit snooze. "Working from home" today means I will steal a few extra minutes of sleep. Hubby rolls over and hugs on me and I promise him (who's still on vacation today, jerk) that I'm getting up at 6:10. He promises to pinch me.

6:30am - showered, dressed, lotioned. Hubby offers to get AJ up (not jerk)! Whew. Lately AJ's been a PITA in the mornings so I am happy to oblige. I go dry my hair and feed the dog.

6:45am - From the upstairs balcony, I hear strains of our First Tantrum Of the Day. Tra-la! AJ doesn't want to wear shoes. I don't know AT ALL how to handle this kind because we have to leave the house AT A CERTAIN TIME, which precludes the Baby-Whisperer's "When you're ready, we'll get dressed" theory. Sorry, we can't Wait or we'll miss Breakfast at the daycare, and then you'll really be sorry. We end up wrestling with him but the shoes go on. :( Very sad face.

7:00am - Drop him off at school. He goes into see Miss Jean just as happy as you please, and tells her he saw penguins at the aquarium. She probably wonders what in the heck kind of job I have, that I'm allowed to dress in shorts and a fraying t-shirt, with no makeup and half-wet hair. Ha. I love that gag.

7:10am - Return home. Establish Coffee. Fire up laptop. Begin checking emails and blogs. Write first post of the day.

8:40am - Finish the first sweep of emails, etc, as well as my first cup of coffee. I get a refill. I am not going to have much to do this morning work-wise, just a lot of waiting for other people. I make a phone call to confirm that we'll be hanging out with another couple on Saturday night, and their little girl. Fun! I'm told I don't need to bring anything. Funner! Looking forward to that. If we never get out again for a date (and it seems we never will), at least we can get together with other parents and compare kids. I mean, um, socialize.

10:00 am - Cut a piece of moist, delicious banana bread. I am not going to brag here, but I have just about perfected the art of saving rotten bananas.

10:30 am - Still sitting at the kitchen table. I check email every 10 minutes or so. (To check my work email I have to login each time, for "security" purposes -- really because our corporate email SUCKS -- so it's a pain. I don't just get to hear a happy little "ding!" when a new one arrives. PITA.) Also, I read some good blogs. Sunday School Rebel feels like poetry and makes me remember First United Methodist Church of Hereford, TX; of course amalah makes me laugh; and these and others regularly make me feel very unworthy.

10:40 am - Husband appears. He went back to bed after I took AJ to school. He deserves it. I'm glad he slept well. Asks me if I want to go to lunch at 11:30 and surprise! I do. Shortly thereafter, since I'm getting no emails, I decide to make more salsa, because if there's one thing I hate, it's wasted cilantro! Yummmm, salsa. That takes about 15 minutes, and then, guess what? I check email again. (Dude!! Is this RIVETING, or what?)

11:30 - We head over to the Atlanta Bread Company and I get a Caesar salad. It's SO not a healthy meal, due to the bucket of dressing in which they soak their romaine. Oh well, it tastes pretty good. We sit outside, eat pretty quickly, and come back home, where I prepay for 10-cent Snapfish prints. 250 of 'em! I figure it's worth it, as many pictures as we take, and since there's no time limit on when you have to use the credit.

12:30 pm - return from lunch. Here's where husband, bless his soul, was kinda gettin' on my nerves. He had no plans so he was just pacing around the kitchen/den, turning on the TV, turning it off. Saying he was about to go wash my car, saying it was "spitting" rain so he'd postponed... it was funny. I feel for him -- I hate when I get cabin fever like that. Actually I don't remember what I did from 12:30 to about 3:30 -- "worked," I guess, which means checking email and some websites (I did read MetroDad's rant about MySpace, with which I completely agree and which is also work-related)... anyway, at 3:30 it was time to pick up AJ.

3:30 pm - best part of the day! Picked up AJ and hugged and kissed him. His pants were wet. I think it was just water he'd sat in. He told me he watched Barney, Winnie a Pooh, and Dragon Tales at school. Hrm.

3:45 - home again home again. We had a snack, played with LeapPad -- can I tell you how excited I am that he finally gives a whit about that thing? He got it when he was 5 months old and I thought it was a lost cause. But now? Buttons! Music! We're in heaven. He also: "helps" wash dishes (read: runs water in the sink and pours it onto the floor basically), asks to have juice, asks to have chocolate milk, wants to play trains, asks to watch Blue's Clues.

somewhere in here I get a call from a client. Boooo. I try to be DONE by 3:00 on WFH days, but.... since I've been gone a lot and on vacation, I decide I'd better answer it. Bad idea. Problem that needs fixing RIGHT NOW. And I just put away the computer. Sigh. I get AJ outside and ask his Daddy to help a sister out.

5:00 - time to join them playing outside. I am LOVING this cool front. It's only about 70-something degrees. I know! I can't believe it either. AJ wants to kick the soccer ball and RUN. So we do. Then, finally, it's time to make dinner, and AJ wants to help Mama. This was fun -- I let him help stir the ground beef, and he Finally understood that he can't TOUCH the stove parts because it's too hot. He found one little place where he could balance himself with the hand that wasn't stirring. Very cute. He poured the sauce, and helped me measure out the pasta. Then he kept asking about when he could EAT the dinner.

6:00 - garlic toast dings! Dinner's ready! AJ ate like a champ! He didn't throw food (not that he ever does). He was quiet and calm! Hubby and I hoped that if we sat very still, he'd keep doing that stuff. He did, and earned himself 2 pieces of banana bread for dessert. :) Hooray!

7:00 - dishes done, so we played outside some MORE! You'd think we were the Cleaver family, with all our happy galavanting and efficient home management tonight. I got bitten by every mosquito in Marietta. I LOATHE mosquitos. We drew an enormous alphabet down the length of our driveway. Cooool!

7:38 - AJ and I get his jammies on (no fighting! Now I'm concerned - who IS this kid??) and settle onto my bed to read Make Way for Ducklings. Do you know this book? I did not, in my youth, but it's a keeper. I love the end: "...And at night the little ducks go back to their island, and go to sleep." The end. PERFECT segue! (And kinda Goodnight Moon-y.) Sweet dreams, little man.

8:00-10:00 - since then, I've been working on the stinking client problem. But there's nothing else to do, really, except watch football (first game of the NFL season) or finish this post. (I always love doing these at the beginning, and by this part, the 10:00 pm part, I'm totally summarizing and over it.) I think I HAVE figured out the problem my client has, or at least a temporary fix for it, and will definitely have work to do in the morning. So that's something to look forward to. Maybe tomorrow we'll have another day like today, with very few toddler-tantrums! That'd be good. And, it's Friday. Thanks for reading all the way to the end!

Life in a fishbowl

The Aquarium is magnificent. It is amazing. It allowed us to hear our little boy say things like, "Oh my dood-ness, wat dat, Mama?" and "Looook, Mama! Ting-wayyyyy!" The soundtrack playing in the 3-story whale-shark viewing room -- the largest aquarium in the world, of course, comes complete with an ethereal John-Williams-esque soundtrack -- brought me to tears. (Hello, I am your Perfect Aquarium Customer. Why, YES, I will come back and spend another gajillion dollars to let this experience move me Again! And Thank You, sly foxes.) I am weepy to a fault, yes, but this was unbelievably inspiring. You should go. If you take AJ with you, I promise your heartstrings will be tugged HARD.

Somehow, the waves of zen that they probably pipe in and the muted, low-lights feeling of the Magnificent Aquarium didn't seep into AJ's mind as much as I would have liked. He did love the fish (he still calls them "wee-oolt," and that's the best phoenetic spelling I can think of for it) and especially the penguins -- but only until he got too tired and hungry to deal. I was a stupid mommy and heeded the "no food or drinks in the galleries" rule, leaving my standard fruit snacks and sippy cup at home. STOOPID. I've decided that hunger is his worst enemy. Tired? Yes, he might wail a bit. Frustrated? I'll get a "NO, MAMA, do it mylelf!" But let him go without food for 121 minutes and WHAMMO, you'll get the all-out, screaming, kicking, punching, raging at his own skin kind of fit. Especially if you're also off-the-normal-routine. Of course, we tried to offer him food before the eye of the storm hit, but he was already in the early stages, so nothing doing. "No Fries! No Juice Box!" Sigh. We were totally being stared at, as he was the ONLY kid screaming in the whole aquarium. Fish bowl syndrome! How fitting! We left, and he finished up in the car on I-75. For forty minutes. ("No car seat! I want Ouuuuut!") And slept a good long while after that.

I always feel as if I handle tantrums the wrong way, although I try, I really try to go by the book. Ignore ignore ignore, don't give in, be direct but not cajoling. "We have to leave until you calm down." "I don't hear you when you're screaming; ask me nicely." "No, AJ, we do not hit." I do time out. I acknowledge his feelings. I try to be consistent. His Dad does, too. But the kid is a SOLID TWO YEARS OLD, so I guess this is just part of it. A very exhausting part.

I promised I'd tell you what else is on my mind, and here it is: I'm feeling fat and I can't stop eating. It's not pregnancy (I don't think!), it is ridiculous. It is ri-donc-ulous, my friend Bimal says. Ridiculous-plus. For example: Last night during Project Runway? 10:00pm Eastern? Chips and Guacamole. I think it's all because I stopped with the lovely Yasmin, because of wanting another kid who'll throw tantrums baby. Yasmin was my FRIEND, y'all. Yasmin and I? We went out to lunch all the time, and had full-fat Buttermilk Ranch dressing with no effects on the waistline. I stayed at a healthy 132 lbs. with Yasmin and I loved her. Since leaving her I have gained weight and I know you're not supposed to go near the scale when you're near your time of the month, but I do, and it's making me sad. (And THAT's how we write another fulfilling entry for my brother-in-law to read! Hey, HB! How's it goin'?!) ANYWAY. Yasmin and I are getting back together, actually. The reason DH has been seeing his doc is that he was taking 6MP and it can possibly cause some birth defects, so he had to ask about the baby-making. And she said don't, for 6 months while he goes off the drug. So now you know. Yasmin, I've missed you.

I don't feel like I want to end on that note. So... here's a recipe! For something non-fattening! It's Easy, Breezy Recipe Thursday.

Corn Salad
2 (11-oz) cans Mexicorn, drained
6 radishes, sliced
1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced
6 green onions, sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup light-done-right Catalina dressing

Marinate all ingredients overnight and serve cold.

Now, you share your recipe, and we'll be all set... To eat. And get fatter. But at least we won't scream and kick from hunger!

Let's all kiss whoever invented "personal days"

I will be away from my desk September 5 and 6, returning on Thursday, the 7th. If you need immediate attention, please dial zero and ask the operator for someone else.

Hubby and I had planned to take the whole week off after Labor Day, but with my guilt issues I can only allow myself these 2 days. Just too many hot projects going on at work. Still, it's Two Free Days! Yippie! Today I had a pedicure (for free! leftover Xmas gift card!) while hubby went to the doctor, and tomorrow we are taking AJ to the Georgia Aquarium to see the too-dooos and whales and pennies. (Turtles, whales, penguins. Good! You've been paying attention.)

Tomorrow evening, after I blink several times and begin to see something other than the blue glow of aquatic wonder that will fix itself to my eyeballs, I will sit down and tell you everything that's on my mind. Or... my usual blather. :) 'Night-night.