Enjoying the beautiful weather

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On my way

I went to the doctor for my six-week visit today, and then I went to Target and bought a scale. I'm officially down to what I was pre-pregnancy. My goal now is to lose 32 lbs and get to 145.

This is not unattainable, however I have not seen 145 since I don't know when. There was a very short time between breaking up with my ex-fiance and starting dating my now-husband that I got around there. I actually saw a size 10, which also has been awhile.

I don't post my weight here to be "brave". I'm just trying to keep myself accountable.

Good days and bad days

YESTERDAY was a fantastic day. We:

• Went to ikea - me, a toddler an infant and no stroller (it was in my husband's car) and we had fun! We had lunch, played with the children's toys, returned some items, and bought pillows for the futon in the library, a rug for the dining room and an umbrella. we also survived our first attempt at a public potty (twice).


• Went to the playground for more steam-blowing while I fed the Turtle.


• Came home to turn on sprinklers and had Crystal Light popsicles that we made last week


• No nap, but there was some good quiet time.

TODAY.
Not so good.I woke up this morning to my car alarm going off in the garage because The Boy pulled my keys out of my purse for some still unknown reason. We fought all day about the potty. there was poop smeared all over the toilet seat, and none anywhere else. Not sure about that one either. The Boy kept taking off his Pullups and running around naked. Not sure. Fight, fight, fight.

Thinking it would be good to get out of the house, we pulled up stakes and went to the big micky d's with the play place. There he pooped in his pullups TWICE and just wanted to watch the other kids play.

Then I took him took him for ice cream and he just wanted to play with his mini skateboard from his happy meal.Went to Target and things were good.Came home and there was no nap, some skating and playing with one of the neighbors when she came by to congratulate us on Turtle (belatedly).

And then he proceeded to be a whiny mass of craziness for awhile longer until at 7:30 he agreed that it was time for bed.


I'm beat; I'm cranky; and I had an epiphany. I felt like today was a waste, but only because things didn't go the way I wanted them to go. I didn't think The Boy had the time I wanted him to have. But he still had fun. At the end of the day, that matters much more than a bad day of potty training. He enjoyed watching the other kids play, he had fun playing with that stupid skateboard. He loves his skates and his tricycle and messing around with the neighbor lady. He never realized he was missing out on anything fun.So I'm glad he had fun, and I'm going to try to not try so hard to please him, as it's exhausting and unnecessary.

And if you'll excuse me, I need a glass of wine.

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10 for Tuesday

I'm at a loss this morning for material, so I thought I would go with the Internet flow (inspired by MamaFuss) and do a list this morning:

1. What’s the one thing you always do when you’re stressed?
Usually write a FB status update. And then complain to my husband when he gets home. And then feel bad because he's been very stressed at work and hasn't been complaining to me at all.

2. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done for a friend?
A friend was having trouble with his car, and I picked him up on my lunch break and took him home. This in itself - not weird. But said friend lived 45 minutes from work for me. Then two days later his car was supposed to be fixed (although he didn't call the shop first) so I picked him up from work (on my lunch break again), took him to the shop and had started back to work when he called again to say that his car wasn't done and could I pick him back up? So I doubled back and picked him up but by then I had been gone from work for so long that I took him back to work with me and sat him at a spare desk (like a toddler, evidently) while I finished work before I took him home. Except that I couldn't take him straight home because my mom's car also wasn't working and she was watching my son so I had to take B to my house to get my mom and son, take my mom home and then I was free to take him home. First stop: Winghouse.

3. What cleaning supply could you not live without?
Febreze antibacterial. Is that a cleaning supply? Also, Oxyclean spray. A life (and clothes) saver.

4. How long do you plan on living where you currently reside?
The plan was to move before The Boy (age 2 1/2) started kindergarten, but everytime I think about having to pack and find a new place to live and put a down payment etc I start getting nauseous, so I think we'll have to see. Certainly before they start demanding separate rooms, because I'm not giving up my library.

5. Do you usually vote straight party, a mixture, or not at all?
Usually straight party, but I only vote in presidential years. Other years I forget there's an election until it's too late.


6. What’s something that you love to do, but seem to never make time for?
I used to love to write (short stories, poetry), but somehow I lost my passion. If I could find my passion, I think I'd find the time.

7. What’s your favorite store to buy things for other people?
It depends on the person, but probably Target.

8. What’s the weather like around you today?
My weather bug says 78 degrees, so I'm tempted to go outside even though it's so early because it's going to be hot with a side order of sweltering later.

9. What’s the worst book you’ve ever bought and read?
That's a hard one, but I would say when I got into Harlequins when I was in middle school because I read so much and they were so cheap at garage sales ... that was a dark time for books.

10. What’s the closest thing to you that is yellow?
Turtle's cradle

Phantom Pee

How does an infant boy pull off "phantom pee"?

This phenomenon happens when you are changing a newborn and you change the diaper, change the outfit into the cute little onesie you plan on having him in for the majority of the day and when you lift him off the changing table (or your own bed, bah) there's a big wet spot on the bed/table and on the back of the onesie and nothing in the diaper.

I don't remember this ever happening with The Boy. He peed the arch a couple times, but never so that I didn't know he peed. Turtle has now accomplished this feat 1,891 times in his five weeks of life. And yes, I point it down when diapering.

Frustration! And I'm not changing my sheets again for this a day after I changed my sheets, so hello Febreze antibacterial!

Menu Monday

A review of last week's menu:

Monday: frozen pizza (the breadsticks really make it)
Tuesday: sushi! We go to Origami Sushi for "happy hour" which can feed us for about $20 (edamame 3 amazing rolls (must try the Crazy Horse - we're addicted) and 2 drinks). The Boy eats edamame and then a PB&J, but he also eats anything off the end of our chopsticks. I get him trainer chopsticks but he likes to stab his food instead of eat it)
Wednesday: bacon-wrapped shrimp and risotto
Thursday: turkey tenderloin and garlic pasta
Friday: Beef O'Brady's - I had a lackluster patty melt and Hubby had his favorite, the Watterson. I hate when his meal is better than mine :)
Saturday: Tortellini in a garlic cream sauce w/ mushrooms and grape tomatoes and Flax beer bread
Sunday: Cuban sandwiches

I managed to get through most of the week without going to the store, except by Thursday I had to hit it for about $35 of staples, like milk and bacon (ha! you think I'm kidding! I buy $7 bacon - only Wright's for me) and I picked up the tortellini (made my own sauce) and the turkey tenderloin while I was there. We wouldn't have gone out more than once this week except we were headed to a friend's jazz gig Friday night when the heavens opened up and we couldn't justify sitting out in the wet, humid gross Florida night with two children. So we detoured.

--------------

This week:

Monday: chicken mac & cheese
Tuesday: Lasagna rolls with spinach
Wednesday: chicken tacos
Thursday: Vallarta's with friends from Delaware
Friday: Breakfast sandwiches (if we are home and not with friends from Delaware)
Saturday: Pork chops, corn and fried okra (if we are home and not with friends from Delaware)

I shouldn't have needed much of anything this week - eggs, bread, spinach. However, we ended up spending $67 on groceries this week! Did I mention I've signed up for a couponing class?

Another week summary - making these things count!

This week I finished reading Stormchasers (well written, but I would have liked more. Not longer, just more, deeper, you understand?) by Jenna Blum, and downloaded the Kindle and Nook apps for my phone and read a couple free books there: Compromising Positions (don't bother), Elvis Takes a Backseat (surprisingly not bad, although predictable and a little preachy), Guns Will Keep Us Together (don't bother). I've downloaded all the free books that look mildly interesting, although I'm not sure if I'll like them (free, who cares?) and I don't know HOW TO DELETE THEM which bothers me.

I also read Fire by Kristin Cashore, and I actually did enjoy it as much as Graceling; it just took me 13 pages to get hooked, and then I stayed up all night to read.

I watched An Education (fantastic), but mostly it's premiere week for the thousands of television shows that I shouldn't be watching but am, so I haven't been watching movies (besides a couple of TeenNick movies ... Spectacular, which is Nick's version of Glee, and School Gyrls which is quite possibly the worst movie ever made ... EVER. I would have turned it off but it was only about 50 minutes long so by the time I realized I couldn't possibly stand another minute, it was over.) I also watched the second half of The Bodyguard and The Bachelor, and one of my favorite movies - The Thing Called Love with (swoon) River Phoenix. Oh, and I watched most of a movie called Good Dick, which would have been so much more successful as a comedy. I guess I did end up watching some movies ...

Turtle had his one-month doctor's appointment on Thursday, and he's gained 2.5 lbs and 2.5 inches since birth! Holy growth spurt! He's now 9lbs 3.3oz (25%) and over 21 inches long (50%).

I still haven't finished the boys' room, but I'm inching ever closer. I might have pictures by next week!

I cleaned both bathrooms with an exception on mopping/swiffering the floors which aren't dirty but a little hairy along the baseboards. It appears that now that The Boy will be having his paws all over the toilets, I will need to keep them cleaner than I have in the past. That will take some getting used to.

The Boy is working diligently on his potty training. When I expected to go on leave, this was one of the main goals I had - to potty train him. BUT somehow I forgot to expect my sacrifice in doing so - the staying home, the extra arguments over toilet paper and hands in the toilet and washing hands ... it's been frustrating and it has shown me that I'm still not quite adjusted to having two children and I'm still very short tempered. God help me to have a milder manner.

And then he comes up on my bed after his nap and cuddles up against me with his (clean) hand on my belly and his head on my chest while he watches baseball and who is this marvelous boy? I do love him so much.

Testing one, two

I am typing this from my phone, so this is awesome. Just one more reason I love my freaking phone!!i

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Things for which I am thankful.

Hand sanitizer: for those mid-drive diaper explosions.

Excedrin Migraine: your choice whether to chase it with cherry coke or vodka.

PBS Sprout (on demand): even if I hate Caillou and Barney, the peace it affords me is priceless.

My baby carrier: For when Turtle refuses to let me put him down and I have no clean bottles and dinner to start.

The Pandora app for my phone, for my sanity

Target's wine cubes. 'Nuff said. (I prefer the shiraz/cab mix)

My husband, who has a long rough day at work and then comes home to help with toddler antics and grilling shrimp while I wear babies and hope the headache goes away. Lately he's also getting up to help between 3am and 6am when Turtle refuses to sleep. He really is superman sometimes. (yes, this really is my husband. And me, for that matter. Ahh, costume parties. I was Lois Lane.)

The part where I was traumatized

So last week The Boy, Turtle and I went to library. It was supposed to be a fairly innocuous visit - I needed new books, The Boy likes to go to the library (mostly to go up and down the stairs because the library is on the second floor) and there's a small playground attached that we could visit afterward.

After getting my books I told The Boy he could play for a SHORT time. We had more errands to run, like going to Publix, but we had survived a decently long visit to Target already and I figured he deserved a break (and I deserved a medal - did I mention this was my first day on my own with two kids after Hubby went back to work?) There were a couple other kids playing already and he joined in (tentatively) and I let him play for about 20 minutes. That would be 20 minutes of me sitting with a weird old man who had brought his grandkids to play and wanted to talk to me about how it brings the older one (age 4) on his scooter (moped) but that he's worried about bringing the younger one (age about 6 months) on the scooter too (SERIOUSLY??) so they usually walk. And 20 minutes of me sitting with a mom that I would have liked to bond with but she was busy reading her self-help book and not interested in talking (although to be fair, she was probably trying to avoid the weird old man). AND I was trying to fend off the 4-year old (grand kid of weird old man) who was far too interested in Turtle and kept coming over to touch and kiss (!!!!) my 3-week old. And I couldn't figure out how to dissuade him.

After 20 minutes, I had my fill and tried to get Boy off the playground when he decided to through a fit while I held Turtle and broke from my grasp to RUN ACROSS THE PARKING LOT. In traffic. A very busy parking lot.

After I caught him, there was a lot of crying (me) and screaming (me) and hysterical insisting that he could have been killed or at least had to go to the doctor (hates the doctor) and no we weren't going to Publix (a travesty to him) and we were going home for TIME OUT. At home there was more crying (both of us) and some screaming from his bed (I'm not dead, Momma! I'm Not Dead!)

It was traumatic for me, and I attempted to make it traumatic for him (didn't really work) but what did sink in was No Publix. So he told Daddy when he got home that he Almost Got Hit By A Car (which isn't exactly true; luckily there were no moving cars very close to where he ran, but who am I to argue if it will keep him from running again).

What would you do? I'm not a fan of leashes (although after my brother disappeared in Montgomery Ward when he was three to go look at the vacuum cleaners, I do understand the inclination) but I can't go through that again. Next time we could not be so lucky, you know?

Question part two: How do you keep strange kids from kissing your newborn when their caretaker evidently doesn't see a problem with it?

No-nap week

The boy is two and a half, which apparently means he's transitioning to no naps. I keep trying to wear him out, and all it seems to do is wear ME out and he's content to hang out in his room for an hour during nap time with no sleep in sight.

Sunday: baseball game. Five hours of constant moving, entertainment, snacks, jumping and yelling.

Result: 10 minutes of sleep in the car.

Monday: 2 hour walk to, around and home from Target. Lots of sun, sweat, scraped knees, and playing with every toy in the toy aisle while Momma forgot half of what she went there for.

Result: 90 minutes of playing in his room.

Tuesday: 3 1/2 hour visit with the Fuss family. Lots of sun, sweat, sprinklers, toy sharing (and not sharing, as toddlers are inclined to do), tricycle riding, mac & cheese and sour raisins.

Result 90 minutes of playing in his room.

************

I'm inclined to give up the ghost on the poor nap, but what if he needs it again, and thinks that I'm punishing him by making him lay down? And really, this playing in the room thing isn't so bad - I'm still getting a break. Still deciding, and at this point, still ignoring the activity in the room. It may or may not be the entire bin of Mr. Potatohead toys being up-ended onto the floor, but if I pretend it isn't happening, I can stay happier for a while.

**update: it appears that the noise in the bedroom was not the Mr. Potatohead toys and was, in fact, The Boy sitting on his changing table throwing every wipe we had into Turtle's crib while opening and closing the vertical blinds.

Sigh. At least the rest of the week it's up to daycare to have him nap.

In which we are slightly sunburnt and chained to the bathroom.

This little boy:

has decided it is time to be potty trained. Why is it that when people complain about potty training, no one ever says "when he decided to be on the potty, he didn't want to get up for 3 hours". So we are training, and that means that we spend most of our time hanging out in the bathroom (I finally started setting a timer. After he has peed a little, I give him 5 more minutes to see if he's done. It helps, although he's still going in his pants too so I'm not sure how well it's helping). And then Monday when I couldn't stand staying in the house anymore, we got dressed and walked to Target - about 1.5 miles each way. We bought "big boy underwears" (which are in non-big boy Mickey Mouse, because that's what he wanted) and walked back. I may have sweat off 10 lbs (what on earth was I thinking leaving at 1pm in this heat?) but it was refreshing to get out of the house. And away from the potty.

PS - this photo was taken at the bridge to the trail that runs behind my neighborhood, which is the long way to go to Target but is also the safer walk (and with a running-in-traffic toddler, we'll take safe). I love it, although I wish with all my heart that there was a playground in the same vicinity. At my next house, there will be a playground within walking distance, so help me.

Menu Monday

First a review of last week's menu:

Monday - pork enchiladas - (instead of chicken) they were fantastic!
Tuesday - meatloaf burgers - fantastic!
Wednesday - Penne a la Betsy (finally got to Publix to get shrimp and basil)
Thursday - Indian food (Cilantro in Tampa - worth every lamb-flavored penny), and I brought home my Lamb Sag leftovers and a side of garlic naan for my husband - ain't I a doll?
Friday - not hungry, so made The Boy what he asked for (frozen blueberry waffles, eggs and an apple, a very well balanced meal), I had a bowl of cereal and Hubby had the leftover pork enchiladas)
Saturday - steak and spinach with garlic chips (the balsamic potatoes were not a tasty recipe and were subsequently trashed).
Sunday - seafood mac & cheese at St Pete Alehouse - it was tasty, but I ate too much and felt gross for the rest of the night. Seafood is not tasty to burp up.

-------------------------

This week:

Monday: It's not delivery, it's Digiorno! with breadsticks!
Tuesday: bacon-wrapped shrimp w/ risotto
Wednesday: jalapeno poppers and ... whatever sounds good from the pantry
Thursday: chicken mac & cheese
Friday: TBD
Saturday: TBD

As you can see, I haven't done my shopping this week. I might not DO shopping this week - I really have quite a bit of stuff in my freezer and fridge and pantry, and I should see if I can work through some of it without resorting to PB&J for The Boy.

Turtle's first baseball game

My husband keeping up with his Fantasy Football team while the Rays crash and burn to the Angels)


We may have lost (Bah) but we had a pretty good time! We've been to one game a month this season and it's been great. If I could have strangled the woman next to me who spent the whole game hitting her cowbell against the seats, all would have been perfect.

Happy one-month birthday, Turtle! (that was Saturday)

Watch it. And excuse me while I hunt down the soundtrack.

One week in

I feel that at this point I should chronicle some of the work I've done toward my list, if for no other reason than I will forget otherwise. However, it's slightly embarrassing to admit to the world that I voluntarily watched movies like Dadnapped and Camp Rock. I also watched Whip It and Last Song. I have a friend who would not feel it was a compliment that I think of her every time I see Miley Cyrus.

I also read My Fair Lazy by Jenn Lancaster (hated Pretty in Plaid, but MFL was effing hilarious) and True Colors by Kristin Hannah. I'm reading Stormchasers by Jenna Blum, and it's some kind of awesome although I'm only 25 pages in. Love it.

Last week I did some work on the room, and made more decisions on what I want it to look like.

Tuesday Spencer and I played in the sprinkler and Monday we went to the library and the playground (more on that one when I'm better ... I'm still traumatized about that).

So I think I'm off to a good start. This week we might mess with the Wii Fit and go for a walk (where there are no cars ... bah for toddlers who try to run out into traffic). Verizon is supposed to come out and fix whatever is wrong with my cable (which they warn, they may have to charge us for - and I'm arming myself for a fight because I DID NOT MESS UP MY OWN CABLE, VERIZON) on Tuesday, so I'm definitely stuck home for the majority of the day then.

Eight weeks left! I'm going to make them count!

And now for the good news

I LOVE my new phone :)

A pre-breakfast whine

I have to preface this by saying that I really have a very helpful husband. He changes far more diapers than I do, let's me go out with friends when I forwarn him and watches the kids, gets up with the baby when I just can't do it anymore, etc. Most of this rant is probably because I woke up with a killer headache and everything is annoying the crap out of me today.

BUT. I have been up every night with Turtle for about 3 hours because he thinks that the middle of the night is an acceptable time to be awake. Last night he woke at 2am, I fed him and thought that he was acting sleepy enough to go right back to bed. Instead he fussed until I took him out to the living room so as not to disturb Hubby (as he works right now and I'm still on leave). I would like to let him fuss a little (not cry, just fuss) in his cradle, but it wakes my husband and then he gets up to deal with him when I'm already awake anyhow - I'm just trying to get him to go to sleep, dern it. So I took him out to the living room and laid/sat on the couch and dozed on and off with him until 5am when I brought him back to bed. He actually didn't sleep then either, but after I go back to bed it's nearly impossible for me to get right back up, so my husband had to deal with it by then.

Anyhow - to my rant. I went out with a friend (actually, my husband's cousin but we're good friends) to dinner. Before I went out, I fed Turtle and picked up The Boy from daycare. I got home 3 hours later (the restaurant we went to was on the other side of town), the house was a mess, the pots from two days ago were still dirty, there were no bottles clean, random play-dough and play-dough toys were all over the table (when I started cleaning that up he said "he's just going to get it all out tomorrow" ... even though I make The Boy clean up that stuff before he moves on, because it will dry out and stick to my floor and the table. But anyhow. Bah).

I got home at 9:30 (and brought home leftover Lamb Sag and an order of garlic naan for him). We didn't get to bed until a little after 11. In the meantime, still - nothing was done. In the middle of the night I had to wash a bottle the feed the baby. This morning, I had to wash a bottle to feed the baby.

So I woke up, as I said, with a terrible headache but I've offered to bring Turtle to my husband's office so he can show him off and go to lunch (at 2pm!! He gets off at 5!! Another BAH!) and I've made coffee but have yet to drink it, washed ALL the bottles, cleaned the kitchen, picked up the toys and books ... I still have to start some laundry and take out the bathroom trashes and pick up the other rooms but I'm making progress. Being annoyed seems to fuel my work habits.

In other, more adorable news, Turtle fell asleep during tummy time while I was washing said bottles. Really wish he would sleep at night instead, but at least he gives me time to clean (and he's SO CUTE!)

Looking forward to Christmas

I know I'm a dork, but I can't decide if I want this for Christmas:

(which I know I should want because, let's face it, all the cool kids are getting one and also I read and fly so much it would be much more helpful than dragging my books on the plane. But I love real books! And the library ... anyhow, still thinking)

or do I want this:

(which I've been drooling over having, and this is really what makes me feel like a dork. Who wants a kitchen mat for Christmas? But I can't fathom spending $200 on it myself and oh, how I want one.)

A little dance (and a little preview)

I wanted the boys' room done before Turtle made his presence in the world, and it didn't happen.

Ever since I made peace with that fact, I haven't really wanted to work on it at all. Today, though, my mom called and wanted to hang out and I told her she could come over and help work on the room. This actually gave me no out - she came over and said, "what first?"

So we took the doors off the closet (which made such a difference) and put up my cute Ikea shelves, arranged the new side table for my glider AND ...

... I found the dots that I wanted to put on the wall! When I decided that I wanted to add a color to Spencer's room to freshen up the previous blue/brown/white scheme, I chose lime green based on my cute Ikea shelves and painted the closet Behr's Lime Pop (exact color match) and my thought was to have blue, lime green and brown bubbles coming up the walls (which are previously striped). I just couldn't find bubbles or dots anywhere! I've been looking for months, seriously. And today, I found them at my lovely, wonderful, amazing Target.

Here's a preview, because I'm not done with the room so you don't get to see all of my genius:

**update on Project: Neighbor!

I was sitting outside on a blanket with Turtle while The Boy rode his tricycle, and Mr. Neighbor came out to his SUV to leave ... he backed over his empty garbage cans, and then drove straight over one of them so I WENT TO HELP HIM PICK THEM UP! Score one for me for being the helpful neighbor (not so much as when one of our other neighbors helped him sod in the rain, but hey, I was nine months pregnant! And it was a monsoon!).

Anyhow, so I'm hoping that being the helpful neighbor scores me some points and not that Mr. Neighbor will now be embarrassed because he was the idiot who drove over his garbage cans and got one stuck under his vehicle and I was there to witness it.

The return of Menu Mondays!

Monday: Penne a la Betsy
Tuesday: Meatloaf burgers
Wednesday: chicken enchiladas
Thursday: Jalapeno poppers and salad
Friday: bacon-wrapped shrimp skewers w/ risotto
Saturday: steak and balsamic potatoes


I know it probably won't all get done, but it's worth a shot!

Won't you be my neighbor?

I never knew my neighbors growing up. We moved a lot (9 times in 18 years) and I continued that trend into college and adulthood (12 times in 12 years). But now that I've bought a house, I've always wanted to know my neighbors. I wanted to live in the kind of neighborhood that had block parties, and where everyone know each other. Where you'd often have neighbors over to watch the game, or be over their house for a BBQ ... like something you'd see on any 50s sit-com.

Unfortunately, sometime between being in college and being in the real world, I lost my nerve to actually meet new people. You know, make friends. How does an adult make friends?

About 2 months ago, we got new neighbors. They seem to be very nice people, around our age, with A BOAT and are possibly sports-minded (this is a plus). Also, I think the wife might be pregnant (I can't tell yet, but Hubby says that the husband mentioned something along those lines when they were both out in the yards). But I can't figure out how to befriend these people. When they moved in, I often waited for them to be in the yard sprucing things up and I went out to get the mail (even if I had already gotten it for the day) so that I could make small talk. But now the yard is done and they are rarely outside so it's hard for me -- should I walk over and knock? What do I say?

I have no idea when she's due, so I can't just go over and bring food when she has the baby. And I'm terrified of going over there without a reason. What should I do? What would you do?

Thoughts on a pedicure

I had a pretty bad trip to the dental hygienist yesterday I was poked and prodded and told that I don't brush enough and I don't floss enough and I have three new cavities ... THREE!

So afterward I went to get a pedicure. The salon seemed nice enough, and the tools seemed clean enough. The lady? No good.

An hour later, my toes look like this:




Ouch! Here goes the Neosporin so that hopefully I don't almost lose an appendage like Paula Abdul.

Scenes from a marriage -format borrowed from Slynnro

Me (on the way across the bridge into St Pete to drop off dry cleaning because Hubby is partial to the dry cleaner near my work): oh look, the exits changed. This wasn't like this before while I was working (pointing across the bridge to the lanes going the other way)

15 minutes later, on the way back across the bridge:

Me: traffic's backing up. People must not know what lane to be in because of the lanes

Him: ...

Me (as we pass the exit) we should have been in that lane

Him: Shit. That wasn't like that before

Me: ...

Him: That must have been what the back up was.

Me: ...

Him They should put up signs earlier.

Me: They did

Him: ...



Note to self: add "find new, closer dry cleaner" to my to-do list

To-dos for the next nine weeks

My husband has been home for the last 2 1/2 weeks.

This would normally be a wonderful thing, except that while he's here I feel like we're on vacation and so I haven't been doing much of anything. I don't think I'm supposed to do anything for a few weeks while I'm recovering, but I hate sitting around being idle. One or two days - lovely. Three weeks makes me feel like a slovenly sloth.

While I'm home, I'd like to:

• clean both bathrooms well


• finish the boys' room (and take pictures)


• take The Boy to the playground or to do something fun at least once a week


• attempt to potty-train The Boy


• take good pictures of Turtle and Turtle and The Boy


• find a place that sells the Kindle and can give me a demonstration so I can think hard about whether I want one


• read one book a week (average - I usually read more than that in a week, but then I'll go a week without reading at all)


• watch five movies total that I want to see that Hubby doesn't


• start working out on the Wii Fit a few times a week (and maybe see if The Boy wants to join in)


• go for a walk at least three times a week

This list might be a little overboard, but I'd rather have it out there and hopefully finish than just sit around for the next two months aimlessly.

Parenting woes

I suppose everyone worries about being a good parent.

I'm laying in bed tonight frantic because I worry that The Boy isn't eating enough. We've never pushed food on him, letting him eat as much as he wants, and if he doesn't want a meal we don't make him eat it. He doesn't get substitute food, unless I haven't made dinner and the adults aren't really hungry - then I'll let him decide what he wants. But if I make dinner, he can eat it or not, as well as with any other meal. We don't really do snacks. He doesn't ask for food, ever, so I don't know if he's hungry and not asking, or if he's just not hungry. Lately, he hasn't really been eating much and I worry that he's not eating enough and if that is contributing to his toddler attitude problem.

I'm pretty sure I'm over-doing it on that front, but now I can't stop worrying about it.

Likewise, I'm also worrying that I'm not teaching him enough. Should he know how to draw his shapes by now? He can identify them, but he can't draw them. He doesn't attempt to color in the lines, or draw anything in particular. He can remember all kinds of songs (especially Beatles songs) and has an amazing vocabulary, but should he be reading sight words at all? What should I be teaching him that he's ready to learn?

I think all this is because I'm home on maternity leave so I feel more like a SAHM (which I am not cut out for, BTW), and I'm afraid I'm not being attentive to his needs enough because I'm worried about counting hours on when Turtle should eat, and trying to get him to sleep, and having some serious lethargy and lack-of-hunger problems of my own.

More reading and shopping, and child issues

Yesterday I read Graceling, by Kristin Cashore - an excellent YA fantasy read. I don't really like fantasy, but it was well written and immediately drew me into the story. I was sad when it ended. Kristin Cashore, write more!

We did some hard-core Labor Day shopping yesterday while The Boy was at daycare. I didn't do well with pants or dresses because of that dreaded belly flab from having Turtle two weeks ago, but I did find a plethora of new blouses and A BATHING SUIT. I wasn't looking for one, but I found a pretty aqua one-piece number which is flattering and hides the belly. I also got one dress which is very similar to all my other dresses, but what can I say? I have a style. It just happens to be a 1950s-style-off-white-with-large-black-flowers style.

The Boy has cradle cap. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as he has eczema which requires the occasional prescription ointment for flare-ups, but I didn't know that toddlers got cradle cap. he kept itching his head, and I thought that it was lice (thankfully, no). This week I noticed the scales on his scalp, so this morning we started on a baby oil/fine-toothed comb and scrubbing head bath regiment, and it already looks better.

Turtle has decided that sleeping at night is for losers, so the past couple nights have been a little rough. The silver lining is that I haven't needed my alarm to wake up, right?

My generation

This picture reminds me of something funny. You see that outlet to the left of my nightstand? Any normal person would see that and think, oh, phone outlet.

When I bought this house two years ago, I looked at those outlets and said, "Why are there ethernet outlets in all the rooms? Isn't that outdated?"

Yes, I'm a dunce. But I'm a dunce who hasn't had a home phone (save for a few years with Vonage) since 2001.

The definition of lethargy

Here's what I did today:

• Finished a Jen Lancaster book


• Read cover-to-cover the last Richelle Mead Succubus book


• Watched VH1 10 best celebrity slim-downs


• Watched VH1 Celebrity Plastic Surgery (horrors, mostly)


• Watched all 5 hours of VH1's Top 100 80s One-Hit Wonders


• Fed Turtle, held Turtle, watched Turtle, bounced Turtle.

Here's what my husband did:

• Mowed the backyard/jungle.


• Watched The Hurt Locker (I watched part of it, but I hate war movies so I was mostly reading my books)


• Watched all of the above with me


• Watched (currently watching) preseason football (aka the most pointless thing ever)

Here's what Turtle did:

• Ate


• Pooped


• Farted (a LOT)


• Cried (more than normal, probably due to farting)


• Slept (less than normal, probably due to farting)

Here's what The Boy did:

• Went to daycare


• Watched Caillou andBarney


• Ran around in circles singing Pop goes the Weasel and Shoo Fly

It was a much needed day of nothing for all.

What did you do?

I woulda driven (101.47) miles

Today we took an excursion 2 hours east to a town called Altamonte Springs.

Sounds like a pretty place - did we go for a theme park? No.

Did we go to visit friends/family/acquaintances? No.

We went 101.47 miles to visit a Game Stop and to buy a used PS2 video game that my husband has been on the hunt for, for quite awhile.

Over 100 miles.

To be fair, I was the one who bucked up and said, "How's Wednesday?" when he was thinking if he wanted to go out there. But this may or may not have been so that I wouldn't be dragged into every used game store in the area to look for said video game when it was obvious from the Game Stop people that our only other option was eBay, where the game sells for anywhere from $10 to $80 plus shipping.

Good news: When he gets bored, we can sell our $12 game for $10-$80 on eBay.

In better news, after we scored the game, we stopped at the mall and I got two pair of gold ballet flats for 70% off at Dillards. Gotta love Labor Day sales!

And now a commercial I love

This is totally my son:




I love this commercial.

A minor annoyance

Forget that I hate Pepsi. I actually love a clever commercial, no matter what it's shilling, but this commercial annoys the crud out of me because IT'S WRONG.



Do you see it? The can is in his right hand when he's drinking. But when the Pepsi dude records him with the iPhone, the can is in his left hand so you can see the logo. Bah! It reminds me of every Visa commercial where they swipe the card so the logo is upright, but when you swipe a card, the logo would be upside down. Is it that advertising people think we're that stupid, or is it that I shouldn't care so much??