I know my kid's a star

Have you seen this show? The newest Danny Bonaduce vehicle. How do these parents sleep at night? And to have Bonaduce host it -- yes, children, we will get you on tv, but you'll be sentenced to a life of boozing, drugs and bad tv. Let's go for it!

I've thought of posting several times, but I just don't have the attention span lately. I've even opened a post but never got past naming it. Blah.


Tuesday 4/15 was our anniversary. My, what a difference a year makes! It feels like yesterday, yet it feels like forever. It really feels like forever since we were in California. We talk about the vineyards and the restaurants and the wine all the time. We decided not to get each other anything for our anniversary. I didn't know that meant I wouldn't get flowers, but I made the "no gifts" rule so I wasn't going to complain. We went for a very nice dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse where we spent too much money but had a wonderful time. I had the filet and shrimp which was fabulous (well, the filet was fabulous; the shrimp were a little dry but they tasted good once I turned them in the steak juice). Christen had the NY Strip which he said was good but that he had had better. We shared garlic mashed potatoes which were good but nothing special, and creamed spinach which was divine. We split a bottle of B.R.Cohn Cabernet which was quite delicious but oddly I didn't even get a buzz from, and they comp'ed a creme brulee for our celebratory dinner (very tasty but Ceviche's is better). All in all, a very lovely dinner. The in-laws kept Spencer for the few hours that we were out.

The rest of this past week has been unbelievably stressful. I'm hoping we're through the worst of the stress, because really I'm not sure I can handle much more. Thank you for every one who has called or emailed. I'm alright really, and it has nothing to do with Christen or Spencer (except that Spencer starts daycare on Tuesday and I'm not really looking forward to that). Things will work out, and I really don't want to talk about it with anyone else other than who I have already discussed things with, but thank you all for your help. I am so glad to know that there really are people there for me. I know I'm not alone, but sometimes it's hard to remember.

contact dermatitis, yeah, it's what I got (can you remember that?)

To the tune of Love Is.

I made these today for lunch -- mmm, mmm good. However, my reaction to the raw jalapenos (burning red fingers) made me finally realize what is wrong with me -- contact dermatitis. I have the same issue with Tide detergent and raw shrimp. Odd gamut of issue items, yes? Jalapenos not as bad as shrimp -- shrimp makes me scream in agony. Last time my clothes were washed in Tide I had to throw most of them away. The jalapenos just make my finger tips burn and get a little red and scaly.

So I think I'm going to have to invest in another box of non-powdered latex gloves for cooking with.

Spencer's not been feeling well today. He was screaming most of the day unless I held him, and he took a short nap on his changing table while I hung out in his room making sure he was still safe because I didn't want to move him and chance waking him up. I've fed him gas medicine and he seems to finally be coming out of it, so he's hanging out in his chair next to me filling his diaper. Knowing my luck he'll be feeling completely better by the time Christen is home and he'll be all smiles for me. Lucky bastard.

Dreams and mortgage whining

I have strange dreams every night. I used to talk about them all the time, but anymore I don't bother unless there's one that really upsets me.

Last night Spencer decided he didn't want to back to sleep when he woke up at 3am after nearly tearing off my nipple when he ate, so we hung out watching television until after 7am, at which time he finally dozed back off and I was able to go back to sleep. I dreamt that Autumn was down, and she and I and Joy were hanging out together. It was stormy, like it was on Sunday, and the sky was dark all day. We were having lunch that Joy cooked and Autumn was lecturing me very angrily that I need to thank Joy for all she's done for me and invite her back to my house for dinner, and I was saying that I have thanked Joy and that I'm grateful but that I can't bring her back to my house for dinner because I don't have a house. I was crying a lot in the dream. After all that I was driving them somewhere in the middle of the night and I fell asleep at a traffic light and it took four hours to get from somewhere South County to Palm Harbor. The traffic lights were out and there were burned cars in intersections that I had to keep maneuvering around.

I also kept losing Spencer, and then when I'd find him he'd be in his car seat at the bottom of an empty pool, the seat on its side and two inches of water in the pool from the rain.


***

More mortgage woes; the market is so bad in Florida that they make it near impossible to get a mortgage. I'm going to have an ulcer by the time this is done.

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Pedigree - Geneology

ahhh ... mmmm ....

Well, I've never seen a $258 check before, but there it was. Not that it was all ours and it was definitely worth the money ... just not every day. Ceviche was amazing, as always.

We went with Acie/Tom and Steph/George and had a delightful time. There were stuffed artichokes, duck with chocolate sauce, mushrooms, veal meatballs, fillet, goat cheese (ahh, let me remember the goat cheese), olives, pancheta (sp?), sangria, creme brulee, almond croissants ... we didn't order smart which is what ran our bill up, but everything was so good it was worth it. We don't do that often. We went to the new Tampa location since they moved down Howard in SoHo as the races were going on in St. Pete and we figured it would be crazy down there. The new location is beautiful (although I never went to the old location in Tampa) but there's still something I like about the St. Pete one a little better - the packed seating, the waiter whose accent is so thick you can't understand but love to hear him recite the menu options ... next time we go back, we make reservations afterward for the dessert room at Bern's since it's two blocks away. Mmmm .... I'm already salivating again.

Oh, and the boy was on his best behavior. He didn't sleep through much of the meal but he hung out and relished being adored. He did scream all the way home, but such is life. I'm getting used to him doing that to me -- when he's done in the car, he's done and it doesn't matter how far from home you are. He doesn't want to be in the seat anymore. This is three times. At least he is on good behavior around others; I can deal with the crying every once in awhile.

Knights in White Satin

My brother and I keep talking about old songs that I love and he makes fun of. Of which he makes fun. Whatevs. This is from the boy whose favorite song is Blinded By the Light. His second favorite song is something from Der Toten Hosen. Yes, we're a highly eclectic family. Just because between Christen and I we know all the words to Bust a Move, it's nothing to be embarassed by when we sing along in public.

He insists that Blue Oyster Cult is considered metal. How can they be? There's melody there.

Anywho, the bebe slept 8 hours straight last night. I only woke up because my boobs hurt, and Christen was getting him back to sleep because he had gotten a little restless and I told him I needed to feed him. Pronto. So I did and he went back to sleep for another 2 1/2 hours. What is this every other night thing?

Right now he's being a cranky babe, so maybe that will mean he'll be in good spirits when we meet Acie/Tom and Steph/George for dinner at Ceviche. So excited for that!

It's 11:28pm -- do you know where your kids are?

I should be sleeping, like the snoring oaf next to me (yes, that's my husband. he snores like a champ). But I'm not, obviously. Why not? Who knows.

I need a baby carrier. We have a Baby Bjorn, but it's so hot and uncomfortable (Christen likes it; he can keep it). I have a sling that was made for me too, but I can't seem to get used to it; it makes me feel like I'm smothering the kid. After seeing Joy's, I think I want one of those Mai Tai carriers like this:


But I don't want to pay $90 for it. Any ideas? I want one with very little padding because I get so hot with those things, but the Birdman seems to be obsessed with being carried lately and it would be a lot easier on my back, I'm sure.

So I had to be out of the house today for at least three hours while the bugman was here, and Ann and I went to brunch at Nicki's ... very good. I only had the fruit platter because I was overwhelmed with choices, but everything looked good (even Ann's hash, and yuck - it was hash) so I will have to go back and try something real. After that Spencer and I went to Kohl's to get some more work clothes for me ... does anybody else's kid hate dressing rooms? He would be fast asleep and as soon as I got into the dressing room he would be awake and crying. Bastard. hehe, not really though :)

Anyhow, I really must get some sleep while the rest of the house is slumbering as well. And by the rest of the house I really mean Spencer - he's the only one who counts, right? I wonder if I could smother Christen to get him to stop snoring, just long enough for me to get to sleep.