Hey!

I'm still here! I keep thinking that I should be posting, but I'm not giving myself enough time to actually sit and post. So here's a quick doodle:


Look at my boy! On the front page of the the Metro section of the newspaper!

Here's a better copy of the actual picture. It was on tbo's website in the picture gallery, and it was the photo jump from their FB page too!

(photo credits: Christie and tbo)

A not-so-hot mess

I haven’t been posting that often lately because frankly, I’ve been a bit of a mess. I’ve been snippy and cranky and possibly a little depressed. I’m having anxiety attacks and falling asleep at 8pm only to wake up multiple times a night and have dreams that are a lot like episodes of Criminal Minds or the Rachel Maddow show. I’m not getting as much exercise as usual, and I have no energy to push myself to try to exercise. I ran 2.75 miles on Tuesday because I’m signed up for 2 5ks in less than two weeks, and I nearly threw up after and felt like my body was revolting for the rest of the day.

The past six weeks haven’t been great. But honestly, I don’t *feel* any more stressed than usual. I don’t know what’s bringing this on, but I’m not a joy to be around, I feel bad because most of the time I don’t want to play with my kids because they just keep annoying me, and I’m not being a good wife.

I have a doctor’s appointment on Friday. Hopefully I’ll follow that up with finding a good therapist, and all will be hunky dory. In the meantime, it appears I have two book clubs and a writing club to prepare for, two kids birthday parties and a baby shower to find gifts for, a date night Friday to gussy up for, and Spencer’s friend is sleeping over on Saturday.

Anybody have a bag I can breathe into?

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A list - in photos

1. Henry likes to lay on this ball and roll around on it like a medicine ball. It might pop, but it's funny as heck. (PS - could someone please steal that paci out of his mouth? he's becoming more obsessed)


2. I saw this pasta in my feeder from on Tasty Kitchen and was inspired. But I didn't have any of the ingredients. So I subbed Gorgonzola for the blue cheese and spinach for arugula, and added a little pesto sauce. Fabulous.


3. This is well-needed, and found at BJs for $5.99 so I can drink it whenever I want. Where does Target get off charging $11.99?


4. Spencer has a lot of cars. A. Lot. In this picture, the Lightning McQueen is having a birthday. I don't know what the others are doing.


5. The haul.


6. They changed out our vending machines at work to be "healthier". They took away my poptarts which I rarely eat when I forget my breakfast, but they still have honey buns. And drinks (including water) now cost $1.25 because they are in shiny new machines. How is this healthier for us?


7. This is my friend's daughter, and this picture makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.


8. Spencer playing Hungry Hippos with the neighborhood boys (ages 11 and 7) in front of the house.



And because you stuck with the list, you get a peek of Henry lip-synching to Gitchee Gitchee Go by Phineas and Ferb. It's pretty great, even if he does look a little like a monkey.

My four-year old

I meant to be a good mommy blogger and write a whole long touching post about this wonderful little boy that would upload on its own at 3:44am, the moment four years ago yesterday that he came into my life.

Needless to say, I'm just not a good mommy blogger.

Sunday we had a huge party (36 adults and 16 kids) at the park. We did a cookout and cake and presents and the kids played tag in the field and played on the playground. It was a lot of fun, and I think he had a lot of fun which was the point really. I felt like an under-achiever because the first birthday at the pavilion next to us had a bounce house and a clown that did face painting and a pinata ... But my kid doesn't like any of those things. He likes to play with his friends, and he did so I'm counting it a very successful party.

He also got a new bike, which he took home and immediately rode over the neighbor kid's bike ramp while I ran after him desperately with his helmet. He's a huge fan of the bike.

We have been spacing out the opening from the packaging if his 1,871 presents, so now every day when he comes home he asks what he can open and I keep putting off the boxes of play dough and hungry hippos. Those might be tonight.

Wednesday, his actual birthday, I sent him off to daycare with a "birthday boy" ribbon and a dozen cupcakes. That night we went to one of his favorite places (the mall) and ate at one of his favorite restaurants (Red Robin) with most of his grandparents and my brother and they sang to him and gave him a hit fudge sundae. Big hit.

So my baby is four. This is crazy to me, and i'm amazed every day at how smart he is, and funny and inquisitive and, okay, sometimes crazy annoying. But so lovable, and such a good big brother and such a wonderful little man.

Okay, so I got a little sappy. Happy birthday, Spencer! My first boy.

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Tens! We've missed Tens!

1. How do you feel about Groundhog’s Day?
Great movie.
"Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today."

2. What color are your fingernails right now? (Bonus points if you include a picture.)
Au Natural. I think I look ridiculous in colored fingernails.

3. Do you like riddles?
I do, but not too hard - I like to be able to solve them too.

4. When you were 10, how old did you think “old” was? At your current age, how old do you think “old” is?
At 10, 30 was probably old (I can't remember, but I thought my mom was old and she's 20 years older than me). Now I think 80 is old. I'm pretty sure most 80-year olds would agree.

5. Do you wish on stars?
No.

6. Do you recycle?
Yes, especially because it's seriously easy to do so, and I would probably feel guilty for not when it's so easy.

7. On a scale from 1-10, how good of a cook are you?
An 8.5. I love to cook.

8. Do you color your hair? Professionally or at home?
I color it myself, usually a medium golden brown.

9. One a scale from 1-10, how do you rate your manners?
I try to be around a 7, but I slip. Good with please and thank you, terrible with Thank you Cards.

10. Who are the last 5 people you have texted?
my mom, my next door neighbor, my uncle, my dad and my friend Stacy.

January Books

I’m trying something different this year. Usually I post the books I’ve read quarterly but I don’t comment on any of them because by that time there are so many that I just don’t have the time to comment on all. So I’m going to post monthly, and comment at least on if I liked it or not. Let me know if it works this way.

Without further ado:

Swamplandia!: Didn’t like at all. Nothing happened, and then when something DID happen the author just passed right over it like THAT DIDN’T JUST HAPPEN. And then, finally, nothing happened. Bah.

The Death Cure: Not my favorite of the Maze Runner trilogy, and I’m not sure how much was my frustration on this or just that I was still irritated at the amount of time it took me to drag through Swamplandia! But it made a good conclusion to the trilogy.

The Inside Ring: Not bad. The characters were pretty one dimensional but it was entertaining and it’s the first in a series so they might get better.

Last Breath: One of my favorite mindless reading, more of Rachel Caine’s Morganville vampire series.

Sweet Valley Confidential: I knew this would be terrible, and it didn’t disappoint on that front. But I’m happy that I finally got it out of my system.

Blue: I knew exactly where it was going pretty much from the beginning, but it was still good.

Until Again: The prequel to Blue. Not bad. Not as good as Blue.

Working Stiff: I thought I would try another book by Rachel Caine, and I was terribly disappointed by this one. I’m willing to try her other series, but this one bit.

No shopping! Ack!

Jennie mentioned on her blog that she was committing to a month of no spending. And since a) I tend to follow Jennie’s lead on everything and b) my hubby had already said that we needed to get our spending back under control, I am all in for this.

Of course, that meant that Tuesday I had to go out to lunch even though I brought mine. Yum for a carnitas quesadilla from Panchero’s! Also, I got a deck umbrella on Monday and accoutrements, so that’s taken care of. The only thing I can think of honestly needing is a new garbage disposal because my current one sprays water under the cabinets every time it gets used.

This is what it includes:

• Clothes
• Accessories/shoes
• Unnecessary things for the home
• Dining out solo (Starbucks, quick lunch at Subway, etc.)

This doesn't mean:

• Gifts
• Groceries
• Necessary things for the home
• Dining out with others

I have a couple of planned things that I’m not giving up: Hubby and I are supposed to go out for a date night somewhere around Valentine Day, and I have two book clubs (*yes, two!!) and mommy/kid playdate night tonight. I can also say that if some certain circumstances change, I might also be spending some money to redo my home office to make it a little, ahem, more usable for myself. Like this, except with some yellow splashed around too. Also, Spencer's birthday party is Sunday and that might make me go broke.

I’m hoping that it will help me curb my unnecessary spending, and will keep me in the office for lunch more so I have to go work out. We can also go on more family bike rides and excursions to the playground instead of the mall (which we do quite often). I want to learn to knit and/or crochet but I have all the items to learn so maybe I’ll get on that. My book club books can be obtained from the library either for my Nook or in paper print. There is no reason for me to be spending.

So yay, no shopping! Yay.