My Idol Rundown, because I know you all count on it.

Honestly, I cannot believe that half of these contestants made it past the Final 36.
Some of them are soooooooo bad.
There is no doubt in my mind that Danny Gokey is going to win.
He is running away with it like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood did.
No Doubt In My Mind. (Except the creeping wonder about Adam Lambert.)

Here we go:

Creepy red haired girl - She really surprised me tonight - I thought she was good. I still think she's freakish and she still makes me uncomfortable, but she didn't suck tonight.

Kris Allen - Long before it was a popular song, Crystal Gayle sang this song (Ain't No Sunshine) - I love her, love her version and this guy, while he didn't suck, didn't do a great rendition. He is just sort of wishy-washy.

Little – "Pitchy", to say the least - she really isn't very good. But how stinkin' cute were her kids!?

Adam Lambert – "DAAAA-YUMMMMMM"!!!!! This guy is so awesome!!! I cannot believe how he changes it up, ups his game, amazes us - EVERY WEEK. He is so original, so fabulous, so talented, so gifted. I really, really hope that he wins. He absolutely will be in the Top 2.

Blind Guy – I just don't get it. This guy is one of the most uncool people ever. Ev-Er.

Danny Gokey – Yes, he's still my #1 pick. This guy can sing, he connects with his audience, he loves being on stage. He's not cocky, he's happy. I love him.

Kumar – This guy is KILLING me. He is B. A. D.

Megan – What happened to this girl? She was awesome now she S.U. C. K. S. She was worse than a bad muppet tonight.

Matt Giraud – He was good, he's still not awesome but he's ok.

Have you noticed the Poll on the left hand side of your screen? Should I cut my hair short again?
Here are a few pictures of various hairstyles - I won't claim that I look super hot either way - I need you to make your own decision, I cannot make my own.

Here you go:

As the month of March comes to a close, I invite you to visit my Picture Page. You can click on the titles at the top of the page to flip through the pictures from various events in the month of March.

Also - here is a poem that my mom clipped from a "Dear Abby" and sent to me. It applies to everyone but especially the friends of mine that share with me the magnificent gift of Parenthood.

Success
You can use most any measure
When you're speaking of success.
You can measure it in a fancy home,
Expensive car or dress.
But the measure of your real success
Is the one you cannot spend.
It's the way your kids describe you
When they're talking to a friend.

Spring is in the air, Easter is right around the corner and my weekends are filling up faster than ... faster than...
ummm.... .
Anyway - here are some cute pics I have taken randomly over the past few days:

This is my beautiful sleeping Angel.
The flash is very bright but, trust me, this was at night, in the dark.

And here is the boy, fast asleep.
He really takes advantage of every soft object when sleeping,
he doesn't stay in one position very long although, usually,
he's on his tummy with his hiney in the air.

Crocus sprouting out front. My first successful bulb ever.

Ladies Night at a local watering hole. Always a good time.

Cookie Marathon. 300 cookies in 3 hours.

(this isn't all of them, this is half-way through the chocolate chippers...)

American Idol really sucked the big one tonight.
I wish at least 4 people could get voted off next week - it doesn't even feel like a "competition" right now.
S.U.C.K.E.D.
And I was just admitting to my husband that I was pretty hooked this season. Not so much.

Here's the rundown:

Michael Sarver – fat country guy. He sucks. Bad. I thought last week was just an "off week" but he really just sucks.

Creepy red haired girl - She makes me uncomfortable, she's so weird and loud.

Kris Allen - Sucks. And oddly insecure? Not sure what it is, he's cute, he's just really boring.

Little – Remember how I said "ooooh, another black chick that can sing!" (in a dryly sarcastic way) I take it back. She can't even sing that well.

Adam Lambert – This guy could, without a doubt, win this season. Maybe I am wrong about him being "too unique" for American Idol - maybe people will see that he is absolutely awesome and amazing. If Tiger Beat prints a pull-out poster of him, I'm hanging it in my room. I love him.

Blind Guy – great voice, great piano player. I thought his little show tonight was embarrassing and weird.

Danny Gokey – still my favorite to win. He's just reaalllly good - he's got the whole package. Love him.

Kumar – he’s got a pretty voice but he's got nothing else.

Megan – Last week I had her in the Top 2. This week she was sooooooooooooo bad, I want to go back and delete my post from last week.

Matt Giraud – Good singer, fun guy - reminds me of Marshall from How I Met Your Mother.

Was today a gorgeous day or what?!
We went to the park today. Abby, Wywy and I. First Park-Trip of 2009. Amazing how fun it is for like, a month until it's too hot and sorta boring.
Anyway -
We met Joanne with Nina and Ian as well as Debbie with Jack.

It was such a fun day - watching my little kids (not really looking like babies these days!) run around, full-tilt, screaming, laughing, climbing, falling, sliding, swinging, blowing bubbles, drinking juice boxes... it was such a great primer for the every day of spring and summertime to come.

And lemme tell you - while all of this sounds beautiful and fun - if I don't get a leash for Wyatt, I will easily lose that 50 pounds I am so Burberry-Inspired to lose!
That kid is RUNS like GUMP!
And, in case you lost anything sharp, dangerous or rusty, feel free to let Wyatt run around your yard, he'll find it!!
Can't WAIT to take him camping!!

Here's Wywy at the park last year. Hot summer day, 2008.



Here are some pics from today, man, I f-ing LOVE my kids!

Way Back Wednesday

Lots of chatter about weddings around these parts lately... a couple of cousins on the husband's side are getting closer to the altar and I am forever in love with weddings (planning them, attending them - whatever!)!!

Anyhoo - it got me feeling a little sentimental... and it has really gotten me excited about planning our 10-Year Anniversary Trip. We are considering a group trip, Fall 2011 to an exotic (if budget-friendly) locale - friends, family, kids - all-inclusive, on the beach - maybe even a cruise.
I keep writing and re-writing my vows to my husband who I love more than I ever imagined I would (or could) when I first married him in October, 2001. And I would imagine it only gets better as it ages, ripens and deepens...

Well, that's for a different post, for now, this is Way Back Wednesday and I am cheating a little here and including 3 pictures from my wedding day - October 20, 2001.

Could we have been more excited to enter as Mr. and Mrs?!
Yeah - I was hopping!


Why yes - we did have a rather large wedding party.
And yes, we really did love and want
every single one of these people
to stand up and witness our day with us.

Booked It!
Flight, House and Rental Car! All for FAR less than "market value".

So exciting.

Maybe you read my previous post about my worries about planning and booking this trip?

Well, as it turned out, my worries were completely legit and we decided to skip the Timeshare option all together. We booked a beautiful house at a fabulous price and now all we have to do is wait.
And pack.

Can I tell you how much I love packing?
On vacation, you only bring your best stuff, right? Your "A Game". I will plan each out fit and pack accordingly.
Sure, there will still be playclothes and bathing suit days - but if we go out - dinner, lunch, beach, shopping - we'll be decked out.

More on this later - gotta go find my WBW pic.

Happy Birthday, Baby Ben!!

My Best Friend's Boy.

My Boy's Best Friend.

{My Girl's Future Husband.}



Here's the little guy on the first day I met him.
I think he was about 2 weeks old.



I'm guessing here, but I think this was about mid-year, maybe 4 months.




And this is the most recent I have, about a week ago.

When my sisters had Samantha, Kathleen and Cara, I was awe-struck and in love. But they had babies before I did, so I never really grasped it.

Then, Deborah had James and I really got it. Really understood the depth of what she was going through because I had had Abigail. I could thrill and enjoy over every little thing because I knew what she was talking about.

So, when my Belle had Benjamin it was like I was suddenly a seasoned vet. I had 2 babies, I was a full-time mama. And here was my best friend, the one person in my life (with the exception of my husband) who has known me, loved me and accepted me for all these years not because she had to but because she wanted to.

Here she was, giving birth to this amazing person that she grew in her body and wanted so badly.
Here she was, joining me in this world of motherhood. Our "final frontier" of friendship, really.

And Belle, you are a wonderful mother. You are natural and instinctive; loving and nurturing; calm and rational; warm and secure; fun and happy.
You make your baby feel safe, secure and loved - and because of that he is smart and happy and funny; musical and comical and curious; physical and emotional - already!

Ben is so blessed and amazing, because he has blessed and amazing parents.

So, Happy Birthday, Little Man.
God has truly blessed us all
and you are just one more example
of how He does that,
every single day.

Here's Idol Update, I decided my opinion matters, even though I never vote:

Michael Sarver – fat country guy. He sucked last night but I usually like him.

Creepy red haired girl - ew.

Kris Allen - Lame, Boring. Good voice? Sure. But who cares?

Little – wow, another black chick with a great voice. We've never seen that before.

Adam Lambert – freakishly awesome. Couldn’t be further from my taste in music but unique and gifted.

Blind Guy – great voice, great piano player, cute and nice guy. He won’t win – too nice and cute.

New Pink-Haired chick – ew.

Danny Gokey – Absolutely, without Question, the next American Idol. What is there not to love about this guy?

Kumar – he’s really good. But he won’t win.

Megan – Final 2 with Danny. She’s pretty and a good singer. And she has great tits.

Matt Giraud – really good singer. Not special enough.

I think the black chick or the country guy are history tonight. We shall see...

Way Back Wednesday

This is Baby Maggie.
This picture of our perfect little lady was from her first night with us, February 2003.
She loved her crate.
As soon as she got home
(whether she knew it was home or not, we'll never know, but I suspect she absolutely knew)
she checked the place out for a moment then she quickly and efficiently
gathered up all the toys and goodies we had bought for her
and placed them inside her little den.
Every night we tucked her in and
every morning we took her out
and she was just as happy going in as coming out.
What's funny is that now, she's a total bed hog.
So much for those crate-training days!
(We wouldn't have it any other way. Best dog ever.)

I love Tag Sale Season.
Love selling, love buying... basically love trading crap-for-crap. It really does go "one man's trash is another man's treasure".
Last year, I got a whole brown paper grocery bag full of sand toys - good ones, shovels, pails, shapers, sifters - for ONE DOLLAR.
I also snagged some pretty expensive Tupperware pieces for less than a buck each.
This year, I am going to clean out our basement storage room. We have a few big things that need to get out of our way.
I hate getting rid of chairs, but we have 4 office chairs and only 1 desk. If we had tons of space where we weren't always bumping into the stupid chairs, it would be one thing but we are always moving them out of our way and we never use them.
Maybe I will just get rid of 2 and save the big one, just in case Jay's chair craps out the day after we get rid of it.

Oh, so I bought new shoes at Macy*s.
I needed shoes - I had my choice of sneakers, flip-flops or Merrells. I needed a loafer/clog-like choice.
I need a shoe overhaul, really... My wardrobe is totally casual, totally "mommy" but my shoes are not. And I am very sensitive to "lesbian shoes". I will not wear Dansko and even my Merrells are starting to bug me.

Anyway - here's the pair I bought:

(they're cuter in real life, but not much.)

Here's the pair I wanted but they didn't have in my size:

They literally didn't have them in any Macy*s in CT. And Nordstrom didn't carry them.

I still want them, but I have to wait. $90 is a lot for shoes, for me. And I don't technically "need them", so I'll wait a few days or a week and see how bad I still want them.

We spent the better part of today at WestFarms with Nana.
It was a beautiful day and I probably should have been outside with the kids... doing sidewalk chalk, riding bikes, going to the park, having a picnic lunch while reading great literature to their tiny little sponge brains.
But, no.
We went to the mall.

We originally made this plan with Nana anticipating a visit with the Easter Bunny but as it turns out, he's not coming till the 21st.
Last year - no joke - he arrived at the mall the week after New Years. They cleaned up Santa and threw the Bunny in the ring.
This year, he's here for 2 weeks.

Whatever - the Bunny is a whole other story. Why do we tell our kids about the bunny anyway!? What the F*&^ does a giant, candy-bearing bunny have to do with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!?
I've never discussed this with Jay because it seems too stupid, but honestly, I have NO desire to bring yet another ridiculous lie into my children's holidays.

I love Santa. But it is pretty easy for me to teach my children about Jesus' Birth and how Santa was celebrating Jesus' birth by giving away toys and sharing joy. I can separate the two. My kids don't (and won't, I know they're too little to really "get it" yet) confuse the two.

But a giant bunny? How the fuck does that tie into Easter!?
(I can just see my BFF's head spinning right now - nothing gets her going more than Christmas that revolves around Santa, I can't imagine what the Bunny does to her normally calm and cool exterior.)

Anyway - the mall was fun. I picked up a couple of short sleeved shirts for Wyatt. Baby Gap, of course. And while we were in there my precious little mini-me picked up a pair of shoes and walked them over to me saying "Look, Mama - they're on Sale!"
And guess what? They were.

We treated Nana to lunch - it seemed fair since she is one person and we are 3. Plus, she deserves a little treat now and then - she certainly shells it out to the kids (and us) - with both her time and money. She's a good egg, that Nana. :)

On the way home both kids fell asleep. Poor Wywy, he was so tired. His nap is usually from about 12:30 - 3 and we didn't leave the mall till 2:30ish. And Abby, she was just such a big girl, refusing every offer of a stroller ride we gave her. I think she just wore her little self out. She doesn't usually nap at all.
Neither kid slept long so we did an early dinner, early tubby and early to bed.

So, here we are, sitting, watching Idol, missing hubby, considering an early to bed for me, too.

I believe Ray Romano coined the phrase "Your Ladies Days"... and I believe it was that same episode when, in an attempt to be a good husband, he purchased some products for his ever-condescending bitch wife at the Pharmacy for her "Ladies Days" and she desperately searched through the bag and said "What, Ray, they were all out of 'Bitch-Be-gone'??"
Well, that episode and those phrases come up around here... every.... say... 30 days or so. And we laugh at what a bitch Deborah is (in every f-ing episode, really, not just this one) and what a nice try Ray made (because while he is often an idiot, it is not nearly as often as Deborah is mean).
And Jay has often made a trip to the Pharmacy in search of "Bitch-Be-Gone" and I have often cried about the fact that he needs me to take it.
So goes the "cycle" of life, right?

This leads me up to my Diet Update.
I didn't lose any weight last week. I wasn't the picture of perfect dieting but I wasn't a pig, either. I thought I would have lost at least a pound if not 2. But, no.
I still think a week without gaining weight is a winning week, though. Plus, I realized I was retaining water - and that is probably a good 2 pounds.
And now, this week, "Flo" is here so I can't pressure myself to diet like a machine. I can be careful and not pig-out but let's be realistic, shall we?
I will call this week a success if I don't gain, again.

Florida.
We are going to Florida in May, for a week. It will be 2009's BIG vacation. It will be expensive.
It will be 4 people flying, 4 people lodging, eating and entertaining, a family car rental and the dogs' resort for the week.
That all adds up pretty quickly!
However, we have the option of using my parent's Timeshare for the week IF we can exchange and we can only so that IF something opens up where we want to go.
Why so picky, you ask?
My sister, her husband and her 2 children are flying over from Scotland, for 2 weeks, to go to Florida. Hence, the reason for this vacation in the first place.
So - every day I check the Interval website and every day it says "NOPE! NADA!"
Until, the other day - we have the option of booking a place, a 2-bedroom condo on the beach, full kitchen, living room and private balcony plus the resort has a pool.
The only hitch?
It's about an hour north of where my sister will be.
Certainly worth it, it will save us at least $800. But an HOUR!!!
There are 4 other places that will put us within 10 minutes of each other but htey just haven't opened up.... yet.
What if one DOES become available like, the MINUTE after I book this one!?
Add to this the fact that a direct flight from Bradley to Tampa is less than $200 right now. How long is that going to last!?
Oh, what to do, what to do!?!?!?!

I will leave you with this - because it's too darn cute to keep to myself:

It is bad enough when you get stuck behind a slow poke on a one lane road.
Especially when you are on that road for almost 10 miles
between where you were and your home.
Add to that your 3-year old telling you that she has to go potty.
Right now.

Does the slowpoke in front of you really have to be driving a Porsche?

If you're driving a Porsche and the Bu is on your ass - that's a problem.

So, today we were graced with a visit from my very dear friend, Colleen and her two kids, Mackenzie & Davis.
Colleen's kids are the same ages as my kids, our husbands are both work-a-holics who love their jobs, our lives are both chaotic and amazing and neither of us could be happier about any of it.
And even as I write this, it's hard to convey - the feeling of comraderie, of trust, of love and friendship - that feeling of warmth and happiness I get from spending time with a good friend.
Today was so great.

At bedtime, in her regular routine of doing anything she can to postpone the inevitable, Abby had a "show" to perform. She was persuaded into performing her last show of the evening in her nightgown so when she and her baby brother were all set to get into bed, Jay and I settled in for the big show.
Now, I will skip to the end to tell you that the "show" was simply a bunch of spinning and bowing but the best part, the part worth mentioning was the lead up.
She stood in the middle of our bedroom, Jay, Wyatt and myself sitting on the bed in eager anticipation, and announced:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys & Girls, Presenting the Main Show, starring... ME!!!"

It was priceless.

Way Back Wednesday



This is my Dad.
1984-ish.

I have always loved this picture.

It really captures all of the
good, happy, loving, fun (and handsome!)
aspects of my Dad.

Today was nice. We had a very busy weekend and Jay had to go to MA for a few days this week so we wanted to take it easy. Yes, today is Tuesday but yesterday we had a Ped. appointment (3 yr old check up - everything's fabulicious) and a few errands to run, including a trip to the shoe store. More on the shoe store later.
So, today was our day to relax in our jammies for too long.

Thanks to our lack of adjustments to "Spring Ahead" we woke up a little after 8 (I think that was our last time, though, today allowed for "adjustment"). We watched tv, organized some winter/spring clothes, did some laundry, ate and just relaxed. Wyatt took his nap and our friends, Debbie and Baby Jack, came over. We made some crafts and drank some coffee.
Then, later in the afternoon we had a few errands to run and we ended them in the local restaurant (not much more than what you would picture in a movie featuring many toothless goobers and maybe a trucker or 2) for a quick dinner.
We got home, the kids had a tubby & went to bed and I was back here, on the couch, Smartones dessert in hand, Macbook on my lap, laundry folded, DW set to run, coffee set to brew - and it's barely 8:30.

I do want to share this one little hiccup of the evening - it happened while I was putting Wyatt's jammies on and Abby was still naked, playing with her dollies on her bed.
When I was done with Wywy, we headed into Abby's room - me, cold, wet and ready to be done; Wyatt warm, lotioned, jammied, hair combed, duck butt waddling around in cuteness. Abby looks up at me, from her spot on her bed, right next to her pillow and on top of her comforter and says, "Mama, I peeped."
Long story, short, she was too cold to get down and go to the potty but she had to go, so she just created her own little warm spot right there on my bed. I'll call it an accident. I was soooooooo infuriated but once again, I find myself in that weird position of not wanting to yell and make her feel badly but not wanting to coddle her either. So, I was just firm and quick with my explanation of how "accidents happen, listen to your body, yada yada yada..." I made her get down, use the potty and put on her jammies while I stripped the bed and remade it with new sheets, mattress pad cover, blankets and one pillow.

Here's how the conversation went:

A: "Mommy, are you mad at me?"
Me: "No, sweetie."
A: "Are you angry?"
M: "Nope."
A: "Maybe you're angry at my peeps."
M: "No, sweetie. Mommy's not angry. Mommy is frustrated because Mommy is tired and because you didn't use the potty, now Mommy is making your bed when you should already be sleeping."
A: "It was an accident, mommy. I'm sorry."
M: "I know, pumpkin. Mommy's not upset with you."
A: "I know, mom, you're fusterated."
M: "Right, but you are a good girl who knows to listen to her body and do peeps on the potty and mommy is so proud of you. Accidents happen."
A: "Yes, mommy. And fusteration happens, too."

Gotta love conversations with a 3-year old.

Back to the shoe store. My big boy got his first pair of shoes yesterday. Yes, he's almost 17 months old. Yes, he's been walking for almost 5 months. But I am a true believer in 2 things - a) letting them be BABIES and b) barefoot is best (so is breast, but that's a different soap box). So, my boy wore his Robeez, when he couldn't be naked-footed, for as long as he could.
Wywy is a puddle-jumping, snow-playing little monkey, though, and those little Robeez were taking a beating. Not to mention his little feet were getting wet and cold. So, off we went to Stride Rite.
My sister hates Stride Rite, or at east hates all of them EXCEPT the one on Main Street in Mt. Kisco, but I have never had a complaint. Yeah, they're wicked expensive. But, they carry good, quality shoes for tiny, still-forming feet and they specialize in kids' feet, so measuring and taking the time to try on and feel out is a focus.

So, Wywy got a pair of "Walking Shoes" (the next step up from Robeez). This post has been long enough so I will just leave you with these pics:

So, I have basically quit eating. I have amazing willpower when I put my mind to something. I just have to get to the point where I say "enough". And I got to that point with my body. So, I am doing something about it. Step One - Stop eating shit.
Mission fairly well accomplished. I am to the point where I see food and want it for a split second and then I feel that feeling you get afterward - that "I'm so fat, why did I do that" feeling. I have even put food in my mouth and spit it out, because I realize I am putting it in my mouth and not really thinking about it, wanting it or caring about it. What a waste. If I am going to eat, I want it to be worthy of my body.
Tonight, I had dessert for the first time in over 2 weeks. That may not seem like much to some of you but I LOVE dessert - and ate cookies, candy or SOMETHING dessert-y at least once a day. (Hence, this problem of mine.)
So, tonight I had a Weight Watchers SmartOnes Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie thingie. Not sure what it was called, exactly, but it was chocoaltey-chippity-vanilla-creamy-deliciousness!!!
I am a huge fan of the Smartones Line of foods. They are convenient, healthy and pre-portioned - who could ask for more? No, they are not ALL delicious, but you feel them out, get to know what they do well and what to avoid. And these days, you can have grinders, pizzas, calzones, breakfast sandwiches, desserts - you name it! And Jay and I eat at home 3 meals a day, 7 days a week (not counting his travel) - so you need to have food that is easy and healthy - otherwise, I would need either a cook or a nanny.
Anyway - things are going well on the diet front. I especially impressed my hubby when I opted to skip the roasted potatoes at dinner tonight in favor of a bit more chicken.
Bring on the Burberry.

I keep meaning to post this story, but now that I am it seems silly. Basically it goes like this:
I make breakfast for the kids... say, 6 mornings a week. I give them cereal or oatmeal the other day but I generally make eggs or pancakes most days. They love them, I love them and we don't have to rush anywhere in the morning, so why not?
One time... ONE TIME... I accidentally left a little bit of shell in the scrambled eggs. It happens. Usually I can scoop it out but htis time, I guess I missed some. And Her Highness was MOST displeased.
Now, every single freakin' day - "Mama, are my eggs gonna have shells in them?" or "Mama, I want plain eggs. I don't want shell egss." Or, my favorite: "Mama, you want me to make the eggies? I won't get shells in them."
ONE TIME!

Last bit for tonight, wrapping it all up to the "quit eating" piece above. Well, something had to take over the obsessive space that food used to fill.
It's shopping. And it's a disease that only time and patience will cure. Once I adjust to eating less and not filling emotional needs with eating, I will move to shopping. One thing at a time, folks.
Plus, how could I resist? How cute are these?!? Wywy will be ROCKIN' the madras plaid this summer!

WAY BACK WEDNESDAY:

June, 2007
(yeah, not too "way back" but hey! I almost forgot and this is a cute picture!)
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Jay & I took the kid and my pregnant belly to the beach for the day.
It was just before season so the water was freezing but the hotel didn't have a minimum of 3 nights so we were in good shape.

Who the heck reads this thing, anyway?
Ever wonder that?
I do. Sometimes. But there is no way to know so the wonder will just have to keep me on my toes.

I went shopping today. (My loving husband dreads that statement.) But I did. My kids need some stuff and sadly, my boy still does. Why are cute little boy clothes so hard to find!?
It's not hard to dress a princess, I'll tell ya that much. She's in a 5T so it might get harder, not to mention more expensive, in years to come but I am thoroughly enjoying dressing her for now. She got 2 dresses, some leggings and a cardie (cardigan for those that can't figure that out) and a new rain jacka (jacket... you know who you are).
Wyatt got a hat and some jammies (pajamas, am I being condescending now?). What he needs is some Spring stuff, just about everything and what he got was a hat and some jammies. Poor guy. But, fortunately for him, his mama is always on the look out!
It's too soon to buy shorts and short sleeves so finding stuff for this in between season is tough. For all of us.
I don't have anything to wear, either. And this in-between season is only complicated by my fat ass.

Allow me to segue... tomorrow is my weigh-in day. I feel good (interpretation, I am always hungry, never stuffed) so I am hoping to be down at least 2 pounds. That will put me at an even 5 so far, and that will earn me a pedi. Which I desperately need. So that would be great.
I have browsed the "diet aid" aisle at Target and Stop & Shop to see what's out there these days. I am no longer pregnant or nursing but my flippant remarks about making an unhealthy jumpstart just aren't true... I am a scaredy cat. I am terrified that if I take Dexatrim, I will die of a heart attack. Yes. I am serious.
So, this will be an all-natural diet. No pain, no gain, right?

Back to shopping... both kids need shoes. Wywy has been wearing his little Robeez and they are so stinkin' cute... but they just don't cut it when it's time for puddles or snowmen. My boy is ready for real shoes. I am so excited.
And to top off the excitement, we have scheduled an outing with Nana to see the Easter Bunny, have lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe and buy some new kicks for the kids. March 17th. You will likely read about this again - my mall lust is intoxicating.

And I will leave you with this: In a time where job security is a laughable comment and real estate prices are in the toilet, there is one industry that we can always count on, folks and this is it:

The Liquor Industry, ladies and gentlemen...

In a brand new, GIGANTIC, GORGEOUS building
in South Windsor, CT,
right across from Evergreen,
where I bought nothing for the boy.

M&R - new slogan:
"Lost yer job, buddy?
Feelin' pretty shitty?
Don't sweat it.
We've got yer hooch."

Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

This is an interview I did with Abby, age 3.
I got it off of Facebook but thought I would rather share it here.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
"Don't be naughty."

2. What makes mom happy?
"Being nice."

3. What makes mom sad?
"Being naughty."

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
*she just busted out laughing, no answer*

5. What was your mom like as a child?
"You were a baby when you were born. You were so cute!"

6. How old is your mom?
"62"

7. How tall is your mom?
"one and one and one"

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
"Go to the store."

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
"Go by yourself."

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
"Taking care of us."

11. What is your mom really good at?
"Helping me do pictures and crafts."

12. What is your mom not very good at?
"I don't know."

13. What does your mom do for a job?
"Be my mommy."

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
"grapes. no... grapefruit. but I don't, I just like grapes."

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
"Going to school." (Is that a hint!?)

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
"Princesses."

17. What do you and your mom do together?
"Make crafts and dance and sew and splash in the pool."

18. How are you and your mom the same?
"We have the same brown hair."

19. How are you and your mom different?
"I don't know."

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
*arms spread wide* "Like this much."

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
"Goin' to the park and in the pool."

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
"Ted's"

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

Another conversation, randomly, from this morning:
"Mama, is Grammy your mama?"
yes
"And Auntie Carol is Ray's mommy!!"
yes, and Ray is mommy's cousin
"And Ray used to be a boy."
yes, and mommy was a girl
"YOU WERE!?!?!?"

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

And yesterday, I saw Abby wack her head and start to cry so I said,
"Abs, where did you hurt your head?"
Pointing, she says, "over there."
"No, sweetie, I mean, on your head, show mommy where it hurts."
"I CAN'T, mama! It's TOO HAIRY!"

My aunt/Godmother has challenged me in my weight loss venture.
If I lose 50 pounds, she will buy me the Burberry Quilted Jacket I so admire.
That's a hardcore challenge - and I have a few others so that is like the grand finale.
How awesome is this jacket?
Fifty pounds is not un-attainable. It will require exercise, though, and that sucks.
If I dropped 50 pounds, I would be pretty friggin' hot.
I think I can do it by Wyatt's 2nd Birthday but will make my goal to do it before Christmas, at least.
It's on, Auntie Carol!!!

I want to buy these sheets for my brother:

They are the same exact ones that he had growing up.
His fiancee said "no f-ing way".
I may consider that a challenge.
Ha!