Weight Watchers Premium Ice Cream Cups are the greatest thing since...  well, since I could gorge on real ice cream.  And while I still could, I really shouldn't, so I'll stick to these delicious little 2 point bitches.

So, I am trying not to spend money.  We want to buy a new house, that's a pretty good incentive to save, right?  But, as I am packing stuff up, throwing stuff away, organizing it, dreaming of where it will go in my new house, I am getting totally excited and thinking about what new, shiny things I would love to have for my new house (that we haven't purchased or even begun seriously hunting for yet.)
How did I squelch the urge to shop?
I started a registry at Bed, Bath and Beyond!
Yupper!  I went and registerd for a Housewarming Party!  Of course, I don't expect anyone to buy me anything, but what fun!  I highly, SERIOUSLY recommend it for the equally budget-strapped shopaholics out there!
I might just register at Pottery Barn, too!

The Bu is in the shop right now.  It probably needs tires, it definitely needs an oil change and sometimes the Bu doesn't like to start so they'll have to look at that, too.  Something funny - my oil change sticker said "X Miles or October 2009".  Funny, right?  And I just hit X miles last month, January.  I don't go very far.

Last night's Yoga class worked my lower back and abs in a way that was both painful and amazing.
As I sit here, I am straight up tall, still feeling the burn and absolutely, without a doubt, craving more yoga.  I must have looked at the class schedule for the club a half dozen times this morning.  Nope.  Still no Yoga in my day.  I need to buy the Wii Fit Plus.  It's only $20 and it would fill this craving for me.  Plus, both kids love Yoga so I wouldn't need them out of the way to do it, they can do it with me.  And I happen to have $15 in Toys R Us dollars...  so we'll see how this works it's little self out.

Speaking of cravings.  I have been craving a trip to the mall with the kids.  Back in the old days, I could put the kids in the car any time I wanted and go wherever I wanted.  In these busy, activity-filled days I have to schedule a leisurely trip to the mall weeks ahead of time.  And right now, I am looking at a day over February break.  I'll have Q&K and K hates the mall but I can barter a day with one of his friends' moms and get there without him.
The "Germ Tank", the Carousel, Barnes & Noble...  maybe a little Yankee Candle while I'm there! 
I unabashedly love the mall.
In fact, the other day Abby was snuggling me and she said "yummmmm, you smell like the mall, mommy."  That was a high compliment, as I am raising a mallrat in case you hadn't noticed.  I believe what she was smelling was my deliciously sexy new perfume, "Heavenly" from Victoria's Secret but I thanked her with no further explanation.  

So, I mentioned my January-end Weigh-in.  I did lose weight in January.
I officially started this diet on Monday, January 4th.  Today, Tuesday February 2nd I am down 8 pounds.
That is a very healthy loss of approximately 2 pounds per week.  And I should be proud of that. 
I have changed my habits, replaced some I didn't want to change altogether with healthier choices.  I have been exercising, taking my vitamins, drinking my water.  All in all, I am very pleased with how I feel.

I am disappointed that I missed my 10 pound goal by only 2 pounds. 
I can blame it on Abby's birthday parties at which I ate "not good" food.
I can blame the fact that Wyatt was sick and I couldn't have left him in the daycare center at the club.
But mostly it is just a gradual change in my lifestyle and if I had lost 20 pounds in my first month, that probably would not have been healthy.  I probably would have been setting myself up for failure.  And now, as I sit at 8 pounds lighter, I feel energized and revved up for more.  Like, this 8 was a warm up and now the fun begins!
So, my realistic goal for February is 10 pounds.  I would like to lose 10 more pounds this month for a total of 18.

I promise to go to Zumba, which I absolutely love, at least once a week.  I promise to work Group Groove into my routine for at least once a week.  And I promise to continue to do Yoga at least twice a week.  In between I will walk & run on the treadmill and go through the Circuit.
I enjoy all of these activities and it feels really good.  I also enjoy routine (sometimes to a fault) and working these into my patterns makes it all the more of an accomplishment for me.
I never thought I would have time to exercise.  It was always my biggest excuse.
And now I can't imagine not exercising.  Almost as much as I can't imagine ever smoking again.

I talk about moving a lot.  I want a bigger house; a better house.  Then, when I consider what I want (a new, spacious, 4 bedroom Colonial with a wrap-around porch and an in-ground pool) I realize that we are not in a position to buy that (or build that) in the town we live in.
So, I decided that I could live anywhere.  As long as I have the house I want, I don't care where we live.  Other towns are a lot less expensive to buy in and even more have much lower taxes.
So, I would leave this town and the life we have built for ourselves and our children here.  All for the big house.
Wrong.
When did my mind set change like that?
I love our town.  I want to raise my kids here.  I care about the town government and school system.  I'm proud of them, I'm involved in them.
I know the moms that are involved.  They know me.  We know eachother's kids.
That matters.
I want Wyatt to go to Abby's school.  I want Abby to go to kindergarten with her friends.
I want a bigger house; a better house.
But I won't get it this year.  I will enjoy and appreciate my perfect, beautiful, warm and love filled home, right where it is.

I really hate the new Gap Kids commercial.
It's a bunch of over-dressed, overly-colorful brats screech-chanting at their "parents" about what they refuse to wear and what they demand to wear.
It's sickening.
Equally sickening is the new Stella McCartney line at Baby Gap.
Who spends $70 on something sized 18-24 months?  Not your typical Gap shopper.

And if you know me, you know how much I love Gap.

So, I thank you, Gap Marketing.  You have allowed me some time to pay off my stupid Gap card as I am too repulsed to shop your brand right now.

Snow day today.  That was fun.  I had planned on taking the kids to the mall.  For someone so energized and organized about Christmas, I sure have not done much shopping.
And I am starting to feel the crunch.
Abby needs a dress (or two), Wyatt needs a shirt and/or sweater.  I need to figure out what I'm wearing and if I need anything, as does Jay.
And that doesn't even touch on what I have to buy still for gifts...  and I love buying gifts - but not having much done yet makes it a little stressful.

So, I was going to go today but got snowed on instead.
On the one hand, that's good - when school's canceled I have Q&K all day and that means a little extra money.  And I'm not shopping - so I consider that double profit!

The kids made a snowman while I shoveled and Jay snowblowed.  That was awesome.  They did a great job and it was definitely a first for Abby & Wyatt. 

Abby loved it so much and tonight asked me if the snowman would come to life.  Silly, yes - but so serious and cute that I wondered how to answer.  I'm still not entirely sure.  She's very clever and has a great sense of humor but I can't tell if she's kidding, testing me or dead serious.
I played it off with the "if you think so then he will" and "not as long as you're awake" stuff.  But...

While they were making the man - Wyatt decided to pull his tricycle out of the garage.  It was hilarious.  He rode his bike down the strip of driveway that Jay had blown and then looked at me and said "Ma!  Help You!"  Translated, that means, "Mom, help me with this, will you?  Shovel a good path for me, I want to ride my bike!"


I have got to find a Barbie 3-Story Dream Townhouse.  Why, oh WHY did I NOT go buy it on Thanksgiving Eve when it was on sale for $99?  WHY?
Now, if I can even find it - at full price - it's at least full retail price of $160.  At Amazon I saw it for $260!  That's crazy.
But I can see myself going mama-at-holiday-times-goes-batshit-for-toy-that-kids-love.
I will find that house.
If it kills me.
If I have to cross a state line.
I will find that house.
At a good price.

Less than 2 weeks till Christmas at my mom's house!  We always get together with my mom's family the weekend before Christmas and over the last few years that celebration has become our only Christmas celebration with my side of the family.  Everyone has young kids and we're pretty spread out so it's easier for everyone and frankly, I love it!
We can spend the entire day, there's no rush, there's no other families pulling us in a different direction...  we can just relax and enjoy each other and celebrate Christmas.
My parents are increasingly difficult to shop for and their recent purge of all things not nailed down has made it even harder.  But this year, I think we did a good job and I'm excited to give them their gift.
I also have a few other good ones in my head.
But, like I said, I need to get on that. 

Have you had a bowl of cereal lately?  I don't mean Cheerios.  I mean the good stuff.  I had a bowl of Cookie Crisp the other day at Jody's house.  I was so excited about it.
It was awful.
A few months ago, I had a Fruity Pebbles craving and bought a box.
Gross.
Then I found out that they don't have enough sugar anymore.  The companies have been "under fire" for being unhealthy.
Really?
People had ot complain to the cereal companies because they are not, in fact, an integral part of the "balanced breakfast" they boast of in their commercials?
Really?
Well, thanks, politically-correct America.  For Eff-ing up one more happy childhood memory.
No more sugar in "sugar cereal", no more sitting "Indian Style" and no more cookies for the "Cookie Monster".
Nice.


Have you seen the Walmart commercial with all the little kids waking up and running as fast as they can down to their Christmas Trees on Christmas morning?
THey're all in their little jammies.  Some with feet...  and they run so fast, a few of them actually fall.  It's hilarious and oh-so-cute...  it almost makes up for the Gap nonsense.
But not quite.
You won't find me at Walmart at Christmastime.  No way, No how.  And with no Gap this year... well - it just makes me happy for my zero-balance on my Macy*s card!

I'll wrap up with this:  after tucking the kids in each night, I head downstairs with one final "Good night, God Bless you, I love you."  Just as my mom did every night after she tucked the 4 of us in when I was little.
Tonight, as I closed Abby's door, I said it, as I always do, but for the first time, Wyatt replied "I Lah-loo, Mama".
Then Abby came out with "Goodnight, Wywy, I love you!"
To which he replied "I Lah-loo, Abby!"

I have gotten such a good jump on my Christmas Shopping.
I always plan ahead but I rarely stick to my plan and I rarely get much done, actually purchased, before Thanksgiving.  So, I'm pretty psyched!

My goal, before I die, is to make every single "cooky" in my Betty Crocker Cooky Book.  It is the book we used growing up.  My mom was not a domestic diva by any standard but she liked to bust out the flour and sugar at Christmastime.
At some point in my life I want to be able to say "I have made every single cookie in the "Cooky Book".

Tonight, Abby and I made Thumbprints.  Kids loved 'em and we packed them up to be sent to our Troops!  Tomorrow we will make Snickerdoodles.
I have made these before so it's not helping my cause, but I know I love them and I know how they are supposed to come out so they're a good one to make for the troops and for Thanksgiving.
I have a few others I'd like to make this season - Candy Canes (another repeat, darnit!), Pecan Spice Cookies (for my mom), Mini Fudge Tarts (yum!), Krumkake and a few more.
Will I make it a whole Christmas without baking Chocolate Chips or Sugars or Oatmeal Raisins or Peanut Butters?
Probably not.  But I am looking forward to broadening my "cooky" horizon!


Lots of activity on the Blog lately.  A while back, I got rid of my "stalker log".  Or, so I thought.  I hadn't noticed that it was still on my page until I did my Thanksgiving decorating.  I flipped through a few pages and noticed lots of traffic coming in from some new locations.  I mean, lots!
So, I deleted the counter, once and for all.  I'm glad I thought I had already and glad I really did this time.
I write a public blog because I enjoy expressing myself.  For myself.
If you are reading, you must enjoy my expressions.  And I thank you for that.

Quiet around here lately.
Last year we partied like it was 1999.  We had Jaybor Day in September, Wyatt's 1st birthday in October, my mother-in-law's 60th in November, Christmas Eve and then Abby's birthday in January.  We really packed it all in - and we throw a pretty good party!
This year, we had Jaybor Day and Wyatt's birthday and we'll have Abby's in January but nothing in between.  It's a nice break.  And nice to be able to relax, enjoy and take my time with no one to attend to but the 4 of us.

I will still be very busy, cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, attending, helping and enjoying.  And celebrating!!!  I love the season so much, regardless of where, it's such a magical time of year.
And my kids are so excited already.  At 2 years old, Wyatt can barely say the words that he's thinking but they're coming to him, fast and furious, and among those words you'll hear:

"Merry Chitmas",  "Santa", "ho ho ho", "Chitmas Chee", "Thanksgivin" and lots more. 

Both kids freak out when they see anything Christmas-related but nothing beats Wyatt's near head-explosion in Target the other day when he spotted the area that they sell the trees, outdoor decor and other Christmas goodness.  I think he could have stayed there all darn day, just staring at the lights and trees and moving blow-up things that tacky people put in their yards.

Remember this post?

Well...

Here's my fancy new red jacket

and my super-cool new Uggs

and check out what is about to be my new phone:

Hmm?  What's that?

Nope.  I'm 33.

I'm just ACTING like a 16 year old.

I just realized that "A Quart" is one QUARTer of a gallon.  Should I be admitting that?
I mean - I always knew it was 4 cups, and I knew there were 16 cups in a gallon...  I just never "got it".
Sort of like, "Trust Sleepy's...  for the Rest of your life."
I have been hearing those commercials for what seems like decades but it was only recently (maybe a year or 2 ago) that I really "got it".
Rest = Sleep.

One of my favorite things about Christmas time (and believe me, the list is too long for just one blog entry) is my annual trip to the Hallmark store.
I love choosing the cards that we send to the parents, Godparents, grandparents...  some years I go a little nutty, some years I keep it simple.  But I do love choosing each one.
I also love picking out an ornament for each kid - I try to pick one that symbolizes that year for each kid.  Last year Abby got a Disney Princess ornament, Wyatt got an Elmo.
This year they will likely get Diego & Dora.
Let's face it - they could get Princesses & Elmo again - but I try to change it up.
I have a few gifts that I choose each year for special people, too.  I could order them online but I enjoy going, by myself, choosing, paying and walking away with a bag or two.
I love Hallmark.
I know I could do Carlton or even just the local pharmacy for my cards and probably get away cheaper - but it's all about traditions this time of year, isn't it?

Another favorite thing about Christmas is what seems to be becoming my Annual NYC Bus Trip.  Living up here in the sticks, I am surrounded by people who have never even been to New York City.  And there were a few years after getting married where I didn't get there.  But in the past 4 years or so, we have made it a priority to get to NYC.

We love going down for Easter weekend and were totally bummed last year when we missed it.  (Yes, I'm already looking forward to it this year and it's not even Thanksgiving yet!)
And this bus trip that my town's Parks & Rec department hosts is a great way to get down there, very easily.  And at $40 you can't beat it.  Gas, parking...  head ache.  Or train (plus driving and parking).  Sure, the bus may make me a little nauseous - but it's nothing a deep breath of nasty NYC air and a Dirty Water Dawg upon arrival can't cure.

This is last year with my good friends, Joanne & Debbie.

(I know - maybe I can find shorter, skinnier friends to hang out with, right?)

This is the year before with (l-r)

Frannie, Nancy, Stina, Gina, me, Stef, Doris Lynda

A little update on my Fall Television post:
I never watched Melrose again.
Still love Big Bang and  How I Met Your Mother.
L.O.V.E. House.  That guy just gets better and better.
Christine is a little too neurotic this season.  She annoys me.  I like her, she looks great, but the writing is bad.
I miss the Henricksons.  Does anyone know when Big Love is back?
Never watched Flash Forward.  Then, I had about 4 or 5 on the DVR which I found too intimidating so I deleted them all.  Maybe we'll watch it on TNT or USA one day.
I wish I watched True Blood.  I missed the first season and it's not On Demand.  Maybe when the 2nd season is over they'll both be On Demand and I'll get caught up.
I did watch Hung for a while.  It stunk.
Glee is so much better than I ever expected.  And when I got this week's EW and saw Glee on the cover, I was so excited, I read the article immediately.  Apparently, everyone loves Glee, not just me.

When in the heck do we set our clocks back?  I love that.


Made apple pies the other day with Abby.  YUM.  We froze one for Thanksgiving and baked one.  Then, we ate less than half so I sliced it into large servings and wrapped and froze them individually.  Neat, right?
Want a little apple pie?  Pop one in the oven and you're good to go!


I generally don't "stress out".  I'm human, I get overwhelmed, I feel anxious, I snap when I'm tired - all that.  But I generally catch myself myself and am able to take deep breaths, evaluate the situation, prioritize and march on.
I am a talker, too, which helps.  When something is on my mind, I will talk to anyone and everyone with ears.  They don't even have to be listening.
But lately, I have had the sort of emotional stress that isn't really talkable.
It's family stuff - interactions, relationships that can't be described or defined, they just are what they are.  And they're far from perfect. 
It might not ever be what I want it to be, but I have to be in a happier place for myself.
When you get too wrapped up in what is bothering you, you stop seeing what is wonderful.
No, I'm not "perfect" but I really like me.  I like my life and the way I go about things. I am positive.  I am loving.  I am loved.
So, I am stopping my worry.  I am putting it in a box, on a shelf.  I can't be rid of it, but I don't have to look at it every day.

Also - I'm going for a pedicure, out to dinner and shopping with 2 of my favorite women on Friday.

We are leaving the kids for an overnight.  We have never done this before.  Abby is almost 4 so it's been 4 years (plus) since we have been alone in a hotel room.  I know there are plenty of people out there that have never left their kids overnight.  My sister is leaving her girls with us next month for one night (hopefully 2 but she might not make it!) and it is their first time and their kids are 7 & 8.
I also know plenty of people who have left their kids multiple times since they were tiny babies.
Whatever - this will be our first (hopefully not our last) "getaway" and I cannot WAIT!!

Do I need a new winter coat?
Probably not.
Do I really.  really.  really want a new winter coat?
Yup.

Are Uggs really, really ugly?
Yup.
Do I still find myself wanting a real pair anyway - even though I have a fake pair that I swore were "good enough" and really do serve the purpose (the purpose being a warm shoe that goes with everything and don't require tying)?
Yup.

Does my lifestyle require me to wear skirts with cute tights and some new, style-y black Maryjane pumps?
Definitely not.
Does the idea of wearing tights and pumps sound ridiculous to a woman who's days are spent chasing a nearly-impossible-to-contain 2 year old boy, wiping snot and cleaning up paint, play-doh or poop?
Definitely.
Am I buying the shoes anyway?
Yup.

Do ballerina flats look cute or really make me look like Henrietta the Hippo?

Am I excited about leggings and big shirts?
Yup.

Do I remember loving fold-over, black suede boots in high school?  So much so that I used to borrow Rachel's so often that she eventually gave them to me because I stretched them out with my 2-size bigger feet.
Yup.
Do I want a new pair this year, now that they are back in style?
Nope.
(but I might buy Rach a new pair.)

The long-awaited pics from BlueBack Square:

Here is Abby showing us her Left New Shoe.

And her right.

Here are the new shoes.

The happy little patient, anxiously awaiting the lunch of her choice: Cherry Cheesecake!

She went at this giant piece of cake like a pro. I was really impressed.

That whipped cream & those cherries never knew what hit them

Can you believe the amount of food I ordered for the 3 of us? Having never been to a Cheesecake Factory, I was quite impressed with not only their variety but also their prices. I ordered a bunch of stuff from the "Small Plates" menu. It was more than enough!

Wyatt attempting his Table Manners by eating French Fries with spoon.

So, my night table is really piling up.
I started the Brooke Shields book, I am having a hard time with it. She's just sort of an idiot. I thought she was before, now - several chapters in - I'm pretty convinced.
I'll give it a few more chapters, but it's not looking good.

Right now I am reading Dr. Laura again. I cannot believe it but she is seeping into my head, into my every day. Truly, she makes a lot of sense on a lot of topics. Not all of them and her delivery is very hard to take at times. And so many people in my life hate her so much. But, I am reading "Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands" and so far, I really like it. Sorry, everyone who hates her.

I really want to read Columbine - that is definitely next, either when I put Brooke Shields to rest or when I finish Dr. Laura.

I returned Twilight to my friend. I really had no interest and now that I missed the official Book Club Meeting to discuss it, I don't see why I would bother with as little time as I spend reading. It's in my Netflix Q, so I can wait.

Ramblings-

• It occurred to me today that Wyatt is 21 months old. Abigail was 21 months old when Wyatt was born. Where does the time go?
  
  
• I have decided that I detest my SiteMeter thingie. I don't want to know who's reading my Blog. More than that, I don't want to be a hypocrite and since I TRULY detest that other people track my visits to their blogs, I am removing my SiteMeter so that I can openly bitch about everyone else's. Don't stalk my stalkings, people.
  
  
• On that same topic, I hate those blurry words that I have to type because I wrote a comment. I am not at the point where I won't comment if I have to do that, but I'm close. Take that little precaution off, my Blogging Friends. It's annoying.
  
  
• Today in West Hartford (full blog with pics to follow soon) Abby spotted a shoe store and literally screamed out "Mommy! Shoes! I need new shoes!" And indeed, she did, though I'm not sure how or why she thought she did. So, off we went. Me, Wyatt and the new, improved Shopping/Drama Queen of the family. (Yeah, that was a play on my role in the family prior to becoming Mommy.)
  
  
• I miss my husband and he's only been gone 2 days. I enjoy the quiet but I miss the comraderie.
  

If a book doesn't catch my attention immediately I tend to put it down and then forget why I picked it up in the first place. That's why I always have several going at the same time.
For example, I picked up The Senator's Wife in Target before we left for Fla.
I knew I had wanted to to read it because I read about it in Entertainment Weekly. But I can't remember more than that, so I trusted my instinct and picked it up.
In Florida, I read the first chapter. I just didn't get back to reading. I napped a lot, though. It was vacation, after all.
It has been a few weeks now and I have found myself thinking about it so I plan to pick i tup again soon.

When we got home, my Amazon order had arrived and I started reading the Dr. Laura book I had been waiting for. I am not a Dr. Laura listener or fan. I have never read a book by her but I don't live under a rock, I knew who she was. And the title was worth taking a look at. So, I began to read. I felt connected right away. I love this book so much and highly, HIGHLY recommend it for all stay-at-home mothers.

I have to caveat here, if you are a working mother - regardless of why - do not pick this book up.
It is very, VERY hard to stomach the VERY one-sided-ness of Dr. Laura.
She firmly and without give, believes that a mother should be home, caring for her children, home and husband. And I have yet to see her yield for any reason other than death of the husband. She does say, though, that daycare is better for children of drug-addicts or whores. Nice of her, eh?

So - I have to say that while I find it hard to see around her sometimes, I also find myself agreeing with her far more than I thought I ever would.

Frankly - I, too, believe that mothers belong at home. I really, really wish that every mommy in the world could stay home and love, nurture, protect and provide from the safe, cozy place of home. It is a dream of mine to always be here. I want to be here now, as my babies are new to the world and everything it offers. And I want to be here later, when they come off the bus with all the stress and fears, pride and excitement of the school ages.

So, that part of Dr. Laura's opinion is very difficult. She sees no reason why a woman, once becoming a mother, would do anything but be home.

There isn't any easy way to have that discussion.
It always ends up as "Working Mom vs Stay-at-Home Mom" and I hate that. It's not a good discussion because it doesn't go anywhere. It goes around and around and around, there is no one way, no answer, no solution, no finality.
Being the best mom you can be, the best way you can, the way that makes you happy and your family happy - that is the right way. Not the way that Dr. Laura says you should.

The last book I am reading right now is Columbine by Dave Cullen. I haven't read past what you can see on Amazon yet. I plan to pick it up after I put Dr. Laura down and finish the Senator. I remember that tragic day so well. I was young, it made a huge impact on me as a person. I seriously didn't read or watch the news for years after that. Years. I'm not kidding.

But, I am borrowing Twilight from Carly tonight, so if that is as quick a read as I hear it is, I will read that first. It is the book for June's Book Club (fun, light, summer read!) so I need to read it by June 15 if I'm gonna read it for that meeting.

My name is Liz. I am addicted to shopping.
I am aware of and honest about this.
But what I am less honest about and becoming more aware of is -
my addiction to shopping bags.
Today, as I head out to the mall for my last "pre-vacation shop",
I carry with me 2 reusable totes.
One is from Gap (hooray!) and one is from Food Everyday magazine.
They are the only 2 I could summon up the courage to carry in public
(outside of the grocery store).
I have been using the reusable bags in the grocery store for a long time now
but this will be my first mall trip where I will not say
"do you have a shopping bag?"
Wish me luck.

Not sure if I had posted previously about my frustration with Snapfish... It is a film developing website that has fantastic prices and relatively simple tools for editing. I have been a very loyal - VERY LOYAL - customer for several years. Lately, over the past say - 6 months, though - my frustration has grown. Website technicalities, print quality issues, slower turn-around-times for delivery. Their customer service was/is excellent and they were always quick in responding and very apologetic.
Screwing up our Christmas Card pictures was pretty much my last straw... but their prices! $.09 a print! Crazy cheap and I order about 200 prints a month.
But then when the website was timing out while I was trying to upload anywhere from 50 to 350 pictures at a time, I couldn't take anymore.
I sent them a very polite, very direct email about how, after about 8 years of loyalty, I was fed up. I explained, in clear detail, where I was having issues and why I had had it and was leaving the site. ("Leaving" really only means that I am no longer uploading and ordering from them, I am not going to any extremes and canceling my account or anything.)
Their response? Maybe I should "delete my cookies and reboot". Or something along those lines. It was pitiful. It was the nail in the coffin.

So - here I am, loading up my April, 2009 pictures at Shutterfly.
Shutterfly was my first film developing website and I still have my account there so it didn't take much work but I do seem to recall not being a fan of their editing capabilities and they do cost about $.06 more per print - that could add up...

I'll see how it goes. I am open to suggestion, though, if you, too, are a picture-taking fool like I am... but just can't wrap your mind around "saving them to file" and not printing and putting them in frames and albums...
I have so many albums, so may frames, so many collages and magnets and photobooks. I love them all!!

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: