Girlymama

Only one pink line!! See?? Just one! Whew! That was close….

Little Sister, who turns two next month, has officially entered two-dom.  She has really been changing physically lately – looking more and more like a little girl. She is growing out of her babyhood. I realize that sounds painfully obvious, but it constantly suprises me. And sometimes it is so hard to watch.

She’s so frustrated. And she is trying so hard to be a ‘big girl.’ She goes in and sits on the potty (fully clothed) and cheers “I did it! Yay!!” She tries to sleep in her sister’s big-girl bed. She insists on not using a sippy cup if her sister doesn’t have one. But she still loves to be rocked and cuddled in the rocking chair in her room. She still carries her blankie and sucks her thumb. She still loves when we call her “Baby girl.” She still calls me “Mama.” I’m not sure I’m ready for her to grow up yet.

She is such a sweet kid. I love listening to her pray every night (“Thank you God for my fam-a-lee Aaaaaaa-MEN!”). I love hearing her sing the alphabet (“abceeeed, efgeeee, hijj, llllpeeeee, now i know my a-b-ceeee, now i know my a-b-meeeeeee.”) I love her kisses. And her cuddles – she is a major snuggle-bug. She makes my heart melt at least once a day.  It is so hard to see her getting so frustrated. She has turned in to a first-class drama queen this week. The slightest thing can set her off — she wants the blue cup, not the purple cup, she is hungry, Big Sister runs faster than her, the sky is blue, etc — and suddenly she is throwing-herself-on-the-floor-kicking-and-screaming. While Big Sister and I look at each other thinking, “What?” Poor thing.

I know she’ll get over it and, before I know it, she’ll be graduating high school (and probably throwing a whole new kind of fit). I know that. Its just so easy to wish these years away. These years of diapers, tantrums, messes, potty training (shudder) and constant sleep deprivation.  But I don’t want to. I want to treasure this time that is flying by so fast. This is my baby that’s growing up here. Much, much too fast.

Your Inner European is Italian!

Passionate and colorful. You show the world what culture really is.

Who’s Your Inner European?

I got this from DCRmom. I am very proud, since I just watched Under The Tuscan Sun and am determined to pack my bags and jet off to Italy to drink wine and eat yummy food as soon as possible. Maybe for my 10th anniversary…..

the following has been edited for the benefit of those poor souls who have to read it. 

Little Sister: “Mama, where we goin’?”
Me: “Shopping.”
LS: “Where goin’?”
Me: “We’re going shopping.”
LS: “Where goin’?”
Me: “Shopping.”
LS: “Where goin’?”
Me: “Still shopping.”
LS: “Where goin’?”
Me: “Shopping.”
LS: “oh.”

In the car, headed to the store
Little Sister: “Mama, where Carowine?” (Caroline)
Me: “She’s at her house.”
LS: “Where Carowine?”
Me: “At her house.”
LS: “Where Carowine?”
Me: “At her house.”
LS: “Where Carowine?”
Me: “At her house.”
LS: “Where Carowine?”
Me: “At her house.”
LS: “Where Carowine?”
Me: (through clenched teeth) “At her house. Stop asking me that!“
LS: “Where Daddy?”
Me: “He’s at work.”
LS: “Where Daddy?”
Me: “He’s working.”
LS: “Where Daddy?”
Me: “Working.”
LS: “Where Daddy?”
Me: “Working! LS, please stop. You’re driving Mama crazy.”

brief pause

LS: “Mama, where we goin’?”

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out this map.

 Thanks, Chewymom.

Got this from DCRmom. Since I am sleepy and uninspired today, I will be playing along. Enjoy!

What were you doing ten years ago?
Ten years ago I had just graduated high school and was getting ready to go to college in a couple of weeks. So I was probably driving my mother crazy and hanging out a ton with my friends.

What were you doing one year ago?
Husband would have just gotten a new job after graduating with his MBA in May, we began house hunting, we were recovering from an extremely stressful family wedding and I was weaning Little Sister.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Fruit
2. Anything salty and crunchy
3. Especially Chex Mix and Trader Joe’s Multi-Grain Pretzel Bites.
4. Popsicles (really!)
5. Chocolate, chocolate, yum-o!!

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
1. Pretty much any U2 song
2. ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ by Billy Joel (sang it in choir. I’m not crazy. Really.)
3. Anything played on Sesame Street.
4. Several entire musicals are memorized
5. Most well-known hymns and praise songs

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Pay off all debt
2. Help out people (pay off mom’s debt, siblings school loans, our church, etc)
3. Set up college accounts for my kids (that just never seems like an urgent priority)
4. Buy a big vacation house. On the ocean. Big enough for all our friends and family to enjoy.
5. Buy things that are not on sale (Just occasionally – let’s not go crazy here. Its the principle of the thing….)

Five bad habits:
1. Hitting the snooze button over and over and over and over….
2. Staying up too late.
3. Never wearing sunscreen. (Yes! I know its bad! Leave me alone.)
4. Obsessing about stupid stuff
5. Not taking good advise when its offered

Five things you like doing:
1. Sleeping.
2. Reading
3. Shopping
4. Cooking
5. Absolutely nothing!!

Five things you would never wear again:
1. leggings (I don’t care what skinny-legged celebrity is wearing them!)
2. glitter
3. a non-padded bra (sob!)
4. Mom-jeans (not that I ever wore them. but I will never!)
5. a one-piece bathing suit (tankinis are so much more practical! What a great invention!)

Five favorite toys:
1. I-Pod
2. Computer
3. Kitchenaid Mixer
4. Digital Camera
5. Ceramic flat-iron

I tag my sister-in-law, sister and other sister, and my aunt, who I suspect has been reading this blog. Wah-ha ha!!

This has definitely been one of “those days.”  I didn’t sleep very well last night (although I did have a dream involving Pirates and Captain Jack Sparrow. Arrrrrrrrgh!)  Felt funky and slow all morning, despite downing coffee. Actually, I’ve been incredibly tired all week. I could easily fall asleep right now sitting in front of the computer. Big Sister is driving me nuts. She’s trying to be very sugar-sweet (since she’s picked up that I’m not feeling tip-top) but she is really just annoying me. Little Sister insists in sitting in my lap and crying. This is her this morning:

For some reason, me taking that picture made her even more upset. Go figure. What a diva. Although I might cry too if my hair looked like that 😉

Then, I took the girls to the library to work off some Mommy-guilt for either ignoring them or snapping at them all morning. They were a little rambunctious, as they always are. There is a whole room of pillows to play on, so they love it. They both lost their shoes for awhile, but they weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary. But while I was there, I burst into tears. In public. And I nevercry. So something is definitely up. Just getting up a little earlier should not throw my body this much out of whack.  Maybe I’m just super tired. Maybe its something else. (I can hear DCRmom snarking at me from 20 minutes away. Yes, I know what it could be, smarty pants!!)

100 things about me that I’m sure that you were dying to know

1. I’m a Christian.
2. I’m the oldest of four kids. I am a stereotypical first child.
3. I love kids. I have two little girls.
4. One was a bit of a surprise, one was a total shock.
5. I can’t decide if I want 3 or 4 kids.
6. Although at this rate, maybe we don’t have to decide anything, since it seems to be decided for us.
7. This bothers me, since I’m a planner. My calander is color-coded and I almost always know what I’ll be doing tomorrow. So surprise children really throw me off.
8. When I met my husband, I already had a boyfriend.
9. Two days later, I broke up with that boyfriend because I decided I wanted to marry a guy like my husband.
10. It took about 6 months for me to realize that I could stop waiting for a guy ‘like my husband’ and actually date him.
11. My family still teases me about this.
12. My favorite color is pink. (way girly, I know.) I also seem to like brown lately. I keep buying brown clothes and I’ve painted two rooms in my house shades of brown.
13. I hate cheese.
14. But my favorite food is pizza. Although a filet mignon with glass of good red wine is also quite yummy.
15. I love Splenda and drink diet soda.
16. And I don’t believe for one minute that it will give me cancer.
17. I love red wine. And beer. And cosmos.
18. My favorite tv shows are Scrubs, Lost, Firefly and Friends.
19. I was depressed for awhile in college. It took me over a year to get better.
20. I wear make-up almost every day, but I hate doing my hair. Hello, ponytail!
21. I was a sorority girl.
22. I majored in political science. I wish I knew why I ever harbored a desire to be in politics.
23. Then I planned on becoming a lawyer who specialized in international adoptions.
24. I test very well, so I don’t think I’m as smart as my grades said.
25. I often wish I had tried harder in school to actually learn instead of just getting ‘A’s. I really don’t remember much about what I studied…..
26. I’m a perfectionist.
27. This has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress in my life.
28. I don’t cry much over my own life.
29. But I often cry with other people and at movies. And occasionally at a commercial, when I’m hyper-hormonal.
30. My mom is my best friend and I talk to her almost every day.
31. I have a very high tolerance for pain.
32. I love giving people presents.
33. So much that I often give people presents early because I am so excited that I just can’t wait any longer.
34. This included giving my sister-in-law her birthday present in May. Her birthday is August 20.
35. I often wish that I had a ton of money because I dream about giving people things. Like paying for my sister’s college  or to fix my mom’s car or helping out a missionary.
36. Although this dream occasionally includes a shopping spree at the mall because I love to shop. For anything. And everything. Even groceries.
37. I love to hunt for a bargain!!!
38. I wear Romance by Ralph Lauren. Or Beautiful by Estee Lauder.
39. I was eating dinner when my mom called to tell me my dad died. I still can’t eat what I was eating that night and its been years.
40. I have never been pulled over by a cop. updated: I just got my first speeding ticket. I tried to charm my way out of it, but it didn’t work.
41. I’ve never been in a real car accident, only two fender benders that weren’t my fault. (really.) update: Had accident. But not serious, thank goodness.
42. I love, love, love the beach. My dream house is located right on the ocean.
43. I love lying out in the sun and almost never wear sunscreen.
44. Yes, I know its bad for me.
45. I do pilates several times a week. I just love it and try to do it every day, but life tends to get in my way.
46. I like my arms, but I hate my butt.
47. I wish I had boobs again. But they left when I stopped nursing. Sigh.
48. I fear my children being hurt, whether physically or by mean people.
49. I’ve often wished I had a career I was passionate about.
50. I get nervous when my husband has to fly for a business trip.
51. I love dogs but I don’t want one. But, if I had one, I would want an English Springer Spaniel.
52. I hate American Football.
53. I love soccer. And not just because I married a soccer hooligan.
54. I failed my drivers test the first time. Really badly. I knocked over 2 cones andran a stop sign. Whoops.
55. I swore I would never, ever drive a minivan. Ever.
56. I drive a minivan. But its a pimped out one . Really 😉
57. I’m a major chicken. I will never, ever even consider jumping out of an airplane or bungee jumping.
58. My husband wants to do both of those. Sigh. He’s nuts.
59. I regularly doubt my abilities as a parent.
60. I am not a morning person, but I often have wished that I was. I wish I was one of those people who could get up at 5am and exercise and read my Bible and cook breakfast and accomplish lots before my kids got up.
61. I think that the Harry Potter series is brilliant and have read each book several times. They are fantastic books and I think every one should read them before calling them ‘witchcraft’ or whatever.
62. I adore romantic comedies.
63. I hate horror movies. I have seen 3 and still have nightmares.
64. I love ‘guy movies’ like Star Wars, LOTR and James Bond.
65. I think that Ewan McGregor is amazing and I wish he was the new James Bond.
66. I sing in the car. And my kids are now old enough to object.
67. I hate wearing shoes. Except flip-flops. I love flip-flops.
68. I am always multi-tasking.
69. Right now I am also playing hide-and-seek with the girls. (I’m seeking, they are in the closet, giggling)
70. My baby born 4 weeks early and was nameless for several days. I was such a mess as we were trying to name her. And I still wonder if we picked the right one. (darn hormones)
71. I am utterly and completely addicted to coffee. And I love it.
72. I once dyed my hair purple by accident.
73. I can function well on very little sleep.
74. I actually like to clean.
75. Clutter seriously stresses me out.
76. I’m a ‘tosser’ and I love to throw things away.
77. I often end up looking through the garbage for something I threw away.
78. I love to cook.
79.The Barefoot Contessa series are my favorite cookbooks. And I love, love, love Martha Stewart and was heartbroken when she was sent to jail.
80. I’m very afraid of bugs. And sharks. The bug one is more of a regular problem.
81. I firmly believe that you should never pay full price. for anything.
82. My biggest pet peeve is rude people.
83. I hate reality TV. Hate it. Hate it hate it. (Yes, this includes American Idol.)
84. I almost got a tattoo, but chickened out in the waiting room.
85. I am very grateful for this.
86. I really, really want a diamond wedding band. (sigh. someday….)
87. I played the piano.
88. I wish I still could.
89. I have horrible eyesight.
90. I am eternally grateful to whoever invented contacts.
91. I have horrible teeth. This included countless fillings, a root canal, braces, and wearing headgear in middle school.
92. I pray that my children inherit my husband’s teeth and eyesight!
93. I love spas. Massages, pedicures, facials…. heaven…
94. But can’t afford to ever go to them.
95. I’ve made 6 quilts.
96. But I hate arts and craftsy stuff. Too much clutter!
97. I am strangely fascinated with celebrity gossip.
98. I have a ton of useless trivia in my head. It’d be great if I could market it somehow….
99. Naptime is my favorite time of day. Does that make me a bad mom?
100. Yay! I’m done!!

After 4 cups of coffee and a diet coke with lunch, I’m having trouble concentrating and can’t really think of anything to write about. humm… perhaps just going to bed earlier might be an easier way to stay awake.

Last night, Husband went next door and met…. the mystery neighbor. The house on our left is in pretty poor shape. Hasn’t been painted since… it was built? Perhaps it was painted sometime in the 70s, since it is a lovely shade of peeling, dirty puke green. The yard is mostly dirt, the shades are never, never, ever opened. There is even paper taped up to the little windows at the top of the door. Hummm. We have seen the owner once. (Neighbors on the other side have lived here for 15 years and have never met him.) Guy in his mid-forties who lives alone. We see him come home around 5 every day, but that’s it.  The shades are even really thick, so we can’t see if lights are on or whatever. Very strange. Very strange.

(sidebar: we actually live on a lovely street, but there are two or three houses that are, shall we say, fixer-uppers? Our house was a fixer-upper, but it was flipped, so now it’s nice!)

We had all sorts of creative theories as to who lived there. Maybe he’s an albino, so he can’t have light in the house. Maybe he’s a drug dealer. Maybe he’s doing something else illegal. Maybe he has someone chained in the basement, a la Desperate Housewives. (The theories get wilder the more I watch TV. Especially Dateline or Oprah. Where does she find those people??!?)

Well, we need to cut back a bunch of trees this weekend before they collapse on our house, and Husband wanted to cut back one of his trees that is hanging over our driveway. So he went over there. (cue scary music…) I tried to look out the window, but couldn’t get a good view. You can imagine what my imagination was doing…..

Husband reports the neighbor actually works for a local pharmaceutical company and he just appears to be painfully shy and quiet. Hummm… you mean like a serial killer!??!?  It fits perfectly! Especially with all those woods behind our house – perfect for hiding the bodies, don’t you think? Oh well. When you think about it, the neighbors actually never get killed. They just report the “strange smells” and talk to the news reporters. So, we’re probably safe. And I need to watch less TV, that’s for sure.

Me: (frustrated, as Husband doesn’t seem to be liking the opinion I just offered when he asked for advise) If you’re not going to listen, why are you asking for my opinion?

Husband: Because your opinion is supposed to agree with what I want.