Another Day In My "Mistycal" Life

Cartoons Tick Me Off!

2012-09-19T18:09:00.000-04:00

Heads up I swear!

Piper has discovered television. She enjoys cartoons. She loves Yo Gabba Gabba. She even has a Foofa doll and a shirt with the green thing on it. "There's a party in my tummy. So yummy, so yummy." Yes, that has been stuck in my head for weeks.

So anyway. This past week I have been pretty pissed off at some of these cartoons. The other night poor Denise had to listen to me go on and on about them. Yeah, I made her laugh, but I did feel bad. Who wants to listen about someone's opinions on cartoons. Certainly not me, crap, I never thought I'd have to watch them again. So, my lucky friends you get to read my laundry list of what I hate about cartoons...

1. And this is a direct quote from the other night.. "Where the f%$# are Emily's Parents?" Who lets their child be free in the woods with Little Bear, a turtle, owl and duck. Really?!? And Denise asked "Why do Little Bears parents have clothes and he is bear naked?" Who the hell knows.

2. Then on Ni Hao, Kai-Lan they have a whole story line and SONG about if someone ruins your shit and they feel bad and tell you sorry you should tell them "It's OK" so "THEY DON"T FEEL BAD". Now, I do understand. But I'm sorry, if you ruin my stuff I have a right to be mad at you regardless if you did it on purpose or not. I hate that kids say "I DIDN'T MEAN TO". Makes me want to puke. Even Parker came in during the song and said "Hey Mom, I broke your computer but I didn't mean too." Ha! Even Parker got it. I think kids need to understand that it doesn't matter if you meant to do something or not, the fact remains that YOU DID IT. And people will be mad. (Yeah, they will need to get over it, but they are allowed to be upset). Sheesh

3. On another show a child was forced to share his favorite toy because someone else wanted to play with it. I DO NOT believe in sharing. It is crap. It's mine, get your own! I'm sorry if my kid has their favorite toy and someone else wants it, tough! It is their favorite, that's why they won't let it go and they shouldn't have to. You want my snack, get your own. I just think it's nuts that children are required to share everything. That isn't how life works. (I'll refrain from my political thought on this too!)

4. And on that note, we'll talk about Franklin. The cherry on the cake - everyone won second place in the pet show. What a load of crap. Not everyone wins! People loose! More people loose than win! Everyone is not special and wonderful! Why is it no longer okay for kids to feel the disappointment of loss? We should teach them that it's okay to lose and be disappointed. Losing is an opportunity to learn, if everyone wins all the time, they don't learn a thing. And getting a trophy for just being on a team is crap too!

What an entitled bunch of brats we are raising. Kids all think they are so special they should get everything they want, win at everything, not be responsible for their actions, and can act like shits because no one will do anything. Nope, not going to do it!

Cake! It's what's for lunch!

2012-08-27T12:15:00.002-04:00

And, it is delicious!

I am having a nice slice of Aaron's birthday cake for lunch. A white almond cake with a raspberry buttercream and raspberry coulis filling. AAAAAA-Mazing! I am a genius Gus! Only problem? My husband got a pink birthday cake, again. I guess that's what happens when you use raspberries or strawberries. I can deal with it, and so can Aaron. He dealt with it so well that he had two slices last night, and he is not a big sweet person.

Here is the link to my new favorite Almond White Cake recipe. It says it's a wedding cake, but who cares. It is the most amazing cake I've eaten or made. Really, it's that good. Obviously I used two 9" rounds instead of a 9x13 pan, I just baked them a bit longer. Remember though, when baking cakes do not over bake, they will dry out.

The frosting I made was a raspberry cream cheese buttercream. Very easy.

1 cup butter
8 ozs cream cheese
1/4 raspberry coulis
4-6 cups powdered sugar

1. Cream room temperature butter and cream cheese together till smooth.
2. Add raspberry coulis. Mix till well blended.
3. Add powdered sugar till desired sweetness and consistency are achieved.

Raspberry Coulis

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
12oz package frozen raspberries

Bring water and sugar to a boil, then boil 2 minutes. Add raspberries and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Strain the seed out and store in a non reactive container. Will keep for a week in the fridge.

To make the cake I cut the top off each layer to make level and put the remaining coulis on top of each half to soak in. I then frosted the first layer, on top of the coulis, then turned the other half over and placed it coulis side down on top of the first layer. I did a quick crumb coat (thin icing layer) and put it in the fridge to set up. It was kind of squishy in the middle because of the coulis. After an hour I frosted the cake and stuck it in the fridge.

It is amazing. Make it. You will love it. It is so good, I do not want Aaron to take it into work.

The Perfect (Italian) Storm

2012-08-16T17:53:00.003-04:00

So, apparently it is summer and I'm on vacation from ~~overloading~~ sharing with everyone pictures of my beautiful daughter and stories of my crazy life. Well this one I just had to share.

Tonight I decided to make chicken pot pie (I don't use a recipe, so don't ask). Yes, I know it is 1,000 degrees out but it sounded good, Aaron loves it, and the house it fairly cool (I have $300 power bill to prove it).

So I cut the veggies, cook the chicken, cook the veggies... you get the picture. I'm finally at the last step letting the sauce reduce and I reach into the spice cabinet (yes I have a spice cabinet, a big cabinet, not a small one, I like spices) to put away the bay leafs and wham, I knock over another bottles, it falls to the counter right behind the little fan I have blowing on me (the stupid hood fan is stupid and doesn't work worth beans). Yup, stop laughing cause you know what happened. The damn lid flew off and I am covered in small green leaves along with the rest of the kitchen.

My spice cabinet. It needs to be organized.

If you know me this would be the time I totally loose my shit. Nope, I calmly walked to the basement door, nicely, and calmly, called Aaron up to help me then went back to stirring the filing so it wouldn't burn. Aaron came up and looked at me and asked "What the Hell?" I told him what happened. He is so wonderful! He chuckled and started cleaning it up for me. I told him I didn't intend for him to clean it all up I just needed him to turn off the fan and be my calming influence.

I was covered! The counters, stove, and floor were covered!. When Aaron picked up the bottle and I asked what it was. Yup, Perfect Italian Seasoning. Hope it doesn't make my pot pie funky. Not something I use in my recipe. Oh, yeah, I don't have a recipe, not a seasoning I add. Anyway, Aaron even washed my feet off for me. He then thanked me for not loosing my shit. I thanked him for his help because it happened at the worst possible time.

So there it is, big huge mess, sorry no pictures, I was too busy cooking.

But here's a lovely picture of my lovely pot pie.

Now this! This almost made me loose my shit! I need to have a little talk with whom ever did this. You do not precariously stack the Kitchen Aid! I don't even know how they managed to do this. UGH!

Who Me? Lazy?

2012-08-05T11:49:00.000-04:00

So, umm, I've been a bit lazy lately. Sorry for not posts. Not really sure what I've been up to, I guess not too much. Just being a Mom and Wife and trying to keep up. Sounds like enough to me.

Lets see...

Dave and Steph

My handsome honey

The beginning of July we went to Connecticut and stayed with Denise (had the best giggles ever at 2 a.m. with her). We went up for our friends Dave and Stephanie's wedding. It was lovely. Hot, but lovely. Well, until Piper splashed in the toilet at the reception and we had to go. Aaron thankfully was able to enjoy the reception, good thing since he was the best man.

It was a quick trip. We went up Thursday night and came home Sunday morning. We let Parker stay with friends and he came home with Denise and Shelby the following week. Denise stayed for a few days then had to head home and she left Shelby with us for a few more days. It was wonderful having Shelby here. Piper loves Shelby. And it was so nice for me to have someone to play with Piper while I got a few things done. I was sad when her father came to pick her up. I can't wait to see them again (Denise and Shelby that is).

Piper has become the biggest ice cream freak. She loves it. The only problem is if you try to wipe her mouth she thinks you're trying to take her ice cream and she flings it on the floor. Not fun. Big mess. Don't like it.

Here's the messy girl when we went with friends to
Ben and Jerry's.

We've done some more exploring. We found a Mexican restaurant we really enjoy and actually met our friends Susan and Paul there when they were up from Georgia for their daughters track meet. She place 9th in the nationals. Go Hailey!

I've been knitting and crocheting. Parker is getting ready to start football. Aaron is working and still trying to get the first leg completed for his pilots license. You know how they say a boat is just a hole in the water that you throw money into. Well, with flying, you might as well just toss hundreds of dollars into the air a week. But he loves it, so there you go. But then with that reasoning I need to buy my own sheep and farm, because I love yarn. Shh, don't tell him I said that. Really, I am very supportive (most of the time) of his flying.

And then there is Piper. Sweet, ornery Piper. She is really starting to get a bit of an attitude! She knows what she likes and that's about it. She will now start crying "OWIE" if she doesn't get her way. She is dancing constantly and has started singing. I overheard her singing the ABC's the other day, just ABC and a bunch of gobledegook but it's a start. She is such a ham too. She loves to stand in front of the mirror in the entry way and sing and dance to herself. And she'll say "Awww, pretty" when she see's she has a bow in her hair.

And finally, yesterday was my birthday. I used to get so excited for my birthday. Now, ehhh. And at the yarn store yesterday the lady that worked there saw the little bunny I made Piper. And she asked Piper "Did your Grandma make that for you?" Nope not her grandma. Happy birthday to me! Way to go bitch! Anyway, the rest of the day was nice. Aaron and the kids got me gift certificate to my favorite yarn store (where I was insulted), and took me to lunch at Eammon's for fish and chips. Then we came home for a swim and finished the day with some lovely peanut butter torte.

The Peanut Butter Torte Aaron and I made.

In Loving Memory - Repost

2012-06-28T09:51:00.003-04:00

We lost Grace four years ago today. Decided to repost my very first blog post which is in memory of her. Still love and miss you Grace.

My good friend, Grace Fryer just passed away on June 28, 2008. She had been ill for awhile, the not so funny thing is she had lung cancer and had never smoked a day in her life. She had fought so hard for so long, she is one of the most amazing and brave women I know.

On July 4, my husband Aaron and our son Parker and I went to her wake. I am 36 years old and have never been to a funeral or wake. I have never been so overwhelmingly sad in my life. Her husband Tom, who is a wonderfull man, looked so lost and her daughter Allie, broke my heart. Just weeks from being "Sweet 16" and having just lost her Mom, I just wanted to hold her forever. Luckily they have a strong family on both sides and lots of love and support. I know that Grace will never be replaced but there is so much love and support I know that they will all make it through this.

I first met Grace about 11 years ago. It was the first time I had lived in Connecticut and our husbands worked together for the same command. We became great friends. She was always so outgoing and caring and giving. She would truely give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. She loved children, and was like an aunt not only to my boys, but to all her friends children. But mostly, she was an amazing mom. If she could have given Allie the stars and put her to bed in the clouds she would have. Allie was her everything, her pride and joy.

I will miss her forever and she will always been in my heart.

I love and miss you Grace. Our time together was too short.

Piper's First Professional Hair Cut

2012-06-14T19:52:00.003-04:00

We decided Piper needed a real hair cut, her bangs were getting in her eyes. We had trimmed her bangs ourselves right around her first birthday so it was definitely time.

I held Piper while she got her hair cut.

She did so well. She never fussed or squirmed.

Lookin' Good!

"Really, you are still taking pictures?"

"Cheese!"

Finally, I Did It!

2012-06-13T16:33:00.002-04:00

I recovered our dining room chairs. They looked like crap! Worse than crap really. They were horrid! I am so happy I finally got it done. I've had the fabric forever, at least a year or more. And some how, I lucked out, it goes okay with the colors of our dining room in the new house. So, here are some before and afters.

See how craptacular the chair of the left is. NASTY!
The one on the right, LOVELY!
I need some damn scotch guard so they stay nice!

Another view of my lovely chair.

Yes, I made socks for my chair that's on the hard wood.
Works way better than those stupid felt pads!

Monday was our 18th wedding anniversary (and my Mom's Birthday - Happy Birthday Mom). We went out to dinner and took the kids with up. My food came out cold and I had to send it back, I hate that, it scares me. Piper threw rice all over me, and chicken, and submersed her hand in ketchup. I am pretty sure parts of her dinner are still in the diaper bag. YUMMY! I did my hair, put on make up, and wore a dress. It just isn't as fun taking kids out for an anniversary dinner, on a Monday night. I think we need a redo.

After 18 years of marriage I have to say I love Aaron more today than ever! He is a wonderful husband and friend and I am so lucky to have him. Especially when I go bat shit crazy. He is the calm to my storm and so reasonable when I am not. He is a wonderful provider and while he may be a terrible gift giver I know that he loves me and it's all the little things he does that mean the most. He is always there for me, he always tells me he loves me, he supports everything I want to do, he always kisses me good night. And, he is always there when I go bat shit crazy (did I already say that). Anyway, enough mush. I love you Babe! You are the best!

Let's end with a video of Piper stealing Aaron's ice cream. Why? Because it's funny! Okay, no video. It won't load. Not sure why, but I just can't get them to load any more. So here are a few pictures instead.

Piper loves cuddling with Parker.

Sampling Daddy's ice cream.

I Broke My Damn Toe!

2012-06-05T08:13:00.003-04:00

Because I am a doctor (not, but I play one on T.V.) I have decided, for sure, that my toe is broken. It hurts terribly. I can barely move it (not that you can move your pinky toe much but still). How can such a small, insignificant, little toe hurt so much? Who Knows! But it does. How did I break it you ask? I kicked the damn baby gate. Aaron's advice, "Don't do that, step over the gate". Wow, you are a damn genius Gus! (I'm smiling here).

We had a wonderful, fun filled weekend. Parker wasn't "feeling" well so he didn't join us. Saturday we had planned on going to a "Cooks" type of store. Unfortunately, there was a HUGE sign at the entrance that read "Not open to the public". It was more of a restaurant supply store. Boo! So we drove through Old Town a different way, went by the airport, saw the Iwo Jima Memorial (It is huge and breathtaking), drove by Arlington Cemetery, and drove through Arlington. We ended up at Tyson's Corner.

I love Tyson's Corner. There are two (yes 2) huge malls right in the same area. A nice big mall, and a nice big, fancy, valet parking, Ritz Carlton mall. Plus tons of other shopping. We had a nice time walking around, bought Piper two new swim suits at Hanna Anderson, who was having a great sale, but we were treated like poop by the sales clerks. Had an amazing lunch at Gordon Biersch. Aaron bought a coctail shaker at Pottery Barn (yup, you read that right AARON bought something at Pottery Barn). Got free coffees at Starbucks because the Barista was from Bremeton, WA. Go Washington! And, on the way to the car Aaron found a $100 bill. Not a soul in site. No one. Yay him.

Then on Saturday we took the Metro into DC. We had a lovely day and went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. I really enjoyed it. But, man. People are rude. I do not care if it is acceptable to shove, push, and have no regard for others personal space in your country. You are in America, I am a bitch, and I will ram you with my stroller if you pull that shit with me. Now, that being said, Americans can be total ass holes too (and they were). I don't get it!

And people, wear deodorant for God's sake. It's summer, it's hot, you stink! Enough said! Also, do not buy a chocolate chip cookie there. It was nasty, dry, tasteless, waxy mess, and it cost $3.50. Lunch was passable but it cost the same as Gordon Biersch the day before, so pretty much it sucked.

We did so much walking (aka we are old) that our feet hurt terribly. Aaron was walking like a hobbled old man and I'm pretty sure the skin was rubbed of the bottoms of my toes (again with my toes!) But it was another amazing day!

Any way, we saw many amazing things and of course, I have pictures. Enjoy.

Of course, first up is my sweet Piper.

She really enjoyed her pretzel.

Smithsonian Castle

Museum of Natural History

The three things I was most excited to see. T-Rex,
Easter Island Figure, and the Hope Diamond.

I love fossils. I always wanted to find
them as a kid. Never did.

Neanderthal Mom and Baby. I over heard the tour guide say
"Now, we are not saying that this ever happened..."

We also went by the Air and Space Museum for a bit.

IT'S AMAZING!

(Yeah, this is for you. You know who you are.)

Piper and the Ice Cream Cone

2012-05-27T21:16:00.002-04:00

After another fun filled day of swimming (and yes, I went swimming today and it was fabulous) I decided to let Piper have her own ice cream cone for the first time. She's had bites of ice cream before but never her own.

So we took her out side and let her have a bit of ice cream. And no! She did not eat the whole thing, not even close. She was not happy when we took it from her. Yeah, we are mean like that! Of course, I took pictures. Enjoy!

"Hey! This is GREAT!"

"I can't believe you are letting me hold this."

(And Mommy can't believe she left you

in a white onesie!)

"What do you mean when you tell

Daddy that I can't have all this ice cream?"

"Take this from me and DIE!"

"Yeah! This is good!"

"Look! I can push my finger into the cone."

Piper and the Pool

2012-05-26T16:31:00.000-04:00

The pools where we live opened today so we decided to take Piper swimming. We blew up her little floaty seat. Yeah, that sucked, we were too lazy to go and find the electric pump and we should have. Those things are hard to blow up.

She loved being in the pool, it was her first time and she didn't even flinch when the water was a bit cool. She had so much fun till we decided it was time to go home. She really pitched a fit for a minute.

Here's a few pictures of her and Aaron...

I really like that the floaty seat had a sun canopy. We

all know how freaked out I get about our pale skin!

I love the look on her face when Aaron was dunking her.

She didn't love it, but she really didn't mind it either.

She got to the point where she thought she could swim

and kept trying to get away.

(Check out the look on Aaron's face)

Look at that saggy butt. Good thing I bought her a

12 month size, she's such a peanut.

We also got her a water play table this week. We set it up last night and she had so much fun playing with it. I guess she'll be our water baby. I guess I'll need to suck it up and put on a swim suit. Ugh, not looking forward to it but I'll do it.

Piper has also been talking up a storm. Today she's been saying "Me, thank you, and here", everyday it something new. The other day she said boobie, we don't encourage that. But it was kinda funny.

OOPS, I'm Turning Japanese

2012-05-24T11:48:00.001-04:00

This morning in the grocery store I'm pushing Piper in the carriage down the aisle, singing along to the music playing, and cracking Piper up. Our Safeway always has the best music, usually the stuff I listened to as a kid.

We were having fun till I notice this older Japanese couple staring at me in disbelief. It took me a second to figure out they could hear me singing. The song I was singing you ask? Oh yeah! It was what you are thinking. "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors.

So, for your musical enjoyment, here is the video.

Thank God The Cure wasn't playing!

It's Craptacular!

2012-05-21T16:36:00.002-04:00

So you think you can paint? Paint? Paint? Paint? (Sing to the theme song "So you think you can dance?")

The answer is no (and I can't sing either).

But, I do have fun messing around and thought I'd try it on my own since I had so much fun at the Drunken Pallet with Denise and Jori. Here is what I've been working on the past few weeks.

The Sea Horse - Acrylics and Paper (had a hard time getting a

good picture, it's showing up a bit darker than it actually is)

Home is your Anchor - Acrylics - Here is my inspiration piece

(AKA - Pinterest Hack)

Button Tree - Watercolors and buttons

The Sandra Lisa - Acrylics, Paper, Ink. This is my first try

at photo transferring onto canvas. (Actually the second done over

the first after I painted over that area). It is my beautiful sister-

in-law, and no, she isn't crap, but now her picture has become

a craptacular piece. Sorry, Love You TONS!

Sorry so quick, Aaron has the baby cause I said I'm making dinner. SHHHHHHHHHH!

Lazy Sunday

2012-05-20T22:47:00.000-04:00

So, this was my day...

I got up around 9:00 (don't judge, I was up a few times with Piper) and after I got ready we went to breakfast. It was fabulous. Except, my allergies went absolutely hay wire while we were gone. My whole face was burning and itching, my nose was running, and my throat was even itchy. I just felt yucky, what ever trees are in this area, along with the grass, are killing me.

Oh my gosh, while at breakfast there was this lady who I swear could be a speed eater. She had this huge plate of egg whites (yummy), four pieces of bacon, and 3 pancakes with bananas. I swear she ate it all, every piece in less than five minutes. Literally inhaled it. I have never in my life seen anyone eat so freaking fast. It really freaked me out.

Okay, back to my lazy day. We got home and I nursed the baby and it was her nap time. I was not feeling so hot so I put Piper down for her nap and I took one too. Slept till 3, it was awesome. I've been in my P.J.'s since my nap. Ha, I never do that. It is awesome.

I cleaned nothing today, well, unless you count rearranging my Pinterest boards. You should, cause I do. I did make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. It was tasty. Piper really liked it, she loves noodles, the longer the better. She cracks us up but, I failed and didn't take any pictures and she was a hot mess. Daddy had to give her a bath. She was just cracking herself up sucking those noodles in.

Have you seen Pinterest? If not you need to. It rocks. I love it. Check it out. Think of it as a huge bulletin board where you stick all your ideas. Except, you have many boards and you can keep track of all the things you love on the internet. I do have one request. NO PORN! I am so sick of porn. Quit ruining my happy place. That, and all the damn teenagers need to get off! She here's my boards go and take a look.

Things have been pretty chill for me the past few days actually. The big excitement was our friends Monica and Marshall came down from Connecticut with their boys and stayed with us Friday night. It was great to see them. I wish we had more time together. Aaron and Parker had fun going to the air show with them at Andrews Air Force Base. Hopefully we'll get to see them again before they head to California.

Oh, and just a quick update on the Crazy Old Bat. I pulled my neighbors weeds. Yeah, I did it. I had a few of my own to pull so I pulled hers also. We have very small front yards it was really no big deal. I didn't trim her rose bush but I did wrap the longer branches back around the railing to give the "illusion" of being trimmed. I haven't seen the Old Bat, so I have no idea what she thinks. But if she does ever say something again, I'm going to nicely tell her that she needs to talk with my neighbor. Sheesh!

Crazy Old Bat!!! (and some poop)

2012-05-16T13:06:00.002-04:00

So yeah, I know I'm going to Hell. But, today I am pretty sure the lady a couple of townhouses down is where the term "Crazy Old Bat" came from. Really! She is the weed Nazi! She is the over grown rose bush police! Even worse, it's not my damn yard!

For a couple of weeks now she keeps telling me to cut my rose bush. Every time, I have my hands full with groceries, other things I've bought, the diaper bag, the baby. Every time I tell her "It is not my bush, I can not cut it." She then informs me that I need to tell my neighbor to take care of her yard. She lets me know how much it upsets her. If you are so upset cut it yourself or say something to my neighbor, frankly, I just don't care!

So today and I'm carrying three bags of veggies from Trader Joe's (OK! Fine! I did buy some pot stickers and dark chocolate covered cherries too, sheesh, oh and a bootle of wine and some steaks) and she starts in about the weeds and bushes. I give a little chuckle and say I'll talk with her. And she damn near looses touch: "This is serious! I am deeply distraught! I am always in my yard, these are TOWNHOUSES! You need to tell her to take care of this because I am getting pretty upset!" So under my breath I am mumbling "Shut up you stupid, crazy, old bat, good God, can't you see I'm busy." Instead I smile and say, "Yes, I will talk to her." She once again tells me this isn't funny, we live in TOWNHOUSES and I better do something.

Whatever! Talk to your Camaro driving adult son and tell him to do something. Or even better, do it yourself. Good God, I just don't care. (See, going to Hell!) So I shake my head and get the baby out of the car and head in to the house. She is standing near her HUGE ROSES (She shows me every time I leave the house) just seething. Now, I know she has nothing else to do but take care of her yard, but man, leave me alone and don't ambush me when my hands are full and I have a baby that needs a nap!

On a happier note:

I found out earlier this week that you can have POOP mailed to people, and it's totally anonymous. I wanted to send some to my friends future ex-husband, but my husband (AARON!) said no, I was not allowed to pay to have poop mailed to someone. "What if they deserve it?" I ask. "No, not even then. It costs too much to mail poop." He informs me. Really, who knew, there is a price limit on poop! Sheesh! But here is the best part. Aside from their website having pictures of animals pooping (way nasty) you can choose cow, elephant or gorilla poo! Cow is the cheapest and gorilla the most expensive. There are even pictures showing what each poop bag will look like. Now for the best part, sorry. There is a card inside of the bag that the lucky recipient can see and it asks if you want to know who sent you poo. And they then will have to open the poop bag, stick their hand in, and pull out the card only to find that "THEY WILL NEVER TELL!"

I mean really, how great is that. I guess I'm sick, and I know I'm going to Hell as previously stated, but some people just deserve poop!

Have a great day and don't piss me off! Bwa ha ha

Shit, as I proof read this I realize, maybe the Crazy Old Bat needs some.

(Yeah, yeah, going to Hell! - I know!)

No! I DO NOT Want a Cup Of Johan!!!

2012-05-09T22:57:00.000-04:00

I hate the "Johan" Gevalia commercials. They are terrible. They are stupid! It irks me every time I see them. Who thought a "cup of Johan" was a good idea? Sure as hell not me! It's pervert, freak coffee. Sorry, just my random thought/rant for the day.

Today was fun. Piper and I went with Felicia and Isa to the most amazing park. How amazing you ask? Well, we had to drive by all the gated mansions to get to it. It was wonderful, and I had never seen so many nanny's in my life. Piper loved it. She just ran around and laughed. She loves playing with Isa. We will definitely have to make sure to do it again soon. It was so nice to get out of the house with a friend.

Piper is still teething and it is still really bugging her. Poor baby pinches her cheeks and makes these little cries (even growls) when she's hurting. One has broke through and the other three and just big knots. I hope they break through soon so we can get some sleep. Last night she had such a hard time she was up 7 (yes, seven) times. Tonight I made sure she had some Tylenol and I am hoping that helps her feel more comfortable, we both need the sleep.

Here's a few pictures from the past week. Not a whole lot else happening.

Piper hamming it up for the camera.

The crane (aka pterodactyl) in our back yard.

Piper's new favorite past time. Shredding every single

piece of paper she finds into teeny, tiny, little pieces!

Piper the Goat Baby

2012-04-27T15:23:00.000-04:00

Yeah, Yeah, two posts in less than twenty four hours, I think this is worth it.

So, I'm just wasting time, messing around, reading about Beyonce (because I needed a good laugh, unfortunately that led to coughing, which led to well, read my last post) and posting links to a Beyonce printable, when I look up to find this:

Piper with a big hunk of chocolate. (She wouldn't

hold still so I could get a single good picture.)

Have I mentioned she LOVES chocolate?

No? She really, really does!

Can you see that chocolate face? Yeah, it became

chocolate on my camera.

Then she tried to lick the camera! Really!

Like I said, she won't hold still.

What I found. Now, I thought I had thrown this away,

it wasn't very good, waxy dark chocolate with

crunchy bits of orange. Very wrong. It is now in the trash.

So I clean up the baby. Clean up my camera. Then clean up the mess and throw it away. When I come back. SHE. IS. EATING. PAPER! Sheesh. Se loves paper almost as much as she loves chocolate. I guess she needs more fiber. Even funnier, the paper was the target coupon book for baby food. Irony.

And now, she's just climbed onto the couch for the first time, by herself. See GOAT!

Bronchitis

2012-04-26T21:31:00.000-04:00

Sucks! Big time! I new I was coming down with something while my parents were here. Oh man did I. I went to the doctors on Tuesday and I already knew I had bronchitis. How you ask? Well, I was coughing so hard I bruised my ribs and was peeing my pants. Yeah, I said it! I'm 40, have 3 kids, and was coughing till I nearly passed out. What about it?!? Ha ha ha, NOT FUNNY! Okay, kinda.

So tonight was FABULOUS!!!! I finally got out for a bit by myself. (It was humid out, not fabulous. How humid you ask. Well, so humid that my stick straight hair had curled around my head. Yeah, yeah, I know shiny object, can you tell I feel better?) Anyway, I got a coffee (oh, maybe that's part of it) and I went to Home Goods. I am still on the look out for Beyonce. But I do I have a lead to on one on Route 1, now I just need to figure out where that is. But I did find this...

NINJA BREAD MEN! I have wanted these forever, but didn't want to order them because the shipping was as much as the cutters. Yeah, I'm a dork, but I love them.

And, the night got better. As I was getting in my car, I noticed an angry woman walking very fast. I thought, "Maybe she's angry because she has a mustache and a goatee?" Nope, I'm fairly sure it was the bulge in her lycra skirt. Not a bulge like in Poise (shut up!, there's no bulge ) but a bulge as in man. They best way to describe her is to say if you've read Stephanie Plum's books, she was a man dressed as Lula. And, don't get PC on me. She just needed a mirror check as any self respecting woman does.

Then, I got home, and it was awesome. Aaron had put Piper to bed, and she was asleep. She is still asleep. I did have a momentary freak out because she had gotten into my stuff and I couldn't find my glasses prescription but I found it and I'm calm and the air conditioning is on. So now I'm going to relax and watch the BIG BANG Theory! BANG!

Saying Goodbye

2012-04-23T12:01:00.001-04:00

Sucks!!!!!!

On Saturday, we had to say good bye to my parents. It was horrible for me, I hate saying good bye! It was so wonderful having them here, in my house, for nearly a week. I can't wait for them to come back.

Piper really loved her Grandma and Papa. She was even saying Papa by the time they left and would hold up her arms and yell if Papa didn't pick her up fast enough. Every time Piper heard my Mom's voice or heard her laugh, she would turn her head towards my Mom and just smile. It melted my heart numerous times to turn around and see Piper resting her head against my Mom's.

And of course, Parker was thrilled to have Grandma and Grandpa here. He was also thrilled when he was surprised with a brand new camera. He is a very happy guy!

So now it's back to the grind, and I feel like death on a stick from this horrid cold/cough I have. Very happy that I have a doctors appointment already set up for tomorrow to meet my new doc. Hopefully she'll give me something for this cough. My head feels like it is going to explode each time and I'm afraid I'll "Lizzelle". Bwa ha ha ha!

A Day With Grandma and Papa

2012-04-20T21:26:00.000-04:00

Today my Parents got back from North Carolina. It is so wonderful to have them here. Piper loves her Grandma and Papa! Here is part one of the pictures.

Piper and the Back Yard

2012-04-14T14:34:00.002-04:00

My, what lovely Clematis growing on my back fence. I think they are beautiful. (Thank you Sandy for letting me know what they are.) I ~~love these flowers growing on the vines on our fence. I have no idea what they are. I was told, but I don't remember. Sorry.~~ So I thought I'd take some pictures of the Clematis and Piper today.

Piper HATES sitting/standing/walking or being on the grass to any extent!

I just wanted a nice picture of her (not crying)

sitting in the grass in front of the flowers.

I guess these will do.

For now.

A Lovely Day.

2012-04-13T22:28:00.001-04:00

Today was wonderful. My parents came this morning and we had a great day. We spent the morning talking and, and watching Piper dance. She can really get down, and she was really cracking us up. I did try to get some video's, but each time, she would stop dancing. But this girl really loves music. Papa made here a collection of videos and she loved them. We had a great lunch out when Aaron got home from work. And we found that Parker is now taller than Grandma.

Now they are off to North Carolina and will be back Tuesday for the rest of the week. I am so glad they were able to sneak in today with us.

Here's the problem. I didn't take any pictures. I know. Right!?! What a dork I am! I almost cried when I realized this. I will be sure to take a million pictures when they get back. I promise!

So, in the mean time. This will have to do. Pictures of my lovely surprise. Bread from Boudin Bakery. And not any bread, sourdough bread. And not any sourdough, the ORIGINAL San Francisco sourdough. If you have never had it, you are missing out. So here are some pictures. I'm a dork, yes I know. But I dream about this bread. (No, I am not being compensated from Boudin, I just LOVE them. Click here to check them out.) Thank you again Dad and Mom.

Yeah, I posted pictures of bread. So what. It is very lovely bread. But really, I'll post pictures next week of our visit with my parents. I think I need a slice of toast, sourdough toast, with peanut butter, Num Yummy!

Can't Hardly Stand It!

2012-04-12T15:02:00.001-04:00

My parents get into Virginia late tonight and we will see them in the morning. I can't wait. I am so excited. It has been about 9 months since Piper and I have seen them, 3 years for Parker and almost 8 for Aaron. Aaron has been working extra all week so he can take off early tomorrow, and I'm thinking maybe Parker will have a "doctors" appointment tomorrow afternoon. (I'm sure Aaron will call horse crap on that one but hello, it's his grand parents! But then again, I do have an appointment at his school next because because a few of his grades have slipped.)

And, I look up and the baby is eating paper. Ugh, she's like a goat. Everything goes in her mouth!

Anyway, while Piper slept today I cleaned like a mad woman. I can hardly sit still, I am so excited. Did I already say that? Now I'm just waiting for Parker to get home from school so I can run to the store (he forgot his key. He also forgot to shut the front door! Thankfully I'm still alive and the cat is still here.) I need to get stuff to make Swedish Meatballs and mashed potatoes. Aaron's request, I've never made them. Wish me luck!

Piper is growing by leaps and bounds. She now walks more than she crawls. And she is talking up a storm. I caught her this afternoon saying, peek-a-boo, Parker and Ash. She just cracks me up! Thankfully Parker has not gotten her to say CHILL. That would not be a good thing!

Back to reality.

2012-04-02T14:39:00.000-04:00

Trying to get back into a normal schedule sucks! Parts of it are good, Piper is now sleeping through the night - IN HER OWN BED! For naps too. Aaron is working and Parker is doing well in school. But, after a good month of exploring (i.e., shopping, eating out, shopping) it's time to get back to reality and behave. Not fun. I'm kinda bored here. Shopping is fun. Well, no more. I mean it, no more shopping, or fun. BOO! Crap, or eating out. Normally, I love to cook. But there are all these great restaurants here, so it's fun, and yummy, and I'm not just sitting around the house. Denise said we've eaten out more in the past month than we did the 8 years in Connecticut, I think she may be right. (Not really, but I'm sure it's close).

Last weekend Denise and Shelby came for a visit. It was wonderful! We went to D.C. on Friday and saw the cherry blossoms and some of the monuments. Here are some of the lovely pictures Denise took. It was my first time into the city and it was amazing. It was also pretty hot and humid that day and we were so glad we went in the evening especially since it was so stormy on Saturday.

Piper has finally conquered walking. She is doing really well and loves climbing up on anything she can. She is also talking up a storm and really understands a lot. Poor girl has been having some trouble with allergies and has been leaving snail trails on all of us. I hate it! I think I've said it before, and I'll say it again. SNOT is the SOURCE of all EVIL. I hate it!

Parker has also been having a heck of a time with allergies. We have been assigned to Dr's at Andrews AFB. Yeah we will not be going back there again. It took over and hour to get there, it is about 16 miles away. It was horrible. He had a 8:10 appointment and we had to change it en route to 9:30. Needless to say it was a long, sucky day. But he did get new meds and we are waiting to hear to results of the blood test they did to see what he's allergic too. According to the doc he has "severe allergies", I kind of figured that, he get's all puffy.

This week should be pretty laid back. Parker is on spring break. The weather is lovely and today I took Parker to the skate park and Piper and I played at the kiddie park. She loves the swings, the slides scare the crap out of her. Hopefully I'll get my craft area set up too. Wish me luck!

Hi, Hi, Hi, Dad

2012-03-19T20:37:00.001-04:00

Piper loves the phone. She enjoys her toy phones, but man, she really loves the real phones. The house phone, our cell phones, all phones. Earlier today I thought it would be funny to dial Aaron and let her talk with him. She loved it! So we did it again, and here you go.

Moves Like Jagger - Part 2

2012-03-18T20:20:00.000-04:00

This is for you Dad.

It takes her a moment but, she gets her groove on.