Incubation Nation

Moving! Everything Must Go!

2012-07-19T14:03:00.002-04:00

Oh hi! I've taken the plunge and have moved this blog over to WordPress. It's pretty great, because I was able to move all of these posts along with the posts from my previous blog. Now everything is in 1 place! I hope you'll follow me over there! It's right here!

Be sure to click over and save.

Bye Bye, Blogger!!

Friday Free For All

2012-07-13T11:16:00.001-04:00

· I have now been sick for more than 3 weeks. A call to the dr. yesterday, after having finished my z-pak on Tuesday and still not being well yielded this advice: Try some Advil Cold and Sinus and saline spray. Call me Monday if that doesn’t help. Um…really? 3 weeks, lady. 3 weeks of a cold, that turned in to a clogged ear that turned in to the worst sinus pain and pressure I’ve ever had, and you tell me Advil? She didn’t even tell me herself either; she had the receptionist call me back. I hope I don’t end up at urgent care this weekend. I just want to be better. I have plans!

· Liv, who has always had a rather difficult personality, has really kicked it up a notch these past few weeks. I’m talking screaming, tantruming, hitting me, (she actually bitch slapped me at bedtime the other night. I can’t even.) and I am at a total loss. I don’t know what to do with her, and it makes me sad.

· I need to have my eyebrows waxed but I am afraid because my face has gotten a bit tan. I don’t want eyebrow tan lines. Could you imagine? The alternative is bushy eyebrows though. I think I’m screwed.

· Keeping all 3 kids out of camp on Fridays was a Very Bad Idea.

· I went swimming (in our 3-foot pool) with the kids yesterday. They were amazed and all like “Mama, you can swim??” Where have they been for the past 8 years?

· We have found 3 dead rats in our yard this summer. We don’t know where they have come from, only that the dog has killed them. I think they are passing through our yard from one of the neighbors behind us because Haley has been spending a ton of time behind our garage. I am beyond skeeved out. Beyond Skeeved.

· Finally, today I was reminded of this email forward I got several years ago at work. My friend and I laughed for days, and every year or so, she will send it to me, or I will send it to her. The email body is this: My friend is getting rid of his dog (FREE). His wife says the dog stares at her all day. See picture below:

July Mini-Vacation

2012-07-09T11:11:00.000-04:00

I had a bit of a mini-vacation last week. The kids were home from camp and I was off from Wednesday on. It was pretty spectacular.

For the 4^th we took a bit of a drive to have dinner at this restaurant that is right over the Niagara River. This was our view:

Then we headed down to the park for fireworks. Hub taught the kids to play Blackjack while we waited.

The next day we got up early and headed down to PA to go to our favorite little zoo, and to the beach. It was one of those rare days where the kids were behaved and all had fun. There was little complaining. It’s hard to only pick a few photos to show here—I love them all so much!

The rest of the week, we really just relaxed (well, I went out to dinner and to see Magic Mike with some girlfriends too). Our trip to BJ’s on Friday yielded this great find:

Oh, and this too:

Even with my raging sinus infection, I would say this was the best mini-vacation we’ve had in quite some time. Bring on the rest of the summer!

Great Dress at Target; Hair Care Woes

2012-06-19T15:13:00.000-04:00

I had a really good trip to Target this weekend. I still haven't found a maxi dress that I can wear--apparently, big boobs and hips indicate that you are tall, very tall, so I haven't found one that doesn't drag on the floor. I did find this chambray dress though, and I fell in love with it--1. the fact that I fit in to a dress from target that was not in the plus or maternity section, and 2. it really is super cute! Just look:

I also bought these sandals:

I bought some fitted tees and workout clothes as well. I've been feeling pretty good about the way I look lately, and I enjoyed shopping. I'm not skinny by any means, but I am more toned than I've been in a long time. I'm enjoying wearing clothes that make me feel like I look good.

If only I could do something about my hair. I had the straightest of straight hair up until a few years ago. I never used a hair dryer, never had to worry about it. Now? The shit is straight up wavy/borderline curly. If it is humid, as summer in Buffalo tends to be? Forget it. What is a girl to do? It seems like even if I blow it straight complete with product, that as soon as it hits the humidity, or I sweat a little bit that it all goes to hell. Being that I never learned how to do my hair, I am at a loss. So tell me--what am I supposed to do with my hair?

Anyway

2012-06-12T11:16:00.000-04:00

I had a post in draft about the horrible things that happened here last week. The things that pushed me to my breaking point. The things that have left me (at the very least temporarily) estranged from my mother.

It's not worth it to put it here though. It doesn't need to be hashed and rehashed. I'm so thankful for the people who talked me through it last week and helped me to be strong, my husband, my brother and my godmother as well several of you who were pissed right along with me.

I was (am) disappointed and hurt by my mother's decisions, but I am grateful to be on the other side of it now, having said everything I've wanted to say for 20 years, and knowing that I am supported, cared for and loved by so many people.

I hate that it took what it did to get here, but for the first time in a long time, I feel ok. I feel at peace. The weight of everything that was unsaid for so long is gone.

And I think I am fine.

Fun Bits

2012-06-05T10:49:00.000-04:00

• I think I forgot to mention that we had the police here over Memorial Day weekend. As is our usual weekend plan, we had a fire out back. Hub had been saving our Christmas tree, for compost he says, well…since Christmas. I went inside for a minute and came back out to see that he’d thrown the tree on the fire. They tell you to keep your Christmas tree moist for a reason, right? Picture a dry-ass Christmas tree catching fire. This tree sparked and then suddenly the flames were higher than the house. The leaves on our live chestnut tree were starting to curl. Hub grabbed the hose and put it out just in time, leaving a normal subdued fire in its wake. He thought it was hysterical. Me? Not so much. Anyway, about 30 minutes later an officer was peeking over our side fence. I caught his eye and he said he’d had a complaint of a fire too big for a back yard. He was looking around, and said “Clearly, you have an overreacting neighbor. This fire is fine.” Hub and I looked at each other and sort of shrugged our shoulders. And now we are plotting against the neighbor next door.
• I got our garden, both front and back completely planted that weekend as well. I never thought that I would be the gardening type, like ever. But it is so fun, and I love that I can eat what I grow, AND that the compost we worked on all winter is integrated in to the soil and is feeding our new veggies. Circle of life and all that crap. It is a gorgeous garden if I do say so myself. Separate garden post forthcoming.
• I will show you this though—Bud built me a planter on the side of the garage, to dress up the back yard a bit. Isn’t it just great?

• I finally added internet listening to my SiriusXM plan, and am enjoying listening to Howard while I work.
• This maybe isn’t such a fun bit, but it is interesting for me. I’ve given up dairy.. My skin has been a mess for the better part of a year. I’ve been on every prescription acne medication. I’ve used everything you can imagine over the counter. Nothing works. I’ve waited for it to “get worse before it gets better” through countless regimens and nothing. Mild to no improvements on all fronts. So I’ve decided that it must be something inside my body that is making it so bad. I had a milk allergy when I was a kid, that gradually turned in to an intolerance. Certain forms of dairy make me feel worse than others, but generally my tolerance is high. I think. Or I thought. I noticed that I have more breakouts when I’ve been drinking iced coffee—you know that comes with heavy cream and wheels started turning. I’ve been thinking about doing it for a while now, and so I started yesterday. My plan is to give it 30 days and see what happens. I hope it works, because if not, gluten is next and I think I need gluten.
• The best news of all has been finalizing some plans to meet up with 3 fantastic ladies in July, and having potential plans to see Carrie and her new baby (This should be easier than it actually is. She lives an hour away from me.) In my 12 years of blogging, I’ve had all of these relationships and I’ve never met anyone in person. This is a step for me, and an even bigger step for Hub who is convinced that everyone on the internet is a murderous stalker. Meet-ups ahoy!

2012-05-31T10:16:00.000-04:00

When I think of my Liv, I think without fail “my baby”, or “the baby”. She is, right? She still snuggles up with me on the couch in the morning, still has a bedtime routine and is still such a lovey dovey. She can’t be anything more than a baby right?

It takes me seeing pictures of her to knock me in to reality—Liv is a full blown kid. Not a baby or even a toddler, a kid. In 2 months, she will be 4 and has asked to get her ears pierced. A kid.

This. Right here. This is a kid.

I still refuse to believe it.

Lucky

2012-05-14T10:17:00.000-04:00

I vaguely remember Hub climbing over me to get out of bed early in the morning and Liv coming in some time later only to be shuffled out again. Then it was 10am and I was wide awake, not really remembering the last time I’d slept in, truly uninterrupted. I was greeted with a chorus on “Happy Mother’s Day!” and had bakery donuts and coffee waiting for me. Man, I love bakery donuts. Hub and I watched CBS Sunday morning and read the paper and later on he and the kids made me chocolate chip pancakes. Then, they left for the day leaving me on my own to do whatever I wanted.

For a while, I played Tetris on our old N-64 that we hooked up over the weekend. Then I took a long, hot bubble bath. I had a snack and read for a while. I rested a bit, but couldn’t sleep. And then because I wanted to, not because I had to, I finished up the informational pamphlet I was working on for our PTA. Bored, I called to see where Hub and the kids were. He used the gift certificate we got him for his birthday to buy a rocket, and they were heading to the park. I grabbed the dog and met them there. Of course, we lost the rocket on the third launch, but it was fun just the same.

Hub went home to start dinner, and the kids and I hung around for a few minutes before we walked home. I tried to get a nice picture of the 3 of them and this was the result. Bud refuses to smile in photos these days.

At home, Hub made me fish and roasted broccoli, and they all gave me my gift—a fountain for the garden. After the kids went to bed, Hub brought out super fancy frosted brownies that he’d picked up, and we had those with coffee. I’m in a sugar coma today, but it was really a fantastic day.

I’m pretty sure I’m the luckiest girl in the world.

Friday Free for All

2012-05-11T11:46:00.001-04:00

• I started writing a post earlier in the week about my near-11-year-old cat, Oswald and how he was nearly dead from renal failure, but I deleted it. I didn’t want it to get all crazy cat lady up in here. He was so bad that the vet wanted to hospitalize him to the tune of $1500, which we most definitely didn’t have in our budget. I’ve been giving him iv fluids and meds at home and he’s doing quite well. We don’t know how long it will work, because the damage is permanent and it’s sparked a lot of conversation up in here about how much is too much to do for a cat and how much is too much money to spend just to keep him alive for an undetermined amount of time.
• It occurred to me the other day that I have a little more than a month of lunch packing left for the school year, and I got giddy. Not that I won’t have to make lunch all summer long anyway, but I really hate packing with the individual wrapping and portioning and what have you. I wish these brats would just buy lunch, but they just don’t enjoy school lunch.
• We had Muffins with Mom at school this morning, so I was up, showered and ready to go before 7am which I don’t think has happened even once since I started working from home. Hub had picked up the muffins from the bakery this morning (that’s right..we serve real food and drink at our functions, not a bunch of pre-packaged crap) and left them in my car, so the kids and I dropped them off and set up. I didn’t even have a chance to sit and have a muffin with them, but I don’t think they minded all that much. From there, I took Liv to preschool where we made a Mother’s Day craft together, and later I have ice cream with Bud’s class. By the time we get to actual Mother’s Day, I’ll be wiped out!
• I am in desperate need of a haircut. The lady mullet has grown out and is far from attractive. I’m thinking short. I really liked the short front of the lady mullet, and my face has thinned out a bit so I think I can pull the short hair off again. Haircuts are exciting!

Glimmer

2012-04-16T10:38:00.002-04:00

It’s standard operations on blogs like mine. In fact, I’ve already talked about it more than once. You know where I’m going with this, right? The old “will we or won’t we” question. And of course I’m talking about having more babies. I feel sort of like a douchebag even bringing it up again. Honestly, what sort of gall do I have to possibly but probably not but maybe but no I DO NOT but YES I DO but I probably don’t want another baby? The whole thought pattern is annoying even to me, the one who is having the thoughts in the first place.

I had my annual OBGYN visit last week. I love my doctor. When I was about 12 weeks pregnant with Liv, I switched from the practice who delivered my first 2 babies because their founding doctor and my 2 favorite midwives had left leaving a creepy man doctor, and the remaining OB that I’d never liked. I’d had really good experiences with the resident in the hospital who was on hand when I’d delivered both Bud and Lucy, and had heard that she joined a practice so I took a leap of faith and switched. And that doctor was just as great as I’d remembered, but I ended up clicking with another doctor in the practice, and she became my primary OB. She’s fantastic. She gets me. We’ve had some really great conversations, and even when I go more than a year without seeing her, she always remembers me, my big babies, and that I hate birth control even though I’ve tried some things at her suggestion. So yes. Love her.

She’s recently started performing that in office lady sterilization that seems to be getting so popular and is a strong proponent of it. I told her how Hub is terrified of the old snip snip and she wholeheartedly recommended this procedure, should I decide I am ready to take permanent action. And if I’m not, she told me, she would expect to see me back in her office pregnant before Liv goes to Kindergarten. She knows me. She knows my fertility. She doesn’t think my handy dandy app will work forever. So of course I left there with my mind racing and many things to think about.

Here’s the thing: I am reasonably certain that I don’t want to have any more babies. We’ve come so far. Liv is still…well, Liv. I don’t think she’d do well with a younger sibling. Really, I’m mostly ok with being done. And so, I brought all of this up to Hub that very evening.

“Do it.”, he said before the words were even out of my mouth. “ You should get it done.”

There was something about him making this decree, regardless of the context and regardless of me asking his opinion. The second he uttered those words, I went ballistic. As in who the hell do you think you are, to tell me to shut off my babymaker? What happens if you drop dead tomorrow and I meet someone else and want to have his babies? What if what if what if? Of course, this was the very moment Liv picked to parade through the kitchen, pants on the ground, dragging the dog behind her yelling some jib jab at her sister who had scorned her.

“Another one of those”, Hub said.

And really, the answer is no. I don’t want another one of those (nevermind that for as crazy as she makes me I think that Liv’s inappropriate tenacity and difficultness is kind of…charming). But I don’t want to never be able to change my mind. I don’t want the finality. I want to keep my babymaker intact. For now. And I certainly don’t want my husband or anyone telling me what to do with it. So I think that’s what the choice is here, whether I want to shut down the factory and know that it’s over for good or to keep that glimmer somewhat alive.

How do you decide? How do you know when is when? The arbitrary restriction I placed on myself years ago was 35. I don’t want to have any more babies after I am 35. That’s always been my personal cutoff. I’m a year and a half away from my 35th birthday. Is this enough time for me to decide once and for all? Or if I gave myself until then would I feel differently? Would I say to myself “well, I’ll be 35 for a whole 12 months…I still have time!” and then end up putting it off and putting it off until I have a late in life baby at something like age 45 when my other kids are grown?

I just don’t know. If I don’t want to make this decision and I don’t want anyone making it for me, it means I have to keep thinking and thinking about it, mulling the “what ifs.” What if it’s meant to be? But what if it’s not? Ack.

100 Facts About Me Revisited: Part 1

2012-04-09T10:04:00.000-04:00

I’ve sort of had this idea for a while now, and between trying to eat right and exercise and keep my life under control, I haven’t had much to write about that is interesting for a while. I made my “100 Facts About Me” list maybe 5 years ago? Wait, I will look! And add the link! Here it is on my old blog! So yes, a little less than 5 years ago. Anyway, as people change over time, I would imagine that some of their facts would change as well. Additionally, some of my facts, as I re-read the list, are not facts at all.

Over the next several weeks, I am going to edit my list in a series of posts. I may elaborate on some things. I may edit some facts so they are currently relevant, and the facts that are not actually facts? I’ll have to come up with something new to replace them with. Should be fun, right? And will be perfect fodder for blogging when I have nothing to say.

So, here it goes!

1. I met my husband on the school bus when I was in 7th grade. (2012 edit—true)
2. I hated his guts. (2012 edit—true)
3. I complained to him about my boyfriend who was a jerk for most of my sophomore year in high school. (2012 edit—that boyfriend was a jerk because he liked drugs more than he liked me. I looooooved him. Like full on I would do anything for him love. I would complain to Hub on the bus because he would listen, but also because he was sort of Boyfriend’s friend and I thought maybe he would talk some sense in to him. He didn’t.)
4. He and I began dating that summer. (2012 edit—yes)
5. Even though we were very young, we kind of knew we were it for each other. (2012 edit—yes)
6. This August will mark 12 years of togetherness for us. (2012 edit—18 years in August—so I guess my math was off on the first list)
7. I have loved to sing for my entire life. (2012 edit—yes)
8. I consider myself to be quite good. (2012 edit—yes)
9. It kills me that I’m not doing anything musical right now. (2012 edit—yes)

Numbers 1-5 are really all part of the same story. All true, and factual in a history book sort of way. But they are not necessarily facts about me. Number 6 is outdated. Again, 7, 8, and 9 tell a factual story, but are generally the same idea. So. Let’s re-write 1-9!

1. When I met Hub on the school bus in 7th grade, I found him to be the most annoying person on the planet. I did not talk to him for nearly 4 years.
2. When Hub and I were invited to the same event by our mutual best friend the summer after my sophomore year, I had immediate and intense feelings for him.
3. We began dating officially at a Woodstock ’94 party when I was 15, and he was 18. August 14th, 1994 is the official day. I know this because these are the things you track in high school.
4. I started singing in choirs and choruses when I was in 2nd grade. I was way too shy in middle/high school to do much of anything else with it.
5. I majored in vocal music in college with plans to be a music teacher, but my nerves and having to do things alone in front of people got in my way, so I quit and pursued English and Business instead.
6. When I started working at my company in 2000, I had absolutely no intentions of making a career out of it. I planned on answering the phones for awhile, while I figured out what the next best thing was. For 12 years I’ve found bigger and better consistently—all at the same company.
7. In my early career, I learned how to talk on the phone and deal with difficult people, which opened the door to training and projects. This sounds like a weird thing to say, but my call center experience changed me profoundly—for the better.
8. That all being said, I still don’t necessarily consider myself to be the most outgoing person. I’m an observer in a lot of situations; the quiet one.
9. Once I know someone though, and am really comfortable, I am sort of the queen of running my mouth. Seriously. Try and stop me.

Rambling about gym decisions

2012-03-29T10:39:00.000-04:00

I have to decide what I want to do about my gym membership. In September I started taking a weekly Zumba class through community education at a local elementary school and I immediately loved it. It’s a full hour of dancing and fun. I work up a sweat. I feel it in my muscles. I actually enjoy exercising for maybe the first time ever. Then in December with a Groupon, I was able to get 12 weeks of classes at another local gym for $20 and I picked up their Zumba class as well so at the very least I’ve been doing Zumba twice a week for the last 3 months—and this class is fantastic. I could not say a single bad thing about it (well...except for the mirrors. I don’t like to see myself do it.). I also belong to the cheapy gym around the corner from us. It’s cheap because they don’t do classes and convenient because it is a 2 minute drive and they open at 5am so I can go before the kids get up. I do that 2-3 mornings a week. We’re at the point now though where I need to decide if I want to do all of it or some of it.

My Groupon ended yesterday, and I think I would like to continue to take this class. Continuing the class would mean getting a full membership at the big-box gym and while doing so is a lot more affordable now then it was 8 or 10 years ago when I originally belonged to such a gym, I don’t know if I want to pay for the full membership. Granted, they have every amenity I could ever want in a gym, but based on their proximity to my house (15 minute drive), I don’t know that I would ever use it for more than the classes. So, I need to decide—is $30 or so bucks a month worth for between 4 and 8 Zumba classes within the same payment timeframe. I also hate the idea of a contract.

I have no intention of stopping the Community Ed. class. It runs in 3 sessions throughout the year, and I do it with friends 1 night a week. It doesn’t happen in the summer.

I don’t really see any reason to cancel the cheap gym membership. Hub and I have some sort of family deal, and we pay something like $22/month total for both of our memberships with no contract. It’s convenient to go when I can, and I don’t feel guilty if I only make it for 30 minutes.

So I guess the only decision is whether or not I want to sign the contract and pay for the big-box gym. I think it could be worth it in terms of happiness with an exercise program. They also have childcare, kids classes for the children of members, and a real bevy of other things (chiropractors, nutritionists etc.).

And if I do decide to do it, I should also decide on a better form of birth control. I swear I get pregnant every time I sign a long term gym contract.

Light Errors-Stealing a Pot O'Gold

2012-03-27T10:36:00.003-04:00

First let me direct you to my original post on this subject. No, we are not talking about an error in lighting. We are talking about a child screaming in her sleep for hours on end. Let me tell you, it is not fun.

The last time this was all going on, we followed the doctor’s advice. We walked her through the house to see what made her nervous. We softened, as hard as it was to do so, on our bedtime routine and now we have something that is more drawn out and relaxed yet still a routine. We had a long talk about Star Wars being just a movie and stopped allowing Bud to watch it when she was in the room. It took some time, but it did work. We’ve been free of errors since mid-December.

It started again the middle of last week though: screaming, thrashing, crying out. Even waking her up did nothing to stop it. I was in her bed with her just trying to get a little bit of sleep. It was awful. We started talking to her Friday, trying to drag out what could be bothering her. Finally on Saturday she started asking all kinds of questions about Leprechauns. Lucy had a minor freak-out the previous weekend when she found her art supplies tipped over in her playroom. She was convinced that there were leprechauns in the house. If they messed up her classroom at school, then they must be here too. She could deal with leprechauns at school, but not at home. This led to a long discussion about leprechauns not being real, and begging a friend to call and say that she was the one who trashed the 1st grade classroom while the kids were outside. In the end Lucy was fine, and Liv seemed to be ok too.

It turns out though, that leprechauns visited Liv’s classroom as well. And if they also made it to the big kid’s school, they must be in our house. We talked and talked and talked about it and eventually convinced Liv that the pre-school director had messed up the classroom when the kids were outside; it was just a joke. Finally, Sunday night Liv slept.

Of course, Hub mentioned nothing of this to anyone at preschool at drop-off yesterday, and Liv came home utterly PISSED because when she told Miss C. that it was Director who messed up the room, and not a leprechaun, Miss C. said that OF COURSE it was a leprechaun! Why would Director mess up the classroom? My teeth nearly hit the floor. I know that we didn’t say anything to the teacher, and maybe she was just trying to further suspend disbelief, but seriously. If a 3-year-old tells you something like this, wouldn’t common sense ring some sort of bell? I just…ugh. Of course, Liv was up all night.

So I had to call the director this morning and explain everything to her. And ask her to please go and tell Liv that it was her, and reassure her that there are no leprechauns. She was more than agreeable, and is even going to show her how they used the green paint to make little foot prints. We’re lucky to have a fantastic relationship with her, and the center and thankfully she cares a lot about Liv.

I’m waiting for the director to email me to tell me how it goes, and then we’ll talk some more when she gets home. I just really hope it works. I am exhausted. She is exhausted. And I really just hate that she processes all of this fear in her sleep when I can’t help her.

My Brief Thoughts on the Fifty Shades Trilogy

2012-03-26T10:43:00.000-04:00

I get very caught up in books; it is probably the biggest-if only-downfall to reading for me. When I’m caught up in a story, I just can’t stop thinking about it, obsessing really, until it is over. And then when it is over I am sad. Depressed. Missing the friends I’d made inside the book. I can’t help being completely submerged in a good story—I enjoy being submerged in the story. And then it’s over and I feel sort of empty. It never lasts long; I’m not a lunatic, but it happens.

Prior to my recent jag of reading, it was The Hunger Games that got me all spun up—I really missed Katniss and Peeta when it was over. Last week though, I started in on Fifty Shades of Grey. I was apprehensive at first wondering if I really wanted to get in to a BDSM type story. Articles across the internet refer to the book as “m0mmy p0rn”. I wasn’t sure that I would be entirely comfortable with the concept, but I started reading anyway and I was almost immediately sucked in to the chemistry between Christian and Ana. There was a ton of inappropriate smut but it was important to the story and getting to know these characters. Reading it didn’t make me uncomfortable in the least. The books are substantial—long—but I breezed through them all in just about a week. The story was just so engaging. I found myself wanting to speed through so I would know what happens while at the same time wanting to slow down so that it wouldn’t end.

I realize these books may not be for everyone, but I would recommend giving them a shot if you are at all considering reading them. You will find yourself annoyed with Christian and his controlling nature, and all of the mentions of Ana’s inner goddess (for reference, she does backflips and runs laps while Ana’s subconscious looks on in horror—that kind of annoying). You may even at a point think to yourself that another 4-5 page sex scene is probably not necessary, for the love, let’s just get on with the story. And if you’re even a little bit perceptive you’ll see that the writing isn’t always 100% put together. It’s enough though. And if you’re like me, you will be mesmerized by the electric attraction between Christian and Ana, the love story that unfolds, and all of Christian’s past as Ana brings it to the surface. And you’ll enjoy some of the steamy sex. You may even send a few inappropriate text messages to your husband. AHEM.

Anyway—I am never the one to recommend a book; I’m always the one reading what the internet recommends. I would recommend all three of these books though without thinking twice. I loved them and I wish there were more.

Monday Bullets

2012-03-19T10:19:00.003-04:00

Oh! I feel so behind on everything! I have been up to my eyeballs with finishing my long term work project, consigning, kids activities, Zumba and PTA stuff. So of course, I’m going to do some bullets.

• I have a brand new job (same company) that I didn’t apply for. I’d really like to get in to how I feel about this and some other things, but you know…the internet. Anyone want a long ranty email from me? There’s only so much Hub can put up with. The bottom line is that I am happy to have a job. I am happy that I seem to be a jack of all trades and can adapt wherever I am placed. I’m just generally not thrilled about not having a choice.
• My big consignment sale was this past weekend and I did the best I’ve ever done. To be fair, they are the people I blog for, and I’ve done some other things for them, so I made a higher %, but still. I came home with 4 items out of 140 and I made over $500. Just by selling my kids’ clothes, many of which I’ve bought second hand. WIN!
• We are in a spot right now where we are going going going all the time. It is rough, man. On Saturday we had my niece and the boy from across the street with us. For a while I was driving 5 kids around with me. It was INSANE. I left at 9:30, dropped the boys at TKD, took the girls to gymnastics, picked up the boys, went to hockey and then out to the sale where Hub had a vendor table set up for his business.
• Although I’ve only lost about 12lbs since January, my clothes are falling off of me. Yesterday I wore my favorite stretch jean capris, and they are too big. I tried to take a picture but our only semi-full length mirror has horrible lighting. But it would appear that I once again have a waistline and hips. Hub asked me if I was sucking my stomach in and I was not! Granted there is still much fat on my body, but actually being able to see results keeps me motivated and makes me VERY happy.
• Well. Maybe I didn’t need bullets because it appears that was all I had to say!!

11. A nice oldschool MEME

2012-03-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

What a happy day! Laura tagged me for a meme, and I was just saying (to myself) that it’s been WAY too long since anyone did a good meme. Not to mention my plan was to tell you all about how I cried for probably 20 minutes when I heard that Davy Jones died last week. And while my relationship with The Monkees (in my head, they don’t know me) was I don’t know, religious? Awesome? STRONG? You probably don’t want to hear about it. Or maybe you do. But anyway…a MEME!! Yay!!

 Post a picture of yourself, tell us 11 things we might not know about you, answer the 11 questions asked of you, then write 11 new questions and tag some friends to play along (let them know you tagged them!)

Here is a photo I took in my bathroom after screwing around with my hair for an hour after I had it cut the last time. I also had on make-up and earrings because I was going out. I still hate the hair cut, and am getting it fixed this week.

11 things you might not know about me

1. People who don’t know me very well think that I am very quiet and reserved—this is because I am ~~shy~~awkward and not really a conversation starter with new people.
2. People who know me well know that I am severely inappropriate, and sarcastic/dry.
3. In my life, I have moved 10 times. 8 of those times were with my parents.
4. I’m not just a coffee drinker; I consider myself a coffee connoisseur. I love coffee! L O V E! But—I’m not a fan of most flavored coffee. I like it usually plain and black. Unless there is heavy cream in the house, and then God help us all.
5. I have perfectly straight teeth (except for a teeny gap between my front teeth) and never wore braces. EVERY time I am at the dentist, she marvels at how straight they are and asks me how long I wore braces.
6. I have a thing for colored pens. I love to write in color! I will never write in black ink if I can help it.
7. I have only flown twice in my life—2 round trips—for work.
8. I do not know how to apply makeup or nail polish. Like seriously, at all.
9. I’ve been on CNN twice! Once in high school with my show choir, and once a few years ago when there was this big story about my company and how we never answer the phone. I recorded our automated system, and so my voice played through the story over and over again. I’m famous, Mom!!
10. I can’t eat while I’m wearing my glasses. It makes me motion sick.
11. I always wished and wanted to take dance while I was growing up, but there was never any money for such things. Taking Zumba has totally filled that void for me.

Now for Laura’s questions to me:
1) What are your top five all-time favorite bands?
a) The Monkees
b) Meatloaf
c) Queen
d) Alanis Morisette
e) Simon and Garfunkel

2) What are your top five all-time favorite books?
This one is hard for me! I just love books! So these 1st 3 are ones I can read over and over and the last 2 are ones I’ve read recently and just loved.
a) Little House Series
b) Chronicles of Narnia
c) The Hunger Games Trilogy—can’t help it. LOVED it
d) The Descendents
e) The Help

3) What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
You know those sky coaster things at amusement parks? Like almost like bungee jumping but you are flat on your belly and kind of glide? I’ve done that. Twice.

4) What is your favorite treat?
I think (THINK!) bakery donuts. Like, real delicious donuts. If not, then brownies of any kind so long as there are no nuts.

5) What are you the proudest of?
It’s really hard to say. I think I am most proud of having a happy normal family, that I have managed to raise kids who are also good human beings (so far) and who love us and each other.
6) What are you the most ashamed of?
I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this or not. I didn’t graduate high school with my class. I screwed around and missed too many days/assignments in one class so I ended up finishing my senior year in August in summer school, making me an official part of the graduating class of 1997, rather than 1996, and leaving me off of the roister used for reunions etc. I kind of hope to use this as a lesson for my kids some day, but also, I would like to never have to tell them.

7) What is your guilty pleasure?
Reading blogs and blogging. I love that it is something that is just for me.
8) What are you really, really good at?
I can sing, like actually sing. Not like a pop star, but more in a classic way. I majored in voice and music in college with plans to be a music teacher. I am also a really good cook.
9) What does your handwriting look like? (post a pic!!!)?
It’s sort of half cursive/half print.

10) Which chores do you refuse to do (or do your best to get out of)?
All of them. I hate housework. HATE IT. But the thing I put off the most is putting away my clothes. I wash, and the kids take care of folding and putting away their own laundry and the towels. My laundry usually sits in the basket until it’s time to do laundry again.
11) Do you have any tattoos, body piercings, etc.?
I have one hole in each ear. That is it! And if I wear earrings twice a year, that is a lot. I had wanted to pierce my eyebrow back in the day, but never got around to it. And the only way I’m getting a tattoo is over Hub’s dead body, so none of those either. I’m not sure the permanence of a tattoo is for me anyway. I like change.

Ok, so now here are my 11 questions for YOU! Any of you really, but I am specifically tagging the following people although putting them under no obligation to do this (even though they should!). Misty, because I miss her. Sarah, because her personal blog is EMPTY, Sarah, because she is on a posting roll, Sarah, because all the other Sara(h)’s are doing it, Carrie, because she’s going to have a baby any minute, and Mrs. Irritation and Mama Bub because I know how they love to answer my questions.
 Post a picture of yourself, tell us 11 things we might not know about you, answer the 11 questions asked of you, then write 11 new questions and tag some friends to play along (let them know you tagged them!)

1. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be, and why?
2. What is your favorite flower?
3. What is something you regret?
4. You are in a frou frou coffee shop. What do you order?
5. What is the best thing that you cook?
6. Where is your favorite place to vacation, and why?
7. What’s the weirdest thing in your refrigerator?
8. Do you collect anything?
9. You have an entire day alone with no plans. What would you do?
10. Who is your #1 celebrity crush?
11. How do you like your eggs?

Bullets, and (sort of) resolution to Hub's date proposition

2012-03-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

• So Hub talked to Lana. She thought it would be a fun thing to do. Her husband wasn’t interested but “would go if he had to”. She knows Hub likes musicals (he has been in several musicals as he studied theatre and drama in high school and college but actually kind of hates musicals), so she thought he might want to go. I…don’t buy it for a second---and not just because The Entire Internet agreed with me. But he does, that naïve man. And so we are going to go bowling with them this weekend, and see Sp@m@lot when it comes to town in the spring. Hooray. Honestly, I would like to never see her again, and I am probably going to be all kinds of inappropriate when we see them. I am not jealous by nature. Like, AT ALL. And I trust Hub. But this girl…nope. And I’m done with her shenanigans.
• I’ve been mildly feverish and fighting a cold for the last 3 days, and it’s been pretty miserable. I have powered through and continued to work out which is completely out of character for me. I haven’t gotten full blown sick though. Could it be the exercise? Maybe I am sweating it out.
• Last night there was a big school budget hearing at the district office which also happens to be at the school where I take Zumba on Thursdays. Hub, and my friend’s husband really wanted to go, so we ended up bringing our 5 kids to class with us. They were really well behaved, actually. Hub stopped down on a break though, and saw me sweaty and dancing like a fool. Even though he has seen everything at this point, I was mortified. He…doesn’t need to see that.
• I went to Walgreens for prescriptions this morning and decided to check out the Cadbury eggs. They only had the dark chocolate version. I bought them, of course, but it sort of seems like sacrilege. I actually prefer dark chocolate in just about everything else, but I guess I am an egg purist. They are so-so.
• I bought myself 3 crappy day presents over the last couple of days because I am plum out. A bag of the new Starbucks Blonde roast, some new hair bands, and some new hair ties. Nothing spectacular, but things that will help brighten my day. Win!
• It’s 50 degrees out today, and tonight we are supposed to have severe thunderstorms and more high wind. Oh, the wind we’ve had this winter. I’ve never seen anything like it! I cannot handle the dog when it’s windy either; it is the one thing that scares her. I should have maybe bought some Benadryl at Walgreens.
• I guess I’ve lollygagged long enough on this post. My desk is a mess, and I swore to myself that I would clean it before the weekend. I think I’ll eat lunch first though. Or watch some TV…or…

When another woman wants to date your husband...

2012-02-29T10:28:00.000-05:00

Hub and I have friends, a couple, who we have known now for 20 years. I will call them Lana and Fred. Lana was Hub’s next door neighbor, and she and I were friends in middle school (in the years that I was not a big fan of Hub’s). She moved when I was in 8th or 9th grade and I lost touch with her. She and Hub kept in contact quite a bit though.

When Hub and I began dating we would hang out with Lana occasionally and some friends of hers, one of whom was Fred. They were just friends at that point, but this gives you a clear picture of how long Fred has been around. Lana was always very affectionate towards Hub, but she is also the kind of girl who kisses ME hello, on the lips, and thinks nothing of it, so it never really bothered me.

We grew up, did the college thing and lost touch with Lana and Fred. When we were planning our wedding, we ran in to them in a restaurant, together with a child and one on the way. We reconnected and started hanging out again fairly regularly. Fred stood up in our wedding. We considered them to be family.

Soon after though, Lana started rubbing me the wrong way. She would make these comments to Hub, always with a laugh, pretending she was kidding.

“Well, now that Saly’s pregnant, I guess you and I never have a chance.”

This one was when they were on the phone (Hub always talks on speaker) and I was in the other room. “I have this plan, that when Saly and Fred die, you and I will finally get to be together.”

And finally, a couple years ago “Hey Hub, how come you never asked me out when we were teenagers? How come you and I never hooked up?” This was said in front of me, in my living room. Hub and I just looked at each other, and I said “Are you kidding me??” and she just laughed it off. They have not been back at our house since.

Now, Fred works for Hub in some capacity, and they do come to our family parties and we haven’t cut them out of our lives or anything, but we definitely don’t just hang out anymore. Hub and Fred, maybe once in a while, but that’s it.

So on New Years, Lana texted Hub “Happy New Year, Babe!” and he ignored her. A few weeks ago, she texted him “Hey Hub, I’ve been thinking about you. I hope you’re doing well. I miss you!” which he also ignored, but also started to think that she was possibly being inappropriate. Then yesterday, she sent him the following: “Hi Hub. If I was able to get my hands on tickets for (musical in town this weekend) for Friday night, would you want to go with me?”

This is why I had to give the background to this story. That text alone is innocent enough—wanting to do something with her old friend, I guess. But I kind of think she was asking my husband out on a date. People get fancied up, and go downtown and see what ever show has come in for the week. It’s something 2 girlfriends would go see, or a couple. He hasn’t answered her yet because he doesn’t know how to play it.

These are the options he is considering:
1. Are you asking me out on a date? LOL! (and then seeing what her response is)
2. Are we talking 2 tickets or 4 tickets?
3. Deleting the text and pretending he never got it.

I think I am in favor of number 1, or a combination of 1 and 2. Either that or I’m going to take a drive and unleash my fists of fury.

What would you do in this situation? What would you have your husband do? Do you think it’s possible that I am overreacting? To be clear, Hub has shared all of this with me; I’m not a snooper. But seriously. What’s the best way to handle this little situation?

500

2012-02-27T09:35:00.000-05:00

I’ve been avoiding posting. Not for any good reason, but mostly because this is my 500th post on this little blog and I didn’t want to mar it with the bad stuff I’ve had going on recently. It’s not been anything that has directly affected me…everyone here is healthy and generally happy, but people close to me are just going through things and it’s getting me down. Without going in to too many details, here are the bullets:
• Good friend’s husband has been diagnosed with a deadly illness…prognosis is 5 years at best.
• Fellow TKD mom with 11yo twins has stage4 L*ngC@ncer that has spread to her brain. Though she is fighting, prognosis is months. And I can’t stop thinking about her girls. Her poor poor girls. (her son and husband too)
• My godmother’s sister—same as above but to a lesser degree. We are hopeful.
• Major financial issues for my parents. Feeling like I am sometimes the grown-up in our relationship. (I know we are all grownups now…but you kow what I mean)
• My brother’s divorce and whether he really is ok.
So like I said, none of these things are happening directly to me, but I have just been so overwhelmed with all of it. People my age die. People my age have their lives fall apart. People who are much older than me still don’t have their shit together. It all just makes me feel fragile and scared and somewhat out of control. SO. That’s where I’ve been.

I am feeling better though. Trying to focus on the good. We’ve donated to TKD Mom’s cause and are trying to set up more donations for her benefit in June. I’m having a good time over at my paying blogging gig. Work is slow. My parents are going to be ok even though I’m not thrilled with their decisions. My brother really is going to be ok; although I don’t know when or if he will stop being bitter. We finally bought a new couch. It will be spring soon and we will be allowed to park in the street. I am, for the first time in my life enjoying exercise and making a commitment to do whatever is in my own control to be healthy and live a long life for my kids.

I guess we will all be ok. For as long as we can be anyway. And then when we’re not, we will deal with it the best way we know how.

I hope this post finds you all ok, in the best way you know how. Thanks for sticking with me through 500 (and more if you read my old blog). Here’s to 500 more!

not just A mom, THE mom

2012-02-10T14:10:00.000-05:00

I’m in Bud’s room; it’s the middle of the day and I’m collecting laundry. Laundry that is strewn about his floor while his hamper remains e m p t y. I can’t help but to smile though, because this is the way it always is on TV. Someone who is not the mom might believe something like this to be exaggerated. But there is no exaggeration. No stereotype. The boy child is a messy child. He knows not where his hamper is and I will forever be digging dirty laundry out of the depths of his room.

Liv has put on her very favorite outfit to wear to pre-school, a frilly purple top and black and white striped leggings. She gets bored while waiting for Hub who is talking to the neighbors and begins to play in the front yard. Of course, she falls in the mud leaving her knees muddy beyond relief. Hub puts her in the car anyway, and calls me to tell me about it on the way to school, at which point I demand that he’d better have her change her pants when they get there, and he’d better bring me those pants immediately. He thinks I’m crazy, but he complies. I treat the shit out of those stains. I don’t just do laundry, I am good at doing laundry. Of course I am; I’m the mom.

I don’t notice crumbs on the floor. Really, I don’t. But I will notice when teeth haven’t been brushed correctly, when someone, who hates brushing her hair, has tried to hide snarls with some careful fingertip arranging, or when someone has been much too quiet (I will usually find THAT someone trying on one of my bras). I’ll notice who’s a little bit pale, circles under eyes, or pretending to be asleep when I come to check. I will know about that candy hidden in a sleeve or a pocket JUST as I walked in to the room. I will know about lunch food thrown away rather than eaten at school. I will be asked how, and I will answer that it’s because I am the mom.

I will laugh at unfunny jokes. I will even make up some of my own. I will pretend to be offended when one of them tells me that I always sound like I’m being sarcastic. I will put together the same puzzles, read the same books and sing the same songs.

I will feel every one of their emotions and sometimes wonder if I feel them more than they do.

I will love them fiercely even as they are on my last freaking nerve.

I will always tousle or stoke hair. I will always take that extra minute to sniff in their smell at bedtime.

I am the mom. Their mom.

Lucy tells us in the car the other night that she is never getting married. She only likes the cute funny boys. The ones who make her laugh. When she laughs hard she pees a little. She can’t spend the rest of her life peeing her pants. I laugh, and tell her that someday she’ll change her mind, and then of course, I post our exchange on Facebook. Hub looks at her approvingly and tells her it’s ok. Never get married. Ever.

Because he’s the dad.

What makes it lazy?

2012-02-06T12:29:00.002-05:00

Both Carmen and StephLove asked me about my lazy pierogie last week, so here is a post dedicated to one of my very favorite foods.

I am asked more often than you think for this recipe and people are always surprised at how few ingredients there are in it. My mother has been making it for as long as I can remember. What makes it a lazy pierogie is that you don’t tediously roll out dough and painstakingly fill it with ingredients before par-boiling and then baking/frying the finished product. (Don’t worry, my very Polish mother does that too.) What makes them lazy is that you use regular old noodles from your pantry, and the whole process takes maybe an hour instead of 2 days.

Many people like to make lazy pierogie with cream of mushroom soup. I say this is unnecessary and that it binds up your noodles. Other people add meat to it. Nope. Not here. But it is good with some fresh sausage on the side. You can do what you want, of course, and I too have enjoyed the variations of this dish, but at least make my version once. And if you are not a convert, well, I’ll kind of think you are lying.

I’m going to tell you the right way to make it. I will tell you that it is almost as good if you cut some of the butter out. This is one recipe where I won’t compromise the butter though, and I think it’s worth it in a world where we already make many compromises to do the right, heart healthy low fat thing. Besides, if you cut the butter my mother will cry. You don’t want her to cry now, do you?

So. Without further ado, here it is:

Saly’s Lazy Pierogie

Ingredients
4 sticks of butter
1 ½ large sweet onions, diced (I usually end up throwing in 2 whole onions, because I LOVE onions)
4lbs sauerkraut, squeezed and drained but NOT rinsed (you need to preserve the krauty goodness)
1.5 lbs rotini noodles, cooked
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a large frying pan (seriously, use your biggest one or you will be sorry), melt 2 sticks of butter.
2. When butter is melted add diced onions and sauté until brown and soft
3. Add 3rd stick of butter and melt
4. Reduce heat to low, combine sauerkraut with the onion, and cook for about 30-45 minutes until the kraut is browning (but not burning) and soft. Stir it up every so often so it cooks evenly and give it a taste—if it needs salt and pepper, go for it.
5. Combine sauerkraut mixture with cooked noodles (add more salt and pepper if necessary—the kraut really sort of sucks it up) in the baking dish of your choice, and dot the top with remaining butter.
6. Cover, and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. This melds the flavors and just makes it delicious.
7. Stir, and serve!

This dish is a staple for us at picnics and pot lucks. I almost never bring any home, which is actually disappointing, because the leftovers are phenomenal.

If you try it, let me know how it turns out, ok? Or if you have tried a variation of this let me know too. I’d like to figure out a good way to make this with farmer’s cheese instead of sauerkraut too. Then I could have my two favorite kinds of pierogie in lazy form!

A-Z

2012-02-03T14:47:00.000-05:00

I’m stealing this from Mrs. Irritation because I am lazy, but wanted to post something, anything other than what’s actually on my mind. So, here it goes.

A to Z

A. Age: 33

B. Bed size: Queen. Too small, but we have a small house, so what can you do.

C. Chore that you hate: Putting away laundry, and lately, wiping mud from dog paws.

D. Dogs: Haley the Obnoxious

E. Essential start to your day: C O F F E E

F. Favorite color: PINK! All forms of pink!

G. Gold or silver: Silver

H. Height: My license says 5’4” but I am closer to 5’2 ½”, aka SHORT

I. Instruments that you play: I can pick on a piano, but I am a singer

J. Job title: AVP; Process Design Consultant

K. Kids: Bud-8, Lucy-6, Olivia-3. The loves of my life/sources of constant frustration

L. Live: Western NY

M. Mother's name: think “monroe”

N. Nicknames: I have never had a nickname, which makes me sad

O. Overnight hospital stays: 3 births, 1 stay with kidney stones while pregnant with Lu, and one stay with Lu for a meningitis scare when she was 2 months old.

P. Pet peeves: I’m just going to pick the one that’s been grating on me lately. It is using “whole entire” in a phrase. “The whole entire room was laughing!!” It is redundant to say both “whole” and “entire”.

Q. Quote from a movie: Johnny has his hand! Johnny has his pride!

R: Right or left handed: Right

S: Siblings: 2 younger brothers

T. Treat you adore: Anything chocolate and ooey and gooey

U. Underwear: functional

V. Vegetable(s) you hate: peas. Hork.

W. What makes you run late: Kids, always.

X. X-rays you've had: Teeth, lungs, neck after a car accident

Y. Yummy food that you make: I am known for lazy pierogi, sweet and sour chicken, barbeque pulled pork, beef tips, and hot pepper dip.

Z. Zoo animal: Giraffes. Love.

Banality for a Monday

2012-01-30T15:33:00.000-05:00

I have taken photos of myself in my new eyeglasses! Regardless of any amount of adjusting I do, my glasses always sit crooked on my face. Either the bones in my nose are uneven, or my ears are misaligned, or every pair of glasses in the universe is flawed. I am not sure which, if any of these things are true.

In any case, if we were to meet, this is more than likely the me you would get:

My glasses are for working on the computer/reading. The only time I walk around anywhere with glasses on, is when I've just forgotten to take them off. This happened often when I use to work outside of my house. I'd catch myself in the mirror with the glasses, and it would be all " Oh, hai!! Glasses!" The one thing that does tip me off to wearing them unnecessarily is eating. Eating with my glasses on makes me straight up sick.

Anyway...I didn't need new glasses, since my prescription didn't change, but I've had my current pair for more than two years, and I was bored. I ordered 3 new pairs of glasses from Zenni. Not necessary, but fun. I am please with 2 of the 3 I got.

First, my regular BCBG Max Azria glasses that I paid a ton of money for over 2 years ago. Purple.

Next, Zenni glasses in green. The picture doesn't do them justice, but they are my favorite

Now, Zenni glasses in blue argyle. Different, but good:

Finally, these. They don't look right:

I think it's because they are supposed to be worn like this:

In all, I would give Zenni high ratings! I spent less than $30 for all 3 pairs of glasses. And now I can keep a pair in my office, a pair in my purse, and a pair upstairs for reading. I win!

Bullets

2012-01-19T11:49:00.000-05:00

• Lucy, Olivia and I have our big girls’ night on Saturday. It’s actually going to be a whole girls’ day, since we will be seeing Disney on Ice in the morning and having lunch with cousins afterward. From there I am hoping that Liv will take a nap and then we will go to do girly shopping. They each have a gift card for one of those little girl spas, so we may use that. There will be no Build a Bear this year, that is for sure. If you are unfamiliar with Girls’ Night, Bud, Hub and my brother are heading to Toronto for Monster trucks and since it is such a big deal, the girls and I always do something special.
• Now there is the issue of navigating the mall with Olivia. You may have heard me say this before, but I’m going to say it again. Liv is terrible. She has a mind of her own. She also has no fear. If I turn my head for one second, she will be hanging from a balcony, or running up the down escalator. I think I need to rent a stroller. Ours in on the rafters of the garage, and I know Hub isn’t about to get it down.
• Part of the reason we are even going to the mall is because Liv has had a major growth spurt, and her 3t clothes which already were just covering her belly and ankles are way too small. Guess which size Lucy skipped almost completely? If you guessed 4T/4, you are correct. So I am hoping to score some winterish clothes on deep clearance.
• Yesterday I was approached by the SVP of the group I am currently loaned to at work, and asked whether I would consider staying on with him at the end of the project. He’s not sure if it will be allowed, but wanted to know if I was interested before he pursued it—my 12 years of experience is invaluable, he says. I think I am interested. These people, this team…they make twice as much money as I do. Most of them have MBAs. I do not. I wonder if they pay for experience though? Unfortunately, our conversation was cut short. But between this, and my new side gig…2012 might be a very good year.
• I started reading on the treadmill, and it really makes the time fly. In the last 10 days, I’ve read Divergent, The Hunger Games, and am more than half way through Catching Fire. I never knew that “Dystopian” was a genre, and if I had heard it described before, I’d have probably wrinkled my nose and said “not for me”. But now I am hooked. Hooked, I tell you! I can’t wait to read more.
• I worked out 4 times last week, and followed my points and drank a ton of water. I gained 2 pounds. I’m less disheartened than you would think though. I can only do what I can do, right?
• Speaking of working out, I did add that fitness blog I talked about. No pressure to read it, but it is attached to my profile if you are so inclined.

Friday Stuff; Questions Answered; Pay it Forward Winner

2012-01-13T10:54:00.002-05:00

I am so glad that it is Friday and that we have a 3 day weekend! For some reason, this just seemed like a very long week to me. There is a wellness night planned at school this evening, but I am pretty sure that if the weather keeps up as it is, that it will be canceled. The bus was over 40 minutes late in picking the kids up this morning. Hub had my car and his trailer was hooked to the truck, so I couldn’t drive them. Instead we waited, waited and waited some more. Hub would have taken them when he got home at around 10 had the bus not shown up but thankfully it did, leaving Liv and me to play Dora and Pegasus (it was mostly her playing while I worked), until Hub got home to take her to pre-school.

I saw the eye doctor yesterday, and was pleased to find out that my vision is actually a little bit better since my last exam. No changes to my prescription, so even though it would be exciting to me, I did not spend any money on new glasses. I only wear them for computer work anyway, so it really would be a waste of money. I may order a few cheap pairs from Zenni though, just to change things up a bit.

Well, let’s get down to business, shall we? I had a pay it forward contest running for a week or so, and I got 9 entries. The In order to answer, you had to answer 4 questions, which I will answer now.

1. You are at a function with an open bar (think high end, not like a moose lodge or something). What do you order to drink? I always have a hard time knowing what to order. Usually, it’s either a glass of Chardonnay or Riesling. If I’m out specifically for cocktails though, I usually get whatever the specialty flavored martini is.
2. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast—as in if you could have it any time with no consequences, what would it be? What is your usual breakfast? I think my favorite would be a tie between French toast/waffle coated in butter and loaded with powdered sugar so that it makes like a buttery sugary paste (French toast and powdered sugar was my special childhood breakfast made by my dad and is a point of contention between Hub and me because he thinks it is disgusting and not healthy, and I say that powdered sugar is actually better for you than the old Aunt Jemima) , OR a sausage biscuit from McDonalds. No egg or cheese, just sausage. My usual breakfast is either a bowl of reduced sugar oatmeal, or a wheat bagel and a shit ton of coffee.
3. Who does the laundry in your house, and how often does it get done? We do laundry every Monday and Wednesday, and if necessary on Saturday. I wash and dry during the day, and the kids sort all of it and fold their own clothes in the evening. Lucy does Olivia’s clothes, and Olivia does towels and wash cloths. Hub and I each do our own folding and putting away.
4. Do you enjoy chewing gum? I am a hardcore gum chewer. My brand of choice right now is Stride and whatever the green and blue mint flavors are. I chew it with reckless abandon and I am a snapper. Hub jokes that the reason I work from home now is because people in the office were tired of hearing me chew.

And now for the moment you have all been waiting for! The winner of my pay it forward contest is:

Tess! Actually, the first winner was Swistle, but she excused herself from the contest, so it is Tessie’s lucky day! I will be emailing you Tess! Consider yourself WARNED.