I was rushing around Tuesday morning trying to get the kids fed, dressed and ready for preschool while brushing my hair and my teeth simultaneously when I remembered the pot roast. Augh! I’ve got to be in the car in less than 15 minutes and I’ve got to get the pot roast in the crock pot to insure that it is tender and juicy and more importantly done when my husband gets home from work.
The pot roast recipe I use is really yummy and the “sauce” contains quite a few ingredients. Luckily I had mixed those all together the night before so all I had to do was throw the roast, the “sauce” and the vegetables in the crock pot. I hastily cut some potatoes into big chunks, threw in some little carrots and reached for the onions. It was at this point that I realized I didn’t have any Vidalias, my onion of choice. All I had were those little boiler onions that are about the size of gumballs. My husband loves onions as much as he loves the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots and me so I knew that I should use those little onions instead of attempting to serve him pot roast without any.
The problem with those little onions is that they require more work getting the skin off and getting the outer layer off. So I got to peeling and pulling until I had removed the skin and the first thin layer from about 15 of those little onions. I threw everything in the pot and washed my hands.
And washed my hands.
And washed my hands.
No matter how much I washed I couldn’t get the onion smell off. I knew I had read a good trick somewhere about getting the onion smell of your hands but I couldn’t remember what I had read and at this point it was too late to Google “remove onion smell from hands”.
It seemed that the onion smell was overtaking my whole being so I ran into my bathroom looking for some perfume or something. And since I don’t currently own any perfume, I quickly spritzed myself with hair shiner.
Um, yes. You don't use hair shiner instead of perfume? I highly recommend it.
At my last visit to my hair stylist I asked her what I could use on my hair to give it make it shiny and she recommended something called Pure Shine Hair Luminator. I dutifully purchased some and used it twice before I determined that while it smelled really good it made my hair look greasy not shiny. I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away since I had just bought it so I stored it underneath my bathroom sink where all my old beauty products go to expire.
As I was hastily searching for something to make myself smell better I found the hair luminator and spritzed my shirt and yes, even my wrists with it. The wrists are after all, pulse points. This was the best I could do since I don’t have any perfume.
I loaded the kids into the car and headed to school. I dropped them off and headed to my Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meeting. As I sat at my meeting, listening to an interior decorator tell us how to make our homes more beautiful yet reminding us we needed to make the livable, I felt like I smelled like onions, carrots, potatoes and beef and not at all like my hair luminator. And while I was surrounded by mothers who have probably all smelled like pot roast at one time or another I decided right then and there that I really need to invest in some perfume.
Because I’m pretty sure if I Googled “remove onion smell from hands” one of the results is not going to be “spritz self with hair luminator.”
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Easy come. Easy go.
I gave them up. I had to. There was no use keeping them in my closet. I had 3 pairs of size FOUR jeans that were wasting away, attracting dust and depressing me every time I laid eyes on them.
One of them was a pair of Daisy Fuentes jeans. Very comfortable, very stretchy, and if I held my breath and tugged real hard I could still get them on and zip them up. The only problem is that I looked a wee bit trashy in them and I had a very unappetizing muffin top hanging over the jeans.
The second was just a plain pair of Levi Capri’s. Nothing special about them except for the fact that they were a size FOUR! I could still pull them up over my rear end but there was no hope of ever zipping them.
The third was a pair of low-rise, boot cut, dark wash Gap jeans with really cute flaps on the back pockets. These would have to be my most favorite pair of jeans…ever. I loved how the back pockets had the cute flaps. I loved the dark shade of the jeans. I loved that they were low cut (no high-waisted mom jeans here!) and flared out just a little at the bottom. But most of all I loved how wonderful I felt in them.
When I put these jeans on with a black turtle neck and my black boots I felt like a model. I felt long and lean, and beautiful. But alas, those days of long and lean are long and gone.
After I had Sarah I went on the Atkins diet to loose the last ten pounds of baby weight. I am one of the few people who actually enjoyed the Atkins Diet. I love all things cheese and don’t really care if I have bread or not so this diet was made for me. I quickly lost the ten pounds I needed to loose. But I didn’t stop there. I kept right on loosing and loosing until I ended up at 118 pounds and the owner of several pairs of size 4 jeans.
But that was the spring of 2005 and now it is the fall of 2007. They (whoever they are) say that you shouldn’t keep anything in your closet if you haven’t worn it in the last year. Since it’s been well over a year since I wore my beloved jeans I decided to give them away. I normally give my old clothes to Goodwill and while I’m sure they are appreciative of all the stained black tee-shirts I drop off, I just couldn’t bring myself to let a complete stranger wear my beloved jeans.
So I gave them to my friend, Jennifer, who, after giving birth to four kids, is a size four. I don’t begrudge her this size though because she works out EVERY. DAY. and she actually WATCHES what she eats. So if anyone should have my size four, low-rise, dark wash, cute butt-flap Gap jeans it’s her. And who knows. Maybe after seeing her wear them I may actually be inspired to start working out and watching what I eat.
Nah. Probably not.
Enjoy the jeans, jennwa!
One of them was a pair of Daisy Fuentes jeans. Very comfortable, very stretchy, and if I held my breath and tugged real hard I could still get them on and zip them up. The only problem is that I looked a wee bit trashy in them and I had a very unappetizing muffin top hanging over the jeans.
The second was just a plain pair of Levi Capri’s. Nothing special about them except for the fact that they were a size FOUR! I could still pull them up over my rear end but there was no hope of ever zipping them.
The third was a pair of low-rise, boot cut, dark wash Gap jeans with really cute flaps on the back pockets. These would have to be my most favorite pair of jeans…ever. I loved how the back pockets had the cute flaps. I loved the dark shade of the jeans. I loved that they were low cut (no high-waisted mom jeans here!) and flared out just a little at the bottom. But most of all I loved how wonderful I felt in them.
When I put these jeans on with a black turtle neck and my black boots I felt like a model. I felt long and lean, and beautiful. But alas, those days of long and lean are long and gone.
After I had Sarah I went on the Atkins diet to loose the last ten pounds of baby weight. I am one of the few people who actually enjoyed the Atkins Diet. I love all things cheese and don’t really care if I have bread or not so this diet was made for me. I quickly lost the ten pounds I needed to loose. But I didn’t stop there. I kept right on loosing and loosing until I ended up at 118 pounds and the owner of several pairs of size 4 jeans.
But that was the spring of 2005 and now it is the fall of 2007. They (whoever they are) say that you shouldn’t keep anything in your closet if you haven’t worn it in the last year. Since it’s been well over a year since I wore my beloved jeans I decided to give them away. I normally give my old clothes to Goodwill and while I’m sure they are appreciative of all the stained black tee-shirts I drop off, I just couldn’t bring myself to let a complete stranger wear my beloved jeans.
So I gave them to my friend, Jennifer, who, after giving birth to four kids, is a size four. I don’t begrudge her this size though because she works out EVERY. DAY. and she actually WATCHES what she eats. So if anyone should have my size four, low-rise, dark wash, cute butt-flap Gap jeans it’s her. And who knows. Maybe after seeing her wear them I may actually be inspired to start working out and watching what I eat.
Nah. Probably not.
Enjoy the jeans, jennwa!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Has anyone ever noticed this or am I the only one?
I will try anything to get my kids to eat vegetables.
“Here honey. These little green trees are sooooo tasty and you can dip them in ranch to make them even more delicious. Now don’t just suck the ranch off the little trees. Eat the little trees too!”
“Yum! Lima beans! You know who looooooves lima beans don’t you? That’s right. Cheyanne loves lima beans so eat em up and be just like her!”
“Here’s some cheese sauce for your little white bushes. Yum! These little white bushes are delicious with cheese sauce? Aren’t they Daddy? Yum!”
My kids have never been fooled by my little tricks. They know broccoli when they see it and are very skilled at licking ranch dressing off of it without actually getting any broccoli in their mouths.
Sarah will spend an entire dinner saying, “Cheyanne likes lima beans!” quickly followed by, “But I don’t!” And she says it with such pride. She will spend hours following Cheyanne around like a love sick puppy dog, wants to wear her hair just like Cheyanne’s and wants to play with whatever toy Cheyanne is playing with but when it comes to lima beans she decides it’s time to show some independence.
And cheese sauce? Forget it! They know that if something is covered with cheese sauce it must be a vegetable and they don’t want any part of it!
Tonight I decided to serve asparagus for dinner. I thought perhaps they might like it since it was oddly shaped as compared to the peas or carrots they are usually served.
As I was dishing it out on their plates I got a brilliant idea and just knew I could get them to try the asparagus.
“Hey kids! Look! This is asparagus! Do you know what happens if you eat a lot of it?”
“What, Mommy? What?” asked Sarah very intent on learning something about the odd green vegetable on her plate.
“If you eat a lot of this the next time you pee it will smell just like the asparagus!” I was so proud that I had remembered this little factoid in time for dinner. They might actually be so intrigued that they may eat some.
Not a chance. They took one whiff of it and deemed it inedible. I hope their preschool teachers never ask them what they had for dinner the night before. They may be shocked by the answer.
A vitamin and a red Popsicle.
Hey, don’t judge me! At least they are getting a vitamin!
Every evening after dinner we go to my parent’s house and sit on their front porch. Dan swings in the swing and Mom, Dad and I rock in the rocking chairs. The kids are usually running around eating Popsicles, kicking kick balls and telling my parents about their day.
Tonight Sarah ran over to my mom and exclaimed, “We ate green beans and Mommy said if you eat enough of them your poop will smell just like beans!”
My mom laughed and gave me a very confused look and said, “What is she talking about?”
I have no idea.
I told mom it was really asparagus not green beans and she still looked at me quizzically.
Am I the only person who has noticed that if you eat a lot of asparagus your pee will smell just like it? Come on, people! Help me out here!
“Here honey. These little green trees are sooooo tasty and you can dip them in ranch to make them even more delicious. Now don’t just suck the ranch off the little trees. Eat the little trees too!”
“Yum! Lima beans! You know who looooooves lima beans don’t you? That’s right. Cheyanne loves lima beans so eat em up and be just like her!”
“Here’s some cheese sauce for your little white bushes. Yum! These little white bushes are delicious with cheese sauce? Aren’t they Daddy? Yum!”
My kids have never been fooled by my little tricks. They know broccoli when they see it and are very skilled at licking ranch dressing off of it without actually getting any broccoli in their mouths.
Sarah will spend an entire dinner saying, “Cheyanne likes lima beans!” quickly followed by, “But I don’t!” And she says it with such pride. She will spend hours following Cheyanne around like a love sick puppy dog, wants to wear her hair just like Cheyanne’s and wants to play with whatever toy Cheyanne is playing with but when it comes to lima beans she decides it’s time to show some independence.
And cheese sauce? Forget it! They know that if something is covered with cheese sauce it must be a vegetable and they don’t want any part of it!
Tonight I decided to serve asparagus for dinner. I thought perhaps they might like it since it was oddly shaped as compared to the peas or carrots they are usually served.
As I was dishing it out on their plates I got a brilliant idea and just knew I could get them to try the asparagus.
“Hey kids! Look! This is asparagus! Do you know what happens if you eat a lot of it?”
“What, Mommy? What?” asked Sarah very intent on learning something about the odd green vegetable on her plate.
“If you eat a lot of this the next time you pee it will smell just like the asparagus!” I was so proud that I had remembered this little factoid in time for dinner. They might actually be so intrigued that they may eat some.
Not a chance. They took one whiff of it and deemed it inedible. I hope their preschool teachers never ask them what they had for dinner the night before. They may be shocked by the answer.
A vitamin and a red Popsicle.
Hey, don’t judge me! At least they are getting a vitamin!
Every evening after dinner we go to my parent’s house and sit on their front porch. Dan swings in the swing and Mom, Dad and I rock in the rocking chairs. The kids are usually running around eating Popsicles, kicking kick balls and telling my parents about their day.
Tonight Sarah ran over to my mom and exclaimed, “We ate green beans and Mommy said if you eat enough of them your poop will smell just like beans!”
My mom laughed and gave me a very confused look and said, “What is she talking about?”
I have no idea.
I told mom it was really asparagus not green beans and she still looked at me quizzically.
Am I the only person who has noticed that if you eat a lot of asparagus your pee will smell just like it? Come on, people! Help me out here!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
It was a good choice after all!
I belong to a book club. It’s pretty cool because I get to say things like, “Oh, we read that book last month in my book club.” Or “Maybe we can get together next week because I’ve got book club tonight.” I like to say these things really loudly when I’m out in public so people I don’t know will overhear me and think I’m sophisticated and urbane.
One of the great things about being in a book club is that you have to read a book. Duh. That’s the reason I joined. Otherwise, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed are the only books I would complete every month. Another great thing about being in a book club is that someone else picks the book every month so you get exposed to books you wouldn’t necessarily choose for yourself. So far, I have really liked some of the books and really disliked some of the others. And unfortunately, being the person that I am, I have voiced my dislike of some of the books (or some of the characters in the books) pretty loudly. I guess I could be a little more polite in my reviews of the books but heck, if I’m going to go to the trouble of reading it; I’m going to be honest about it.
Last week I hosted book club at my house. As hostess I got to choose the book of the month. Oh, the pressure! After being so vocal on some of the other books, I wanted to pick a book that would knock everyone’s socks off, that represented how savvy a book reader I was and that expressed my total coolness in general. That’s a lot to ask of one book…especially since I’m not really that cool anyway.
There are no rules when it comes to choosing the book. It could be an old favorite of yours, a current bestseller, something you’ve always wanted to read but never got around to reading, anything. Not sure why, but I wanted the book I chose to be one I had already read. Unfortunately, it had been YEARS since I’ve read anything other than the book club selections. I was an avid reader before I had kids and before the invention of reality TV. (I love me some reality TV!)
Some of the pre-child books I read, I really, really enjoyed…Memoirs of a Geisha, She’s Come Undone and A Prayer for Owen Meany just to name a few. I thought all of these would make good book club choices but they all seemed so long. So in the quest to find the perfect book, I perused the latest best sellers list, Oprah’s book club list, and other online lists. I asked my friends for suggestions but for some reason I kept coming back to A Prayer for Owen Meany.
It had been about seven years since I read this book and I had been wanting to reread it for some time now. My husband had read this book and he liked it. He kept suggesting I chose it. He kept saying things like, “There’s so much to discuss in this book.” “It’s such a great book.” “Shouldn’t you be reading more classic books and not books like Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons?" (Which was a very good book, by the way!)
I kept debating Owen Meany with my husband and I kept falling back on the same excuse…”It’s so loooonnnnnnggggggg. No one is going to be able to finish it,” I would whine
And he kept arguing back, “It’s a book club. You shouldn’t just be choosing short books. You should be choosing classics.” If it were up to my husband we would be reading Treasure Island, The Odyssey and Lord of the Flies and we would be submitting term papers (5 pages, typed, single-spaced) at the beginning of every meeting.
In the end, I chose A Prayer for Owen Meany…in part because of my husband’s urging but also because there was an annoying little voice in the back of my head that was agreeing with my husband. (I hate it when that happens!) So at the August meeting, I announced my selection for September, told everyone it was long and they better get started and immediately had a sinking feeling that no one would finish it. Worse yet, I thought, what if they finish it and HATE IT! Oh well, everyone’s tastes are different and I can’t be worried about that but I did want everyone at least to be able to finish it.
I started having second thoughts on the ride home. Why did I let my husband force me into selecting this book? Why didn’t I go with something from Oprah’s list? At least that way we could bad-mouth Oprah if we didn’t like it!
So for the next 4 weeks we all struggled with Owen Meany. It is a good book but it takes a while to really get into it and it’s not the kind of book you can lightly skim through or read with The Magic School Bus blaring in the back ground. I knew that my selection was probably the topic of a lot of “discussion” even before the meeting. I was kicking myself all month long for selecting it and found myself apologizing for it every time I saw one of the moms from the book club.
I had lots of food during the meeting to make up for the book and even though only 3 of the 9 ladies at the meeting managed to finish it, I felt like we had a nice discussion about it anyway. And since our book club is technically 20% book club and 80% social club we still had a good time. After they left though, I still felt like I let everyone down by choosing A Prayer for Owen Meany.
But then, a couple of days after it was over and we had all moved on to October’s selection, I got an email from one of the girls in the club. She said that even though she didn’t finish the book she felt like God had a hand in choosing this book. She had been going through a rough few weeks due to certain circumstances beyond her control and she said that the very first sentence of the book really touched her:
“Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6
Wow! After I read her email I got goose bumps! In the book, Owen Meany believes that he is 'an instrument of God". What a hoot! Is there a chance that maybe, I was an instrument too? I love it when I get to be a part of God’s plan, even it if is something as minor as selecting a book for book club. After all, who's to say how minor anything is when God is involved?
And I feel such relief now! I’m off the hook! Because if anyone has an issue with my selection, I guess they can take it up with the Big Guy!!
One of the great things about being in a book club is that you have to read a book. Duh. That’s the reason I joined. Otherwise, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed are the only books I would complete every month. Another great thing about being in a book club is that someone else picks the book every month so you get exposed to books you wouldn’t necessarily choose for yourself. So far, I have really liked some of the books and really disliked some of the others. And unfortunately, being the person that I am, I have voiced my dislike of some of the books (or some of the characters in the books) pretty loudly. I guess I could be a little more polite in my reviews of the books but heck, if I’m going to go to the trouble of reading it; I’m going to be honest about it.
Last week I hosted book club at my house. As hostess I got to choose the book of the month. Oh, the pressure! After being so vocal on some of the other books, I wanted to pick a book that would knock everyone’s socks off, that represented how savvy a book reader I was and that expressed my total coolness in general. That’s a lot to ask of one book…especially since I’m not really that cool anyway.
There are no rules when it comes to choosing the book. It could be an old favorite of yours, a current bestseller, something you’ve always wanted to read but never got around to reading, anything. Not sure why, but I wanted the book I chose to be one I had already read. Unfortunately, it had been YEARS since I’ve read anything other than the book club selections. I was an avid reader before I had kids and before the invention of reality TV. (I love me some reality TV!)
Some of the pre-child books I read, I really, really enjoyed…Memoirs of a Geisha, She’s Come Undone and A Prayer for Owen Meany just to name a few. I thought all of these would make good book club choices but they all seemed so long. So in the quest to find the perfect book, I perused the latest best sellers list, Oprah’s book club list, and other online lists. I asked my friends for suggestions but for some reason I kept coming back to A Prayer for Owen Meany.
It had been about seven years since I read this book and I had been wanting to reread it for some time now. My husband had read this book and he liked it. He kept suggesting I chose it. He kept saying things like, “There’s so much to discuss in this book.” “It’s such a great book.” “Shouldn’t you be reading more classic books and not books like Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons?" (Which was a very good book, by the way!)
I kept debating Owen Meany with my husband and I kept falling back on the same excuse…”It’s so loooonnnnnnggggggg. No one is going to be able to finish it,” I would whine
And he kept arguing back, “It’s a book club. You shouldn’t just be choosing short books. You should be choosing classics.” If it were up to my husband we would be reading Treasure Island, The Odyssey and Lord of the Flies and we would be submitting term papers (5 pages, typed, single-spaced) at the beginning of every meeting.
In the end, I chose A Prayer for Owen Meany…in part because of my husband’s urging but also because there was an annoying little voice in the back of my head that was agreeing with my husband. (I hate it when that happens!) So at the August meeting, I announced my selection for September, told everyone it was long and they better get started and immediately had a sinking feeling that no one would finish it. Worse yet, I thought, what if they finish it and HATE IT! Oh well, everyone’s tastes are different and I can’t be worried about that but I did want everyone at least to be able to finish it.
I started having second thoughts on the ride home. Why did I let my husband force me into selecting this book? Why didn’t I go with something from Oprah’s list? At least that way we could bad-mouth Oprah if we didn’t like it!
So for the next 4 weeks we all struggled with Owen Meany. It is a good book but it takes a while to really get into it and it’s not the kind of book you can lightly skim through or read with The Magic School Bus blaring in the back ground. I knew that my selection was probably the topic of a lot of “discussion” even before the meeting. I was kicking myself all month long for selecting it and found myself apologizing for it every time I saw one of the moms from the book club.
I had lots of food during the meeting to make up for the book and even though only 3 of the 9 ladies at the meeting managed to finish it, I felt like we had a nice discussion about it anyway. And since our book club is technically 20% book club and 80% social club we still had a good time. After they left though, I still felt like I let everyone down by choosing A Prayer for Owen Meany.
But then, a couple of days after it was over and we had all moved on to October’s selection, I got an email from one of the girls in the club. She said that even though she didn’t finish the book she felt like God had a hand in choosing this book. She had been going through a rough few weeks due to certain circumstances beyond her control and she said that the very first sentence of the book really touched her:
“Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6
Wow! After I read her email I got goose bumps! In the book, Owen Meany believes that he is 'an instrument of God". What a hoot! Is there a chance that maybe, I was an instrument too? I love it when I get to be a part of God’s plan, even it if is something as minor as selecting a book for book club. After all, who's to say how minor anything is when God is involved?
And I feel such relief now! I’m off the hook! Because if anyone has an issue with my selection, I guess they can take it up with the Big Guy!!
Friday, September 21, 2007
I always thought I was rockin' but now I know for sure!
I was recently awarded the Rockin' Girl Blogger award by my MOPS buddy and favorite baker, Pam. For those of you that aren’t aware, this award was created this summer by Roberta at Blogging Made Devilishly Simple. She awarded it to five women whose blogs she enjoys reading and asked that they in turn award it to other women bloggers and so on and so on. Check out the award on my sidebar...looks nice doesn't it?
There are lots of blog awards out there but I was very excited to receive this one! And I’m happy to pass it along. I am awarding the Rockin' Girl Blogger award to….
Kim at ChefMessy.
Over a year ago I was Googling “chocolate” and something else…I wish I could remember now but one of the results led me to a post at Kim’s blog. I started reading her post and was thinking to myself, “What is this???” And then it hit me…Duh, I’ve stumbled onto someone’s blog.
I had heard about blogs and knew what they were but I had honestly never read one. (I am always so behind the times! I don’t even have an iPod, people!) I started reading hers and was so intrigued. Not only was her writing very good but her life was so interesting. I kept reading her blog even though I felt a little funny about it since I didn’t actually know her. That’s the nosy in me coming out! But I figured if she’s putting it out there she won’t mind.
After reading her blog for a while I decided that I wanted to start my own blog. I wondered how I would find the time to do it but Kim knits, sews, crafts, cooks, is an avid reader, has started her own photography business AND still finds time to blog. I’m not sure how she does it all but I consider her my blogging inspiration and am happy to bestow this award upon her!
Check out her blog to see all of the wonderful things she has going on. Her sidebar will make you feel completely inadequate!
As for me, I’m going to keep on rockin'!!
There are lots of blog awards out there but I was very excited to receive this one! And I’m happy to pass it along. I am awarding the Rockin' Girl Blogger award to….
Kim at ChefMessy.
Over a year ago I was Googling “chocolate” and something else…I wish I could remember now but one of the results led me to a post at Kim’s blog. I started reading her post and was thinking to myself, “What is this???” And then it hit me…Duh, I’ve stumbled onto someone’s blog.
I had heard about blogs and knew what they were but I had honestly never read one. (I am always so behind the times! I don’t even have an iPod, people!) I started reading hers and was so intrigued. Not only was her writing very good but her life was so interesting. I kept reading her blog even though I felt a little funny about it since I didn’t actually know her. That’s the nosy in me coming out! But I figured if she’s putting it out there she won’t mind.
After reading her blog for a while I decided that I wanted to start my own blog. I wondered how I would find the time to do it but Kim knits, sews, crafts, cooks, is an avid reader, has started her own photography business AND still finds time to blog. I’m not sure how she does it all but I consider her my blogging inspiration and am happy to bestow this award upon her!
Check out her blog to see all of the wonderful things she has going on. Her sidebar will make you feel completely inadequate!
As for me, I’m going to keep on rockin'!!
Friday, September 14, 2007
The best laid plans....
Yesterday was my birthday. In honor of this, I had decided to forgo errands and chores to treat myself. After dropping the kids off at preschool I was going to have a pedicure/manicure. If you know me well, then you know that if I was wealthy and had lots of money to toss around there are two things I would do (after helping the hungry, the poor, the homeless, the sick, of course.). Number one is that I would have a professional clean my house every week and number two is that I would have a pedi/mani while she was doing it. How thrilling it would be to have beautiful nails and a clean house all at the same time!
I was pretty excited because I haven’t had a pedicure or a manicure since LAST summer. Back before kids, when I had extra time and extra money, I would get a pedicure and a manicure usually once a week in the summer. I have been doing my nails myself since then but it is a poor substitute to the massaging, trimming, filing, clipping and painting that they do at the nail salon.
Unfortunately things didn’t go quite as I had planned yesterday morning. Sarah, who normally skips into school without even looking back to wave goodbye, refused to go. I had to drag her into the car. Now I know what they mean by “kicking and screaming” because she was doing a lot of both. And she was doing that annoying limp body thing that kids do that meant my 35-pounder felt more like 135 pounds.
She cried and whined all the way to school. So much so that Peter was yelling, “Stop it! Be quiet! Shut up!” My head started to throb a little. This isn’t going to go well, I thought and began to panic a little, sensing that my pedi/mani might be at risk. When it was our turn at drop-off, Peter jumped out of the car, excited to be away from the whining rumbling noise that was coming out of his sister. When the preschool director unbuckled Sarah and tried to take her from her car seat, Sarah let out a howl. The preschool director had a shocked and puzzled look on her face. Sarah then proceeded to climb from the backseat over the console and into my LAP. I calmly smiled and told the preschool director that I would just park and bring her in myself. She had a relieved look on her face since the other cars in the drop-off line were beginning to back up.
I dragged her all the way to her classroom. I was getting lots of pitying looks from parents who had successfully dropped their kids off. I wanted to shout at them, “She’s not normally like this! She likes school! Don’t look at me like that!” But I just calmly smiled at them and marched into the 3-year-old classroom.
When I got to her classroom I talked to her teacher who informed me that there had been an “incident” on Tuesday that she had learned about on Wednesday. Apparently on Wednesday (since she didn’t witness the “incident” herself) she gave the whole class a lecture about how we don’t spit on our friends. We think that since Sarah was the "spitter" and not the "spittee" she knew that the lecture was being directed at her. We decided that she was worried that she was going to get in trouble at school again the next day so she was putting up a fight.
After learning about all this and sitting through circle time with a clingy, whining girl attached to my lap, I told Sarah we were going home. I gave Sarah my own long lecture about spitting when we got outside. She tried to defend herself by saying that the other girl was taking her toys. I told her that we still don’t spit and oh, by the way….you are going to school on Tuesday no matter how hard you scream or cry! She agreed and trotted happily to the car.
My pedi/mani didn’t happen yesterday morning. Instead Sarah and I did the dishes, folded laundry and made pudding. Not exactly the plans I had for the morning of the 38th birthday but that’s what we did. Later that afternoon my friend Jennifer (jennwa to those that know her well!) surprised me with a gift certificate to a local spa for…a manicure! I was very excited and very caught off guard! So I’m getting my manicure after all! I just wonder if Jennifer would mind cleaning my house while I’m getting it?
I was pretty excited because I haven’t had a pedicure or a manicure since LAST summer. Back before kids, when I had extra time and extra money, I would get a pedicure and a manicure usually once a week in the summer. I have been doing my nails myself since then but it is a poor substitute to the massaging, trimming, filing, clipping and painting that they do at the nail salon.
Unfortunately things didn’t go quite as I had planned yesterday morning. Sarah, who normally skips into school without even looking back to wave goodbye, refused to go. I had to drag her into the car. Now I know what they mean by “kicking and screaming” because she was doing a lot of both. And she was doing that annoying limp body thing that kids do that meant my 35-pounder felt more like 135 pounds.
She cried and whined all the way to school. So much so that Peter was yelling, “Stop it! Be quiet! Shut up!” My head started to throb a little. This isn’t going to go well, I thought and began to panic a little, sensing that my pedi/mani might be at risk. When it was our turn at drop-off, Peter jumped out of the car, excited to be away from the whining rumbling noise that was coming out of his sister. When the preschool director unbuckled Sarah and tried to take her from her car seat, Sarah let out a howl. The preschool director had a shocked and puzzled look on her face. Sarah then proceeded to climb from the backseat over the console and into my LAP. I calmly smiled and told the preschool director that I would just park and bring her in myself. She had a relieved look on her face since the other cars in the drop-off line were beginning to back up.
I dragged her all the way to her classroom. I was getting lots of pitying looks from parents who had successfully dropped their kids off. I wanted to shout at them, “She’s not normally like this! She likes school! Don’t look at me like that!” But I just calmly smiled at them and marched into the 3-year-old classroom.
When I got to her classroom I talked to her teacher who informed me that there had been an “incident” on Tuesday that she had learned about on Wednesday. Apparently on Wednesday (since she didn’t witness the “incident” herself) she gave the whole class a lecture about how we don’t spit on our friends. We think that since Sarah was the "spitter" and not the "spittee" she knew that the lecture was being directed at her. We decided that she was worried that she was going to get in trouble at school again the next day so she was putting up a fight.
After learning about all this and sitting through circle time with a clingy, whining girl attached to my lap, I told Sarah we were going home. I gave Sarah my own long lecture about spitting when we got outside. She tried to defend herself by saying that the other girl was taking her toys. I told her that we still don’t spit and oh, by the way….you are going to school on Tuesday no matter how hard you scream or cry! She agreed and trotted happily to the car.
My pedi/mani didn’t happen yesterday morning. Instead Sarah and I did the dishes, folded laundry and made pudding. Not exactly the plans I had for the morning of the 38th birthday but that’s what we did. Later that afternoon my friend Jennifer (jennwa to those that know her well!) surprised me with a gift certificate to a local spa for…a manicure! I was very excited and very caught off guard! So I’m getting my manicure after all! I just wonder if Jennifer would mind cleaning my house while I’m getting it?
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Coffee is good!
Ahhhhh....That's better! I'm sitting here with my morning coffee and the twitching in my right eye has finally stopped. Coffee is good!
Yesterday morning I decided that I would kill two birds with one stone after I dropped the kids off at preschool. I got a cup of coffee at McDonald's which just so happened to be located in Wal-Mart. I figured the sooner I got a cup of coffee the better and since I had to get a new coffee pot I figured what better place to do it than Wal-Mart. I knew it would be cheaper than anywhere else. I was enjoying my cup of coffee and checking out the coffee pots and was elated to discover that I could purchase just the pot and that they had the coffee pot I needed for my coffee maker but then crushed to realize it was in white. My coffee maker was black.
I searched the shelves for a black Mr. Coffee pot but there were none. There wasn't even a space for one. Good ole' Wal-Mart! So I stood there trying to figure out how goofy a white handled coffee pot would look sitting on a black coffee maker when I noticed the price...$9.86!? What? $9.86! You've got to be kidding me! The whole coffee maker only cost me $24.99 which admittedly was on sale from $29.99, but still!! A replacement pot is going to cost me $9.86? That made my decision about the color much easier. I'm not spending $9.86 for a WHITE handled pot if my maker is BLACK. So I hoped in the car and headed to Target.
I immediately headed to the coffee pot section because I had other errands to run and didn't want to get trapped browsing through the $1.00 bins. A girl could get lost for hours in those things! They had the coffee pot and yes! They had it in black. Excellent! I grabbed one and glanced at the price sticker on the shelf...$14.99. $14.99! What? The pot at Wal-Mart was $5.00 cheaper! I was hot! I knew Target was more expensive than Wal-mart. I knew that going in...but $5.00!! It was like a slap in the face. But I had to do it. I had to have the pot and I had to have it match the coffee maker.
If I was a different sort of person (cheap, like my husband) I would have driven back to Wal-mart and gotten the cheaper pot but that's not the kind of person I am. Things have to match and sometimes you have to pay a price to have things look good. I'm not that kind of person who's tastes are a little eclectic, a little kooky and a little cool and could handle a mismatched coffee pot. I am more straight-laced and nerdy. I play by the rules. Things have to match or I can't concentrate. I just couldn't look at a mismatched coffee maker for the next couple of years just to save $5.00.
So, while I'm enjoying my coffee this morning it's leaving a slightly bitter taste in my mouth as I realize that the cost of my new pot is more than half of what I actually paid for the whole thing new. Oh, well...it sure does look pretty on my counter top!
Yesterday morning I decided that I would kill two birds with one stone after I dropped the kids off at preschool. I got a cup of coffee at McDonald's which just so happened to be located in Wal-Mart. I figured the sooner I got a cup of coffee the better and since I had to get a new coffee pot I figured what better place to do it than Wal-Mart. I knew it would be cheaper than anywhere else. I was enjoying my cup of coffee and checking out the coffee pots and was elated to discover that I could purchase just the pot and that they had the coffee pot I needed for my coffee maker but then crushed to realize it was in white. My coffee maker was black.
I searched the shelves for a black Mr. Coffee pot but there were none. There wasn't even a space for one. Good ole' Wal-Mart! So I stood there trying to figure out how goofy a white handled coffee pot would look sitting on a black coffee maker when I noticed the price...$9.86!? What? $9.86! You've got to be kidding me! The whole coffee maker only cost me $24.99 which admittedly was on sale from $29.99, but still!! A replacement pot is going to cost me $9.86? That made my decision about the color much easier. I'm not spending $9.86 for a WHITE handled pot if my maker is BLACK. So I hoped in the car and headed to Target.
I immediately headed to the coffee pot section because I had other errands to run and didn't want to get trapped browsing through the $1.00 bins. A girl could get lost for hours in those things! They had the coffee pot and yes! They had it in black. Excellent! I grabbed one and glanced at the price sticker on the shelf...$14.99. $14.99! What? The pot at Wal-Mart was $5.00 cheaper! I was hot! I knew Target was more expensive than Wal-mart. I knew that going in...but $5.00!! It was like a slap in the face. But I had to do it. I had to have the pot and I had to have it match the coffee maker.
If I was a different sort of person (cheap, like my husband) I would have driven back to Wal-mart and gotten the cheaper pot but that's not the kind of person I am. Things have to match and sometimes you have to pay a price to have things look good. I'm not that kind of person who's tastes are a little eclectic, a little kooky and a little cool and could handle a mismatched coffee pot. I am more straight-laced and nerdy. I play by the rules. Things have to match or I can't concentrate. I just couldn't look at a mismatched coffee maker for the next couple of years just to save $5.00.
So, while I'm enjoying my coffee this morning it's leaving a slightly bitter taste in my mouth as I realize that the cost of my new pot is more than half of what I actually paid for the whole thing new. Oh, well...it sure does look pretty on my counter top!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
My kingdom for a cup of coffee!
It's 6:30 am and I'm jonesing. Bad. I did the unthinkable last night. I...I...I...
I broke my coffee pot.
Every night before I go to bed I fill up my coffee pot with water and grinds and turn it to auto brew. I have it timed so that as soon as I am finishing making lunches for my husband and the kids my coffee will be ready and waiting for me. Last night as I was filling the pot with water I accidentally knocked the pot against the side of the cabinet. I must have hit it at just the perfect angle because I heard a pop and looked down to see a piece of glass the size of my pinky finger missing from the bottom of the pot. (Had it been missing from the top of the pot I probably would have used it. Just this once.)
So this morning I sit in front of my computer all bleary-eyed and hazy. I am drinking a glass of sweet tea with a shot of lemon juice. I'm a Southern girl and I love me some sweet tea but at this time of day a cup of coffee is what really hits the spot for me.
Caffeine is a powerful thing. I have been drinking coffee for less than a year now and if I don't get my coffee first thing in the morning a dull thumping starts in my temples and it will only be quieted by coffee or two Advils.
I used to drink Chai Tea. I love Chai Tea but I could never make it at home. Before we moved here I used to be able to walk to a coffee shop that had really good Chai Tea. It was a pretty good hike from my house so I would strap the kids in the double stroller and go for a nice long walk through the neighborhood. My reward at the end of pushing a double stroller up hill was the Chai Tea. The kids were always excited to go to the coffee house because they could look at the rack of goofy greeting cards that were stationed by the door while I as getting my tea. I know, I know...the kids must have been so understimulated if they enjoyed the greeting cards. No wonder they like preschool so much!
Anyway, we moved here and the nearest coffee shop is several miles from my house so I just started making my own coffee. My husband thinks my coffee is too weak. I'm sure it is for most folks but I am fairly new at this coffee drinking gig. In addition to liking my coffee weak, I like it with a lot of cream and LOTS of Splenda. And when I say LOTS, I mean LOTS. I can go through a bag of Splenda, ya'll!
So now I am just watching the clock and waiting for time for preschool. As soon as the kids are out of the car I am on my way to Wal-Mart to buy a new pot (can I buy just the pot?) and then to get a cup of coffee. I've just got to figure out where to get my coffee. The local coffee shop, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, StarBucks? Hmmmmm, it's good to have options but all this thinking without my coffee is giving me a headache. Where's my Advil? Maybe I better get the coffee first and then the pot.
I broke my coffee pot.
Every night before I go to bed I fill up my coffee pot with water and grinds and turn it to auto brew. I have it timed so that as soon as I am finishing making lunches for my husband and the kids my coffee will be ready and waiting for me. Last night as I was filling the pot with water I accidentally knocked the pot against the side of the cabinet. I must have hit it at just the perfect angle because I heard a pop and looked down to see a piece of glass the size of my pinky finger missing from the bottom of the pot. (Had it been missing from the top of the pot I probably would have used it. Just this once.)
So this morning I sit in front of my computer all bleary-eyed and hazy. I am drinking a glass of sweet tea with a shot of lemon juice. I'm a Southern girl and I love me some sweet tea but at this time of day a cup of coffee is what really hits the spot for me.
Caffeine is a powerful thing. I have been drinking coffee for less than a year now and if I don't get my coffee first thing in the morning a dull thumping starts in my temples and it will only be quieted by coffee or two Advils.
I used to drink Chai Tea. I love Chai Tea but I could never make it at home. Before we moved here I used to be able to walk to a coffee shop that had really good Chai Tea. It was a pretty good hike from my house so I would strap the kids in the double stroller and go for a nice long walk through the neighborhood. My reward at the end of pushing a double stroller up hill was the Chai Tea. The kids were always excited to go to the coffee house because they could look at the rack of goofy greeting cards that were stationed by the door while I as getting my tea. I know, I know...the kids must have been so understimulated if they enjoyed the greeting cards. No wonder they like preschool so much!
Anyway, we moved here and the nearest coffee shop is several miles from my house so I just started making my own coffee. My husband thinks my coffee is too weak. I'm sure it is for most folks but I am fairly new at this coffee drinking gig. In addition to liking my coffee weak, I like it with a lot of cream and LOTS of Splenda. And when I say LOTS, I mean LOTS. I can go through a bag of Splenda, ya'll!
So now I am just watching the clock and waiting for time for preschool. As soon as the kids are out of the car I am on my way to Wal-Mart to buy a new pot (can I buy just the pot?) and then to get a cup of coffee. I've just got to figure out where to get my coffee. The local coffee shop, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, StarBucks? Hmmmmm, it's good to have options but all this thinking without my coffee is giving me a headache. Where's my Advil? Maybe I better get the coffee first and then the pot.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
It's the little things...
Sunday was Grandparent’s Day. I am quite certain this day was created by greeting card executives and as such went largely uncelebrated by our family. However, while doing my weekly grocery shopping at Wal-Mart on Saturday I noticed they had bouquets of pink and purple daisies. Surprisingly, I have found that Wal-Mart’s fresh flowers are not only beautiful and inexpensive but they are also long-lasting. I grabbed a bright pink bunch that only cost $4.00. The “sale by” date was 9/18. Based on this I knew they would look great for well over a week (probably close to two weeks!) and decided to get them for my parents.
I am always looking for little ways to tell them thanks for being such a big help to us and this seemed like the perfect thing. I made them a card with Peter and Sarah’s picture on it at mycardmaker.com. and put the flowers in an unused utensil canister…you know one of those things that sits by your stove holding whisks, spatulas and wooden spoons. I have so many of these nifty little items that I graduated to a larger utensil holder last year. The old one was sitting unused in the basement and was the perfect "vase" for the pink daisies. The kids took great pleasure in presenting my parents with the card and flowers and wishing them a happy Grandparent’s Day. Although Sarah seemed a little disappointed when she learned there wouldn’t be any birthday cake!
As I was arranging the flowers, there were a couple of daisies that were too short for the vase. I put those in a tiny juice glass and placed it on my kitchen table. I’m not sure why I did this. I guess I didn’t want to waste two perfectly good daisies because they were too short for the vase. Or maybe it was because I thought Sarah would be excited to find two PINK daisies in front of her place at the table or maybe it was because I thought the table could use a little color. Whatever the reason, I am so glad I did. I have gotten so much pleasure from those two little pink daisies.
I have enjoyed them as I have wiped the table clean after meals. I have enjoyed them while getting crayons and paper for my kids who decided they just had to draw a picture right before time to leave for preschool. I have enjoyed glancing at them while sitting at the table reading the longest book ever for my book club.
As a stay-at-home mom I am often too tired or too busy to enjoy the small pleasures in life. The hugs from my daughter, my son’s hard to follow knock-knock jokes, laughing with my husband while watching “The Soup” are all simple things which I am trying so hard not to take for granted. I guess I just needed two pink daisies from Wal-mart to remind me of the sweet, simple goodness God has given me.
"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."-- Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957, Author of "Little House on the Prairie")
I am always looking for little ways to tell them thanks for being such a big help to us and this seemed like the perfect thing. I made them a card with Peter and Sarah’s picture on it at mycardmaker.com. and put the flowers in an unused utensil canister…you know one of those things that sits by your stove holding whisks, spatulas and wooden spoons. I have so many of these nifty little items that I graduated to a larger utensil holder last year. The old one was sitting unused in the basement and was the perfect "vase" for the pink daisies. The kids took great pleasure in presenting my parents with the card and flowers and wishing them a happy Grandparent’s Day. Although Sarah seemed a little disappointed when she learned there wouldn’t be any birthday cake!
As I was arranging the flowers, there were a couple of daisies that were too short for the vase. I put those in a tiny juice glass and placed it on my kitchen table. I’m not sure why I did this. I guess I didn’t want to waste two perfectly good daisies because they were too short for the vase. Or maybe it was because I thought Sarah would be excited to find two PINK daisies in front of her place at the table or maybe it was because I thought the table could use a little color. Whatever the reason, I am so glad I did. I have gotten so much pleasure from those two little pink daisies.
I have enjoyed them as I have wiped the table clean after meals. I have enjoyed them while getting crayons and paper for my kids who decided they just had to draw a picture right before time to leave for preschool. I have enjoyed glancing at them while sitting at the table reading the longest book ever for my book club.
As a stay-at-home mom I am often too tired or too busy to enjoy the small pleasures in life. The hugs from my daughter, my son’s hard to follow knock-knock jokes, laughing with my husband while watching “The Soup” are all simple things which I am trying so hard not to take for granted. I guess I just needed two pink daisies from Wal-mart to remind me of the sweet, simple goodness God has given me.
"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."-- Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957, Author of "Little House on the Prairie")
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