Boy's Best Friend

It's not often that the Boy gets a solo debut, sad as it may be. The Princess is quite the camera hog and he is the exact opposite. In a rare moment I caught him here, sharing some love with one of his (many) dogs. This was a gift from Ally a few years ago and you can train it to do tricks and obey. I think his name is Scamps and he's trying to get him to eat a bone.

Back to the Blog

Wow, I have (admittedly) been MIA the last few weeks but I assure you I have been around the Blogosphere, just not doing my part by contributing. I'm still reeling from the sheer stupidity of my last blog and I am afraid to go back to the grocery store tho the need is clearly there. Hubby wasn't thrilled with the selection in the bare cabinet last night when he went in search of a late night snack and got stuck with a bowl of stale rice krispies. Seems SNAP, CRACKLE and POP packed their bags and left town long ago.


So I have a lot to catch up on... between alternating days of 60 degree temps then sudden plunges to 12 degrees followed by ice, we somehow managed to get a mere inch+ of snow a few weeks back. But that's all I needed to justify the new snow boots this year. Thankfully they are still in last years snow jackets and hand-me-down snow pants otherwise I'd have a bone to pick with good ole' Global Warming. The kids and I managed to have ourselves quite the time playing in the white stuff and it was the perfect consistency for snowmen and little snowballs that rolled into 100lb boulders.

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A few weeks later, Emma and I got out to visit with our cousins, Lisa and Andrew. Or, as Emma calls him, 'My Cousin Andrew.' We had a great time at their house playing and watching Dora. Those two are only a few months apart and play together really well. We then went out for lunch and some browsing before heading home to nap. And nap she did indeed. Whether it was cousin Andrew's influence or the fact that I let her sleep in her Ariel costume we will never know, but so ended the Princess' Nap Strike!

Things that make you go HUH?

Overheard at the grocery store today as I was unloading my cart and ignoring my toddler storming the candy rack...


Loud, Crazy Woman... (after much discussion about unhealthy water contaminants and the Royal Family, to no one inparticular) Can I get money here? Or do I have to go to the bank for that.

Completely Bewildered Checkout Boy... Yes.

LCW... I'd like $200 back, please (Holy smokes Lady, do you ever go to the bank?)

Much confusion ensues about which way to actually swipe the card through the reader. Candy rack nearly topples as agressive toddler spies a pink candy wrapper.

CBCB... (counts out 5 (five) $20 bills). All I have left is a hundred (dollar bill). Do you want that?

LCW... Not really, I'd prefer something smaller.

CBCB... So you don't want the hundred?

LCW... No.

Amidst confusion of obviously hard series of questions, CBCB hands LCW her 5 $20 bills and off she walks. To the next register when she stops to put her money in her wallet. In the meantime, CBCB tries numerous attempts to enter a SuperCard, gives up and begins to ring my items. (As if I would let him get off that easy with the SuperCard - please, that thing saved me $14!). Minutes pass. LCW returns and now she is bewildered. I cover my mouth - it must be contagious.

LCW... You only gave me $100. (shows the 20's)

CBCB... You said you didn't want the hundred. (Hard to figure out who is more bewildered at this point, LCW, CBCB, the Bagger or Me, the idiot that somehow wound up in a line that has now taken me longer to get through than the grocery store itself).

LCW... I wanted my money, I just didn't want a hundred dollar bill! But I wanted my money!

CBCB... Oh.

Looking for a Good Home

Not me, tho I am currently looking for something without vermin. But I digress...

Poor Brutus has found his place curbside. On *gasp* trash night! It was sad to see him go. It wasn't easy to let him go. But it was TIME to go. He was actually spared from his departure just after Christmas by a daddy who thought the babies would miss him too much. So for a while, we hid him. About as well as one might hide an elephant. And as you can probably imagine, he didn't stay hidden for very long. I'm going to have to come up with something when RYEM (that's Ry and Em collectively) figure it out. To my defense, he did have a few nicks and scrapes and was losing stuffing ALL OVER THE HOUSE! Well, maybe not ALL over but I figure the drama works for Emma so I might as well give it a spin. My hope is that one day we will see good ole' Brutus adorning the front grill of a local trash truck, kind of like this. But seeing as how I am never awake at the butt crack of dawn, I may just have to remember him like this....

Cha-Ching!

Hubby and I play this fun little game called Laundry Roulette. He tosses his dirty laundry and I get to see if I win any prizes come laundry day. Usually it's just the belts he can't seem to untangle from his pants or the occasional gum wrapper/bottle cap/sprinkle of loose change. Some days it's super fun like a pocket full of bread crumbs. Makes you wonder, no? And then there are those days when I am just feeling lucky and know good fortune is coming my way, like today for instance. Today I got rewarded for being Queen of the Heap and just earned myself an extra $16. Well, $16.05 if you count the nickel that was on the floor in front of the pants but hey, I'm generous... I tossed that 5 cents back into his change bowl. I'm not THAT greedy!

Naps are so 2007

Didn't you hear - naps are out. All the cool kids are doing it. They are also doing things like this. Which is finally accepting defeat after being in your crib for nearly 3 hours but not before you rip off your mattress sheet and wrap it around your body, while using your crib wedge to elevate your feet instead of your head (hey, it's never too early to worry about proper circulation).

And how could you get the crib sheet off if you didn't evict each and every one of your beloved friends/pets/accessories first. That 3" space between the crib and the wall looks good.

And just for laughs, let's toss in one more component. Imagine the picture you see above, only this time let's add a box (a full box) of crumpled up tissues. And in (now) empty tissue box, instead of the obvious tissues, are your socks. And in said socks are your dolls shoes. It's like the gift that keeps on giving. One of these days I hope to pull out something of value. Until then, I'll just keep holding on to the notion that the sudden quiet is my child finally napping and not the monitor knocked from the dresser as the tissues are being swiped. I'm naive like that.

Go Away Murphy

UPDATE... After driving for a few days with the SERVICE ENGINE SOON light only to have it shut off the minute I am driving to get it checked out, it has resumed it's place on my dashboard. Yes, after a mere 4 hours of sitting in my driveway, my car and I are back to square one. Only now it's snowing and the roads are a parking lot and all hopes of a trip back to Autozone are out. My car is NOT a team player.

and take your stupid Law with you! I'm aggravated. It's been a mere 30 days since I got my truck back after needing a new tranny 2 weeks before Christmas and the SERVICE ENGINE SOON (before your car self destructs) light is on... AGAIN! I've replaced more parts on that thing that I ever knew existed. I mean, 4 wheel bearings within a few months time seems a bit excessive to me when after driving for 17 years I'd never even heard of a wheel bearing. Really, all that's left is the engine. It better not be the engine. It had better be something cheap and easy and cheap... like a fuse. I just know it's the engine. So back to Murphy... I'd planned on bringing it in today to have it checked out after dance class. Since it's cold and we're expecting a 'wintry mix', I even brought extra clothes to change our Prima Ballerina so she wouldn't be running around in tights. When I took Ry-Guy to school this morning, the light was on. When I went on an errand, the light was on. When I stopped home the light was on. When I went to dance class, the light was on (are you feeling the love?). When I came out of dance class all dressed and ready to go, the light was NOT on. Not on, I tell you. In my disgust I drove there anyway, hoping there is some crazy memory or recorder that would remember why the blaring red light came on in the first place. In case you are wondering, there is not. The light goes off after so many miles and you have to wait for it to come back on again. And by the time that happens and if history is due to repeat itself, it's likely my automobile will no longer be mobile. Ford and I are on the verge of a very big break-up, and sadly just before Valentine's Day.

M.I.T

Stands for Mommy In Training. Emma has recently taken to dolls. I am ecstatic. I LOVED dolls growing up. I loved my Cabbies and above all else, I loved Tracey. Tracey is a doll that has been passed down through my family. I'm not sure where she started but I'm pretty sure she was mommied by my cousin Cris, passed down to my "I don't play with dolls" sister Pam, and then landed in my care. For years I dressed her, I carried her, I mothered her. I decided she needed makeup so with an orange pen, I lovingly applied eyeshadow and blush and lipstick (the remnants can still be seen today). I went through a hair phase and so naturally, she got a haircut. Cut, Chop whatever. Tracey spent many occasions in the local doll hospital as I painstakingly awaited her return. To say she was loved is an understatement. To this day, Tracey sits at my parents house. She dresses in real - not doll - clothes (one of her recent outfits was an adorable floral dress and hat that Emma had worn). I still like seeing her when we are visiting. Which leads me back to Em. She received her first doll, Elizabeth, for her first Christmas. She recently took an interest in Elizabeth and for months, carried her around everywhere. From there she moved to Jennifer and now onto Nadia. We have cradles full of dolls for her to love, and love each and every one of them she will do. Santa brought her a doll stroller this year and it barely leaves her side. She cries to take it places. With the recent unseasonably warm temps, we got a few good walks in & each and every time, Emma brought her stroller. She covered her dolly with a blankey and shushed me when I spoke because after all, Jennifer was sleeping. It was too cute not to take a picture.

Everyone needs a hobby

Including 2 year olds. Tho hers is more along the lines of an obsession. Yes, my sweet, girly, 'loves to dress up and play with dolls' daughter is obsessed with Toe Jam. You know, the little bits of sock fuzz that get stuck between your piggies. At any random moment, she will whip off her socks with fury and declare "I have Toe Jams!" and instantly go to work at removing the offending particles. But it doesn't stop there. She will run to the closest pair of bare feet, rip your toes apart further than you ever imagined they could go, and painfully so, and ask 'Mom, you got Toe Jams?' She even tries to get at feet that are all suited up but so far, has only accosted immediate family members. Although after seeing her tackle the knees of our exterminator the other day, I've learned that you can never fully anticipate her next move. And that, friends, family and strangers, was almost as humiliating as the crud that fell from the side of the oven when aforementioned exterminator pulled it from the wall to look for vermin.

Et tu, CHIC-HANDSOME

Tho, not in the 'Brutus killing Caesar' type of way. I got my first comment from (gasp) a stranger. A tad odd since this blog only circulates among a handful of family and friends. It provoked many reactions... at first, excitement... ohhh, someone from 'the outside' found my blog! Then, wonder and finally, Holy $#@!, is this person some sicko that will recognize my children on the local playground and whisk them away from me?? After much stalking research of CHIC-HANDSOME's blog and MySpace page, I realized that this random lurker probably wasn't going to abduct my children seeing as how they rarely visit playgrounds in Paris, Evian, Eivissa or any of the cities abroad where this dude spends his time. Tho since I don't read much (translate-ANY) French, I guess one can never be too sure. So I stalked researched some more and found out he posts comments to many random bloggers, including one Granny Blog. I felt much safer and in kind, returned the comment.

Lordy Lordy, look who's...

... 39 + 1!!

Happy Birthday Pam!!! You still look just as good as you did last week when you were 'in your 30's!' Are you going to kill me yet :)

We threw a surprise party for Pam on Saturday and I have to say she was 100% surprised. More surprised than I have seen anyone in a very long time, which is hard to pull off anymore. Jeff was right on top of the party planning starting back in the fall and it was alot of fun to put together. And Lisa had the hardest job of all... she had to get Pam out and keep her out (all while not feeling well), though you would think a day of shopping sans kids wouldn't be that tricky, but I have the e-mail chain to prove otherwise! It was great seeing everyone and their house was full of friends and family to help celebrate.... SURPRISE!!!!!

Dave, Guarder of the Door. The very door she was SUPPOSED TO have come in.

SURPRISE!!!

The House that Newby Built

Ok, so it was the week after New Years, making it two weeks after Christmas. Ryan comes running up the stairs with the Gingerbread House Box (thanks Pop-Pop) exclaiming 'Mom, we forgot to do this!' Crap. It's not like I completely forgot. I mean, I remembered on numerous occasions but had to weigh my options... Christmas presents v. gingerbread house. I'm sure you would have done the same (unless you are Geoff). I didn't even get the outside lights up until the week before Christmas and only because I was seriously starting to believe that Ryan thinks we are lame.

Anyway, it was Wednesday and the first day of normal in over 2 weeks so I decided, what the heck. Seriously, if I can shop for Valentine's Day 2 weeks before Christmas and then shop for Easter 3 days after Christmas, whose to say I can't make a gingerbread house on January 3rd?

This one's for Kim...

Well, actually it's for Gage. Any of you who know Kim or have been to her blog recently will understand.

For those of you who can't read the fine print or haven't noticed the oddly shaped toilet bowl watch, this is a potty watch. It can be set at 30, 60 or 90 minute intervals to remind your child when s/he has to pee. I'm thinking of getting one in pink. Since I rarely get to go I figure this couldn't hurt. I wonder if it comes with an automatic door locking feature to keep those pesky unwanted guests out.

And the Mother of all Potty Seats.... the Urinal! It looks like loads of fun for the kids... maybe not so much for mom who has to empty the drawer below.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2008! We hope everyone had a happy & healthy (and safe) New Years Eve. Ryan sure knew how to ring in the new year - he went to 2 movies. Daddy surprised him in the morning and they went to see The Waterhorse. Then as soon as he got home, Aunt Janet whisked him off to see Alvin & the Chipmunks. What a lucky kid... he doesn't see 2 movies in a year (ok, so maybe he's NOT a lucky kid) and he goes twice in one day!

We celebrated the usual way... Jim, Michelle and the kids came over and this year, Janet, Adam and Grandmom braved the madness to hang out with us. Byron cooked a fabulous dinner and even made Margaritas from scratch... Mango (mmmmm), Strawberry and Original. I love me some Margarita! The night flew by this year and before we knew it, the ball was dropping. The babes were asleep by then but I think Trouble I and Trouble II were still causing mischief upstairs. We figure we have a good 10 years left to leave them alone in a dark room and not have to worry.

And because it wouldn't be a new year without playing Scene It, the girls once again managed to kick some butt and bring in 2008 by bringing down the guys. Funny since they are the ones who watch the most TV.

Happy New Year! May you de-decorate at record speed and pay off Christmas even faster!

We let the kids burn off some energy and celebrate a bit early (10pm). They ran around the yard blowing horns and screaming 'Happy New Year' until I was frozen and could take it no longer.

A Kids New Year

Sorry it's so hard to see in the dark...