Swine Flu Sucks

'Nuff said.

Who will it be?

Woo hoo, 49 followers! I'm so excited I could ... well ... post about it. And so, here I am. Who will be my 50th follower? Come out, come out wherever you are!

*No pressure, I promise. I am thankful for those of you who put up with me on a daily basis and appreciate the support. I hope I can give you much of the same as often as possible and remind you that we're all in this together! Now, FOLLOW ME, DAMMIT!!*

**Just kidding ... sort of!**

It's My Party

And I'll whine if I want to.

This illin' business is enough already. My daughter had a better day yesterday, but today is whining more than I have ever heard her whine in my entire life. Another 24 hours of Nick and Nick Jr. But if I have to watch The Fresh Beat Band one more time I might claw my own eyes out. Or maybe plug my ears.

So, empanadas for breakfast today. Well, breakfast and lunch. They're two leftover from dinner. Thankfully hubby bought these for us to freeze, or who knows what I would have wound up with. For her, she ate breakfast, and now it's ice cream for lunch. Considering we've been up since like 6:30, I think it's OK for her to have some at around 1PM, right? I mean, the other day she had some and when I looked at the clock as she asked, it was only 9:25. As in IN THE MORNING. But who cares? It's milk, right? Dairy? Really good for her? Say it with me. At the very least it was Breyer's, and we all know they're on the healthy end of the ice cream spectrum.

What really pisses me off about Nickeolodeon is that they have commercials. I much prefer Nick Jr (formerly known as Noggin) because of the no-commercials policy. At this point with all of the regular Nick we've been watching I should have to buy her a Little Mermaid doll whose hair changes colors when wet, a set of eerily scary looking little Disney princess baby dolls, Connect Four (have you seen the new version of this? Seriously out there!) and a doll that not only eats, pees, AND poops, but SAYS: 'I made a stinky.' I mean, really? Seriously? I have to listen to this? But of course, because Nick, and not Nick Jr. is the only channel that plays back-to-back-to-back Dora and Dora and Dora and Diego. And so on and so forth. Ah, the joys of Mommyhood.

As for me, I'm still battling this thing. Whether it's our own version of Swine Flu, some sort of sinus infection, or just a plain ole cold, I'm fighting it hard and planning to beat it. You can't take me down, you nasty germs! I'll kick you into next year! I'll be damned if my daughter doesn't get a single piece of candy for trick-or-treating (read = I don't get to steal at least one Reeses' PB cup from her treat bag!) or at least get to dress up and take one picture in one of the two costumes we have for her. So COME ON! Bring it on! And get lost!

Kicking hard and still fighting ... and exhausted already, and it's barely afternoon ... **me (I really do need to make a signature for my blog, it'd be fun to be able to use it now and then!)

First line ...

Pick up the current book that you're reading and let me know the first line.

I just finished Accidental Happiness, by Jean Reynolds Page (and I really enjoyed it, but I'll save the review for another time) and the first line is crazy:

"On the night I shot Angel, everything in my life changed -- again."

Wordless Wednesday!

Is it only Tuesday?

I was seriously about to post a Wordless Wednesday picture and be done with it! Sigh. How is it that sometimes the weeks fly by, and other times they are at the slowest of crawls?

Might be because we're still sickies, but seriously, it's so dreary out I'd rather be in bed anyway. Another day of Dora and the Nick Jr. crew in this house.

But if I have to watch Olivia train her cat, dance ballet or not eat various foods from different cultures one more time I just might scream.

Right now Benny needs tissues and Dora has some in her backpack. I really need a backpack like that, don't you? I mean, even if you aren't a parent, how happy would you be to have a backpack that always has whatever it is that you need on-hand at ALL times? I don't know what I'd want her to be carrying for me [oh yes, I learned the other day that backpack is most certainly a "her!"] but I would be so relieved to not have to worry about anything ever again.

Need a new diaper? Wipes? Snack? Juice box? Backpack! Backpack!

Tissues? Eye drops? Allergy medication? Backpack! Backpack!

A book to read while waiting at the doctor's office? A trashy magazine? A notebook or coloring book with crayons for waiting for your waiter/waitress at a restaurant? Backpack! Backpack!

And so much more. I seriously could go on and on, but my laptop battery is seriously going the way of most old and somewhat chargeable products, duh duh duh duhhh!

So, what would YOU keep in your precious backpack if you had one?

Eats like a teenager already?

What is the deal? How is it that my 2-1/2 year old eats like a teenager at this young age? I mean, I swear that I feed her. I really, really do.

And yet she can make her way through a box of frozen pancakes (large or minis) in under a week, she can shovel it in like nobody's business, and she needs every snack under the sun, all in 24 hours. Amazing.

So, when does it slow down? Because I can't go through groceries like this. Even with my master couponing skills, I'm still falling behind. Help!

I was on a tear for a little while

And now I'm so not.

I had posted a little over a month ago about trying to read 100 books in 2009.

Not sure about that these days. I hit a speed bump, or two, or more, in the name of several books I just couldn't finish or truly get through. And while I read some, I hate to add them to a list that should be of completed books only.

But I just read one that I finished today, and started a day or two ago, and really enjoyed, so I hope to be back on my tear.

And here we have a link to my previous reads: Books 1-33 and below you'll find a few more I'm adding to my completed list!

34. Belle du Jour, The Secret Diary of a Call Girl, by Anonymous
35. I am Three, by "me," as told to Jerri Wolfe
36. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, by Jocelyn Jackson

I'll hope to have more to come over the coming weeks, and we'll see if I can suddenly hit 100 before 2010. Otherwise I'll be happy with 50, and super happy with 55!

I love Sundays.

I mean, who doesn't? They're chock-full of lazy moments. Especially when the entire house is under the weather. Hubby and I are starting to think that we might have H1N1. Great fun. I'm thinking he got it from someone at work or something, and brought it home to the rest of us. Woo hoo! Could I BE any happier?

Anyway, back to loving Sundays. When I lived at home in NY, with my family, Sundays were days of bagels for a late breakfast, maybe even a potato knish, if we were lucky ... football and more bagels for lunch, and then Chinese food for dinner. Now that I live in NC I have no bagels (boo!) and little football (sometimes the Giants are on, but not often enough) and Chinese food has to be picked up if we want it. But we don't have that kind of a "traditional" weekend, yet. Maybe once my daughter gets older we'll have more of a routine on Sundays. Heck, Saturdays, too.

For now I'll settle for sitting on the couch with the laptop, while my daughter plays with Play-Doh, my husband is upstairs sleeping, and Laurie Berkner sings on our living room TV set. Not quite the NFL, but it entertains, just the same.

What are your Sunday routines? Anything you natives can suggest for a newly (okay, it's almost been 4 years, but still ...) Southern gal? I mean, we can only hit Bob Evans so many times. If I'm being honest here, I'm not really a fan. I do love me some Cracker Barrel, though, but if we don't get there early enough we wind up waiting for like an hour, and who can do that with a 2-1/2 year old in tow? So then we ride over to Dunkin' Donuts, but even those trips are few and far between of late. So I opt for frozen waffles/pancakes and say thanks to Aunt J, Eggos and any generic brand I can find. Which is fine. But I could use some Starbucks' chai tea right about now. Now there's a place I wish delivered.

Anyway, I do still love my Sundays. There's nothing quite like the Sunday paper, flipping through the fliers, clipping coupons, watching last night's SNL [only there wasn't a new one last night, boo!] and whatever trashy and old movies are on the boob tube. It just might be my favorite day of the week, despite the work week starting the next day. Maybe that's because I'm a stay-at-home-mom these days, and my "work week" never quite ends.

Happy Sunday, everyone. I hope you're enjoying yours!

Who takes care of mommy?

When the whole house is sick, who takes care of mommy?

The little one has a cold, goopy nose and whatnot, but has way too much energy for my sick self. Hubby is a brat when he has a cold, as he really (knock wood) never gets sick, and when he does it usually lasts for like 24 hrs, if that (again, knock wood) and so when he's sick he hides up in bed, OD-ing on NyQuil and darkness.

But me ... who takes care of me? I do, that's who.

True, hubby did run out to Wal-mart and get some tissues and Campbell's chicken noodle soup, so that's a good thing, but as for the rest, it's all me. I threw in a wash already, have the dishwasher running, and am trying to keep on top of my daughter. Although right now I have her watching some Madagascar Penguins, and though I've never seen them before, she seems to be enjoying them from her little spot on the floor by the side of the couch.

It's also pouring outside, so we'll be hibernating today, and likely tomorrow, too. We're even missing a big, group-wide event for my mommies' group since we feel so cr@ppy. Damn -- makes me cranky. I'm always sick in October, though, so I shouldn't be surprised, right? At least I got a nice weekend in last weekend. That has to count for SOMEthing!

And so, Mommy continues to take care of mommy, and everyone else in the house, as well. But if anyone wants to come over and bring me some chicken soup, tuck me in and close the curtains, I'd be more than happy to hand over my family to you for a few hours. Honest. Come on over ... Please!?!

I am honored ...

These last few weeks I have received my first award for blogging, and my second, and my third! You ladies rock. I am honored and humbled by you for passing these bits of recognition along to me.

My first award came from Julie at Just Playin' Around.

It's the One Lovely Blog Award. The rules of this award are: **Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.**

Now 15 is a lot of blogs. Do I read that many? Sure. Have I "discovered" that many in recent weeks? I donno'! But I'll look into it and get back to you all soon, I promise!

My next two awards come from Michele at Finding Trinity.

The first one she passed along to me is the Honest Scrap award. Here are the three rules: **Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me. Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award. Share "10 Honest Things" about myself.

The second award Michele has given me is the PIMP award, now don't get your panties in a twist, it's one she created that means: Pee in my Pants! Hee hee. I love it. It cracks me up by name alone! And the best part is, there are no rules! All I have to do is feel free to pass it along to someone else who makes me laugh my butt off, and tah dah, I'm done.

So since I'm too lazy to look for my award recipients, I'll start with the 10 honest things about myself and move forward from there:

1. I have never had my driver's license.

2. I have not eaten any non-chicken/turkey "meat" since 1988.

3. I love to read. Can you tell? I seriously find myself reading the labels of products when I forget to bring something into the bathroom with me.

4. I hope to someday write something good enough to be published.

5. I met my husband at work. I was dating his boss when he started working there.

6. I have never colored my hair.

7. I have never had anything *waxed.* (TMI? Perhaps.)

8. I gained 26 pounds during my pregnancy.

9. I obtained my MSW while working 3 days a week at my tax publishing job, 3 days a week at my internship and 2 nights a week at school.

10. I have only had 1 true taste of beer in my entire life and that night was one I will never forget. True, there were many other beverages imbibed throughout that evening, but I swear it was the beer that led me to become ill on the ride home from college with my parents. Oh, yes, did I not mention that they arrived early the next morning to find me still in bed, not yet fully packed to return home for the summer after my sophomore year?

Thanks, Michele, for passing that on to me. I'll get back to forwarding these to others at another time. All this honesty has me in need of a drink. Of water, my silly friends. I am home alone with my daughter, I wouldn't crack into the wine just yet! (OK, so that was the case when I wrote this, but then it wouldn't let me post, so I could have some wine now, but feel too crappy to crack open a bottle!)

My favorite things!

I hate being sick.

I am fighting whatever my daughter has, and for me it's making me soooo tired and cranky. My hubby kind of has it, too, but with his body's way of dealing with colds he'll be better by tomorrow. She's all goopy, but hanging in there, and was up most of the night. Which was so NOT fun for Mommy. Tired. Cranky. Almost achey. Headachey. Itchy. Cranky. Scratchy. Did I mention Cranky?

Anyway, we're hanging in there. We had to cancel a playdate for today because of the goopies, and I hope we are OK enough to make it to a Trunk-or-Treat event on Sunday. Mostly because I have responsibilities at the actual event as a volunteer, and also so she can have some fun before Halloween. If she isn't up for it I'll have hubby drop me off and drive her around some so she gets a nap for a change. We shall see!

So, a few of my favorite things for the day are:






*Images obtained from Yahoo Image Search*

Deep Thought (Sorry ... I can only give you the one!)

I hate when I fall asleep and have something on my mind that I want to blog about, and then I wake up in the morning and have no clue what the heck I was thinking of!

I love lunch from the gas station!

What? Am I crazy, you ask?

Why no, thank you for checking, but I'm absolutely fine.

See, here in North Carolina we have this wonderful, even -- forgive the term -- high class sort of gas station called Sheetz. And Sheetz is the greatest find ever here in NC. Sure, they have your basic pre-packaged items. You know the ones, all wrapped in saran wrap or wax paper, or some other sort of clear packaging.

But Sheetz makes you a fresh meal, right after you order it. I mean fresh from the oven (I think?) piping hot meals. From sandwiches to hot dogs, to chicken fingers and so much more. Check out their menu here!

My favorite? Their pretzel sandwich. Seriously. They make a pretzel kind of bread, and I get a turkey sandwich on it with melted swiss cheese, tomatoes and dressing if you want it. And it is SO good. I seriously could eat one every. single. day. I mean it. Between those sandwiches and their cheese filled pretzels, for me, cheddar, I could make a meal and run.

And top it all off with their beverage variety and you'll be smiling, too. I'm so happy when I sip on one of their iced chai teas. So happy. I admit that Starbucks' iced chai is my favorite kind, but this will do in a pinch and then some. It's really quite yummy, and not over-spiced like the ones you find at Panera and Caribou.

Anyway, if you're down in the South and looking for a place to grab a bite to eat, look for the big red Sheetz sign. You won't be sorry!

Wordless Wednesday!

My favorite things!

A new feature here on GGGR ... my favorite things!

Who am I kidding? I don't have time for an actual regular feature. That would mean I'd have to think things through and try to come up with posts way in advance and whatnot. So if you don't see this one again for months, don't yell at me or anything. Usually I forget about stuff and then go to type in a new and creative idea in the title field, and whattayaknow? It's already been used.

But I do like to talk [can you tell?] about things I like [and pretty much anything else,] so for today I'm going to post about my favorite conveniences.

* DVR
How did we ever survive without this? Can you imagine recording about 20-25 shows on a VHS tape? Or ... ACK! Beta? I am so thankful for the DVR I could sing its' praises all day long. I can record a week [and then some] of General Hospital and watch it all in one night, save a show like Rescue Me for months and months and watch it when I am emotionally ready to, and can pause the most important game of the season so I can run to the bathroom, put my daughter to bed, and take a shower if I wanted to, all before having to turn it back on so I can watch the end!

* The ice maker
I'm not actually a huge ice person. But in the heat of the summer, with a cool chai tea waiting for me, well, it needs to be iced. And when my dad is around, well, every drink needs ice, so having an ice maker is an absolute convenience. If you're still going old school and your fridge does not have one, consider it. Seriously. Join us in the current century.

* Wireless
If I could not sit downstairs and have my laptop on my lap [literally!] I would be hunched over a desk somewhere, back aching and daughter running wild somewhere else in the house. With the convenience of wireless I enjoy sitting here while she's watching her boyfriend (Diego) and I get to curl up, blanket nearby, as the morning chill leaves the house. Granted, I do often have to stand over my laptop, as my battery is a bit old and loses it's charge too quickly, but that's a whole 'nother post!

* GoGurt
Yogurt in a long container that my child can eat without making a mess. Freezes quickly, can be disguised as an ice pop. Ensures that she gets something slightly healthy during her day. Coupons are frequently in the Sunday paper. Try it. You'll like it. I swear!

* Screw top wine
It's true. I have heard that all wine-makers are going to be switching to the screw top. If it happens, will the fancy schmancy wine drinkers across the world be devastated? I know I won't be. It's so annoying when you're shimmying out the cork and afraid you'll be eating it with your relaxing beverage. And even more so when you're trying to save the unused portion of your favorite Moscato. True, I have the wine stoppers (love them!) but seriously, a screw top is just so much easier. Who cares if it seems "cheap?" That doesn't stop me from enjoying a bottle of Sterling anyway!

And there you have it. A few of my favorite things on my mind this morning. We'll see what I can come up with next time. And be sure to let me know some of yours, as well!

Moms Rock The Economy: Criss Cross Kidsignment

If you've checked out my sidebar lately then you've seen that I took the Moms Rock Pledge recently. I found out about this from Michelle and decided to follow her lead and take the Moms Rock Pledge.

Anyway, in doing so I've decided to tell you all a little bit about the various *mom businesses* that I've either done business with, heard of from friends, or am really excited about buying from!

My first business is that of two very good friends of mine, so I'm a little bit biased here. These two moms have started their very own online consignment store, called Criss Cross Kidsignment. The basic gist of their site is that they do all the work for you (the consignor) and take in your items, price them, tag them, take pictures of them and then upload these to their site (pending your approval) for sale. And for you (the buyer) you can't ask for a better way to buy affordable, gently used items. Some of the stuff they have is brand new. With tags!

After your purchase they'll pack the stuff up and ship them out to you for a small fee. It's just like regular online shopping, but you're supporting a moms' business, AND you're making a purchase that helps another mom or two, or more, by buying their consigned items. It's totally worth a peek, and I encourage you to do so right away. They may even have that perfect holiday dress for your little girl, the perfect pair of shoes for your new baby, or the perfect Halloween costume [it's only a few weeks away, what are you waiting for?]

So go on, click your way over to Criss Cross Kidsignment, and feel free to tell them I sent you!

The Differences

The differences between being away on a retreat in the mountains with your girlfriends, in comparison to being home ...

Waking up in the morning:
* In the mountains you simply open your eyes, check the time, and stay in bed as long as you'd like.
* At home you wake up to "Mommmmmieeeeeeeee!!" And run to pee before she tries to climb out of her crib.

Breakfast:
* Your choice. A granola bar worked fine, and nobody else cared what I was eating or tried to eat some.
* Waffles. I need miiilllk. Help me eat. Blowing bubbles in said milk.

Bedtime:
* What's that?
* I don't need my crib. I don't need my crib. I don't need my crib.

Plans for the day:
* What are we doing today? I donno. Two hours later ... what are we doing today? I donno. Another hour goes by: Wanna go to the chocolate store? YES.
* Where's Daddy? He's working. Why? Because he is. I need to go to my friends. You can't go to your friends right now. Why? Because they're not home. I need L to see my beautiful dress. She'll see it later. I need Di-ehh-g-io. He's not on. I need to take a bath. It's 10:30, you don't need to take a bath. I need to take a walk. It's raining, we're not taking a walk right now.

Snacks:
* Eat whatever you want, whenever the he!! you want! (LOTS of chocolate!)
* What's that? I need that? I need a 'nack!

Beverages:
* Wine, wine and more wine. Oh, and some Hawaiian Blue Slushy stuff.
* I need mi-ilk. And juice and water. Three cups? Yes. You can only have one. I need mi-ilk. And juice. And water. Oy.

Household chores:
* Don't make your bed, don't wipe down the floor, don't wash your dishes, (all until you leave, of course!) and mostly use and re-use plastic cups!
* Clean up after the cats, wipe down various spills and dribbles, and dust at your leisure. Dishes are always supposed to be rinsed and dropped [carefully] into the dishwasher.

Bathroom behavior:
* Wipe your own a$$. Close and lock the door behind you when you go potty and/or shower.
* Wipe everyone's a$$, including your own. And other parts of their bodies, as well. Absolutely no privacy what-so-EVER!

Entertainment:
* Trashy mags, cr@ppy TV (only like 5 channels) and one another (read: more wine!)
* Noggin, Disney, Nick Jr. and PBS.

Driving:
* I got to sit in the front passenger seat! And we didn't listen to ANY music. Adult conversation.
* Sit in the back next to the child. Music on at almost all time. Talking to husband who is driving is practically impossible over music and child.

Overall experience:
* Lots of laughs, no responsibilities and lots and lots of wine (and some slushy stuff, too!)
* Lots of laughs, tons of responsibilities and lots of wine (minus the slushy stuff.)

Just kiddin'! Or not quite ... it is great to be home, and at the same time it was great to be away. So I think a balance of both is a must for any parent.

Mountains here I come!

Have I mentioned yet that I'm headed out of town for the weekend? And yes, I did say I'm headed, not we're headed ... I'm headed on a weekend retreat up to Asheville. My first trip there and I'm going with a bunch of women from my mommies' group. As my old college friends and I often say when we're away from our families for the weekend, 'No men, no kids, no problem!'

And so this applies here, as well, as there will be about 15 of us in one house, and the same amount in the other. So we rented these beautiful houses, check in tomorrow and plan on having a nice, relaxing, booze-filled weekend either in the hot-tub, in front of the fireplace or roasting s'mores on the fire pit!

Chocolate, booze and cozy clothes, what more could a mom want? Ah, yes, perhaps some time to get some reading or knitting done. Is that too much to ask? I think not!

And so I figured I would say fare thee well. And I'll be back in town on Sunday night, and catch you all on Monday, I am sure. And til then, have a great weekend, I'll be sure to raise a glass or two for you!

Blog Action Day 2009

So, today is Blog Action Day. What? You haven't heard about it yet? Well, obviously you haven't checked out my friend Julie's blog yet today! I learned about this huge world-wide event from her yesterday, and decided it was something I wanted in on.

So what are my thoughts on Climate Change? There are so many things that we, as individuals, can and should be doing to help our world heal.

And as moms I know there are even more ways we could do something ... so let's just DO it!

* Teach our kids about recycling. You know that Moose A. Moose does it, so why don't you? We try to recycle everything in our house. As much as the dog/cat food cans and covers make me absolutely crazy, I still rinse them off and toss them into the recycling bin regularly.

* I have a ton of reusable grocery shopping bags, but don't use them as often as I should. We tend to use the plastic bags around the house, but I really need to start bringing these bags to the store with me. I know I'd feel so much better if I did.

* I posted once before about Composting, and yet, all these months later I haven't started. Maybe for my birthday I'll finally purchase that adorable counter-top compost bin. That will force me to teach my daughter what to do, and learn it for real for myself.

* Wash with cold water. I always ALWAYS do this.

* Shut off the water while you brush your teeth. It's kind of hard with a toddler to get this across. This and not having to flush the toilet when all that's in there is a little bit of pee. The ole' if it's yellow let it mellow thing is hard to explain to a 2-1/2 year old. She just likes to flush. But I'm trying to teach her that she doesn't have to flush for me every time. And hope to teach her the same (at home, of course) when she's finally potty trained.

* Lately, not by choice, we've been air-drying our clothes. Our dryer is kind of on the fritz, so I'm using a drying rack. Saving electricity.

* Unplug items while not in use. There are so many things that are plugged in, charging, etc. in our world today, just taking a few items and pulling the plug is a huge help!

So there you have it, some simple things to do in your every day, and to teach your kids to do, as well. And if you want to learn more, head on over to Blog Action Day (click the image up top) and check it out!

Look Mommy ...

When your 2-1/2 year old turns to you and sticks out two fingers while saying "Look, Mommy!" I suggest that you look away. And get some wipes ready.

Because that kind of remark usually means but one thing.

Poop. On. Her. Fingers.

She somehow managed to reach into her diaper and get poop on her index and middle finger. How on Earth? It didn't leak (which I expected) and was actually (sorry, TMI) pretty solid. And yet, there it was. Poop.

On her fingers.

Ah, the joys of parenting.

Wordless Wednesday!

Pumpkin fun!

On Sunday we went to get some pumpkins at a "kind of" pumpkin patch. Basically they bring all the pumpkins in, spread them out and create a fun atmosphere to pick your pumpkins. Not an actual farm or anything, we did the bootleg version this year. Which was all the same to our little one. And cheaper! No entry fee, bigger pumpkins and earlier that afternoon we participated in the Triangle Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome, which the fees went entirely to the charity, so despite leaving before the walk started, we had a great time playing on the inflatables, riding a kid-sized firetruck, and playing with a K-9 puppy! All in all it was a great day!

Here are a few snapshots:

Remember ...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Click here for a free Feel Your Boobies Sticker!

Muffin Tin Monday!

Today's theme is kebabs ... but for us we wound up with mini-kebabs on fun and fancy picks! A simple cheese and apple snack, which she helped me put together and wanted to eat before she even sat down. Fun stuff!




Looking for more on Muffin Tin Monday? Check out Michelle's blog to find out all you'll ever need to know!

Top Ten!

Top Ten (or however many I can come up with!) things you do you do NOT want your child to learn from watching YOU:

10. Drinking out of the milk carton (it's okay for me because it's soy milk and she and I are the only ones who drink out of it.)

9. How to crack her knuckles. (It's that much worse when I have to confess that my mom taught me and my friends how to do this!)

8. To sweep the hardwoods with her feet (already there.)

7. That a potty mouth does not mean the way you speak when you're on the potty. (Because really, if that's what she thinks it is, who am I to teach her otherwise?)

6. That using Purell to clean your hands after going to the bathroom is the same as washing them. (I know, I know, it's not cool. But seriously, you try turning on the water and getting to the soap while your child is standing on her potty stool and there are 2-3 cats vying for the faucet because obviously you make them live in a desert with no water around for miles.)

5. That it's normal to go to the bathroom with the door open. (See #6 for more info.)

4. That someone (who, me?) will be taking pictures of nearly every minute of her life for the next 30-something years.

3. That talking to the television is okay. (Because really, even though we all do it [I mean, come on, you know you do!] it's really not okay, it's kind of odd. No?)

2. That it is impossible to go an entire day without turning on the computer.

And the #1 thing you do not want your child to learn from watching you:

That a strong sense of self-esteem is not essential to happiness. So on those days when you're feeling down and out, look to those eyes, smile, and remind yourself that you are a teacher. Every minute of every day that you spend with this lovely little being, you are teaching her (or him, or them) that it is important to be who you are, respect one another, and know what the important things in life are all about. Be strong, stay strong, you ARE strong. Woman or man, mommy or daddy, friend or relative, you are you. If you're in the life of a child, you need to show them that being you is exactly what you're meant to do in this world, and being who you are and how you are is a part of all of that. And that they should go on into their days and nights doing just the same for themselves. Because they're amazing, incredible, and you (WE!) love them!

Simply Made Sunday!

This week's Simply Made Sunday post is truly simple! More break and bake cookies for us. This time we used pumpkin sugar cookies, and we embellished them a bit with an array of sprinkles (lots of fancy words for a simple cookie post, no?) and even took the extra dough and made a few rounded-non-pumpkin cookies to enjoy.

Click here to check out more Simply Made Sunday posts!

What am I doing up?

It is 12:51 AM. Yes, seriously. I'm posting at this ung-dly hour. Have I lost my mind, you ask? Well, not exactly.

Have you ever been just too lazy to get up and go upstairs to bed? That's kind of how I am feeling right now. We just watched loads of television. First Numb3rs, then two episodes of my new favorite crime scene drama, The Mentalist. And in between we caught some baseball (Congrats to the Dodgers!) and I made donuts again, with somewhat deflated biscuit dough, and yet, I still ate one. Which reminds me, I need to cover those up and put them away before bed.

Anyway, here I am. Sitting on the couch, a total slug. My head hurts, my eyes definitely ache, and I need to get up and go brush my teeth, get some water and go to sleep. Now is the time I wish I were a little kid again and my dad could carry me upstairs to my room. Gone are the days, but I can reminisce a bit anyway, right?

So, what time do you normally go to bed? Are you a night owl like me? Or one of those horrid morning people? Just kidding. I kind of married one of those, but he's actually both. Sort of. I'm the major night owl. Always do my best work after midnight. Which, I guess, is why I am here.

But I shan't tangent any longer. Is shan't even a word? My spellcheck isn't going off, and yet it's highlighting spellcheck. Hmmn. Deep thoughts. And off to bed I go! Sweet dreams!

Flashback Friday

Our puppy Dexter shortly after we adopted him,
in October 2003.

And just the other day in our backyard, October 2009!

Being a mom means ...

* Listening to the same stories over and over again.
* Answering 900 "Why?" questions a day.
* Learning how to hold your breath while changing a stinky diaper.
* Learning all the words to every song on Handy Manny.
* Translating your daughter's conversations for everyone around her. Even the Spanish ones (thanks, Dora and Diego!)
* Laughing hysterically when you wake up to your child screaming: "Mommmay! Mommmay, you made me cookies?"
* Relaxing as your child walks around all day in nothing but a diaper and a pajama shirt.
* Or the opposite, relaxing as your child walks around all day in pajama pants, a dress, and green rain boots.
* Understanding that if you give her something to play with, there is a strong possibility that she WILL break it.
* Having your camera ready at any given moment.
* Getting used to the fact that your boobs will never. look. the same. again.
* Turning a deaf ear towards the nighttime whining that comes from her bedroom, because you know that she is fine, and you know that if you do she will eventually just fall asleep.
* Finding yourself feeling the most incredible love in the world. Every single day of your life.

Shows that make me laugh

Although I am a huge fan of criminal dramas, and love my favorite soap and Ellen, but give me a half-hour comedy and I'm happy as a clam.

Here are a few that I absolutely love, adore and cannot live without:

The Office

*If you're not a fan, well, you're really missing out. This show is hilarious. And often quite painful. Michael Scott is such a disaster, it's amazing how his character even functions. Between him and Dwight, the show has been a mess since day one. Add Andy to that mix and you have a beautiful disaster. But most importantly, we have Jim and Pam. Star-crossed lovers for oh-so-long, but now, on the eve of their wedding day, they finally connect. I CANNOT wait for tomorrow's episode. I'm so excited!

How I Met Your Mother

*Honestly, at this point I don't even care how he met their mother! The rest of the story just totally rocks. My husband and I actually refer to the show as "Barney," referring to NPH's character. His relationship with Robin continues to blossom this season, and he is as ... wait for it ... awesome as ever. Marshall and Lily are adorably annoying and yet perfect at the same time, and Ted, well, Ted is Ted. He's the storyteller, the exaggerator, and he's Ted! Tune in, I promise you'll be glad you did!

Rules of Engagement

* Not yet on again for the season, but as far as I can tell, they were renewed by CBS. Which is fantastic news! The show is tongue-in-cheek kind of funny, almost has that Seinfeld feel to it, which might be because they spend a lot of time in a diner, but could also be because of *Putty/Puddy,* {I'm obviously so not sure how to spell that, and neither is anyone else on the Web!} He's so friggin hilarious I'd watch him in anything. And you know what? I actually do! See this MAC commercial and you will, too.

30 Rock

* Tina Fey? Love her. Alec Baldwin? Hilarious. Tracey Jordan? Annoying, but mostly in an appropriately funny sort of way. Jane Krakowski? Nobody better. Kenneth? Does he even have a real name? Does anyone care? He's adorable. Too much. Did I mention how much I worship Tina Fey?

Gary Unmarried

*Jay Mohr made me so horribly sad when he left Ghost Whisperer to start this show. I swear I shed a small tear when he left. And now he has me crying every week. With laughter. He's hysterical. Add to his ridiculously laid back character a high-maintenance ex-wife, a straight-A daughter and a bit of a wimp for a son, plus his visiting military brother, and you've got a show made in heaven. Seriously. I avoided it at first, thought it would just be another failure. I hoped, at first. I mean, Melinda needs him, ya know? But she moved on, and so did I. I love Gary. He's a pi$$er and a half. Seriously. Watch this show. Watch it with your husband, your wife, even your ex. Because this show makes ANY relationship look fun!

So, that's my sit-com wrap-up for late 2009. Hope you find at least one new piece of info in my post tonight. And if not, well, please leave a comment, because I think we'd be great friends!