Breakfast =

A handful of M&Ms ...

And then I made turkey bacon and pancakes (Bisquik) and we all actually sat down and ate breakfast together IN OUR OWN HOME!

Amazing, isn't it?

We tend to do breakfast together on the weekends, but we almost always end up eating out. Which we do enough on the weekends in general, I'd say.

I've never been one of those moms who make pancakes or waffles from scratch, but I am starting to contemplate it as a money-saver. If I can make a batch or two and freeze them, shouldn't I be able to toast them up later just as easily as I would if they were generic-supermarket-brand or Eggos? I hear about that all the time, and think, really? ME? Could I do that? And then I say, ha. Really? ME? Nah. I'd never.

But after a simple breakfast this AM, where we were able to stay in our PJs and remain unshowered (me) I kind of like the idea. And so maybe, just maybe, I'll give it a shot! Anyone have any from scratch waffles or pancakes or whatever else you can think of recipes for me? I mean, I even HAVE a waffle-maker. It's about 8 years old, but I still have it! And I think know it works!

Watch out, world! I'm a Domestic Diva in the making! [Stop laughing. I can see you laughing. Oh, yes. I CAN.]

And so it goes ...

Just when you think your child is approaching sleep she opens her bedroom door and calls out, "Daddy!?!"

Boogers! It was literally just as I started to write this. I was thinking to myself how it might be nice to have a calm night. She's totally testing me these days, not necessarily any more than usual, and yet, just a little bit. And that's because she's turned into a Daddy's girl. Seriously stuck like glue to him. Which, honestly, after being with her nearly every full day for the past three years, I can deal with for a change. But at the same time, when it turns into her fighting with me because -- for example -- at the circus today, I would not let her open a bottle of water by herself because she was holding a large plastic cup with popcorn and I really didn't want either the water or the popcorn to fly onto the family in front of us -- she'd rather have Daddy, well, that ain't no picnic.

And so it goes. I listen to her through the monitor, and scream up to her, 'Close your door!' and 'Go to bed!' and she does not. Although I'm hopeful at some point she will. Right now she's screaming down asking, 'You ready, Mommy?' although I'm not sure what on earth I'm supposed to be ready for!

The circus was fun, overall, and she did pretty well, minus that one mini-meltdown, so we survived. Which is a nice thing. I'll share some pics this week when I finally get them loaded. I'm too lazy to get the camera out right now, as hubby is boiling water I should probably tend to, and it's a matter of moments before her door opens again! Oh, the joys of parenthood!

Meme Free Week

I am so addicted to memes I have decided that starting tomorrow I am granting myself the week off. A meme free week, as it were. Is. Will be.

Anyone up for joining me?

Over a year ago ...

Some of you truly know me. Some of you are only just beginning to know me. Some of you think you know me, and kind of do, but have a lot more to learn about me if you care to.

And then, there are the friends that have long gone.

Back in 2006 my husband and I relocated to North Carolina from New York City. Brooklyn, to be precise. In doing so I left my family and my friends behind.

And so you ask ...

Was it difficult? Absolutely. Was it scary? Hell yeah! Am I happy? Sure I am. Do I miss home? Yes, I certainly do. Have things changed over the past [almost] four years? Yes. They have. For the better? For the most part.

I've struggled being in NC without my family. Family is irreplaceable. You can't find yourself a new brother. A new and incredible sister-in-law. My parents come to visit, but it's not the same as being able to have dinner with them whenever I want to. And my friends, well, they're a story in and of themselves.

Many friends have stayed strong. My closest friends from college were those I rarely saw anyway, and we take our connections and history very seriously. We wouldn't give that up for anything. Whether I do or don't make it to the annual girls' weekend (Vegas 2010, baby!) they're there for me. To listen, to vent to, whether it's by e-mail or by phone. They know that when I come "home" to NY it's not always possible to see them in person. I'd love to say it was simple, but it's not, and they get that. I realized that more than ever this past summer when I spent the weekend with them all in Connecticut. I never flinched, and I hadn't seen some of these girls in over FOUR YEARS!

My old skool work friends, who have been some of the best friends a girl could have, they're there for me. Usually it's via e-mail (maybe because two of them are guys?) with an occasional phone call thrown in. One friend and his wife have had their 3rd child since I last saw them. He doesn't hate me for being crammed into too many things when I'm in town. He knows I love and care about him and his family, and we don't take our friendship for granted.

And then, then there are the friends I have known for what felt like forever. The ones I wrote "BFF" at the end of each card or letter. The ones I have been like family to and with. These friends, these are the ones that have fallen by the wayside. How? How is that even possible? You can ask, and sadly, I cannot answer.

There were three. Now there is one. She is my lifeline to the old world. We don't talk about the other two. I just miss and ache for her, and her newborn baby boy whom I have yet to meet. She was my college roommate, and if we could survive that for FOUR WHOLE YEARS, well, we can make it through any and everything. And we are. And we will continue to.

But the others, how did it happen?

Sadly, life brought many challenges. And when two people put themselves on a pedestal and you cannot keep them up there things get difficult. You can't maintain the friendships when you're not in plain sight. You can't profess how important they are to you - by handwritten letter - no less - and receive nothing but complaints and anger in return. And that sears through you to the point that the tears come. The pain rips through you and you become willing to throw away so many years of friendship. You say to yourself, how is it that she does not know me? We've been friends forever. How can she think that she is not important? Is it because when I came home I spent so much time with my mom? My MOM? Who, mind you, had cancer at the time? Is it possible that two people who have been in the BFF position can truly put themselves over my mother, my father, my brother and his family? Would they do that for me? I think not.

So, it ended. And the doors have closed. Although, as life takes it's toll on us all, one door creaks open slowly. My aunt passed away, and one friend called me. Her father became ill, and we connected again. And now, now we just contact one another through e-mails on and off. And it won't be the same, because it can never be the same. And it hurts, and I ache sometimes, but then, I think to myself, I have to close those doors, because if these are people who can treat me that way when I am the one experiencing the changes, I am the one who moved 500 miles away, I am the one working to maintain a relationship, then was that truly a friendship at all?

I think not.

And so, I move forward. Making friends who understand me, accept me, and give me no ultimatums. Friends I can consider true friends. And though there is no history there, when our daughters turn into teenagers, or grown women, we will look back and turn to one another and remember when. And in the meantime, I'll always have my memories.

**This has been a post in response to a prompt over at Mama Kat's.**

Wordless Wednesday!

Post-It Note Tuesday!

"Not Me!" Monday

It was Not Me who just allowed my daughter to eat an entire serving of vanilla ice cream for lunch. Ehem. Even AFTER she started bawling and screaming that she no longer wanted to share with her mother. Nope. Not this mommy.

It has also not been me who has found my patience wearing extremely thin at the stages of emotion and crying that have been happening for this little and beautiful child of mine. And it's not me who has been completely frustrated with said child for getting the whine and the whimper, and even the TEARS down pat. Nope. Nah. Not I.

It's also not been me who joined Twitter recently and found that 1-liners about Motherhood are actually kind of fun to write. Even if nobody's listening. It's still kind of cool to do it. And therefore it's not me who you can find @goodgirlgonered. Nope. ;)

Not me again who is posting this right now as my daughter sits watching Phineas and Ferb on-demand. Oops. Nope, not me!

So, what haven't you been up to? Fill me in on your perfect days and nights! And head on over to MckMama for more posts on said topic matter. Fun stuff!

What the heck do I think I'm doing?

I signed up for a Twitter account last night. Some of you may have seen me start following you. I am still anti-FB, but having used Twitter for my business, I've become ever-so-slightly addicted to following people and reading lots of cool stuff, and I read somewhere the other day how Twitter is a great way for bloggers to connect (I think it was on Mama Kat's blog, but I forget and will check the link to be sure.)

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know, and tell you my "handle," if that's what it's called. I think that's what it's called. Right?

You can find me @ goodgirlgonered out there in Tweetaleedee Land!

So if you have an account, let me know here in my comments so I can find you! And follow ... and harass ... aw, you know you love me!

Memory Lane Fridays

Today's topic over at Memory Lane Fridays (at Lisa's "house!") asks me to post about a family pet. I never had pets growing up, but I'll share an old shot of my old man cat Shakan, who passed away before the new year:


These shots are several years old (and I mean SEVERAL) and long before he had any health issues and became super skinny man.

And if you're a new friend and want to see more pics and read my post from when he left us, here's the link to Sad Day.

Busy Thursday!

Busy Thursday. Catching up on work, volunteer stuff, totally neglecting my child as she watches Nick Jr (formerly known as Noggin!)

Anyway, just came by to say hi, hope all is well w. everyone and getting ready for the weekend!!!

Laytah and PEACE OUT!!!

Mellow Monday

Hubby took today off. My parents are still visiting. It is pouring. Hubby took the wee one out for a car-ride aka: nap. He called and set a world record: 3 miles and she was out like a light.

I'm lazy. Tired. Stuffy. Chillaxin'. And did I mention lazy? No? Yeah, I did. You read me.

Hope you're all enjoying your day, that everyone has the day off and has better weather than we do here. Happy Monday to all and to all a good "afternoon!"

Birthday Party

Today.

3rd Birthday.

3 boys, 2 girls and my daughter.

My parents, my hubby and me.

5 moms, 4 dads and 24 cupcakes. And one absolutely yummy cake.

Pics of cake to come. [Adding now!]


SO tired. My feet hurt. It was her very first birthday party, in our home, and lots of fun. We should actually ALL be asleep, but for now just she is.

Sweet dreams, my little sweetie-pie, my lil cupcake, my pretty girl. I'm so proud to be your Mama. So proud of how well behaved you were today, how you shared everything w. your friends, and listened to the grown-ups when we talked to you. I'm so proud to watch you grow. It's quite amazing. And on that note, I say good night.

Shoot Me - Week 2 of 52!

I missed posting this yesterday because I took the day off, but here's my shot of me and my lil girl from last week. It's a bit blurry because I took it w. my laptop camera, and the lighting was ickky, but we were modeling our new tees from the mommies' site I belong to. Mine says: "YOU CAN'T SCARE ME, I'M A MOM!" Perfect, no? If you're interested in a mommy site in your area, check out The Mommies Network.** It's a free organization that supports moms across the US/Canada.

As for this meme, I'm trying to catch myself in FRONT of the camera for 52 straight weeks, as a part of the Shoot Me! challenge over at Forever in Blue Jeans (check the Shoot Me box above!) I do have a picture or two from my munchkin's birthday, but I haven't loaded them yet. Lazy Momma award of the week goes to ... ;)

**While I volunteer for the national and local sites, but get nothing from referring you, etc. It's honestly just a great support system for mommies, mommies-to-be, mommies who want to be that I honestly recommend!**

Swap = Much Fun!

So, I participated in a blog package swap hosted by Kelly at 3 Kids, a Mini-Van and a Lot of Love recently, and traded packages with Lisa over at Two Bears Farm and the Three Cubs. It was really cool to get a nice pack of goodies for my lil one, including some treats for me, too ... (she sent me THREE BOOKS! Heaven!)

Here's my daughter digging through the box:

With a new snack holder, revolutionary,
seriously,
and fun, too!

Mini Play-Doh!!!

Little People Doctors and a new Elmo
[I swear his eyes are ALWAYS SCARY!] towel!

This book is SO cool that I am hiding it from her
so she doesn't use it all at once ... ;)

And the piece de' resistance ...

There were also some other goodies in there that I didn't get to take shots of, mostly because she dug right in! One of the items is going to be my very first GIVEAWAY. Nope, I'm not giving away MINE, but Lisa is going to send one to one of my lucky readers. More on that to come next week.

Anyway, if you want to learn more about how this incredible mom survives a life of work, motherhood and also finds the time to RUN, and I mean seriously, the woman runs marathons! What? How is that even possible? She's a mother of TWINS, no less. Sigh. I'm so un-motivated. Is that even a word? Sigh. You should go check her out ... and run, don't walk, over to her blog ... tee hee, I made a punny, didn't I?

As always, your favorite dork ...


p.s. If, by chance, you're interested in participating in an upcoming swap, Kelly is hosting one soon that's a grown-up geared one, which should be fun fun FUN!!!

What if ...

You woke up one morning and found out you could go ABSOLUTELY ANYWHERE you wanted, all expenses paid, private jet, free food, drink, massages, and basically whatever you wanted?

Would you ...

* Go alone? or bring your husband and daughter [your version of family] with you?
* Go somewhere warm or cold? [examples welcome]
* Tell people where you were going?
* Go somewhere brand new? Or a place you'd been before?
* Bring your own stuff or buy all new when you got there?
* Bring a book or two to read, or tons of trashy magazines?

As I am sitting here watching my daughter watch Coraline, and the wind is blowing so hard outside that we woke up to find a tree had split our backyard fence (more on that later!) and my parents remain snowed in in NYC, well, I find myself saying ... wouldn't it be nice IF ...

No true answers here just yet. I'm just doing the hypothetical and figured I'd ask if anyone wanted to share. Happy Hump-Day!

Wordless Wednesday!

HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART. MOMMY LOVES YOU!

Post-It Note Tuesday!

Putting myself in Time-Out

Right now. Right this second.

See, I created a fun bucket (sort of) for my daughter last night. It's filled with pasta and rice, more specifically, orzo, white rice, pastina and alphabet pasta. I should have known it'd be messy, especially when it comes to this kid, but I figured what better way to play her own version of search and rescue, so to speak?

I put 15 beads in there, and yesterday we played for what seemed like hours. This morning she wanted to get on it, ASAP. So we played some more. The most important instruction in this game is that she MUST PLAY OVER THE BIN. 100% of the time. Otherwise it's noodle/rice central all over my friggin' floor. Anyone else struggle with this? Creative time = making a mess? Well, let's just say Mama may need an extra happy pill this morning. Or at the very least it truly was a prediction when I asked hubby to bring me home an iced chai latte from B&N yesterday, and he brought me a Venti (as if he even knows what that size means!) And this AM when I opened the fridge to get a beverage for Happy Pill #1, I nearly cried with relief when I saw it there. For it's so easy to forget you have the beverage of your choice waiting for you.

And so, when the child made her first mess of the morning, I was calm. And I told her if it happened again the TOY gets a time out, but she does not. Of course, stupidly, mommy gave her a small car to play with in the bin. D'uh. Stupid mommy. Stupid -- stupid mommy. Sigh. Mess #2 has mommy pounding the table and about ready to bite my own arm. I'm so serious. So the toy got a T-O, the TV got turned on and I have Team OomiZoomi or whatever the he!! they're called mesmerizing said child. And here I am.

Is that bad? Is that OK? Please validate me. It's so little for me to ask of you, isn't it? Just that small request. And so, here I am. Dog barking outside. Several memes awaiting my attention. And me, sitting here. With you. Well, not WITH you, but talking TO you. Which I guess may mean I'm talking to myself. But hey, what the heck? Why not do it on paper (electronically) as opposed to sit on the couch and actually DO it? Talk to myself. What? You don't do it? Dude, I was walking around Target yesterday and got caught doing it. Guy laughed and said he does it all the time. Thank goodness. Another similar soul. Whew. As I was saying ... what WAS I saying, anyway?



btw: This Team OomiZoomi guy totally sounds like Joe from Blues Clues. I mean it. I need to go google him now. Uhm, the show. I have no idea, well, no, that's a lie. Him name is Donovan Patterson? Something like that. [I checked - it's Patton!] Holy cr@p. And I only know that because he has done some crazy Noggin/Nick JR commercial for reading or something and SAYS his name. At least I think that's it. OK. I'm done rambling about Joe now. I much prefer Steve, anyway. [And it's TOTALLY HIM!!!! I'm so smart in the world of Kid-TV!]

Lazy Weekend

Not really a post, just a hi and a Congrats to the NOLA Saints!!!

I'm very psyched for them, although I watched not enough of the game, or the commercials, as my daughter's bedtime was not as smooth as I had hoped it would be.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed your weekends. We had some flakes here yesterday, which was kind of pretty, but then it went away, which was eh. Odd, I can't truly remember what we did yesterday. I think I blocked it out of my mind. We went to eat lunch (where? I forget) and then to the mall (blocking it out, blacking out, whatever you want to call it) and then came home. Oh, wait, I remember. Lunch was AT the mall, at Ruby Tuesdays. I had a yummy turkey burger with avocado and havarti cheese. I was proud of myself, I ate only 1/2 of it, but then, of course, ate fries and artichoke dip, too. Ah, well. Ate the rest of the sandwich for dinner. Two meals in one!

Today we went to the gas station for breakfast, but guess what? It wasn't SHEETZ. :( It was Huddle House. Ever heard of it? No? Not missing that much. Super cheap, super simple, super eh. Then we hit Target, which was a great success. I was on a kick today, and had the urge and NEED to organize our downstairs. Our dining room that is a semi-playroom, our living room that is a total playroom, and so on and so forth.

I had some more to say and some ideas for posts, cute stuff, but I'm blanking on that, too. It is also possible that because I have a cat kneading on my back right now I may just not feel like writing anymore. And you? How was your weekend? Hasta manana.



Well, whattayaknow? I think I just wrote a post. No?

Totally Advertising for myself ...

But I promise if you check it out it'll be worth it. And if it's not, I'll never mention it again. Scouts honor. (Okay, that's cr@p, there's no way this Brooklyn girl was ever a scout. But my hubby is from Maine, and he went all the way through the Eagle Scouts, so that has to count for something, right? Maybe?)

So, most of you don't even know that I've started working. A while back I did a review of a website that two of my friends had started. It's an online consignment store for children's clothing, gear, maternity clothes, and other necessary items for being a mom or dad!

Anyway, as of January 1st, I became the third partner in the business!

It's really a great site, if I do say so myself, and we're constantly adding inventory to the pages. And I DO mean constantly ... I have the carpal tunnel to prove it! ;)

And the reason I'm posting is because we're running a huge Super Bowl Weekend Sale that started today and runs through Sunday. It's a 15% off discount when you enter in one of two codes: COLTS or SAINTS. The extra bonus is when you make your purchase, we document which code you use, and we're going to take all the names of those who used the code of the team that wins the game on Sunday and raffle off a $15 gift-card/code towards your next purchase.

So, if you're interested, check it out. If not, no sweat, I won't hurt you. If you know any moms or dads who are always interested in a sweet deal on kids' stuff, send them along and have them tell us you sent them. Even if you don't make a purchase, you'll earn $1 for each person you refer who does. That'll be good towards a future purchase, as well.

Can you tell we're hoping to really drum up business this weekend? We've already had a few sales today, but the inventory is taking over our worlds and we want YOU to take it off our hands, and it's a win-win all around.

So, without further ado, the site is http://www.crisscrosskidsignment.com, or just click it here: Criss Cross Kidsignment.

Writer's Workshop and Shoot Me! (Or the longest post ever!)

Mama Kat gave us so many great prompts today, I'm not sure I can pick just one.

#1. A song you can't escape:
** Geez, lately it's been almost anything from the Phineas and Ferb soundtrack. I kid you not. Right now it's 'Backyard Beach,' but it could be anything, as I bought hubby this CD for Chanukah and it's ALL. THAT. WE. LISTEN. TO. IN. THE. CAR.


And if it's not them, well, it's Laurie Berkner. Daughter of mine wants to listen to her all day, every day, if possible. I Really Love to Dance ...



#3. Open letter to a cartoon character:
** Go on over to Mama Kat's. She wrote the best letter. It's hilarious. As for me, here's mine ...


Dear Dora,

Oh, dear, sweet, sweet Dora. I love that my daughter loves you. I truly do. You're a great friend, you have great friends, and you capture the minds and attention of children everywhere, giving their moms enough time to brush our own teeth. You laugh, Dora, you say, "WHO ELSE'S TEETH WOULD YOU BE BRUSHING?" Well, Dora, my daughter's, that's who. I mean, sometimes, anyway. And I thank you, I honestly do thank you for that.

And I thank you for teaching my daughter more Spanish than I have. I love speaking Spanish, I am pleased that she is learning. I am thrilled (and was completely surprised one night) to hear her counting from 1-10 in Spanish. Absolutely.

And because of you she even knows the words for mommy and daddy, except she calls Daddy "Boppy." We're still working on the difference between "B" and "P" ... she's not quite 3, so let's give her a break, shall we?

I do have at least one issue with you, Dora. Despite your incredible personality and upbeat self, your enthusiasm that carries you across your journeys, gets you to your destination (I mean, sure, it's the map and all that, but really, if you didn't have your energy how would you really make it? All those miles? Do you have energy bars in your backpack, maybe?)

My problem with you, sweetie, is that you SCREAM ALL THE TIME!!!!! Why do you have to scream so much? Are your parents deaf? It's not like they're around, though. Does Boots not listen to you unless you raise your voice? I mean, I get it when you guys are yelling at Swiper, that makes sense. I totally get that (see my story for prompt #2 later.) But MAN OH MAN, WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SCREAMING! It seriously hurts my ears.

I'll happily blame it on your cousins Diego and Alicia, that's cool. But I'm here to tell you that you don't have to scream to be heard. I hear you. My daughter hears you. Our next door neighbors hear you, as do the people who run the dog kennel around the corner. And that's saying a lot, mi hija. Porque si quieres amigas quien escuchan a ti, sssssh. Calmate! Me promete, I promise. It will all get better from there.

Tu amiga, **Andreita

#5 List 10 things you never knew until you were a mom:
** Uhm, OK, here goes (it's a very Mommy Themed post today!)

I NEVER KNEW ...
1- That I'd wipe my child's nose with my bare hands...
2- Or my own shirt.
3- How to change a diaper while a child was standing up!
4- That I'd become a breastfeeding expert.
5- That I would be cool w. my daughter wearing her PJs all day after sleeping in them all night!
6- That the first time I actually was able to braid her hair I'd feel like crying.
7- What it would be like to pee with an audience, EVERY SINGLE TIME.
8- How useless safety doorknob handles are.
9- How much I'd want to lock her in her room sometimes. From the OUTSIDE.
10- The kind of love, awe, emotion and sometimes frustration I'd feel when I hear the word MOMMY!

And on that note, I'm starting my first of 52 weeks where Mommy is in the Picture! I found this meme over at Secret Mom Thoughts and I knew I had to join in! So check out the meme here at Forever in Blue Jeans:

Here's a shot from playing in the snow last weekend!

Shot 1 of 52!

Wordless Wednesday - Last Weekend in NC!