makeover monday

Mops group today was "spa day".

I came home with a full head of makeup (very tastefully done. my eyes were to die for) and an eye brow wax.

What did the hubs say when I returned?

"Did you do something to your eyes?

Nice response hubs. At least he noticed something was different.

I took a picture of myself, so one day, when I have oodles of time to apply makeup, without driving with my knee, I will have some sort of guide of "how it should be done".

It's monday and all, but I do look good.

update:

Here are two pics. Hard to tell that I am even wearing makeup, but I guess that is the idea, right?

days of bore......

are soon fading.

All it took was a playdate at my humble abode to get this place back into some sort of presentable order.

Only issue now is, one of the moms just called to say her little one puked in his crib. He's the second one from the left.

God save us all.



(This photo was taking last summer.)


e

feeling like a chip clip

I am not sure what is up with me lately, but I have been experiencing some major ass laziness. I find myself being sooo bored most of the day, but have no interest in doing anything to resolve my issue. It is actually extremely nice. I have no expectations, no goals, no nothing for the entire day, just to exist and hangout with Rt. (Well, only dinner for three, but my mom took care of that last night and brought home In N Out. Righteous.)

I think some of it is the fact my mom is here and graciously cleans my house (kitchen) the moment she returns from work in the evenings. I tell her not to (sort of), but I don't think she sees the mess as carefree as I do right now. (piles don't mean clean to her). I do make efforts to clean somethings throughout the day, (shuffle said piles) but in the end, who really cares? At least the laundry gets done. (some would beg to differ) Actually, I never take it out of the dryer, but at least it makes it to the dryer, right? Poor hubs, he has to fish out his clean underwear from the laundry room. (boo hoo) Who wants to fold clothes anyway? Then, you have to put them up somewhere. (hide them) My whole goal is to get the laundry basket empty. (for like a frickin minute) What happens to it after the fact is not so important.

Anywho...I have had no concrete plans this entire week. (I'm melting!) What scheduled events I usually do have are not in session this week due to one thing or another. (bastards!) (I am seeing a pattern here. no plans...... no shower.......... no teeth brushed.) I am taking great pride in my quest to just sit and chill (turn on video) cause you never know when you might not have this free time again. (or child who will forget that you exist and watch the same episode of signing time 3 times in a row.)



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two and change

So, the big day has come and gone, but the pictures of Rt's bday will always remind me of such a sweet little boy who really enjoyed spending the day with his friends and family and, oh ya, he liked that there were "pancakes" and presents too.











Besides one of Rt's friends busting open his chin while falling off Rt's rocket ship, all the kids really enjoyed playing outside with the sandbox, picnic and train tables.










Once again, hubs put together a video of Rt's 2nd year in the making. It was a major hit with the guests and mostly Rt himself. It is still being requested today. Hopefully I can upload it to YouTube soon and share it will all of you. :)







e

Green for pennies

www.greentimes.com

Want to get rid of all that lame O extra crappy junk mail you get everyday of your life? All it takes is a measly 10 cents a day, for a total of only $36 a year, to be removed from junk mail mailing lists AND a tree will be planted once a month for an entire year just because you clicked an itty bitty button in your spare 5 minutes.

I watched my dvr'd episode of Oprah yesterday and got way inspired. It's hard deciding what action to take to keep this planet from bursting into a big flame ball.

I thought this was the easiest FIRST step to take.

I hope you do too.


e

Setting an example

For those of you who have not heard, my mother received the job offer I mentioned way back when and has already moved out to Cali to continue her life's journey while being a professional business woman. She is currently residing with us until her lease begins at the beginning of May. Her full title is Director of Development of a Medical Center, Stem Cell Research and Transplant Division. Can you say kick ass? Kick ass!

You see, my mom had always been a SAHM ever since I was a wee little one, but continued her college education with a Masters Degree in Journalism while being at home with me and my older brother. It wasn't until I was in high school that my mom took a full time job at a University to help ends meet for our family after the market crashed in '87. No, my dad wasn't a stock broker, he was in Commercial Real Estate which was just as bad once the market tanked. Even through the hard times, I never heard her complain. I am sure on many levels, she was thrilled to use her talents on more than PTA meetings. Did I mention she was president of the Mother's Club? Let's just say I was voted to be President of the PTA when I was in highschool. Rock on.

After I left for college, my parents split up, my dad moved away and my mom was left to clean up the mess. My mom's job at the university was still gratifying, but did not pay enough for her to continue to live alone and keep the house. So, she looked for better employment which in the end moved her out of state. Over the past 14 years, my mom has lived in several places and has done what it takes to make it happen.

Since my mother has arrived in town, I have been nothing but difficult to be around. I tend to carry other people's issues, hopes, dreams, and worries on my shoulders. It makes me feel very weighted. It was easier balancing my plate while no one in my immediate family lived near me. That way, what problems or concerns I did take on, were far enough away to push aside as needed. Now that my mother is living within 45 minutes of me, and for now, down the hall on the right, I have been consumed with more than I can handle. It is so my doing. I have learned to survive this way, get by this way, be needed this way. But, I have also been conditioned this way to behave. I am not certain of the origin, nor wanting to point fingers. The outcome is what needs the focus.

The day hubs went out of town last week, I was able to move aside one member of my "plate" and have a heart to heart talk with my mother. I explained my annoying behavior and hoped she would understand why I was feeling so "underwater". I was extremely grateful for the honesty that was shared that morning, from both of us.

Bottom line is this: I am the one that needs to let go, and I do feel I will be able to accomplish this and have a wonderful experience raising my child with both sets of grandparents living near by, but in the same breathe, I need to be given the opportunity to change.

If neither one happens, I could lose myself and I just can't afford it.

e

interview e

Thanks whoorl for keeping it real.

1. What is your favorite state fair type of food?

That would be the one and only Corn dog of the Texas State Fair, the Fletcher corn dog.


2. If you could have one wish granted by the end of this year, what
would it be?

Dude, I hate these types of questions. Argh. Decisions, decisions. Actually, I've got one, but being a tad bit superstitious, I'll keep it close to me for now.


3. What is the one thing you would change about yourself (physically
or emotionally?)

It has come to my attention I am very in tune with my emotional side. My therapist once called it "neat". Thanks for that one Marvin. I would want to be less affected by everything, anything. I would like to shake the need to be in control. I believe both of those go hand in hand. Freakin sucks.


4. If you could have any hairstyle (including color), what would it be?

Oooo, I would love to have long, black, straight hair. Too bad my skin color would veto that idea right off the bat.


5. You only can have one for the rest of your life....cheeseburger or
ice cream? Why?

Well, I only like cheeseburgers if they are grilled on an outdoor grill, something about the cheese being melted that way is totally killer, so I would only order hamburgers on all other occasions. I don't like ice cream that much either. I prefer soft serve frozen yogurt. So, if the question was hamburger or frozen yogurt, then the answer would be frozen yogurt.

There is truly nothing better than a soft serve vanilla cone from IKEA.
McDonalds ranks a close 2nd.


(Thanks lvgurl for the following verbiage. I am lazy.)

If you'd like to join in the interview fun, follow these directions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.


peace

e

p.s. Happy Birthday Cocodrie!

New gurl on the block

And last but not least.... (I swear, I know no one who is giving birth anytime soon.)


Congratulations to Janine and her family on the birth of their second child, a girl, on Thursday, April 5th.

Stats:

Halle Jane
4 lbs 10 oz
17 inches
4:03a.m.?

Halle was welcomed home by her big brother Harrison.

Oh no you didunt

Trying to upload photos from Rt's big day. Will write a post soon, I swear.

Until then, Metalia recent post got me thinking about my own typo blunder.

Hubs and I received so many nice gifts when we got married. (almost 5 yrs ago) The only drawback to receiving any gift is those damn thank you notes. (which are still haunting me today due to the latest bday bash) Anything you write sounds so pasty, cause that is all you have to muster at that point, is paste. You're brain is fried and you have nothing much to offer besides typical thank you note verbiage.

One thank you note I wrote came off just a little too wrong. We had received tongs and other cooking utensils and I somehow portrayed a very genuine love for each and every "new toy" for the kitchen. Too bad I couldn't hit spell check because what I wrote started out like this:

"Thank you so much for the thongs and the............."

And the note was to my brother........

e

Detox

Party was a huge hit.

I am still in recovery.

Be back shortly.

e

Ode to 1:20p.m.

I have not been able to fall back asleep since the little one woke me at
5am this morning. This WILL be the longest day ever. Luckily, today is
Ryan's 2nd birthday.

Maybe this is the only way I can have the time and focus to jot something
down while no one else is awake. Lucky @#$%$^'s.



Having done this same type of letter last year, I can say it has been such a different ride. I am not sure what it is about THE first year of your firstborn, but whoah, that was nuts!!! I have never felt more out of whack than I did that year. Luckily, it's like a badge, I wear it with great pride and chalk it up to lessons well-learned. Dude, now I am a pro, right? Ha. Yes, I do feel I have embraced the joys and perks of having one child. Wait, you say it totally changes when you add another? Ya, right. (Dear God, please help me out with that one.) My point is, this past year has been filled with more focus on Ryan, than me, which has been completely satisfying.



I have said before the most "ideal" months with Ryan were from 9 months through 15 months. Those times were just sooo quaint. He was learning to be so independent, which I loved, and was able to explore his little world he had yet to truly know. Once the 15 month mark came and he was able to CLIMB up onto everything was when I said, OH NOOOOOO, you mean now he could actually HURT himself if I turn my back for one second? It definitely added a whole other element into the mix. Looking back, each month, each milestone was more precious than the one before.



There is something about that kid, I tell you. He is one of a kind. He amazes me everyday with his thirst for life and determination. He entertains strangers in stores by asking for high-fives. He says goodbye to every checkout person he sees whether we are ready to go or not. He calls out every number or letter he sees, no matter how far. He loves to read or have someone read to him the same 4 Curious George books all day and all night. He loves to line up his cars and his trucks in traffic jam type situations which is quite hilarious and somewhat meticulous. He calls every train he has "thomas", but he has never seen the cartoon. He could care less what is on the tv, but if I mention his signing video, he immediately runs to the couch and buries himself under the blanket ready for the show to begin. He loves to hear his daddy play guitar. He even loves to strum a few strings himself. Nothing compares to his desire to dance a jig every time the boy is naked. I sing a few bars of some little ditty and off he goes into his hoedown.
Everyday is something new and I would have it no other way.

Having Ryan in my life has made me so aware of who I am and who I want to be. I recognize my strengths and am definitely in touch with my weaknesses. I envelope that knowledge and only strive to be a better person for it. I am amazed at how detached some people are to the "bigger picture". This truth is what it is about. This truth is what matters most. Everything we all focus on, agonize over, mean absolutely nothing. I have made such strides in truly getting it. Now, what needs to happen is I need to live by this truth in myself everyday. I thank my son Ryan for leading the way to this discovery. I am truly grateful for this gift.

Happy Birthday Ryan. You and your daddy are the loves of my life.




e

2 years ago tomorrow

My son was born.


I am currently writing my "ode to baby boy" letter, but I am having a hard time expressing myself. There might be two reasons why this is harder than it should be.

1) My sinuses under my cheekbones are starting to ache again.
Currently waiting for the Tylenol to kick in.


2) Hubs is watching a taped episode of "The Black Donnellys". The times I start to tear up thinking of my little boy, some guy in the background is threatening some body's life in an Irish accent. It's kinda killing the mood.


I've got some ideas down on "paper", so I'll save them for the official
"Hot damn, You're 2!" post. Until then, I'll leave you with a little bit of half pint at 8 months old.






e

P.S. Happy Birthday LVGurl!!

A year ago tomorrow

I wrote this letter on April 5th 2006, the eve of Rt’s 1st birthday.


8 minutes from now, it will have been one year exactly when the birthing of my son began. It seems just like yesterday, but time ticked quite slowly in parts as well. Either way, it has been the most wonderful, hardest, truest time in my life. I write this to you in tears, thinking of my son sleeping peacefully in his crib. I am not sure where this emotion is coming from, but I am reveling in it. I have doubted myself many a time this past year, but I also know I have grown into someone I will always be proud of.

This time last year the first episode of Sex in the City began on TBS. I know the really good parts were deleted or dubbed, but it kept me sane during the most unsure and overwhelming moments of my life. The contractions started slightly, but were right on schedule. I kept this tidbit of information to myself throughout the first episode. 30 minutes of a wee bit of pain every 3-5 minutes lasting 30-45 seconds. Once the first episode came and went, I let my hubby in on the current happenings. We watched another episode while keeping time and the tightness came and went right on cue. It was time to call the doc and head in…..

I could go on and on in detail regarding the most memorable day of my life, (besides the day I married the man I love), but the real importance to this 1 year birthday of my son, is the journey my new family took to get here. I get emotional just thinking of all the times I was frustrated, angry, confused, sad and lonely wishing I could take them all back, wanting to change them all. I would replace them with times of pure joy and love. I know this is unrealistic, but it saddens me to know I wasted those precious times not knowing who I really was and what I represented. I now know I am on the journey to finding out who I am, what I want, but I do know that I am a mother to the most precious, beautiful boy in the world who loves me just for me being me. And that is enough. I am full.

e


Tomorrow I will write another "eve of your birth" letter to my little one.

S.I.

Diagnosis: SINUS INFECTION.

Today's Accomplishments:

BLEW NOSE, POPPED A ZPACK PILL, FED KID, WENT TO DENTIST, BLEW NOSE, FED KID, WATCHED OPRAH WHILE KID NAPPED, RAN ANOTHER FEVER, TOOK TYLENOL, PLAYED AT PARK, WENT TO TARGET FOR THE 30TH TIME FOR BDAY PARTY SUPPLIES AND BLEW NOSE SOME MORE.

30 MINUTES UNTIL I AM OFF THE MOMMY CLOCK.

priceless.

e

p.s. Hubs got to spend the day at the Ballpark for Opening Day. Good times.

Sunday Surprise

So, yesterday began early with hubs taking Rt in the car up to meet his parents at their country club 45 minutes away. Rt was dropped off with Gran Gran to spend the day together while hubs and Fafa played golf. What did I do with an entire day at my house ALONE???? Eat bon bons and watch the boob tube? Well, not exactly. Not even close.

Did I mention I am sick? Well, not sick, sick, but I think what allergies I had turned into a sinus infection, maybe. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon to find out the truth behind the phlegm. I had been taking Zicam and Airborne for a couple days trying to head off the incoming doom, but I don't think they could stand up to the mighty, mighty snot. I could go on and on in detail of the clouds taking over my head, but I don't want to gross you out with specifics of the color wheel of phlegm.

Anywho, yesterday was "all me, all day". Rt's 2nd birthday party is this Saturday. Basically, that means this house needs to be in some sort of order to be able to house the 30 people who are supposedly coming to the shindig. What lovely piles of junk mail are fine for me and the hubs, don't work well with many house guests some the size of martians. So, everything that isn't a necessity had to put back in it's "original" place, if there ever was one. So, what to do with hours on end alone in my house?

CLEAN, CLEAN, ORGANIZE, TAKE MEDICINE, SPREAD NEW DIRT IN GARDEN, CLEAN, CLEAN, EMPTY OUT TRASH IN CAR, TAKE LARGE BOXES TO DUMP, MAKE BROWNIES, BLOW NOSE, TAKE FOOD TO NEWBORN'S HOUSE, EAT TAMALE PIE, CLEAN, ORGANIZE GARAGE (WHY? WHY NOW?), START TO GET RT'S EASTER BASKET TOGETHER, PULL OUT HIS BDAY PRESENTS, CLEAN SOME MORE.

The one thing I can say I did do for myself yesterday was to get a pedicure on my way home from the dump. I was the only customer and the only one who spoke English. I know for sure they were commenting on how dirty I was. I had been emptying bags of dirt into the garden and got mixed up in the soil debris. Oh well. My legs got a bath. I just hope they didn't notice the dirt under my nails. Eww. Do they realize they need to have magazines that are more current than October '06? Yesterday's news people. Here is your $25. See ya.

What happened next shouldn't have been that surprising. I started to run a fever. While Rt watched his favorite show, I sneaked away to take the hottest shower known to man. I could have been there all night. The rest of the evening, I spent waiting to take my nighttime medicine. If I took it too early, it wouldn't last me the whole night, but if I didn't take it soon enough, the fever could get out of control. So, I took the stuff at 8:30p.m. and went to bed at 9p.m. And I slept ALL NIGHT. PHEWWWW.


All I can gather from this experience is this: Ask hubs if he and the kid can leave the house one Sunday out of every month for a free round of golf, some Gran Gran time, and the strength to take a little more "me" time for yours truly.


e