yet another bad mommy star..

Yeah JCR! I finally figured out how to post the video of Drake singing Nelly's "Hot in Here" from four years ago. I am so proud of myself. As I had blogged earlier, this video always makes me smile, though does not earn me a Mommy star because of what he is singing. None the less, it is a smile maker. And of course while in the car today 50 cent's "Disco Inferno" came on my ipod. Little Grady started singing away "Shake, shake it girl! Shake, shake it baby!" Aaahh, yes I have yet again earned another notorious bad mommy star. Sniff, sniff.....I am so proud!

PS: Sorry about the poor quality of the video. Guess it is one of the side effects of me trying to be techie.

Getting hot in here

diaper explosion

Aaaahhhhh! There are diapers every where! I left tonight to go to my soccer game (you didn't really think I was giving it up did you??) and left john home with da boyz. I came home to 70+ diapers all over the house. I had just scored the super ginormous packs on clearance at Target a few days ago so there are a plethera of diapers in my dining room. Grady had found one of the packs and, by the looks of it, had a great time pulling them all out and throwing them about. When I asked John about it he replied, "He was quiet and happy". WHAT??? Are you insane? Can you imagine what our house would look like if I let them be quiet and happy all day?!? Well, here is a glimpse of what 2 hours of happiness can do. Sigh.... and he didn't even hide the evidence of the crime. What is a lassie to do?

supersonic hearing

Question of the day - why is it my two year old cannot hear his name (or should I say chooses not to hear his name) when I am within two feet of him but can hear the "pffft" of a whip cream can from three rooms away? He once even heard it from upstairs, now that is a super power! I like to top my coffee with a bit of whip cream and caramel as a little treat to myself, a bit of morning sanity shall we say? Grady can hear the whip cream can from any room in the house and quickly comes running with his mouth wide open screaming, "aaahh aaahhh". Translated this means, squirt some whip cream in my mouth...NOW! If I don't spray him before my coffee he becomes most upset and the intensity of the "aahhs" greatly increases. And of course, not to be out done, Drake is quickly in suit to get his share. Today I locked myself in the laundry room to top my coffee as my supply is running low and I don't know when I can get to the store next. Luckily no one heard me as I even resorted to putting the dryer on for added noise. Wow, typing that makes me sound like an addict not wanting to share my stash. Be that as it may I have enough whip topping for my morning coffee tomorrow. Now, where will I hide tomorrow???

my new sport

Yes, I have decided to give up soccer. I know it is shocking but I have found a new sport that has tweaked my interest. You can check it out at the folloing site. http://faceball.org/ They even provided a video and printable directions so you can start your own league. I already have a list of who I want to play against...mooahahaha!! Let the games begin...

the specs

Here they are... the new specs. I wanted a nice picture while Drake wanted me to post a silly picture. So I compromised and posted both. Feel free to comment as you will not hurt my feelings either way. The pictures do not show the red that is in the glasses, sorry!

On another note, my two year old is refusing to eat anything but Fruit Loops today. He has almost consumed more then half a box. I guess he could be eating things that are much worse. On a good note... they are packed full of vitamins and minerals or at least that is what the box says. I just fear what will be visiting me later today and tomorrow when I am changing diapers!

new glasses

Well, Drake got his new glasses. He opted for black and red instead of Sally Jesse Rafael red...wheew! They are cute but they are taking me a while to get used to. He has been getting a lot of compliments on them but are other people just being nice?? I have been trying to figure out my issue with them and have not come to a definitive conclusion. It may be because they make him look older, they are more of a "teen" type frame and I am missing the days of blue and green glasses...hopelessly trying to hold on to his youth perhaps. Though I think right now I am leaning towards little B's quote of "They don't go with your voice". At this point that seems to sum it up the best. I will snap a shot of the new specs and post it tomorrow for your inspection.

first shiner

Well, it's official! Drake got his first shiner on his left eye, or at least it is in the making. While playing catch last night with Gabby he got nailed in the face with a softball from only 6 feet away. The ball was thrown so hard that there were even leather skid marks on his glasses lens (which was knocked out and I had to search the grass for). The encounter also left his frames broken so we will be getting new glasses today. By a fluke of nature we also have an eye doctor appointment this morning. They called at 4pm Friday afternoon saying they had a cancellation for today. Otherwise we could not get in until the end of October. Crazy! Drake has decided he wants "red ones"...hmmm, makes me think of Phil Donahue. Hopefully I have the power to veto!

could it be?!

Yes, for the first time, in ...... well I just don't remember anymore, but it has been a very very long time. I got to sleep past 8:30am!! It was 8:37 to be exact when my toddler decided to finally rise. Now I should include that he was originally up at 5:07am demanding that darn doughnut again. After a stern discussion that the doughnut does NOT exist and if he knew what was good for him he would go back to sleep, we all happily went back to sleep. I am also wondering where this obsession with doughnuts is coming from as it is becoming quite annoying and is now interfering with my sleep. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

sightings

OK, let me preface this by saying that I am not a mean person and this entry is not to be construed as such. But I saw it, it made me laugh hysterically and if you told me about it I am sure my reaction would be the same. That being said here is what I witnessed today: It is a beautiful sunny afternoon. We just returned from soccer and the boys were playing in the driveway and backyard. I happen to glance up and look to the street. There wobbling away was a 40+ year old woman trying to ride an adult mountain bike. Now what made it even funnier was that she had childrens training wheels on her bike. This made it so she would rock from side to side, trying to keep her balance, like a five year old. It was truly hilarious to witness. The only thing better was if I caught it on camera...but I didn't want to make her feel bad. I know I would not be brave enough to try and learn to ride a bike, in the middle of the day under the scrutiny of others. So for that I give her all the credit in the world.

you know its a bad day when...

1. Your toddler wakes up at 6am screaming for a doughnut that is nonexistent in your house.
2. You only got 4 hours of sleep.
3. You decided to relive last Thursday and took both boys to get their pictures taken.
4. The a fore mentioned toddler decides he only needed an hour nap.
5. Your first sip of coffee is not until 4:00 pm!!
6. You have to go to a work function with your husband, you are beyond crabby and there is no chocolate in sight!

UPDATE - Did you know several Chambord margaritas can make every bad day a wee bit better!? :) And they are quite tasty!

more presents!

Another present for me! I ordered a new hoodie sweatshirt, (I know it's summer!), and it just came. Yeah! It is by a company called designgive. Part of their proceeds go towards the charity of your choice - very cool. What made it even better was that they were having a huge sale and everything they have was only $10... how can you go wrong? I was initially leary about a ten dollar sweatshirt but it is nice and thick and looks very cozy. Now I just have to wait for the cold to drift in to truly enjoy my new purchase, bummer. Guess I will have to go back and order some t-shirts now!

addicted

I just received my new mary jane crocs in the mail this morning. And they are GLORIOUS!!! I can see now why Drake said they were like walking on a dream. I finally gave up trying to find the ones I wanted in the store and ordered them online. Should have done this a long time ago. My feet are very happy right now :) May have to splurge on another pair...decisions, decisions.

bend it like beckham!

For those of you who don't know, though I don't know why you wouldn't, David Beckham and his wifey moved to LA from England last week. He will now play in the MLS for the Los Angeles Galaxy. But rumors of a new player to the Galaxy have begun to surface in recent days. While now this player, nicknamed Dash, is an independent scout, don't be surprised to see him take Beckham's place on the Galaxy in the near future. He has already begun to master the hectic schedule of practice while maintaining his celebrity profile and booking all his upcoming events on his cell phone. He is currently accepting applications for a new agent due to the recent firing of his maternal advisor over potty training issues.

rocket boys

Up, up and away! John is back from Mexico (good bye bed) and got roped in to some over due Daddy time. Drake wanted to launch one of the rockets he got for his birthday. The box said it would go 1000+ ft, we were sceptical. They added all the finishing touches and decided to launch it from the back yard (against my advice). It took off and indeed launched well above were we could see it. After a minute or so we were able to spot the red parachute as it began it's descent towards Earth. Unfortunately as it did, a big gust of wind carried it to the next street over. It is now proudly on display in our friends' tree. Hopefully another gust of wind will knock it down so we can launch it again. But luckily it was a rocket 2 pack... Excellent!! The next one is supposed to go 1800ft. If I get my way we won't be launching that one from our backyard - aahh!

guilty pleasure

My guilty pleasure is about to come to an end. Typically when John is gone for an extended amount of time all heck breaks loose and I usually have a hard time sleeping at night. But this week it has been divine! I have had the whole bed to myself and many nights of wonderful sleep. I have been able to stretch out and actually sleep through the morning without being startled awake but his endless tossing and turning. I can even surround myself with pillows, something I did when I was single. He comes home tomorrow, so my bed I will again have to share. Wonder where I can send him off to next?? Till then I will be an unrested girl.

interview tag

I saw this interview on another blog and "borrowed" it since I am tired and ready for bed. The purpose is to tag others and have them answer the same questions. Soooo, Jes and JCR, if you have 'nothing' and want to reply I would be all smiles and giggles.

What were you doing ten years ago?
*Finishing up a nasty divorce from a control freak momma’s boy.

What were you doing one year ago?
*Wondering if my wee one would ever walk – what was I thinking??

Five snacks you enjoy
*Salt-n-vinegar chips, brownies, fresh fruit, cheese and chocolate

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics
*Since I have the uncanny ability to memorize a song after hearing it a few times I decided to write about songs that I don’t know the lyrics to. 1. Anything by Celine Dion 2. Almost every country song 3. Any songs on Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway album

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire
*Travel like nobody’s business, buy a summerhouse in North Carolina, set up a trust fund for mission work, a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and a horse.

Five bad habits
*Sarcasm
*Unpunctuality – induced by children
*Unhealthy Eating
*Worry – I am a catastrophist
*Stubborn

Five things you like doing
*Reading
*Sleeping
*Playing soccer
*Watching movies
*Being in the moment.

Five things you would never wear again
*Pegged jeans
*Anything yellow, even if it was for a wedding
*Leg warmers
*Feathered hair
*Neon

Five favorite toys
*Blokus
*Cell phone
*My road bike
*Computer
*Ipod

oy ve

D -"MOM!! Grady's eating dirt from the plant!"
K -"What!?"
D -"He's eating the plant or the dirt, I can't tell."
K- "Grady, stop eating the plant!"
G -No Momma...look! I feeeed pant!" (said with big cheesy grin)
He did in fact feed the plant. Yes, he fed the plant Frosted Flakes. Obviously my lack of green thumb has made my plants look as if they are in need of a good meal. Guess it is even worse that my two year old noticed. Wonder what he would offer Nicole Ritchie?

de ja boyle and then some

Well, let's just say that pictures today with the two boys did NOT happen. Demonic seed, aka Grady, did everything in his evil powers to prevent any cute, or even remotely doable pictures, to be caught on film. He spit at the photographer, he spit his completely chewed up granola bar, a bribe from me, on the canvas and then threw the stool she wanted him to sit on at the wall. Yes, it is amazing I did not inflict major bodily harm on this child. Luckily we were in a public place or all bets would have been off. But, being the masochist that I am, I rescheduled for next week. Hopefully my sadistic children will cooperate or the next picture that you see will be of me on the front page!

stop the insanity

Here is the scenario: I am trying to finish up some work for my graduate class. In the background is extremely loud screeching and screaming. The boys have taken it upon themselves to run from on end of the room to the other as fast as they can, then fling themselves into the couch, trying to land upside down on their heads. Now, we know this is a recipe for disaster as pretty soon there will be a head to head collision resulting in more screaming and tears. But for now, it is keeping them busy AND they are actually playing together. Guess I can't complain....or did I already??

the curse of mini-me

There is an old Irish curse that parents give their children that wishes upon them a child worse than themselves. I am the lucky recipiant of that Irish Curse. My eldest son is a mini-me. He also suffers from logorrhea. I learned this word in the movie "Akeelah and the Bee". Before that I just said he had diarhea of the mouth. (this word sounds much better) Logorrhea is the pathologically excessive (and often incoherent) talking of any said person. In this case, it is my son. Now, I am owning up to the fact that this trait is from me, at least from my youth. I used to drive my Grandfather crazy. We lived next door and I would follow him around... talking and talking and talking. He one day asked my Mom why she had me vacinated with a phonograph needle. I should have seen this coming when Drake started talking at such an early age. He started at nine months and has not stopped since. He even talks in his sleep! I cannot count the number of times I hear "Mom, can I ask you a question?" or "Mom, did you know...?" and my favorite "Mom, I'm hungry". This last statement is voiced every 15-20 minutes, I kid you not. This becomes quickly tiresome and I often long for just a few minutes of piece and quiet. (he has interrupted me twice as I am trying to type this!!) There have been many a times in desparation I have said "For the love of Pete, stop the incessant chatter!!!" The sad thing is he knows what that means :( But you gotta love this winking "Right at ya Mom!" picture.

i finished

Yes, that is right, the whiny girl did cross the finish line of the triathlon. There was a lot of sweat, a LOT of wind and quite a few tears. But I raced "my" race and finished. I was reminded by my neighbor this morning that this really isn't about everyone else, it is about me and what my body can do. Ouch! Guess she nailed me to the wall. She also accused us of being our worst critics, correct again. I found this list "What I learned from triathlons" and thought I would share:
1. There are good days and there are bad days and sometimes you can't tell the difference until you start.
2. Contrary to popular belief, sleep is not overrated. Not in the slightest.
3. Don't forget to breathe.
4. Just because it's raining doesn't mean you should cry.
5. Nobody ever said it was easy.
6. Pain is temporary. Pride lasts a lifetime. Sometimes even two.
7. Create a plan and stick to it. It may not always work, but if you stay focused and relaxed, it'll all end up just fine.
8. You've got to try. No matter what happens, in the end you'll have bigger regrets from not ever trying.
9. Strength and courage blossom from the sands of adversity.
10. Sometimes it's the little things that make the big differences.
11. Getting to the starting line is usually a lot harder than getting to the finish.
12. Listen to your body and listen to your mind. And make sure you know when they're lying to you.
13. You can't change the past and you won't alter the future. Enjoy right now, right now.
14. Smile. It does a body good.
15. Be supportive of others. We're all in this together.
16. It's OK to cry.
17. Don't forget to eat. Especially breakfast -- that's a really important one.
Thanks to everyone who supported me and to Jen for making me do it :)

is there an end in sight???

This is the face I see all too often. It is the face of "NO!". He can use it quite well AND uses it very often. Sometimes, even with a smile. This is the "NO" I dislike the most. His smug little face, with his eyes all full of the glint of mischief, defiantly saying no to whatever it may be I am asking him to do. This is all new to me and truly driving me insane. Drake was such a good toddler. He was polite and compliant..what happened to this spawn of my womb? Obviously this is a defect of my husband's seed as I could not have any part in this stubborn little being. (No comments from you Jes!!!) But, just as quickly as he turns into demon boy, he switches back to a loving little cherub. I have seriously considered he is bipolar or maybe even has a multiple personality disorder. Can this be diagnosed at such an early age? Guess I will go back to blaming it on John. That is more fun to do anyway :)

PS: This face also describes how i am feeling about my triathlon tomorrow. If I cry and scream "NO!" will that make it all go away??

the proof is in the picture

OK, I promised a visual for my marshmallow boy and here they are. Notice in exhibit A the large round shape of the feet. These feet are as wide as the are long and as they are tall. They are in fact, marshmallows. Now to exhibit B. While the true legs of this toddler have a bit more girth, the length, width and height of the feet are even. They do in fact, resemble the previous mentioned picture. Throw in little stubby and curly toes and you have the feet that I have to try and find shoes for. A little note to JCR who said she loves crocs for her fat footed boy: I too like the crocs. But my little one discovered how easy they were to take on and off (bonus to most, not to me) and chucked one of his new crocs out the window while I was driving. It has never been seen again. Though today to the store he did wear his croc with another sandal. A battle I chose not to fight. The old ladies found it adorable.. me not so much. I was also lucky enough to notice that he threw his croc out the window while I was loading up the car and got it from the parking lot before we left. Grrrrr!!!

marshmallow update

Went to the orthopedic today at Children's Hospital for Grady's excessively large and fat feet. Fortunately the Curly Toe Syndrome, yes this is a REAL condition, is not impeding his ability to move. Duh!! I could have told the extremely good-looking doctor that. Did I let that slip? Ooops! Anyway... Grady just has very wide feet and the doctor hopes that one day he will grow into them. Great! Guess I am stuck dishing out big bucks for Stride Rites till he moves out of the house. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of viewing my son's feet I will give you a visual. Think big fat marshmallow (foot) with a little pretzel stick (leg) stuck in the middle. No, I am serious. I love them, as they are very cute and well, fat! I am going to search the cupboards for a pretzel stick to see if I can provide a visual. Stay tuned!

pool side checklist

1. Swim trunks - check 2. Surf Shirt - check (don't want a sunburn!) 3. Sunglasses - check (gotta look cool for the ladies) 4. Tennis ball - check (fun to throw AND catch) 5. Ping pong paddle aka bug killer - check (always make sure the deck is bug free plus it can send previous mentioned article really far) 6. Bike helmet - check (have you seen my Mom drive?) Well, I think that is everything. Let's motor! I have waves to catch, bugs to squish and hearts to break. Donde la playa?

a tubby for timmy

Today Timmy got a much needed bath. Who is Timmy you ask? Timmy is my Cabbage Patch doll from days of yore. I purchased him one year with my birthday money because my parents refused to buy me one. I showed them! I think his original name was Michael Joseph. Drake happened upon him five years ago while on a visit to my parent’s house. A new baby had just started going to the same sitter that he went to named, of course, Timmy. Drake LOVED the baby and thought my doll looked just like Timmy the real baby. So Timmy, the doll, became a permanent fixture in Drake’s life, much to my husband’s dismay. I on the other hand thought it was cute. Well, Timmy has been re-found by Grady. Grady is a little more on the tough love side then Drake was, so Timmy got quite dirty. Today, after been assaulted with diaper rash cream and scented lotion, I decided Timmy needed a bath. Grady helped by scrubbing Timmy with a toothbrush. I tried to get Grady to let Timmy dry in the sun but he insisted on taking a wet Timmy wrapped in a towel to bed with him for his nap. Great!! Now he will be moldy and nasty. Guess he will need another bath soon!

a little homage to the past

OK, now I can post just like JCR. This is a favorite in our house. Grady loves to dance to it, as do I. Enjoy my new found talent - hee hee!

betty goes out

I had the luxury of going out last night. Oh yes, on a Sunday night! I did not have my typical Sunday game so that left all this extra time in my Sunday schedule. I even got to wear the new outfit I scored while on an impromptu shopping trip the other day. I spotted the shorts that were very reminiscent of my skater/punk days. Definitely needed to have them to bring back my inner Betty. Throw in a matching cami and I was good to go! So off to Summerfest we went. While talking to a guy, trying to find out where he got his shirt, I was complimented on my little ensemble. J He then proceeded to tell me that he thought I must be naughty because I had my tongue pierced and I am the age that I am. Compliment, I questioned? He assured me it was and then preceded to ask me if his new glasses made him look “too gay”. (his words not mine) Being the sucker that I am for glasses, I said I thought they were very cool. His friends then insisted that I was kissing up because he complimented me…hmph! I personally think a compliment from a gay man is one of the best you can get. John just sat there laughing and shaking his head. He didn’t like the shirt because of the color but I am determined to find him one. Hopefully it comes in a different color, or maybe I will just buy it for myself!

straight up goofiness

This is what I walked into yesterday when I got home from the store. Grady loves to dress up in winter wear no matter what the season. He wears a winter glove everyday, but only on one hand (think Michael Jackson in the 80’s). This hat is much too small and the pom pom on top always makes me laugh. It reminds me of the fisherman skullcaps with a childish twist. On a good day he will bare this attire while pretending to vacuum or sweep the floor. Guess it is better then the French maid outfits… now that would be a picture!!