So I'm Trying To Get In Shape And Stuff...

This morning I got out of the house super-early (8 am, don't judge me. That is really early for me!) and went walking/running. My sister challenged me to race with her and my mom in a 5k in July. Turns out that THAT kind of motivation is even better than Prague Mom motivation. Go figure.

I'm doing the Couch to 5k Aggressive Run Program, which guarantees that if I follow their schedule and all the rules I will be 5k-ready in 18 weeks. I'm thinking I can handle that, unless I pull a hamstring or something in the process. We'll see.

I'm currently on Week 2 of the schedule, which means I walk for 27 minutes and run for 3 minutes. So far it has been good. Today I ran and didn't even want to throw up or lay down in the fetal position, so that's an improvement.

So things are going well in the fitness area of my life. Still haven't stopped eating french fries but I'm hoping that I'll magically lose weight without doing that. A girl can have dreams, can't she? I'm remembering to bring my iPod, which is a terrific motivation. Nothing like jamming to Chris Brown's "Run It" while huffin' and a puffin'.

There is one thing that is really bothering me about this whole exercising outside business. It's the worms. Yep, you heard right. Earthworms. They cover the sidewalks and pavement everywhere I go. I tried dodging them today, to no avail. There are just too darn many of them! I had no choice but to just squish them with my shoes and I was sick to my stomach about the whole thing. (and yet I still didn't throw up. Hooray for me!) I hate all things creepy and crawly, except for maybe Slimey the Worm from Sesame Street. He is too cute to hate, and doesn't really seem Slimey at all. It's probably one of those joke nicknames like calling someone "Tiny" when they are 7 feet tall.

Anyway, back to the sidewalk-hogging worms. They stink. I told Greg that today and he laughed at me, then probably filed that statement away in the "I Married A Crazy Person" part of his brain. I really do think they stink though! You know that earth-right-after-rain smell? It isn't just the wet ground. It's the stinkin' earthworms. I thought about picking one up today to check, but that would involve touching one, something I am not willing to do.

So what's your thoughts? Do they stink or am I crazy? Post a comment and let it be known. I promise I won't be saddened by your mocking, if it has to come to that.

Things I Am Currently In Love With

---Fabric softener. Oh how I love it. I love how it gives all my clothes that deep-conditioned feel. I love that a week after I do laundry I can still smell the fabric softener on my clothes. It smells so clean and fresh! But, A-boy breaks out into all sorts of itchy little eczema pimples at the first sign of anything with fragrance so I am left to pine for my dear sweet Downy. I have since discovered Downy Free and while my clothes are soft and less wrinkly, they still don't smell yummy. I am living with it.

---Cheesecake. We went to PF Chang's on Saturday and I had been craving their cheesecake for weeks. Or months, who knows. No one but me wanted dessert though so I felt gluttonous ordering the mouthwatering masterpiece just for me. I should have ordered it. The craving has not subsided. And I'm still harboring bitterness that they wouldn't just SAY they would share it with me. Jerks.

---Sleep. Last night Mini-Man slept from 7:15 pm until 7 am. Finally. And I was actually smart (exhausted) and went to bed at 10:30 pm instead of piddling around on the internet until the wee hours. For the first time in at least a year I slept through the night too. Didn't even wake up with rocks in my boobs or having to pee. I could get used to that.

---Backyard fences. We have lived here for 2 1/2 years and just got one put in. I am looking forward to a summer that does not include panicking every 30 seconds because A-boy likes to run into the street. Three cheers for containment!

---This blog. There is not one time that I leave it without thinking that I need to work on being a better person. Lei has an inner strength that most can only dream of having. She is a wonderful friend with a wonderful blog. Bookmark it. Read it often. You won't be sorry!

Hooray for Cousins!

I apologize for being MIA lately. My brother Jeff brought The Fam up for a visit this weekend so I spent the latter part of the week trying to make my house look a bit more respectable. Towels were washed, toilets were cleaned and floors were mopped so it looked pretty good by the time we got finished with it.

Jeff and Meggan (his wife) brought up their little boy J who turned 1 in December. J is so much fun! Not only are his cheeks squeezably cute but he has this gravely deep voice that he uses to growl like a Tiger. I love love love him and couldn't stop snapping pictures of his cuteness. His cuteness + my kids' cuteness = a whole lot of cuteness.

Here are J and A chillin' at the pool last summer. They didn't have nearly as much fun as they did this time since they spent the whole time pretty much ignoring each other.




Since they are finally acknowledging each other's existence, things have gotten a little bit crazy. They get all giddy when they see each other. A mauls J with hugs and kisses.

They chase each other down the hall, through the living room, through the kitchen, through the family room and back down the hall. They repeat this until they are too pooped to walk, let alone run. Their parents are tired just watching them.

J gives A fantastic backrubs. When J cries and runs to his mommy, A pretends that HE is crying and runs to HIS mommy.



M had a hard time keeping up with the two of them, but J made sure to give him some extra special attention every now and then.

















Because of work, Uncle "Feff" hasn't been to our house since A was 4 months old! This was the first time that A got spend a large chunk of time with him and he LOVED him. They had a great time playing together!

A great time was had by all! We are in for it in a couple of years when M can join in on the excitement. Add their other cousin AK and J's soon-to-be baby brother (haha, I said brother) and we'll have trouble on our hands!

Hooray for Cousins!

(notice that they are holding hands, CUTE!)

Another One Bites The Dust

I don't think I have mentioned this before, but my husband is working on his Master's degree in Electrical Engineering. He started a couple years ago and has been slowly getting closer to The Piece of Paper, one class at a time. He now has one year and one quarter left and we are both giddy with excitement. Well, giddy as you could be when you are so. friggin'. sick. of. school. and all it entails.

Currently he is taking the Advanced Compiling Techniques course. I have no idea what Advanced Compiling Techniques are. I do not ask either. I made the mistake of asking what he was learning once and understood only 25% of the words that came out of his mouth. Those words were: the, and, is, are & computer. The rest was Geek language. And I unfortunately don't speak a lick of Geek. All I know about his Advanced Compiling Techniques class is it involves a lot of late-night homework sessions, really boring lectures and nearly-impossible-to-pass tests.

So Monday was finals day. Greg diligently studied all weekend long, breaking only to eat and sleep. Okay, so I'm exaggerating. He did study hard though since this was a Make It Or Break It type of test. He didn't do so well on the midterm (that's being generous) and was deathly afraid of not doing so well on the final. Deathly afraid for the following reasons: 1) Taking this class twice would be like going to the dentist. He LOATHES the dentist. 2) Neither of us are hip on the idea of reimbursing his employer $4,000, the price of tuition for ONE CLASS at the prestigious school he is attending.

That's right. $4,000. We were both a little apprehensive come test time.

I spent the day visiting a friend, but crossing my toes and fingers and silently praying that he was doing well. He called when he was finished. The test sucked. It was harder than he thought it would be and he wasn't sure at all how he did.

We thought we were in for a long couple of weeks while the tests were graded by a couple disgruntled teaching assistants. The depression was starting to seep in. We didn't end up having to wait two weeks though, grades were posted yesterday. So sorry, teaching assistants. I apologize for calling you disgruntled.

He got a B.

HOORAY!!! I jumped up from my computer chair and did the Happy Dance. He was happy too, but I can tell it annoys him that he got a B. This is where we are different, he and I. I would have LOVED to get B's in school. He never got below an A in high school. The state college we attended was not much different, he was always over-achieving.

Being a great dad to two kids, a fantastic husband, working full time and being a scout leader all while going to this fancy schmancy $1,200-a-credit university makes studying and test taking a bit hard sometimes. In my ever-so-important opinion, when a person does their best in so many other areas it's okay to get an occasional B. Just not a C-. We ain't giving no $4,000 to nobody.

Another one down, five more to go, honey. There's a Piece of Paper and a light at the end of this tunnel!

And Reach, Reach, Reach, Reach!

M turns 8 months old tomorrow. I cannot believe how fast time flies! And I can't believe that for 8 months I have been able to make all kinds of excuses about not losing this baby weight.

My favorites:

It is too cold outside for me.

It is too cold outside for the kids.

The tire on the jogging stroller is flat.

It is windy.

It is rainy.

It is snowy.

It is hailing.

It looks like it is going to rain.

It rained last night and the ground is wet. I don't want to slip.

My feet hurt.

I need new running shoes.

My back hurts.

I was up all night with the baby.

I stayed up too late blogging.

I can do it tomorrow.

It is the weekend.

I just showered.

It is too early.

It takes too long to get the kids ready.

The kids haven't eaten breakfast.

M needs to nap.

A has a cold.

M has a cough.

I have a chest cold.

I have to be somewhere in an hour.

I am waiting for a phone call.

I am waiting for a package.

It is too late.

Greg will be home from work soon.

I don't have my Ipod yet. When I have it things will be different and I'll go every day.

My Ipod isn't charged.

It will be dark soon.

Don't pretend that you haven't ever thought these things. Everyone uses the same darn excuses.

But, spring is almost here. (Note that I unfortunately didn't say it was HERE, just that it is ALMOST here.) After spring comes summer, and in summer it is hot. So hot in fact that everyone in our neighborhood flocks to the community pool for a cool dip in the water. The tall, skinny, blonde bikini-clad mom from Prague is no exception. If you aren't sure to which woman I am referring, just ask all the dads who, coincidentally, were never interested in taking the kids to the pool until moving into this neighborhood. They get bright eyed with the mention of her name or country of origin. The other moms and I would love to hate her, but she is too nice. This may be her only flaw.

Sitting poolside in my bathing suit with Prague Mom only one time was enough motivation for me to lose the baby weight plus some after Baby #1, two years ago. I saw her outside her house recently and the motivation is back. She looked fabulous. (Don't get me wrong, I don't want to look like her. It would be hard to go somewhere and be gawked at all the time. All I want is to not feel like a beached whale while standing next to her. I'm not sure if that is possible, but I'll make an attempt.)

So fast forward to this week. I decide on Sunday to set some fitness goals. I will go walking/jogging every other day and work up to running. Maybe this year will be My Year for running a 5k. I will drink lots of water. When I go walking/jogging, I will remember to take my IPod. (Not really a fitness goal but might turn out to be one since Greg might chase me down and superglue the thing to my ears if I continue to forget it.) I begged him for it at Christmas and have never remembered to take it with me. Not one time.

On Sunday I also planned to get up today and take the kids out in the double jogger. But it was cold. And it had rained. And M was tired and I KNEW that if I put him in the stroller he would take a crappy nap and then not sleep for the rest of the day. I give up on going outside but feel guilty and decide to do some sort of exercise. I contemplate the treadmill but didn't want to deal with A trying to jump on there with me. I have visions of him being maimed by the thing and would like to keep those visions just that, visions.

Finally I decide to try one of my workout tapes. Yes I said tapes, as in VHS. I am sorely lacking in the exercise video area, so my choices were limited to Buns of Steel (1987) or Denise Austin's 30 Minute Fat Burning Workout (1989). Naturally I choose Denise Austin since it is only 30 minutes and it is a whole two years more current than Buns. And besides, check out that jacket on the right. Of COURSE I am going to choose that one.

I put M down for his morning nap and put the tape in. A is upset because I have interrupted his beloved Dora until he sees fuchsia-clad Denise and her fuchsia-clad friends on the screen. He giggles a bit and so do I. They totally have 80s bangs.

I start huffing and puffing to the beat. A runs around me in circles and yells, "Reach, Reach, Reach, Reach," Denise Austin style. He's a good motivator if you forget the fact that he is hanging on my legs as I kick them in the air. I try to do the grapevine. A runs between my legs and it is quite the balancing act trying not to fall. He is still yelling, "Reach, Reach, Reach!" I reach. After a while he gets bored and starts throwing Buzz Lightyear figurines at the wall. Whatever kid. As long as they are not directed at me or at the TV I don't care.

I am proud to say that I made it the full 30 minutes unscathed. (And so did A.) There was a time in my life where I found it impossible to go 30 minutes without dying. Maybe I'm in better shape than I thought! Now if I can only stop making excuses and get out and do some real exercise. Once I get out there I am always glad that I did. It's just the "getting out there" part that is hard. Motivate me, Prague Mom. Motivate me some more.

Four Things I Have Learned This Week

---Today I read the comments of my last blog entry only to find out that I am the Friday Flip-Up Blogger of the Week! Talk about a way to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside! J.D. said all sorts of nice things that made me all smiley today which is good considering how incredibly lame I have felt all week. (Keep reading. You'll see what I am talking about.) J.D. is pretty funny too, so check out her blog called Tripping Over Cobblestones.


---I am nearly incapable of writing a short blog entry. I say nearly because I was able to do a short entry one time and the only reason why is because I was so disgusted at the subject matter. I write the way I talk I guess: Too dang much. (Keep reading) Oh well. You'll forgive, right?

---If I leave A alone in the family room/kitchen area for more than 2 minutes I will start hearing the screechy sound of a chair being pushed across my hardwood floor. If I leave him alone for more than 3 1/2 minutes I am guaranteed that the chair will reach the pantry and the following items will be on the floor: Bread, English Muffins, Cereal, Nutrigrain Bars. Apparently A has realized (along with the rest of us) that the Low Carb Craze is over. And if I leave him for 5 minutes I can be certain that the above listed items will be scattered across the recently cleaned carpet of my family room with a bite out of each slice of bread. It's hard to get mad at the boy though. If I expect him to be mature enough to sleep in a Big Boy Bed then I should also expect him to be self-sufficient, right?

---And finally, one thing I learned this week that I should have already known: A person should not blurt out frantically, "DON'T BUY THAT!" to unexpecting moms who are looking at the Evil Teething Feeder in Babies R Us. They will look at you funny and you will have to try to explain why not while they eye you suspiciously and wonder if they should call security. If you DO blurt it out, it would be better to just walk away at that point instead of mumbling on and on about rotten bananas and bad customer service. They will not understand what you are saying at all. You will end up feeling like a complete moron because you just KNOW they are going home and tell their husbands about the crazy lady that almost attacked them at Babies R Us. You will spend the next three days replaying it in your mind and wishing it was a bad dream. Why, oh why can't I keep my mouth shut?

Update: Greg just read this and reminded me that "That was really weird". Which was why he hightailed it out of there the second I started with the "DON'T BUY THAT!" It took me a good 10 minutes to find him and the kids afterwards. Love you too, hon.

Yeah, it takes a special person to be me. What have YOU learned this week?

Yawning, Snoring, Good Night!

My First Born Son can and will sleep in a Big Boy Bed. Hooray! We had both boys in cribs up to this point. Neither of them could get out of their mini jails and I quite liked that idea. Having a newborn is hard enough without the constant threat of a toddler who is able to move freely about the house. But, my newborn is no longer a newborn (sniff, sniff) and my little boy is growing up fast. I decided last week that he is ready, so on Monday we took the plunge.

I talked it up all day long. We saw that Max slept in a Big Boy Bed. So did Dora and Boots. (Seperately, of course. And Dora probably has a Big Girl Bed but we didn't get into gender during our conversations)

Greg got home from work and after a quick bite to eat we headed off to Babies R Us to make our purchase. There it was. The Perfect Bed. (The cheapest) We found a salesperson who very professionally wrote the serial number down on the palm of her hand so that she could see if they had it in stock. They of course didn't. We chose another bed. (the next cheapest) They didn't have that in stock either. But they could special order it and we could get it in three weeks!!! Um, no thanks.

We went to Baby Depot at Burlington Coat Factory. I automatically feel like I need to bathe in antibacterial soap as soon as I walk in that store. The floors are all cracked and disgusting and the clientele at this particular store makes you want to hide your wallet and hold your children that much closer. But we were on a mission, so I chose to ignore all of that and focus on the task at hand. I also chose to ignore the fact that Greg put M in one of their filthy shopping carts with no fabric cart cover. (Yep, I’m one of THOSE moms) So far he has contracted no diseases though, so Greg is forgiven.

I search through the maze of a baby section and I'm unable to see anything that resembles a toddler bed. Finally we see them. (after asking) We choose. (The cheapest) They have the bed in stock. We buy it. They take it to our car for us. Babies R Us has never offered to carry ANYTHING to my car. Didn't help though. Still don't like Burlingtons.

We get home and Greg puts the bed together. A is so excited that he is jumping around in circles. He is unsuccessful in his attempt to turn the crib railing into a ladder and gets hurt AND in trouble in the process. (Mom takes the picture THEN reprimands and kisses ouchies) He takes key pieces of the bed into the next room and hides them. We find them and resume bed-building. I am in charge of the instructions since this takes the least amount of energy and intelligence. They are obviously translated into English by someone that did not speak English but Greg figures it out without even looking at them. You don’t marry engineers merely for their good looks.

The bed is finally in one piece and we slide it into place. A grabs his blankets and jumps on. We spend the next five minutes trying to convince him to leave the bed and put his pjs on. He finally gives in but spends the entire time I am trying to dress him trying to get back into bed. Greg reads him a story. A eyes the bed. We kiss him goodnight and tuck him in. Somewhere in there we brushed his teeth too. We turn out the light and close the door. He cries. I give him a minute, go in and tell him that it's just the same, only a little different. Mom and Dad are still in the next room. I tell him he should try to go to sleep and he does. He wakes up crying once during the night. I go in and tell him that it's just the same, only a little different. Mom and Dad are still in the next room. I tell him he should try to go to sleep and he does.

I was more worried about how naptime would go so the next afternoon I was a little anxious. He went down just fine. The kid must love sleep like his parents do. Two hours later I was feeding M in the kitchen and I heard A's door creak open. All the sudden he is at the top of the stairs. "Hi, Momma!!" I smile. My little boy is growing up.

So far he hasn't tried to get out of bed at weird times or resist it, so that is good. I have heard quite the horror stories from friends about how the introduction to the bed was the end of all naptime and through-the-night sleeping. I am crossing my fingers that this won't happen to us. I am SO not ready for that.

And since I don't want M to feel left out, this is him enjoying HIS bed.

Did I mention that I am ready for spring?

It snowed so much yesterday that I had to shovel the driveway. At least I got a good workout, right? And now it is raining. It is cold.

Sun? Where are you? I'm still looking.

Today's Ups and Downs

Today started off as a wonderful day. Greg got up with the baby and let me sleep in until 9 something, which was absolutely heavenly. (Thanks, hon) We went to breakfast at a local family restaurant where the boys both acted like little angels. And I'm serious. M was smiling at the other patrons, A quietly colored on his paper kids menu and Greg and I spent the entire time waiting for chaos to ensue. It never did. Yeah, I know. Amazing.

After we finished I took A to the bathroom to clean the french toast and jelly off his face and fingers. Guess what was on the counter! You'll never ever guess. Not in a million, bazillion years.

It was a basket. Not just any basket though. A big, beautiful white basket filled with....drumroll please.....maxi pads. That's right, you heard me. Maxi pads. And not just any maxi pads. The Phone Book With Wings kind of pads. I had to wonder who exactly they were set out there for. Crampy employees? Customers that couldn't walk across the street to the local 7-11? Weird. If feminine hygiene products are needed so badly in your restaurant that you have resorted to putting decorative baskets of them on the counter maybe it is time you invested in a vending machine.

After breakfast we came home and put the boys down for naps. I decided that maybe I should venture out to the mall to purchase a badly-needed bra since the one I bought at Target on Thursday made me look like a 13 year old girl. I left Greg in charge of the sleeping boys (they didn't sleep, oops!) and I headed to the mall.

It took me 20 minutes to get there. I spend an additional 15 minutes driving around the parking lot looking for a place before I decided that it was a really bad idea to attempt the mall in the middle of a Saturday afternoon.

So I decided to go to Walmart to pick up a few things. (am I stupid? You see where this is going, right?)

It took me 15 minutes to get there. I spent 10 minutes driving around the Walmart parking lot trying to find a space until I got flipped off by some guy who was trying to get around me. SCREW YOU, BUDDY! Argh. I started to wonder why I was there in the first place. I HATE Walmart with their full parking lots and their narrow aisles. Not to mention the fact that they are trying to take over the entire world. Why was I shopping there?

So before I was on the Six O'Clock News for road raging someone, I left and went to Albertsons.

It took me 5 minutes to get there. I found a parking place right away, close to the front even. I did my shopping and was outta there in less than 15 minutes. Oh, Albertsons. How I love your wide aisles and your overpriced groceries. Too bad you are going broke.

The rest of the day was uneventful, but nice. Greg's two sisters came for dinner and brought lemon cream pie from Marie Callendar's, so that is always good. I like pie. We left Greg (again) with the kids and went to see Failure to Launch. I LOVED it. Of course, Matthew McConaughey could be in a totally sucky movie and I might not notice.

So there is my Saturday for you. It was a good day, excluding the shopping fiasco. Now I just have to figure out a time to get myself back down to the mall sans kids. Bra shopping with two kids under the age of two and a half doesn't sound like my idea of fun.

Me times Quattro

And no, I don't mean the razor. Although I got a free sample once and LOVE the thing. Thanks to Lei for the idea. I'm feeling non-creative lately so this is all your getting. Sorry! I promise next week will be FILLED with exciting things.

Four jobs I have held

--Night manager at Subway Sandwiches
--Collections Agent (I was nice)
--Receptionist for an eye doctor
--Assistant for the VP of a Development Company

Four places I have lived

--My parent's house, downstairs, first door on the right.
--My college dorm. Referred to as my Dorm Cell.
--An apartment where the kitchen flooded when the neighbors started their dishwasher
--The 'Burbs

Four TV shows I love to watch

--Gilmore Girls. Could Logan be any hotter? I know he is a jerk but...so hot!
--The Office. Michael Scott = the opposite of Logan Huntsberger
--My Name is Earl. White Trash at it's finest. I am totally loving Joy.
--The Apprentice. Donald's hair and all.






Four Places you have been on vacation

--Denver. With my Cub fanatic family to see the Cubs vs. Rockies
--Disneyland. I went twice--once when I was 16 and had a terrible attitude and again with Greg and his two sisters.
--Disneyworld for a week with Greg..best vacation we ever had
--Oregon Coast with Greg's family. Pretty place. Cold though.

Four Websites I visit with somewhat regularity

--My Super Secret Forum
--Holy Mama's Blog Cause she is hilarious.
--Any of the MOF's blogs
--And of course, I have to get my Strong Bad fix, however immature it may be

Four of my favorite foods
--Avocados
--Good Pizza with everything except 'shrooms. 'Shrooms suck.
--Steak, grilled to a medium pinkness. Yum.
--Cake. I don't care what kind, I love all of it.

Four Places I would rather be right now

--The Mall. I need a new bra since the breastfeeding boobs are shrinking. How come no one told me about that part?
--Outside, in the heat. And I would be except for it is still FRIGGIN' COLD!
--Getting a massage. But without the pan flute music. It reminds me too much of Karate Kid and I spend the whole time thinking "Wax On, Wax Off as Josh rubs my aching muscles.
--Somewhere with Greg and no kids to worry about. Just a loverly weekend away or something. Ain't gonna happen for at least another six months though. Maybe for my birthday.

Four things I always carry with me

--My wallet
--Cell Phone
--Car Keys
--A Child

So there you go. Have a great weekend everyone! Stay tuned for more exciting blogging.

No Fair! Mine Didn't Come With An OFF Button!

Yesterday morning I decided at the last minute to brave Tot Time at the local library. Lately we haven't been going since it is smack dab in the middle of M's morning nap but since he has been taking 25 minute "naps" lately (grrr...) I figured we could give it a try. I frantically changed two diapers, dressed all three of us, ignored protests as I brushed A's teeth, put on shoes, combed hair, and searched for missing keys in just over 11 minutes. Not too shabby.

So we head out the door, which is always a little annoying when we are in a hurry because of a certain dawdler who always finds a way to stand in front of me in a way that I cannot get around him to buckle in his brother. I finally get them both in the car. We are off.

I flip on the radio. Good song! I turn it up and start grooving. I look back at the boys with a big smile on my face, knowing that at least A will be grooving with me as he so often does. His hands are over his ears and he is glaring at me. Nice. I turn it down, feeling a bit awkward that my two year old thinks my music is too loud. He probably thinks it is too young for me too. Can I help that I like a few teeny bopper tunes every now and then? Sheesh. Judge me why don't you.

We get to the library in record time. There is lots of rain and therefore lots of puddles. A jumps in all of them. I let him because we have time. His shoes are soaked, but shoes dry.

Although there are 3 sets of moms and kids waiting for Tot Time, the room is completely silent. A announces our arrival by throwing Woody (from Toy Story, don't you know) across the room and yelling, "JUMP, Woowee!!!" There are cushions spread out all over the floor so I tell A to choose one to sit on. He apparently needs to test them out first by jumping from cushion to cushion and yelling "JUMP!" (Must I remind you about the wet shoes?) The Moms watch him, stone faced. I wrangle him and try to get him to sit next to me on a cushion. The Moms are still watching. I try to crack jokes and say things like, "Wow, I don't really realize how loud he is until we are out in public!" The Moms glance away. I say, "Does anyone want another two year old to take home?" Ha ha. I'm hilarious. The Moms shoot me uneasy smiles and busy themselves by removing imaginary lint from their (very quiet) children's shirts.

Lots more people arrive and the Storytime Lady gets down to business. She is an older lady and says a lot of things like this, "Clap, Clap, Clap and One, Two, Three; Let's See How Quiet We Can Be!" A is okay on the clapping part. The quiet part? Not so much. She moves on to dancing. The kids Shake Their Sillies Out. They Clap Their Crazies out. They go 'Round the Mulberry Bush.

Storytime Lady tells them it is time to sit down so they can learn about the baby llama. The kids sit down, except for my kid. Apparently he still has Crazies that weren't quite clapped out and he is running around the room doing the Beavis and Butthead laugh ("Uhh huh huh...Uhh huh huh...") I crawl across the floor and wrangle him in again. Not so easy when I am trying to hold M at the same time but I'm talented like that. The Moms stare. I tell him he needs to stay by me. I try to get him to sit on a cushion ("sitting on cushions is SO cool!" and turns into "sit on this cushion, NOW!"). He takes off, running laps around me and his brother. I give up and figure that as long as he is not screaming I can deal with running around.

Three more songs and one more book later Tot Time is over. I watch the other moms give their children hugs and thank them for helping the Storytime Lady gather up the cushions. I fight with A to get his jacket back on. We search for Woody and find him underneath a stack of chairs. We get to the car and I lift A up to put him in his carseat. He throws his arms around me, plants a big kiss on my cheek and says, "Momma? I love you!" (which sounds like "Momma, I yuh u")

I love you too, A. I love you too.

Wherefore Art Thou, Oh Sun??

I need you!

I usually spend the latter part of winter feeling sorry for myself. Once I realized this I have been bound and determined not to be so wretchedly depressed but I haven't been that successful. (I do not count last year since I was still in my first trimester puking phase and would have been miserable even if it was sunny outside every second of every day)

This year I have really made an effort. If we were grading on a curve, I would give myself a B+. Not bad for a person that averages C's and D's this time of year. It helped that issues in my family came up and I was required to be the Strong One. Not that hardships suffered by others are necessarily a good thing, but it is hard to wallow in self pity when you are serving those around you. I realized how truly blessed I am and that helped combat the sadness and despair.

Now I am ready for spring. For the past month or so Mother Nature has given me a little taste of sun and warmth. Enough at least to make me falsely believe that springtime has arrived.

Last weekend my mom was here visiting. We took her to a park downtown so we could show her how beautiful it was. I forgot that the trees were still bare and the grass is brown and crunchy. She wasn't nearly as impressed as I had wanted her to be. We bundled up the kids and let A run around the playground until the snot from his nose started freezing on his upper lip. He tried to have fun, even participated (sort of) in some friendly small talk but it was just too cold to be out there for longer than a few minutes.













I am not the only one that is confused. My daffodils are coming up. At any moment the tree in my front yard will have blossoms popping right before my eyes. But it is still cold, cold, cold and for the past week the sun has yet to shine.

I keep telling Greg that this is my year. This is the year where we will have a nice yard. Flowers will be planted. I will grow tomatoes again but this year they won't die a slow, painful death. We will plant new trees. One to replace our dead red maple that didn't get enough water, and another to replace what I refer to as The Weed. (A ugly, treelike plant in our backyard that should have been taken out THREE years ago but was not. Pictured at left) I will mulch, dig, water, fertilize. I will love my pumpkin plants enough to cover them so they will not snap if it gets too windy. Yes my friends, this is my year.

All I'm asking for is a little help from Mother Nature. Please, let me get started. Let it be warm enough for A to run around in our recently-fenced backyard so that the neighbors can enjoy his decibel level. Certainly they've missed it since last fall. Please Mother Nature, let me prove to you that I can grow something besides weeds. Pretty please! I'm begging you.

While I'm waiting, if anyone has any gardening tips that go beyond "don't let your plants die" I'd appreciate it.

Like Father, Like Son

We are at the park this weekend. A 3 year old we didn't know comes up to my 2 year old.

Strange Kid: Hi, I am 3.

A: Blank Stare

Strange Kid: How old are you?

A: Blank Stare

Strange Kid: Can you talk yet?

A pauses: No.

He then turns around and walks off.

I guess he inherited his father's love for small talk.