Crib Fib

So the holidays are over and now begins the mad dash to new years eve/day and then quickly it turns to Saylor's FIRST birthday. In the midst of this we thought it was time to let Athena get to sleep in a big girl bed. There was truly no rush for this because the crib was being used as intended and she was happy in it. She still sleeps 2 hrs in the afternoon and then from 7pm to 7am. Always. I was so excited to finally get her in a big girl bed that I couldn't leave well enough alone though.

We have one of those fancy schmancy cribs that converts to a day bed, twin bed and full bed. I know, it is so weird to try to conceptualize this without the diagrams that come in the book, but, she could potentially be in this thing until she was 15. So off came one of the four crib walls and voila "new bed" for her. We all played into it big time. New pjs for the new bed, new crib sheets er....big girl sheets for the bed, new pillow, the whole bit. She climbed into bed and off to lala land she went. Woke up saying "can I get down now"? Michael and I were so happy. We ran into the room and congratulated her. So much fanfare it was ridiculous, it was like she had just solved the rubik's cube, blindfolded. Nighttime, same thing. We looked at each other and said "this is great".

Fast forward to today. Nap time? check. Toddler in pjs? check. Toddler who sleeps in her new bed and asks to get down? check. whoa. stop right here...shoulda checked twice (santa style)

We have the stealthiest little toddler ever. Quiet as a mouse from the time that I let her crawl into her bed until I went in to check on her and saw that 1. half of her animals were blanketed on the "new bed", 2. the other half were on the floor actively engaging in a picnic, 3. shades drawn up to the tippy top, 4. stacked legs onto towers and buildings, and finally 5. a very quiet little girl coloring in her coloring book. She actually had the audacity to say "momma, where did daddy go in Athena's grey car?" She had seen him leaving from her window. The whole time I thought she was asleep!!!

I just gasped. I really did. I didn't know if to laugh or what. I of course calmly put her back into bed and let her know that it was naptime yadda yadda (I bore myself at times too). I couldn't believe she swindled us like that. Oh well, I am sure that this is just one of the many "tricks" that will be played on us. It's like our incredible babysitter that we ADORE and that Athena adores too. Quiet, punctual, polite, in college with a scholarship, taught at a baptist church. Yeahhhhh (office space voice), she left herself logged into Myspace and I saw what a raunchy skanky ho she truly is. I didn't know if to laugh or what.

Here are a few of my favorite things........

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Raindrops on filthy car and whiskers on (someone else's) kittens...

Bright copper kettle(bells...which I promise to start using...soon) and warm droollin smittens (saylor)

Brown paper packages tied up with string (Michael's?),
These are a few of my favorite things

When the curry bites....

When El Patron (thanks SM) shot stings'

When I am feeling Baaaad (like phat but different)

I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel, so bad.

Happiest Holidays Y'all!!!!!!!!!!!

Old School Rewind.....

Once a week I will re-post an old blog entry for your enjoyment(yes, I am trying to pass this off as creative when really it is pure laziness that has prompted the new idea)

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Stop the MamaRazzi

Pictures, pictures and more pictures is what I take of these three (really the two wee ones). I should have the ol' camera surgically implanted just for the ease of carrying. Athena hears the sound of the shutter opening and she looks up to smile. I have to muffle that sound if I want to catch a candid. Saylor is headed in the same path I reckon. I think Saylor is going to be a little more difficult (see how she is flipping me the bird in this one?) She is being subtle, but I can read between the lines.













Saylor is one active little galleta. She is going to be 5 months and she is already scooting, rolling over (both ways...we call that bi-rolling), gets up in the crawl position but doesn't do much more than rocking. If I place her down anywhere she manages to scoot away. I left her in the middle of this mat and went to the bathroom when I came back she was like this. I found her under the futon last week. I didn't take a picture because I freaked out :)

To sum it all up today...there really is no stopping the MamaRazzi. Unless of course my kids pull a Bjork or a Cameron Diaz on me then all bets are off. Oh, who am I kidding...I would still persevere. It's the Italian in me.

Happy Hump Day,
Bar-b

Thousand Word Thursday

TWT Game- Chime in on what you think the subject(s) are thinking or saying.

Happy Commenting!!!!!

I cannot believe it is the 18th of DECEMBER already!!!

And the winner of the giveaway is.........

Well, I would be telling you right now except I am busy putting all of the names in an excel spreadsheet (actually Michael is) and then I will be cutting them and putting them into a "hat" and then picking the winner of the MaMi Skincare set!!!!!!!!! Yes, I know, very scientific. Only the best for my bloggy audience.

I have now just decided to video myself picking the names...I thought it would be fun and interactive. Well, at least from my end.

Here goes....

Thousand Word Thursday

Sorry for the stalled pomegranate post....



TWT Game- Post what you think these subjects are saying/thinking

Happy Captioning!

Oh and don't forget that you have until Sunday the 14th to enter the MaMi Skincare Giveaway!!!!

Whew.....I just ate Pomegranate

We all know the great benefits that is touted by the pomegranate. The list of potential health benefits are endless....antioxidants, vitamin B5, may have antibacterial effects against dental plaque, cardiovascular health, prostate health, and makes one hell of a martini (made with POM wonderful juice)...I mean this is like a superfruit.

I was ecstatic to see them for sale at my local grocery store. 2 for $4...what a steal I thought. All of these healthy attributes....for $2 a pop? Worth every penny, I thought. I have never had one before so I picked two out how I thought you should and headed home. I walked through the door and exclaimed "Babe, I bought Pomegranate!!!". Michael looked at me and said "don't wear any clothes while eating it that you want to keep and don't get it on the counter tops". "Ok, Sunshine". And I was off to eat my superfruit.

I stared at her for a long time. Do I bite it? Do I slice it? Do I peel it? I stopped and looked at it and thought Oh my God, how the hell do I eat this thing. What are you supposed to do with it? No one ever mentioned this now do they. I ended messing up the first one royally. I don't even know what I did but I had all of these beautiful little seeds burst and then the rind was thick and I didn't know if to eat it or what. Wow, I had already invested like 14 minutes in my supersnack and I hadn't even had any yet. So I did what any "normal" person living in 2008 would do. Yep, I You Tube'd it :) I actually had to log onto youtube to figure out how to eat the "anils" and how to place the fruit in a bowls of water for 5 mintues to have it be easier to tear of the rind and pulp from the jewels of these fruit.

The pomengranate needs a better agent. It actually just needs to come with instructions or I need to be around more people that know how to eat it.

So if your new years resolution is to work on your patience or your fine motor skills, or to learn how to eat slower or to lose weight...then the pomegranate is for you. It took me over 40 minutes to enjoy my pomegranate seeds of my second one.

Do you like or know how to eat pomegranate? Do you have any suggestions? Should I just stick with the juice? Oh and I used to think those bottles of juice were expensive...I don't anymore. Trust me, they're a steal.

Secret Ornament Swap...no not the new Fox Show

Julie at Abbily Ever After had an idea for a blogger secret ornamnet swap....I was all over that.
I love surprises (giving and getting). I cannot wait to show you what I recieved from MY secret blogger....

Doesn't this look exactly like the girls I heart?

Doesn't his look like moi? (yes, I rented "buns of steel" from the library)

Doesn't this look like what we don't get here in Houston? Thank God! btw, it is an irredescent glass ornament filled with snow).

Finally, isn't this the sweetest letter written by a fellow awesome blogger ;)

Kristen at Our Army Life was a great secret ornament swapper. She put a lot of thought into her gift and I really appreciate it. It brought a smile to my face to open up the box yesterday. They are very pretty and the penguins really do resemble the girls! Thank you very much, and I will hang these ornaments up as sooon as I get a tree this weekend!

Thanks Julie for initiating the swap and thank you so much Kristen for participating...this was a lot of fun!

Thousand Word Thursday

Sorry about the lag in posting a TWT, but, with thanksgiving and utter laziness...I skipped a couple of weeks.

To refresh your noggins......GAME-add a conversation to this picture. What are the subjects thinking or saying to each other or to themselves.

I love all of your comments they make me smile/laugh. Ok, get to it.

Happy Thursday!

"Where there's a will, there an A"

Remember that infomercial?

Anyhow, it is time to play a game. My blog bud Aubrey at Fam Five tagged me to play this game (actually I think I volunteered) along with her. RULES-She randomly assigns me one of the magnificient 26 letters of the alphabet and I have to then post TEN of my favorite things/words that start with that letter. I was secretly hoping for an X or Q so I could use my grey matter but then I realized that I don't really favor Quills, Quolls, or Quails, or Xrays, Xanax (wait....), or Xavier for that matter so then I sighed relief when I recieved the Flagship letter A!!!!!!!!!!

Here goes....

1. alive, being it is pretty nice ;)
2. attraction to Michael
3. affability (am I making up words)
4. aspirations
5. areolas, mine, glad to have them back after nursing
6. awesomeness (who doesn't?)
7. A1 sauce
8. amazon.com
9. Athena
10. Another perfect daughter :)

If you want to play let me know and I will assign you a letter too!!!!!!!

Merry SITSmas

That's right, the reason for the season...of blogging and commenting that is. These girls out at Secret is in the Sauce are doing it again! They are having a give away every. freakin'. hour. today. I have carpal tunnel just from going onto their site so much today (shhhhh, don't tell the bacon maker that I have done nothing else today).

They have awesome and cool sponsors that are helping a sitsta out ;)

Thanksgiven

It is over. My feelings are bittersweet about it having come and gone. We didn't travel anywhere and we didn't have anyone come over. It was just us four, the BAMS. A newly crowned 3 year old and a 10 month old. It was Saylor's first thanksgiving because last thanksgiving she was cooking...in here......

Best crock pot known to man.....takes a little long, but it cooks perfectly :)

We started out trying to keep it very simple and non-traditional and on the 27th, but it ended up being celebrated on friday and had your typical thanksgiving fare. Except we didn't have pumpkin or pecan pie, I had made a blazing cheesecake for us. A pumpkin cheesecake that was to die for. Yep, homemade graham cracker crust.

Saylor ate like she has eaten like this all of her little life. She has always seemed to hate purees, compotes and baby food and only wanted the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans and bread. Someone please CC her on the memo letting her know she is a teensy weensy baby and can choke on all of this if she jams it all in her mouth at one time.

Anyhow, it was wonderful to have our little family o' four at the table. It didn't go at all how we had planned and there was no decorations like planned, or saying a prayer as planned or even the seating arrangement as planned, but it was a great dinner nonetheless. When I see Michael on one side of the table tending to Saylor (and letting his food get cold), and I am at the other negotiating with my 3 year old to finish her food, it just feels right, and I well up thinking about all of the wonderful memories yet to come.

Thanks given indeed.

My 100th post

So much anxiety has built up on my hundredth post that I think this might just be it. Writing about my feelings about my 100th post. Sorry if you were hoping for a meme, or a giveaway (we already have one of those), or something to that extent.

All over the blogosphere 100th posts are celebrated, revered, marked as special. All I can say about it is that I can't believe that I have written 100 entries about......? BUT I do plan on writing about......? a lot more.

Thanks for reading, I love sharing. I love your comments and the way that all of you share too. I do hope however that someone (not me or anyone I know) will invent a way to print out blogs or be able to make them into hard copies or something so that when I am old(er) and gray(er) I can keep it. My old arse gets anxious thinking that one day (since everyone is blogging) that the computers will come crashing and my online journal so to speak will go down with it. I guess anxiety is the word of the day...the day of my 100th post ;)

Whew. Glad that's over.

MaMi Skincare GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!

First off I would like to say that this is my blog and I use it for what I want and how I want to :)

One of my very good friends, Lee, is launching her new website and business TODAY!!!! When I first heard that she and her husband were going to attempt to go into the skincare business I was excited . I knew how smart, savvy, and selective they were. I listened with open ears. After 1.5 years of research, product testing, website development, focus groups, etc. etc. etc........

MaMi Skincare is open for business! I have used the products and LOVE them and that is all I will use now. I absolutely love the way they make my skin look and feel, who the company represents, and how they operate. I am ecstatic about this and hope you visit their website and take a look for yourself.

In her own words......

With me being a new mom, we developed our business around mom’s unique skin care needs. Thanks to all my mom friends who contributed their thoughts and opinions via the surveys and focus groups - your feedback helped shape our core values.

~We wanted to use natural ingredients that are effective for achieving healthy, youthful looking skin without any harmful additives.
~We wanted concentrated, active ingredients without fillers
~We wanted a simple line with easy application to respect mom’s lack of time and sometimes even lack of hands
~We wanted an environmentally-conscious company that used containers that are recyclable

Our companies’ philosophy is firmly grounded in a belief that purity is essential to our skin’s health. Just as clean air, water and natural nutrition optimize the health of your whole body, your skin thrives on pure natural elements to nourish it inside and out. With this in mind, we created a completely safe and natural line of products that are paraben-free and toxin-free. We did extensive ingredient research and eliminated any ingredients that had potential negative side effects. To make sure our products were both safe AND effective, we partnered with the skin care company my Dad helps to operate, that produces skin care for dermatolists, spas, and beauty experts.

To Mark The Occasion.....

If you go to MaMi Skincare, you can get a 20% discount off our regular pricing when you purchase before December 31 2008. Just enter “Mamilaunch” as the special offer/discount coupon code.

*****Most importantly*****What is a Blog Post without a giveaway????????? That is right, I am giving away a Cleanser and Moisturizer Set to the lucky winner. The only rules to the giveaway is to

1. comment on here for 1 entry,

2.go to the website, browse around and choose your favorite product...come back here and tell us about it, 2 entries.

3. a link back to here on your blog gets you 3 entries, and

4. if you visit MaMi Skincare and buy something I will give you 5 entries.

I will do the random drawing on Dec 15th (just in time for the holidays). I can have these AWESOME products delivered to you or you can have them sent to someone as a gift!!!!!!

Good Luck!

Thousand Word Thursday

Game- Leave Captions/Thoughts on what you think people in picture are saying/thinking.

I love thursdays!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hoopla Over Motrin Ad?

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As a baby wearer and a complete and utter advocate, I find it to be.......tell you later.

I want to hear your thoughts.....

Shhhh, It's Date Night

When I drive with both girls we usually take turns with choosing songs on the radio. One for Athena and one for Momma. Well, "wheels on the bus goes round and round" was coming to end and I knew it would be my turn next (so sad no?)

I was mindfully listening to NPR on my way around town and caught an invitation to all to an event at our city's urban park in downtown. I was way intrigued, especially when the smooth talking radio host said it was a FrREEEeeeEEeEEeEeeEEE event. You know these are my favorite events of all ;) I called our trusty little babysitter and set it up. Friday night date was well on it's way. What was I all jazzed about you ask??????? Well...let me show you....

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Yes, the 1925 silent movie, Phantom of the Opera was playing on a beautifully landscaped lawn, while the Houston Symphony played the original musical score. It was a chilly (cover your eyes Canadian and Midwestern friends) 72 degrees and we laid out on perfect grass on a cozy blanket. It was really really cool! You'd be surprised how into the movie we really got. I think the live music and the fact that you really had to pay attention to the expressions and gestures of the actors made it more compelling.

Michael and I had a really nice night and topped it off with Moons over my Hammy at Denny's. I only really remember (vaguely) what Denny's pancakes taste like at 4am. Ahhhh, married bliss ;)

Let me set it up....

Now that Athena is 3 I was remebering all of the stuff she used to do when she was little...you know, 2.5.

This is a repost from June. I got a laugh then and I got a laugh now. A re-laugh if you will.


So, we are grocery shopping. Saylor is in the sling, the Blaze is in the bucket in the cart...strapped in of course. We are singing songs, talking about stuff on the shelf, reciting the name of kids in her class, remembering the animals in the zoo, etc. You know, the things that you do at the grocery store (rolling eyes). We enter the bean aisle, looking for frijoles negros (in a can of course, no one is going to sit there and soak the little effers). I have a lady on my left that goes to get a can of beans, but, the can manages to slip out of her hands and fall on the floor, when she proceeds to say "Ohh, Shit!". (even though Michael and I curse A LOT, we hardly, if at all, curse in front of them). I pay no attention to her. Well I pay no attention to her, but, Ears Malone says "Oh Shit! People Lady, Frijoles on the floor". I didn't know what to do. I was laughing hysterically in my head, but I didn't want to reinforce any unwanted behavior, so I "poker faced" it and continued on as if nothing. Well, needless to say Sweet Athena "Oh Shit" everytime we did something by accident. Bumped the cart, picked up the wrong box of cereal, Saylor drooling, dropped a wipee. I couldn't ignore it anymore. I had to tell her that when we make a mistake what we say is "ooopsie" and I made this super goofball face to accompany it. Athena tried it and it seemed to be sticking. We even made a couple of mock mistakes and "ooopsie" was said. Great! crisis diverted I thought. Whew.

Fast Forward - We get to the cashier and I gave the cashier the wrong credit card and I said..oh wait, sorry. and Athena says "Oh shit momma, Oopsie".

The Family That Exercises Together Stays Together :)

And this is why we don't pick up our phones....

Thousand Word Thursday

Every thursday I will post a picture up on my blah blah blahg and let you all comment on what you think the subjects are saying/thinking. I cannot promise that this will be the only entry for the day, but, it will be the minimum. If I forget, someone remind me, stat.

For those of you who asked if they could pirate this idea...I say Go Right Ahead....royalties (everytime someone comments) can be paid through my pay pal account :)

A blink, a flash, a nanosecond

How does this......

............turn into this?

See this face? This is the face of my new THREE year old. Even though she doesn't officially turn three until 8:10pm...we'll go ahead and celebrate early :)

Happy Birthday Boober, Scoopy, Bo! Happiest 3rd birthday.

We are so proud to be your parents!

Excitement, optimism, hope, elation, warmth, emotion, motivation, urge, and pride is what I woke up to this morning. Watched Obama's victory speech with my new 3 year old on my lap on her birthday.

Love,

Bar-b

Get This...

I wake up this morning and go to my inbox and I see One. Hundred. and TwentySeven emails. I was like "wuh"? I had to look again and then I thought....ugh, I hate "reply to all" replies. Here I'll have to go sifting through "yeah" and "sure I'll be there", or "Johnny has the flu, won't be able to make the zoo". I soon realized that it was not that at all...but comments on the ol' blog.

Could this be true, could I be the featured blogger for Nov 4th...Election Day no less? Yes....I WAS!!! How freakin' fun. I have to let you in on a little secret though. My children (y' know, the two that I heart) yeah (in office space boss voice), neglected. Completely. I have gotten carpal tunnel just reading all of the great blog comment love. Refresh, refresh, refresh. Oh how fun!

I am so sorry I didn't get a chance to clean up, get coffee brewing or go to the grocery store and get snacks for y'all. Feel free to mosey about and peruse the only creative outlet I have, besides raising two exceptional rays of sunshine.

Hope you enjoyed a sliver of our little life. I love SITS and enjoy reading other's blogs very very much.

*See* y'all around :)

5 minutes of my Day

Let me set you up...

Saylor is in her Pack and Play.....packing and playing. At times she sounds like she smoked a pack of cigarettes, rest assured it was not a whole pack. You are so much more lenient with the second one.

At some other points you'll need to take dose of dramamine because of the camera woman...sorry. Oh and I apologize ahead of time for sounding ridiculous but well, I am having a conversation with a 9 month old....how else would you have envisioned it?


All caveats aside, enjoy ;)