A List Shall Do Today...

Just like my mind this week, I am thinking of many random things. Therefore, I shall go listy on ya'll...

1. I have a hard time enjoying the Oscars when I never go to movies anymore. I am too cheap to hire a babysitter for 4 hours in a row ($40 before we even leave the house? Sorry!). The only movie I saw was Little Miss Sunshine. I enjoyed it, but have a hard time believing that Alan Arkin was the best supporting actor performance this year. What I did enjoy: Ellen. She is the best...in fact, she is moving in on my love for Oprah.

2. Speaking of Oprah, I watched her special Monday night about building her school in Africa. I have been discussing with people the topic of Oprah's intentions. A lot of people ask, "Why Africa and not our own country?" To that I say, everyone needs help. She gets to make her choice as to where to put her money and efforts without being criticized. Others say, "Why does she have to do a t.v. special about it? She is so self-promoting." To that I say, I believe she puts it out there because she wants others to be inspired by her work and find something (big or small) that they can do to help others. She inspired me! And by the way, the woman has been working tirelessly on this for 5 years and has done one one-hour t.v. special about it. It's not like she's shouting from the roof tops for god's sake.

3. Lucy had "Dad's Night" at her school last night. I was trying to explain to her how the evening was gonna roll out in the car earlier in the day. I said, "There's going to be a party at school tonight and only kids and their Daddys get to go!" and she replied, "Cause Daddy is my Valentine guy?!" Come on with the cuteness...killin' me.

4. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I am seriously so confused about that topic and have no idea what direction I want to go in. I feel like I sort of have to figure that out sooner than later. It's a tinge stressful to think about. I have had a few friends tell me that they think my strength lies relating to little kids. I took it as a great compliment, as they commented that I seem to have a way with them, more than the average person. I feel the same way but am not sure what to do with it. Teaching programs are so all-encompassing and lengthy to plow through. Not sure I am that committed. Maybe I'll just open a home day care at my house with my soon-to-be finished basement! HA HA! LIKE THAT IS HAPPENING!

5. Speaking of finished basements, aren't you proud of me? I have been soooo subdued about this project! You would never know that for the past 3 weeks, my entire downstairs has been demolished, whacked on daily during naptimes, and dry walled to death. I have not mentioned that the workers give me the creeps and usually don't take their shoes off when they come upstairs. I haven't mentioned that I have to wipe their pee off my toilet and listen to Motley Crue in my family room while they talk about their "Gig in Houston where they will be makin' the sweet Moola." So yeah...it's almost done. Fire up for before and after pics next week!

Oh the Things He Can Do!

Tommy has been surprising me the past week with the things he can do. Of course it doesn't help that I am starting to plan his 1st birthday party and I feel like it's been the fastest year of my life. But seriously, this kid is becoming a little boy.
Two nights ago, we were playing "peekaboo" and for the first time, he started putting his blanket over his head and hiding all on his own! Then he would pull it down and laugh.
He is becoming a crazy waver. If I wave at him, no matter where we are or what we are doing, he'll usually stop, smile and wave back (or at least flop his arm to try)!
He has started enjoying putting things IN to boxes and containers. This morning at a play group thing I attend on some Monday mornings, he was sitting there furiously putting these blocks into a box. He just looked like a big boy doing it.
Lastly (and in my opinion, the biggest one of all), I was helping him eat yogurt at lunch today. I would hand him the spoon and he put it in his mouth all by himself! Lucy and I cheered. Then, I asked for it back and he actually HANDED it back to me! I thought that was pretty cool.
The kid only says "Mama" right now, but that was proof that his receptive language is pretty big at the moment. But how can it NOT be with crazy Lucy flapping her gums in his face all day long?!
Fun! Fun with the Tomma shamma!

Short but Sweet...

One of my favorite things to do with Lucy is to ask her for a kiss. I'll stop and ask, "Can I get a quick kiss?" and she does it! It is so great.
This is one of those things that I know I have about a 2 year window (hopefully more) of time in which she will oblige.
By age 8, it will be gross and by age 15, she will want to kill me.
So I will hold on tight to age 2 and the greatness that it brings!

Moments to Remember...

I have been working on compiling a list of what I think of as the absolute most memorable, impressionable and greatest moments of my life, in no particular order. Just thought the kids might find it interesting some day.

Our family trip to Disney World when I was 8 years old - 1982
Everything was completely magical. I still remember crying as we took the boat back to our resort..staring at the sparkly Magic Kingdom as we drove away for the last time.

Winning the State Championship in Girl's Basketball - Dec. 7, 1991
And really, the process it took to get there. Everyone should get to win a State championship to feel how exciting and rewarding it is!

Our Wedding Day - August 26, 2000
After all the planning, it was just a really fun day with family and friends from all aspects of our lives. I wish I could relive that day again.

The births of both kids - 6/6/04 and 3/17/06
I seriously loved giving birth. My friends think I am nuts but it was fun! So exciting to see who these little ones were. Plus I was blessed with pretty easy labors, which helps.

All of the James Taylor concerts I have attended
I am just saying..he is my favorite and sounds perfect in concert.

Our night at McGann's Pub in Doolin, Ireland - March 2003
We stumbled upon this place. Live music, locals all around, friendly people, good times. Matt and I walked out of there, looked at each other and said at the same time, "Yeah...coolest night ever."

My first trip to Colorado to visit Matt - January 1998
This was the trip where everything seemed to become really clear. I could see my future ahead of me.

My hike on the Na Pali coastline in Kawaii (our honeymoon) - September 2000
We couldn't believe we were there AND at the top of the 8 mile trek, there was a huge waterfall.

My one and only white water rafting trip on the Arkansas River - Summer, 2001
I have never laughed so hard in my life. The perfect balance of fear and fun.

Two All Beef Patties....

If I was on death row and they asked me what my final meal would be, I would request a Big Mac Extra Value Meal at McDonalds. It is my dream meal. I allow myself to get one every once in a great while. I had one yesterday when we were on a little road trip. Road trips always make me want to eat ridiculous things. And it was a total dream...
I rationalized that since I ran 5 miles on Saturday and 5 miles today, I could mow on it guilt free. So I did. Every naughty bite. I haven't had one in two years. That's probably why it tasted so good. Sometimes, all it takes for me to feel joyful is a Big Mac and fries.

Another Week in Pics...

First Haircut for the Tomma! He did great!





















Valentine's Day! Post-school party fun!
















Happy 11 Months Old Silly Boy!

If I Teach her Nothing Else...

I am a huge bargain shopper. I learned it from my mother. I remember going to the local mall, heading into The Limited (remember when that was THE store?), and being furious at her that she wouldn't even LOOK at the clothes in the front of the store. She'd head right for the sales in the back. I would roll my eyes and be all, "Mom! Can we just pretend to look at this stuff for a minute?!" Now, I never spend ANY time in the front of stores. I am all, "Give it two weeks...it will be on sale" and head to the back myself.
I shop at Walmart. And Kmart. And consignment shops. I am not embarrased to buy clothes at these stores. I remember visiting my girlfriend in Chicago, just a little while after leaving there and moving to Denver. We used to go to Michigan Ave. almost every Saturday and buy clothes. Then I moved to Denver and "style" just wasn't as important. I mean, I worked up a mountain in a very casual office where I literally wore overalls to work on Fridays. Hey...it was 1998, cut me a break. I would email my stylish Chicago friends that I was wearing overalls and they would die laughing at me. Oh well, I liked it - no pressure for style! On this particular visit I was wearing denim capris and as we walked through Lincoln Park, she mentioned she really enjoyed them. I made her guess where I got them. "Old Navy?" Nope..."Target?" Getting closer..."I give up!" WALMART!
I was wearing Walmart capris and was beaming with pride because she liked them! I am just saying it is great to get a deal.
I went to Kmart earlier this week and bought Lucy some tights. It is a great place for cute girlie tights. By the way, you can't get a pair of tights ANYWHERE these days for less than $15. It is really obnoxious. I found these at the bargain price of $4.99. They are these cute white tights with pink and silver hearts running up and down the legs and Lucy thinks she is pretty cool in them. As I put them on her this morning, I said, "Look! Your new tights!" and she looked up and said with a smile, "Kmart!"
I have passed it on to a third generation. I am so proud.

Totally Ridiculous Things in My Food Pantry...

1. Large bag of Twizzlers
2. Tin of white chocolate covered pretzels
3. A few Hershey Kisses
4. Candy hearts that say, "Email me" or "Your Mine"
5. Movie -sized bag of Sour Patch Kids
6. Large bag of Valentine's Blow Pops
7. Valentine's Day Mini M & M's
8. My first cake! A large (you guessed it) Valentine's Day cake I made and brought to a play date this morning.

Let the bouncing off the walls commence! Happy Valentine's Day!

Just a Little Refresher!

It's funny, this motherhood thing. I sometimes get tired and complain about how crazy and hectic the days are. I get burnt out occasionally (especially in the winter) and lose steam. Some days, I want to just tell everyone I am going to bed for 12 hours. However, it is amazing what a little refresher can do for you.
I headed out on Friday night to visit with some college girlfriends and to catch up on our scrapbooks. Yes, it's true. I am a closet scrapper. I am trying to wrap up Tommy's baby book. So I was gone from Friday night to Sunday morning. It was WONDERFUL to get the break. I never really do anything just for ME. It seems like whenever I leave the kids, it's because I have to go to the dentist or something that just isn't "kid friendly." While all that is fine and good, it felt good to go do something that was just for me. And while I had the best time laughing with my girlfriends, I have to admit by Sunday morning, I was so excited and refreshed and ready to see the kiddos. In fact, it was bizarre to actually sit in one place for a few hours. I haven't done that in years! With the 3 of us girls, there are 7 kids between us, so we were all feeling the same way. When I got home, it was so fun to see their faces light up when I walked in the room! Lucy and I went to the store together and it was so fun. It was just a nice family day. I was surprised how little time I really needed to get "refreshed" and be back in action. I don't think I would enjoy being gone for more than a couple nights at this point, but this was a perfect trip! It was also nice to hear from Matt when I returned, "This just reinforced even more how you soooo have the harder job. I don't know how you do it every day." :)

Imaginary This, Billy!

I was a journalism major in college and have done a lot of proofreading and editing in my professional life. This bothers some of my friends because I have been known to correct people's english and incorrect spelling. My sister and I love to find mistakes on food labels, signs, etc. and laugh at the stupidity of other's poor writing skills. This is obnoxious, I know.
I have this Taebo video I have been doing out of sheer desperation for exercise in 10 degree temps and a treadmill now moved to the garage because we are getting our basement finished. About halfway through the video, Billy Blanks says, "Now imaginary this.." to describe how to do a move of some sort.
"Imaginary this"??!! What the heck? Wasn't there someone at the shoot saying, "Hey Billy..that makes no sense! You sound like a three year old!" or perhaps an editor of the video saying, "Let's cut out that part where Billy says "Imaginary this!". I am just saying...I laugh every time.
That's right..I laugh at poor english. I am offically a complete dork.

The Best...

Last night, Lucy was hanging out playing with toys in the family room. I walked in after cleaning up dinner and she said, "You know what, Mom? We had a wonderful day!" with a huge grin on her face. Yeah..pretty much greatest moment #463.
Happy Weekend!

Here's a Handy Tip...

When you have been sweating your butt off trying to get kids in and out of cars in minus 20 degrees, just to get a break from the four walls you have been stuck in for 48 hours...don't take them to the grocery store without a list and a plan. And nothing to contain the 2.5 year old with. And then, when they walk around for 20 minutes and you tell the 2.5 year old she gets a "treat" for being good, don't enter Rite Aid, cruise the Valentine's Day crap aisle, and buy her a Dora lip gloss bracelet. Because then, the bracelet portion will break before you leave the store and the 2.5 year old will be sad. Then, you will realize that the "gloss" is not sheer but, in fact, a creepy bright pink. That stains. Everything. Then, they will dig their little fingers into it and wipe it all over their new shirt from Old Navy and their winter coat. And the car seat.
And you will think to yourself..why...why..why...

Well the Weather Outside is Frightful...

It's the second day in a row that the snow/temps/ice is so bad, everything is closed and/or cancelled around here. This includes Lucy's school, which means no 2.5 hours of just "Tommy time" for me this morning. This also includes swim class, which I was also bummed about. Enter: cabin fever and a kid who was up until 10 p.m. last night, playing in her room.
Tommy has diarrhea from all his teeth coming in at once. We are going to go about 5 mph to the store to get him some herbal teething tablets, butt cream and infant ibuprofen. Poor little guy. He is in total misery. It is total management while his eyes are open.
Well, I'm off to play hour two of "salon." She is totally nude and refuses to get dressed for the day. By the way, her name is "Curly," the customer, and I am "Mama the Cutter." She is also making me use a tongue compressor to "brush" her hair.
Ahh...good times on a random Tuesday.

A Weekend in Pictures...

We were snowed in so Lucy tried out her Easy Bake Oven! She thought it was pretty cool - and loved licking the frosting the best.















And then a random "wrestlefest" ensued. It is so cute when they do this. They are in la-la land in their own sibling giggling world and it is pretty ridiculously adorable.






















And then Tommy was all, "Man! All my teeth are coming in at once! Give a dude a break!"






















And lastly, we went to our friend's "Olympic themed" party last night...good times. Everyone had to pick a country to represent. We chose Sweden. In case you are confused, Matt was the Swedish Chef and I was apparently a Swedish whore...I mean, girl.

Playgroup Ladies Gone Wild...

Last Saturday night, I was invited to a fondue party at my friend Lisa's house. Lisa is a playgroup friend and she invited all 10 girls (and husbands) for some baby-free entertaining. Well, our little Tommy started acting sick and spiked a fever. Matt offered to stay home while I went down to the party (just a few houses away). So I headed out guilt-free (yeah right!) in my new sweater I was nervous about wearing. Why was I nervous? Because I find I am "style challenged" these days and bought what might be considered a "trendy sweater" at Nordstom's Rack last week that I wasn't sure I could pull off. Because I am 32 and I bought it in the Junior section. Oh yeah, and I sometimes have a poor body image based on my weight in 1996. But my friend Amy inspired me because she pulled it off wonderfully so I thought I should go for it. I digress...
Well, apparently, the thought of a husband leaving on a very long business trip the next day, coupled with drinks with new girlfriends that offer quality conversation not intrupted by crying toddlers made for one hell of an evening! In short, we all got sloshed. Ridiculously, I thought it was a great idea to finish off THREE glasses of wine with TWO cosmos! Bear in mind I have not even had 3 glasses of wine in a row since about 2003 sooo....yeah...it wasn't pretty the next morning. One friend hurled, I had bed spins - we are in our thirties and apparently cannot handle ourselved. Good times...here's some pics!

Sometimes...people look cute in photos and sometimes people think it's fun to stare up the stairs and think they're hilarious. But they aren't.




















































Once again, an inappropriate amount of time spent on the stairs...why..why...