Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Rock The Vote

We once again pause our regularly scheduled blog (because you know around these parts, whenever I get around to it, is considered regularly scheduled) to tell you to vote for one of my friends in the Rachael Ray March Menu Mania contest being held by UsaToday.

Carla's recipe is for Italian Chicken Sliders and is in the final four. If she makes it through this round, she will get to go to New York for a feature on the Rachael Ray show and she will have a chance of winning $5000 worth of groceries!

Hurry up and vote, you only have until March 27.

*Sidenote: I have not had a chance to try her recipe yet, but I have heard from her cousin that it is awesome, and besides she is up against chili and that isn't very original.

**Elections are really just a popularity contest and she was "like, totally popular" when we were in high school. So you should go vote for her because she is cool and if you vote for her you will be cool too.

***That last part was actually kind of a lie, she was only cool because she was a senior when I was a freshman and she was "like, totally cool," by a band/colorguard definition.

UPDATE: She didn't win. Darn. She was disappointed (especially because she found out on her birthday), but I think she will use this as a jumping off point to do something else food related.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Self Portraits


In looking at the millions of pictures amassed since Callie's birth there are approximately 42 that include me. Most of those include a nursing baby and/or me asleep with my hair in a state of disarray that was not even possible before I had a child (thus giving up daily brushing).

Back before the days of the digital camera the self portraits were the ones I took at the end of the roll just so I could get it developed, and they were usually placed in the trashcan upon viewing. But in today's world of the digital trash can (which is so much more convenient, not to mention cheaper) I can click to my hearts content and occasionally one might turn out that is cute enough to share with the world.

Do you have any self photos that you love, or any tips I might use for improving my own?
Posted by Picasa

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Self Conscious

Right now my nose is so stuffy, it hurts to blow it. I can deal with that.

I can deal with the headache.

And the sore throat.

And even the achy muscles.

What bothers me, I have no sense of smell.

Before I had Callie, when I was sick, it was a given there would be no sense of smell and really, I could care less. Now I have no way to inspect for messy diapers.

Nor do I get the friendly reminder if I may have forgotten to shower. Because I might not have showered after I went on a walk/jog at 8 this morning, and now it is 6:51 PM and I don't recall if I put on deodorant before or after the workout.

So if you happen to pass me on the street and notice a strange odor, please alert me so I can take care of it.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

A Photoshoot

For Mom's Birthday we headed out to Cowboy Country to the House of Beef. Yes, it was a meat and potato lovers dream. To celebrate a birthday they bring out this nifty hat and sing you their song. Better than their singing is you get to take the hat (and matching scarf) home! For some reason no one else wanted the hat so I didn't have to fight for it or anything.

After returning home I decided to post a pic or two on the blog of my new stylish hat, and what ensued was somewhat comical, so I thought I would share it with ya'all (sorry, being in the country does that to me).


The first pic Jeff took but the timer was on the camera and when I went to show him how to turn it off, we have the first lovely.

Then Callie had to be held and Jeff took this picture while sitting on the couch. After previewing this one I reminded him that taking a photo from that angle adds a double chin, he would have been shot (again, look what being in the country does to me) if he reminded me of the 15 extra lbs giving me the second chin.

There, Jeff is standing up, now Callie look at the camera and stop messing with the hat.


Now, maybe Callie smile while looking at the camera? You don't want to smile? That is okay I will smile big enough for both of us, or maybe if I open my mouth just a bit wider I will be able to swallow your entire head.

What's that you didn't realize one of my eyes is bigger than the other one, well it is, and Callie still does not believe in smiling.


Callie informs me that even though she requested to be held just over 30 seconds prior, she would prefer to be put back down.


Giving her the hat appeased her for approximately 2 seconds, then she got tangled in the tie. I freed her from the cords which held her bound, dropped the hat on her head and told Jeff to hurry up and take the "ding, dang" picture.


This shot does a great job of taking away the one eye bigger than the other one problem, but it would have been nice if Callie didn't have the "oh my gosh, what are my parents on," look.

Photoshoot, nearly over, baby approaching breaking point.


And that's it she's done.

Monday, March 9, 2009

So Many Sicknesses, So Little Time


Callie healed from the stomach bug in time for a taco dinner on Friday, but was sick again by Sunday morning. This time with a different ugly bug that kept her home from church and awake most of last night. With the new bug, she has a sore throat, runny nose, and an occassional fever. The worst part of the illness is sneezing. She always cries afterwards. So sad.

**You can go ahead and disregard that post from Saturday about weaning. On Sunday when I was rocking her poor sick little body I caved and gave in. I can't take away the booby when she is sick. That would just be cruel.
Posted by Picasa

Saturday, March 7, 2009

I Miss It Already

Today, for the first time in more than 700 days, my body only nourished itself.

I thought it would be freeing, and in a way it is. I went to a movie tonight and I didn't make it home in time to nurse. That part was freeing.

But I missed my "boo" cuddly time right before bed. And for that reason, I know I will never really be free.

And that makes me happy.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Chaos on the homefront too

Callie has a stomach bug. When she was just a wee little boo we both had the stomach flu, but this was her first time with throwing up real food.

It was disgusting.

I knew it would be, but all those people who said it would be easier when I had a child lied. I put up with more, like showering with her while she screamed at 4 am, drying and getting her dressed without putting her down so I could so much as get a towel, and then rocking her even when her breath stunk to high heaven.

As bad as I make it sound though, I wouldn't trade it to help my poor sick baby. I wish I could take all the pain away. There is nothing that makes me feel so inadequate as a mother as dealing with a sick baby.

The chaos ensued today when I was changing Callie's diaper and taking her temp. Alyson decided to try to suck on the diaper pail. Callie took my distraction as a chance to try to escape. I moved the diaper pail and assumed all was well with the child on the floor, not realizing that in Callie's escape attempt she had knocked the Vaseline off the changing table. Since Aly couldn't suck on the diaper pail she decided to play in the Vaseline instead.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

aka Chaos Day

Last night I went to church for my semi-monthly meetings with the 8-11 year old girls. These are a group of top notch girls with a lot of energy. Most of the girls are VERY outgoing. I am fairly certain, in each of their classes at school they are natural leaders. But sometimes I just don't know how to deal with all their excitement and helpfulness.

For example, we were having a moderately complicated relay race*. I had to explain the process approximately twelve times (and there were only 7 girls) because they would interrupt and reexplain the process to me, you know so I could make sure they really understood it. Then someone else would want to do a demonstration, who would then explain it to someone else and the other person would get confused. It was like a huge loud game of telephone (you know the one where you whisper a message around a circle and it is totally messed up by the time it makes it back to the beginning).

I struggle with how structured I want our group to be. I want it to flow smoothly but I don't want it to be too formal, because this is an optional activity and should be fun. There are times when I take a stand, because, really, a nine year old knows better than hiding under the table during prayer. I have also found that when I take a stand on certain things they usually comply and don't make a big fuss about it, but sometimes it feels so out of control, and I am freaked out that if one of the parents or the primary president were to walk in, I would most certainly be released the following Sunday.

So what is the balance? Will the girls be upset if I make more structured rules? Do I just let the chaos ensue? How long before one of the more quiet girls feelings gets hurt because I am not paying as much attention to them?

Or am I worrying for nothing, because after all they are 8-11 year old girls and chaos is the norm at these things?


*Even if the teams are unequal, leader should not participate in the seal crawl relay race, especially if her pants can be pulled down without unbuttoning, because she might stop to pull them up and lose the race for her team.

Monday, March 2, 2009

A Good Excuse To Blog

From my humble point of view, my life can be pretty boring. Pretty much the same ol', same ol' day in and out. And I sometimes forget that there was life before messy diapers, worrying about naptime, cheerios, and making sure the child gets more fruit into her diet, if you know what I mean.

So it kind of seems like my life is boring. My blog has no specific niche, besides wherever my thoughts take me. Which means I will likely attract only readers who are like me or who are impressed and/or entertained by my my not so stellar writing abilities.

But the other day, I went back and reread some of my old blog posts. When I did not post often my posts were boring, thus making the blog boring. I expected to read some really boring drivel in the months where I blogged everyday, when in fact quite the opposite was true. It was like the act of writing really did improve my skill. Who would have thought?

I planned on blogging everyday for February, but then the first was on a Sunday, so I forgot. Then the same thing happened in March and I realized I just need to start writing everyday (even if I did start this post on Monday, and it isn't going up until today)...

I am recommitting to my blog for daily posts. The posts will still be my own mindless drivel, because I refuse to box myself in with a niche (because I have a hard enough time finding something to post as it is), but for the next while (who knows how long) I will post something daily that you can distract yourself from chores you are avoiding be entertained by.


PS My stellar writing abilities have left me clueless for how to fix the above sentence. I don't think you are supposed to end a sentence with a preposition, but I can't figure out how to fix it. Give me a few months of posting regularly and maybe I will remember.