Out with the Bad, In with the Good.

Wow. It sure is nice to know that so many of you have my back. Frankly, I am done. Just done. This is what I've decided. As much as I'd like to tell her what I really think of all the awful things she's said to me. I have decided to not waste one more minute on her. I will not go out of my way to be mean to her nor will I be nice. I am done. It may be awkward in the summer when we have friends over in the backyard that is shared with hers and I don't invite her to be a part, but enough is enough. I'd like to retaliate in a way that would sting but that would only make me feel worse. That is not the kind of person I want to be (although it may come to that one day). I small (very, very small) part of me actually feels sorry for her. What a way to live your life, so negatively, so toxic. That's for her to figure out though. Not me. My hands are washed clean of her.

This whole thing got me thinking about what I can do to be a happier person. I am not sad or depressed but I'd really like to be as happy as possible. So last week, while the kids napped, I jotted down a list. A "to do" list to be a happier me.

Here is the list (as Pedro recoils into a corner from embarrassment):


-eliminate toxic relationships.

-make exercise a priority.

-have kinkier sex, more often.

-reduce house clutter.

-finish started projects.

Oh stop it. You know you feel happier when you are having crazy sexy-time more frequently. It's good for the soul or something...

This weekend we officially finished our playroom a project that was drawn out for ages. It is crisp and clean and hopefully the kids will trash that room instead of every other room in the house. You know why? Because it has a door and I can close that door and not think about it.

I also got all three bedrooms spring cleaned this weekend. I no longer need to have dreams about the dust bunny colony under my bed, because it is gone and replaced with the fresh scent of lemon Lysol.

About damn time.

Love Thy Neighbor. *EDITED*

I've tried, and I just can't. My neighbor who moved into "button" I've decided is one of those people who puts other people down to make herself feel better. I've let the rude and sometimes just plain mean comments slide but I fear the bite I have on my tongue is about to release. You think I am exaggerating?

Listen to this.

Harper and I were at her house one night and Harper closed her TV armoire. She told Harper to open it back up and as I got up to do it myself, I commented that Harper only followed directions occasionally and that I wasn't even sure she had the concept of open/close.

Her reply: You stay home with her. That is your "job" to teach her that stuff.

Me: She just turned one, she's fine.

Her: My son had a favorite color and could say pur-ple at 9 months.

Clearly she is a better mother.

Then there is this.

We grill-out often. This one night we were grilling a pork tenderloin. She was commenting that it smelled good and I told her we cooked them pretty often since the kids loved them and they were healthy.

Her: Healthy? Pork is like the worst thing you can eat. No one who is really health-conscious eats pork.

Geez. Why did I go the school again when I could just learn everything about health from my totally uneducated neighbor.

On another occasion she preached to Pedro about how we "eat meat in all its murderous forms". Uh, abrasive maybe?

Today she was talking down to me and I finally just looked the other way and said something to my kids. I was ready to literally say, "It must be hard to be so perfect." But I didn't because I don't want to be a bitch.

Seriously how can you treat people like that and still feel good about yourself?

So I need some help. How can I let her know that she is totally offending me? Apparently she is not catching onto my body language. I need it to stop before I unleash and it's not going to be pretty. But Mama can only take so much.

**edited to add- I feel like you won't get the true beauty of "her" if I failed to mention this one...

Her: Pedro leaves at really strange times at night.

Me: He goes to the gym some weeknights after the kids go to bed.

Her: Are you sure he's not cheating...I'm just saying.

OH YES SHE DID. Now can I tell her to eff off?

Day at the park!

I promise to tell you all about Mexico but first... How cute is she?

Home Sweet Home

Hot damn it feels good to be home. I've got stories to tell but unfortunately laundry and my sick boy come first.

18 (mo.) Going On 36 (D)

There are a few things I hope that Harper doesn't inherit from me. Two things in particular.

You Picked 'Em!

Filler

Great questions you guys. I'm nervous already about video blogging, but I am not backing out! Some of them I have to modify because I think I'll be using the Mac to record and not a video recorder so I can't be moving all over. But we'll see...

I finally got my glasses that you all voted on. I'll post the picture tomorrow of the winners.

But first! My kids got some spring pictures taken. I just threw them all into a montage so you can check them out if you'd like. I am still partial to outdoor pictures but 8 feet of snow does not a good photo make! I definately have a few favorites that I am sure you'll be able to spot immediately.

Enjoy!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It's Ground-Breaking, Yo!

I have this idea. This crazy, crazy idea that I'll porbably be kicking myself for in a couple of days. But here it is.

But first, is blogging fizzing out? A bunch of my favorite bloggers have decided to call it quits and although I understand, it makes me sad. I'd be lying if I said I was totally gung-ho about blogging these days because the truth is, sometimes it feels like more of a chore to write these days.

So.

I've decided to spice things up. You know, kind of like wearing crotch-less panties on your 34th wedding anniversary. Really spicy.

Here's the scoop. Give me a topic. A question. Anything. And I am going to video blog it LIVE (but recorded). I am hesitant to even give examples because I don't want to narrow the playing field. But is there a question that you've asked me that I haven't answered? Do you just want to hear the midwestern twang in my voice? I'm game.

Hit me with your best shot- Fire away!

Om.

Oh my God, oh my God, Oh. My. God. Usually if I write a "poor me" post that seems the slightest bit as if I am fishing for reassurance I just turn off the comments. Because "Wah, Poor Me" is just annoying. Well boys and girls, this time I need it. I need assurance that things are going to work out. Because, Oh my God.

We are going to Mexico, right? We leave in 13 days. Harper and I both got our passports within 2 weeks. At the end of the week we received ours I started mentioning to Pedro that he should track his and check the status of Masons and his own. He did and was just given the genaric, "being processed". That was good enough for us, we still had 3 weeks. Fast forward to yesterday, we got two letters in the mail. Not a good sign. The passport photos for the two boys were unacceptable. Holy shit. I went ape.

Are you kidding me? You pay someone a fee assuming they are trained in how to take a photo that meets all the requiremnets of the picky passport office. You pay another fee to have them processed, which to me means they proofread your application and make sure all the " i's are dotted and the t's are crossed', right? Apparently not. This morning we went back to the location where we got them and gave them the letters. Pedro specifially wanted me to come along to make sure "things got done". We got there and the same guy who took our photos was working and he felt horrible. He wanted to pay for our Overnight fee to have the new pictures sent back in. It was coming out of his own pocket. Pedro declined and we were on our own.

Pedro called the passport office again to double and triple check what needed to be sent in. They said the two passport were at the last stages of processing when they caught the error, so hopefully they will just be picked up where they left off. Hopefully.

Have you guys ever heard of this happening? We're going to get to go, right? Holy shit, where is my paper bag. I am getting myself all worked up again...

All the chocolate you can handle!

We stayed up late last night getting the easter baskets ready for the kids. Doing these things always is a little reality check that confirms, "Whoa. I'm an adult." It wasn't long ago that the Easter Bunny stopped coming to my parents house for my brother and me. I was in college, coming home to spend Easter with my family and the Easter bunny still was hiding eggs and chocolate for me to find around my parents house. I think once I started having kids, they got the focus but I still get some sort of chocolate.

This morning when the kids woke up, both Mike and I got up to watch the kids discover their baskets. Harper was a little off. Within an hour she was snuggled up to her Dada and before long, she was out like a light. My poor girl.



We headed over to my sister's house for Easter Brunch. Harper just clung to Mike and before long she was gagging and up-throwing. It was a super quick brunch! We headed home hopefully before we contaminated the rest of the people there. I spent the rest of the day holding a sick baby girl and having a quiet day with my little family.

Spring, sprang, sprung.

Guess what? It was almost spring here! But then it snowed again, and again, and again.

Last week it was so nice. The sun was shining and the snow was melting and the days were longer. Pedro would get home from work and I'd head out the door for my mega walk. It sounds all cheesy but I'd turn on my ipod and start out for my walk and there was a renewed spring in my step.

But then the snow came and it got cold again and we reverted back to being couped like chickens.

I keep telling myself that spring is right around the corner and then we can live again. Until then. The passports trickling in are all that are keeping me going. That and margaritas.

Smart? I think not.

There is one thing that I pride myself on, I don't feed my kids hotdogs, ever. Never have, never will. It's not really a snobbish thing at all. I do damage in other ways like letting them eat sugary cereals, too many processed foods and having the TV on way too much. Oh yeah, and bathing them in Purell. But by God, I'll never intentionally feed them lips and assholes. I try to not be crazy about it. Mason has definately had a few in his life. Usually, going to some child friendly event means hotdogs for kids, so if Mason wants to eat a hotdog, he eats a hotdog and I don't think much about it.

I few weeks ago I came across this idea. Really, does it get any cuter? I knew it was something I wanted to make for my kids. So today we went to the store and picked up some hotdogs. Because I hate to break a tradition, I wouldn't buy hot dogs or even turkey dogs. Instead I bought Smart Dogs. Boy, if that wasn't the dumbest thing ever. I eat plenty of meat substitutes. But these? These were hideous.

I plated them up all cute on a plate of cheesy noodles. Mason beamed when he saw it. It was adorable just like I hoped. He dug right in and once he took a bite of the octopus, the record screeched. He had a look of horror and he was done eating. I tasted a bite of the meat scented gelatin and It was pretty bad. I offered it to our chubby little pug and he backed up like he was being assaulted.

It was a four dollar waste, but you know what? I could really eat a hot dog with relish on it right now. What can I say, every now and then you've gotta indulge right? Does anyone smell a hypocrit?

The Perfect Medicine.

Lately, I feel like our little family is just functioning. It's not bad, but it's not feeling good either. I've got "stuff" going on in my family and Pedro's got "stuff" going on at work and although these things shouldn't effect our family and things that go on in our house, they do. They effect everything. Yesterday I talked to Pedro about the way I was feeling and he agreed. We just needed someway to leave everthing behind and focus on what matters most, each other.

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When I was in labor with Harper and things were getting really hard, I did something that I hadn't planned on doing. I did a whole bunch of guided imagery. Let me clarify. I sort of did plan on doing it, but once I was in the peak of pain, my body and my brain did it's own thing. It was strange and remarkable all at the same time. I would close my eyes and I would instantly visualize a family of four walking on the beach. The fourth person was a little blonde girl whom I hadn't met yet. It was like it was a tiny clip of a movie that just kept replaying over and over. It was so peaceful and beautiful.

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Yesterday we all applied for our passports and later last night we booked an all-inclusive vacation to Mexico. On April 11th, the four of us will get on a plane and fly to Cancun Mexico. Hopefully, it will give all of us the break from reality we desprately need. This time with the little girl of my dreams.

Loose Ends.

Guess what tonight is? Girl's night out! Woot!
Actually I am just meeting up with a friend from high school and we are having dinner. We just reunited a couple of weeks ago and before that, it had been at least 7 years. When we saw each other it was just like it was in high school. I love friends like that! She lives a few hours away but spends the weekdays here finishing up her last Midwifery clinical. We always have tons to talk about! She even answers my totally lame questions, like *how many people really do poop while pushing? Always exciting talk!

I've been neglecting my blog, yes? I can't help it. I am obsessed here and it is so easy to just throw out a little though throughout the day. If you haven't joined yet, you really should. You won't be disappointed.

You guys have really thrown me with your choices for my glasses. The first day I was certain I'd be ordering the tortoise ones and now the last 6 votes have been for the white cat-eye ones. Between email votes and text messages on my phone. The contest stands at 10 : 8. THe tortoise taking a very small lead. So now I am really thrown for a loop! I still need to hear from a few important souls...*cough* Jill, Stacey, Krissy, Pedro, *cough*
Get on it kids!

Besides that? We are just chillin' here, waiting for summer. What have you been up to?




*A LOT to Most! Thank you Jesus.

What a Spectacle. **EDITED**

I need some help.

Since I've had babies, I've become this indecisive ya-ya. It drives people around me crazy. The time has come for me to get some new glasses. if it seems like I just got new glasses, I did just a year ago. They are scratched severely. I tried to have them fixed, but the place I got them from thought it'd be fun to charge me $150 for new lenses. Thanks but no thanks.

So. I've found two pairs of glasses. The two are very different but both very fun. Practical? Not so much but I've never really been one for practical glasses. The first ones are a heavy tortoise pattern. I love tortoise. The second ones are white marbled 50's inspired. I love that they are cat eye-ish. So can you help a sister out? Which ones do you like, for me?

**Here's the scoop, I will (cross my heart) absolutely get the ones that receive the most votes. EVERY VOTE COUNTS- Choose my glasses!

Teeny Bits.

I'm busy.  I'm bored.  I'm a twitter girl.  I signed up nearly a year ago, but this time I'm going to keep up.  If you want to know every time I shave my pits... find me here.  

Let me know if you're a twit too m'kay?

Sharing the love.

I love going out for Mexican food and having that perfectly shredded chicken in my burritos. I had never tried to make it because it seemed so intimidating and time consuming. Guess what? It is a breeze to make and you probably have all the ingredients right now!

Last night we had tostadas and soft tacos with it. We've had it just by itself with mexican rice. And I am dying to use it for chicken nachos! The best part? It makes about three meals worth. You've got to try it.

Ingredients:

1 3lb. bag boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 bottle Italian dressing (I use light)

3 cloves garlic

1 onion

1 green pepper

1 Tbs. Cumin

1 Tbs. Chili powder

salt and pepper (I hate telling people how much to use because I like salt a LOT)

Thaw out the bag of breasts and trim off anything that might gross you out and rinse. Slice onion and green pepper. I don't even bother slicing the garlic, I just smoosh with the side of my knife. Toss all the ingredients in a Crock Pot for 4-5 hours on high.

After I noticed my Crock Pot had turned off I spooned out all the breasts (there will be a lot of liquid now) and put them in a separate bowl. With a fork in each hand, start raking the meat. It practically shreds itself taking no more than 2 minutes to do it all.

Toss all of it back into the Crock Pot and give it one good stir. Turn Crock Pot to low until you are ready to eat it, but for at least 1/2 an hour.

It is totally fool-proof. I used a jalapeno yesterday instead of the green pepper . I wanted to throw in a tomato too but I only had one so I reserved it for a taco topping. Add what you like, leave out what you don't!

I put leftovers in sandwich bags in the freezer. Mmmm...Chicken Nachos!

On Love and Sickness

Hope you are having a fantastic V-Day. Me? I am having an all out love fest with my Puffs Plus.
Thanks for your well wishes. I hope to be better soon too!

Kisses! (germ free of course)

What kind of Doctors do I see?

Hiya.  Wecome to the house of sick!  Sit down and take a load off; It's gonna be here a while.

I never get colds.  So maybe never is a strong word, but my last cold was in June.  Before that?  It had been a good year, cold free.  Don't get me wrong,  my kids get them often, and Pedro too. I get every little stomach bug that walks on by but colds?  Cold are for sissies.  See?  Now you know why I am miserably sick.  I got way cocky.  

Pedro started to feel nasty last Monday.  By Thursday I was feeling good that the rest of us were not going to get it.  "It"  consisted of a wicked fever that lasted 4 days, a super tight chest, and body aches like nobody's business.    By Saturday night, Mason was moaning every hour.  By Sunday night my chest felt like some sumo wrestler was sitting on it.  And last night poor little Harper started shivering uncontrollably.  So sad.  I think this may even be Influenza.  But of course we didn't get the shot.  My crunchiness kind of thinks it's a hoax and even more, I had a Dr.( who was also the rudest doctor ever) explain to me that it is all a prediction.  No thanks.  No predictions are going into my body or my kids.  Maybe I'll feel different in a few years, but for now, that's my story.  And we are all wicked sick.

[Now watch.  The sickness will hold on for weeks because I am about to get cocky again.]

When I start to feel like I am getting sick, there are a few things I do that I swear work.  

*I make chicken soup from scratch.  Every single time anyone in my house gets sick, I make either Chicken Noodle or Chicken Dumpling soup.  I make my own stock from a whole chicken and my mom taught me how to make really good dumplings.   It's a little time consuming, but the kind of time that you don't have to be paying any attention to.  

*I drink hot herbal tea by the gallon with honey and lemon.  I once had a Doctor suggest honey for a tight chest.  He suggested two tablespoons of honey diluted with two tablespoons of hot water.  Chug a lug!  And if you don't puke from the syrupy sweetness it works!  I just prefer to drink mine a little less aggressively, in tea.

*I eat super duper healthy.  I make sure I am getting beyond enough water.  I eat a couple oranges a day.  Blood oranges are in season right now and once you eat one of those, you'll never want regular oranges.  They are so tender.  None of that stringy stuff and they just taste awesome.  I am probably on crack or Theraflu but I think they have a hit of berry-ish flavor.  Go get yourself some.

*I really don't like to take pills but when I am rocking a 103 fever I turn to my little friend, Advil.  As much as I'd love to have a natural alternative, it is the only thing that makes my crunchy ass feel any better when I am burning up.    

Peace, Love and Purell.

  

Woot!

Girls night out tonight,  Holla!