Love Thursday

I know we've all missed my weekly installations of Love Thursday (okay maybe just I did), so here's what I'm loving this week:

1) Baby Savanna! My friend Chris had her firstborn yesterday. I am very excited for Chris and her husband Tim. They are going to be such awesome parents. They're both super fun and loving people. Little Savvy (isn't that the cutest nickname?!?) came out with a full, dark swath of hair and her mama's cute nose. Babies are MAGIC.

2) Today's weather. 80's and breezy. Jax and I sat in his room playing with his helium balloon. He was mystified to watch me release it then catch it again after the wind swirled it around the room. I pretended to guide it back to me with my hands as the breeze carried it through his room. It was so fun to sit and play with my boy.

3) REAL maple syrup. I've been making tons of pancakes lately, and the real thing is so much yummier than Mrs. Butterworth's. So, so, so much yummier.

4) Trader Joe's Coastal Fume Blanc. I just had a wee glass for dessert. It is so light, drinkable, sweet and smooth. Amazingly good for a $6 wine.

5) PENZEY'S. I've stopped in a few times for some seasoning blends to spice up my life in the kitchen. Thou must have the Fox Point Blend for roast potatoes, and their Bold Taco Seasoning is fantastique!

Whatchoo lovin' today?

Jam on it!

Sorry I've been a bad blogger lately. After berry picking at Plow Creek Farm near Tiskilwa, IL (about a 2 hours drive from our new house) we came home overloaded with blueberries and strawberries. U-Pick blueberries were $2 a pound and strawberries were $2 a quart. We picked all we could and schlepped home tons of berries.

This explains the multiple berry-faced photos of Jackson having blueberry pancakes. He REALLY loves blueberry pancakes!


We're pancaked out though (at least I am, of making them!) so it's time to do something different with our berries. So I've been making jam.

Plow Creek is an organic farm that has applied for certification but is in the 3 year USDA waiting period for certification. So, for all intents and purposes they're organic. So I've been making vats of sugar free (sweetened with Stevia) organic homemade jam, and can I just tell you that Smucker's ain't got nothin' on me? Not to sound overly conceited, but my jam is seriously awesome.

I'm hosting my cousin Sue overnight tomorrow night, so I'll be picking up some good bagels to serve her for breakfast along with some fresh jam. Yum!

News Flashes

So, I still don't know what I believe regarding the whole Tongues thing.

But, after a few more church services and activities I feel VERY comfortable in the new church. And I have been praying for an answer and guidance.

More specifically, I told God that if the gift of tongues is a genuine gift for modern believers then He should give it to me. Call it Doubting Thomas Complex, but I need to experience this firsthand to know it's "real". So far, no dice. Only normal babbling from me, nothing unusual.

After taking a break from my cleanse to honor my best friend's birthday, RibFest, and various other family activities that involved eating, I am going back on my cleanse platform tomorrow. Whee!

Speaking of RibFest, here's a couple of pics from the festivities. We attended with Coupon Chris and her two boys.

Here's Moose bouncing and laughing with his favorite babysitter - I love how you can tell he's laughing by how plump his cheeks are!



And here's Andrew, Chris' son. He's cheating on his betrothed, Gracie in this picture with a little cutie from the fest named Lily. SHHHHH don't tell!




Here's my little Moose, out to lunch with Mommy, Christy and his BFF Josh at Panera. He gobbles up Panera grilled cheese with gusto! (As long as it is cut into strips).



And here's Jax getting his splash on at playgroup:



And that's all the news that's fit to blog! Peace out!

Livestrong

My husband has become single minded in his quest for a bicycle. He is seriously driving me crazy with his constant Googling of product reviews and scouring catalogs and hunting down bike shops. He is a man possessed by one desire: his desire for a bicycle.

I say "bicycle" because I accidentally referred to it simply as a "bike" earlier today when I was talking to my baby bro. He was all confused.

Me: "Tim is so crazy, he wants this big, fancy bike. He's obsessed with it."
Bro: "Oh yeah?"
Me: "So I have been telling him that we need to save up for it and wait. But I ordered the one he wants with all the options he wants behind his back, and I just picked it up. It's in the back of the Jeep, and I'm going to pick him up at the train station so I can surprise him with it."
Bro: "What kind of car do you have?"
Me: "Jeep Grand Cherokee."
Bro: "How did you fit a bike in the back of your car?"
Me: "I turned down the split back seat and then lifted up the bike and rolled it in. A guy at the store helped me."
Bro: "How are you going to get it out?"
Me: "Tim and I will get it out together."
Bro: "Isn't it kind of heavy for your car?"
Me: "Nah, it's OK."
Bro: "What does he want to do, take it on road trips?"
Me: "No, he wants to go riding trails by our house. He wants to get one of those trailer things for the baby and pull the baby in the trailer behind his bike."
Bro: "You're going to let him do that? Is that safe?"
Me: "Yeah, I read up on it and it seems pretty safe."
Bro: "You're going to let him pull the baby in a trailer behind a bike on trails?"
Me: "Well, yeah. The baby wears a helmet and the trailer has rollbars."
Bro: "Aren't you worried about the baby getting burned? From the heat? That doesn't sound very safe."
Me: "There's a sunshade and we can always use sunscreen."
Bro: "No, from the heat and the EXHAUST."

And this is when I realized that the bike I was talking about was not the same bike my brother was talking about. :)

I pulled up to the train station and waited. The bicycle waited in the back, hidden under a blanket so he couldn't see the outline of the bike through the windows. As Tim approached the Jeep, I got out and walked towards the back of the car. I opened the hatch and said, "There's no room for you to sit in the Jeep."

I pulled the blanket off the bike and said, "But you can ride home" revealing his new bike, a helmet, a kevlar lock, and a wireless bicycle computer.

My husband looked like he had won the lottery. He said, "No. Way."

I said, "Way!"

He gave me a big hug and we drove off into the sunset.

If anybody has a spare Lance Armstrong bracelet, it would make a great gag gift. :)

SEVEN!

I married the perfect guy for me. I didn't marry the Perfect Guy, he doesn't exist. But I married the perfect guy *for me* which is pretty much as good as anybody can do. (It was a tall order. Literally and figuratively. Remind me to explain my 6-6-6 Theorem on Husband Finding later.)

"Seven" is our little exclamation that we say whenever one of us reads the other's mind. It comes from an old Powers Family tale, where his mother asked him what number she was thinking of, and he said seven. She said they were so connected, they could read each other's thoughts. She's freaking weird. If she could read his thoughts, she'd be really pissed at what he thinks of her...anyhow... whenever either of us finishes the other's sentence, or says exactly what the other was thinking, we say "Seven!" or my version is "Quit sevening me!"

We've switched the dogs to a raw diet now. Which is SO EASY to do since we're vegetarians! Har har. It totally grosses me out, but the girls love it and they are doing really well on it. I have never seen brighter eyes, shinier coats, whiter teeth or more energy out of them. They yummy down on their meat like it is the most awesome thing ever. They were introduced to raw by eating chicken. Once they figured out how it went and were okay with the chicken, I get to introduce other varieties of meats. So today we introduced fish and the girls each got a whole tilapia. And when I say "whole", I mean "WHOLE". Eyeballs and all. Fins. Tail. Gaping mouth. Full body sushi. As I passed out the fishies, I sang the first two lines of "Fish Heads" by Barnes & Barnes. And wouldn't you know it, my darling husband knows all of the lyrics. By heart. He finished the tune in his robust baritone while I laughed my ass off.

When you meet the right guy, 6+6+6=7. It's the New Math.

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm

In the morning
Laughing, happy
Fish Heads
In the evening
Floating in the soup

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm

Ask a Fish head
Anything you want to
They won't answer
They can't talk

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm

I took a Fish head
Out to see a movie
Didn't have to pay
To get it in

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm
They can't play baseball
They don't wear sweaters
They're not good dancers
They don't play drums

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm

Rolly polly Fish heads
Are never seen drinking
Cappacino in Italian restaurants
With Oriental women...Yeah

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm...
(Yummm)

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm

Fish heads, Fish heads
Rolly polly Fish heads
Fish heads, Fish heads
Eat them up, Yummm
YEAH!!!!!!!!!

Tongues?

We're still finding a home church, we haven't found one that suits us yet. We found one that I really like, with one exception. They practice praying in tongues. It wouldn't be such a big deal, except that I have in the back of my head that I don't believe in that.

Which then forces me to ask myself WHY I don't believe in speaking in tongues, and to be honest I don't have a reason as to why I don't believe it. I was raised in a very sterile Baptist church, where we sang old fashioned hymns, said a hearty "Amen" and sat very quietly during the service. I enjoy a more spirited style of worship though. So many times in the Old Testament there are accounts of believers dancing and singing in worship of God, and I identify with that. When you are focused on how amazing God is, and how good He is in your life it is hard to NOT become physically energized and exuberant and to want to express your joy through raised hands or a little bounce (which is about as Charismatic as I get).

So why do I not believe in speaking in Tongues? I have a vague recollection of something about dispensations, but since I can't actually refer back to any Biblical evidence that this particular gift of the Spirit is no longer to be practiced, I feel like my "not believing in it" has no grounds.

So instead of actually getting something out of the service last night, I was focused on figuring out why I believe what I believe (do I even believe it?). So I guess in that way, church was a blessing because while everything they said floated somewhere up above my head, my faith was challenged. I think I'm going to have to study this more and pray on it. I'm beyond that phase of my faith where I blindly accept that which I'm told. I MUST search it out on my own and find my own truth. I don't want a pastor to feed me like a baby birdie. I need to get my own teeth into the Word, and have it speak to me so I can apply it to my life. I spent way too many years wearing skirts and not listening to the radio or watching movies because I was told to. I'm beyond bending to a minister's "because I said so". The only "because I said so" that matters to me now is God's - so I have to figure out what He says about this.

My experience with observing the practice of praying in tongues wasn't at all the mental image I had before witnessing it. There were no crazies rolling down the aisles like they were having a seizure. The people who prayed in tongues were quietly murmuring to themselves (so as not to make a show of it) in jibberish (I couldn't make out any of it) during prayer. So the prayer sounds like the pastor leading the prayer, with a background cacophony of everyone else doing their thing. The one thing I couldn't help but think is that this is what prayer must sound like to God anyway. Millions of people, around the world, each talking to God about what is important to them. And isn't it amazing that while I couldn't focus on what any one person was saying, God hears each person clearly and answers each prayer perfectly?

I'll be studying this and praying on it further. I'll let you know once I figure out what *I* believe - and why.

The Moose With The Sweetest Caboose

His Mooseness after Blueberry Pancakepalooza this past Sunday morning - hence the no shirt. No shirt = No blueberry stains!




Hard to believe he will be 9 months old this week!


His darling curls - I call it his "Grandma Perm"


I need to find some baby-safe "product" I can use to hold his curls. They are the cutest curls ever to grace a baby head. I want to eat them up!

Poop Talk

I hesitate to post details regarding my physical cleanse here, since who really wants to read about that?

If you do want to, I am logging my logs (bwah!) here: Master Cleanse Journal

Cleanse

Tomorrow begins my great adventure into The Master Cleanse. I will be kicking off my adventure this evening with a cup of Traditional Medicinals Smooth Move Tea (yes, as in "smooth move, ex-lax").

In the morning I am to glug down my Saline Wash, which consists of 32 oz. of warm water with 2 tsp. of sea salt. This is supposed to help wash all the crap (literally) out of me. Then for the next 10 days minimum, I will consume 60 oz. of the Master Cleanse "lemonade" which is 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 T of maple syrup in 10 oz. water with cayenne pepper to taste.

During the detox, you do the tea at night and/or the saline wash in the morning if you feel you need the extra elimination assistance. Coming off the fast, you do a day of juice then a day of broth then a day of fruits and veggies before going back to real food. I want to see how much toxic detox I can get out of my body, I think I would benefit more from our vegetarian diet if I started with a clean slate.

And while I work on cleaning out my guts, I'm going to try to really focus on cleansing in other ways. I'll probably do a TCA peel to work out some of this hyperpigmentation junk I've got going on. I would like to not "need" foundation. I also want to focus on getting our home organized. We have too many boxes lying around half packed. We had to dig through them to find something, but then never got around to unpacking them fully. I need to work on that. And lastly, I'm going to work on some heart cleansing. I still need to work on surrounding myself with more love and peace and less temper and anger.

So, that's what I love today. I love love, and I'm going to work on surrounding myself with more of it.

I really should get those wrappers and empty cups out of the car...

But I can't. My ride has been officially Mom'd.

Baby I cannot wait until 2008...

I got a crush on Obama....

He named names!

In addition to Dada and Mama, tonight Jackson whipped out a stunner: "Kaykay". While petting our golden retriever, Katie. He had previously made mention of "Ella" (our yellow lab, Bella).

So this is how it works, then? One day they just babble nonsense, then the next day they start talking and they never shut up?

Does this mean that we can't change Katie's name? After getting to know her better, we've decided she's more of a Phoebe than a Katie. Like Phoebe from "Friends": very sweet, very devoted, very loving, very DUMB. In a very, very cute way.

Lovin' Every Minute Of It

Today I heart:

• Dos Perros. They're crazy, they're fun. They make messes and eat all the food Moose throws off his high chair tray. They shed, they chase bunnies in the yard and they bark their heads off at the mailman. But for all their nutty hijinks, they really are great dogs. They have endless patience with their baby, and their affection is unconditional and everlasting.
• My custom made microfiber swiffer cloths. I found a lady that makes them as a home based business, and I ordered 2 wet cloths and 2 dry cloths. I love the fact that they are washable and reusable. They do a fantastic job on the Pergo, and I don't fill a landfill with disposable fluff. Kim is awesome, and you should totally email her (KimmyJoyLing@aol.com) about getting some yourself.
• Moose's fascination with sitting around telling everyone about "Mama Mama Mama Mama Mama!" He's been babbling about Dada for months now - so it's about damn time!
• The local co-op I've found. Oh yes, now I shall order all my 100% recycled, 80% PCW TP at WHOLESALE, baby. And organic baby wash, and my toothpaste, and...well, you get it. All the products I would otherwise pay retail for at Whole Paycheck, I shall now get at wholesale. I get to save the planet WHILE stickin' it to The Man and there are few things on earth than make me happier than either of those two things. Combine them and I'm on cloud 10! (Higher than cloud 9).

Time to give my Moose a bath - peace out!

Flaxen locks

The much awaited new hairs pic:




I am still not satisfied with this much change though - I think I will be doing some shearing next week when I trek out to see Lisa My Hair Sherpa.

FIRST SENTENCE! and recipe - Tofu Enchiladas con Mole'

Jackson really doesn't "talk" he just kind of babbles. But he has clearly determined that Tim is Dada and I am Mama. (Why Dada comes first for virtually all babies confounds me. Completely NOT fair!) Anyways, this afternoon Jackson looked up at me and said, "Mama, baba!" I pulled a bottle out of his insulated cooler bag, he grabbed it and sucked it down. He actually told me what he wanted with words. Unbelievable! The kid can't crawl, but he can ask for his dinner by name. :)

Speaking of dinner, today dinner was Tofu Enchiladas con Mole'. I LOVE a good mole'. The best homemade mole' I've ever made is Rick Bayless' recipe. It is so labor intensive, I call it Two Day Mole'. Anyways, I didn't make my own mole' for this, I bought it in a jar. For jarred mole', Trader Joe's is the bomb-diggity. I actually think on the jar they call it Trader Jose. :)

1 jar red mole'
1 pkg soft tofu
8 tortillas
16 oz shredded cheese

Boil the block of tofu for 5 minutes to push the water out of it, then lift it out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Set it on a stack of towels and push down slightly on the top to drain. Crumble the block in a medium mixing bowl. Add 1/2 the jar of mole' and then 1/2 the package of shredded cheese. Blend thoroughly. Spoon a row of filling in the center of a tortilla, roll up and then place in a baking pan. Continue with remaining tortillas until all filling is used. Pour remainder of jar of mole' on top of enchiladas and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover pan with foil, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve with a side of beans and rice for a protein-packed meal. I like to top my enchiladas with either plain yogurt or sour cream to cut the heat from the chilies in the mole'.

This meal is more "assembling" than cooking. You can put it together in advance and then bake it just before serving, too. You can serve a family of 4 adults for about $8, all inclusive and it tastes AMAZING. I use whole wheat flour tortillas for the fiber. YUM! This is also a great way to introduce tofu to your finicky husband, they would never guess that's what it is.

Baby just kicked...YOUR ASS!

In case you have missed Jenna Elfman's Mama Jams, peep this:

Love Thursday

Today I <3:

My Moose. He is just the best thing ever. He's delicious. Love love love love love love love My Moose!

Air Conditioning. Nope, it's not "green" but it became necessary today. Ahhh...sweet relief.

The Bark Park. Taking the girls out for a quick romp with some doggie friends makes for very pooped out puppies - which means a very quiet, tranquil evening! Hoorah!

Like, I don't know *bounces head from shoulder to shoulder*

I'm blonde again. Photos to follow. Tim's request. Hair is dry, but no "chemical haircut", thank God.

I'm not sure if I like it yet. It's VERY different.

Love Thursday

Today I'm lovin':

Being chosen as the leader for the State of Illinois Republicans for Obama organization. I'm so super psyched for this.

My bestest friend ever from High School, Crystal. We got to visit with her for a few hours today and it was so nice! She now lives about an hour and a half away from me, so visits are rare treats.

My signature lipstick, MAC Kinda Sexy. I love having a color that looks perfect on me no matter what. It's been my color since that long, intense search for "the color" last year - and a year later I'm through a whole tube of it, and not anywhere near sick of the shade. That's pretty something for someone who has never "finished" a whole product, ever.

Being the Change

I see you lookin' at me
Like I'm some kind of freak
Get up out of your seat
Why don't you do somethin'?
-- B. Spears

Are you sick of keeping the status quo? Tired of, like John Mayer so eloquently put it, "waiting on the world to change?"

Well, Darlings - so am I. And so I signed up to do something. I am officially volunteering for the Obama campaign. Illinois now has a Republicans For Obama organization, and I'm in it. I actually submitted to LEAD it. I'm kind of excited. I am sick to death of casting my vote and hoping others do the same. I am shocked and appalled that more people vote for American Idol than vote for our President!!!

It is time.

It is time for a change, and I for one believe that Mahatma Ghandi had it right. "You must BE the change you wish to see in the world."

It's time for me to be the change.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't think that Barack Obama is perfect. However, his major issues are my major issues and we share the same viewpoint. Yes, he's fresh to Washington and I welcome that like a breath of fresh air. Give me someone who has not been mired in the political corruption for so long that their character is dead.

I'm sick of waiting. I'm ready to start doing. I urge you to do the same. Even if you support Giuliani or Edwards or Huckabee or Romney or God forbid Clinton Episode II, Attack of the Clones. Here's a list of all the people you can pick from. Find one whose beliefs resonate with your own, and then get behind them! Years of complacency have saddled us with this MESS - bad schools, Americans without healthcare, a war with no end in sight, global warming, fractured families and a Godless nation.

If you choose to just sit on your duff and wait and see what unfolds, remember: those who refuse to make their voice heard during an election don't get to complain at the outcome.

My water baby

See my profile picture? Homegirl lives to frolic in the water.

The apple doesn't fall far, people...

Dogs can lock sliding glass doors

Yes, yes they can. I went out and got a small plastic splash pool for Jackson and I today then we came home and set it up. After putting some water in it, we went upstairs to change into swimsuits and to sunscreen up.

We were outside splish-splashing and the dogs were going crazy with splash envy. Katie jumped up on the sliding glass door against the handle and managed to flip the lock latch closed. So Jackson and I were locked out of the house with nothing but two towels and a tube of sunscreen.

I was so panicked that I didn't even have time to be MAD. The kid down the street showed me how to break and enter into my own home by disassembling the screen on an unlocked window.

Note to self: lock windows each night. That kid knows how to break in.

Not Good Enough For My Baby

No single event in my life has brought with it a better understanding of God's Father heart than becoming a parent. There is no greater joy to me than seeing my son happy after achieving a new milestone. There is no greater panic or heartbreak than seeing him cry out in pain after a fall. I don't believe I quite grasped God's unconditional love until I had a little love of my own to love unconditionally. I didn't "get" it.

And like God's love for us, I love Jack and want only the best of everything for him. To that ends, I make 90% of Jackson's baby food from fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. I buy a few jars for when we are out and about. It's easier to keep a jar fresh. :) This morning, I sat Jack in his exersaucer as I pitted, peeled and pureed a few ripe mangoes. Jackson LOVES mangoes. As I judiciously pared away any slightly brownish spots, Jackson hopped and begged for a scrap. "No, honey" I said, "these parts aren't good enough for my baby."

Which made me think of how many times I hopped and begged and cried out for something God was trying to keep me away from. How many times He said it wasn't good enough for me, but I insisted.

When I had finally had enough of my little monkey begging for bad fruit, I gave in. I gave him a tiny bite of the discarded pieces he was begging for. I thought maybe he would finally learn to trust my discernment when it came to what was and wasn't good for him. He greedily sucked in the fruit. The corners of his mouth turned down and his eyes held a look of shock. Tears of disbelief welled in his eyes, as he couldn't believe his mother would feed him something so distasteful. He didn't know what to do! He let the piece of fruit fall out of his mouth, down his shirt, and into the seat of his exersaucer somewhere.

And how many times has God finally thrown up His hands and let me have that which I clamored for even though He had tried to warn me about it? And how many times in life have I sat there, eyes wide with shock and filled with tears, mouth agape...wondering WHY God had given me this struggle/bad marriage/poor health/car trouble/whatever?

How many times have I insisted on having that which God had deemed was not good enough for His baby?

Thank you God, for giving me a new perspective to help me learn more about You today. Help us all to trust You more. Nobody wants to eat rotten mangoes.

Grown Up Grilled Cheese

For lunch today:

Whole grain bread slices, buttered on the outside and filled with apple butter and brie. Grill until golden and crisp on each side, then enjoy the perfect marriage of salt and sweet and fruit and cream.

Love Thursday

What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of. So here is what I'm loving today:

1) Acupuncture. Have I sung its praises to you before? Yesterday, couldn't breathe through my nose. Today I went to see Hot Doctor (more on this later) and then had an acupuncture session with the chiro/acu/massage therapist. The second the last needle went in (it totally doesn't hurt, don't be such a wussy), down came the rain. Everything started draining and congestion just melted away. I could feel the energy flowing. I don't know how it works. All I know is that it does work, for all kinds of ailments, and that is enough for me.

2) Hot Doctor. My doctor is awesome. He's young, vibrant, well dressed and impeccably coiffed. He's brilliant and open minded. He listens. He takes my ideas into consideration and lets me feel in control of my treatment. He respects that I know my body. And, he's incredibly cute with a very darling socially awkward constantly blushing thing going on that just makes him so stinking adorable to me.

3) My Girls. We're still working on our reunion and despite the miles between us (one in Colorado, one in Florida and two of us here) we have managed to communicate regularly in order to get things done. Last night we set up a private chat room to hash out some ideas and it was so fun. It was like hanging out together, but different.

4) My hankies and eucalyptus essential oil. I gave up Kleenex for hankies last month. Paper waste is for suckas, y'all. I dabbed a touch of eucalyptus on the hankie in my bra yesterday, it was like wearing a personal Vicks vaporizer all day.

5) Blake Lewis and Doug E. Fresh on AI last night. Did you see that? It was awesome. They used all the colloquialisms of old skool rap - "Say ho!" "Put your hands up!" "Somebody scream!". In case you missed it:



What are you loving today?

How big is your God?

My HS posse and I are all busy planning our 15 year class reunion. It's some very exciting stuff. It also requires seeking out each classmate (thank goodness it was a very small private school) to invite them, which has been a challenge because some of them kind of dropped off the face of the earth.

Anyways, in our searching I ended up getting lost in the internets after a click lead to a click lead to another click and then before I knew it, I had found a classmate's brother. He graduated before us, but I went to the same college as he and his wife. I was happy to have found them, because they were supercool people. Very grounded and genuine. So it came as no surprise to me to find his blog entitled "Tangible Theology". Rob's theology is tangible, it always has been. It's part of why I've always had such great respect for him. I'm not saying he's perfect - nobody is! But he accepted his imperfectness and ran with it instead of wallowing in it.

His idea of a faith that is real, livable, and every day resonated with me. Where does your God live? (A hint: it's not in the building that you may or may not go to on Sunday mornings). Since having the idea of a tangible faith at the forefront of my mind, I've been blessed to see God's hand in my days.

On Saturday, I helped with a friend's baby shower. There was a guest who was delayed because she had to turn around and go home to fetch something for her husband. When she then turned back around to return to her route to the party, her path was blocked by a huge accident. The lifeflight helicopter landed on the expressway yards away from her car. She missed being in that accident by minutes. See His hand?

My son has come down today with his first ever baby cold. The child is going to be eight months old next week, and for all his health challenges earlier in life he has never gotten a cold yet. If he had gotten sick last week, it would have been disaster for me - and the shower. If he had gotten sick just a month ago, I probably would have lost it. Moving with a teething baby was a nightmare enough. A teething sick baby would have been unbearable. See His hand?

Try something with me today. Just for today, ditch "religion" and get faith. Real faith. Living faith. Faith you can feel like sand between your toes on the beach. See all the ways God is amazing in your life.

I am so guilty of making my God small. I do it all the time without even thinking about it! I put him in a little box and place it on a shelf marked "faith" and leave Him there. I pull him out before heading to church and then return home to put Him away again. This week, I'm taking God out of the box.

My God is too big for this box.

I'm it! I've been tagged by Sam

"Rules"

After posting these rules, each player proceeds to list 8 relatively random facts/habits about himself/herself. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, leaving them a comment on their blogs to let them know.

1. I really hate talking on the phone. If you ever call me and I don't call you back, please don't take it personally. I just REALLY hate the phone. I used to like the phone. Never as much as my gab-a-lot mother, but it was OK. Ever since getting pregnant, I've had an aversion to telephone conversations. It gets annoying when everybody calls every day to see how you're feeling after you've spent far too long puking your guts out (I had "morning" sickness well into my 2nd tri). Then after the baby came, I found I had neither time nor hands for the phone. So I hate the phone. Except for texting, because that doesn't require talking and I can reply in my own time.

2. I don't have a favorite food. This is odd, because I am a Fat Chick. But that's also WHY I'm a Fat Chick. I love ALL food. There are few foods I hate - one of them is anchovies. They taste hairy.

3. When I turned 30 I vowed that I would never again ever leave the house barefaced, because I was getting old. And I never have since. Even if it was just tinted moisturizer with SPF and lip balm, not a single one of you has ever seen me 100% without makeup. Trust me, this is a good thing for you.

4. I have anxiety disorder. When something stresses me out, I get physically ill and I have trouble breathing. I have fainted from freakouts. I'm so lame.

5. I never had coffee until after my son was born. I still don't care for the aroma or the taste, really. I dress it up with flavored syrups and lots of Silk creamer. It's not about the taste. It's about the lack of sleep and therapeutic caffeine.

6. Dora the Explorer annoys the puppy piss out of me. Yes, I know my child is part Latino. No, I don't think that means he should have to try to figure out what her Spanglish is.

7. I get just the tiniest bit happy when I get sick and have to go to the doctor, because I think my doctor is the cutest doctor ever. He's so yummy.

8. When my husband goes somewhere just him and the baby, I panic the whole time they're gone because everybody I love most in the world and live for are all in one car and something bad might happen to them. This fear doesn't play nice with #4. Also, I am somewhat upset that my husband doesn't share the same ridiculous fear when I leave with the baby.

I do hereby tag Michelle, Robyn and Suzi, since they are my only other blogger friends who remain untagged.

Buffalofu Sandwiches

I love the versatility of tofu. You can make it taste like almost anything. As I pondered this fact, I thought about how much we missed buffalo wings. And then I thought - chicken tastes like nothing. Tofu tastes like nothing. I'll bet I can make tofu taste like buffalo chicken. I made buffalo tofu sandwiches for dinner tonight.

The key to making tofu marinate well is boiling it first. Cut it how you want to serve it, in small cubes, big cubes or like I did tonight, slices. Boil a pot of water and add your cut tofu and boil it for 5 minutes. Take the tofu out of the water with a slotted spoon and place it on a stack of paper towels on top of a plate (or if you're in my house, a stack of clean cotton wash cloths) then stack more towels on top and weigh down the top with a few more plates. This pushes all the water out of the tofu and gets it ready to soak in whatever marinade you put it in next.

You may think this process sounds cumbersome, but I guarantee it's far less gory than defrosting a piece of cow, then trimming the fat off, then marinating it.

Anyways, so I boiled and squeezed out the water from the tofu then marinated it in wing sauce. After about an hour of marinating, I heated a skillet then added a swish of butter (benefit of being ovo-lacto-pescatarian: you can still have butter) and placed 2 of the marinated slices in the skillet to brown.

Meanwhile, I added some blue cheese crumbles to some light blue cheese dressing. Because there is no such thing as too much stinky cheese.

After browning both sides, I put a slice of buffalofu on a whole grain bun, adding a fwap of enhanced blue cheese dressing and a few baby spinach leaves (to serve as "lettuce").

Hubby says it was so good he would even REQUEST it again! We give Buffalofu Sandwiches two thumbs up. :)

...and Mothers In Law everywhere rejoice...

Please make sure my darling husband's mother never finds out about this.

His Mother's Son

I love sour and salty things. I love lemons, olives, and pickles. If I'm eating potato chips, they're salt & vinegar or dill pickle chips.

When I was pregnant, I ate a LOT of pickles. I couldn't get enough pickles. So, it should come as no surprise to see that my child has inherited a great love for a quality dill pickle.



His baby hair is starting to break out into wavy curls, he's inherited Mommy's hair texture. Every day with him is so fun, he grows up a little each day and I love watching his little personality blossom. He is a full time job, he's exhausting and awesome. Being a Mommy is the only job I've ever been really good at. He makes every day an adventure, and I love seeing how exciting, big, fresh and new the world is through his eyes. He loves his puppies, he hates bright sunshine in his face, he despises diaper changes and adores baths.

And he loves pickles. All his pickley pickles.

Happy Love Thursday!

This week I love:

The healing pedi I indulged in last night at Mario Tricoci's. DAMN. I was skeptical about a pedicure that costs more than most of my shoes. It was so worth it. And honestly, I only buy cheap shoes. Seriously, I live in Crocs and Reefs. Anyways, everyone should experience an amazing pedi like this at least once in their lives before they die. I think I know what a certain daddy is getting for Father's Day!

Bella and Kate's new Bamboo Quick Control Collars with Built in Leashes. Bella loves to dash out the door and be an escape artist. It's so nice to just be able to reach down and have an instant leash to corral her in with.

My poo guy. Of course, I'd rather have a POOL guy, but we don't have a pool. Yet. In the meantime, a dude who comes to scoop up doggie doo so we don't have to is such a lovely luxury. When we moved in, I told Tim that we would take turns doing it until we fought over whose turn it was, then we'd hire a poo guy. That took all of two weeks!

Homemade iced lattes. My coffee habit is now completely out of control, 6 oz. of beans lasts me, um, about a day and a half. I've been brewing a whole push pot at a time and chilling it in the fridge for iced lattes. Sometimes with a swirl of chocolate syrup for iced mocha lattes. I really need to up the sleep or cut back on the coffee. Unfortunately, it's easier to find coffee than it is sleep!

Everyone call my cell phone

My new ringback tone is hy-sterical!

Midnight Rendevous

I saunter up next to him and slide my fingers up his neck. "Hello, Darling" I say. "I've waited all week for this. I couldn't wait to see you. Tim and the baby have finally gone to bed - we can be alone together, at last." I slowly undo his top. He turns to me, glistening blonde in the moonlight. I can wait no longer. As I slowly caress him with my lips, my heart races with anticipation. I swoon over his taste. I must have more.

No, it's not what you think. I'm talking about the delectable bottle of Muscat I've had chilling for myself all week long. By the way, do you think Harlequin is hiring? I'm pretty good at this smack.

It's just me, the Muscat, and SNL on the Tivo while my Root Veggie Medley roasts for the next hour. Now if you'll pardon me, I have a previous engagement. :)

I can't believe I just burnt freaking butter.

This probably wouldn't be a big deal to any mere mortal. But I am a Cooking Goddess! I BURNT BUTTER! The outrage! Oh, the humanity! (OK it's actually "oh the bovinity" but humanity sounds much more serious and dreadful).

I went to college for this crap, and I just burnt butter. (I was a Secondary Education, Home Economics Major. YES, Home Ec is a major!)

My cooking ego is deflated.

My husband just laughed at me, recounting the very first time I ever burnt anything two years ago. He says "Remember that one time you burned toast and you cried?" Oh, yeah. I remember that, Pal. Thank you for reminding me though. Why don't you just give me a bunch of paper cuts and pour lemon juice and salt on them? (For the record, it was French Toast and I was upset because I had gone out of my way to get fabulous bread for it. I was just learning our old electric stove and without a visual of how high the flame was I cranked it up too high.)

Thankfully, Hubby also fondly remembers my MacGyver-like dinner concoction back in the day when we first started dating. He had worked late and we were hungry, but neither one of us was in any mood to go get food. We were at his place which = he had no groceries. I poked around the fridge and pantry and found sufficient ingredients to make a pasta with veggies and cheese sauce. (Dry vermicelli, frozen California blend veggies, a dab of cream cheese, a splash of milk, some grated parmesan, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.) The dinner ranks as one of my Greatest Hits because his fridge shelves housed only: a leftover smattering of cream cheese in a tub, one last swig of milk and some wine. I walked into an "empty" kitchen and walked out with two plates piled high, and it wasn't at all horrible. I think it was then that he recognized my phat mad kitchen skillz.

Yet, for all my skillz I still burnt butter this morning. Apparently, I had let my skillet heat a little too high for a little too long. Lesson learned.

I think this will help get me off kitchen duty for tomorrow though, as I bask in the warmth of my very first Mothers Day. :)

Aw, crap. It's Love Thursday again.

Today I love:

Sunny days. It was awesome out today, and I thoroughly enjoyed cruising around with the windows down.

My girlfriends. After a very long dry spell of no social hours, I was finally able to get together with my mommy friend today for a nice walk with our boys. It was awesome. I had really missed her company while we dealt with the move. It's nice to get back to a sense of normalcy, finally.

My new town. I spent some of that cruising with the windows down time investigating the city we now call "home". Um, it's a pretty awesome town! The downtown area is bustling and full of some super prime looking restaurants. I have nearly all the shopping I will ever need within a brief drive. I kind of love it here, and I'm really surprised. Our last place was in my hometown, where I grew up. I knew it like the back of my hand. I am more than happy to learn this town inside and out. It rocks.

Who moved my cheese?

Our house is the Land of Boxes. Unpacking is hard with a baby. He really isn't a fan of being anywhere except Mom's lap lately. So I get very little unpacking done during the day. Then Daddy comes home, and it's time for dinner, and then there's dishes, and then I have to fold that one last load of laundry that I managed to get done earlier in the day...and before you know it, it's bedtime. And then tomorrow, it starts all over again.

So right now, we still have boxes all over the place. Most of them have now been arranged in a rat-maze like configuration so we can get from point A to point B. Here's my problem: I never find my cheese at the end of the maze! Poop.

This is what I do with time to myself

I just downloaded some mp3's.

1) Wonder Pets "The Phone is Ringing" song - to use as the ringtone on my cell. I am sickeningly super geeked out for this.

2) Blue's Clues "Mail Song" and "We Just Got a Letter". I will use "Mail Song" as the .wav for when I get new email in Outlook. I think I'll use "We Just Got a Letter" as the notification sound for when I get a new text on my cellie.

Shibby! More wine! I need more wine!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!

Ah, blessed Saturday night. Last month, I reached a point of utter exhaustion and Mommy burnout. Six and a half months of being up all night had worn me down to the point that I couldn't take it any more. We agreed that during the week, I would continue to manage all the nighttime parenting so Tim could be fresh for work the next day but I would get Saturday nights off. One night a week, I can go to bed and sleep all night, baby-free.

I opened up a bottle of merlot with dinner. None for hubby, all for me. Parents who co-sleep are wise to not drink. I'll be crashing my drunk ass out in the guest room. :)

I think I'll take the rest of this bottle of wine with me to a nice bubble bath. And then beddy bye I go...

I'm so lame. I used to look forward to Saturday nights to go out clubbing and have a good time. Now I look forward to Saturday nights so I can sleep. I feel so old!

Jackson has inherited his Mom's love for music.

I am an audiophile. I love music of all kinds. My CD collection ranges from classical to R&B, some Metal, some Rap, some Pop, some Funk, some Soul, you name it.

I Tivo'd this great concert in HD on the MTVHD channel. It was filmed in IMAX so you get the whole surround sound concert experience. It opened with Sting performing "Desert Rose", then George Clinton with his Parliament Funkadelic and Mary J. Blige did "One Nation Under a Groove" and "Atomic Dog". Kid Rock brought it with "Bawitdaba", Sheryl Crow did a very lame acoustic set, Roots performed with B.B. King, Macy Gray did "I Can't Wait to Meetchu", Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas did "Smooth", and Al Green sang "Take Me To the River" with Dave Matthews Band. The whole concert was filmed at Chicago's Soldier Field. There might be more to the show, but we're watching the Reverend Al and I'm not fast forwarding to find out. I LOVE Al Green.

Jack has been bouncing and grooving throughout (except for the Sheryl Crow song). If there is one legacy I can leave to my child, it will be my great love for all kinds of music. It makes me smile.

Miracles never cease.

Those in my inner-inner posse are the only ones who will understand what this post is about.

For weeks now I have worried and fretted about the whereabouts of my loved one. I didn't know where they were, they weren't able to tell me either. Today is that person's birthday, and all week long I have been dreading this day because I knew I would feel their absence so acutely it would sting.

I woke up in the worst of moods after a fitful night's sleep. I went through the motions of waking up and starting my day in a zombie-like state, telling myself if I could just get through this day tomorrow would be better.

Then the phone rang. It was them. My heart caught in my throat as I answered the phone.

They are okay.

I can have a good day now, at least I know they're alive. Not knowing what was happening, or where they were or if they were all right was a special kind of hell on earth that I would never wish on anyone.

Thank you, God, for taking care of that person despite some of their poor choices and a far from ideal situation.

Announcing...total CFL conversion!

I'm just back from IKEA and Home Depot. A CFL has been procured for each lamp in the house. I have to install a few of them yet, but after that I will be DYING to see if there's any change in our electric bill.

My "No Incandescent Bulb Left Behind" program makes Bush's "No Child Left Behind" program look like a failure. Oh no wait, it IS a failure!

Which reminds me of this bit of hilarity that I MUST own sometime soon:


Oh, come ON. Don't even try to tell me you didn't laugh! Props to Coupon Chris for mentioning this specialty apparel the other night. I love it!

Happy Love Thursday!

Today I am loving my alternative cleaning products. I love that you can DRINK the stuff I clean with and not die. You'd probably get an upset stomach, but you wouldn't die! And it works just as effectively if not better than the toxic crap I used to buy. Today I whipped up several bottles of all-purpose cleaning spray (for counter tops, bathrooms, you name it.) Want to try?

You'll need:
16 to 24 oz trigger spray bottle (Wal-Mart, .98)
Borax (slightly toxic, but you barely use any)
White distilled vinegar
Dr. Bronner's Liquid Soap
Hot water
*Optional: essential oils to scent (your choice, I used lavender and peppermint. You could use a splash of vanilla if you don't have any essential oils).

Put 1 T Borax and 2 T vinegar in bottle. Add hot water to neck of bottle. (Leave head room for soap and for the offset liquid when you put the sprayer back in). Swish to fully dissolve Borax. Scent with desired oils, add 1/4 c Dr. Bronner's (you may sub 1/8 c liquid dish soap). Put sprayer on, swirl bottle around to blend ingredients. Grab a cleaning rag & away you go!!!! (I prefer a microfiber cleaning cloth, but any old rag will do).

My bathrooms are clean & smell purdy. Plus, this recipe is phosphate-free, so you're not polluting our rivers, lakes and streams when you rinse it down the sink. And here's the part that everyone (especially Coupon Chris) will love: the first bottle will cost you about the same as a bottle of 409 or Fantastik when you add in the cost of all your supplies and the empty bottle. After that, it's about $0.40 to refill it each time. Momma liiiiiiiike. ;)

I am also loving that I have just used up my very last ever paper towel. Gone are the days where I bought them because that's what everyone does and I thought you needed them to get by. Paper towels, I bid you and your wastefulness at $3 a roll, you and your stupid spindle that takes up a 6" x 6" footprint of my counter space, you and your tree killing shenanigans f*cking adieu.

My Farewell to paper towels Haiku:

Angry. Paper. Waste.
Now I use cotton wash rags
And I am happy!

Does anyone know where the Band-Aids are?

I just sliced half of my thumbnail off - not a pretty sight, let me tell you! It's bleeding (I have a piece of TP squeezed on it right now) and needs a bandage. Now, which of these boxes are the band-aids in? One my darling husband packed but neglected to label, of course...

Oh and just so ya know, those little holes on the side of the washer that the water drains out through? Those can slice off your thumbnail if you catch it at just the wrong angle. Ouch!

Unpacking with a baby: how hard is it?

Thankfully, my new Ergo is here. My old one broke at the grocery store the week before our move. Since the manufacturer is in Hawaii, the fastest they could replace it was in 2 days. Then they screwed up and delayed shipping the replacement due to a new employee's error, so I didn't actually get it until Thursday (the moving process started on Friday). So it was really rough for me to get anything done without the ability to strap my baby on my back!

Today I have to:
do laundry
vacuum
sweep up dust bunnies
organize/unpack more kitchen stuff
do some "make ahead and freeze it" cooking
clean bathrooms
finish washing diapers
drive up by the old house to complete a product testing survey and get $100
make baby peaches
do dishes
trim the dogs' nails
dust living room

Boy, I'd better get my rear in gear and get off the computer! :) Here's to a great Monday for everyone!

The move? She is complete.

I am never doing this ish again. That king sized pillowtop mattress that I was longing for? I hate it now. Carrying it (it has no handles) down a flight of stairs, into a truck, out of the truck, up the stairs, around the turn in the stairs, and into the bedroom was a PITA.

All our stuff is here except Tyson the Dyson (yes, I named my beloved vacuum). He's at the old place so I can give it one final once over and then we're done. Our garage is full of boxes (what's the point of having a garage if you can't park in it?) and that blows but we're done. Our stuff is here. Now, to unpack...

Love Thursday

I will be honest. It would be easier for me to come up with a list of things I abhor right now, but it's Love Thursday, not Bitch and Moan Friday so I am going to try to look on the bright side of life.

Today I love:

My fantabulous husband. He is really awesome. This week he's let me just pack boxes and he has done all the lifting and hauling for me to spare my back and knees. He is an amazing Daddy and is so devoted to his family. He also puts up with my crap when I am very crabby and tired (which has been all week) and had fish for breakfast the other day because that's what I wanted. And even though he sometimes mocks my tree hugging hippie crap, he has been fully on board with my recent changes involving abolishing paper towels for actual wash rags to be laundered and reused and switching out every light bulb in the new house from incandescent to CFL's. The CFL thing goes against his frugal nature, as spending $5 for a light bulb makes him cringe. (Yes, I have explained to him how it works out better on energy and lasts longer so it's less expensive in the long run. $80 at Home Depot for 15 light bulbs was still a hard pill for him to swallow). But he does it because it makes me happy. He will do almost anything to make me happy, I am a very lucky girl.

My BED. While in transition, if we crashed out at the new house we've been sleeping on air mattresses. I will be all too happy to get our real bed moved over and spend that glorious first night snuggled up on my 1200 thread count Egyptian Cotton sheets that are on my super cushy pillowtop king sized bed. This will be better than air mattresses, by far and I'm REALLY looking forward to it.

Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffees. In the land of caffeinated beverages, this has become a fast favorite. It's icy, cold, comes in many different flavors. Make mine a large, half chocolate coffee, half caramel coffee, skim milk and 3 Splendas. YUM! This is seriously better than Fourbucks any day, and is on special through the end of April for $1.69 for a large. So it's less than four bucks for TWO, instead of $4 for ONE. Actually, with tax 2 of them are $3.43 where I live. Is it sad that I already have my change counted out for later?

My friends. Coupon Chris is dying of the Black Plague, but yet still she insists on being called upon for moving help. Now THAT'S a devoted friend. :) However, I insist that she keeps the Black Plague to her damn self and not get me of compromised diabetes-related immune system sick, or my baby for that matter. But she's an awesome friend that I've known for over half my life. Friends like that are treasures.

Hey, look! Now I'm in a better mood after finding some things to love this Thursday. Who'da thunk it? :D

What is Cornhole?

So I popped in online really quick tonight to read email. We may have found a new milk donor mama in DeKalb, home of Coupon Chris, about 20 minutes away. Very exciting stuff as our main donor mama just hasn't been able to keep up with the Moose's consumption and I am loathe to supplement with formula.

Anyway, you know how Google puts those ads up on the right side of their pages? Well I was viewing an ad for Vera Bradley's Purseapalooza Outlet Sale next month (this may or may not require a road trip, I'm considering it) and to the right I see an ad for "cornholeoutlet.com". Now I have to look. I mean, wouldn't you? Back in the day, I watched hours of Beavis and Butthead with my then and now bestest friend ever Crystal, and her then boyfriend now husband of eleven years, Joey. So I see "Cornhole Outlet" and all I can think is "I am the Great Cornholio! I need TP for my bunghole!" I was hoping that my idea of "cornhole" and Cornhole Outlet's idea of "cornhole" was VERY different.

After reviewing Cornhole Outlet's offerings, it appears to be some kind of bean bag toss game referred to as "Cornhole". However, please read the following excerpt from their "What is Cornhole" page and try not to laugh:

"WHAT IS CORNHOLE? Although it has been called many things ... for those who have grown up with the game, and avid newcomers alike, the game is passionately referred to as Cornhole. The origins of Cornhole are largely unknown. Some historians claim that the game was born in 14th century Germany and reinvented somewhere in the Cincinnati Tri-state area perhaps as long as 100 years ago. Although Cornhole enthusiasts can be heard to argue a number of theories, often based upon which side of the Ohio River they call home, one thing all can agree on is that the game is great fun for all ages and can be played anywhere! ... The game is generally played tournament style with an individual or team being named the cornhole champion at the end of the tournament. " (Yes, an individual or TEAM is crowned Cornhole Champion. I am dying laughing too.)

We're laughing so hard we're crying. Maybe we're just overtired and punchy, but this is HY-STERICAL to us! The best part of cornholeoutlet.com is their tagline: "don't plan a party without yours!"

Hubster just hooked up the stereo and surround sound in the new house, and he's testing it out. As if on cue, the song "Da Butt", just came on. OMGROTFLMAO!

Moving am t3h su><0r

We're mid move from old apartment to new house, and I'm taking a 10 minute break to chillax. This sucks. It's really hard to move with a baby. Jackson was AWESOME yesterday, which is really something for a baby who is teething. He was very mellow and easy going, which was great because if he was all high maintenance I may have lost it. We took the pups to the new house yesterday, and they LOVE it. They don't know how to walk on the wood floors & keep wiping out, it's really kind of funny. They love their new yard and only misbehaved once when they made a break for it out the front door and down the road. I caught up with them, but I was pretty freaked out because we live pretty close to a main road and they don't have a sense of which way home is in the new house. Around midnight, we all collapsed, exhausted, into our makeshift family bed made up of air mattresses crammed together in the master bedroom. Halfway through the night, Bella decided she wanted to snuggle in with us too, so she crammed her flabby labby self in there too. Katie, ever the good girl, snoozed at the foot of the bed right by baby. She sticks to her baby like glue! :)

My kitchen is almost packed with the exception of 1 cupboard. We're making progress. I'm kind of glad we have a whole week to do it but I'm really hoping we don't need a whole week! My friend Christy is watching Jackson for us today so we have several hours of baby-free moving time which is a HUGE help.

Okay, my break time is up. Time to get myself covered in newsprint ink again wrapping glasses and plates.

We have already determined that next time we move, we're hiring people. This iz t3h su><0r!

Happy Love Thursday!

Whew! Where has this week gone? Here we are again on another Love Thursday.

Today I love:

The good folks at Sutherland Products, makers of the best laundry detergent ever, Charlie's Soap. I use it to wash all my laundry, but I started buying it to wash my cloth diapers. It rinses completely clean with no residue and gets out every stain I've ever thrown at it! I nearly ran out and placed a frantic order Saturday morning. Then my internet connection failed and I wasn't sure if my order went through or not. So I called their 800 # and explained my conundrum. They said they'd check and call me back. In a few minutes, I got a call back from Charlie himself. How's that for service?

My puppies. They are both so gentle and sweet with the baby! Jackson has really taken a liking to Katie, he will sit and stroke her fur for a long time. The Girls, as we call the dogs, are completely smitten with their baby and are always looking out for him. It's so precious!

My new house! We're starting the move this weekend. I am completely unprepared and we're not anywhere close to being done packing. But I can't wait for my new, bigger kitchen and my yard to play with the pups in, and the awesome neighborhood with lots of parks and tons of great shopping nearby.

It's Time to Play the Same Game!

Jackson's favorite TV show, Miffy, has been canceled. :( Are you familiar with the white claymation bunny? After a few episodes of Miffy, me and Hubby have Miffy's smack stuck in our heads.

Last night, Jackson woke up every 2 hours to eat for about 1/2 an hour. Then he'd fall back to sleep and I'd fall back to sleep from being 100% awake, so that took me about another half hour to fall asleep, then in an hour he was up again. So you can imagine my exhaustion this morning!

Hubby worked from home so he did a diaper change for me. I laid on the bed, exhausted while Daddy did diaper duty. He started singing to Jackson, "It's time to play the Same Game!" a la Miffy.

Hubby: "Mommy wants to have the same number hours of sleep as Daddy has! How many hours of sleep does Mommy have?"

Me: (moaning) "2".

Hubby: "How many hours of sleep does Daddy have?"

Me: (bitching) "7".

Hubby: "Do Mommy and Daddy have the same number hours of sleep?"

Me: (becoming infuriated) "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Let Me Clear My Throat

"Some of y'all might be with this, and some of y'all won't
But listen, let me clear my throat
Oh, have mercy babe, Ha!
I hope ya don't mind, let me clear my throat"

Or if you need a more complete refresher of this old skool classic:



Jackson has experienced the advent of Juice. He's had both organic, pasteurized apple and white grape juice, each diluted 50/50 with distilled water. He's in love with his sippy cup!

Thing is, he's quite the crafty one. He's figured out that all he has to do to get juice is act parched. So now I have a six and a half month old constantly clearing his throat, acting thirsty. He's quite the actor, this child. I think I hear him coughing...gotta run! :)

The doggies love Baby Food Sundays

Today I made barley cereal, asparagus and more sweet potatoes. Bella and Katie enjoyed the asparagus ends and potato skins. I still have beets, pears and apples to do - bummer there isn't much for dogs to eat from those!

Craptastic Friday!

If I do Love Thursdays, can I do Hate Fridays? It's my blog, so I say yes.

Today I hate:

1. Teething! This sucks.
2. Not sleeping! Related to the teething. Crabby Baby + Tired Mommy = A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day!
3. Moving! This also sucks.
4. Packing! Related to the moving. Such a pain in the tushus.
5. Laundry! I need to just send this out to get done. I am so OVER doing laundry right now.
6. Jerkhead drivers! This assclown in the Whole Foods parking lot today nearly got cut, he pissed me off so bad. Have I mentioned that I get testy when I'm overtired?
7. Dishes! I have a sinkful of dirty dishes, and I haven't slept in 3 days. Sleep or clean, sleep or clean?
8. Laundry! Did I say laundry yet? If I did, I'm sorry. I really need sleep, the memory is failing me. Laundry sucks. The actual washing and drying isn't that bad, it's the whole folding and putting away that eludes me currently. My attention is constantly diverted, usually by any of the aforementioned things that suck ass.

Screw you, Craptastic Friday that I had! I am glad you're over! *flips this bad day the bird and goes to bed*

Happy Love Thursday!

Yep, boys and girls it's that time again! I missed Love Thursday last week. I have no idea what I was doing but here are some good guesses:

Packing
Cleaning
Packing
Finding boxes
Packing
Packing
Packing

OK, enough of my bellyaching! Today I love:

• The new formulation of Revlon's Colorstay lipsticks. Fantabulous! They go on really creamy and wear really well. They don't feel like clay on your lips - WOOT!
• Sleep and caffeine. Right now, Jackson is teething his top two front teeth, so we're not getting much sleep. But I love/miss sleep. In the meantime, my hot and heavy, torrid affair with coffee rages on. Mr. Coffee is always there for me when I need him, gotta love that.
• My newish bag. It's a "Vera" by Vera Bradley. My hunt for the perfect diaper bag ended in this little lovely. It's a decent sized tote with pockets all around the interior. Plenty of room for all of Jack's needs and my necessities too. It's "Petal Pink", I am loving the combo of pink and green for Spring. I love this bag more than a girl should love a bag - more than a girl like me should ever love a quilted bag. The pockets are perfection. It's such a "Muffy, will you be joining us in The Hamptons for the weekend, Dahlink?" bag. I care not!

What the hell is this crazy weather?

Last night it was so windy out, it sounded like a wolf was constantly howling outside the bedroom window. It kept waking both Jackson and I up.

This morning there is SNOW on the ground! FREAKING SNOW! Lord, have mercy...

The baby bottom pic

We had to take an official nakey baby photo. I love his smile! You can almost see his toofers on the bottom too.

Photoshop: look what it can do for you!

Before:



After:

My favorite season is Spring

Every time I am ever asked what my favorite season is, Winter or Summer, I always say Spring. Spring is my favorite season, I say, because everything gets a fresh start. The cold of Winter melts away and life rises again where once there was nothing but ice.

Last night, we attended one of our church's Easter services. Pastor Hybels (uh oh, now everybody knows I go to disco church!) brought a fantastic sermon about the true meaning of Easter.

Rebirth.

Freedom.

Boundless love.

Forgiveness.

A new life.

I was struck in the heart like never before. Have you ever sat in a several thousand seat auditorium and felt you were being personally addressed? It's somewhat unsettling.

To illustrate his point, Pastor had several doors assembled beside him, each one representing something different. One door represented the new identity we are offered through Christ. One represented freedom from our sinful burdens. One represented peace and eternal security of the soul after a Christian's death. And one represented the radical love and boundless forgiveness that has been bestowed upon us, for us to bestow upon others. After the sermon, Pastor Hybels invited us to approach the stage, and physically walk through the door we needed to. To find what we needed to, to grow how we needed to.

And I knew what I needed.

I don't forgive people. In the past, I have told myself that it was my freedom to cut people out of my life or hold a grudge. I haven't talked to my mother for the better part of five years. I have my reasons, and if I told you, you would probably tell me my decision is justified. You all read about my hurt after feeling betrayed by my friend who was consumed by her own issues. I don't forgive people, that's just how I roll.

But here's the thing I figured out last night. Instead of feeling free after cutting those people out of my life, my decision was nothing more than a burden. I've had a lot of hurt in my past and in an effort to protect my heart from more pain, I've done a really good job at isolating my heart. I'm not free. I'm not liberated. I'm burdened and bitter and angry. And for what? The choices that were supposed to give me peace only gave me grief.

The door that represented love and forgiveness looked like the Amish school in Pennsylvania. The one a shooter entered in September of 2006, and brutally murdered several little girls. The parents of those girls started a fund for the widow of the shooter and her kids. They attended the funeral of the murderer of their daughters, exhibiting amazing forgiveness.

At the end of the service, I still wasn't sold on actually approaching the stage to walk through a door frame. I mean, I could make the same decision in my heart right there in my seat and it would still be the same decision. We rose to gather Jackson from the nursery. Tim headed towards the exit, and I hesitated. Reading my cue and the tears in my eyes, my husband took my hand and led me towards the doors. We're approaching the doors and I'm thinking to myself, "Do I really want to do this? If I do this, I have to forgive EVERYBODY. Can I do that?"

And God said, "Can you not? Haven't you carried this burden long enough? Please, let me take that for you. It's too heavy, and you don't need to live like this anymore. Taking care of you is what I came here for."

We get closer to the door, and my heart is pounding. If I do this, things have to change. I have to change. It is going to be HARD. If I don't do this, I will forever regret it.

I pass through the door.

There was no magic in the door. There was no epiphany in the door. But walking through the door was symbolic just the same. I went through the door, there was no turning back.

After some text messaging with extended family last night, I cleared my throat.

My palms were sweaty, my heart raced.

I dialed.

It rang.

"Hello?" answered a vaguely familiar voice on the other end of the line.

I said, "Hi, Mom. Happy Easter."

There were tears and pleas for forgiveness. We both promised we'd try. There was a new beginning, a fresh start. New life emerged where before there was only ice.

I really do love Spring.

The Brown Blog

When I started this blog, I swore I would blog about everything regarding the baby, except I wouldn't blog about poo. Nobody cares about baby poo except the parents and the pediatrician. But yesterday's was one worth noting.

****WARNING: POO TALK IMMINENT*****

TURN BACK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE.
OR YOUR PEE, EITHER WAY.

It has been dubbed Gigantor The Turdslide. Moms are familiar with the up-the-back baby poo. This was up the back, up the front, down the legs, on the socks...there was literally poo EVERYWHERE. It was as if I told Jackson to bring on the poo, and he BROUGHT ON THE POO. The disturbing thing is, I didn't even know it had occurred because breastmilk poo isn't stinky. It smells kind of like mild yogurt to me. So I didn't know it was there until I picked him up. For his part, Jackson was happier than a pig in...well, you know. His new favorite trick is rolling back and forth and playing with his feet during diaper changes. I didn't need a diaper changing pad yesterday, I needed a diaper changing TARP.

This was far worse than Tuesday morning, when we awoke to learn that Jackson's diaper had failed somehow (I suspect user error as Daddy put it on him) and leaked all over the damn place. Poor baby was covered in pee, his entire onesie and sleeper were soaked with urine from his neck to his toes. I undressed him and gave him a nice sponge bath to clean him up. I turned my back for a millisecond to get a fresh diaper. As I turned back, I found Pee Pee Boy playing fireman. Pissed all over his damn self again. I popped Pee Pee Boy in his mesh sling and we showered off.

Nobody warned me of these dangers of baby care!

Feline loss

I miss my cats. After two trips to the ER and one very close call last night as we dropped them off at their new home, I am convinced we did the right thing for them and for Jack but I am still heartbroken. Jackson has allergy-induced asthma reactions to cat dander. It has to be genetic, both Tim and I were mildly allergic to the cats also but we can take Zyrtec, Jackson can't. Tim's dad is also severely allergic to both cats and dogs.

Romeo and Juliet have a new brother too, and a 2 year old boy who will love them and pet them. Their new mom and dad are none other than Coupon Chris and her dear Hubby Justin. I think if I had to give them to anybody I didn't know, I'd be up all night worrying about them. But since I know they have a loving, safe home with really great people, it takes a little bit of the sting out of my loss.

I love those kitties. Those cats have been by my side through so much. Romeo was with me when my boyfriend of two years cheated on me, got the other girl pregnant and then decided he had to "do the right thing" and marry the other girl. Um, "the right thing" would have been to not stick your peen in her, dumbass. Both Romeo and Juliet snuggled by my side and purred to me while I cried myself to sleep after leaving my first husband. I also left his lying, cheating, gambling and scheming so in the end it wasn't all bad. But at them moment when I was in the thick of it, it was awful. Mo and Julie were there for me when I couldn't take any more of my second husband's verbal abuse, and I had to lock myself in a bathroom to slump down into a corner and cry. They licked my tears away with their sandpapery tongues. I came home to them exuberant when I met Hubby. I came home to them exhausted and frustrated from work more times than I can count, and there is no better balm for the soul than a soothing chorus of purring cats on your lap with silky coats to stroke as you while away the evening after a bad day with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of chardonnay in the other. Together we weathered three marriages, two divorces, 9 moves, more bad dates than I can count, 4 jobs and lots of both really great and really bad days. They're my companions, my babies. They were so good to me.

I think that's why it breaks my heart so. They were always good to me. And even though I know that finding them a new home is the best thing for them, I can't help but feel guilty, as if I have betrayed their trust. They were always there for me and now I'm not there for them. I hope they understand that I did what I did in order to give them the best life they can possibly have. The only alternative would be to keep them quarantined in a separate room with little or no human contact so as to reduce the risk of spreading cat dander around the house. It would have been a horrible life for them, they're people cats. They're affectionate and cuddly and sweet and need to be petted, a lot. I can't give them what they need, what they deserve.

Rehoming them was the most impossible choice I have ever had to make. I don't believe that pets are disposable, and I feel horrible for choosing to find another home for my cats. But my baby has to come first. As much as I hate to admit it, the human baby pulls rank over the pet babies. I'm so down about this. There's a cat-shaped hole in my heart, and I don't think it will ever go away. It isn't the same coming home without a little furbaby meowing at your feet and circling your ankles. I will miss Mo & Julie dearly. They were the best cats ever.

Fergie is to the Black Eyed Peas as Yoko Ono is to the Beatles.

That being said, I am loving the hell out of Alanis Morissette's parody video of "My Humps".

You don't want no drama. No no drama, no no drama. *snort laugh*

Phat mad props to Coupon Chris for tipping me off to this web gem.

Moose Stats

Oh, I forgot to post last week in all the hullaballoo of packing...

Mister Moose, 6 months:
22 lbs.
28 inches
17.5 inch gourd
95th percentile overall

He's trading in some milk for solids, and LOVES eating so far. He's had:

rice cereal
bananas
avocado
apples
pears
carrots
sweet potatoes
homemade whole milk yogurt

I made pears and papaya for him over the weekend and I have 2 acorn squash to bake, puree and freeze. I make the majority of his food at home from fresh, organic produce and grains. I still buy some jarred food for on the road, it's just easier to grab and go. I am finding it's really fulfilling to see him enjoy food I made for him. Cooking for a baby is rather easy, you just bake or steam everything and then puree it in a blender. I freeze the pureed food into ice cube trays then once frozen I pop them out into freezer bags or containers for storage. This is probably nutritionally superior to jarred foods, and even if it isn't it's still fresher. Food that expires in 2 years isn't quite the kind of fresh I want to give my kid. If you're interested in reading more about this, I recommend Ruth Yaron's book, Super Baby Food.

I killed my old blender last week making some baby food. I went out and bought a new one, which quickly overheated and died too! I was very pouty and sad, and hubby held me close and said, "It's okay Honey. We'll get you the professional one." To which I said, "It's $800." And he said "OK".

LOVE him.

Inferior Desecrating

One of the fun things of moving into new digs is decorating the new rooms I will have!

I think for the kitchen/dining room which kind of flow together, I am going to go with a tropical/beach theme. White, Ivory, Khaki and Spring Green with maybe some tropical plants and bamboo accents. I'll have Timmy print out some large sized prints of our wedding and honeymoon on the white sandy beaches of St. Thomas to add a little personal flair. It is one of our happiest memories of our life together, so I'd like to incorporate that into our everyday.

For Jackson's room, we are doing a Lodge/Wilderness theme with lots of Moose. I have several stuffed moose toys and found this darling bedroom set that looks like it's made of Lincoln Logs (remember those?). SO cute. It will be Moose-tastic! It's so adorable. I was inspired by Coupon Chris, who found a stuffed moose toy and got it for Jackson. Then one day I was in Harry & David and saw their stuffed moose and thought..."Hey, I can do a whole bedroom in this!!!" So, Moose Room it will be!




I will keep the kids'/guests full bath upstairs in duckies. I love the duckies, so does Jack. Plus I have all the decorative accessories to go with the theme. Soap dish, duckie towels, all that. So we're sticking with duckies for the upstairs bath.

We're also keeping the master bed/master bath decor, which is burgundy and gold. It will be dated in a few years and I'm already growing sick of it but I figure I should hang on to it, let babies completely destroy it and by the time we're done sharing sleep with our kidlets, I can redecorate.

I have yet to choose a color scheme or theme for the guest room/computer room. Suggestions are welcome, as I am largely undecided!

P.S. It's 11:00 AM and I am still working on my cup of coffee from 8:00 AM. And yes, it is still warm. Not hot, but still warm. Love these cups!

The Grown Up Sippy Cup

This may come as a shock to my nearest and dearest friends who read my blog, but I have given in to a full-fledged coffee addiction. Yup. Motherhood has turned me to the dark side.

When embarking on my new caffeine-fueled adventure, I did some online research as to what coffee maker would produce the most flavorful, least bitter coffee. I ended up selecting a Bodum Chambord French Press. I especially like the simplicity of this little gadget. I also like that I can use the hot water directly out of my water cooler's tap to make coffee. Very little wait time = GOOD.

I carefully selected some freshly roasted Kona beans and had them shipped to me. I was set!

Each morning, my little ritual is to go make my coffee, and while it's brewing I change and dress Jackson then I push the plunger and my morning cup is ready. Yay! But then baby cries, or the dogs need to go out, or the laundry needs to be folded, or the dishes need to be done and....2 hours later when I actually get to finish my cup, it's gone cold.

Now I like an iced latte as much as the next person, but this was a disheartening experience morning after morning. Until my friend Christy told me about the OXO Good Grips LiquiSeal Travel Mug. It's an insulated cup that has a little click-valve that when shut, is air and liquid tight! Now I have a set of green cups and I love them so much.

The OXO Good Grips LiquiSeal Travel Mug is available at Bed Bath & Beyond in a stainless steel finish, or order online for colors. Happy sipping!