Highlights of a Wedding Day

Well, as I've told my blogger friends already, my daughter E (3.5) was a flower girl in a wedding today. MY WORD was that a lot of work (being the Flower Girl's mom, that is.) The running around, the hot curlers, the lip gloss, the fancy dress, the tights (UNDER the dress, huh honey?), the rehearsal, the dinner, the running around like crazy after my children who are screaming and chasing some older kid, the waiting and waiiiittttiiinnnnggg and WAITING for THIS picture and THAT picture. Sheesh. It was fun though. Oh all except for the puking and the meltdown, but I'll get into that in a moment.

E did great - her first wedding and her first wedding party role! She was absolutely gorgeous, and I only had to walk out of the ceremony with a screaming little brother once. Phew!

So the puking and the meltdown... well, The Prince all of a sudden had almost 103 fever today after his nap (great.) He was fine during the wedding (well, you know - except for the part where he was rifling through my purse (to keep him entertained) and he pulled off the cap to my perfume, proceeded to put it in his mouth, and screamed when I had the GALL to take it away from him. Shame on me. So by the time we hit the reception, he was looking pale and a lot like some sort of pasta noodle... perhaps linguini. He fell asleep on me through dinner and then graciously spared his mommy's pretty new outfit and threw up all over his daddy on the way out.

The meltdown... well that was E - she vehemently rejected any semblance of food offered at said wedding, and was STARVING (she has low-blood sugar issues like her mother, which tends to make her something akin to a Tazmanian DEVIL, who then throws herself on the floor and, like the old lady who's fallen, she can't get up.) So, the head waiter of the hotel actually came over to her since he noticed her rolling on the floor crying. He was asking if she was OK and I poo-poo'd him away saying she's FINE! grrrr.

So, we missed the cake (thus, I'm chowing on a spoonful of creamy peanut butter sprinkled with chocolate chips (my weakness). And now we're home. Hooray! We rock. Be sure to invite us to YOUR wedding soon. We'll guarantee you a night full of memories.

Enjoy.

Precious Flowery One


My Prince


Happy! Bored :( Stoned.


Mini-Bridal Party Shenanigans


Sleeeepy Prince


WWF Flower Girl Smackdown

The Husband Way

I realize moms and dads do things very differently - particularly when it comes to caring for the kids in mom's absence. There are things I would never do, for example, that husband tends to do when he's playing mr. mom. Mostly they involve dressing and doing hair. Just things I find questionable, like the outfits he selects for E when he's trying to match colors/patterns, but it just doesn't fly. I've come home to find E in a onesie with tights on the outside of her entire outfit - not underneath. He said he thought it looked a little weird but couldn't figure it out. Attempts at installing a pony-tail on E's head have been unsuccessful as well. I'll come home to something like this...


And recently, this is what I found when husband tried to dress The Prince:


Apparently the pants were too big? Aaaaand finding another pair of pants was more daunting than searching for a mcguyver solution to the problem? Hmmmm. I guess binder clips really do have more than one use.

Scrolling Saturday: Rocks In Your Underwear

Melissa at Such Simple Pleasures and Coleen at Manners and Moxie came up with Scrolling Saturday for newish bloggers to post older posts that likely haven't been seen before (by people other than those 2 friends/family who were forced to read the blog when we started.) So here's one from early November and it will give you a good glimpse into my husband's sense of humor...

Well, my mother-in-law (aka "Nannie") came for a week-long visit and left this past weekend. She came to the realization that sweet, perfect babies do grow into kids who talk about poop and other silly things and they become a little less endearing at times.

For example, E was playing with her baby, Mary (her alter ego most days), while MIL was crocheting and E took a skien (love that word) of yarn and put it between Mary's legs and said "that's a big giant poop, Nannie!" Nannie didn't think it was very funny. Mommy and Daddy did - primarily because that verbiage comes straight from Daddy's mouth. On a daily basis. He's obsessed with BMs - well, let me restate... he's obsessed with HIS BMs. And yes, it's apparently huge and giant. The guy's 6'5" so I guess big things come from big packages. I digress. Anyhow, Todd (aka "That Man") tends to talk about these things to our kids - and sometimes E will finish a 'job' and take a look and say "WOW Mommy - that's a MASSIVE poop!" Husband even has a running list of his favorite terms for doing this job... for example:
1. Coiling a steamer
2. Bending some pipe
3. Screaming mud-blower (he's cracking up right now over that one)I think it's probably similar to this
4. Spraying (only if it's really loose, similar to a 'mud-blower' - I'm told)
5. Burying an elf
6. Negotiating Chocolate Hostages, etc., etc.

So, it's no wonder my little angel is eager to make her own commentaries on her constitutions. And so I come to the title of this post... probably not as funny as the list, but it's where I started before the big tangent, so I feel like I must return...

So Nannie was sitting down on the loo and as soon as she pulled down her pants, she heard a 'plop' into the water below. Feeling like she still had control of her bowels, she wondered what on earth that was, and stood to look. She saw a big 'ol rock in the water - luckily - it hadn't dropped from her body - just from her underwear. How did it get there, you ask? The kids were putting rocks down her shirt hours earlier (something only a Nannie would let happen with joy) and thus one little guy got lodged without notice, and there you have it.

New Year's Resolutions... La-HOTS of them

Alrighty then. I'm 4 days late on being tagged by a new friend, BMG Mom, who has her very own blogger talk radio show -- she's ultra super cool, if you ask me. And she likes to take pictures of food at Pike's Fish Market in downtown Seattle, so we're kindred spirits. Here's a sample just for us...

Mmmm.... deliciousness. OK, so back to the tardy tag about New Year's Resolutions... warning: there are a TTTTOOOOOONNNNNN of them, so I won't be offended if you skip right over them skim them until you see mine. :)

When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions we seem to fall into four categories:

1) quite serious about them,

2) a bit flippant about them,

3) pressured to do them, or

4) just refuse to do them.

So, the purpose of this little game is to let us know which category you are in.

Copy from “Start Copy Here” through “End Copy Here” and post it.

Before "End Copy Here" tell us who you are, your site(s) (with link(s)), and your New Year’s Resolution, or not.

Then tag as many others as you like, from one to your entire blogroll, your choice.

If you like, create an introductory paragraph to your post that also acknowledges who tagged you.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS:

Ann - A Nice Place in the Sun - "To let the rest of my life begin as soon as possible."

Juliana – Juliana's Site - My New Year's resolutions are looking for a part time job, keep blogging, and learn to cook and bake.

Michelle - Rusin Roundup - 1. Learn to be happier and accept myself for who I am, 2. Is to lose about 25 lbs., and 3. Is to stop smoking.

Karen - Grow Rich Along With Me - My resolution for next year is to achieve $3K per month passive income by the end of 2008.

Mel - Attitude, the Ultimate Power & Complain Complain Complain - “I don’t need no stinking resolutions.” I never hold to them anyway so why frustrate myself by starting them now.

Sandee - Comedy Plus - I don't need no stinking resolutions either. Years and years ago I did them because everyone else did, but not once did I follow through. Why set yourself up for failure?

Lynda - lynda's loft - My resolution is to see resolve to that which needs resolution. Like Mel and Sandee, I feel that resolutions give us more stress, however, being a person who sets goals each year, isn't that the same thing as a resolution??? Goals vs. resolutions? Goals are more general and allow for more time to complete them, a resolution requires a mind-set and immediate action, which is not always feasible... Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it...

Amelia - Amel's Realm - This is a list of my New Year's Resolution:

1. Health: Continue exercising twice a week, eat enough veggies and fruit, have enough rest, take vitamin C regularly and women's multivitamin during my period.


2. Spiritual: Improve my Daily Bread reading routine and my prayer life and learn more from God's Word.


3. Financial: Continue to make money online (my goal is getting €100 per month at least), be more creative in writing posts, and save most of the money.


4. General Life: Continue to learn Finnish AND practice it as best and often as I can, try out more baking and cooking recipes, continue to maintain and share positive thoughts, continue to learn to control my thoughts, continue to learn to catch myself before I start complaining and count my blessings instead, continue to stop and cherish all the little moments in life that oftentimes go unnoticed, and continue to feed my inner child and last but not least, continue to ENJOY my life thoroughly.

Max - MAX - My New Year's resolutions are to dedicate more time to my friends; to finally be able to read "Der Spiegel" in German; to be calm when organizing my marriage; to go one last time to my favourite club and dance the night away; and continue to be happy!

Eric - Speedcat Hollydale - I love chicken. Problem is that I really never get to have enough chicken! My New Year's resolution is to enact "Chicken Tuesday". On this day I will eat only chicken, blog about chicken, and promote chickens all over the world. (hormone free) Join me, won't you?

Marzie - Mariuca & Mariuca's Perfume Gallery - My resolution for 2008 is to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and to expand my Perfume Collection.

Sindi- Life Is A Roller Coaster - My resolution is to complain less, pray more and be a little more thankful for what I have.

Judy - Sugar Queen's Dream - My New Year's resolution is:
To take better care of my health.
To eat better, well at least 3 meals a day, I'm lucky these days if I stop for one meal a day....
To help make the world a better place to live, I love the human race, but think there’s always room for change.
To be generous until it hurts.
To live each day as if it's my last.
To make a book of our personal family recipes and traditions for each of my 3 my children, so that the traditions and family cooking can be passed on in my family line long after I'm gone and finally.......
To help more with the local Human society, Animals like little kids can not fend for themselves so it's up to each of us to take care of our pets and to step in and care for all animals.....
I hope that through me I can encourage my Children to be better adults and in turn to raise the Children they have or will have, to be good people with good, sound & solid values.... Peace!

Adrian - First Time Dad - My New Year’s Resolution for 2008 is to be a better father…now I don’t usually make New Year's resolutions because I never keep them but this one I better keep! Happy New Year to one and all!

Colin - Life - New Years Resolution? No way...Better to achieve more throughout the year rather than pander to the whims of a one day 'wishful thought'

Mauro - 1 Million Love Messages - My resolution for next year are: 1. Change my job (maybe work online). I'm really unhappy in the actual one. 2. Dedicate more time to my family and girlfriend... maybe start to get ready for our wedding :-) 3. Work hard in 1 Million Love Messages and reach 2500 Love messages (or more) in the end of 2008.

MidgetManOfSteel - Mental Poo - To get out of dealing with people who I have no desire in helping at the job I’m doing…catch the eye of someone who can see that I can write and be funny…and get my own ticket to happiness from my humor….and a Ferrari. While I’m doing this, I resolve to get a Ferrari.

Stacy - My Thoughts - My New Year’s Resolution for 2008 - Is to be more understanding to my children and to other people, Not to curse at others while I am driving, try to eat right and exercise, try to volunteer in my community, and to believe more in my spiritual side.

Jason - DatCurious.com & DatMoney.com - Although, I normally don't do New Year's Resolutions (because I find it as an excuse to actually do something I should've already been doing), this year I will plan on giving back to the blogging community, especially my audience. I'm not sure how I will do it yet, but I definitely will.

Kesa - Little Aussie Cynic - My New Years Resolution is the standard..... to finally get off the smokes and to loose 8kg.... both which are possible just difficult.....Happy New Year to you and yours….Aussie

bmgmom - Being a Mom is Great; BMG - Reviews & Tools; Parents & Kids Talk Radio - I resolve to read at least one book per month. Oh, and to stop blogging at 8:30 every night to get back to doing storytime with my kids (like I did before I blogged) (and then get back to it after they're asleep, of course). Then, more generally, I want to be more positive, open hearted, simple and grateful.

Me - Ya... About That... - Oh I am VERY serious about my resolutions (do you see the look in my eyes??? I mean it). It's all completely boring, boring, snoozer stuff, but humor me: 1. Don't go to bed without a clean kitchen. 2. do laundry more often and actually put it away before it's dirty again 3. plan my week's meals/shopping, and last, but not least 4. keep my car clean. See? B-o-r-i-n-g. Perhaps I'll add one 'fanciful' one... like I vow to learn how to apply lip gloss with it stuck between my wannabe bodacious tatas while not using my hands, like Molly Ringwald. There. Ya happy?

"End Copy Here"

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Scrolling Saturday: Noodles In My Water - Part Deux

Melissa at Such Simple Pleasures is awesome and came up with an uber-cool idea of a Scrolling Saturday meme for those of us newish to blogging, who have older posts that perhaps were fabulous, but that didn't get all the love they deserved as a small blogging post child, before all the linky love and friends came to town. I'm so on board, and I'm posting one of the first I did (although admittedly, I shortened - I was such a novice blogger way back then 3 months ago ... Happy Saturday.

Well, today started off good enough. Took E to preschool (see cute pic of her vacuuming).

But then, the typical day ensued... The Prince spilled my entire chocolate protein shake in my bathroom sink, after he drank just enough to get his face covered in brown (yep, he's adorning his sister's headband and just one croc).

And, of course later I found him sneaking out of my bathroom with my mascara again, holding it like a "bolly-bop" (aka lollipop) and this time, instead of just inside his entire mouth, the black-as-tar-ness is all over his eyes and cheeks too. He looked so pretty.


So then, during dinner tonight, here's what our 4-participant "conversation" looked like:

-husband: "I was trying to script my website to modify the layout of the stage..." (I stop listening because I'm flicking The Prince for squeezing his pasta noodles instead of eating them)...

husband: "...retarget every path in the whole thing blah blah blah..." (me: giving E a warning to eat her food instead of using the wrong end of the fork to scoop it into her mouth)

husband: "...old scripts being incompatible with new scripts ... (me blanking out at this point, eyes rolling back in the head)...

E: "Mommy! Look! A "Q"! (her noodle on the table)

husband: "...figured out a way so I didn't have to do new scripts, isn't that great babe?..."

The Prince: (still squeezing his noodles, reloading, squeezing...) "Mama - beh-yee!" (looking down at his belly laughing "heh heh heh", now proceeding to put noodles in his hair.) His food often ends up in his hair, for whatever reason. It's just his thing. (me: curling up, making a clicking sound and rocking slowly in my chair thinking 'happy place, happy place')

So now, it's bed time and I'm filling my glass of water and go to drink it up, and hesitate slightly, realizing there's something odd and long and 'snakey' in my water. Yep - it's a noodle. I'd imagine it's a present from The Prince. He always knows just what to give me.

Here's to bedtime in ... 8...7...6... I'm done.
But wait... I go to tuck E in - she asks me to sleep with her for a few minutes, which I always do ... so I crawl into the toddler bed that's not supposed to hold more than 100 pounds (no problem!) then we're cuddling and I'm smelling her clean hair and skin and closing my eyes, and she turns and gives me an eskimo kiss on my nose and I melt, realizing... who needs a plain old glass of water anyhow?

Yes, these are the sweetest days...

#$%^% *$^@#$!!!!!!

I am The BIGGEST Idiot. Ever. For Real. I walked into this... I totally set my stupid self up for this. And the worst part is it's SO not the first time I've done it. It may sound really stupid to you parents who are responsible and such, but I could kick myself for this. In fact, here I go. @#$$%#^&&. *$%#$%#@! %^#$!! OK I feel not very much better. For the 4th time, I forgot to put E's fish food on top of her tank and accidentally left it within reach of her little @#$@#$%^%^$ brother. And, OF COURSE (yes, I'm yelling) - he DUMPED IT all over her rug. AGAIN!!! )(@#(#$(*%*%*^ &(#*()%@& *()&*(!!!!!


Do you know how disgusting fish food smells??? Do you know what it looks like when the reddish residue buries itself in the beautiful hand-woven rug I paid too much for when I used to have money before she was born?? Oh it's not pretty.

Well, I decided to rectify the situation once and for all. I shoved his head down into the pile of multi-colored flakes and rubbed his nose in it. OK I lie. BUT, that would have been a good idea, I'm thinking.

Seriously, what is wrong with me? Why do I continually leave my makeup bag on my counter within his reach so he can always suck on my mascara? Why do I leave the chef's knife a little too close to the edge of the cutting board where his wandering little pudgy fingers find it and start walking around with it?? Why don't I learn after the first time he finds the Febreeze on my husband's bathroom counter so he can spray it into his eyes and mouth (not that it ever phases him, but still - that can't be good for the guy)?

Oh I'm the suckiest parent alive. I swear I DO try to Prince-proof the house, but he's a tall toddler and can reach practically anything on any counter and is now able to foil our useless babyproof latches.

Leave me those precious comments... tell me about your horror stories so I don't feel like I'm the only person who's dumb and should not be allowed to have a toddler. Or am I?

This Is The Way To Start '08

I have started out my 2008 (scheduled to be my best year ever) with the "Double-P's". That's right - you guessed it - a Playdate and a Papsmear. I know - it's a girl's dream. And they were not at the same time, mind you - but on the same day. So, now I'm set, I guess. Allll ready to hit '08 with a bang. (Can you tell I've been too busy on cre8buzz.com to think about blogging? Well I have. I spent all afternoon trying to get my cool new Spring Widget going and entering CSS code. I am so cool that I know what that is. But, I do find it disturbing that I've found yet another distraction from my latest life-altering distraction of choice (blogging).

All this leads me to fear that 2008 will hold unusual ailments for me...

-My arss will be shaped like this terribly uncomfortable chair I'm sitting in 24-7 while I'm on the net

-I will/am getting "Blogger's Wrist" or Elbow or whatever since typing on a laptop all day long is not exactly the ergonomically-friendly thing to do to your body. I can, in fact, give myself a MIGHTY STRONG electrical shock just by touching the area between my elbow joint and my ulna bone. The nerve is pretty much swollen and protruding, jutting its head out at me just taunting me to look at it the wrong way, and I get a big buzz that goes down to my fingertips.

-I'm going to need a La-HOT of massages (professional, of course), since I'm hunched over the computer bouncing from one blog to one picture to one widget to another post and back to check my site feed stats.

-I may need treatment for blogging-related-alzheimers, as sometimes I find myself not remembering who those little people are tugging at my shirt and screaming something about water and snacky at me while I'm at the computer.

So perhaps, in taking a good, hard look at my double-p day, it is actually something I can be proud of... meaning it will probably be the last time I a) leave my house to entertain my children, and b) leave my house, and c) talk to someone not on my 'friends' list. Hmmm... it IS going to be a great year afterall!