Summer vacation

and we're back!!! We went on a 10 day vacation and we are still recuperating. I am sure it's the longest vacation we have been on since we got married so we felt justified. We went to the mountains to visit my parents, Mimi and Papa. Of course the drive was hell, as always. But we made it safe and sound albeit smelling like vomit and with some new leg stretches under our belt.

J and I left for four days in the middle of it all to hightail it out to Napa to celebrate our anniversary. and we left the boys with my parents (Mimi and Papa). Did you hear me? WE LEFT THE BOYS WITH MY PARENTS! It's not a joke although Mimi sure did think it was. She looked like death warmed over until we left and whaddya know? She was glowing when we got back. They had a ball-all of them did and they even had a few inside jokes between them. Who'da thought? Anyway, we owe them big because it's a lot for me to handle and I am not quite as old. No offense.

The day before we left I found myself a bit anxious about it all and sad even to be leaving the boys to vacation without us. But before and after we still did a lot of fun things together. We went to our usual waterfall. The fall was light so it was shallow enough to wade around in.


aand J took W fishing.


We dug up worms and fed fish at the neighbors house. Pman and the worms became fast friends...until he pulled them apart.


We got to peek through the root system of a pulled up tree on Pman's first real hike.


We picked fresh edamame beans.


and searched for eggs in the chicken coop and lots more! but I won't bore you with the details.



As it turns out Master P, Holy Terror, Pman-whatever you want to call- him only acts like a holy terror when he's around me. They said he was an absolute pleasure and when he starting throwing his familiar tantrums (familiar to me anyway) my parents truly couldn't believe it.
Now I am on to him.

So now that we are back we are gearing up for school and W's birthday, of course. Wahooo! and praying for a great year.

Hiatus

Alright, all you fans out there. As you've noticed my posts have kind of gone down hill lately. The summer is killing me and I have little or no time to get my creative juices flowing. So I think I need a little vaca. Give me a few weeks. 2 at the most and I will be back in the saddle. I promise I am not going AWOL. I am just regrouping.

It hasn't been all bad during these dog days of summer. W realized that he "loves Daddy and he loves ketchup". That's big news and he's funnier than ever. and Porter is all smiles excepts when he's walking up to older kids and wacking them in the head. Can't explain it. He's talking in almost full sentences and is quite the man. So I will leave you on that note. Until the 14th of August!

Happy Anniversary, J!

J and I have been married 5 years. Woweeee! It feels like I have been married to him forever but at the same time it's gone by so fast. and whaddya know? I still love him like I did when we got married and probably more if that's possible. I still like to sit next to him when we go to dinner with a group. The trend seems to be to "let's mix it up! and not sit next to our own husbands!" which really irks me. I like my husband and want to sit next to him. even after 5 years. We will be celebrating at home this weekend but in a few months we are heading to Napa for a big time celebration!

Happy Anniversary, J! I love you.
Me

Hardy: Miami Social

There's a new reality show coming soon. Miami Social. My radar was all in a twitter because, well, you know how I love the reality show. I continue to FF through commercial after commercial as I watch only recorded tv until I see a preview for Miami Social. But J doesn't share my interest. He said nonchalantly one night, "That looks like a snoozer." He didn't know my thoughts on it but he swayed me with his one comment because a. he usually likes reality tv and b. I didn't need to overwhelm my tv schedule with another show. So I put it out of my mind but I continued to watch the previews and then I saw Hardy, one of these Miami Socialites.

I KNOW HIM! He's my friend! I swear it! But I couldn't figure out how? I then I figured it out. He dated a friend of a friend. No! That's not it. Oh! He was friends with my friends' boyfriend from 20 years ago. Or wait, I think I know him from my TCU days. One of those Texas pretty boys. Really? I can't remember? Then I read his bio and saw that he's in hospitality. Did I work with him back in the day? So I started emailing all of the people who might possibly know him after which I started googling him to get some more scoop.

It didn't take me long to find out the info I was looking for or to be totally embarrased. So embarrased that I was laughing trying to decide whether to share this with J, I finally figured out how I know Hardy Hill.

Dare I tell you? It is embarrassing. He was on Season 2 of Big Brother. Pitiful, I know, to think that I am so enthralled with reality tv that I mistake a new reality celebrity for my friend.

TV the old school way

We had to watch tv, the old school way the other night because our DVR was out. and it was MISERABLE! We had to flip through the stations to find something to watch and had to watch everything live. Ugh! It really changed the way we watched tv once we got DVR. We rarely watch anything that hasn't been recorded and if there is nothing recorded to watch we can atleast flip through the guide. We can get the kids to bed without worrying about missing something good, like the Bachelorette (I'm obsessed) and never have to waste our time with commercials.

It was almost as bad as not having a remote control. Remember those days? But I realized that we have just become darn lazy. My finger was tired from flipping, my mind was overwhelmed by all of the channels so I just went to sleep.

I saw Pman fall face first into the pool. He was trying to scoop water into his buckets from the steps and he lost his balance. He struggled hard, with his little legs kicking and his arms flailing until our friend pulled him up. I was swimming with W and got there at the moment his head lifted out of the pool and grabbed him with a fierceness that I never knew. I will never forget that moment. Luckily his head was only under for less than 5 seconds. Not even enough time for the lifeguard to jump into the pool. He must have held his breath because he didn't come up coughing and was just terribly scared. Everyone went on with their day except for me. I just cannot shake this awful feeling. It could have been so much worse and it was my fault. It's the same feeling I had when W fell backwards in his bath when he was the same age. Except I saw W's face looking up at me from under the water in that split second. Ohhhh. I called the doctor to ask if I should bring him in. What if he took in water? and he was tired. . Although it was his naptime, I just wanted to check and she reassured me he was ok. You can never be vigilant enough by or in a pool. It takes a split second for a child to slip under and I just want to remind everyone of that. Even though I know and so do you. It was irresponsible of me to have them both on the steps thinking that this wouldn't happen and I am crying just thinking about it. Until they can both swim I will never relax again.

I love being a mom but....

All last week it was Camp S over here. W was out of camp and for some reason (which I can't for the life of me remember now) decided not to sign him up for anything for this month. My friend V convinced me that I could do it, this Camp S thing and plan our days of entertainment by myself. Little did I know that a. she would be out of town this month and b. that I am not the doer kind of mom that she is and would be going crazy.

The holiday weekend couldn't have come soon enough. So we spent the weekend mornings at the pool and I had J to help hustle them to and fro and care for them at all times. I love my husband.

So when he was kissing us goodbye this morning, the dread kicked in. Did you watch Oprah on Friday? about moms? I believe it was a rerun but it was good. and one mom was quoted as saying "I love being a mom. I just hate doing it."

I wanted to yell at the tv and say ME!ME!ME! I love being a mom, always. I do, but there are definitely those days that I hate doing it. The times that I hate doing it is when the constant fighting ensues. Golly, if I could have someone else get them dressed and bathed and out the door my life would be pure joy.

I say then but then I think about it and I realize that if I did have someone else do that for me I would miss all of those joyful moments when W finally says, "It's hard....but I DID IT!' or when he learns how to blubber his lip and will only talk to adults while blubbering his lip (this just started today). It really is hilarious. Or how about when Pman tries with all of his might to put on his shoe at the ripe old age of 1 1/2 and how he asks me for "ike" instead of "ice" and how he blubbers his lip almost as good as W or when you tell him to not touch something and he sticks his finger on it just one more time. I would miss all of that not to mention that the pure joy that I would get from someone else doing it would be a wash because I would not have the pure joy of those moments that actually come with the dreaded battles and consequences. Does that make sense?

Prep on Bravo

I am intrigued by Prep. It is Bravo's new reality series about a group of highschool kids on the upper eastside-a la Gossip Girl. Join me in watching the premier so we may discuss.

Potty training for boys

I hate to keep talking about W's bodily functions but I am at the end of my rope. He. will. not. poo. in. the. potty. I have gotten advice from everyone-from feign indifference, to put him in time out, to telling him it's just not acceptable and nothing works. Whatever you are thinking, I have tried it. Up to yesterday, I don't think I had tried everything until I had lunch with my old friend. She has three boys so I know she knows her stuff not to mention the fact that her middle son is 2 1/2 and potty trained. Completely crazy, I know. Anyway, she told me about her friend who's son was 4 1/2 and still not pooping in the potty. This friend finally got to the point where I am, soooo tired of cleaning it up and said, "Fine. You can poo in your pants but you are going to clean it up." and proceeded to put him in an empty bathtub with wipes and told him to go for.

I thought it was brilliant. I did it this morning. I gave him a box of wipes and a trashcan and shut the door. A few minutes later I went to check on him expecting to hear him crying. I was wrong. If he knew how to whistle, he would have been whistling a tune. There he was wiping his hiney with 80 wipes all of which he was setting every so gingerly on the side of the tub. Only when it came time to dump the poop did he ever show any kind of disgust. "It's yucky," he said. and that was it.

We went about our day. We went swimming at the pool and went to have a late afternoon coffee and cookie. We ran into a family friend (my parents age) who took him to the bookstore and bought him a book. He had a ball with his friend and was in great spirits. and then it was time to go and I realized that he had a deuce while in the bookstore with this friend. Golly, I hope she didn't notice.

We got home and we went through the same drill as in the morning. This time I heard him singing. I kid you not. I think he's starting to enjoy this new system and the alone time that comes with it. So all I can say is, and I am sorry for cursing, but SH--!

I don't have much time. Well, I do but I am in the middle of The Help
and cannot put it down for more than a few minutes while the kids are napping. So here is a synopsis of our weekend:

W had 104 degree temp Friday.
Picked up Superior Grill for supper and icy Margaritas, of course.
Watched He's just not that into you.
Fever broke Friday night.
Boys played in the little pool Saturday while we did yard work. I for once, made a weekend lunch at home. Turkey paninis.
Went for a good run.
Had an extremely satisfying meal at Rambla that night with friends.
Drank a nightcap when we got home with J.
Worked our really hard Sunday morning while the boys played in the pool.
We picked up Stein's deli (Fernando for me-mozzarella, prosciutto, pesto on Ciabatta for me, Turkey panini for J)
Champagne Sunday afternoon
Cooked disastrous pot stickers but succeeded at making a restaurant quality Orange Beef and Broccoli after watching it on Everyday Food.

and now I can get back to The Help!

Full proof diet

I have found a foolproof diet for those willing to go to extremes. I had a root canal yesterday. and it will be 15 days until I get my crown. I can't eat on one side of my mouth until that happens.

It wasn't a fun experience. The doctor had to give 4 shots before I was finally pain free with her drilling way down into my tooth. Fun, I tell ya. But it's over and done. I can stop taking my antibiotics which to me means I can have that long awaited glass of wine but there is always a tradeoff. I can't really eat all that well and it will be 15 long days until I can truly enjoy my food again. The worst part is that we are going to J's college reunion where we were planning to eat the infamous EBA Chicken Sandwhich. I have heard about this freaking sandwich since I met him. and now, well, it will be a challenge to chomp down on a big ole sandwhich and still avoid the right side of my mouth. Needless to say, J is upset. But after only 3 meals, I am already feeling pretty darn skinny. Maybe Hot NOLAMom will appear this summer afterall!

It's summer. Our days are supposed to be footloose and fancy free. You can say goodbye to colds and flus and ear infections. You can spend your days at the pool, splashing and whoopin' it up. Tiring your kids out for an early bedtime. You can do all of this unless you are us.

We have spent a total of 3 days at the 2 week session of camp. After W's head finally healed we came down with a "touch of bronchitis" and an ear infection. So here we sit, housebound again. With Pman running loose around the house. I hope your days are filled with snoballs and water and laughter and watermelon because ours sure aren't. :)

The Homemade Life

I was searching for photos of slow roasted tomatoes. I made them last night using Molly Wizenberg's recipe from her book,
and it seems that I am the last one either have read the book or to try this recipe. It's an old hat recipe around the food blog world it seems but since I am not a food blog I don't feel like such a loser.

This is the basic recipe:
about 29 Roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Ground coriander
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Wash and dry tomatoes, trim away the stem end, and halve them lengthwise. Place them in a large bowl, and , using your hands, toss them gently with the oil. Arrange them cut side up on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and ground coriander, about a pinch of each for every 4 to 6 tomato halves. Bake until the tomatoes crinkle at the edges and shrink to about half of their original size, 4 to 6 hours. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature. You can store them for up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Now. didn't use coriander because I didn't want that in my pasta sauce and I kind of wung it with the oil and salt but they turned out great and my house smelled like a fresh summer.

The first few chapters of the book really bummed me out because many of the recipes did not appeal to me but all of a sudden-BOOM!-I couldn't get enough and I found myself bookmarking every recipe. I have tried now two of her recipes. The cherry and goat cheese salad and the slow roasted tomatoes. and both times I was frazzled but having fun. When I only had W, planning dinner kept me sane. I would plan our meal and then J would come home and he and the Little Buddy would hang out in the kitchen while I cooked. It's a bit harder since the Holy Terror has come along but I have tried to find new things that inspire me to cook and I have to say that The Homemade Life has done just that.

Now, the slow roasted tomatoes are delicious. and I should have just eaten them as they were with some fresh mozzarella, basil and a baguette but I got a wild hair and pureed them with olive oil, garlic, basil and pasta water to make a sauce. It was tangy and delicious but the consistency of the sauce would have lent itself better to a sandwich smear. So although she the author gives suggestions about doing different things with them, if I were you I would use them as is.

Why?

I am going crazy. Today is the first day that W has stayed all day at school. I thought I would relish the fact that Pman is taking a nap early and I would have 2 hours to myself. The first 2 hours in a long long time. But I was wrong. It is killing me. Since 1 o'clock I have been counting down the minutes before I can go get my baby. I am sure he is doing fine. I haven't had a phone call to tell me differently but he's still so little and it's such a long time for him to be away. and to take a nap there! ugh! I keep thinking of him laying on the floor with a worried little look on his face and thinking to himself, "Why did she do this to me?" and I am thinking the same thing to myself. Why did I do that to him?

Disney's Up

I've loved tv since I can remember. I would watch in a total trance and although I am easily distracted from anything else, I never was when I was watching tv. It drove my parents mad. I remember the time they locked the armoire that held the tv so I couldn't watch The Brady Bunch. I was furious and just looking back on it I get kind of peeoed. It's not like today where they run rerun after rerun. It came on once a day. I don't see what the big deal was. Eventually they moved all of the comfy furniture from the tv room/sunporch so that it would deter us from watching the "boob tube" as they called it. It didn't.

W was a late watching kid. I don't think he started watching it with interest until he was about 2 and a half but now....I see myself heading down the same path as my parents but I am not there yet. I still get a kick out of him when he giggles at Elmo and eats pancakes because Caillou does. He only watches PBS and he has seen one movie, The Jungle Book, that he gets to watch on special occasions. Until today. He saw his first movie on the big screen. Disney's Up. I truly think he was more excited about the escalator ride, the super sized bag of M&M's and the commercial then he was the about the movie. He watched the whole thing with interes though. I do want to thank all of those people who told me they took their children to see it but failed to tell me it was a bit scary for a 3 year old. He doesn't seem disturbed yet but he does seem concerned about our house "blowing away" and then "breaking". I am hoping that he didn't quite get that the man's childhood sweetheart died and that he complete and utter fear of dogs doesn't linger any longer than need be because of the angry, scary killer dogs in the movie.

We still had a great time and it was a good movie overall and I can add it to the list of W's firsts.

Potty training regression

Today is the last weekday before W gets to start camp after his head bobo, hopefully. and I can breathe a sigh of relief. I am already halfway through the day! I feel like a very bad mother breathing the sigh of relief especially when I see other moms all giggles and smiles at the little play center that we frequent. I find it really hard when I have to plan a whole week of entertainment for 2 little buddies. In addition to the difficulty in finding fun things to do, they can't involve water because of his cut. I don't know if it's just me or not but I get very anxious just thinking about it and I have to take baby steps through each day. For the most part I think I was happy and fun this week but I have definitely have had trying moments and for those I feel bad.

Pman is such a ball of energy and W and I are having some regression potty issues. I think that may be due to a change of his schedule and him feeling out of control. So the potty is the only way he can take hold of his little world. I received some good advice today from a licensed professional and I am feeling a little bit more in control of my emotions.

She said the same thing our pediatrician said the first go around-to feign indifference. I just needed a simple reminder.

J finished up some work stuff that was weighing on him and I have finished my long week so those are both reasons for a major celebration. We had a semi-party last night. We got a babysitter and went to dinner and then for a delicious blueberry mojito afterwards. A great start to a fun weekend and lots of celebrating!

What I had for breakfast.

This morning for breakfast I had
a piece of turkey
a slice of birthday cake
some grapes
pizza
and by the time we got to the cupcakes I was full.

If you didn't know, it's not W anymore. It's Chef W and that is what he gave me for breakfast. He loves to "cook" and more than anything "cooking" food for the rest of us. It really is quite adorable.

I am not sure where this new fascination came from. Maybe a Curious George episode but however it has come about it is a fabulous new stage. Last night he helped me cook pancakes for supper. (Pancakes for supper?! Yes, it's the first time he has ever had them and I get giddy when he tries a new food). He poured the ingredients in the bowl, helped me stir and ladled the batter into the pan and did a great job. Every morning he helps me make my iced coffee and is so proud of the final product. This afternoon I opened my new Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites and found the chapter on meals to make with kids. He will be so excited. Next thing you know he will be cooking AND eating orrichiette with mini turkey meatballs!

Memorial Day weekend

I was excited for Memorial Day weekend. With Holy Terror (HT) I mean Pman over here I was getting burned out and was really ready for a break-meaning 3 more helping hands. Pman loves Papa so I knew that would at least free me up a bit. You don't even know. Papa couldn't scratch his butt without Pman right there and although I know how exhausting that can be I was glad that it wasn't me for once.

We went up to the North Carolina mountains to visit Mimi and Papa. and like the mountains, overall it was a beautiful trip but we definitely had our ups and downs.

We left Friday morning on our big Road Trip with TV hooked up, snacks in the front and changes of clothes easily accessible. That was good thinking because Pman started vomiting about 2 hours into the drive and didn't stop the whole 12 hour drive. Turns out the poor little guy is prone to car sickness. Like W said, it was "gross".

But the minute we arrived he was so happy to see my parents that he forgot all about it. The boys slept in the same room and had quite a ball, albeit very little sleep. We went to the waterfall to take an annual photo and to the Inn for tea and cookies on the golf cart. The boys swung with Papa out on the back porch. I think that was one of the highlights. See for yourself.


They have an unbelievable playground and as always went several times to our favorite hangout for lunch.

The down side was that it rained every darn day so all of our adventures were in the rain. But it was fine. The boys got drenched down at the lake and got to to feed the donkeys. The plan was to ride in the cart behind them but it was too slippery. Too much liability worries goin' on these days. W is not much for animals, if you weren't aware but he did pet one of 'em if you want to call it that.

Mimi bought a big wheel for W last summer. He is really not an avid cyclist. He likes to sit on them but he never really moves. We are trying to encourage more activity to pump some energy into our lax little boy so we took him out to the driveway to practice his pedaling.


Bad idea.


Why, you ask? Well, at first he was having a great time. Pedalling down the gradual incline of the driveway until we moved him up to the bigger hill and CRASH! I was inside putting HT down at the time. I knew when I heard my dad's voice calling my name, something was wrong. I turn to see J running into the house holding a crying W and blood pouring down his face. It was awful. Everything turned out fine. We went to the ER (a fabulously pleasant experience. I have to say glad it was there and not here) and they cleaned the cut and glued it shut.

2 days later he busted it open and the whole scenario played out again at the ER. Minus the voluminous amounts of blood. so he got a layer of steri strips on top of the glue and we are good to go. Until the Sunday after we got home and it started bleeding. Back to the doctor, more steri strips and now I sometimes wonder what is under it all.

So like I said, it rained and rained and rained. We wanted to leave Wednesday b/c it was raining so much and it was starting to get depressing. But Tuesday afternoon it was so beautiful. It was cool and sunny for the first time since we had been there. So we packed up the kids in the golf cart, got our to-go cups of wine and went to check out the mountains and the sunset and were so giddy that we decided to stay to enjoy the sunny Wednesday that was only a night away.

We woke up to pouring rain. Go figure.

OH! and we went to a party on Sunday night where I spied a has-been celebrity going by another name. I wanted to say something to her along the lines of "you are a has-been celebrity and no one at this mountain town party is going to harass you for a signature or anything so enough with the fake name" but true to my kind nature, ha!, I didn't.

We got dramamine for Pman on the way home which worked like a charm. Why didn't I think of it myself? and did you know that it was originally developed to help with morning sickness in pregnant women. This J tells me after 2 long nauseous pregnancies.

Anway, like I said, we had our ups and downs and it hadn't rained like that in NC since I was a kid. J jokingly chalks it up to globing warming but it didn't stop the fun. So that's all she wrote! and I'll be back tomorrow.

I have a parenting dilemma and I just need to vent. I am not sure there is a solution and I certainly haven't found one. Pman is quite the fireball. When he is happy, he is really really happy. and when he is mad he is pissed. Today we went to the Children's museum and he bit me. His shoe had fallen off and he was too busy to let me put it back on. So he bit me. It didn't hurt but that is besides the point. I just ignored him and struggled with him to get his shoe on. He also has been hitting me. Golly, he sounds like a holy terror doesn't he? I am so not used to this kind of behavior. W was a dream. Of course, he had his tantrums every now and then but he was a pretty even keeled baby and toddler. So this is a whole new road for me. He hits when he is a. not getting attention or b. when he is so angry he doesn't know what else to do. But darn it all, it hurts. I certainly don't want the stigma of my kid being "the biter" once he starts school but I have a feeling it can't be avoided.

I've been gone

It's me. I am sorry for the prolonged absence. Everything has been so crazy with the end of the school year and Memorial Day. I feel like that was all so long ago.

Between my last post and now I planted one side of my flower bed.


Beautiful, isn't it? It took some real muscle to get the holes dug and the plants all planted. I am proud of myself and my garden. The agapanthas have since bloomed and today W snapped off one of the blooms. I cannot even explain the disappointment, not in W because when he realized he shouldn't have done it he was sad, but in losing my beautiful bloom that I feel I grew myself. Anyway, I started work on the other bed but I still need more flowers so you will just have to wait to see that. It's killing you, hunh?

I snapped an awesome photo of the boys in the bath. But some people think that's a no no to post pictures of your kid in bathtubs so you are missing out on the pure joy that was on their faces.

and then we went on a road trip to the North Carolina mountains to visit Mimi and Papa. That was quite an adventure and it will all be in my next post. I just need to upload photos first. But I promise it won't be longer than a day.

I'll leave you with a picture of the boys in their Sunday best.

My boys are growing up. It seems like everyday they look different now. W's legs are getting long and gangly, his face is maturing and Master P looks more mischievous by the hour. I hate to see them grow up. I hate to see them grow up because I will miss my babies but I also hate it for them when they will have to deal with grown up issues. Right now they are so footloose and fancy free.

They have not a care in the world except whether they will get to eat 2 mini cupcakes instead of one. Of course W is inching over that line of foot looseness as he starts to learn to swim and potty train. He's can't live as near the edge as Pman but those are the most of his worries.

Their birthdays are both coming up and while it seems like they have only been here for a short time it seems like they have been my boys forever. Even just a year ago they are a blur to me.

And while I am not in a hurry for them to grow up, W is. He is busy listing all of the foods that will make him big and strong....french fries and veggie nuggets and grilled cheeses and vitamins and of course.....wine. Maybe I should ditch my nightly glass so he doesn't get the wrong idea or at least wait until he goes to bed. He is also talking about what he wants to be when he grows up. One time it was a tractor driver. The latest is a dirt digger on the streetcar track.

Pman like I said is quite a little pistol. He has taken to mocking everyone around him. The last time W cried (he was the cause of it mind you) he stopped in his tracks, turned around, made this horrifically fake looking scowl and pretended to cry as W was sobbing in my arms.

Another time he was in a staring contest with an older boy. It went on for a minute or two when WHAM! Pman slapped him up side the head. B.A.D. I tell you. Sometimes it seems cute but when you really get down to it it is kind of troubling. I don't want to be the kind of mom who promotes the badness because she thinks it's so funny. But it's tempting.

So it seems we have a lot of growing up going on over here although there personalities are still quite the same. We've got sweet and salty.

NEWSFLASH
W is a picky eater.

All my fans know about W's eating habits and yes, they are still driving me crazy. I read somewhere that by age 4 picky eaters start to abandon their stubborn eating habits and become more open minded about trying new things. So the countdown has begun and I am so keeping my fingers crossed.

I think back to when I was a kid and what we ate or what we were allowed to eat and I know that my mom's consistent "health kicks" had an influence on the way I eat now. These were the unwritten rules:
1.No cokes, only water
2.No bread unless whole wheat and then only for school lunches
3.If you get anything processed, Mom will read every ingredient until you are so grossed out that you don't want to eat it anymore.
4.No macaroni and cheese
5.Only fruit for breakfast (I think this was more that she hated to cook breakfast than a health thing) or bananas smoothies topped with wheat germ (which I actually still remember fondly)
6.Must drink a small glass of juice from her juicer whenever she hands you one (but you are never allowed to have more than one glass-this was prudent. I made myself a pitcher of juice one time when she was out of town and I was in the bathroom pretty much the whole weekend-a fiber thing)
6.No sweets (unless it's a special occasion in which case you eat a Sara Lee Cheesecake with canned blueberries)

Now, I am no health fanatic but I am very educated in the ways of nutrition because of Martha and I know what to eat to stay healthy. I love food and I am certainly not saying that I am a saint when it comes to healthy eating but I do my best during the week and am making a concerted effort to do the same on the weekends (except when L insists on eating crappy food at events on Friday nights) So I am still kind of worried about the way I have handled W's pickiness and how it will influence his future eating habits. I don't care what you say, I know in my mind that I cannot make W eat what he does not want to eat and I have stopped trying but when he asks for another mini cupcake, I give it to him. I let him eat french fries for supper or lunch or even breakfast just to get those little bit of calories in him. I bring him goldfish when I pick him up from school even though it's lunchtime. So if he is as influenced as I was by what his mom lets him do....Little W will be a blubbery Big W by the time he is 10.

Happy Mother's Day!

I was going to write about what it means to be a mom. I truly believe it's why I am here. I have my ups and downs but I love being a mom and can't imagine life without my two little babies. But I decided to write about what my mom means to me.

Lately, a lot of acquaintances of my mom have told me that I look a lot like her. "Oh, you must be Martha's daughter. You look just like her." or "I can tell you are Martha's daughter. You have her smile." All of these comments are so strange to me because I have never thought I looked like her. I am brunette and freckly and have small eyes. My mom is blonde, with creamy skin and big eyes. She looks like a 1950's movie star. and well, I am more of a Peppermint Patty. She is just plain beautiful. Really, she is. I don't mean to say I am ugly. I think I am pretty darn cute. But there is a difference between cute and beautiful you know. and that's not her only strength. She's a go getter, a doer, a personality to be reckoned with. She's a great mom and a great wife and a great grandmother. It's not to say that she doesn't have her moments. She's kind of neurotic and definitely will get what she wants when she wants it no matter how but she is the best mom I know. Really, I wouldn't trade her for the world. Having a mom like mine... I thank God everyday for her. Because if you had Martha for a mom you would be one lucky girl, like me.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

J went to lunch with 2 guys that he frequently goes to lunch with. It sound so dreamy to me, an adult lunch without kids screaming or crying or whining around you. and then, get this! The 3 of them went for a stroll around downtown. I guess to people watch and check out the architecture. Sounds like a bunch of old ladies to me. J even admitted he felt like an old lady when they stopped to admire The Roosevelt Hotel. Old ladies or not I was and still am a bit envious. To be lollygagging around downtown as an adult alone without kids.....like I said, heavenly.

What I wouldn't give for a day without someone sitting on me. It's tiring. I know, every stay at home mom blog has posted at least once if not ad nauseum about how exhausting it is being a stay at home mom. It's a constant and Pman wants to be sitting on me wherever I am. As long as I am not standing. I stand a lot. Because when he is on me, I may be sitting, but he is not. He is squirming and climbing and squirming some more. Now if I start tickling his legs at just the right time I can get him to calm down and sit still. and I try my best to drink in these moments of stillness and enjoy the cuddling from my little baby who really is not a little baby anymore. and I even try really hard to enjoy the times that he is squiggling around because I know one day soon, he will not want to even sit near me anymore.

Retraction

I have to print a retraction of my post about Superior. J said that I was feeling sickly before we went to Superior so it most probably wasn't from eating there. Phew! Makes it a lot easier on me. I hate break ups.

I have this old friend. I've known her for about 15 years. When I was single we used to see each other once every other week or so. When J and I got married he took to her immediately and we saw her even more often. More like once a week. We would whoop it up and have a grand old time and we still do. The kids....they think of her as a long lost aunt. They can't get enough of her. She is loud and boisterous and easy going. She let's them do whatever they want when we are at her house. Heaven for a one and three year old, right? They can scream and dance and throw food on the floor and she doesn't give a hoot.

But I am starting to have this love/hate relationship with her. She's done me wrong twice now and I know that's not a lot but they were serious wrongs. The first time what she did was pretty bad. It took me over a week to get over it but after a few months I gave her a second chance. But you know the saying, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I have to apply that here.

My friend, her name is Superior Grill. and I loved her, golly, how I loved her. The cheese, the chips, ohhhhhh, the Margaritas. She makes a mean one and like I said, not a more kid friendlier place in the universe.

The first time I got sick was during that big Salmonella outbreak. I threw up for 2 days straight and couldn't eat for another week. I kid you not. It was bad and it wasn't the flu. Superior Grill was what I had eaten the day before and really nothing else. We didn't go back for a month or two but after I had fully recovered I just couldn't stay away.

and everything was fine until last night. I woke up about 7 hours after we ate at SG. I prayed to die. at 2am, 2 hours after I said my first prayer J realized that something was wrong. I think all the moaning and the cold rag gave me away. He said it would pass. and it never did. Uggghhh. The misery. Luckily I never got sick, just stomach pains and nausea that is still lingering. I am sad that I feel so bad on a Monday morning. and I feel even worse that J stayed home from work so that I could sleep in a bit. but what I am most sad about is the loss of Superior Grill. Can I really go back? I think I would be just looking for trouble. I don't know. I hate to end my love affair but I don't think I can go through another heartbreak. I have got to end this unhealthy relationship while I am strong. Maybe we can be friends, just have a margarita and chips while everyone else indulges. But that never works does it. The friend thing.

Pman loves to be tickled. I can almost always try to calm him down from his insanity if I can get him to sit on my lap and tickle his legs, arms or head. He is in heaven and will sit staring into oblivion until I stop at which point he will wiggle away or grab my arm to start tickling again.

I have always loved to be rubbed on. and my mom too. We still fight about who is going to tickle or be tickled first because it sucks to be the last tickler. You want to be the last tickled so you can truly enjoy it.

Before we had kids, J would rub my legs, begrudgingly. I would have to beg him and I remember one time saying that I couldn't wait to have kids so they could rub my legs. J was horrified. He couldn't believe that I would consider using my kids like that. The other day I was sitting on the floor with my legs in front of me and Pman toddled up, sat down and started tickling my legs. and I didn't even have to ask.

Jazz Fest is in the air

It's Jazz Fest time around here. People are gearing up for it. Getting there fold up chairs out of the garage, digging through their koozies for the "How ya gonna clap" one (you know, the one that has a strap that you can hang around your neck leaving your hands free.), starving themselves to make room for the crawfish streudel and bread and monica and anything else with crawfish in it, clipping out the schedule to make their master plan and calling Acura to beg them for the pass that they gave them the first year they bought their car but that they haven't got since (did this happen to you too?), building their party poles so that their friends will know how to find them in the mass chaos that is the fest. And this is to only name a few prep steps.

Well, It's all a lot of pressure. It keeps a true jazz fester busy that's for sure. But NOT FOR ME!!! and I am lovin' it. I think I have been asked at least 5 times today whether or not we were going to Jazz Fest. Nope. A simple,easy and stress free answer. and I am lovin' it. I used to be an all day every day Jazz Fest kind of person. Get there when the gates open and left when the last stage closed. I didn't care that my feet got grimy with a mix of dirt and sunscreen, that it was as hot as bejeezus, that I smelled bad and went to the bathroom in a port o let that smelled worse, not to mention that on several occasions entered after a couple who had just done it in the hot stank of it all. Ugh. I loved it, truly loved it. Sometimes I had backstage passes, sometimes I didn't but it just didn't matter. I loved it.

and now, you know what I love?
I love that I do not care in the least bit about Jazz Fest. I don't care who is playing. I find in my old age that I enjoy listening to music on a CD rather than in real life. unless it's in an atmosphere where I a. can sit b. can be in a non-smoking environment and c. that has good wine. Call me an old fart. Because I proudly call myself one.

But I do love this time of year. and I do love that fact that there are people who still revel in the pleasure of Jazz Fest. Who don't mind the crowds and keep the spirit of Jazz Fest alive. Because, although I am not sad that I am not even thinking of going to Jazz Fest, I would be sad if I couldn't feel The Festival in the air. So to all you Jazz Festers out there......clap for me, loud and strong!

Trip to the Beach

We've been to the beach. W and Pman's first time to visit the Gulf and they had a ball. That's why I have been so scarce around here. Not that I haven't had a million things to post-especially while at the beach-but I have a thing about posting too much information online. I know, I post a lot but I do draw a line somewhere.

Here are a few teaser pictures to keep you hanging on until tomorrow.

W building a sand castle.

Pman's feet in the sand

W after a swim at the pool.

and Pman playing life sized chess.

Oh, but I have much to tell about our trip to the beach and many many doozer photos. For ex. RaRa, JoJo and Papa playing badminton. Certainly a sight to see. Just you wait.

I know somewhere on this blog I shared my fear. The fear that I would not love the new baby (now Pman) as much as I love W. I was really really worried. I thought about it a lot and I cried a lot too. I cried about taking time away from W and from the guilt of not loving the new baby.

and now I cannot believe that I ever thought that. I mean, hanging out with Master P all day has its ups and downs but when the ups are good they are really good. and I love him for all of his quirks and craziness and mischieviousness. For instance, the other day, he rode around in the grocery cart, I am not kidding, the whole trip, like this.

Is that crazy? Maybe not for you but for me, a mom whose first child is calm and collected and cooperative and docile, it is. I was scared he was going to pop his neck out of socket. It made MY neck weak just looking at him. But it was hilarious and it really kind of sums him up in a nutshell. It describes him better than I can with words. A picture is worth a thousand words and if you look really closely you can see my favorite part about him. That big ole cleft in his chin.

The boys are downstairs rough housing so it was my chance to sneak away upstairs to let you know that I am alive. Barely. I made the same mistake twice and ate another one of those "deliciously soft" icingy cookies that show up in the grocery stores during any holiday. I am crashing from my insane sugar high. At least this time I know what is going on. Yesterday I ate one at W's Easter Egg Hunt and I thought I was going to die. I didn't know what caused that misery until later.

Anyway, Pman and I had quite a day. He loves whoopin' and hollerin' and wrestling with anyone who will join in. We were doing that this afternoon. He got so riled up that he bit me. HE BIT ME! DAMN! It hurt! He did it through a long sleeved shirt and even broke skin. It was just barely, but hard enough that I have a story to tell.

Broken refrigeraters, poo poo and shopping

You would think from the scarcity of my posts that I am so so busy. I am not necessarily so but I am still stressed anyway. We have been out of a refrigerator for a week now, with one week to go. It's crazy how much you miss it when you don't have it. Now, we are living with scarce provisions in my old college refrigerator (which is still running strong despite his age) and a small one in the back garage. But IT IS STRESSING ME OUT. It totally upsets my routine and THAT I do not like.

Amidst all of the refrigerator debacle, I have been looking for a dress to wear to a wedding. and shoes to go with it. So Pman and I have been on the go all week to mall after store after mall. BTW, he loooooves the mall. He seemed to like Lakeside better than Saks. More colors, more water fountains, more things to get into. I finally found the dress but am still on the hunt for the perfect pair of shoes. I am particular about shoes but I won't bore you with the details.

In addition, the poo poo potty training came to a head last night, or rather the bathtub. DON'T get me started because it's not a pretty or pleasant story. and I am mad. I asked J if I was too mean and he said my anger was justified. "He has to have consequences". Enough said.

On top of it all I am trying to get ready for the Crescent City Classic and I kind of let my training die. The farthest I have run in the past week is 3.5 miles so I am not even sure I can finish. Oh, I am so disappointed in myself.

So there are my reasons for not posting lately. I hope I won't have to come up with anymore anytime soon.

If you could pick one word that you wished best described you, what would it be?

I always said I wanted that word to be joyful. Yes, I wish people thought of me as joyful. and if you know me any at all you are probably laughing your arse off right now. I know I am not joyful no matter how much I yearn to be. I don't think people would even describe me as nice. And certainly not approachable. Which is where this whole post is going.

The past 3 times I have gone running, I have been stopped by random people in hopes that I would answer a question. All 3 times there have been plenty of other people that these randoms could have stopped. People who
a. weren't running
b. didn't have head phones on
and
c. were much, much, much more approachable than me.

So I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why these people stop me while I am in obvious misery. Anyone?

Not so little anymore

I have a new kind of leverage around here with W. I have to admit that I thought it was really cute last night when he said it for the first time. and I got kind of weepy. It was just yet another moment in time that reminded me that my baby is growing up.

W climbed out of his bath and I wrapped him up in the towel. I don't remember exactly what I said but it was something like, "you are my cute little baby".

"I am not little!" he snapped. "I am big. P is your little baby."

He's right. He's not little anymore...although he will always be my little baby. So, yes, I was sad and it still makes me sad thinking that he is old enough to not want to be my little boy anymore. But oh, the leverage it gives me. My mind is racing. How can I use this to my advantage? The first thing that came to mind was using it to convince him to poo poo in the potty. Only little babies poo poo in their underwear. Big boys poo poo in the potty. Right? Are you with me?

Chicken and brine and soggy skin

Someone inquired about the results of my chicken brining project. I didn't live up to my post. I neither keep you posted nor took photos. But I can tell you that it was delicious. The bird was the most tender bird I have ever put in my mouth. The seasoning was just right and I can't wait to do it again. The only issue was the soggy skin. I like my chicken skin crispy. Any other way I get totally grossed out. So next time I will do one thing differently.

I will take the chicken from the brine and pat it dry. Then I will let it sit for a few minutes and pat it dry again and a third time for good measure. Hopefully that will allow for most of the moisture to drain from the bird and I can get a good crisp on.

W is the sweetest kid around. believe me, he has his moments and usually they are with Master P but for the most part he is sweet to him too. and he ALWAYS shares his snacks with him in the car. "Here P, I will share my goldfish with you."

Today we went to the zoo after school. My mom insisted even though it is one of my only days this week that I had to myself. So we went and W hasn't been feeling to hot-something with his stomach- and isn't eating. I fed Pman before we left and brought some goldfish for W in case he wanted something to eat. I ended up giving them to P and he was happily scarfing them down on the way home. Then W asked him for a goldfish. I turned around only to see Pman cut his eyes around and not respond. He asked again and Pman said, "No."

We all thought that we just hadn't heard Pman right. He isn't fully talking, just one word here and there and he responds to things mainly by doing unless it's a yes answer so I asked him myself just to be sure we weren't crazy.

"Pman, can you share your goldfish with W?"

He said it again, "No." Plain and simple, he knew what he was saying. and then he just started saying it again and again finally ending with an "Uh Uh!"

It was a major moment in big brother and little brother history and strangely it said a lot about how Pman is going to be. Definitely not the sweet sharer that W is. But I tell you one thing, W is going to catch on fast. What comes around goes around Little Man.

Brining Chicken

I am brining a chicken as we speak. I was inspired by Uncle RaRa. He just brined some cornish hens, so I thought I would try brining a chicken. I kind of wung the recipe. I listened to his tips and red some of Emeril's recipe but in the end I did this:

I bought a 3 gallon Ziploc bag.
I filled it with a 1/2 cup of brown sugar, salt and orange juice
Then I added a gallon of water, some crushed garlic pods, peppercorns, cumin seeds, cilantro and Herbes de Provence and put it in the icebox.

I will let it soak until ready to cook (about 6-7 hours)

I am very excited about the whole thing. I will let you know how it turns out and provide photos of course.

Poo Poo in the Potty!!!!!

and boy did we dance! W poo pooed in the potty today. and we whooped it up like nobody's business. Now, the truth is I was helping him unbutton his pants to pee pee and I noticed a skid (sorry to get graphic) so I took his big boy underwear off and was going upstairs to get more. When I came downstairs he told me there was poo poo in the potty. So whether he actually intentionally pooed in the potty or it was already half out and it just dropped in(again, sorry to get graphic) I don't know but I ran with it. He couldn't wait to do his POO POO Dance and get a treat. Then he said, "Daddy will be soooo happy!" so we called and told Daddy all about it.

Now I am on pins and needles waiting to see if this will be the start of something beautiful. Aren't you?

Blue jeans:wear or wash?

A few weeks ago I inadvertently was listening to Big D & Bubba on the radio. I hate them but the car radio was tuned to their station and I just didn't change it. I don't know why. They were conducting a survey about blue jeans. The question of the day was whether it was okay to where jeans more than once before washing them. Not very interesting, I didn't think, until I heard the majority of the answers. Most people thought it was okay to wear them max 2 times but after that it was disgusting. and they were really disgusted. That is what I found interesting. Maybe I am disgusting but I can't count the times I wear my jeans before washing them. Denim is pretty durable, you can't really see stains and I wear......them......out. Of course if I have just gone to Superior Grill where you leave smelling like body odor I am barely in the door before they are off my body and in the wash. I need to know what my fans think. Am I just plain dirty or does anyone else share my opinion?

Catholic Guilt

I always feel guilty about something. Always. and I know it's because I was raised Catholic. My mom is catholic and is REALLY good at laying on a guilt trip. The funny thing is that I know when she is doing it so one would think that I would be able to rise up above it but I can't. It's the little things too. It doesn't have to be anything major that makes me feel guilty. For example, my dad sometimes calls right when we sit down to dinner. and I am tired of all the screaming and I am hungry and just want to eat so when I answer the phone I am a bit short with him. God, the guilt. So I always call back and try to sound chipper even when I am not because I feel so guilty that I was short with my sweet dad. No one could ask for a better dad. NO ONE! I don't care what you say.

Anyway, the reason for my guiltiness right this minute is that I am drinking wine. I gave it up for Lent during the week but I just couldn't help myself. J says now that we have joined the Episcopal church that we don't have to sacrifice during Lent. I beg to differ but even if that were the case....you can take the girl out of the church but you can't take the church out of the girl.

MMMMM.....that's delicious.

p.s. I would love to hear what you are feeling guilty about. It would make me feel less guilty.

Gift Card Scam? I wonder.

I hate that I have been so sporadic in my blogging. I am not really sure why. I did have my 20th high school reunion-20TH!!!!-last weekend so I was busy reminiscing and I will certainly post about that soon.

Aunt JoJo gave me the best birthday present and I redeemed it yesterday. All I wanted was a day to myself. My dad said to arrange it and he would pay for it but that hardly seemed enjoyable when I had to figure out how to arrange it-not that he didn't have the best of intentions but JoJo-she did it right and said she could come on Monday, March 16th. She told me not to just run errands but to enjoy the day. I have to admit I did a few mundane things but I also got a massage. It was easiest the best massage I have had in awhile. But let me get to the point. The point of this story is not that I had a great day all to myself-although that it was. It wasn't that I have the best sister-in-law in the world, which I do but it's about something fishy going on over at Belladonna Day Spa on magazine.

I had accumulated a buttload of gift cards from this place. and I don't really like to get gift cards because I never use them. Although I am an anal retentive scheduler when it comes to my kids, I don't like to make appointments for myself. Can't really explain it so I won't try. Anyway, I had a bunch of cards and awhile back I brought them in and asked them to tell me the value on each card. Which they did and wrote it on the back of each one. That was probably 2 years ago and I haven't taken them out of my wallet since. To make a long story short, when I went to pay with my last remaining gift cards they said one had a zero balance. Not possible. I talked to the manager after I had already just paid the balance but nothing was done about it. I have since heard of 3 other people to which this has happened. Is it a computer glitch? If not something not right is going on over there in the form of a gift card scam and I want to get to the bottom of it. The manager called me at home but I wasn't back yet and I called her back today, twice. One person said she was working and would call me back. The other person said she wasn't working. Is she avoiding me? I'll keep you posted.

Wednesday Wine Down

I've given in and am drinking wine. I feel awful about it but not awful enough to stop. Now that I am an honorary Episcopalian I have let my extreme Catholic guilt fall by the wayside. It was a pretty long day and after consulting with several people I decided to do it. So on that note....

IT'S WEDNESDAY WINE DOWN!

Pick yourself up a bottle of Little Penguin Cabernet-the purple label. I'm sorry my wine selections are so common but until after Lent that is how it will be. Don't get my wrong. As of last Friday when I had the purple label for the first time it's my favorite of the LP's. Try it, you'll like it.

One day I am bored out of mind (see post) and the next I am giddy watching the world through the eyes of a 3 and half year old. I know how lucky I am to have my boys but sometimes I have to remind myself to stop and truly enjoy them. It's easy to get caught up in the boredom of day to day life and preoccupy myself with cooking and cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. I am not a neat freak by any means but sometimes I can't help but feel that I am suffocating in Clorox wipes. Anyway, today was one of those days that I was suffocating until John came home and told me I could go running. I got halfway down the block and realized that I had just had a snack and ton of water and I could feel the cramp setting in and well, I just wasn't in the mood. I turned around, went home and put my earphones in W's ears while he was eating and he was....well, giddy. and I was giddy watching him.


It just goes to show that I have to let my hair down and be spontaneous with them even if it's as simple as shoving ear phones in their ears. Especially on the days that I have stepped in wild cat poo in my yard and got it not only on my shoe but all over my legs and my house. That's a whole 'nother story entirely.

HOOOOOO-RAY! for swimming

This parenting thing, it can be frustrating. More than half the time I am pulling my hair out while treading through some developmental milestone or trying to master a new skill with one of the boys. and we've had some rough times. Boy Howdy. But when you finally get to the other side and they realize that they too are glad they learned to do it after the fact-it's like a big HOOOOOO-RAY! And we all jump up and down and do it the hooray thing together. It's quite fun. The most memorable issue is the potty training. and as everyone knows we are still working through the #2 portion of it all but what keeps me going is that I know when we have success we will have the biggest HOOOOO-RAY! and poo poo on the potty dance that any mom has ever seen and it will all have been worth it. I can't wait!

The latest is the swimming. I am desperate for W to swim this summer so we have him enrolled in lessons right now. He has an immense fear of water. It's not for lack of exposing him to swimming pools. We've done lesson after lesson at this place. We spent the majority of the summer at a pool but still the fear is there. I don't know how it happened but today, TODAY, was the big HOOOOOO-RAAAAAY! He didn't shed one tear. He jumped off the side twice and glided through the water. He floated on his back and kicked his legs, all with the help of his amazing teacher, of course, but he did it. It's interesting because most kids this age love to blow bubbles and I have never seen W blow bubbles. He's not very good at blowing in general-like candles or soap bubbles. He lets his teeth get in the way. The teacher said the same thing- He won't blow bubbles on top of the water but it's the darndest thing. She says he regulates his breathing (meaning he blows bubbles) under the water. Instinct I guess. So please, if you have the time, take a minute for one big HOOOOO-RAY!

Lent and alcohol

We gave up drinking during the week for Lent. J is going to a party this afternoon. I asked him if he were going to have a drink. He smiled and said it was a work function. That's a yes. He is using the party as an excuse to cheat on his sacrifice. Well, I have a work function too! 24 hours/7 days a week I have a work function over here so if we can drink for work WAHOO! than I can drink pretty much all of the time!

Bored and Boring

I'm afraid I have gotten boring. and I don't like the feeling. A friend called yesterday who I hadn't talked to in eons and she asked what was going on. Not much. That's all I could say. I mean, really, does anyone else really want to hear that we're potty training over here, or that Pman lost his shoe at Target yesterday? or how about that W is still wishing me Happy Birthday and my birthday was yesterday. Do they want to hear that Porter said his name for the first time. Do they want to know that I was waiting with baited breath to watch The Bachelor season finale or that I was in them middle of cooking eggs for the baby. I just don't think they do. Not because I wouldn't want to hear it. I love hearing the mundane going ons of other peoples lives but I don't think most people do which is why I haven't written much lately.

I went on a "bender" this weekend because it was my birthday but today I am back to no drinking and eating healthy. Boooooring.

Do we start taking salsa lessons? or start throwing crazy wild parties? I know a lot of people swing around here-hey hey!- but that's DEFNITELY not for me. But I am not sure how to make my life more exciting. Don't get me wrong. I am undeniably happy, just a little boring.

Note to self

Do NOT,under any circumstances, go to the Zoo on the Friday after Mardi Gras. Why? Because you will be standing in line with 2000 school children on field trips. Doesn't matter if you have a membership card or not, you will still be part of the total disorganization.

DO send a email to Audubon Institute asking them to institute a new policy of posting online when 2000 school children are coming to the zoo so that you will never ever have deal with the hell again.

DO NOT bring a potty training child to the zoo if they have not mastered #2.
DO tell your potty training child that they cannot pee at noon in the restaurant. It's when they clean the bathrooms.

The Day is Done

WHEEEEEW! It's over, the carnival, and I, for one, couldn't be more bloated and fat and happy. I went to lunch filled with food and a lot of drinking twice last week and yesterday. I have been drinking every day and eating everything under the sun and I have DEFINITELY gained 5 pounds. So, thank you, God, for Lent. I am ready to sacrifice my may vices.

Each and every Lundi Gras we go with Uncle RaRa, Aunt JoJo et al to Commander's for lunch. Commander's couldn't find our reservations or we simply forgot to make them so we had to go to Arnaud's. At first I was a bit miffed about the situation but on Monday morning I was kind of glad to be going into the Quarter. Arnaud's was bright and festive and I was happy to be there. The food wasn't anything to ooh and ahh over, and not just because every third dish was Pompano (did you know that I hate Pompano? It just wasn't up to par but we had a blast. The wine and Champagne was delicious. The company could't have been better and we ended the meal with a strong citrus Cafe Brulot. For those who don't know, Cafe Brulot is a blend of Creole coffee and vermouth or brandy infused with cinammon and orange peel. Delish but very strong. Just a warning. It's not wise to drink it late afernoon. I did not sleep one wink last night. I kid you not. I was sick and hungover from all the drinking but the coffee kept me up ALL FREAKING NIGHT.

Anyway, Happy Mardi Gras! The boys had a fab time but I'll say it again. I'm glad it's over. All W's loot is going in the trash (sshhhhh! He doesn't need to know) It stinks and I don't need any remnants of last weeks debauchery hanging around. The boys had a ball and I although I am grateful for myself that it's over, but at the end of the day I am sad for them that the joy they experienced the past few days is done.

I am in full Mardi Gras mode. Mardi Gras Madrases, King Cake, pigs in blankets, more MGMs, Le Popeye dip and more. The boys are having a ball and are gearing up for more today. Talk to y'all again on Ash Wednesday!

Rouse's King Cake

I am not a sweets person. I would rather eat a pizza or a good ole block of stinky cheese over dessert any day. I haven't had any king cake all season until today. I went to Rouse's, the first of many stops on my Mardi Gras stock up, and I bought one of their king cakes. By the time I got it home my mouth was watering. I popped it open before unloading the rest of my weekend loot and OMG! it was warm. Had they just taken it from the oven? and what followed was a large piece of the most decadent king cake I have ever tasted. Now, I know there are some purists out there-those who love love love the old McKenzie king cakes with just sugar, no icing. and I like remember it fondly but only for ole times sake. This king cake had layer upon layer of gooey cinnamon dough and topped with an icing like no other. It wasn't like all the other icing king cakes. I am not sure why but it was heavenly. So, if you haven't had a Rouse's king cake-hurry your little parade going butt over there and get a taste of heaven.

(2 different people have told me not only how magnificently beautiful Sucre's king cake is but also how delicious).

I've been bribing the LB to take naps lately. I usually tell him we can do "something fun" if he takes a good nigh nigh nap. That usually entails going to the park or if I am really lazy, playing with sidewalk chalk-wahoooo!-but today I told him he could have a piece of king cake.

"Pancake!" He said with glee. 'Okay!"

So he took a good nigh nigh nap and right before dozing off to sleep he screamed, "I have to take a good nigh nigh nap so I can have some pancake!"
He woke up saying the same thing in the past tense. He ate that king cake slowly and methodically. It was his supper but after all it is Mardi Gras for goodness sake.

Dear W,

Dear W,
I don't even know where to start. How to tell you that you are the best Little Buddy around except to just say it. You are the best Little Buddy around. Today you were a brave LB and I'll tell you why. I heard the fear in your voice. We talked about going to your swim lessons this morning and you were scared.

"No, I don't want to go swimming."

I heard it and I knew, but as your mom it's my job to know when to push you. I don't always know but I try and I feel strongly about swimming so I pushed it. Well, really I bribed you. McDonald's french fries if you were a big boy at swimming. The currency wasn't obviously buying the fear away from you.

"I don't want McDonald's french fries."

Either the currency wasn't big enough or the fear was too big. Turns out the currency wasn't big enough.

"Okay. 2 chocolate treats", I said.
"I will give you not 1 but 2 chocolate treats if you stand on the platform and act like a big boy in the pool."

"I can do that", you said.

and you did and I was so proud. SO PROUD! because I saw your fear. I saw the fear in your eyes as you stood there afraid in the pool but acting like a big boy. and the day just got better. until the day was almost ended. and everyone was tired and hungry and tired of the potty training and more than anything, tired of acting like a big boy. I know. I know you can't do it all the time. This big boy thing. It's hard. Kind of like this Mommy thing. It's hard and sometimes I forget that the big boy thing is just as hard, if not harder, than this Mommy thing. I am sorry. I am sorry that I yelled. I am sorry that I made you sad and I am sorry that the day ended that way. I love you so much that you take my breath away. I am sorry.

So my promise to you is this. I will remember this day and I will remember my Little Buddy trying so hard. I will, more than anything, remember how I yelled. and I will know that you owe me one. So those times when you yell at me years down the road like I know you will, I will know that you deserve to do it because you owe me one. You owe me one, Little Buddy.

Love bunches,
Mom

The Bachelor ditches either Jillian, Molly and Melissa

I AM DYING to know WHY they are having to "protect the parties involved" during the Women Tell All Show next week on The Bachelor. They sure did a bang up job of reeling me in. I am thinking about it at least once and hour-not kidding.

This all on top of the MOST DRAMATIC ROSE CEREMONY EVER! This time they weren't lyin'!
I could not believe that he ditched Jillian. and I think she was pretty darn shocked too, but I think any of them would have been shocked after they all got down with Jason in their respective Fantasy Sweets. I ask it every season and I'll ask it again...What are their dads thinking?

I think it's a toss up between Melissa and Molly. I like them both but kind of want it to be Melissa. I think Molly is a bit too reserved and sophisticated for him. I see Melissa gelling better with Master Ty. But you never know do you?

Oh- and Deanna has put on some poundage. Honey, you know you are going back on the air in front of millions of tv viewers-get yourself together. I think Uncle RaRa is right, though. I don't think she is going on the show to try and get him back. She's just going to give him some advice since she's been in his shoes before.

If I have any more observations that I failed to mention, I'll keep you posted.

My dogs are barkin'

So, I've been running right? Damn proud of the progress I've made and I actually look forward to going now. When I run alone I usually run 3 and a half miles. 2 months ago I could barely make it around the park at 1.8 miles. Anyway, the past two runs I have taken have been kind of hard. It's not that I am out of breath or that my legs want to give out or even that I have a cramp. It's my feet. They hurt to the bone. I don't think it can be my running shoes because they are not even a year old. Well, maybe? are they that old. I don't know but if anyone might be able to diagnose my condition I would be most grateful. It's a general hurting around the bones of my feet-not really on the bottom-so I have ruled out that plantar fascitis-and I think you have to be a real runner to get that that rules that out-twice.

Baby's First Haircut

Pman got his first haricut on Saturday. He didn't like it so much but people were starting to asking "my little girls' name".

The pictures really say it all.

Aaahhhh! Much better.

By God It's Cawnival Tiiiime!

I am finally in the Mardi Gras spirit. It took me until yesterday. Between me and you I was hoping the parade would get rained out but it didn't so we went to our first parade of the season. and it was awesome! We had a great place to watch it and we couldn't have asked for a more kid friendly parade. I think it was Carrollton? right? Anyway, W and Pman had a ball and are already looking forward to more.

So now I am ready. I am in the Mardi Gras dance spirit. You just wait, RaRa! This year they are going to be good I feel it. A Mardi Gras dance is very spontaneous. If they it is pre-choreographed, it kind of loses the point and the spirit of Mardi Gras. But every morning over Mardi Gras we start the morning out with a Mardi Gras Madras and a Mardi Gras Dance. It has long been Uncle RaRa's and my tradition and it will certainly be passed on to W and Pman.

The boys are at the perfect age. Pman has dropped his morning nap and he can sometimes hang way past even W. So we will be up and at 'em in the morning and we can all head back home full of beads and fun for our afternoon nap. I can't think of a more perfect way to do it-dancin' in the mornin'/nappin' in the afternoon. Could be a great song.

Top Chef 5

Thank freakin' goodness! Leah FINALLY got kicked off. I thought the day would never come and I would have to watch her with her god awful hair keep cookin' her lazy ass dishes all the while wondering when the judges were going to pull one of her hairs out of their mouths. You know it happened.

Love love love Carla. Total underdog. and Fabio-he did look hot, C, when he won that challenge. I was freaking out thinking that Stefan was going to go home. and I would have been bummed. He deserves to win, I have to say it.

So down to NOLA they are headed. I can't wait to see what they do down here in our parts. Does anyone know when this was filmed. I was totally unaware that this all went down here. I would have loved to have been a party to the frenzy.

Wednesday Wine Down

I do not have a specific wine to share. Just drink what you want and drink a lot of it and do not feel an ounce of guilt. It's Wednesday night!

The teachers have told me that W doesn't like to play on the play structure or ride the tricycles and they presented it in a way that led me to believe that they were concerned. So I have spent the past few days in my head trying to defend my baby. I hate to be the defensive mom because I truly appreciate when and if they tell me W is having trouble with something but honestly, it made me feel like something was wrong with my kid. and that's a horrible feeling to have. They were almost relieved to hear that we went to the park a lot and that he slides down the slide and runs and climbs and jumps. Whatever. W is a shy kid, he's not going to be your next Joe Namath (he may be your next Tiger Woods). He has flat feet, steers away from a large chaotic crowd and is generally a focused quiet person. But he LOVES the slide and love to run and play and I kept telling them this. A fellow mother asked if I had told the teachers that I didn't like to spend the night out as a kids. I thought about it but I felt like I was going overboard trying to defend him so I stopped at "I am a shy person."
I got myself worked up into a tizzy last night worrying about it. J was out of town and I kept worrying-is something wrong with him? have I done him an injustice in chalking him up to a reticent kids? in between thoughts, I cried. Will he get into a pre-school? and then I remembered.....In 3rd grade, during both recesses, I pulled up a chair every day next to my 3rd grade teacher and sat next to her all break. I didn't play although at times she encouraged me but I wouldn't budge. I didn't want to play on the playground. I guess it made me feel safe. So there you have it! He is a mini-me!I called my parents to ask them if they were worried about me. They didn't even know that happened.

After this revelation I feel 100% better and am able to go on about my life---of course, waiting for the next thing. Because it's always somethin', ain't it?

The Bachelor's Hometown Dates

DON'T FORGET! I cannot wait! I am so excited and may even do a little meditation before I watch. I want to be relaxed and ready for what's ahead.

The three p's

I feel like all I say these days is please poo poo on the potty, W. Quite an alliteration but it is finally taking it's toll. I won't dare write about the mishap the Little Buddy had today at school. Not only would J kill me but it's bad enough that even I feel guilty writing about it. I have written many posts that will completely embarrass the boys if and when they read this blog in their teens but today's story might just put them over the edge.

Point being is that we may have to go back to Pull Ups at school. He is showing no interest in poo pooing on the potty and certainly doesn't seem to mind when he goes in his underwear. I am finding it awfully disgusting cleaning up after these accidents. I've tried to find his currency. MacDonalds' french fries, toys, chocolates, M&M's-nothing is doing the trick. He stays dry dry dry all day long but with #2 there is an underlying issue. There has got to be.

I know they say don't go back to Pull Ups and they also say never start using the Pullups because they know they can go to the bathroom in them and still have a little protection but Pullup or underwear, W doesn't care. He's going #2 in them no matter. So if anyone once again wants to share some insight to this little problem I would be most appreciative because the 3 P's are just not doing the trick.

Personality differences

Pman is a pistol. I think we should call him Pistol P. Now that he is fully walking I can't keep up. He's all over the place. We went to the park after school and he could not get away from me fast enough-breathing hard and running like if he ran fast enough if could reach the motherland.

It's so funny and of course, really interesting how their personalities are so different. W wouldn't leave our side when he was a baby. Well, he still doesn't. I remember going to Superior Grill with friends when he was a baby and he just wandered around the table completely satisfied. Our friends were floored that he didn't take off, as their little boy ran in the kitchen to see what was cookin' (remember this S?). So it's all just personality.

Pman is booking it up the stairs where we had to teach W HOW to go up the stairs. Same thing with a straw. I put a straw in Pman's mouth a few months back and he just started drinking. W didn't drink from a straw until he was 2! He is my sweet and steady child. He is certainly not fearless, whereas Pman cracks us at himself if he falls off a chair and bonks his head.

I just can't wait to see how their individual personalities will grow. How much will they be alike and in what ways will they be different?

Long Lost Wednesday Wine Downs

It's been forever since I did a Wednesday Wine Down. I could probably change it to Whine Down because where before it was a way for me to relax while W played, now it's a way for me to tune out all of the whining that goes on around here after 5.

So...I am going to continue this tradition at least until Lent at which point I will cut back on my Wining and hopefully the boys will cut back on their whining. I am loving the puns!

Anyway, due to my rosacea I have switched over to white wine. Not completely but during the week I have. and when you drink as much wine as I do you kind of need to keep it within a budget. The past few nights I have been drinking Little Penguin. My brother winces when I drink it but I do love the LP. I have never had the white before but I must say that I am pleased. If you are not a chardonnay drinker than you obviously won't like the Chardonnay but you won't like the Pinot Grigio either. It takes just like the Chardonnay. But if you are in the mood for a buttery wine pick up a bottle of the LP and try it on for size. If you are a wine snob you won't like it but if you want a cheap good ole drinkin' wine it will do the trick. It works for me just fine.

So cheers to the wining and the whining!

Babies and Rhythm

According to a study babies have an adult like understanding of rhythm. I totally believe it and if you could see Pman dance you would too. He has danced on his own since he was a baby and with a rhythm that you wouldn't believe. Now, we do an awful lot of dances around here. Always have, when we bought this house we did a "New House Dance". Every time I run a little bit farther than the last time, when I get home we do a "3 and a half mile dance" or whatever the mileage, you get the picture. I need to start using the video camera more just so I can have proof that my babies do have rhythm. Up until now I wasn't so sure where they got it from, because J certainly doesn't have it. Now I know, they are born with it. I just think you either keep it or lose it into adulthood. and I will say it again, J lost his. Ha! (He has a host of other skills that I love him for).

They say you can hone your baby's rhythmic ability by reading rhyming books or clapping along to music. So get crackin'.

W finally got it. The sickness that has seemed to take over most of the city. I thought he had escaped it. and then....the runny nose came...and we've moved on from there. I thought I would be pulling my hair out by now but he's a good sicky man. He just sat around today and watched tv, cut up a piece of paper into a gazillion frickin' pieces all over the den, and hasn't sat on Pman...yet. He wasn't up for the grocery store. You know W is sick when.... so we will be having delicious Pasta Bolgese leftovers that J cooked up for the Super Bowl. You know, the dish that he cooked in my beloved Dutch Oven and ruined. Technically, it's his oven because I gave it to him for Christmas or his birthday one year. So he can do with it what he wants. The final product was superb so I am not really mad and we have gotten a lot of use out of it. Really, it's a funny story.

I was on my way out with friends and as I was waiting for the horn J was beginning to prep. I saw him cutting an onion (in a way in which I wouldn't cut an onion and we all know I have incredible knife skills) so I asked him if I could help.
"When are you leaving?"
"Soon"
The next thing I knew he was washing a sippy cup. I got the message loud and clear. He didn't want my help so FINE! I will wait outside. Which I did.

When I got home the front door was open. I thought he had seen the car pullup and had graciously opened it for me. but the iron gate was locked. Wierd. Then I saw W standing there and saw the back door open.

"Daddy burned the food." He was smiling. Karma's a bitch ain't it?

Anyway, he had a small mishap but it didn't compromise the dish. He did a great job and we ate well for the big game. So we gained a good meal, lost a good pot. Only one casualty. Not bad.