I’m a Lucky Girl July 20, 2008

My birthday was on Thursday, and last night Dandall treated me to a nice dinner, AND tickets to the Coldplay concert!

We ate at Strip Steak, and oh my God… my intestines are still hurting today from all of the rich food.  It was worth every bit of it though.  We started off with Lobster wrapped in bacon, then fried in a light batter, topped with cream, a squirt of lime, then wrapped in lettuce.  We were also treated to a trio of differently seasoned french fries… all fried in duck fat.  For dinner, it was creamed corn with jalapenos, potato and shallot cakes, and the best meat I steak I have ever sunk my teeth into… a Kobe beef rib cap.  I had never heard of a rib cap, but apparently, it is the cut of meat right below the fat, and right before the rib eye cut.  Oh my God… I was seeing stars.  Then, when Dandall told me they marinate their meat for 24 hours in hot oil, I knew I would probably be seeing stars all the way to the bathroom later that night.  And, I did.  And, it was worth it.   NOT a meal to be eaten every day though.  NO way…

Oh, and let me not forget dessert… homemade donuts with three dipping sauces… butterscotch, Carmel ice cream, and jasmine infused chocolate.  The angels were singing when I put one in my mouth…

The Coldplay concert was one of the best I have ever been to.  I just love it when the lead singer actually sounds better in person than recorded, and he did!  Not a very common site… at least these days.  They were awesome performers, and even went all the way up to the cheap seats, plunked down, and sang a couple of songs up there!  I have never seen anything like that!  If you ever get a chance to go see them… GO!

Woe.Is.Me. May 23, 2008

That’s right.  I have been gone quite a while, and although I am sure no one has really noticed (except for my brother, who never leaves damn comments anyway), I noticed, and I missed the blog.  I guess I just didn’t feel like I had that much to write about.  A lot in my mind, but nothing that I can quite type out.

The fam has been really busy, which is great, and exhausting.  Mr. Man’s soccer season is coming to an end, Dandall got a great promotion and is busier than ever, Doodle Bug is growing like a freaking weed at 22 pounds and almost a year old.  Almost a year old… I can not believe I just typed that.  AND… we just got back from a fabulous Disneyland trip.  This year has been the fastest year of my life.  That, I know for sure.

I am still trying to find my way in this crazy life of motherhood, staying at home, and also working from home.  I am very lucky that I can stay at home, and am lucky that I found a job that I could do from home that allows me to have this lifestyle.  I would be lying if I said it was easy though.  The only time I can really work is while Doodle Bug naps, or after the kids go to sleep.  “Me” time has become obsolete, and well, I miss it.

I guess I am torn.  I have a great life, and am thankful for it every day.  On the other hand though, because I stay at home, I feel like I should be “Super Mom” and “Super Wife”.  I should have an impeccable house, always have nice, well balanced, carefully prepared meals on the table for my family, spend lots of time making crafts and fun games with my kids, and do it all with a smile.  No one makes me feel like I should accomplish all of this though except for me.  I do it all to myself.

And while doing all of that, I feel like I should have the time to keep up and reconnect with my friends, and make new friends… spend time working on things that I love such as baking, cake decorating, sewing, learning to knit, etc.  I feel like I should make the time and have the energy to exercise, and take care of myself.  I feel like I need to make “me” a priority once again.  Then, I feel guilty for even thinking that.

I also feel like I must be the only woman feeling this way.  Do others really make themselves this crazy and have ridiculous standards that they feel they need to live up to?  I want to say no, but I have a feeling that the answer is yes.

When I was growing up, my mom stayed at home.  She was the PERFECT mother in all ways… June Cleaver meets Martha Stewart meets Mrs. Brady, etc.  Seriously.  How did she do it ALL?  How did she pull it all off with a smile on her face?  What was her secret?  Now… she did make some decisions with my father that peeved me, and that I will probably never understand, but as a mother… WOW.  I will never measure up.  And I want so desperately to.  I have asked her how she did it all, and she just shrugs it off with a half-not really-answer.  Tell me the damn secret… WOMAN!  Or maybe the real secret is that things weren’t as perfect as I remember them to be.  The childhood memory part of my brain finds that hard to believe though.

If someone has the answer to pulling all of this off… please contact me ASAP.  Thank you.

Mom My Ride March 11, 2008

Freaking hillarious!!!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEFE3B0Rje0

The Beauty of Car Insurance February 20, 2008

Okay… so a little more about the accident, because it has been a week, and I am not so stressed about it.

The accident was not my fault, and Doodles and I were not hurt.  Thank God.  However, my car was.  It will be five weeks and $14,000 before I see it again.  Hence, the title of this entry.  Turns out my minivan is made VERY well, and is designed that the car takes all of the impact in a crash, not the people in it, and that is exactly what happened.

Now that I have a clear head, I can look back on little parts of the ordeal and chuckle.  Like the fact that I had a raging sinus infection, and was actually on my way to the doctor, with a fever of 101, when I got hit.  I mean, what are the odds?

After the accident, thanks to my dad, I eventually did make it to the doctor.  As the nurse was examining me, she was asking me about the accident, and asked what I was driving.  I told her a Honda minivan.  Complete silence on her end… and mind you, this is my first time meeting her.

After about 3 seconds, she says “Please don’t tell me that you are a soccer mom and you drive a minivan!”  Yes… I actually am a soccer mom, and I do drive a minivan.  Her next comment was “But you are way too cute and way too cool looking to drive a minivan!  I never would have guessed!!!”  This comment actually made me feel a bit better, especially since I was feeling SO not cute, and SO not cool, and I assured her that indeed, I do drive a minivan, and even though I was VERY against it at first, I have actually grown to love the ease and space of the thing.  After all, it is my vehicle, it’s not who I am for God’s sake!

So… cool, cute, minivan driving mamas (and I know there are many of you because I see you driving every day), unite in my quest for a minivan revolution!!!

Just don’t crash yours, because the outcome ain’t too pretty.

Blogs and Perves February 15, 2008

I have so much yucky stuff that I could be blogging about right now, like how sick I have been, how sick we have all been, how much I miss my brother, the car accident Doodle Bug and I got in… but I am sick of being sick and down, so I am going to blog about something that makes me giggle!

So, on wordpress, apparently, you can see if people have come to your blog by searching for something in particular on Google, or another search engine.  It shows the words that they put in for their search, and if their words match something on your blog, it will list your blog as a link.

Well, the other day, I got a hit on my blog for someone who apparently was searching for “cute naked butts” and they reached my blog because of the post about Doodle’s cute naked butt!

Ewwww!  I feel so violated, and yet, I found this very funny! And people wonder why I don’t use our real names here…

Blech… February 12, 2008

That is the kind of week I am having.

My laptop, with all of my photos, recipes, addresses, LIFE, etc. DIED.  As in DEAD.  My only hope is that maybe it is the battery, and it can at lease be salvaged ling enough to pull everything off.  I am SAD about this… I tell you!  Super sad…

Dandall is gone again, and I am sick AGAIN!  I have a very bad sinus infection that after not doing anything about it for a week and a half, has turned into a high fever, olive green snot (I kid you not), and bad intestinal issues.  I am dragging my sick butt to the doctor today because I can not be this sick and keep up with two kids.  No way!

We have had a lot going on too, but no time.energy to post about it, so hopefully I can work on that later this week.

There She Is… January 27, 2008

Miss America!

Anyone else watching this???

I admit, I got suckered in to watching a few episodes of “Miss America, Reality Check” (what can I say… I like TLC!), so I decided to watch some of the pageant tonight.  After all, I do have my own torrid past in the pageant world, but I will spare you all the details…

Anywho… they totally tried to “re-vamp” Miss America this year, mainly because of horrible ratings.  They started out with all of the girls in cute shirts and jeans (which is so not Miss America-ish) and the swimsuits were very updated too.

It was all going well… until the dreaded talent portion.  WHY, oh why do they have a talent portion???  I mean, really, is is necessary?  So there it goes, the “modernized” Miss America down the tubes with off-key singing, really bad dancing, and even BATTON twirling.  What is this… the 1960s?  I mean, you could tell that most of these women just tried to learn a single song, dance, etc. just so they would have a “talent” to present.  Why can’t they stick to talking about their platforms?  I’d much rather watch their minds work than have to sit through a painful “talent” performance any day.

I don’t even think I am going to watch it until the end to see who wins.

I wonder what my talent would ever be if I were to go to Miss America… hmm… I can bake a mean cake, make funny voices, change a poo-filled diaper in any sized public restroom, and spout off random medical terms thanks to my hypochondriacism (you like how I just invented a word… don’t you) and medical transcribing, but somehow… I don’t think those talents quirks apply. 

Back to TV and TLC… stay at home moms… get ready to watch this TLC show!!!

The Secret Life of Soccer Moms

Making it’s debut on TLC hopefully very soon!  It’s all about stay at home moms who completely lost themselves in raising their kids (one of my biggest fears, personally).  The show gives them the opportunity to explore what their lives would have been like (careers, etc.) if they hadn’t stayed at home.  I will be watching this one for sure, even though I am quite enjoying being a soccer mom these days!

Before My Very Eyes… January 25, 2008

Time is flying by, and I don’t like it.  Not one bit.  Mr. Man is 4.  Doodle Bug is 6 months.  JJ is pregnant with #2 (yeah!!!)and my brother left today for Spring training.  Wait… isn’t it January though?  Crazy baseball players…

 I swear, if I close my eyes for a second, I miss more than I care to.  Like, Doodle’s two toofies that I swear, seemed to come in overnight.  Or, Mr. Man telling me he has a “girlfriend”.  At four years old???  Not to be alarmed… I think it only lasted a week or so.

Life is good… kids are good, hubby is good, friends are good, but for some reason, I’m  gloomy.  I think it has to do with Mr. Baseball leaving, and the winter blahs… whatever it is, I hope it passes soon.

Here’s what cheers me up though…

A girl who can make herself crack up…

And… a little soccer star!

No Rest for the Weary January 25, 2008

Every once in a blue moon, being a mom is no fun.  Today is one of those days.

Just when I thought I was out of the woods regarding the flu bug that struck my family.  It has hit… hard.

Dandall, of course, is out town for three days.  I have a temperature of 102, a cough, and a bad tummy.

I take care of everyone… but who takes care of ME???  Um… that would be me.  And when I am sick, I can’t take care of myself, because I am too busy taking care of the kiddos.  Try laying in bed with a 4 year old and a 6 month old.  Not possible.

 Just for once… I want someone to take care of me.  I want to be allowed to be sick…

I’m Baaaaaack January 16, 2008

And I am sure my one or two readers missed me lots and lots ; )!

The holidays go the best of us this year… EVERYONE got sick, and I am still trying to catch up!

More later today…