You gotta have friends

Took this picture of the little one and her two best buddies.

We had an Easter egg hunt with our playgroup today....and this is truly the only picture I could manage.

They love each other...play well together...and have broken the sharing barrier....kind of.

Wonder how long that will last.

Kidding.

You gotta have friends! :)

Evil candy

Easter candy is my all time favorite kind of candy.

Peanut butter eggs, Cadbury eggs, liquorish jelly beans, Robin's Eggs, Peeps, those little chocolate eggs wrapped in sparkly shiny foil....

I could go on.

The Easter Bunny came early this year...all the "makings" for the kids basket are well hidden.

The good Lord has given me the strength not to eat it so far.

I however did eat a large portion of the candy we bought for our playgroup Easter egg hunt tomorrow. What a great Mom.....stuffing my face while I stuffed eggs.

Serious...I love Easter candy.

yum.

you want me to do what?

"You are your own worst enemy" That is what my dermatologist said to me today.

Basically boils down to the fact that I am causing all of my skin problems....and he is asking me to do something I am not quite sure that I can do....

Don't take so many baths....and stop using any skin product that is not prescribed by him. And, that means no astringent.

First step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I am addicted to bathtubs and toner.

Looking at that picture of the claw foot tub makes me smile....and dream of a bathroom remodel.

The second thing he said to me that I didn't know if I liked...

"I love the white skin" I didn't like hearing that....my white skin isn't something I love all the time...A girl just wants to be tan sometimes.

But, then he followed it up with "You should see the awful sun damage I see in this office."

So, maybe if I quit afflicting myself with harm on my skin...I can have white skin minus red splotches and skin that is less reminiscent of a 14 year old boy entering puberty.

Looks like I will visit the pharmacist instead of that European lady at Macy's to get my skin care.

Hopefully the person in the white coat gives me junk that works this time.

Maybe bathing 2 - 3 times a day isn't ideal. But, this is something I am going to have to really work on.

One of my childhood best friends didn't call me "mermaid" for nothin'

Mama meatball

Maybe I have mentioned before that Shorty's grandmother is 100% full blooded Sicilian.

So my kid may have some old world ties to the world's original mobsters.

Sweet. No wonder I love Goodfella's so much.

Grandma made her famous spaghetti and meatballs for us a few weeks ago.

Let me say that I am not a huge fan of spaghetti. For sure...I will eat it...but, I would never order it...or request it for birthday dinner or anything...but this spaghetti...well let me just say...mama mia!

So she is in town....and we were sitting at the table last night...I asked her if she had the recipe...she asked for a piece of paper and a pen and went into the other room for about 20 minutes.

She came back with a legal size page...front and back...handwritten with her family recipe.

It is her Dad's way of cooking...Shorty's great Grandfather.

So...I am going to attempt it.

Stay tuned to hear if my non Italian hands can make it anything like Grandma's.

Ciao!

Don't judge....

I will go out on a limb and say that 99.4% of the population should not wear white skinny jeans.

It is fair to say that 0.6% of the population actually looks good in white skinny jeans.

Today...I saw one of those people and I immediately did not like her.

Judging by her appearance she seemed mean, cold, and just way too pretty to be nice.

Today I skipped exercising to go run errands and shop. Shopping is not something I am really good at...I tend to by the same thing over and over. OK, back to my point.....

Went to J Crew to replace my favorite flip flops. (The best and most comfortable on the planet if you are in the market)

As I was crouching down on the floor in my 6 year old ugly ass Mom jeans, digging through a box filled with rubber flip flops....the white jeans girl came over.

When you first look at her....you just don't like her. She is really that pretty...really that skinny...and really DOES look good in white skinny jeans.

Unlike most people that work at J Crew, she stopped to help me. She bent down on the floor and helped me dig for the made in China flip flops that make my arch less feet smile.

She risked dirtying her pretty pants...helped me with a smile...all for a pair of $12.50 flops.

So, I was reminded of two life lessons today.

Don't judge a book by it's cover....and if you always finish your kid's food, you will never look good in white skinny jeans. Ever.

wash up!

Did you miss me yesterday? All 3 of you?

If you must know...one of the billions of germs I touched at one point made me sick.

Yuck sick.

So...wash your hands...and don't stand to close to me if I see you soon.

Got hand sanitizer?

Excuse me sir....

Me "Are you Mr. Hill? Mr. Dusty Hill?" (Member of ZZ Top for any of you people that might not know...or that reside under a rock) ;)

Him "Yes, I am."

Me "Will you take a picture with my kid?"

Him "Well sure!"

So there you have it folks...one of the very few famous people that live in our area. We ran into him today at one of the most popular Mexican food spots in town.

I was at lunch with my friend Lindsay...she spotted him...and as he walked by the table...I got his attention.

Think the little one was scared? ;)

Coz' every girls crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man!

Maybe I am just mean....

Not quite sure...but, maybe I am just a mean judgemental person....

But then again.....maybe not.

One thing that rubs me the total wrong way is when I see parents who subject their children to things that they did not ask for.

I will admit...I am judgemental as far as that is concerned.

Today, we went to the zoo with our fantastic playgroup friends.

While we were admiring the sea lions, I noticed a little boy who was maybe 4 to 5 years old.

He was darling...cute as a bug.

Then, he turned around. He had on a t-shirt with an adult sexual statement on it...that was put with a pinata to make it look more like a child's saying.

He had no clue what it meant...and it was 100% inappropriate.

I pointed it out to one of my friends....very discreetly. I didn't say anything bad...just said "Did you see that little boy's shirt?"

Apparently the Mom heard me and started getting all flustered talking to her husband about me saying something about the t shirt.

This sounds so high school.....

But, if you are going to put your child in clothing that draws negative attention....then please be expected for people to talk about you. Isn't that the whole idea of the shirt?

So anyway...that is my soap box post for the month.

If your child does not understand what the saying means on his shirt, and if your child is to young to have those thoughts and feelings, then please do not put the shirt on the child.

So there.

Pain free

Raise your hand if you love to shop for swimsuits. ::Crickets chirping::

For the record, I did not have my hand raised.

Walking into the swimsuit section is daunting...I always seem to find myself in the granny section....you know...the swim suits with skirts.

Another reason it is something I loathe is because the selection is always picked over....always.

The good suits are gone in April. 3 months before I am ready to wear one.

So this year, I did my shopping on line.

It is virtually pain free. I ordered exactly what I have been looking for....studied the sizing chart...and can't wait for the UPS truck to drop it off.

Just kidding...I really want to wait...I don't want to try it on....but, I am looking forward to doing so in the peace of my own bathroom...where I can wonder why my backside looks like that....in private...without a certain almost 3 year old crammed into the dressing room with me.

Sounds fun.

been a long time....

Today had a fairly unusual beginning...

My child slept until 10 am. My almost 3 year old child.

Needless to say the day took a while to get started....but once it did, we went book hunting.

The kid and I went to the library. It has been a LONG time since I have been...

Computers have replaced the card catalog....that is how long it has been. ;)

Of course I went to the library in college...(almost 8 years ago) but that doesn't count.

We were there for about 15 minutes...enough time to pick out 4 books.

So...we have some reading to do.

I may have gone to the library for selfish reasons....kinda tired of Clifford and the princess books.

Maybe next time we go...I might even get a book.

But, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Happy reading.

It is all for sale!

So get this...we have this online community website to help neighbors sell and buy items.

Last week I posted a listing for the little one's crib. You know...since she is in a big girl bed now!

I posted the listing...and had it sold in one day.

The family just came to pick it up...they are having a girl in August and loved the crib....

I made the suggestion to Shorty that I list every thing in our home on the website. All the furniture and rugs...and we could just start over again.

Just teasing. ;)

Happy they get to use the crib...seemed like a nice family.

Going to rummage through my house to find stuff to sell. ;)

See ya!

It's that time again....

When "Spring Forward" happens...my nerves get cranked up about being in a swim suit.

A little less than 3 months away...all while I sit here wondering what will stop me from eating Nilla Wafer cookies while I type this Short story....

Another motivation is a trip we have planned....going South of the border this summer with 3 other couples.

Did I mention that the other 3 wives can wear bikinis and feel ok about it?

My bathing suit has a skirt.

Sweet.

I hope this hot yoga will melt off some "mommy fat" and continue to make me feel better.

So, here is to swim suit season being just around the corner.

Great....

a question of taste....

This plastic made in China contraption made my child's eyes light up as if Santa himself was standing in the room.

A rainy day spent at the mall sounded more enticing than a rainy day at home.

The Disney Store is a bribe I use...I run my errands...and if she behaves...we go to the store.

While we were in the store admiring the "beautiful things" my child asked me the greatest question in the world.

"Did you bring your video camera?"

We video taped her in Disney World...so legitimate question I am sure....

I just am worried about her taste....does she really think a triple tower snow globe princess galore plastic contraption is really great?

Of course...she is 2.

for my family

One thing we have not experienced much of since welcoming a certain canine friend into our life is human toy destruction.

Today...an unfortunate accident occurred.

This 4 1/2 inch figurine that the little one adores lost her head in a certain doggie mouth this morning.

After taking it out of her jaws...and when I sat it on the table...only one thing came to my mind.

If you and I are blood relatives...then, I am sure the same thing is coming to your mind.

Man, I really miss her.

So...to all you other non blood relatives...hope you are wondering what I am talking about...maybe one day I will tell you.

And, I also hope your day is better than Cinderella's.

The end

Brain cells

Sometimes my Mom will ask me "have you seen what is happening on TV?"

Often referring to some enormous news story that is being broadcast on every channel across the globe.

And it has been on TV for hours....

My token response is always "no."

Adult TV does not exist in our home. In the morning when I am coloring my eyes up with eyeliner and combing my wiry dull lifeless hair into a pony tail....Clifford the Big Red Dog is on TV.

And while I am cooking dinner....it is some Disney movie....or Wonder Pets....or Sesame Street.

This lady blogger used to be a news junky.

No longer....

But this morning...I got to listen to the news while I was getting dressed. The kid was at day school and my brain got a refresher course.

It feels a little better and is longing for a little more adult TV time.

Wonder who invented the DVR.

Want to call and personally thank him.

hard sometimes

Found this picture on line. Don't know what it is about pictures of clouds...but, I love them. Like really really love them. The artist is named Heidi Malott.

The Shorty family has had a tough few days...Shorty's uncle is very ill and may not be with us much longer.

Hospitals should have pictures of clouds in the waiting room. They bring calmness and they are simply pretty to look at.

It is hard to remember and you shouldn't think about it all the time....but, if you are having a bad day...too much traffic, bad service, a flat tire, or any other day to day annoyance...count your blessings.

Be thankful that you aren't sick....or that your family and friends aren't sick.

Death and illness are facts of life...but, if you aren't personally dealing with it...be thankful.

Visiting a hospital always puts things into perspective....every time I go...and see all the sick people...it is heart breaking.

And, another rambling thought...be thankful for nurses. Doctors too....but nurses have a tough job and work very very hard.

Off to look at paintings of clouds.

1 week?

Hard to believe it has been one week since we left for Disney World.

Memories of the happiest place on Earth still make me laugh.

We didn't tell the kid we were going there until the day of. On the way to the airport. She thought we were going to the mall. She did indeed cry when she learned we were not going to the mall....but, quickly recovered when she realized were we were going.

"Are we there yet? Have we landed yet? Are we still in the air? Is this Disney World?"

Those questions rang in my ears for a good 5 hours. Thankful we waited to tell her.
So, until my life has something funny happen...or worth sharing...I may be sharing pictures from our trip for quite some time.

Are we there yet?