Life Is Just So Daily

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

10/31/6

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Monday, October 30, 2006

Little Mister Get-My-Way...

Baby Gage has a way of...wrapping mommy & daddy around his fat little fingers.


"Daddy, open the door! Daddy!!!"

Mommy then sent a tractor sailing down the hallway...trying to distract Baby Gage, but it didnt work...or better yet, it didnt have to work...because Daddy responded just as Gage knew he would.


"I knew you would open the door, Daddy!"


And right after this picture was taken...Gage reached up & kissed Daddy.
"Thank you for opening the door."


"I win, I win. My Daddy's wrapped around my finger!"


"Now Mommy, come on! Come with me!"

Sunday Morning Dance Club!

I've posted many times about "Dance Club, USA" which takes place each weekend morning in the privacy of my own kitchen.

Gage & I love it.
We dance to all kinds of music, but I admit--it's mostly hip-hop & pop.

This was..yesterday morning...in his boots, diaper, & Vampire t-shirt...



...his little knees are bent b/c he's bouncing.
Oh, it's so cute to watch this sweet child-o-mine dance!

Let Him Have Steak!

Dad was in town this weekend. On Saturday night, he took Gage & I to Steak & Ale.
Yummy.

We sat right next to a jazz trio who played all night. The music was wonderful, and Gage just sat there & bopped to the beat. He just loves music!

And, he had steak & loved it!




(Okay, in that picture, he was still working on his salad tidbits...but the steak came later, and he yummed it up!)

And then, when we were leaving, I put his monkey-back-pack on him.
Mom got this for us.
It's like a little back-pack for the baby, and his monkey tail is like a leash.
Yes, I just typed that word...a leash.
I used to think it was so awful to see toddlers on leashes...
but...I have to admit this: Gage wants his independence, does not want to stay in a stroller all the time, but lacks the judgement necessary to avoid dangerous situations (curbs, cars, etc.).
So, here we have the monkey-back-pack:

Look--Dad's walking the baby!

Anyway...this little device give Gage some "independence", while giving me some control.
Laugh all you want. It works for me.

Weird Bathroom

Okay...so I know that I've mentioned the weird bathroom to my mom, but I dont think I've really shared it with anyone else.

I've gone back to school to get my Master's...

The building where I attend class has this weird bathroom.
I am only 5 feet tall, and when I sit on the toilet, my knees are higher than my hips. So, it leads me to believe that this bathroom was designed for "little people", or perhaps it used to be an elementary school...????
I dunno....

And then---the stall walls. Again, I'm only 5 feet tall. I can almost see over the stall walls. Other women---can definitely walk in & see over the stall walls.
That's so bizarre to me!

Boots...



Dear Boots,

You've been so good for me.
You are now very worn out.
I love you though, and I'm not ready to retire you.
I am forced with the decision of replacing you...and I have not been able to find any that are anywhere near as perfect as you have been.
But now, you are scuffy...losing your shape...and the heel is all scuffed up.

I'm going to miss you, but I just dont think I can wear you anymore.

Love,
Lainey-Paney

The Facts of Life...

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have...
The facts of life.


Yes, I just sadly admitted to some coworkers that I can name all of the characters from that show.

And someone else confessed...he can name all of the characters from Saved by the Bell.
(yes, so can I).
He then posed a trivia question...
"Do you know what A.C. stands for in A.C. Slater?"
No, I do not.

He told me...and I've already forgotten.
Albert Clifford
Alfred Clifford
Allen Clifford...something like that.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Fat Day?

So, I was at work for 50 minutes, and 3 different people in 3 different settings asked me if I was pregnant.

NO! I'm not pregnant.

"You just have that glow about you."
"You dont look fat, but you look pregnant."
"Are you sure? I'm usually right about this."
"I think you are, but you just dont know it yet."

So then....here comes the buzz. There were no less than 5 nurses & other ER staff around, all buzzing with excitement about my "pregnancy"...which is a non-pregnancy.
One nurse insisted that she run a urine pregnancy test on me.
I said okay...KNOWING that it would be impossible to yield a positive result.

Naturally, it came out negative.

Returned to the nurse's station....
"Congratulations!"
"Do you want another boy, or a girl this time?"
"What are y'all going to name it if it's a girl?"
"Were y'all trying?"
"How are you going to tell your husband?"

I appreciate the fact that I was not asked, "Do you know who the father is?"

Anyway...I just spent 25 minutes showing my negative pregnancy test & trying to disspell the myth.
Everyone is apparently sooooo ready for me to be pregnant again.
That's because they dont have to be the pregnant one.
They dont have to deliver the baby.
They dont have to get up every 2 hours with a newborn.
Etc. Etc. Etc.

So apparently today...I look fat, my face must be oily, giving me the pregnancy "glow", and I admit my skin is a little broken out (thanks to the weather changes & my current hormone levels...)

I'M NOT PREGNANT!

..And, some of the women still dont believe me.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Wonderful Jewelry

Okay... so recently I've posted a billion different shoe ideas for Baby Gage.

Now...let's move on to jewelry..not for Baby Gage.
:)

Here are some wonderful jewelry items that I've found...
random, I know.
And, I'm sure there are many, many, many more wonderful things out there that I just haven't stumbled upon.

So for now...here's some stuff that I've found & that I love!

www.clvcatalog.com

"Be Happy for this moment. This moment...is your life."


"Courage is but a leap in the dark"


This one has a quote from Albert Einstein:
"There are two ways to live your life. One is as nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle"


www.redenvelope.com
"Embrace Life"


Sliding locket...


www.uncommongoods.com

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."


"I can resist everything except temptation."


www.theparagon.com
Origami Crane neclace


www.krikawa.com

This is gorgeous. It's called the "Something Blue Locket"...it's $9500.

okay...so those are just a few of the wonderful jewelry items out there.
I'll take one of each please.
:)
(I wish!)

LMAO!

Okay...this is hilarious to me.
It's a post from www.defectiveyeti.com
___________________________________________________

October 18, 2006

Didn't See That Coming
I'm going to write a psychological thriller for the blind. It's not all plotted out yet, but I have a great, surprise ending: the last Braille letter will be replaced with a thumbtack.

___________________________________________________
When I read that...OMG! I was laughing so hard.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Gage's 1st Fire Station Tour



So, on Sunday, while in Retreat,TX, we just happened to be at the building in front of the fire station.
We took Gage over there to show him the fire truck, and here comes "Fireman John". He gave Gage & Allen a station tour, and let them get up into one of their trucks, which they warmly call "The Red Baron".


So, that's Mommy & Gage in the fire truck.
Gage was looking ALL around in there!

Monday, October 23, 2006

Broken nails.

Okay, so the other day, as I was pulling the shower curtain closed, I was not paying attention, and I slammed the tip of my right thumb nail into the tile wall. It broke part of my nail way up in my nail bed. Oh, it hurt so bad.

Over the weekend, it gradually got worse & snagged on my sweater this morning.

Then, I got in a water-war with a coworker, and ended up breaking a nail.
(see, we work in the ER, and when you are standing at a computer & not paying attention, you just might get shot in the a$$ with a saline filled syringe. That's what happened to me, so in the process of getting him back, I broke a nail. Damn him!)

Anyway...I chopped off all my nails today.
Short, short, short.
I think people with short nails prefer to call this, "active length".
I say it sucks. I miss my nails already.
Typing with nubbin-nails feels weird.
the good news: they're my real nails & they'll grow back.

Welcome Aiden & Summer's Baby Shower!

Okay, so Baby Aiden is 1 week old today.
Gage is 13 months old today, but that's not related...

On Sunday, I went to a teeny-tiny-town outside of Corsicana,TX, called Retreat,TX.
If I had more room on my digital camera memory card thing--I would have SSSOOOOOOO taken a picture of the city limit sign.
"Retreat,TX Population 339"
Yes, as in 339 people. Goodness. that's small.

So anyway...
Victoria was there with Baby Aiden, and he looks JUST LIKE my cousin, Shane.

Well...really, this will give you an idea of how BIG my family is. Shane is my 2nd cousin. Aiden is his 1st born. Shane's mom is my cousin, Donna.
Donna has 3 boys: Jeremy, Shane, & Bryce.
Shane & Victoria just had Baby Aiden.
Jeremy & Summer are expecting a girl in December. Names have been narrowed down to Carly or Samantha. I like them both!

So, here are some pics from Summer's Baby Shower:


That's me, Gage, & Summer.
Gage is holding his little Fisher-Price phone. I think he was expecting a call...


Lots & Lots of gifts. And, her sister on the left, just had a baby 8 weeks ago. Can you believe it? How fabulous does she look already?? Way to go!


This is Gage, me, Andi Nicole, & Memma.
Andi Nicole was soooo trying to kiss Gage. At first, Gage was trying to kiss her back, and then...he wasnt into it so much. I told Andi Nicole's mom that she was just a bit too "fast" for Gage.
(really, I think that (1) he knew he was related to her, so the relationship would go nowhere, and (2) he'd already gotten a taste for college-girls...)


Aunt Loraine, Nicole, & Baby Lane


My cousin, LeighAnn, Aunt Pat who is holding Baby Aiden, and Aunt Wanda


My cousin, Christy, Andi Nicole, & Paula.
Christy is my 2nd cousin, and Paula's daughter, and Andi Nicole's aunt.
Paula is my cousin, Christy's mom, and Andi Nicole's grandma.
Andi Nicole is my 3rd cousin.
How big is the family???? HUGE!

...and we wouldnt have it any other way.
I have 3rd cousins. That's wild!!!

:)

The Texas State Fair

As a child, I hardly remember a single year that I didnt go to the Texas State Fair.
Loved it.
Every Fall the fair would open, and there were rides on the Midway...and corny dogs, and turkey legs, and cotton candy, and fun houses and the parade, and the craft shows, and concerts, and product/infomercial pavillions (that's what I call them anyway...) and livestock shows, and face painting, and just everything fun.

That's it. The fair was just everything fun.

Last year, Gage was teeny-tiny at fair time. So, he missed out.
I will do my best to make sure that the 2005 Texas State Fair is the only one he will ever miss!

Now, having said that....we took him to the fair on Saturday night. We were there for approximately 1.5 hours. We spent approximately $100.00. That's one thing I never remembered about the fair...how expensive it was. Perhaps because as a child, I was never paying my own way.
This year...
Adult Admission: $13 each
Parking ended up costing us $26
Tickets (which must be used for EVERYTHING at the fair...) 2 for $1.
Turkey leg: 14 tickets
Corny dog: 7 tickets
Beer: 9 tickets (yes, this little Mamasita had a beer, and Damon about fell over when I ordered it...whatever, it was great. I am just not known for being a big drinker...but, it was soooooo good! Not sure I've enjoyed a beer that much in quite a long time.)
One ride for Gage & MomMom: 7 tickets each.
I think we also bought a Pepsi/Coke, & a bottle of water along the way.

But...Gage had a great time, so I will stop complaining about the expense....


This is our huge ferris wheel, called "The Texas Star". It is only illuminated & operated during the Texas State Fair (as far as I know...I drive past it 365 days a year, and that's the only time I ever see it going....)


In front of "Big Tex". Okay, so it's dark, and you can't see "Big Tex", but he's this giant cowboy who speaks. He says, "Howdy Folks. I'm Big Tex. Welcome to the State Fair of Texas."


Gage, watching "Big Tex"


Gage & I on the mini-roller coaster. (which he enjoyed every little minute of!)

Now, at the State Fair of Texas, you can get TONS of stuff to eat. And, a lot of it comes on a stick. *YUM* Some things you can get to eat: corny dogs, cotton candy, fresh salt water taffy, turkey legs, giant corn on the cob, pickles, sausage on a stick, big pretzels, funnel cakes, ice creams, popcorn, hot dogs, pizza, hamburgers, jalapeno poppers, OH, THE LIST GOES ON & ON.
But, here's something that I just couldnt bring myself to eat. The name alone tells me that I want no part of it:

I understand that it is a cheesecake wedge, but please. Come up with something other than "wedgee" for the product name.

And, then there is the Fried-phenomenon.

Fried pies.
French fries.
Fried pickles.
Fried oreos.
Fried snickers.
Fried ice cream.
Fried avacado.
Fried Cheesecake.
And now, we didnt see this at the fair, but heard about it on the news: Fried Coke. (as in coca-cola, as in soda/pop/carbonated soft-drink...) Yes, that's right folks. At the State Fair of Texas, they will take a "swallow" (yes, I'm using this word as a unit of measurement) amount of coke wrapped in some type of dough, and then deep fry it.
Now, I dont even like to drink warm coke. I damn sure dont want to bite into some deep-fried dough to get a squirt of super-hot-coke squirting into & subsequently burning the inside of my mouth. Call me crazy, but that just doesnt seem like fun....


But anyway...went to the fair. It was Gage's 1st time. He loved it. So, the trip was successful.
:)

Friday: Gage Goes to College.

Okay, last Friday, I had Gage with me all day. Had the day off from work. Had to get my student ID for school...needed to get some work done at the library. Wasnt too sure if my 13 month old would go for it or not.

Turns out, he LOVES college! Hates the library, but seems to love college girls.

His vocabulary at this point is very limited, but he can certainly communicate with hand gestures (dont be dirty) and noises.
The repetitive "uhhh-uhhh-uhhh" with outstretched arms, and the rapid opening & closing of his little hand lets me know that he WANTS something. And he wants it NOW.

What does this have to do with Friday @ the University?
Well...when pretty girls were anywhere remotely close to Gage, he was practically leaning out of the stroller & signing to MomMom that he wanted them.
When they would come closer & lean down to talk to him, or squat down on his level, he would tuck his chin down, look up with his little flirty-bashful eyes, and throw his arm up, and say, "Hi" (one of his few decipherable words).
Yes, my son is a total chick-magnet. By the time we left, he had no less than a few hundred girlfriends.

He is somewhat of a dude-magnet too. (Is there such a term??)
Anyway...as I was heading back to the car, I overheard one college kid tell another college kid that I was a "total MILF."
For those who don't know what a MILF is, it's a "Mom I'd Like To F---."
Now, if I didnt have Gage with me, would I have even gotten a second glance?
And how is it somehow okay for him to say he'd like to "F---" me because I am a mom...but if I were walking without Gage, would he have ever said to his buddy, "Hey, I'd like to F--- her." Surely the boy would never say that to ME.
And, maybe this is guy talk whether the girl is a mom or not, and I just dont ever hear it because I lack a penis.
And, I am not saying that all Men/Males/Boys/Guys talk this way.
...or maybe they do. How the hell would I know?

Anyway...Gage needs a sweatshirt that reads, "Forget Pre-K, I want to go to College!"
Or...."Forget Pre-K Chicks. Show Me the College Chicks!"
He's such a little flirt.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Can I bitch for a minute?

Library Woes.

If it werent for bad luck today, I wouldnt have any at all.
If my hair doesnt fall out on its own, I swear I am going to pull it out!

Let's just start with this morning...
I have to drive over 30 minutes to GET to the school library.
I get here...I forget my login password...or so I thought. Really, the computer I was trying to log into, had an inaccurate setting...so it took about 30 minutes to get my password reset, and then it was the computer's fault in the first place.

So...that was fun.

Then, I have had NO LUCK finding ANY journal articles/studies on my topic. Well, let me rephrase that...I find that they do infact exist in the cyperworld somewhere...in print somewhere else...but this library doesnt own the rights to them, therefore it will take 3-4 days after my request is processed for them to email the article to me...yada, yada, yada...then I find some others...cant access them, and I'm told by the librarian that the link to view them online does not work---BUT, if I want, I can go to the 4th floor, get the periodical, and photocopy the information I want.

Well, that wont work & here is why.
While on the 1st floor, I was told my a dumb-shit-part-time-I-dont-know-what-I'm-talking-about-employee, that in order to print anything or copy, I must put $$ on my student ID. I got my student ID yesterday, and tried to put $$ on it. No luck---my student ID, which is brand new, has some type of error on it. I had to put money on a temporary library guest pass. Okay. Did that.
Find about 8 books that seem useful & I want to photocopy sections. Go to the copier on the 2nd floor...none of the copiers take the cards. You must have bills or coins. None will accept a bill higher than $5. I just put $5 on my freaking card! I have nothing less than a $20 with me (surprising that I had cash at all...) So I go back to the 1st floor. Get change for a twenty. Upstairs to make copies...make some...then I find another book...go back to make copies...All I have by now is a $10, and a $5. THE FUCKING MACHINE TAKES MY FIVE DOLLAR BILL, AND THEN WONT GIVE ME CHANGE OR MAKE COPIES. Naturally, the people who service the machines are not here on the weekends, and the library cant be responsible for the money eaten by the copier, and the front desk on the 1st floor has no more change for another twenty.

So...thanks for telling me where the periodicals are. But this library is getting no more of my money today.
I'm done. I'm spent. (literally & figuratively)
I'm ready to just take a break from this madness.
I have all of these resources now, but none of them are journal articles.
What's my assignment? To do a literature review based on my research question. She suggests that we research 7-10 journal articles.
Oh, I have at least 15-20 resources, but not a single freaking one is a journal article.

I HATE ONLINE JOURNALS BECAUSE TODAY, THEY JUST AREN'T WORKING FOR ME.
(but...I fully admit my own role in this...I'm not as tech-savvy as I probably should be, I'm stressed about other library-related events of today, and my latte got cold before I got a chance to finish it, so I'm a bit on edge right now.)

That's all for now.
I'm going to get some lunch, and then start working on my paper.
You know, the actual constructing of the paper.
Research sucks. ...today it sucks. It wasnt so bad the other night when I got a good grade!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Typical Male Response.

Okay, I apologize in advance, but this post is completely sexist. I admit it. Judge all you want. I dont really care.

And, I also need to mention, I promise, my child was not watching porn.
(Bow-chicka-bow-wow...)

So, last night, Gage & I were at home, in the living room, playing on the floor with various toys...there were lights & sirens from the fire-truck, music from the turtle, and the TV on. All kinds of stuff going on.

Then, the Victoria's Secret commercial came on.
Gage stopped what he was doing, stood up, and went to the TV to watch the commercial.


It was hilarious.
So of course, I rewound it, so he could see it again, and I could subsequently watch him watch the commercial.
The second time around, he got on all fours & started bouncing up & down to the music, all while watching the commercial.

So of course, I had to rewind it again & snap some pictures!


So cute & funny.

I'm sure it was the music that caught his attention...but at the same time...every time the girls were...modeling the lingerie, his little eyes were GLUED to the tv set.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

More Shooooooooooooooes!



Okay...so I've found some more shoes that I love for my little one!

www.gap.comThese are so cute!


Ugh! These biker boots are so cute, and they are on sale...but sadly, they don't have Gage's size any longer....


www.shoes.com
How cute are these Converse? And---I know that he already has a pair that is VERY similar, but these have Velcro which would be sooooooooo much easier than lacing his shoes...


Hey---I think I have a pair like this...


www.zappos.com

How cute are these teeny-adidas?


Fireman boots! Tee hee heee hehehe.

Judgement....

Oh, this is a little different, and it ROCKS!



Christmas dinner part of man's sentence
Conyers Judge Sidney Nation issued it in domestic violence case

Published on: 10/16/06
A woman and her two children will get a special Christmas dinner at one of Atlanta's most expensive restaurants this year — courtesy of a judge who imposed that sentence on a man charged with family violence on Christmas Day.

"Basically you were hung over and didn't want to be involved in some activities your wife planned," Chief Superior Court Judge Sidney Nation told Wendell Jerome Herman Rogers II. "You acted up and ruined Christmas, so this year you're going to make it up to them."

Authorities say Rogers, 33, came home from a party on Christmas Eve and got into a confrontation with his wife in front of their two children the next morning.

He was charged with family violence battery and obstructing and hindering a person making an emergency telephone call.

In addition to the dinner, Nation also sentenced Rogers to serve 12 months, although the time is suspended while Rogers continues an anger management course. Rogers also has to pay a $1,000 fine.

He will have to submit a receipt to the court for the family dinner by early January.

Rogers' attorney, Maurice Bennett, said his client agreed he had misbehaved and accepted the dinner sentence, which attorneys said would set him back more than $300. Rogers had no prior record.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Just a matter of time....

I've been saying stuff about this for a while now.
That it's just a matter of time before one of us gets killed....


From CNN....

Amber Alert issued for baby boy; social worker dead
HENDERSON, Kentucky (AP) -- Police found a social worker slain in a western Kentucky home and issued an Amber Alert for the 10-month-old boy the woman had taken to the house for a visit with his mother, authorities said Tuesday.
The child's mother, Renee Terrell, 33, of Henderson, did not have custody of her developmentally disabled son, police said. She and her boyfriend, Christopher Wayne Luttrell, 23, were both missing Tuesday and were believed to have the child.
Police were called Monday afternoon when the social worker didn't return to work after taking the baby, Saige Terrell, to visit his mother, said Henderson Police Sgt. Dwight Duncan. (Watch police work the scene where they found body -- 1:32)
"It's a dangerous job anytime you're taking someone's child away from their parents," Duncan said. "You know how protective parents can be."
The social worker was identified as Boni Frederick, 67, of Morganfield, who worked for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Her station wagon, a 2000 white Daewoo Nubia, also was missing, police said.
Duncan said police believe Frederick was killed, but he would not comment on her cause of death pending an autopsy under way Tuesday.
The white-paneled house where she was found was roped off by police tape Tuesday, and a police car was parked out front.
Across the street, Mindy Gray, 22, sat on a porch swing with her baby and watched police continue the investigation. Gray described Terrell as "goofy, like a little kid."
"But every time I talked to her, she was sweet as can be," Gray said.

What?



So, if you are going to put your child in a onesie & leg warmers---dont be dumb---dont be cheap, splurge for a pair of pants.
This is stupid.

And don't sell that sh*t in the little boy section either. That's double-dumb.

Sweet Feet.

Okay...so I've been looking for some more baby shoes.

Gage's squeaky shoes no longer fit.
His navy Converse tennis shoes no longer fit.
He's got his black Converse, his little Robeez booties (they have no hard sole, so it's hard to call them "shoes" now that he's really walking), and a hideous pair of hiking boots that his father bought for him to wear.

So, you know his Mama's been looking for some shoes to outfit his little feet...
I think I'm going to get another pair of squeaky shoes. I love them.
I saw some cute shoes at Target, so they weren't really expensive or anything...but, the ones that were in his size weren't cute, and the cute ones weren't in his size.

But online...oh, the shopping that can be done online...

www.vincentshoestore.com
I love the following...
The Konrad

Not in red...probably in brown or black.

The James

Not that he really has any occasion to dress up...but I like them.

The Stan

I like the black & white ones.

The Linus

Again, in black or brown.

www.isabooties.com
Okay, so these are all soft-soled as well...but I just love these!

Varsity Stripes


Chocolate Dots


www.frecklefaceboutique.com

The Bowler Bootie


The Leather Loafer