TGIF!

Well...Labor Day Weekend is officially off & running....

I'm standing in my kitchen, it's just after 9pm, and I'm making some Velveeta Shells & Cheese to eat for dinner. I didn't like the dinner selection made by the boys around here, so I opted out. Mac & Cheese for me please!

Dad's in town this weekend, so he's coming over tomorrow to help with some projects (whoa!!!!), and he's bringing us breakfast. Woohoo!

....and after the sh*tty day I had at work, it's nice to think that I don't have to return until Wednesday. Lucky me! My friend, Vicki, is going to New Zealand...so she switched my Monday shift with her Wednesday shift so she will have a full day for packing & last minute prep.

And today at work....I officially found the use for the phrase, "That's Not My Job." Now in the past, that phrase has been an ultimate no-no for me. Mega pet-peeve. But today, when a less than pleasant male told me that he was seeing double, so I was "twice as cute", and subsequently asked me to hold his dick while he peed, well, I officially found the use of "NOT MY JOB." Funny---when I got a big man in there to help him (after all, he requested assistance & I was not going to leave the man without help), well....suddenly he no longer required any help with that task. Hmmm...funny how it works that way.

So....we will hopefully have a VERY productive weekend. Wish me luck!

What's the status????

This would be my favorite restaurant in the whole wide freaking world.
Camellia Grill in New Orleans.

When I went off to college, my parents had to pay for my meal plan for on-campus living...but they spent more money on the "grill plan", as I ate there almost daily.
A large part of me putting on 32 pounds in two semesters of college would have been my food selections while dining at Camellia Grill. Typical meal for me @ the grill: Cheeseburger, waffle, & a chocolate shake (made with real ice cream....so good).

And so, a coworker is going to NO, and I said...."you have to go to this restaurant, and you have to bring me a sweatshirt, b/c I always wanted one, but never bought one". I go to google it....I start reading stuff about it closing down...Katrina related??? or bankruptcy related?(which is what I read....)

So...people missed the restaurant....and covered it in post-it notes....




The latest I read about it was dated Sept. '06.

So, what's the status now?
Is it back?
I just called nation-wide information.
They still have a listing for Camellia Grill: 504-309-2679.

Camellia Grill...the first time I went there, our waiter was a man named "Bat". My goodness, he had to be a hundred years old, but sweet, and smiley, and he just seemed to have a bounce in his step.
You go in....you have these booths in the corner where you all sit there, and wait your turn for a seat at the counter....you slide around in the booths---it's a moving line. The pies were kept in these angled pie box things...the shakes were made with real ice cream. The grill is right there, and hot---and always full of burger patties & omelets. The men working there all wear the white jackets with black & white checkered pants. The walls inside are pink...and on the very left side is a display where you can buy t-shirts & sweatshirts (which I never did....) The entire seating area of the restaurant is a counter. There are little stools that you sit on that are permanently bolted to the floor. The counter itself is like a funky flattend "W" shape. The waiters call out to each other, and everything goes at a fast pace during the busy times....you get in, you eat, you get out. But if you go late at night....the guys would shoot the sh*t with you, and let you b*tch about whatever boy broke your heart that week...or how much you hate Oceanography, and don't want to do the homework...and they always remembered me (hell, I was rarely gone from there long enough for them to forget me!)

Oh, good times.
So....I think it has reopened. I don't really know...
Is it still the same??? I don't really know.
Is it still my favorite restaurant of all time?????? YES!

******giving credit where credit is due: first two pics are from www.thethirdbattleofneworleans.blogspot.com and the last one is from www.bestofneworleans.com.

You must have lost yo' DAMN MIND.

So...apparently I'm married to a complete moron.
[maybe i'll apologize about this post later...but NOT right now.]

So....I don't work on 2 days during the work week. Tuesdays & Wednesdays.
Well, Wednesday is also my husband's poker night at his friend's bar. So...after yesterday at home (which was great) & today at home (which is also great), I get to do night duty by myself also. Not horrible, it's fine.

HOWEVER....

Scene: Gage & I in the living room. Remember yesterday----the toys exploded everywhere. Well...I got it cleaned up, but we have been here today & therefore, there are toys strewn about. That's not the issue.
The issue is this: don't bring company home without calling me first. (1) I could have been naked. [not likely, given the hour & the fact that I was hanging out in the living room with my son...but, I'm just saying....] & (2) I would have preferred a little time to clean up.
My husband & his friend dropped by to pick up clay poker chips b/c the regular ones they use were stolen from the bar....yada, yada, yada.
Let's see....our friend enters our living room to find tampons & corn on the floor from one end of the room to another. Yes, Gage wanted some corn with dinner, so I happily fixed him a bowl & let him sit at his little table. When he was done eating, he picked up the bowl, and started spinning....showering the room with corn kernals as if he were a sprinkler watering the yard. And the tampons---well, he grabs them by the handful if that particular drawer is open in the bathroom. It's easier to let him play with them as swords until he forgets about them, and put them all away later. It's a fun little cycle for me...

So yes....our friend, with no kids, comes in to find tampons & corn & toys all over the living room. He went with my husband over to the dining room & went no further. The entire dining room table is covered with laundry, and a stack of my panties front & center. Yea buddy.

He'll say he's sorry...he was just going to pop in & get the poker chips...he didn't know Josh was going to come in...yada, yada, yada. Save it. Heads are going to roll. I'd say, "tell it walkin'"....but, in this case...it's going to be "tell it cleanin' MF'er!" You know...when I saw him----his fingers were not broken. So, he could have DIALED HOME on the phone. If ET can do it, so can he (or....I thought he could....maybe he IS a moron).

WTF?
And why do I care so much? I don't know.
It's part of who I am to care about this kind of stuff. And you know Josh just added ONE MORE reason to his list for "cons" about having kids. He'll go home & tell the wife, "Yeah....maybe we shouldn't have kids. they get corn all over your floor."
OOOOOORRRR....even worse: "Laine sucks as a mom. she just sits around & lets the kid throw corn on the floor."
I guess that's my biggest beef: random drop ins like this show that I don't always have a perfectly clean house & perfectly behaved child... somehow I just feel like this is a reflection that I'm not super-gal who can balance it all.
And, I know that Josh is our friend & non-judgemental like that....but still.

UGH.

....and, I've pretty much decided that the corn stays on the floor tonight. Mr.Hospitality can clean it up tomorrow.
And---Megan & Susan----I won't be home Thursday night, but feel free to stop by my house unannounced. Let's see how he likes it! Oh, and call me if you still see corn on the floor!

Yesterday...

Oh my....yesterday I really was quite productive...

I decided that I wanted to clean up & reorganize the living room. Then I decided that I wanted to rearrange the furniture.

So...I got ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL of the toys, and placed them alongside one wall of the room.


and then...I got to work. moving things....sweeping the floor where the furniture had been...windexing the tables....etc.

And then I hit a snag:

DAMN YOU RUG! I am so sick of the pattern on the rug. I've mentioned that before. But, it matches the room....and it's a soft cover for the hardwoods...& that allows us to get down & play on the floor...and it's easier for me to not have to sweep the whole living room floor all of the time....

But...I pushed, and I pulled, and I wedged that damn couch right up in the middle of that rug until I could NOT get it over the hump by myself, and I couldn't pull the rug flat. By then, I was sweaty & the thermostat was set on 78. I even tried to "show that rug" by rolling him up & putting him in a closet somewhere! ...but, I couldn't get it out from under the couch. That's when I got the bright idea to cut the rug up with a box cutter & get it out of the living room in pieces.
As I searched & could not find a box cutter...I rethought my plan, and decided against destroying the freaking rug since I remembered how much it cost & how we just got it about a year & a half ago.

So....that's when I decide to go through the toys & organize them all. Naturally---all of these events took place during Gage's naptime. Well, as I start to go through the toys, Gage wakes up.
I got him out of his crib, and as we entered the living room---his eyes lit up like Christmas. Going through his head: "ALL MY TOYS! I CAN SEE & PLAY WITH ALL MY TOYS!"
At that point, all hell broke loose & we had a kinked rug, furniture every which way, and toys from front door to back door.

When my husband got home, this was the state of the living room:


...and quite frankly---I was disappointed in myself for painting myself into a corner. I mean, don't you just want to start a project & finish it completely by yourself sometimes....without having to depend on someone else to help???
That's what I wanted to do yesterday.

But, all in all...the living room is much more organized now.
:)

It's a MAJOR Award!

A while back, I was selected to receive an award!


So, thanks Beth, for my Rockin' Girl Blogger Award!

:)

And Erin has awarded me with the Nice Matters Award....
Thanks, Erin.

This is some BS.

Okay...so I'm going to yahoo to check email.
I see a little blurb of a story...
There is a picture of a guy w/ Barry Bonds' famous ball. The title that draws me in reads: I Can't Afford To Keep It.

So, my first thoughts are: What do you mean, you can't afford to keep it? You caught it. It was like a free ball from the game. You got lucky. How can you not afford to keep something that you got for free? WTF?

Here's a small excerpt from the yahoo article:
Bonds' 756th ball going to auction

By Janie McCauley, Associated Press Writer
August 22, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO -- No. 756 is going to auction. Barry Bonds' record-breaking home run ball will be sold online, and fortunate fan Matt Murphy figures to be a half-million dollars richer.

The 21-year-old New York man said Tuesday he had no choice but to sell the ball — several people told him he would be taxed on the souvenir just for holding on to it.

"It wasn't hard. It was simple math. I'm upset by the decision I had to make," Murphy said. "I wanted to keep it. I'm young. I don't have the bank account. ... It would have cost me a lot more to keep it."

**************************************

To me---that just isn't right. A tax on that? That's bullshit. At the very least--that baseball player himself should pay it. You know his ass is making millions & endorsement deals...yada, yada, yada. The guy who caught the ball should either give it to Barry Bonds (b/c surely he'd want it....) or Barry Bonds should pay the taxes on it for the lucky guy who caught it.

Okay those are my opinions. And maybe my brain is all rainbows & sunshine about what SHOULD happen...is that so wrong? I think not.

Today's Wish...

Today, I would wish to move into the Ikea catalog.
...or have my house completely done (for free of course) by the amazing gurus at Ikea, who seem to have a place for everything, and everything in it's place.

...now, if I move into the Ikea catalog...it looks like I'm going to have at least 6 kitchens to clean...but I tell ya---my closets are lookin' amazing on the pages, and I'll have plenty of storage for everything....

Red.

Scene--Baby Gage & Mommy, on the couch, in the living room. When? Just now.
Gage: "Ona read da book?"
Mommy: "Okay." (takes the book from Gage).
Mommy: "Red. The Little Book of Colors." (part of a series...he has all the colors, but the Red book is his favorite b/c it has a fire truck in it)
Mommy: "Red Tomato".
Gage: "Bapple."
Mommy: "Well, this is a tomato."
Gage: "No, bapple."
Mommy: (moving on, b/c what is the point in arguing over this??, and it DOES kind of look like an apple.) "Red fox."
Gage: "Puppy!"
Mommy: "Red Cherries."
Gage: ....silence...
Mommy: "Red Peppers."
Gage: ....silence....
Mommy: "Red Fire Engine."
Gage: "FIRE TRUCK!!"
Mommy: "Red crab."
Gage: ....silence...
Mommy: "Red sausages."
Gage: ....silence....
Mommy: "Red Boots."
Gage: "SHUUUUUUUUUUUZ!"
Mommy: "Red car."
Gage: "Beep-beep."
Mommy: "Red ladybugs."
Gage: "Ewwwwww. Scared of me!" he then took the book, closed it quickly so he didn't have to look at the bugs, and yelled "The End!"

Oh...and now he's on his his big plastic, brightly colored toy telephone...calling somebody. Maybe they'll bring us some lunch....

That's IT !!!

Okay....have I mentioned that we have like 13 pecan trees at our house?

I come out this morning onto the back patio....I have my laptop....gonna read up on some blogs...check my email....feed the cat...sippin' on some coffee.

Well, it's a covered patio, but not screened in or anything....it's covered to provide shade.

These damn squirrels are up there knocking down pecans, and when they hit the damn roof of the patio, you could swear that someone was shooting at you at close range.
I just jumped about a thousand miles in the air & spilled coffee on my freakin' flip flops...so now they are going to dry all sticky...

F'in squirrels.



So did anyone notice anything about this post?
How about the fact that I didn't mention my son (clearly, until now)???
Well...he's still asleep!
Oh my gosh---it's the gift of time. Free time. Me time. Lazy time. I'm lovin' it. He woke up at 5:30, went back to sleep, and it's 8:18 am....he's still asleep.
:)

Missin' My Baby...

I'm at work today, and not really wanting to be.
I want to be at home with my buddy!

Some pics from last week...or the week before....I can't remember!





Gage's "bapple".


:)
Is it 4:30 yet???

1st day of school!

Well, my nephew Trystan, has his first day of kindergarten tomorrow....






He's very very very excited about going to school... So, Trystan, your Nana wishes you luck!

[he calls me Nana]

Hey Baby!

Well....Baby Lylah had to stay in the hospital...


She was jaundiced....

And her Mommy was sooooo sad!


But....when I visited yesterday....she got to spend more time out of the lights....and hopefully was going home last night!


Just look at that little baby yawn...so cute!

And I got to hold her more!
:)


And she has the biggest fattest cheeks ever! She looks like a little cartoon drawing with a teeny dainty little mouth & these huuuuuuge cheeks!

That's Lylah with her bili blanket....and don't judge her poor little bad hair day...she's had to have those little eye covers & head stocking thing on while she was under the bili-light. So, her little hair got smashed around...so it's not her fault!

:)

We have a name...

Masyn Coy D---.

We found out about the baby on 7/16/7.
We found out on 7/24/7 that the baby died.
We said our good-byes on 7/25/7.



It's amazing how something the size of a sesame seed could turn your whole world upside down.

So, I got the pathology results...the baby died in the embryo stage, and when they looked at it, they could not estimate at what week it stopped developing because it had already started to decompose. So....all they can say for certain is, yes, there was a pregnancy, yes it was pre-fetus in the embryonic stage.
So what do I do??? I google sh*t. I read that it becomes a fetus around 8 weeks. So, we were at less than 8 weeks when the baby died. Beyond that, we won't ever know much more. Because there is no external genitalia formed at that point, they would have had to do more extensive testing than what was ordered in order to determine the gender. So...we don't know. And we won't know.....

So, we have our gender neutral, miss-you-baby name.
Masyn Coy D***.

Free Parenting Lessons!

Lesson #9,049: Never attempt to change the diaper/pull up of an almost 2 year old who is holding a bat.
I share my knowledge with you, in hopes that you yourself will not have to learn this lesson the hard way, as I did.
Now granted, the bat was smaller than a regulation bat...but it was hollow & much wider. It was also made of bright green plastic if that is of any importance to anyone.

Lesson #9,050: Never turn your back on an almost 2 year old with a shovel full of dirt, regardless of the shovel size.
Again...I learned this the hard way. As I had my back to the almost 2 year old, I was picking up pecan shells out of the yard, and the load carried by the shovel was emptied onto my back. Thank you very much Gage. Sand is like the new black--it goes with everything...you can dress it up or dress it down.

So...there's that old saying, "you learn something new everyday."
Maybe I've learned some new things....
...or had at least 2 lapses in judgement today.
That's parenting for ya....

Last Night...

"Let your tears come. Let them water your soul."
~Eileen Mayhew

So, last night, I went to my first "Caring Hearts" meeting, for parents who have experienced loss through misscariage, fetal demise, stillbirth, & lost a child shortly after birth.

How was it?

Different.
Difficult.
Gives you a sense of common ground.
Gives you a different perspective.

So...here's where I am with all of this.
I want to name the baby.
Damon originally told me that he didn't think there was a need. Granted, it was late, late, late at night when he said this. And when we revisited the topic, he had no recollection of the first conversation. And now, he doesn't think it's such a bizarre idea.
I don't really talk about it with people. Why? Because even talking about it---sometimes I just want to cry, or I don't want to cry but I begin crying & it's not something I want to share with someone who is asking, "well, how are you doing?" & they are so not-specific but their tone tells you exactly what they are referencing. They want to hear, "we're okay". They don't really want to hear me say that sometimes I'm perfectly fine & I have faith in God's plan for us, and then sometimes I'm angry & sad & just frustrated by how very unfair it is. But maybe it's just that I don't have that picture of the whole plan...I don't have God's point of view where he can see why this happened to me. Sometimes I think, it is a blessing. Dr.B said that the baby most likely had severe chromosomal abnormalities which would have probably caused physical deformities...who would have even known what the mental capacity of that child would have been?
And then, last night, there was another mom who was there at her first meeting as well. Her baby...well, she described it, and basically---what Dr.B said my baby could have been like if it continued to develop---that's what her baby was like. It never would have survived. It never would have even been able to take one breath...and she had to deliver this little boy who would never be able to survive outside of her body, and in reality may not have been able to develop or maintain a full 40 weeks in her body.
So....I just felt like...that's what it could have been for my child.
Sitting there with all of the stories....are their situations worse than mine? Maybe.
Is mine worse than some of theirs??? Maybe. They're all horrible. We've all lost our babies. The hurt & the pain is the same...but the stories are just different.

It is just amazing that in such a short time you can fall in love with something. You have all of this excitement. You have all of these hopes & dreams for someone that you've never even met, but you love. Your body is making plans for them...your heart has already made room for them...and your mind races 900 miles an hour thinking about all that you need to get done to prepare for their arrival...what season will it be when he/she gets here? will it be a boy or a girl? which room will belong to this new baby? you just start. From the moment you get the positive pregnancy test, you just make room. you make plans. You share your excitement with EVERYONE you know because you're so thrilled about this little bitty life that is starting.

And then it's just....not. From the outside looking in, it becomes "something that happened to them one time".
And to me...I think....it happened to ME. It was MY BABY. My itty-bitty-teeny-weeeeenie-super-tiny baby.

So, another thing I'm struggling with...comments from others. Apparently, when I told some coworkers about the pregnancy, we were in the cafeteria at work, and some other hospital employees overheard. Yesterday, we went up to the hospital (Gage & I) to visit my friend Sarah who just had a baby. So, this one nurse said, "didn't I hear that you were pregnant? You'd hardly know it by looking at you!" So, I had to tell her that I'd lost the baby...she was sorry...etc. Of course, I was thinking---how did she even know that I was pregnant in the first place? I didn't tell her. But, she either heard it from a coworker or overheard my announcement in the cafeteria. She doesn't work in my department on on my unit...so I don't really know... Anyway, another person was making comments about Gage being so big, and said, "It seems like you were pregnant just last month!" What she meant was: gosh, he's so big, it seems like it hasn't been that long since you were pregnant with him. What my heart said in response: I was just pregnant last month. The same lady then said as she walked off, "it's getting to be time for you to have another one!" Clearly...she didn't know about the recent pregnancy & loss...

So...I went to my meeting.
I know that some people must think, "you had a first trimester miscarriage. you're lucky." And in sometimes I agree with that. And then, sometimes I think---I don't have pictures of my baby. I didn't get a specific due date. I have an estimated 2 week window where my due date may have been. I don't know when my baby was conceived, or even when my baby died. I have nothing but a box. I have a box with my pregnancy test, flowers, & cards in it. I don't have tiny footprints to look at.
So, it's no easier, it's no worse...it's just different.
We all just have different stories in there. It's just nice to be able to talk to these other parents who can say, "me too."

I have plenty of family & friends who would listen to me if I need to talk. Who would validate my feelings about this---that vary. My feelings are all over the board on this. I have plenty of people who just feel bad for us. But with this group, I got, "me too." People who had the same thing or similar thing happen, and we can talk about this without feeling like we are burdening others when we talk about it, or make other people feel uncomfortable when/if we talk about it...and we ourselves don't have to feel uncomfortable if someone else asks about it.

And that's another thing: people don't know what to say to us about this.
I understand. I totally get the fact that people don't know what to say, are afraid of saying the wrong things, are afraid to bring it up b/c they don't know how, are afraid that NOT acknowledging it or bringing it up will be hurtful, they know that they can't undo it or fix it, and just don't know what to do. I know that. I don't really know what to say about that---but I'm aware of it. It's just a weird situation.

So...what now?
I know that my "products of conception" were sent to a lab for pathology. What are those results? What tests were even done? I don't know. In the midst of everything going on---I never asked about the pathology aspect.
Will they be able to tell me the baby's gender? I don't know.

The Name Game.
I have a name in my head. It's gender neutral. We'll see.
We'll work on that.

So today, that's where I am.

Can you see this???

Well...this post is a little overdue.

Last Friday, Damon had Lasik surgery on his eyes.

Um.....Saturday he had a f/u appt. 20/20 vision.
Today he had a f/u appt. 20/15 vision.

There are a lot of things they don't tell you upfront...like, you're going to have to actually go to the office 4+ times in a short time frame for f/u appointments.
You can't sleep under a ceiling fan, or really--you aren't supposed to BE around ceiling fans for 3 months. No contact sports for 3 months. Oh, and my personal favorite on the discharge instructions: you can bathe, but do not shower. Do not stand with a steady stream of water going into your eyes.
Cuz you know---we do that a lot. We stand there with the freaking SHOWER STREAM BLASTING OUR EYEBALLS.
Oh...and the drops. There are 3 different drops, plus the wetting liquid, plus the night-time ointment. The bottles of drops: very expensive. Our insurance covers them, but the copays themselves are up there, and seriously---the amount of liquid in each bottle---I can spit more fluid ounces than they've put in those bottles.

But---in the end, it's what he wanted. I personally find glasses on a man VERY attractive...but he was tired of the hassle.

My friend, Susan, once brought up an excellent point about Lasik: they don't yet know the long term effects....
He was made aware of this prior to the procedure....and he had it done.

So far he's very pleased.

Me----I'd choose a boob-job over Lasik any day of the week!
(after I've had all my babies of course...)

Welcome Baby Lylah!

So...the gal I typically share my office with is Sarah.
She's been out on maternity leave...and little Lylah Marie was born yesterday afternoon at 5:09 PM. She weighs 8 pounds 14 ounces.

Gage & I went up to visit them today...we got to see Sarah & Josh, but Lylah was in the nursery being tube-fed.
:(
Her mommy has diabetes, and being pregnant made it worse. So, since Lylah got here, her little body has been trying to figure out this whole sugar-level thing...and how to manage the sugars on her own. Feedings weren't going too well, and she wasn't able to keep food down, so they are tube feeding her for now.
I'm certain her little body will get it figured out soon.

It just sucked to go all that way & not get to meet her!
But, Sarah & Josh were doing great!
:)

"Yo Gabba Gabba"

My child is a sell-out.


He likes this freaky little show called "Yo Gabba Gabba".
To me---a freaky weird crappy show. It's weird. And they have this weird band that is like a take-off of The Wiggles. Only...they all just wore blue outfits & weird hat & mask things...the lead singer was weird looking...ugh.
I can't stand it.

Flushed Away...

Today, we've watched "Flushed Away"....



I thought the things with Roddy were leeches.
Damon thought they were singing turds (gee...I really hate that word).
I googled "singing turds" (because I'm nerdy like that...and weird like that).
Turns out---they're singing slugs.

Yeah...we're qualified to be parents.
Go us.
This just serves as another reason why I won't home school. I can just see me teaching science... "Well, I thought we were dissecting a slug...turns out, it's poop."

Hook 'Em Horns!

So, Damon's dad got Gage a new tricycle for our house:


He has a smaller tricycle at Memaw & Poppa's house...but this one is for our house. And it's all Longhorned out.

Damon's dad went to UT, and he's been spoiling Gage with Longhorn goodies since the day he was born.

He says he'll pay for college if Gage goes to UT.

The orange & white are taking over like kudzu.

LL Cool Gage:

Talking up a storm...

"Ona Hab It." = I want to have it.
"Ona Holjuuuuu" = 'I want to hold you'/I want you to hold me.
"S'mine!" = It's mine.
"Ona staaaaay." = I don't want to go to bed, or get out of the car, or leave, etc.
"Ona Sneeze." = I'd like to wipe my nose please.
"Ona Like It." = I DON'T like it.
"Bobo Change." = Please change my diaper. Sadly, I had to request this because you did not otherwise notice that it needed to be done.
"Mommy gitchoo!" = I want to play chase!
"Ona suckie." = I want a sucker.
"Suckie Purse." = I already told you that I want a sucker, so now I want you to go to your purse, take one out, unwrap it, and give it to me."
"Hot, hot! Buuuuuuuuuuuurn." = That's hot & it will burn me. Generally referencing a coffee mug.
"Smill." = 'smell', & actually means: Smell my feet. [yes, he's such a boy.]
"Scared of me." = I'm scared of __fill in the blank__.
"Scooby-Dooby." = I want to watch Scooby Doo.
"O da warm." = His response when asked, "Do you want your milk cold or warm?"
"Git da galloon!" = Get the balloon!

Rock My World...

These are awesome!


Thank you Reese's.
These remind me of Girl Scout Cookies... Tag Alongs, I think they were called.

These things rock...and, if we're all lucky, they will be available year round.

:)

Recipe Tag.

Tagged Again!

This time by Tara @ www.fuzzynotions.wordpress.com.

The rules:

1. Let others know who tagged you.
2. Players start with 4 recipes they especially like.
3. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 4 recipes.
4. Players should tag 4 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

(But, as I've said previously....I don't generally tag others...so if you want to participate & post recipes, then knock yourself out!)

As I also informed Tara---I don't really cook, but I decided to give this a try...
4 Things to eat...that I like....

1. Cupcakes
Ingredients: cupcakes.
Directions: Go to the store & buy a box of these:

Take them home. Open box. Unwrap cupcake. Enjoy.
Serving Suggestion: serve with cold milk.

2. Pasta
Ingredient: spaghetti-o's.
Directions: Go to the store & buy a can of this:

Take the can home. Use a can opener, either manual or electric, to open the can. Be careful not to cut yourself on the sharp edges. Empty the can into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the contents until warm or hot (depending on your temperature preference). Eat the spaghetti-o's.
Serving Suggestion: best served when being lazy on the couch while watching tv.

3. Tasty Adult Beverage
Ingredients: Lindemans Framboise
Directions: In in the Dallas area, go to the World Market store off of Greenville Ave., & buy a bottle of this:

Take the bottle home. Open the bottle. Drink the contents.
Serving Suggestion: best served in a glass, although you can drink the beverage directly from the bottle. This beverage is best served when one is looking to get their groove on, is surrounded by friends, or has had a really sh*tty day.

4. Cookies
Ingredients: Snickerdoodles.
Directions: Call my mom. Ask her to make you some of these:

Tell her thank you. Either ask her to mail the cookies to your home, or go to her house to enjoy them. Tell her thank you again. Pay her with hugs & kisses, and stories about things that Baby Gage does.
Serving Suggestion: while these can be eaten when one is alone, they are better when you eat them with my mom. In the event that she is unavailable at the time, the cookies are more enjoyable when you think about her cooking these cookies just for you!

:)
Yeah...I hardly cook.
And, I definitely think that opening a can of spaghetti-o's & nuking it in the microwave constitutes cooking.

Middle Name Tag...

Okay...I've been tagged by the Shoe Addict!

You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
1. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don't have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
2. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.

Middle Name: LAINE
(I picked adjectives to complete this task....)

L: Little. I'm little. I'm just almost 5 feet tall...but hey, we can round up, right?

A: Animated. I think others would describe me as animated. Hey, I get excited about things....I can't seem to help it!

I: Inquisitive. Yeah, I'm nosy. I always tell people that I went into Social Work because I'm nosy.

N: Non-judgemental. Or---at least I try to be. I try to be open minded & non-judgemental, but I'm certainly guilty of judging...like most of us are.

E: Energetic. I'm usually very energetic---get up & go...a "let's do something" kind of gal. I like to go places & travel, and eat out & just be out.
:)

And sadly...this tag will end with me, because I don't really tag people too much.
But---if anyone who is reading wants to do this---then consider yourself tagged & get to blogging!

:)

Today...

Well...I'm 29 years old. I had a first today.

I MOWED THE YARD!

Yes...that's right...little ol' me. I mowed the whole darn thing. By myself, during Gage's naptime.

How impressive??? Right??? I know.
;)

As I was mowing, I decided that the neighbors must think Damon left me or something...b/c I have never in all my life mowed the yard.

And....Lord help me if anyone was watching as I tried to start the damn mower. Oh, what a sight. I got the back done, and then I almost couldn't get it started again to do the front. Yeah....gasoline helps with that.
Anyway...I did it. And, I'm soooooo proud of myself.

I was hot as hell by the end & drank from the waterhose & drenched myself to cool off. Then I felt guilty b/c Gage was sleeping & I was having fun in the hose....

I didn't tell Damon that I mowed...just to see if he would notice when he got home.
Oh, he noticed. By then, Gage & I had taken a bath & gone to the play area at a local mall for some playtime in the a/c. We played there for almost 2 hours. Good times!

:)

So...anyway...I am just as proud of myself as I could possibly be.
29...and another first down.

SuperCute!

I found the cutest t-shirt for Gage at the Old Navy Outlet...for $3.99. Yes, I am VERY pleased with my bargain....

Here's a close-up of the front:


How cute is that???

:)

Ways to Give....

I always love it when I buy things from various companies that donate a portion (or, if you're lucky--ALL the proceeds) to a charity or to fund research, etc.

Love that.

Found another one....

www.babylucktees.com


"Remember, it’s not just about looking good, it’s about doing good. A percentage of each purchase will be donated to First Candle/SIDS Alliance, in loving memory of Quinn Henry Rosenberg, to help babies survive and thrive."
[taken from the website]

Tonight....

"Please don't tell me what I have left. For right now, I only know what I've lost."
- Sandy Kring



Tonight, I've just had kind of a rough night....
But, I was on the phone with my sister for one hour & fifty seven minutes.
It was good.

Weekend...

So....Saturday.

Saturday morning, I got to sleep in....took a shower...even had 2 helpers for cleaning around the house. It was great.

Naptime came & I had errands to run.
Took the movies back to Blockbuster, and then saw a Dollar Tree.
I had some things to get from the grocery store, so I thought to myself: "Self, why don't we go on in there & see what we can find."
So I did.

I haven't the faintest clue what I was looking at when my phone started to ring.
My phone was conveniently located SOMEWHERE in my purse. My purse was casually slung over my left shoulder. So....there I am, with a ringing phone. I step back with my left foot, and raise my left arm while reaching into my purse...so, my elbow was sticking out.
Why such detail???? Because...I backed into a display of 2-3 inch tall glass votive holders.
The sound of breaking glass came in waves as shelf after shelf after shelf reached the floor. I was wearing flip flops & my feet were covered in glass.
Store patrons came running, and finally employees arrived too. I couldn't move b/c there was glass everywhere & all over my feet. I was sooooo ready to just die.
I had to stand there while the employee was sweeping up the glass b/c I was stuck. The store manager asked me about a thousand times if I was cut, if I was okay, etc. UGH.
So....quick math as I was staring at the pile of glass: if I have to buy these, how much could I possibly owe??? I'm in the dollar store, but LUCKILY, the sign on the floor indicates that these are priced at 2 for a dollar. Thank God. So...I probably owe what?? A hundred bucks? A hundred & fifty???
And then I decided: since it was Dad who was calling at such an inopportune time, then it's his fault, and therefore I'll write a check out of his account to pay for it.
IMAGINARY CONVERSATION:
ME: "Hey---Dad. You just bought 300 glass votives, okay?"
DAD: "What am I going to do with 300 glass votives?"
ME: "Nothing. They're all broken."

Fortunately, they did not make me buy any of them, and the manager was just glad that I was not hurt.

After that: trip to my local favorite grocery store...my conditioner was on sale (CatWalk Oatmeal & Honey), milk was on sale (2 gallons for $7), celery & cream cheese were on sale....it was all very exciting (yeah....I must lead a VE-RY interesting life if I get excited about celery being on sale...).

On the way home, I decided to call Damon's sister in law to see if she was coming to the BBQ. (BBQ planned for Sat.night @ my mother-in-law's...) I didn't have the number with me, so I called information. They connected me free of charge...How lucky for me.
ACTUAL CONVERSATION:
CHUCK: "Hello?"
ME: "Hey, is this Chuck?"
CHUCK: "Yeah."
ME: "It's Laine. What are you doing?"
CHUCK: "Playing a computer game."
ME: "Am I on speaker phone?" (noting that Chuck didn't sound like himself, but things can be distorted on speaker phone...)
CHUCK: "Yeah."
ME: "Sooooo...you're too lazy to pick up the phone. I understand, your hands must be busy playing the game... I was just calling to see if you guys are going to the BBQ."
CHUCK: "I wasn't invited."
ME: "Oh, sure you were! Damon told me that Joe called & invited y'all."
CHUCK: "Where is it?"
ME: "At Joe & Linda's."
CHUCK: "Well, I don't know a Joe."
ME: "Well, then you must not be the Chuck that's my brother in law. Because that Chuck knows that his dad's name is Joe."
CHUCK: "No, I'm not your brother in law.I think you've got the wrong number. But I don't have any plans for tonight if you still want me to go to the BBQ."
ME: "Um, no, but good luck with your computer game. I hope you win. Bye."
Hey---411, thanks for that.

After that funny little wrong number:
Came home....was going to run get a manicure, but didn't have time.
We were due over at my Mother In Law's for a BBQ. Damon was ready to get out there, so he & Gage went ahead...and I went a little later.

Went to the BBQ, and then I left to bring Gage home a little after 8:30. He was sleepy....

When I got home, I had a huge headache. I just felt like my brain was swelling inside my skull! Took some Motrin, soaked in the tub, & went to bed.

Eventful Saturday...

STFU.

Okay...there is a person at work...who just annoys the crap out of me.
Now, I need to be nice, and overlook things maybe...but geeeeeeez, shut the hell up already.

I share an office. So THIS person is in here talking to someone else, not to me. But guess what---he is talking out of his ass. He just needs to shut up.
First of all----I really don't want to hear the birth story of your 14 year old child. Right now---just not a good time for me. But thanks. 2ND point: until you shoot a baby out of yourself, do not even try to speak about the magnitude of pain that one experiences when they have a baby. Now, granted, I would say that I had a mild labor, then got the epidural, had a c-section & for the actual delivery felt absolutely no pain whatsoever. But---there are other women who talk about it & can describe every little detail...etc. To quote the asshole: women don't remember the pain after they have a baby. They remember having the baby, but not the pain. If they remembered the pain, then nobody would have another one.
Now, I agree that over time, the memory of the pain probably fades for most people.
But that does not include ALL women!

So I said, "Some women remember the pain."
He said, "No they don't."

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO FUCKING ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT THIS?
Number of babies I've given birth to: 1.
Number of babies YOU'VE given birth to: 0.
I win, fuck-head.

And by the way, I really don't want to hear about your first wife, your first baby-momma, etc. You have 2 kids by 2 different women...I think you were married to one of them, and neither one of them actually live with you, so I don't want to hear your commentary on parenting either.
Asshole.

Pool Pics...

So, on Wednesday, before the dr's appointment, I took Gage to the pool to tire him out early, so he'd go down for a nap early.

He was suuuuuuuuuch a good boy all day!





And...he definitely got tired.
After a little more than an hour of swimming, he asked to lay down & then go home...That's NEVER happened before!

WHAT? WHAT?

WHAT IS HE SAYING???



Ummmm....sure sounds like the F-Bomb.

What??? Out of the mouths of babes...

So...Gage is talking now....

And, I've found myself in a couple of situations where I just think, OMG! Why, oh why did you just say that??? I'm amused, but embarrassed.

Scene: Local gas station where I get coffee in the morning sometimes.
Gage is with me.
We enter...a man enters & comments that Gage is "big enough to have his own cup of coffee." We make small talk about my son (because, hello...he's so cute.)
Another man enters the store.
So, there's me, Gage, 2 male customers, and a male store employee.
We pay, we go to leave.
Gage turns around & waves, yelling "Bye DADDY!"
They all kind of look at each other.

So, Gage is calling random men "daddy." Great. And I thought to myself: "Self, this is a rather Britney moment. This must be what it feels like to be Britney Spears...only, without any of the money."
I truly pictured those men looking at each other trying to figure out which one was the daddy, and saying how sad it must be that the poor boy doesn't know who is daddy is.

UGH.

So...then...8/8, we went to Northpark mall to walk around & watch the ducks & turtles. Gage is in his stroller, I'm pushing it...we JUST got through the doors, and there are no less than 20 people around us walking toward the exit.
Gage THROWS his arms out as wide as they will reach and yells, "I'M HOME!"
....um yeah. Shop Much ????
You enter a mall with your child & he yells "I'm home!"....clearly we spend too much time at the mall.
Or, he's going to be an amazing fashionista some day.
On the bright side: with the latter, I can expect some amazing gifts from him when he's all grown up!

Wednesday...

Well....I have my OB f/u today.
Gage is going with me.

The appointment of course falls right smack-dab in the middle of naptime...so, naptime had to start an hour earlier today.
How's that workin' out for me?
Per-fect-ly....so far.

We woke up early...played outside for a bit....got coffee at the gas station on our way to the pool (okay, I got coffee).... So, to wear him out to make him go down for a nap earlier, I wore his little butt out at the swimming pool. Granted, I'm very very tired myself, but more importantly---Gage is asleep. We swam, & ran, & played from 8:30 until almost 10. He got tired at the pool & ASKED to go home. That's...never happened at the pool.

So...I gotta get off this computer & get myself ready for today's events.

Peace Out.

Conversation From A Marriage

Me: I hope they don't draw my blood tomorrow at the dr's appointment.
H (husband): Why? It doesn't bother you.
Me: Well, it won't be particularly fun with a baby. I mean, after the dr's appointment, then you have to go to another place for the blood draw, wait in line, and then get your blood drawn---all with a baby.
H: Well, other women seem to do it.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH MY HUSBAND TO MAKE HIM SAY SUCH A STUPID, STUPID THING TO ME?

...and he wonders why I'm not making dinner tonight.
Hmph.

(oh wait...the reason why I'm not making dinner is because...I don't really make anything...except maybe jello...and cereal.)

But seriously....he knows that I've been trying to make other arrangements for Gage during my OB exam tomorrow. He knows that I don't want him to go. Not only will it be weird to have my son in the room while my legs are up in stirrups...but the last time he went to the dr with me, and it was just for a blood draw....he was not very well behaved. So, I am just not looking forward to the appt. tomorrow & Gage being there.
...and you know, I may be cleared to have sex again at the OB appt. tomorrow. You'd THINK he would be on his best & sweetest behavior. MORON.

Another Year Gone By....

August 2006....


And...a year later, in 2007....


Then...


And Now...


Then...


And Now...

(pardon the really wet shirt...he wanted to drink from the water bottle himself without me holding it. Needless to say...he still needs a little practice.)

...isn't it just amazing how fast they grow???