Overwhelmed

Are you one of those super organized people? You know, the ones that are packed for vacations a week in advance. The kind of person that has their clothes, socks and underwear sorted by color? Someone who's house is spotless at all times? If you are, I loathe you so go away now...

We are leaving to go on our trip tonight. Well, technically our flight leaves tomorrow morning, but we are heading to Boston to stay with my BIL so we don't have to wake up at an even ungodlier (is that even a word??) time in the morning. I had such grand plans of having us completely packed by last night. I had a list all ready. Then I had a realization. The temperature where we live is hovering in the 40's-50's right now. Where we are going is in the upper 70's-80's and all of Natey's clothes that fit him are long sleeves. CRAP. Luckily I hit the sale racks at the end of the summer last year and got him some clothes, however, they are all 2T. More CRAP. My poor kid is going to be swimming in all of his clothes. I'm going to have to tie his shorts up with some string or something. Can you say, howdy Huck Finn? I put them all out to be packed anyway. i mean, what choice do I have? I'm not buying clothes that will fit him for 2 months. Let's hope they sorta fit him at least.

Oh and did I mention that I'm NOT PACKED YET??? CRAP again. I have all of Natey's clothes laid out and most of mine, but daddy decided to not pick up the dry cleaning yesterday and set his clothes out for me, so we have nothing in the suitcases yet. I couldn't really yell at him because I sorta forgot to wish him Happy Birthday before I left the house yesterday (yes, I suck). I couldn't call out of work because I had like 5 things to finish today. Let's just hope I can get out of here early and finish everything in time to head out.

I hate being a procrastinator, but I guess I'll work on changing that later. ;o) Wish me luck!!

I Heart {No flash} Faces!

The theme for this week at I heart faces is no flash. This concept has been hard for me to grasp since I live in crappy light for half of the year, but the pictures do come out so much better in natural light! My entry for this week is one I took of Natey on a beautiful fall day in his grandparent's back yard. He was mesmerized by the birds in the tree. This was pretty much the only time he sat still all day! Check out I heart faces for other awesome pictures!!

Not Me! Monday

I'm sick and tired of it all! No really, I am sick...and tired. I managed to get caught by that darned cold that was chasing me last week. I don't know why people say they catch a cold. I really feel like it's the other way around. Well, you'd think being laid up with a cold would prevent you from doing stupid stuff, but not this girl. Nope, not me!! I still managed to have my share of oops and uh ohs and I'd like to get them off my chest....as opposed to out of my chest, which is where I'd like this cold to go!! Head on over and visit MckMama for more not me Monday action and while you're there say a prayer for Stellan who is back in the hospital with heart problems.
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I have not already started writing a list for our trip to California. Seriously, it should not be this much of a production to be gone for 9 days. This list is not primarily dominated by my not yet 2 year old, and does not include items such as kiddie leash, hulk, and toilet seat.

I did not teach my son how to sing, "Shake, shake, shake. Shake, shake, shake. Shake your bootie", because it made me laugh watching him run in circles wiggling his bottom all around. It did not come back to haunt me in Target when he started yelling "shake your bootie" over and over again to the chagrin of a disapproving elderly lady.

I did not manage to finish 4 shirts, even though I felt like I was going to die. I am not so behind in my projects with a half done purse, 3 presents for people, and 2 more shirts that I need to finish by Thursday so I can get them sent out by Friday before we leave on our vacation! Nope, not me!! I always work through illness and laugh in the face of death to sew! I didn't make one of my favorite item thus far for Heather. It almost didn't happen either because of a misunderstanding on fabric!

What did you "not" do this week??

Just do it!

See this super cute boy?? You've seen him here before. Remember? I was spreading the word about helping him get his cochlear implants? Well, his mommy (El over at Profoundly Seth) wants to give back to us and also help some amazing charities at the same time.

You've probably seen the button in my sidebar by now, but in case you haven't clicked on it, why don't you give it a try. It's ok, I'll wait....

See, wasn't it worth the click??? Go on, donate to these wonderful causes and you may even end up with an awesome prize pack to show for your kindness!! Oh and don't lag procrastinators, you know who you are, because the winner is announced on Saturday the 28th!

Random Ranting

I don't often use my blog as a medium on which to complain, but I just feel overwhelmed today and maybe, if I get it all out, I'll feel better. So here goes...

Why is it impossible for my husband to find anything unless it is attached to a giant flashing neon sign??? Whenever he asks me where something is and says he has "looked" for it, I can pretty much guarantee I will find it in 2.5 seconds and it will have been RIGHT in front of his face.
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Speaking of husbands, here is the conversation we had last night (me in my craft room and him in the kitchen) and what it resulted in this morning:

DH: Honey can you do something for me?
Me: Sure, but you have to put the food away from dinner while I do it.
DH: Ok. {Sounds deceptively easy now doesn't it?}
Me: Can you put 1 1/2 enchiladas and a scoop of rice in a container for my lunch tomorrow.
DH: Why not 2 enchiladas?
Me: I already cut one in half for dinner so just put the other half in my lunch please. {What does it matter if I only want 1 1/2??}
DH: Ok. How many scoops of rice?
Me: Just one.
DH: Ok. {I imagine here he is scooping said rice into container.}

I finish the project and we head over to our family's house to deliver it. We get home, I'm exhausted and I put Natey down and watch some TV in bed before I fall asleep. I awaken this morning and go to put my nicely packaged lunch in my lunchbox.....

Me: Honey, where's the rice?
DH: Oh, shoot, I forgot to put it in.
Me: Seriously, where is it then?{what the HECK were you doing during that whole conversation last night?}
DH: I must have forgotten to put it away.
Me: So it is still in the rice cooker on the counter {checking}? Ugh!
DH: You can still eat it.
Me: Um, no, you can't still eat it after it has sat out.... all night... at room temperature. Can you say food poisoning?

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What is going on with my throat right now?? It doesn't hurt, but it feels like it is closing on me and there's a golf ball there every time I swallow. I can not get sick. I do not have the time and we are going on vacation in 9 days. It would be SO rude if I were to get sick right now because then Aaron will get it right in time for our trip.
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Natey, please stop hitting mommy in the freakin face!!!
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Automatic flushing toilet, please stop flushing while I am still peeing!! I promise you can flush when I'm all done.
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Work is on my last nerve right now. When am I going to have a boss??? It has been a year and a half since I had an actual boss and not some interim idiot who doesn't even know what I'm doing or how to guide me in any way shape or form! I'm about to pull my hair out.
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Ok, I'm sorry for all of that, but I do feel a little bit better. It seems kinda stupid now that I go back and read it, so I guess it put things in perspective if anything. I now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.

Taste the Rainbow

I got this recipe from Steph over at Live.Love.Eat. She always has the best food on her blog. I tried this dish out on Sunday when the in-law's came over and it was a hit. Sorry, the picture is of the dish before it was cooked. Dinner was taking too long and I had to rush everything to the table so we could eat. Also, I'm sure my MIL would wonder why I was taking pictures of our food if I had!

Recipe:

2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
1 large sweet yellow onion cut in half and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 russet potatoes, unpeeled
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
3 large Roma tomatoes
Sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Dried thyme, to taste
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions & saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic & cook for another 60 seconds. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash & tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them into a spiral. Season with sea salt, black pepper & dried thyme, to taste. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top.

Cover the dish with tin foil & bake for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Uncover & sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top & bake for another 25-30 minutes or until browned.
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My hubby didn't love the thyme, but I thought it was great. Maybe next time I will try rosemary to shush him. I also didn't have a large round baking dish so I cooked the onion and garlic in my cast iron skillet and then just put the veggies in on top and popped the whole thing in the oven. I didn't have to spray the dish with cooking spray since I had already cooked the onions in the oil. I followed Steph's suggestion of not standing the veggies too upright so the seasoning coats more of the veggies. My one suggestion would be to make sure you don't cut the potatoes too thick so they cook evenly. I had a couple in the dish that were slightly undercooked because of my slicing technique!

I loved this dish and it has definitely made it into the queue for dinners.

Not Me! Monday

"Yes you did!"

"No, I didn't"

"But I saw you"

"You only thought you saw me"

"Are you sure?"

"Yep, it wasn't me, it was definitely Not me!"

Do you want to tell us what your "Not Me!" alter ego did this week?? You know what I'm talking about, those embarrassing things that are readily admitted when you can blame them on "Not Me"! Head over to MckMama's blog and tattle on Not Me! Come on, it'll be fun!
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It was "Not Me!" who saw a wrapped Hershey's kiss in the parking lot of my work and contemplated picking it up and eating it. I was wrapped after all, but I refrained. Chocolate has magical powers and makes you do crazy things, but this wasn't one of them.

It was also "Not Me!" who knocked 10 pairs of glasses off of a stand by slamming into it with my shopping cart. It was not my husband who just kept walking with my son. I did not hear him say, "Who is that lady" as he quickly walked away from the mess I had created.

I did not go to 3 different stores trying to find some glasses after I realized we were down to 3 and then not even buy any! How does that even happen? I did not freak out when I opened a box to check out the glasses and my son picked one up and it broke in his hand! Nope, not me! I wouldn't even let him get the chance to pick one up because I always pay close attention. Thank God he didn't get cut!!

It was so "Not Me", who was trying to organize the freezer, with my little boy hovering close by, when a lunch freezer block fell off the top shelf. I didn't have my hands full and, since I was unable to catch the block, put my knee up to deflect it before it fell on his head. It did not slam me squarely on the knee, and since I am not a huge wuss, I didn't fall to the floor in tears. Nathan's eyes didn't get as big as saucers as he yelled, "Momma, wha happened???" over and over again. The way he was saying it was not so funny that I forgot how much it hurt and started laughing hysterically at my toddler's concern for his mommy!

What did you "not" do this week?

Natey at 21 months

Hi buddy. You are 21 months old today. There is so much that you have been doing that I can barely keep up.

• You know all of your shapes and colors now. You can sort the flash cards we have by color and shape. When we drive by a school bus you have to make sure I know it's a "big, lellow, school bus".
• This first one brings me to the point that you are using 4 word sentences more and more these days. I can't even believe what comes out of your mouth sometimes. It just seems that you are still my baby, but my baby is talking in sentences now. I don't like that you're growing up so fast.
• You think you are batman. If a toddler could have an obsession, yours is Batman. If you see Spiderman you also call him Batman. You sing the Batman theme song and I sometimes even hear you doing it over the monitor when you are drifting off to sleep.
• Your hitting has reached a whole new level. We are working with you on it and I pray (for your sake and my sanity) that this phase is over soon.
• You say yes all of the time now. I love the way you say it. I sometimes ask you questions, I know you will say yes to, just to hear it.
• You are getting the idea of potty training. Every morning you wake up and ask for "pee pee toilet". Most of the time nothing happens, but you cry if I try to take you off,so we just sit there until you are ready to be done.
• Dare I say this, since I don't want to jinx myself, but you are the best eater. Sometimes it takes you a minute to warm up to something, but you eat almost everything Daddy and I do. I make curry, spicy turkey tacos, stir fry, you name it and you eat it up. I really hope this continues because it makes dinner a snap!
• You say, "Uh oh, sketios", and "yikes" when you do something like drop a toy or spill your juice.
• You can count to 12 (still leaving out 6, I don't know what you have against mommy's favorite number) and are starting to really count things. You came out of your room the other day with both of your blankets shouting, "two bankalees!!" and you like to count your food all of the time, whether it's grapes or beans.
• You call yourself, or anyone else doing something funny, a "silly goose".
• You have evolved from just saying "mout" when you want to get out of your high chair, car seat, or someone carrying you. You now say "keem out", which I can only assume is come out. You pretty much say it a minute after I have you strapped in the car and I have to explain all the way home why it's not possible.
• You still have 16 teeth and I think the 2 year molars are on their way in since you have been chewing on your fingers a lot lately.
• You love brushing your teeth. Mommy always gets to go first, but you always ask for more toothpaste when it's your turn.

You are almost 2 Natey-poo! I tell people that now, "he's almost 2", because I'm tired of counting in months. Pretty soon you'll be able to tell them yourself!! We love you sweetie and we especially love watching you grow.

Sew Sweet!

My newest creations!!

I hope the kids love 'em Rachel!!

This weekend I am going to town on a cute summer purse to celebrate Tarah's Blogversary, some kids crafts that I've been dying to do and more shirts for Aidan's 1st birthday!! Don't worry, I'll come up for air (and blogging) every once in a while!

Not Me! Monday

It's that time of the week again. You know, the beginning, or to those of us who have to go to work, the beginning of the end. That's how I see it. It is the end of my weekend, the beginning of getting through 5 days so I can have 2 to myself again. I don't always feel this way, but some weekends aren't filled with rest and relaxation, such as the one I just made it through. At least I can look back at last week and laugh. Have a giggle at the events that did not take place in my life. I can go to MckMama's blog and find comfort in the fact that I am not alone, as there are hundreds of us who seek refuge in the witty banter that is Not Me! Monday.
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I do not drive by this house all of the time and laugh about what is tagged on the front of it. I have not wanted to take a picture of it for months, yet never seem to have my camera when driving by. I was not happy when I finally got a picture of it, only to notice that the fence pole is covering up what even makes this picture laugh worthy in the first place...the apostrophe between the l and the s!

I am not bewildered and a bit embarrassed that my 20 month old son is turning into that kid and hitting everyone in sight. I did not just write a post begging for advice on what to do to nip this in the bud, before I loose my mind and duct tape his arms to his sides. {Hang up the call to CPS, I wouldn't really do that...at least not yet}

We have all walked into the wrong bathroom at one time or another, right? Maybe you don't notice the men's sign outside, you get in and "OOPS" you turn around and walk out. None of us has ever been looking at her missed calls, walked in to the men's room and right into the stall, completely missing the bank of urinals to her right. We have never seen someone walk in through the crack in the door and think it is a co-worker at the same event. No one I know has ever finished peeing, opened the stall door and saw a guy with his back to her peeing in the urinal and bolted out the door like a flash, without even washing her hands. Nope, that person does not exist. Never happened.

What did you "not" do this week??

THAT kid

Yup, I've got that kid. Which one you ask. The one who crazily runs around with boundless energy that is mind blowing to watch. The one who exhausts you just by watching him flit from place to place. Oh yes, I almost forgot, he's also the kid who hits. He hits other kids. He hits me and my husband. Basically, if you are in this boy's arm's reach, you could get decked. I HATE it!It is driving me nuts! I have tried everything from calmly telling him no while holding his hands and getting eye contact to timeouts, to telling him he hurt mommy and it makes her sad, to yelling, to using a firm tone but not yelling. I'd stand on my head and do the coo coo dance if I thought it would work. I make him say sorry after he does it and give hugs and kisses, but he is just not getting it. Now I know he's not even 2 yet and he is expressing his frustration, boredom, yada yada since he can't express himself completely verbally, but enough is enough. I need advice. I do not get offended easily and will take anything you say to heart, so fire away. No, seriously.

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His antics put a blemish on what would have otherwise been a fun weekend. We went to Liz's son Jack's birthday party and I had to follow Nate around like the playground Nazi to make sure he didn't strike (pun intended) when I wasn't looking. The only thing I hate more than that kid behavior is that mom who lets "precious" run around attacking other kids and doesn't do anything about it. So I tailed him and tried to stop him form hitting kids and drinking every juice cup he happened upon. After about an hour I was exhausted and finally got him to stand still for 10 minutes while I blew bubbles for the kids to pop. Liz and I have always talked about how high energy our kids are (Tommy and Nate) and she hadn't seen him in a while so I don't think she knew quite what to expect. She watched him bounce around like a pin ball for about an hour and then said, "You win" to which my bewildered self replied , "That is a contest I really don't want to win". Oh and did I mention while I was talking to Liz and holding Nate he hauled off and smacked me in the face. Yeah, that wasn't embarrassing or anything. Needless to say it was time to go and we went home and I turned him over to daddy because I had had my fill for the time being.**********************************************************

Today we went to a traveling zoo and carnival at the convention center with my friend Joelle and her son Tyler (and the rest of the family too). Things were going great, they were looking at the animals, Nate had ridden a couple of kiddie rides, the 4 of us rode and elephant and we were going to put them on a car ride together. I'm an idiot. I know my son's tendency to hit, why the hell did I not insist they ride in different cars?? Wishful thinking I guess. The ride operator took too long to start the ride, Nate got restless and started swinging his arm and hit Tyler not once but 4 times, in the FACE! Joelle and I ran back in to the ride and swooped a crying Tyler and a confused Natey out of the car. I was so upset and reprimanded him. Tyler was screaming and I brought Nate over to him and said, "You did this! You made Tyler cry. You hurt him". The look on his face was the only thing that showed me he understood even a little bit of his actions since he usually thinks it's funny when he hits.

This was right before the incident. We took Nate aside to get a change of scenery and have a snack and he was acting sad and very cuddly. I hate having to reprimand him like that but I can't have him hitting everyone. We ended up meeting back up with them after our little break but I was just done and it was getting late anyway so we headed out.

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The hardest part about him doing things like that is he is not always that kid. He can be so sweet and caring. He gives kids (and us) hugs and kisses and is just as happy as can be. He is a wonderful eater and and sleeps like a champ. He's smart as a whip, but I think that's part of the issue. I don't know if it is possible to keep him entertained to the point where he doesn't get bored or frustrated. He always has to be going and doing and, before you judge, this kids gets NO sugar. I barely give him juice. Please tell me the magical fix or that he'll grow out of this phase if I just keep being consistent in my reaction. I want my sweet kid to be what people see, not that kid.

California dreamin

Yes, you saw that correctly. The temperature on the dashboard of my rental car when I arrived in San Diego on Sunday. Funny thing is, when I boarded the plane in RI it was 21 degrees.

8 hours + 3000 miles = 60 degrees

I felt only mildly guilty that my husband would be shoveling snow that same day as we got a little over a foot in the time I was gone. I am so tired of winter. I want to be warm. I want to move back to California.

So why was I in sunny San Diego you might ask?? I had to attend a conference for work. I know, rough, right?? You don't know the half of it. Getting there was the hardest part! Hmm, let's see, what can go wrong in 1 (half) trip??

1. My flight got cancelled and I didn't get so much as an email letting me know.
2. They stuck me on another airline so I had to go to 2 ticket counters when I got to the airport.
3. My flight got in over an hour later than it was supposed to.
4. I end up with an "exit row" seat so I have no where to put my bag and my tiny tray was in the arm of my seat (which I didn't realize until after I was balancing my snack on my lap)
5. When informed of said tray, I tried to hold everything while I set it up and spilled my bagel chips all over the floor. Cheese spread without some sort of cracker type snack pretty much stinks!
6. When passing my snack box trash and empty (except for melting ice) cup to the flight attendant, I dropped the cup on the guy next to me's lap top (luckily no causalities).
7. When I arrived I tried to use the kiosk for my rental. After 10 minutes and putting in all my info it gave me an error and I had to go to the counter anyway.
8. I get my car all set and get half way to the exit when I realize there is no GPS, which I have paid for, so I have to park and haul all of my stuff back inside to get a new car.
9. 15 minutes later I am on the road with a 2 size upgrade with GPS. (Ok, so that was at least a positive!)

At least the resort where I stayed was awesome! I really missed my boys as soon as I got there and wish we were all on vacation together instead of me being away from them for work.

The good thing is, my sister and friend Suzin live about an hour and a half away (both in different directions) from where I was staying. They both came down on Sunday and we hung out and went out for sushi. We had good food, a few Saki bombs and relaxed

and hung out in my room. The thing that stinks the most about going somewhere alone (besides missing my rosy cheeked sleepy boy cuddles in the morning) is having to take pictures of yourself! Ha! I always feel like a moron when I am doing this and inevitably have to take 10 to get one good one. This picture was as good as it got for this session, so oh well.

I got to see a friend I hadn't seen since my mom's funeral too. He lives in San Diego with his wife and super cute baby girl. We went out to dinner and had Mexican food. I was so happy to have a good taco, I can't even tell you. I had a nice time seeing my sister and friends, managed to stay awake through the conference, didn't get an ounce of color since I was inside all day, was exhausted by the red eye that I took home, and now I'm back to the grind.

I am happy to be home with my boys, but {humming} I wish we all could be California girls residents!

Not Me! Monday

Let's just stick to the facts today people. No beating around the bush. Just spit it out. Let's just say what we mean and mean what we say..... There don't you feel better? That's what I thought. Head on over to MckMama's and put it out there for the world to see. Ok, maybe not the world, but you get my point.
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I didn't wear my gym clothes to work, with every intention of running 5 miles, and end up changing in the bathroom after I sat at my desk for 45 minutes cause I wasn't feelin' it. I never do that (no really, I don't)!

The other morning at breakfast, I did not absentmindedly pour cream on my half eaten pancakes, instead of syrup. Hypothetically, if something like this did happen, it would have been because the syrup and the cream were in the exact same cutesy little decanter and not because I don't pay attention!

I am not so used to having a toddler in the car at all times that I said, "Oh, big truck" and even pointed to it, AFTER I had dropped Natey off at daycare. I do not talk to myself. I did not laugh hysterically at my own expense when I realized I was alone in the car. Nope, not me!

I did not almost drop Natey off of my shoulders while trying to get the keys from my hubby in the store. I didn't freak out on him and tell him it would have been his fault, if Nate had, in fact, fallen off. I always take responsibility for my actions!!

What did you "not" do this week??

Woman Overboard!!

Sometimes it just happens. You go a store to get something specific and end up with a lot of non-specific, just for fun things. I have really been getting into my crafting lately and had a request for 3 coordinating shirts. I needed to get 3 different fabrics. What I got instead was 17. That's close to 3, right? I couldn't help myself. I'm like one of those creatures attracted to bright, shiny things. If I were a fly, you'd best bet I'd be the first one to kamikaze into that zapper thing. Can you blame me though???

We have been doing so well with cutting back on the spending. I have not really bought anything for myself in over a month. We haven't been going out to dinner, have had one date night (since Jan!!!) all in the name of frugality. Well, after I found out about my bonus, I let the reigns slip on the spending. It was only for one day, but it didn't stop with the fabric (see my last post for more on that)!

Oh, well. Does anyone have a life raft 'cause this woman went a little overboard.