More than you ever wanted to know-Tag!!

Ok, so I got tagged twice this week by some of my new bloggy friends. Rather than do an individual post for each one I will have a tag-off right here before your very eyes!! That's right people, two tags for the price of one!!
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The first one is from Tarah over at Eyeglasses & Endzones. I am supposed to state 15 random things about myself, so here goes....

1. I am so analytical that I have a hard time cooking creatively. I have a compulsive need to follow the directions in a recipe, down to the tsp. My hubby laughed at me once because I measured out 6 cups of water to boil Mac'n'Cheese. This is also why I am an excellent baker!

2. Playing off of number one and my overly analytical mind, I have a weird habit when I work in the lab. When I use pipette tips out of the box, I have to use them in rows. I can't stand when people hunt and peck all over the box. I guess I am slightly OCD. There, I said it, now you don't have to!!

3. That being said, I am equally obsessed with becoming more artsy and crafty. I love all things creative like photography, scrap booking, sewing, you name it. I just have to try really hard because I am not innately creative. I am working on it though. I finished my test run of a sewing project and I was so excited it turned out so well for my first time!!

4. When I got pregnant with Natey I wanted a girl so bad I could taste it! I was my mom's first born and we had an amazing relationship so I wanted that for myself too. The funny thing was, from the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew I was having a boy, and now I wouldn't change it for anything!

5. I would love to be more edgy when it comes to fashion, but I am not willing to wear uncomfortable shoes.

6. I have a weird sense of humor and lot of what I think is hilarious, people don't get. I guess I just love irony and clever play-on-words humor.

7. I had a major uncomfortable moment at my bachelorette party. The "dancer" finished his spiel and then tried to offer us "Fire and Ithssss (Ice)" for an extra charge. I was so embarrassed I pulled my maid of honor and another bridesmaid in to the bathroom and told them I had absolutely NO interest in whatever "Fire and Ice" was and I wanted him out of there IMMEDIATELY!!!!

8. I can identify cultures of bacteria by their smell. (Sorry I am a science geek!!)

9. I want to get a tummy tuck and a boob job after I am done having babies.

10. I wanted to be a doctor when I first started school, but then I worked in a hospital. I decided that I couldn't deal with other people's sorrow and pain all day without deadening my heart. That was a sacrifice I was not willing to make.

11. I am the world's worst speller. That being said, I am so vigilant about using spell check, that I even copy paste my comments into Word and check them before I post (most of the time). Nothing annoys me more than spelling and grammatical errors.

12. I check on my son every night before I go to bed. I have to do it, not my hubby. Even if he checks I will still do it. I guess I need to see him with my own eyes.

13. I only have 5 true friends. I have many acquaintances and friends, but only 5 people know my secrets.

14. I love how I feel after I exercise, but I have to force myself to go to the gym EVERY time. You'd think it would get easier, but I really just hate it.

15. If I could have one wish, I would wish to have my mother back. I would even trade one of my senses for it.
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The next tag was from Brooke at Dinky pops no more. She tagged me with the five things quiz. Wow, if you're not bored enough from the first 15 things, by all means, read on!!

Five Things I was Doing 10 Years Ago {November 1998}
1. I had started my first semester at Cal State Fullerton. I loved my townhouse in Orange County! Only 15 minutes from the beach. :o)
2. I had just turned 20, but because of my idiocy (I can see this now) I had a fake ID and was going a little crazy.
3. I went to a party at Dennis Rodman's house in Newport. Yes he is as weird and creepy as he seems on T.V.
4. I was working at Jerry's Famous Deli in Costa Mesa, CA. I was always running late to work and would hop in the carpool lane to pass all of the traffic. I never got caught, but if I had it was a $271 fine!!
5. I was in the best shape of my life. I worked out 1-2 hours a day and was in a size 6. The down side was that I barely ate and I had to work out like a fiend. I will never be that size again. Not worth it!!!

Five Things on My To-Do List
1. Get the yard all locked down for the winter. This includes blow out the sprinklers, cover our patio furniture and the grill, clean up all of the grapes that have fallen off the vine onto our deck and close the pool.
2. Stop putting off a project I have to do in the lab. OK I am doing it today!!!! I mean it this time, Joyce!!
3. Make diaper cakes and onesies for our craft exhibit at work.
4. Order pictures for my grandma, especially since I told her I already did it!!
5. Get my eyebrows waxed. They are a sight to see right now!

Five Things I Like to Snack On
1. Anything with chocolate, except chocolate mint, yuck!
2. Yogurt
3. Granola bars
4. Blue corn sesame chips. Mmmm, I want some now!!
5. Peanuts

Five Things I Would Do If I Were a Millionaire
1. Help my friends and family out.
2. Have as many babies as the good Lord would want me to have, since I could support them and not have to work!
3. Travel the world
4. Have my hair blown out all the time. I suck at it and it always looks so good when they do it for you at the salon! Oh, and have massages at least once a week.
5. I would hire a chef who would cook me good food that was good for me!

Five Places I Have Lived
1. Springfield, OR
2.Costa Mesa, CA
3. Studio City, CA
4. Las Vegas, NV
5. Providence, RI

Five Jobs I’ve Had
1. Food server
2. Graduate teaching assistant
3. Research associate
4. Senior Associate
5. Mommy (my favorite!)
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Well, if that was just more about me than you ever needed to know, blame Brooke and Tarah!! I guess I will tag a couple people, but if you don't wish to participate, I won't cry about it!! Oh yeah, and just pick one. I don't expect anyone to spend as much time as I just did on this post!!!

Katie @ This Crazy Life
Heidi @ Mommy doesn't live here any more
Heidi @ Sacred and Profane

I picked you guys because you usually crack me up and I'm sure your lists will be way more entertaining than mine!!!

Not Me! Monday

Another week has gone by and that means another 7 days of things I could not have possibly done! Drop on by MckMama's blog and get your free therapy by seeing that you're not alone in the random happening of the week!

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I did not sign up for a flu shot, a dentist visit and minor surgery all in the same week! I am not a glutton for punishment and am smart enough to space these things out.

While having surgery on my arm, I did not have an entire conversation with the doctor and nurse about living in California and the celebrities I used to wait on while putting myself through school. I don't even know how that topic came up. I did not also love the fact that they were hanging on my every word like I too was a celebrity for even coming in contact with these people. I don't need attention to make myself feel good!

I did not scream at my hubby several times for bumping into my stitches and sending a shot of pain up my arm. I never scream. Nope, not me!! I always nicely state my feelings. After lecturing him on being more careful, I did not bang the same spot on the refrigerator door and try not to scream again.

I did not almost do the happy dance when I got the guy hygienist at the dentist office (see this post for details). I also did not smile smugly and walk by the room where the annoying woman hygienist was talking the head off of some poor unsuspecting soul trapped in her chair! Nope, not me!

My toddler was not acting like a lunatic to the point I wanted to duct tape him to the floor. Not my child! He is so well behaved and never hits me or the TV with the remote (or his blocks, or his sippy cup...etc).

I did not buy my son a Boobah book because he was amazed by the bright colors and because it was the only thing keeping him quiet in the store. I HATE that show and would never promote those stupid blobby weird [animals?] things. {What the heck are they supposed to be anyway??}


I did not lay awake last night wondering and worrying about when to have another baby. Part of that worry was not about whether I am capable of handling another baby in conjunction with the crazy, screamy, high energy munchkin I already have running around.

What did you "not" do this week??

Enough for one day

Before I get in to this post I want to thank my friend Liz at About a Boy (or Two) for making my amazing new layout and header! Pop over to her blog to check her out and let her know what an awesome job she did!

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I have had a long day. I had minor surgery on my arm to remove a suspect mole that they sent out for biopsy and now my sutures are bleeding. I already had a flu shot and a dentist visit this week, so I am all poked and prodded out. Natey didn't get his morning nap and decided an hour in the afternoon was enough for him. He has been running me ragged all day. For those of you who have 3+ kids, I hope none of them are as crazy as my almost 17 month old. If they are, God bless you because I don't know if I could do it if there were more of him. As we speak he is screaming (for fun not because he's upset) while daddy finishes up the bed time routine. He's lucky he's so cute. It's the only thing that keeps me from duct taping him to the floor some days.

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I also promised my hubby's brother that I would hem his pants for a wedding he was going to tonight. I just got my sewing machine and hadn't even set it up yet. I had to run to the fabric store at 2:30pm to get thread and some shears (and of course some fun fabric to practice for my first real project). I got home and managed to measure, cut, zigzag stitch and whip stitch his pants and was finished with 10 min to spare before he had to leave! I must say, for my first sewing project since I made scrunchies for myself in high school, I did a great job. Yes, I said scrunchies. You know you had them and rocked 'em like they were going out of style!

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I am tired and bleeding and have a bizillion shows to catch up with on my DVR so that is all for now. Isn't my new layout cute?? Thanks again Liz!!!

When a problem comes along.....

....you must ZIP it!
I hate going to the dentist, but not for the reason you might think. Sure the drills and suction-y thing aren't my favorite, but there is something I dread more than the pain in my mouth. The hygienist...

There are 2 hygienists at the office, one guy and one gal. I've had them both, but generally end up with the woman cleaning my teeth. She drives me nuts because she talks the ENTIRE time you are getting your teeth cleaned. First of all, you can't exactly talk back while some one's hands are in your mouth so I'm not sure if she expects me to answer or to simply listen as she burns a hole in my brain with her babbling. My first appointment with her was when I was pregnant. She kept asking me questions to which I kept replying, "muhnhhfluhuh." She didn't seem to notice that my answers were unintelligible and kept firing away. I had her again when I was 3 weeks in to maternity leave and exhausted beyond belief. I was tired and unfortunately had a headache when I got to the office. She started taking away and this time I just closed my eyes and didn't say anything back, at all. But this didn't stop Talky McTalkerson from continuing her one-sided conversation despite my lack of interest and/or participation.

I got to the office today dreading my visit. But then it happened; I hit the hygienist jackpot! Yes! I was so visibly excited when the guy came out and called my name that he probably thought he had a stalker. As he walked me back to the room I felt instantly better. And then I saw her, in the room across from mine, yapping her head off at the poor soul in the chair. Ahhh, but this time it is not me! Scraping and poking aside, I had a silent, wonderful cleaning. He opened the door to call the dentist in to give my teeth a once-over and I heard....

"I had a dream last night that I was on a beach. The most beautiful beach you've ever seen and I found all of the earrings I had ever lost."

Guy hygienist: "Do you want to schedule your next cleaning now?"

Me: "Sure."

Guy: "I have a 8:30 on June 8th with [crazy, talk your ear off, make you want to poke your own eyes out lady]."

Me: "Can I have you again?"

Guy: {Wierd look} "Um, sure."

I don't care if he thinks I'm a stalker. I can't do it again. It would be detrimental to my brain.

Footless and Fancy Free

On my quest to continue learning and expand my vocabulary I decided that one of my 101 goals (see my sidebar for more on this topic) would be to learn a new word every day. I have expressed my disdain before about some of the words that they choose as the word of the day on dictionary.com, but today's word takes the cake.

Footless:without a foot or feet.

Um, really, I mean come on people. If you don't know that footless means no feet, that is just sad. I am this close to abandoning this goal or find my word fix elsewhere. In all honesty I am too lazy busy to remember to look up a word every day and I subscribed to this word of the day thing so I would find a tid bit of knowledge in my inbox each morning. I actually felt a little dumber after I opened today's email.

Wordful Wednesday-Walk this way

Ok Liz, you were right. I can't always hang with the whole wordless thing. Some pictures speak for themselves, but most of the time, the story behind the picture is what makes it so fun.

Please welcome the newest member of Run-D.M.C. All he needed was the hat and a thick gold chain. This little track suit that Natey is wearing cracks me up. His uncle Barak and his Fiance Sarah bought it for Nate for his birthday and I just get the biggest kick out of it. He seriously looks like a little man in this outfit. The only mistake that I made was letting him wear it out of the house. You see, white and my child are not a good mix. Come to think of it, I'm not really sure why they even make white clothes for babies, toddlers, or adults for that matter. A white shirt on me is like a magnet for dirt, grime and any food particle within a 10 mile radius. But, I digress. We went for a quick shopping trip and to eat lunch. I took the jacket off of him, but lets just say that the cute white shirt that was underneath is now a not so cute stained mess. Oh well, he still looked so freakin cute in it!! Thanks "Nuncle BBBB!"

JUST DO IT!

I am not a political activist. I will not try to tell you who to vote for. I believe that caring for our country means caring enough to get out there and voice your opinion. I was in line at 7am this morning and, I am happy to say, so were many others. It was 35 degrees out but people were still in line wanting their voice to be heard. So, that's it people.

"To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain." ~Louis L'Amour

Not Me! Monday

MckMama may not participate today, which is pretty understandable since she just got home with her little miracle, Stellan. That won't stop me though! I have confessions to make and I bet you do too.

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I did not go into work late on Monday just because it was my birthday and I didn’t feel like waking up to an alarm.

If I was late and security waved me to an alternate parking lot (that is like a mile from my building) because our parking structure was “full”, I would not have been defiant and drove all the way around the back side of the parking structure and found a spot right in front! Nope, not me, I always do what I’m told.

I didn't, for a night, pretend I was turning 21 instead of 30 and have 2 too many beers (don't freak I only had 4 in a 6 hour time frame) at the Coldplay concert. I did not feel like I had been hit by a Mac truck the whole next day and sit at my desk hoping no one asked me to do any real work. That would be irresponsible, and 30-year-olds are mature and rational.

I did not get undressed to take a shower and step in before I realized that I forgot to take my socks off. Who does that? Not me!

When Natey woke up at 6 am on Sunday I did not huff under my breath that it was way too early to get up with him and let him stay in his crib for 20 more minutes. When I fed him breakfast I didn't think I was loosing it when the clock in the kitchen said it was almost 9 am. I then didn't run into the living room and check the time on the cable box, have an "aha!" moment, and realize that it was daylight savings time! I didn't feel terrible for making him stay in his crib, since he had actually slept to his normal time of 7am.

What did you "not" do this week??

Halloween Festivites

A quick look back to last year....Natey was 4 months old. Obviously Halloween was more for us than for him, but we had tons of fun celebrating our first fall season with the boy. We got him neked and stuck him in a pumpkin and dressed him up like a tiger. It was so much easier to get a great shot of him when he wasn't so squirmy!

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Now back to the present! Halloween was a full day of fun for Nathan. He goes to a home daycare and I love that she does fun activities with them, like making cookies. Nathan actually did a great job using the rolling pin. Of course, all of the boys got to eat a cookie and he didn't want to take his nap after that. Have I mentioned before how this kid DOES NOT need any sugar in his life??? He goes crazy!

I brought his costume to daycare with him. Rachel's twin boys are almost 3 and they love dressing up. I figured it would be fun if Nathan got to play along. The boys had the same monkey costumes last year, so Rachel dressed Nathan and her youngest, Lily, up and took some cute photos for me to see. They look like they were having so much fun.

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We decided that we would take Nathan trick-or-treating with his cousin Lily. She is 2 1/2 and loves Nathan to death. She gets such a kick out of the fact that he can say her name. We only stayed out for about an hour and the kids had a great time. I must say, getting a good picture of my wiggly monkey is hard enough, but throw a flighty butterfly in the mix and you end up with lots of blurry shots. Luckily we got 1 good one out of the whole thing, though it did take a lot of effort!

After we were finished collecting candy, we went back to a family friend's house and chatted a bit before heading home. Nathan was fascinated with a skull that moved its eyes and jaw when you pushed a button. Apparently all of the other kids were afraid of it, but not him!

We had a really good time this year. Of course I shouldn't have even collected candy because now it is sitting in a smiling pumpkin bucket taunting me. I won't eat it...well, much of it! Happy Halloween every one!