Will run for wine ...

Competition. What a perfect choice of topic for today. It's like Jana reads my mind sometimes.

This morning I slept in. I woke up late and caught someone's facebook status talking about their overnight breakfast disaster.

SHOOT!

I ran downstairs like a maniac reminded of my own.

Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal.

Slop. Glop. FLOP.

My husband worked at the garage - he has been for days - there's only so much I, at my height, can do, but I try anyway.

My daughter is in the way. I bring her inside and we work at baking a cake. Well, it's bread, but it's filled with chocolate swirl and I plopped it in my bundt pan, so it may as well be a cake, right?

She's in again. She's been asking me to go scootering for the past - well - HOURS. OH SO MANY HOURS.

In the midst of baking she starts sorting through one of my utensil drawers. She's creating a statue of wine corks.

SHe's pulling things out, piling them on the counter. She looks too cute. She's got her helmet on all freakin' day. Her knee pads, too. I'm not kidding. I instagrammed a pic of her. I'll share it here, too. Sigh.

Back to baking - I flopped - no typo there - i flipped. Flipped out on her. I lost it. I gave her the WHY!?! WHY!?! WHY!?! shout. You know the kind. I did that. I caved into my wall.

She's a good kid. I know it. I feel it. And yet she battles us constantly. SOmetimes just because. Other times because she is a kid who likes to do that. She likes to grind things to the bone. Do all kids do that? I don't know. I think they do and sometimes I think they don't.

And yet ...

Who am I competing with here?

Other mothers? My husband? The perfect mom? My child? Most often these things are not really the case. I know who I'm competing with here.

MYSELF.

I battle myself every single day. My mind. My heart. The way things are. Could be. Should be. It's forever a competition, isn't it?

The way we want and hope things will be and the way they often are?

I think my five minutes went over but the husband and child just came in to tell me that they found a black widow in the garage. Remind me to STOP going out there barefoot or just in socks, would you please?

And remind me to have that drink tonight. I bought three bottles of fun liquor last night. And sometimes I just deserve a cheers! And if she asks me one more time "Can we go scootering?" I might just bust into one NOW. It's 5 O'clock somewhere, right?

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Testing Limits and How I Respond

So we've been home from NY for like two days now, and my daughter knows exactly how to test limits with me in a way that not only makes me miss my family just because I DO miss my family - - but in a way that makes me wish being there with my family because they're a great buffer for the windows of time we have together.

Is that horrible of me?

I love spending time with my child. I do. I truly do.

But some days -- like today most especially (as I write this it is Tuesday. I will post it on Wednesday).

But she pushes my buttons like nobody else. She tests limits that she knows I have set for her. For us. For our family and our home.

And yes. I know that she is four years old. And really, what can one expect from a four-year-old, exactly?
Oh, I don't know. Maybe the sense to leave me alone for a minute when I ask her to STOP BLOWING BUBBLES AT MY HEAD. ESPECIALLY WHILE I AM ON THE COMPUTER.

Any guesses as to when that happened? *If you said right this second you'd be a winner. But I have no prize. Honestly, the caplock was a dead giveaway, right?*
So I'm tired. And I'm twitchy. And I just want a few minutes alone.

And yeah, sometimes I think to myself it would make sense to pop her into preschool right about now. And I'd love to, but spending that money while I sit home on my behind just doesn't make that much sense. For me. For us. But I should look into something. There has to be something that can give us that perfect balance of time together and time apart.

That perfect frame of our day where I don't find myself saying something like, SERIOUSLY? Again with the scissors and random paper pilings all over the living room floor?

Again?

Sigh.

Small things set me off. But alas, I am only human. I am a mother. A good one. But I'm also entitled to moments of bad mommy mode. When I just want to lock myself in the bathroom with a good book or a trashy magazine filled with celebrity gossip, or hide out in the kitchen with a piece or two or ten of chocolate. Which reminds me, my husband picked up some Dove bars on his way home last night. I hid them in the fridge. How could I forget?

Hang on chocolate treats, Mama's coming!

p.s. Please remind me to find a place to hide that awful baby doll stroller that used to live in the garage until she saw it. Because not only does the sound of the thing on the hardwoods drive me to want to drink but Dexter, our dog? Hates that friggin thing with a passion only puppies in their mid-60s could have.

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Naked Barbies, Pretzel Ice Cream and why Samuel L. Jackson needs to come to my house

I'm so tired. I'm freaking exhausted. My husband was away for work all last week and my daughter decided to use that as a perfect way to show that she was "sad" and she "missed Daddy" and she just would not go to sleep before midnight. I'm on the fast track to some melatonin here - and it may happen for real soon. And no, I don't mean for me. I already take it on occasion. As needed, and all.

And seriously, people. Will I ever learn to spell occasion on the first try? How hard is it? TWO Cs and then one S. Two first. One next. Sigh. One of these days.

So, today I hung out at Maggie Moos all day. Yep. An ice cream place. We did a fundraiser for the mom's group I volunteer with (read=find my sanity from. And some of my insanity, as well!) and I hung out from about 2-4:30 or so. And I only bought one cup of ice cream. That's pretty impressive for that long a window of time, no?

And yes, my friends. I know that now you're shifting your eyes up to the title of this post. Thinking to yourself - really? Pretzel ice cream? No. No way. What on earth? But yes. It IS real. And it was pretty good! Although I am regretting not adding a mix-in. I should have gone with those M&Ms I was eyeing. Instead I opted for a scoop of that and a scoop of Cinamoo. Any guesses what that one is made of? I did learn that if you call them at Maggie Moos and ask them to get your flavor ready, they'll do it for you. I see visions of gallons of Chai ice cream in my future. As that totally and absolutely rocks. R-O-C-K in the USA. Say what?

Ah, yes. You must be wondering about the whole naked Barbie thing. Yep. She's in that stage. My child. My 4-year-old. I bought her a few "Barbie" type dolls today at a consignment sale (total score that there was one in the BUILDING we play soccer in!) So I gave her one as a surprise when we got in the car. She loved it. Supposedly it was Alex from Wizards of Waverly Place ... go on ... join me now, you know you want to ...

Who says?
Who says you're not perfect?
Who says you're not worth it?
Who says you're the only one who ... something?
Who says, what's the use in crying ... something something something?
Whoooo Says?

Nanananananana! Lalalalalalalla!

Who says?

Yes, I like it. What of it? I am just hoping Selena doesn't go the way of Vanessa Hudgens and chop off all her hair as a rebellion of sorts while her ex-Zac becomes the available eye candy for women everywhere. Or something like that. Poor thing. She was so cute, too. Ah, well.

Now, where was I? Oh, right. Naked Barbies. The first thing this child wanted to do was take the doll's clothing off. I mean straight away. We avoided it until tonight when I got home, but I told her that this stuff was so fitted that I might not be able to help her get it back on poor miniature Selena. Which would not be good for our visit to NY in the future when she would get to connect with my niece's three or four Justin Bieber dolls. No, that wouldn't be pretty at all.

And lastly, if anyone sees Samuel L. Jackson while you're out and about, please ask him if he'd be willing to come to my house. I don't have a budget that I'm sure he is used to, but with fall approaching - or here just not here in NC here - I'm happy to make him some pumpkin muffins, or oatmeal, or coffee, or pretty much any recipe he finds on Pinterest as long as it's 5 ingredients or less. ANYTHING at all. As long as he can help me get my kid the f*ck to sleep.

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Stream of Consciousness: It's Sunday Y'all

Last Sunday at this time I was not yet in bed. Or maybe I was. I honestly forget the time frame. But this Sunday I am avoiding bed, as usual. It's been quite the week. And I'm quite exhausted. I'm happy to be back home, but I am still in woosh mode after the Type A Parent Conference. I know - I know - I can't stop talking about it. I promise it'll just be one more post after this. I mean it!

Anyway - as 1AM rapidly approaches, I must write about something totally different for my Stream of Consciousness post.

Wal-mart.

We did a quick stop at Wal-mart tonight, at around 11:00, and wow. It was packed. And it's not so much that it was packed, after all *I* was there, too, right? But I'm talking about people with cartload after cartload packed, AND. Ready? Get this.

People on line were buying barbecues. As in GRILLS. At ELEVEN PM.

What the fletch?!?

Seriously, people? Grills at eleven o'clock at night? I was buying dog biscuits (poor dog hasn't had any in days), a loaf of bread, two Starbucks frappucinos (for the morning) and frozen pancakes (also morning). Oh, and I picked up a copy of All You magazine, or something like that. With the $50+ worth of Qs in there that make up the few bucks I spent on the mag itself.

Anyway, I think my five minutes is almost up but seriously people. If you want a grill, trust me, it's way better to do your comparison shopping earlier in the day. Even if it IS July fourth weekend.

** This has been a post for linking with All Things Fadra's Stream of Consciousness Sunday. I was supposed to take five minutes and just talk - which I did. Believe it or not I started at 12:55 and ended at 1AM. And on that note - to bed I go!

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How Do I Look?

If you are new here (and many of you are - thanks and welcome! Pull up a chair, get your cuppa on, cuppa whatever works for you - of course!) you may not have noticed the change, but I got bored with my blue and brown background, and so I opted for something a bit more spring-y.

So, whatcha think?

Be honest with me. I can take it. Too bright? Too flowery? Too pink? Too -- not me? Tell it like it is, please. Honestly, I'm asking. Does this blog make my butt look fat?

Although I haven't taken my happy pill today, since I ran out, and might be over-emotional and throw a brick at you, or something. But not hard enough to hurt, plus my aim kinda' sucks, so I wouldn't be too afraid.

And it's not like my cat just sh!t on the counter or anything. Or like I've been wiping and blowing my own nose with toilet paper or baby wipes since I'm running out of tissues. Or that I've been using my shirt to wipe my daughter's nose, which has been running for days. I mean, I'm in a frig-tastic mood over here, and I'm sure that the slightest little comment from one of you, my trusty and loyal and fun-loving followers won't push me over the edge or anything.

Did I use that phrase already? Sorry. Lost my creative juices. Must have thrown them out with the POOP my cat just left on the counter. Right where he eats. Whatever happened to not sh!tting where you eat? I mean, isn't that a rule of some sort? Or is that just about relationships? Yeah, that's probably it. Probably not the best time to confess that my ex-boyfriend was someone I worked with. And my husband and I used to work together, as well. Hmmn? So THAT's what that saying means.

Well, if anyone wants to tell Neo that it means something different, I'm all for it. Because if this happens again I might lose my ever-lovin'-mind. Even my old-man-cat who passed in November never did something that ridiculous. And he did his bidness in many places. MANY.

Anybody have a mega-Hershey bar and a vat of sweet tea available? E-mail me for my address. Aw man, scratch the chocolate, I'm kind of feeling ill right now. I'll accept ice cream, though. Vanilla works perfectly.

Oh, man. Now I need to change the color of my signature, cause that looks AWFUL.

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Manic Monday

It's not a meme. It's just my own little recap of how Mondays seem to go. If you're having a manic Monday, as well, feel free to comment and let me know. If not, well, comment anyway! I like to know I'm not alone in this!

So, what makes Mondays manic? Well, where to begin?

Mondays are manic because hubby goes back to work. Yes, I get to sleep in on the weekends, and he never lets me forget it, and I probably sleep later than he does on weekdays, because I tend to wait until the very last minute I can possibly wake up, which usually has my child standing on top of me, or hovering over me, until I open my eyes. Manic enough start for you?

We took a walk today, which was nice, but we also had to take the babies with us. In their dolly stroller. Which is fine. And I encourage(d). And I didn't mind stuffing in Perry, Pounce (a kitty-cat beanie baby that was mine ages ago from old friends, but is now in the child's possession. At least she let me tell her his name!), and not one, not two, but four babies. Oh, wait! I forgot about Naked Baby. Five. Five babies. Two teeny tiny small ones, and two medium ones and then her bitty baby. Ah, the fun of it all. And so, when she asked me to push her babies in their stroller and I refused, I at least twice had to threaten to leave them where the stroller stood, as you know what? I may be 5'2-3/4" and all (shut up, they just measured me at the doctor's office) but it's annoying as all heck to hunch over and walk that d@mned stroller down the street. YOU wanted to bring them out, YOU push the thing. OK? OK, Mommy.

-- Child's line of thoughts surely had her wondering if Mommy took her happy pill this morning. I did, I did. But I probably could have used a second! --

Anyway, the babies and crew and the child and I made it home safely. At some point this afternoon I tried to sneak upstairs to tag some inventory for our Saturday sale. She found me. I mean, I couldn't have been up there for 5 minutes before she came up. Come on, kid! Phineas and Ferb are on for a reason!

And so, now, here I am, typing this while she eats a PB&J (my choice this evening) for dinner. She really wouldn't eat lunch, but did have "bugs" [pkg of fruit chews] and a Danonino yogurt, and a few noodles, and, well, something else, I'm sure. Oh, yes, almost two Target brand pop-tarts this morning. throughout the morning. so she was OK to skip lunch, don't you think? Oh, wait! That wasn't even breakfast. Breakfast was turkey sausage and egg-white patties. The kid can surely eat!

Anyway, here we are. Manic Monday winds down with my figuring out what to make for hubby for dinner, and heading down the street to a bidness meeting. And how's by you?

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Putting myself in Time-Out

Right now. Right this second.

See, I created a fun bucket (sort of) for my daughter last night. It's filled with pasta and rice, more specifically, orzo, white rice, pastina and alphabet pasta. I should have known it'd be messy, especially when it comes to this kid, but I figured what better way to play her own version of search and rescue, so to speak?

I put 15 beads in there, and yesterday we played for what seemed like hours. This morning she wanted to get on it, ASAP. So we played some more. The most important instruction in this game is that she MUST PLAY OVER THE BIN. 100% of the time. Otherwise it's noodle/rice central all over my friggin' floor. Anyone else struggle with this? Creative time = making a mess? Well, let's just say Mama may need an extra happy pill this morning. Or at the very least it truly was a prediction when I asked hubby to bring me home an iced chai latte from B&N yesterday, and he brought me a Venti (as if he even knows what that size means!) And this AM when I opened the fridge to get a beverage for Happy Pill #1, I nearly cried with relief when I saw it there. For it's so easy to forget you have the beverage of your choice waiting for you.

And so, when the child made her first mess of the morning, I was calm. And I told her if it happened again the TOY gets a time out, but she does not. Of course, stupidly, mommy gave her a small car to play with in the bin. D'uh. Stupid mommy. Stupid -- stupid mommy. Sigh. Mess #2 has mommy pounding the table and about ready to bite my own arm. I'm so serious. So the toy got a T-O, the TV got turned on and I have Team OomiZoomi or whatever the he!! they're called mesmerizing said child. And here I am.

Is that bad? Is that OK? Please validate me. It's so little for me to ask of you, isn't it? Just that small request. And so, here I am. Dog barking outside. Several memes awaiting my attention. And me, sitting here. With you. Well, not WITH you, but talking TO you. Which I guess may mean I'm talking to myself. But hey, what the heck? Why not do it on paper (electronically) as opposed to sit on the couch and actually DO it? Talk to myself. What? You don't do it? Dude, I was walking around Target yesterday and got caught doing it. Guy laughed and said he does it all the time. Thank goodness. Another similar soul. Whew. As I was saying ... what WAS I saying, anyway?


btw: This Team OomiZoomi guy totally sounds like Joe from Blues Clues. I mean it. I need to go google him now. Uhm, the show. I have no idea, well, no, that's a lie. Him name is Donovan Patterson? Something like that. [I checked - it's Patton!] Holy cr@p. And I only know that because he has done some crazy Noggin/Nick JR commercial for reading or something and SAYS his name. At least I think that's it. OK. I'm done rambling about Joe now. I much prefer Steve, anyway. [And it's TOTALLY HIM!!!! I'm so smart in the world of Kid-TV!]

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Anyone else ..?

Ever feel the urge to pick up a bottle of wine and throw it against the wall so it shatters?

No? So it's just me, then?

Well, of course I'd prefer it be an empty bottle, but I mean some fresh, shattering glass to get out your frustrations? Like when your child refuses to go to bed, AGAIN. And gets up crazy early, AGAIN. And is a really good girl all day, but at night is quite the opposite. And forces you to say something totally ridiculous like, 'If you don't go to bed RIGHT NOW you will not be allowed to play outside in the snow tomorrow!' (Yes, it's snowing here in NC. It's a Christmas miracle! Not really, but you get me -- right?)

Sigh. Seriously. That kind of night. So instead of throwing my bottle of vino, I'm about to crack it open. And if you've never heard of this brand before, I suggest you look into it [though their website leaves a little to be desired, but hey, it's good wine.] It's quite ah-proh-poh. (heh heh, sure, that's how you spell it!)

And since my loving husband neglected to pick up something sweet for me as he stopped at Walmart on the way home (Love you, hunny. Good thing you don't read this!) I got to dive into the baker's chocolate again tonight. Fun stuff. Hard as a rock, might break a tooth on it, but I want chocolate, d@mnnit. And if I don't get some I might have to double up on my happy pills. And I'm not sure that's a good idea. Or maybe it is ... sweet dreams, all!

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When you go to bed at 1AM

Should it be a given that your child is going to wake up at 6?

And, as usual, not want to lay in bed with you and hubby, but move around, barely give you a chance to fall back to sleep, and crank crank crank the whole time?

Yeah ... I thought so. Thanks.

Any tips on how to get a toddler to STAY IN HER ROOM (short of locking her in) when she gets up too early, or at the very least wanting to go back to sleep in our bed for an hour or two (which would be totally cool with us at that point) please send them my way.

And again, thanks.


p.s. And no lectures on why I was up so late, I was actually working. I know, I know, WHAT-EVER. But I was. Did I have to do it til 1AM, no, probably not, but those are my better hours. Did I mention I'm not a morning person? Yeah, I think you got that by now.

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PLAY BY YOURSELF!

Oh, daughter, PLEASE just give me ONE SECOND of free time and PLAY BY YOURSELF.

I don't understand why it is so hard. The minute I walk away to do something, anything, pee, check my e-mail, clean up around the house a bit, did I mention pee? ... you find the need to start getting into anything and everything, BUT what we were playing with together.

Like today. Right now. I opened up some play foam (!?!) and we're having fun. I decided to clean for a minute or two, create a new cat from the shedded fur on our floor, and check my e-mail to see if someone is coming by to pick up non-perishables I am donating to be sent to Haiti. And you cannot sit still. WHY? Why not? Just asking for a few moments here. Not that much, ya know? Just SIT DOWN and play. Leave the dog alone. Close the (you pick one) pantry, fridge, back door. Stop climbing things, asking for snacks and hanging onto my every move. Please. PLEASE. Pretty please?

Signed with love,
** Mommy about to check herself into a psychiatric ward just for a few days of peace and quiet.

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SO gross

WARNING: Not for the weak of stomach.

Last night I headed to bed early. And I really do mean early. Like went upstairs by 10PM. For me that's unheard of.

And on my way up the stairs, 1/2-eaten granola bar in hand, I stepped in it.

See, I leave the light off, as my daughter's bedroom is right at the top of the stairs. Her door is closed, and she has a nightlight that is bright enough to light up the friggin sky, so I don't know why I think she'd actually *see* the hall light go on or anything, but it's a force of habit, I guess.

And so, I stepped in it.

And my nice, loud reaction was "ARUGH!!!!" (She didn't wake up, thank G-d.)

Cat puke. And not just your normal hairball, or your normal spot of puke, but enough that I went toe deep in it. And nearly vomited.

Hubby basically said, 'Talk to me. What do you need?' What do you THINK I NEED????? He brought me a roll of paper towels. I cleaned up as best I could, after grabbing a baby wipe to clean off my foot (who says all that crap I have hanging off of the banister is a bad thing?) and went up to bed.

It's nasty. It's gross. And the only thing worse, well, I'm just glad it wasn't worse!

And good morning to you. I hope you've had your breakfast already. If not, I am truly sorry.

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Ugh ... Bananas

Any moms out there maintain their pregnancy aversions postpartum? And I mean almost THREE YEARS postpartum? Well, if you haven't, I'm here to tell you (and anyone else reading) that it happens. I'm a perfect example. Hee hee. Nice to be perfect once in a while, isn't it?

So, my story is that when I was pregnant oh-so-many-moons-ago, I became totally grossed out by bananas. Ick-O. I have yet to get back into the banana groove, and it's pretty difficult, because any person who has ever been with a young child for a few hours will likely know that kids seemingly LOVE bananas. I mean, seriously. At least my kid definitely does.

She could eat a handful of them daily, but I have ensured that she never goes over two. Blech.

Normally it's not been a problem. When she was little I kind of held my nose as I peeled and cut them up for her. As an "I Can Do It Myself" toddler, I don't have to worry about that at all. Until lately. Seems that she learned from her older cousins that the *black* parts are not good. I tried to convince her, and it seems to have worked some, that they're just a little mushy (ie: bruised) from too much squeezing. Because really, I'm in no mood first thing in the mornings to be breaking bananas to get the squishy part off. Have I said Blech yet?

Another thing I no longer partake in, and yet my daughter loves, is eggs. Yes, I bake with them, cook with them if I need to, maybe even once in a rare while feel like having a fake egg sandwich [read = Dunkin' Donuts,] but for the most part, total no-go.

It figures my kid loves the very things she caused me to hate, doesn't it? She did help me start loving sour cream, though, which is yummy for taste but not for my waist. Ha! As if I have had one of those for ages!

Anyway, that's my mini-mom-rant for the morning, hope you enjoyed.

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Waffles for breakfast ...

It seemed, for a short while, that I might never have waffles for breakfast again. Not because of the Eggo shortage (there was one, I swear!) but because I was so tired of the things. And because I bought a stash of interesting bagels at Panera this past weekend, but that's neither here nor there. ;)

And yet, I ask of you, what easier breakfast exists? Frozen waffles are SO simple to make = pop into toaster oven and wait. Beep. Ready. Eat before you walk into the other room. Done. Ask yourself, did I actually eat that? Oh, yes, I did. OK, walk back and get the second one. If you're smart you'll put some peanut butter on it this time. It'll stick to your ribs a bit longer (stupid saying, no? Not sure I've ever actually heard someone SAY that, I've just heard OF the saying.) Wait, on laptop and too lazy to walk back to kitchen to get second waffle. May be cold by the time you get to it, soggy, even? Perhaps hard as a rock? Ah, well. I'll get there.

And if not, hooray for smaller breakfast today! Good for you for watching what you eat!

No, no. Not really. You didn't "watch" what you ate. You just ate it. Hmmn. I suppose that's true. Go get the other one and eat it more slowly. I will, I will.

As soon as I finish this blog post/e-mail/work/volunteer work/deleting 900 spam messages/other e-mail/yet another e-mail (multiple personality much?) and then, THEN ... go get waffle.

Not really in the mood for waffle anymore. Open pantry. Star shaped graham cookie, anyone? [CanNOT wait to be done with those! Should just throw them away. People starving all over the world. What BS. You couldn't save people w. box of cookies. Evil cookies. Evil not-yet-3-year-old daughter who daily says, 'I need cookies, Mommy. Two for me and two for you.' (Not evil, just trained really well ...) Only like a dozen left, should last 3 days ... maybe.]

Where was I? Ah, yes, waffles.

Could save loads of money and be like MIL and MAKE my own waffles. BAH! Make them and freeze them. Have them for the week or so. Excellent idea. How to make waffles? Hubby suggests buying Bisquick. Really? REALLY, hubby? What's the saving there? Make from scratch instead? With flour and sh!t? Hee hee. How long have we been married? Betty Crocker I'm not.

Hungry again. Where is that waffle, anyway?

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I love a new meme (can't you tell?)

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KitKat for breakfast, anyone?

Guess who woke up in the middle of the night last night?

Guess who is cranky this morning?

I'm so tired, even though I did get her back to sleep in her own bed. But this whole *being able to get out of bed business* is a bit rough, especially when I wake up and she's right there beside me, in MY room! She is doing pretty well, and aside from a few early wake ups, she's been sleeping through the night in there. But she has continued to roll out of bed onto the floor nearly every night since we got the thing. I need to remember to bring my camera upstairs so I can document it for the record. She's so out of it when we pick her up and move her back into the bed, and hubby suggested a bed-like swaddle, where we use the blankets to at least "hold her in" somehow. And yet, in her sleep, she manages to break out of them and roll on down.

We've got padding on both sides, blankets and pillows, stuffed animals and random soft things, so she's been bruise-free. But man, the poor thing. We can't tell if she wakes up in the mornings on the floor, or in her bed, because she's not that clear when she's explaining it to us and waffles between both.

Mmmn, waffles, I would love a waffle right now. Have you heard about the EGGO shortage? I'm not kidding. Something about floods or bad weather in the area they're made, and therefore distribution is limited. I haven't figured out if this affects Aunt Jemima or generic, store-brands, though, and I hope not, as we're big on frozen waffles in this house. And yes, we have a waffle maker, but who really wants to deal with that mess? I mean, if you saw my sink right now you'd pity me. Seriously. I should say sinks, as we have the double, and my dishwasher is pretty full and needs to be run, although I JUST RAN IT.

And so, with my allergy angst kicking up again now that I'm healthier (horrific cough at night and horrible fits now and then, when eating, drinking, breathing, you know, the basics) than before and there's room for them, I sit here with itchy eyes, a cranky self and the wish that I had another KitKat in the pantry closet. In the meantime I may just settle for a CapriSun (fruit punch, blech!) and some dry Fruit Loops. Hey, don't knock it til you've tried it!

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It really sucks ...

When your daughter wakes up at 4AM, you've only just gone to bed at around 1, and your hubby has to work the next morning. Staying up with her til 5:30 or so, getting her to finally get into and STAY into bed and falling back to sleep. I am so on edge this morning, it's enough to get me to start drinking coffee!

I just want a few minutes of computer time, now yes, I'm sure I've been on for longer than a few minutes, but child, just eat your breakfast!!!! It doesn't help that she "wants music" this morning, so I have Laurie Berkner singing in the background of the start to our day, our dog wants to come in and go out more times than a mom should have to get up and do a repeated motion and my child is now feeding him some of her turkey sausage and egg-white, which will probably give him the poops. As if he doesn't have those enough on his own!

I have no soy milk, am too lazy to make tea (I'm out of chai anyway) and not in the mood for cocoa. I have no Coke in the house, so no caffeine there, either. And to top all of that off I stupidly stepped on the scale this morning and the weight I lost when I was sick, well, some of it came back. I'm far from happy about that, and honestly don't want to eat anything today at all, but then I realized, well, I'm hungry, dammit!

So, happy Saturday. I think I'm still doing well on NaBloPoMo or whatever it's called. I haven't missed a day in November yet, but that's my norm. December will be much less bloggy for me, since we plan to do some traveling. Nah, don't get all excited, not a vacation, but we will be thrilled to visit family, so that has to count for something. As for a vacation, a REAL vacation, someday that will actually happen for us again. Somewhere warm and toasty and beach-y and so forth. And yes, I know beach-y is not really a word. Who cares?Yours in friendship and grumpiness ...

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Still Tired ... Still Sick

My daughter has been napping since 3:21. Why am I NOT napping, you ask? Well, she is in my bed, but that's not why. I just couldn't fall asleep. Don't you hate that? I know I do. Really ticks me off. I'm glad she napped, esp. since she woke up crazy early (d@mned daylight savings!) but man, I'm so thrown off myself here. Grrrrr.

Hope everyone else is germ free! Happy Monday!

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It's My Party

And I'll whine if I want to.

This illin' business is enough already. My daughter had a better day yesterday, but today is whining more than I have ever heard her whine in my entire life. Another 24 hours of Nick and Nick Jr. But if I have to watch The Fresh Beat Band one more time I might claw my own eyes out. Or maybe plug my ears.

So, empanadas for breakfast today. Well, breakfast and lunch. They're two leftover from dinner. Thankfully hubby bought these for us to freeze, or who knows what I would have wound up with. For her, she ate breakfast, and now it's ice cream for lunch. Considering we've been up since like 6:30, I think it's OK for her to have some at around 1PM, right? I mean, the other day she had some and when I looked at the clock as she asked, it was only 9:25. As in IN THE MORNING. But who cares? It's milk, right? Dairy? Really good for her? Say it with me. At the very least it was Breyer's, and we all know they're on the healthy end of the ice cream spectrum.

What really pisses me off about Nickeolodeon is that they have commercials. I much prefer Nick Jr (formerly known as Noggin) because of the no-commercials policy. At this point with all of the regular Nick we've been watching I should have to buy her a Little Mermaid doll whose hair changes colors when wet, a set of eerily scary looking little Disney princess baby dolls, Connect Four (have you seen the new version of this? Seriously out there!) and a doll that not only eats, pees, AND poops, but SAYS: 'I made a stinky.' I mean, really? Seriously? I have to listen to this? But of course, because Nick, and not Nick Jr. is the only channel that plays back-to-back-to-back Dora and Dora and Dora and Diego. And so on and so forth. Ah, the joys of Mommyhood.

As for me, I'm still battling this thing. Whether it's our own version of Swine Flu, some sort of sinus infection, or just a plain ole cold, I'm fighting it hard and planning to beat it. You can't take me down, you nasty germs! I'll kick you into next year! I'll be damned if my daughter doesn't get a single piece of candy for trick-or-treating (read = I don't get to steal at least one Reeses' PB cup from her treat bag!) or at least get to dress up and take one picture in one of the two costumes we have for her. So COME ON! Bring it on! And get lost!Kicking hard and still fighting ... and exhausted already, and it's barely afternoon ... **me (I really do need to make a signature for my blog, it'd be fun to be able to use it now and then!)

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Why my skinny pants don't fit ... Part II.

* Wendy's Twisted Coffee-Toffee Frosty
Play the game on their website and get a Q for $1 off! Yummy and a Q, too, what more could you ask for?

* Brown Sugar Pop Tarts

* Chinese food

* Coke

* PMS

And these are all just today's reasons. But I remain positive. Tomorrow starts a new week!

Editor's Note: I switched out the Oreo Double Stuff Chocolate Cookies for Pop Tarts because I remembered I had not eaten any Oreos yesterday! One small step for Mommy-kind!

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TV for Preschoolers

I confess, I have some questions about some of the shows out there for our preschool children. Some of the characters are questionable, some are missing (!) and some, well, some are just plain annoying. I'll start off with Noggin ...

* Max & Ruby -- Do I really have to say more? I mean, where are their parents? What's up with the Grandmother who only comes by once in a blue moon? Why is Ruby such a b!tch? And Max, how old is he, anyway? Because as sneaky and crafty and smart as he is, he really should have a larger vocabulary. Shouldn't he?

* Dora the Explorer -- While my daughter and I love Dora with abandon, does she really have to be so d@mned LOUD? I mean, tone it down, chica, we HEAR you. And what's up with her parents? Are they so busy with the new twins that they don't care if their daughter is off running through the jungle or wherever with her best friend, the monkey?

* Franklin -- There are two things I can say about Franklin, one would go on and on about how he is the whiniest character on Noggin [even worse than Oswald, seriously, Fred Savage has nothing on this guy!] and the other is about how he is the only one of his friends with an actual name. Turtle = Franklin; Bear = Bear; Beaver = Beaver; Fox = Fox; Snail = Snail. I know there is at least one or two more, but really. Come on! Give the teacher a name, at least! (Owl = Mr. Owl!)

* Diego -- Almost as loud as Dora, but with his big sister Alicia on his back all the time he's a bit calmer. And the parents? MIA, as are most Noggin parents, except for Ms. Spider [Charlotte from S&TC, if you didn't know!] and Holly. Diego seems to sing the same songs over and over for various rescue journeys, and that kind of grates at me a bit. Plus, on at least one movie/episode where he and Dora were together he was like 5-feet-tall. Seriously. Huge!

* Toot and Puddle -- How old are these two? Are they a couple? Are they friends? Do they have families? What's the deal with their little friend/cousin, what's'ername? April? Or is she Olivia? That other friendly lil girl pig on Nick/Noggin ... And where do they get the money for their trips? I want in on that action!

* Oobi -- Does ANYONE watch this scary show? I saw it once when my daughter was a baby and it was on during the night. Scared the cr@p out of me. A hand with eyeballs on it. Totally wrong.

* The Upside Down Show -- I kind of like these weird guys, but have to ask, what exactly are they on?

Oh! And how could I forget our favorite?

* The Backyardigans! We love these guys. They're so creative and so much fun, and they, too, roam unsupervised throughout their yards and their imaginations. Pablo is our favorite, but he's kind of wimpy. My husband thinks that Tasha is a huge b!tch (and come on, she usually is) and poor Austin isn't even on half the time. Tyrone and Uniqua are the most normal of the crew, and that's not saying much. And yet, we love them. We listen to their CDs, we watch them over and over again. They're our best friends.

Now, onto Disney ...

* Mickey Mouse Clubhouse -- My daughter absolutely loves this show. Almost too much. She wants Mickey several times a day and I might lose my mind if I have to hear "Oh, Toodles!" shouted at me from across the room one more time. My big question is how lazy are the Mouse and his friends that they have those hands open the doors for them? And where can I get magic hands like those to do the chores around my house for me?

* Handy Manny -- Love him. Can you even believe that Manny is Fez? Or, I should say, that Fez is Manny? Love it! Love the tools. My only problem here is that Manny and Kelly really should get together already. They're the cutest couple, and they'd make one another very happy, each always has what the other needs. What more could a couple ask for?

* Special Agent Oso -- My gawd, I hate this show. This friendly bear makes me so sad for "Rudy" that he has resorted to this kind of role. Poor guy. Oso is really, really stupid. He never remembers anything, always has to help some kid do something really simple, and never even knows how to do it! I'm pretty glad my daughter isn't the hugest fan. Whew!

I know there are more, but I am a little worried about myself and the fact that I have put this much thought into these shows. But hey, when you have a 2 1/2-year-old, what choice do you have?

Anyway, thanks for *listening* to my rant about the shows I come to love and hate all at once. Which ones are your faves?

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