Confessions of a Former Bookworm

Jr. Peanut's Classmate

2010-10-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Ugh. So my last post was a celebration of my son's life. Well, since then, I've found out that my son's classmate has a rare liver cancer that he has been battling for a couple years now. The cancer has now spread to his brain and he is in a lot of pain. Oddly enough his classmate has been having severe headaches. I am so thankful that my little boy is okay from his headaches because after reading his friend's story (which I didn't find out about until this week and I didn't realize how severe it was) I've been so sad. I'm totally crying just thinking about it. He's 4 years old-- Jr. Peanut's age. I can't even begin to imagine what he is a going through, let alone his mother and father. It breaks my heart.

His family just found out last Friday about the tumors in his brain and he has been given 2 months. If you're reading this...please say a prayer for him and his family. Then go hug your little ones and be glad they're healthy.

Jr. Peanut-isms

2010-10-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

My son recently gave me a frightful scare. He was having headaches for almost two weeks that weren't accompanied with a fever. They were so debilitating for him that he would just lie on the floor wimpering. If I didn't give him ibuprofen or tylenol for the pain...he'd throw up. I was so worried that I woke up one morning crying and thought of all the horrible things it could be. Aneurysm, tumor, meningitis, really a whole slew of things. So we took him to the pediatrician and then the emergency room to get a CT scan. The CT scan showed nothing and he's better...so I'm not as worried. Honestly, I think it's a reaction to sugar (candy). So, in celebration of Jr. Peanut here are some of the silly things he says. I am so very thankful that God gave me this silly little boy!

After eating a meal, he grabs his belly:
"Mom, my baby is growing bigger and bigger. It's almost coming out."

Or when he's hungry:
"Mom, my baby is making noises."

Peanut: My bottom still hurts.
Me: It does? What happened, did you fall on it?
Peanut: No, it cracked...all by itself.

On the pot:
Peanut: Mom, my poo poo is not coming out. Can you wipe my bottom?
Me: Why do I need to wipe your bottom if your poo didn't come out?
Peanut: It doesn't come out unless you wipe it.

This is because Jr. Peanut often (about 80% of the time) calls me over to wipe him before he's truly done. I think the record for false finishes was 3 times. I've learned to tell him I'll come in 5 minutes.

After a shower, Jr. Peanut is running around naked:
Me: Peanut, go get your underwear and Jammies on.
Peanut: You go get them
Me: I'm not your slave. You go get them.
Peanut: Then where's my slave?
Me: I don't know. Go ask your dad. I just know it's not me.

Dinner/Dessert Conversation

2010-04-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

Jr. Peanut:I'm going to marry The Princess (his sister)

me:Are you going to marry The Princess or Cassidy (a classmate)

Jr. Peanut:Cassidy

me:Are you going to marry Cassidy or Brooke?

Jr. Peanut:Brooke

The Princess:Are you going to marry Karson or Jack?

me:He can't marry a boy (at least not here in California).

The Princess:Oh. That's right. In Paris, you can though.

me:Who told you that?

The Princess:Daddy did.

Thanks, breadwinner for that stellar piece of unnecessary information for a 6 year old.

Links That'll Save You!

2010-04-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

So...in keeping with last week's post, here are some links that will help you pinch your pennies! Enjoy!!!

Joann's Coupon (exp. 04/17/10): 40% off one item
Michael's Coupon (exp. 04/10/10): 50% of one item
Staples: (exp. 4/10/10)Free Ream of Copy Paper
Aaron Brothers (exp. 4/10/10): 50% off one item/25%off custome framing
Local Coupons for Dining & Services: Bogopod --This once saved us $150 for a large party.
Bath & Body Works (exp 4/18/10): Free Shower Gel
Gap (exp 4/30/10): 15% off
Justice 40% off entire purchase
Macy's (exp 4/15/10)$20 off 100 for a registry item
Office Depot$20 off 100

I Feel the Recession

2010-03-31T21:05:00.001-07:00

I know they say that we are no longer in a recession...however, here in California, I feel like we still are. I think most everyone is still house poor...including myself. These are some of the things that I've done during these recessionary times.

I've reduced the number of channels we get from satellite TV.
We no longer do toll or long distance calls on our land line.
I clean my own house :(
I've called and gotten my DSL rate reduced.
We're not doing large birthday parties for the kids anymore.
Got rid of my satellite radio.
Cut back on the eating out.
Husband brings lunch twice a week.
I follow people on twitter that offer bargains.
We've limited the number of times we use a babysitter.
I no longer buy books new. I either borrow them or buy them used for a $1

These are just a few things that I've done. What do you do? I'd love to hear and get more ideas. :) Hope you're surviving!

I'd Like to Take My Kids to D.C.

2010-03-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, my husband and I took our first child with us to Washington D.C.. My daughter was too young at the time to know where we were, but it was AMAZING for me! I had never been there but of course I've always seen replications of the places there on TV or in film.

There are so many things for them to see. Most of which they've only seen on TV...the White House, Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Building, Arlington Cemetary, and of course all the many FREE museums!!

I recommend watching some films that feature Washington DC before you go because it makes your experience more fascinating. For instance, if you watch National Treasure -- it will help you create an itinerary of places you may want to see...and there are sooo many. Just think about it...there have been hundreds of historical events that took place at our nation's capitol. It's like walking around one huge landmark. You can teach your children so many history lessons here! Show them old pictures of historical events like MLK's famous speech in front of the Washington Memorial.

I also recommend not going during the summer because it's extremely hot and humid. If you can-- try finding someone that could get you into the White House for a tour. It's a lot harder to do now (a lot of security/background checks) but it's totally worth it!

TV Show Update

2010-03-15T10:37:00.001-07:00

So...I'm giving up on Fringe and Brothers and Sisters. Fringe is always on the brink of getting the axe and I'm so behind on the shows that I've decided to let that one slip though the cracks. As for Brothers and Sisters...that's just too much drama for one family and besides, I hear Rob Lowe is leaving.

Another Rendition Of I Watch Too Much TV

2010-02-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

I used to read a lot of books (as you can figure out from the name of this blog) and now, I'm lucky if I read one a month. I always ask my friend how she has time to read so many books and she Facebooks a lot. You know what she told me? She doesn't WATCH TV!!! So that got me thinking...I really watch a lot of TV:

Brothers and Sisters
Chuck
The Mentalist
Modern Family
Fringe
Lost
Cougar Town
Ugly Betty
Friday Night Lights
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice
Shark Tank
Hung
Entourage
American Idol

Sadly, in addition to these shows, I am also enrolled in a movie rental program by mail too. *sigh* I guess you now know why I am a FORMER bookworm. So please help me...which shows do you think I should give up? 15 shows is way too many!

The Winter Season

2010-02-04T09:17:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if I've ever described the winter season on my blog before. It's truly the worst season for me. My two youngest children have perpetually dripping noses that generally turn into ear infections within one to two weeks. They generally are not contagious after the first week but people always think they are sick. It's such a nightmare for me though because:

I can't hang out with my friends and their kids (so I go stir crazy)
I can't send them to school (such a waste of money!)
They generally have to go on antibiotics (and how healthy is this really?)
Which means I have to take them to the doctor
which means now that we have crappy health insurance, I have to pay $100 to the doctor and $40 to the pharmacy
I often catch their illnesses.

You see where I'm going with this? It's just an expensive and miserable season for me. I think I'm basically paying my children's preschool money to get my kids ill and have me keep my children at home with me. I almost think that I should just take my kids to the doctor's office and just sit in the sick room. At least it would be free and I'd get the same "immune system build up." However, I think if the CDC or news ever heard about that, they'd be up in arms. I remember watching the news the other day and they were talking about how people were having swine flu parties when people had mild cases of it. That way-- they'd only catch the mild version of the swine flu. Needless to say, the CDC sent out a message quickly that that was a terrible idea (they didn't want virus mutations).

Ho hum. What's a mom to do?

It's Been a While

2010-02-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't written for a while. I actually misss blogging but sometimes life kind of gets in the way. When I saw Julie and Julia, I was totaly inspired to start blogging again but then I got kind of busy. I've been organizing a lot of things but I've kind of been on hiatus of late.

What have I been up to? Hmm, let's see. I've been volunteering at my daughter's elementary school. My middle child has started preschool and I've been dragging my baby on all sorts of errands or putting her down for a nap so that I can clean my house...(I sooo miss having a housekeeper *sigh*). I also have gone back to school (slowly though). I took a photography class last semester (totally fun! Maybe I'll post more pics now...). This semester, I'm taking a programming class and we'll see where I go from there.

Hopefully I'll write more soon! Probably something a little more thought out.

Are These the Rules?

2009-05-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, I was in a sorority. It was my first experience in a women's group and I didn't know what to expect. In my sorority there were about 120 young women (I think these days, my sorority has closer to 200 women because the number of sororities has dwindled). It's supposed to be a sisterhood but quite often, there were quite a few arguments and some ladies that just didn't get along. Perhaps it's as simple as there being too many "queen bees" in a nest. There were power struggles, disputes about guys, stealing, people eating other people's food, revenge, the whole gamut of crazy stuff and not to mention the gossip.

I almost feel like this is the norm when you get a large group of women together. I've seen the same kind of things going on in the mom groups that I belong to. Women get catty and often they get mean. Now, granted it's a little bit more subtle, as we get older. It's more of the passive aggressive kind of stuff. After having kids, you'd think that we'd be better people but many of us are not. I think I'm a better person after having children and I try to teach my children not to be mean, but sometimes I wonder if it will work. After all these years and all the different parenting books/techniques that have been introduced, it almost seems like we as a society are no better than we were 30 years ago. In fact it almost seems worse with the introduction of the internet into the picture. People still get terrorized.

I mean really people let's get a life and act a little bit more mature. In my mom's group alone, a couple really surprising incidents happened. One mom-- a great mom that is completely involved and absolutely nice person was treated rudely despite all the work she put into the club. Another mom-- a smart, amazing, fantastic mom that fosters so much imagination in her children, received horribly mean anonymous letters. It's all so petty and annoying.

So STOP!! Make a decision to make it stop with you and remember that the bystander is almost as guilty as the bully.

A Lecture

2009-05-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I went down to San Diego to visit my best friend from high school. My kids love both her and her husband as if they were their Aunt and Uncle. We stayed there overnight and she got to see inside my chaotic, whiny, temper tantrum and crying filled world. That may be why, before we left, she gave me a book about living life. She gave me Randy Pausch's book, titled "The Last Lecture."

I had heard of him previously around the time that he passed away. The last lecture of this Carnegie Mellon professor was circulating around YouTube like wildfire. I saw bits and pieces of it but I never actually SAW the lecture. After reading the book, I would definitely like to see his last lecture. I found the book to be quite inspiring. It's about a man that is trying to enjoy life and help others enjoy life despite the his grim pancreatic cancer diagnosis. His love of life could be seen in spite of his cancer within this book and in his last lecture, which was ultimately for his young children to see. It's filled with many life lessons that are useful to any person at any stage of their life...a teenager, a recent college graduate, and even a mother of three that sometimes loses track of time. :)

I think Randy Pausch's life lessons and legacy for his children can be best summed up with a quote from the end of the book:

"It's not about how you achieve your dreams. It's about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the Karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you."

So, with Mr. Pausch's words in mind, live your life well, do the right thing and be an awesome role model for your children.

Freeze!

2009-03-03T23:10:00.001-08:00

Last week, my husband and I took the kids to Disneyland. During the ride there, I looked back at the kids and saw the excitement on their faces. It was all they could talk about. At that moment, I just wanted to freeze time and keep them little forever. Everything has flown by so quickly. I can't believe I have THREE children and the eldest one is Kindergarten age.

The ages that they are right now are absolutely perfect:

The Princess is old enough to be a little independent and be a big helper. Everyday, I ask her to help me do things...and she actually says YES! Granted, there are times when she chooses to ignore me, but for the most part, she does what I ask. She's also learning to read (Bob level books) and it's so exciting to me. I'm hoping she learns to enjoy books as much as I do.

Jr. Peanut is now 2 and a half. He's still little and I absolutely LOVE the way he talks. When he's watching a DVD and I need to press play, he always shouts out "Mama come press butt". Or how he covers his right eye with his hand and says "I'm a pirate." It's also fascinating to see how his mind works and let me tell ya, it's totally different from how girls think. He's just so cute these days that I always feel this need to just pick him up and cuddle him (much to his annoyance).

Little Sissy is now 7 months. She definitly is developing her personality. She's still little enough that I can easily hold her and I love the squeals she makes when I tickle her belly. I love the baby smell that she still has and the way her face lights up when she sees me.

They are so fun. I hope I remember these days forever (although at the rate that my memory is failing me...I may not).

Aggravated

2008-11-24T11:15:00.000-08:00

When I was about 12 years old, I had a best friend that I would alternate sleep overs with. I always loved staying at her house best because I thought she had the perfect family. Her family was what I would call the "perfect white family". Growing up Filipino American, I often was embarrassed of my roots and tried to embrace as much of the White American culture as possible. I loved my friend's family because they would take me out to eat and play board games together. I can't remember what her father did but I know her mother was a teacher and they embodied those families that you would see on TV like Keatons in Family Ties.

As a college student, I admired my dorm floor friend (and later roomie) and her family. Her family had this huge pantry stocked with every college student's favorite foods. We spent the night at her house and her mom made this huge breakfast that we didn't eat because we didn't wake up in time. Her mom THREW IT ALL AWAY! I LOVED the ability to throw all that food away without even considering the waste (I was always told to not leave the table until I ate all my food). Her family home also had a beautiful pool that I would only see in homes featured in magazines. Her parents were hilarious, crass and easy to talk to. I also loved how close knit the family was.

Well, years later, I spoke to my friend that I used to have sleepovers with via email. Her perfect family sadly became a divorced family with other quirks and neuroticism. The family that I admired as a college student actually became my family when I married into it (I married my dorm floor friend's brother) and the same things that I used to find enduring about them are now the very things that irritate me.

I have come to realize that even though I often was not enthused about my family, I still love them the best. I like that I can yell at and complain about them without having repercussions. On the other hand, I've come to resent the over bearing, passive aggressive, hypocritical, self serving, and favoritism tendencies of my husband's family. I also realized that the perfect-ness of his family was just a facade. A lot of things got swept under the rug and they are every bit as neurotic (if not more) than the rest of us.

So, to make a long story short. I am annoyed and aggravated. I wished I lived closer to my family. At least my mother actually helps me out and treats her kids/grand kids with some semblance of equality.

Sooo Many Things to Be Paranoid About

2008-09-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

Why is it so hard to raise kids today? Hmmmm. It could be the many gazillion things that we have to watch out for. Why can't companies just make things that are healthy and safe for us? Why is it so hard to be the kind of company that is socially responsible? Why do they put these things in? Below are some of the things I've been worrying about.

Lead in toys
Lead in balsamic and red wine vinegar
BPA being leeched into our food and drink through unsafe plastics, tin cans, soda cans, baby bottles
Hormones in milk causing early puberty
Household-phthalate-exposure causing my son to possibly be feminized
Nitrates in our meat
Toys that cause children to go into coma after swallowing them
Teflon poisoning my food
Parabens in our sunblock

With all these things to worry about, it's no wonder I'm getting all these gray hairs!

Few and Far Between

2008-09-11T17:06:00.001-07:00

I've been tired and lazy about posting on my blog. Sorry. There's a little something called life that sometimes gets in the way of blog writing. The entire time I've been gone, I would think of something to blog about and then I would just be too tired to actually blog about it.

Everyone has always told me that going from 0 children to 1 child is the hardest. Then 1 to 2 children is hard and then from 2 children to 3 children is a piece of cake. I really would disagree. Increasing your brood by one is hard each time. I'm not quite sure how Brillig does it with 4 young ones and STILL has time to blog.

Little Sissy was born on July 24th at 4:34am. She weighed 6 lbs, 3oz and was 20 inches long. It was an easy labor. I only had one half push and she was out (I guess the birth canal gets more slippery with each successive birth). The Princess and JR. peanut both love her very much. They are constantly wanting to touch, hug, and kiss her.

Thanks everyone for inquiring about me.

So Blessed

2008-05-27T10:16:00.001-07:00

This year, my family and I participated in the March of Dimes' charity event, "Walk For Babies". It was an event that I feel very strongly about as do many of my family members and the women of my mom's group. Most of us have experienced or at least know someone that has experienced miscarriages (including stillborn), premature babies or birth defects (my nephew died from a genetic blood disorder called Thalassemia). If you don't, well, by reading this blog-- you now do.

I currently have two beautiful and healthy children with another baby on the way, but it wasn't always that way. I also never understood the plight that women felt when they miscarried or lost an infant that didn't live for very long. I didn't think that they spent enough time with the child to grow emotionally attached to him or her. Boy, was I ever wrong.

I am not one of those women that get pregnant just by "thinking about sex". It always took a while for me to get pregnant. Between the births of my daughter and my son, I think I had about 3 or 4 miscarriages. The first was the hardest though and it occurred at 12 weeks-- so by then I had seen the heart beat. It was also hard because I let it pass naturally (as opposed to a D & C) and it's kind of a creepy thing (I won't go into detail).

After that, I think I kind of lived in a daze and didn't really enjoy my time with the Princess. We kept on trying to get pregnant for a year and failed miserably. I thought that was it-- I was only 30 and couldn't have another baby. To help get myself out of the wallows of self pity, I began to look for a job. Soon after I was given a job offer, I learned that I was pregnant. I accepted the job because I wasn't sure I would be able to carry the baby to term and I really wanted to go back to work.

Well, Jr. Peanut was born the next year and I feel like he was what really saved me. I finally enjoy being at home with my kids (even though it's sometimes a little isolating). I have a lot of mommy guilt (a whole other post on that)about what my going to work did to the Princess after being at home with her for more than a year, but over all, I feel blessed. I am thankful that my friends and family helped me raise money to go toward the health of future babies so that others don't have to experience the tragedy and heartbreak that my family did.

Enjoy your life my readers and be grateful for all that you have. Also, if you're trying to have a first OR second baby, know that there ARE happy endings--it may take a while and there may be some disappointments along the way.

My Niece, The Queen Bee

2008-04-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

We were over at my brother-in-law's house the other day, when I discovered that my niece(his daughter) is a Queen Bee (QB). There were two incidents that occurred in which she excluded either my other niece (R) or my daughter, the Princess and made them cry.

I don't know the full story about what happened to R so I'll just tell you what QB did to the Princess:

The girls were playing with a toy of QB's brothers when QB decided to bring out a game to play. She brought the game to R and the Princess and asked, "Who wants to play this game with me?"

Quickly, the Princess responded, "I'll play it with you QB."

QB ignored the Princess and kept asking who wanted to play the game with her until R said that she would. Once R said that she would, QB promptly said that the Princess couldn't play because that would be too many people.

The Princess walked over to me and started crying (HARD) and said "QB won't let me play that game." I heard and saw the entire thing, so I knew what happened. It took a Grammie intervention to get QB to let the Princess play the game. QB had LIED. The game allowed for FOUR players-- so there would have been enough pieces to go around.

QB is only 5 and I thought that that's a pretty young age to being doing the whole "exclusivity girl thing". I don't think I started doing that until I was 9. But I think QB has been doing it since preschool. I vaguely remember her mom telling me that QB did it with a play house at her preschool.

Do you see the makings of a future bully?

Top 10 Reasons Why Stay At Home Moms Might Think Their Toddler Son May Be Gay

2008-03-19T09:37:00.001-07:00

10. He comes walking into the room wearing his sister's princess shoes.

9. He loves carrying a purse.

8. He gets excited everytime he sees a picture of a Disney Princess.

7. He prances around on his tippy toes.

6. He sees his mommy putting on nail polish and insists that you put it on him too.

5. He loves carrying multiple purses.

4. He's just to sweet too be straight.

3. He's such a snazzy dancer.

2. He gets into your make up drawer and you catch him putting on make up.

1. Your son comes to you begging to put on his sister's Barbie Princess Dress.

Now, not all these things have been going on with my son, but I will have to admit that most have them have. Not that there is anything wrong with him being gay . . . but I find that a lot of moms think their sons are gay for the same reasons listed above. It kind of cracks me up. I'm pretty sure my son is just mimicking the two people he's around the most.

I was also going to put up a picture of my son in a princess dress, but the Breadwinner thought that would be a little too much. Sorry folks.

Politics as Unusual

2008-03-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

I don't generally talk about politics on my blog but with all the hulabaloo going on with the Democratic primaries, it's hard for me not to think about politics.

I've always been a bleeding heart liberal. Any red blooded Republican would despise my views on welfare and immigration (after all, I wouldn't be here if my parents had never immigrated from the Philippines). Since the start of my voting career, I've always voted for the Democrat Candidate. Things may change though.

I can't quite pinpoint the reason why, but as of late--I really don't like Hillary. I was a big Bill Clinton fan, but I just can't get excited about Hillary. I think the main reason why I don't like her, is because I don't like how she runs her campaign. Yes, sure I feel sorry for her sometimes because it is difficult running for a president as a woman, but she isn't the kind of woman that I ever expected would be the first female president.

I think that I've always envisioned the first female president being more like Oprah. A woman that is powerful and influential in a much different way. A woman that gives to good causes both anonymously and publicly. A self made, strong woman. I may get in trouble for this-- but Hillary doesn't really come off as feminine to me.

I don't know. I don't think she'd win the election either. I think she would cause a lot of people to go out there and vote for McCain. Including myself.

I also really like Obama and I want him to win. He carries himself with such poise and he has the ability to inspire. I remember seeing on TV a panel of Americans being asked to site an accomplishment of Obama's and no one could except one African American woman said that he's the first African American that has gotten this close to the Presidency. Now, granted, I don't think that Americans in general could site the accomplishments of most politicians, let alone point to where Belize is on the map. Only two came to my mind-- truth be told:

-I believe he was the first African American to be the president of the Harvard Law Review.

-He ran and won a seat in the US Senate.

At any rate, I hope that the remaining Democratic Primaries give Obama the remaining delegates he needs to clinch the Democratic Candidacy. If he does, it would make me feel like I can truly say to my children that they could one day become President. When I said that to my husband, he said of course they could be president, even if Obama didn't win. I said-- yes, technically they could, but would Americans actually elect an Asian American into the White House? We don't know that-- yet.

Children's Shows

2008-03-10T10:11:00.001-07:00

The other day, I happened to actually be sitting with the Princess watching Oswald on Noggin (a Nickolodeon Channel for preschoolers). I never really realized how latently sexual it is. The show was about how Oswald found this "Big Yellow Banana" and how he was sharing it with everyone. Then I started looking at the characters:

Weenie the hot dog dog.
Oswald the blue Octopus that looks like a "blue ball"
Daisy, the Flower (do I need to tell you want a flower represents?)

It was kind of disturbing. I don't let her watch Oswald anymore. What were these people thinking when they came up with this show? Or more to the point, what the heck were they smoking?

I have actually found some new shows that I really like having the Princess watch though. Shows that have encouraged her to realize that putting letters together can make words. Shows like:

Super Why (PBS)- A show that teaches kids that they can change fairy tale stories by changing the words in sentences.

Word World (PBS)

Leap Frog Videos - These aren't actual shows but they are awesome DVDs. They've taught the Princess all about the letters and the sounds they make.

Does anyone have any other ideas on educational shows that encourages reading? It seems like there just aren't enough.

Which reminds me. I hosted a book club meeting at my house and one of the ladies mentioned that when she wakes up in the middle of the night for her baby's feeding, she watches The Cosby Show. Then she brought up the question . . . are there any shows on these days that emulate a good wholesome family like The Cosby Show? We also had Family Ties and Growing Pains. I've been trying to come up with a good show like those that's on today during prime time and I couldn't think of a single one. I don't even think shows like Hannah Montana are up to par. It's kind of sad that our kids only have shows that feature skanky women like Paris Hilton or the High School kids from the O.C. (I know this is off the air now) to watch. It's all so risque. It's no wonder that all these young girls are so scandalous.

Random Things

2008-02-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

I was wondering when the hair swirl in the back of Jr. Peanut's hair would go away so I asked by hubby. Apparently it doesn't go away and my husband still has his (or what's left of it.)
Do you think the Princess will resent the fact that I still don't know what to do with her curly hair?
I quit my "job" as newsletter editor for my mom's group after an argument with another mom about conficting events. March is my last newsletter.
I haven't had time to read very much. So I am officially a FORMER bookworm. I'm probably now more of a TIVO couch potato and former blogger. :-(
I've always wondered why they made "no iron" clothing for men but not for women (conspiracy! They're trying to MAKE us iron). I watched Oprah the other day and Brooks Brothers makes a no-iron fitted button down shirt. AWESOME! I'm buying it. . . but where would I wear it? On the way to pick up the Princess from pre-school?
Of the 12 male American Idol finalists, I'd have to say that Luke Menard is the hottest. He could definitely pass for Orlando Bloom.

Life After Pregnancy

2008-01-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

After I had my children, not only did I gain my precious babies, but I also gained about 15 extra pounds and some hefty stretch marks. My stretch marks weren't so bad after the Princess but they were HORRIBLE after Jr. Peanut (my stretch marks had stretch marks). It was really quite depressing. I cried about it (it was probably a little post partum too).

Everyone I spoke to-- all my mommy friends seemed to not be affected by stretch marks. Not my sisters in law, not my brother in law's wife, not a single person in my mom's group. How could this possibly be? Every book I read said that 50% of mothers get stretch marks and I'm the only one that I know that has them. A true bummer. Even all the celebrities look pretty good like Brooke Burke, Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson and even Britney Spears!

Then I saw this over the holidays and it made feel much better:

Can you believe that that's Cindy Crawford in the top right picture that I circled? Yes, the beautiful, former super model. I'm glad there's some kind of reality out in celebrity land. Hope this makes all the other moms that have stretch marks just as proud!

P.S. Thanks everyone for the congratulations! I'm pretty excited and scared about #3. My husband and I maintain that the third child always rocks! (I'm #3 of 3 kids and he's #3 of 4 kids)

No, I'm Not Dead (Although Some Days I Feel Like I Am)

2008-01-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been almost a month and a half since I've posted. It's also been about a month and a half since I found out that I am pregnant with munchkin #3. Yes, I've been vegging out, vomiting, taking naps, suffering from the stomach flu, suffering from a bad cold and continuously vomiting. It's been a rough pregnancy so far but I see a light at the end of the tunnel because the nausea isn't as bad as it was during the month of December.

So, forgive me if I happen to purge the 1000+ posts in my google reader, I just don't have the energy and ability to sit and read over a thousand posts (without having to vomit or at least gag). My apologies to everyone.

I know what everyone is thinking. If she doesn't have the energy to read posts, how is she going to have the energy to take care of 3 kids? I've kind of been a bit worried about that too but I guess you just make it work. Just like who really ever has the money to take care of kids? No one-- we just make it work.

I've got a few posts in my back pocket, so you may be hearing from me soon. Hugs and kisses to everyone!

Watch Out For The Finger!

2007-11-28T21:53:00.001-08:00

My almost 16 month old son, Jr. Peanut, has been up to no good lately.

While at my niece's birthday party a few weeks ago, my sister in law (SIL) came up to me to report on my son's activities. Apparently, when my SIL crounched down to pick up something off the floor, Jr. Peanut ran over and stuck his finger down her plumber's crack. I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or if I should scold him, so I just laughed.

Later that weekend,Jr. Peanut stuck his finger down my hubby's unsuspecting plumber's crack.

I was starting to feel a little left out when lo and behold, he stuck his finger down MY crack while I was bending over cleaning up all the water he spilt on the floor (he's in the habit of opening bottled waters and dumping their contents out-- that's another bothersome habit)

So if you come to my house to visit sometime. . . watch out for the finger. It might go down your a**.

Time Suckage

2007-11-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

I wish I could say that the reason I haven't been blogging regularly is because I've been living a fantastically busy life these past couple weeks. Truthfully though, it's because I've been spending too much time in front of the boob tube. With the onset of TIVO/DVR, I find that I watch WAY more TV, especially now that there are many good new shows out there. At any rate, here is a list of the shows I watch:

Grey's Anatomy--By far my most favorite show and my "Must-See-TV" (i.e. I have to watch it live in HD). I kind of feel though that it doesn't hold as much excitement for me as the previous 3 seasons. Maybe it's because the Meredith/Derek romance is kind of on the skits. Come on Shonda Rimes, can't Meredith get over her relationship issues? I used to love this show so much that I read Shonda's blog and listened to their podcast religiously. Now-- with all the other shows I have to watch-- I only have time to watch the actual show. Also, it's worth a mention-- Patrick Dempsey is the hottest male doctor on TV by far and in my opinion, the hottest actor on TV.
Heroes--This show is the coolest show out there. I think it appeals to both genders. Last night's show, got me riled up and thinking about the possibilites. I think that Adam is the father of the Petrelli men.
Men In Trees-- I really like this show. My sister told me that I would really like it and of course I did. I think most of the shows I watch have to have some sort of relationship that I really love. Marin & Jack's relationship falls into that category.
Friday Night Lights--I had a "discussion" with a friend of mine about this show. We both love it, but she says Riggins would be the guy she would have lusted after during high school. I on the other hand like Sereson (QB1). What I want to know is, how come there weren't this many good looking guys at MY high school?
Samantha Who?--I really like this show. Sometimes I feel a little disappointed that it's a half hour long though.
Brother's & Sisters--I used to only watch this show because I felt like I had invested too much time in it to give it up. Now, I actually like the show. The family kind of reminds me of the Breadwinner and his family.
Beauty & the Geek--How can anyone not watch this show? Ashton Kutcher is a genius. If you ever feel stupid-- watch this show. It's an elimination show where the couples complete challenges in order to avoid elimination. The challenges force the geeks to be less geeky and the beauty to learn something. The women were soo brainless that when told that they were going to complete a challenge that involved reading and arithmetic...one of the beauties had no idea what arithmetic was!!! One of them also thought the moon and the sun were the same thing.
Journeyman--I didn't like this show at first but it has gotten better and better. I loved Quantam Leap as a teenager and this show is kind of like it but with a little more excitement.
Ugly Betty--I started watching this show simply because it was right before Grey's Anatomy. Now I watch it because I like it. It's like a Desperate Housewives for the fashion world. Very soap opera-ish and outlandish.
Lost--When is this show going to start up again?
ChuckSometimes this show is good and sometimes it's not. I don't watch it religiously.
Big Shots--This show is like Desperate Housewives for men. I watch it because my husband likes it and it's right after Grey's.
Private Practice--I don't really like this show because the people aren't very good looking to me. I know that sounds shallow, but it was a spin off of Greys Anatomy where everyone is just so...attractive! It's also about a bunch of 40 something year olds that are all single! Which is kind of boring to me.
Dirty Sexy Money--I liked the first episode, but it has failed to impress me since. Like Big Shots, I watch it because my hubby likes it.
Carpoolers--This show is actually pretty funny. Once you get past the first few episodes.
October Road--It's starting up soon. Not a great show but I think it has potential.

What are YOUR favorite shows? I know a lot of you like The Office. I'd probably watch it too but it conflicts with Grey's Anatomy.

Perhaps, with the onset of the Writer's Strike, I will have more time to blog and read blogs. But with NaBloPloMo, it's making it difficult for me to catch up and the strike probably won't affect us until after the holidays. But oh well. I'll try my best.

I'm Bringing Meme back!

2007-11-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

Hi beautiful blogging people! I got tagged by Jackie for a Meme. She was nice enough to tag my after I mentioned that I've been wanting to do this one for a while now.

4 Jobs I have had:

Financial Analyst (ever noticed how ANAL is present in Analyst?)
Recruiter (I hated doing this. I had to tell someone that they needed to wear deodorant to work)
Mutual Fund Administrator
Mom (hardest by far)

4 Movies I love to watch over and over:

Can't Buy Me Love (I love Patrick Dempsey even when he was geeky)
Dying Young
Dirty Dancing (NO ONE puts baby in a corner)
The Cutting Edge (Toe pic!)

Ecclectic list huh?

4 Places I have lived:

Los Angeles, CA
Houston, TX
Chicago, IL
In my mommy's belly (womb)

4 TV shows I enjoy watching (4 is not enough-- I'm going to have to do a post about the TV shows I watch):

Grey's Anatomy ( I told you! I lurve me some Patrick Dempsey)
Heroes
Beauty and the Geek (WOW! are these girls airheaded!)
Brothers and Sisters (Kitty's miscarriage made me BAWL last week!)

4 Places I have been (this was on a trip that my in-laws paid for. We didn't get to pick where we went, they had a complete itinerary and tour bus for all the places THEY wanted to see):

Barcelona, Spain
Venice, Italy
Istanbul, Turkey
Zurich, Switzerland

4 Websites I visit daily:

Gmail
Yahoo Mail
Your Blog
ESPN FFL

4 Favorite Foods:

Filipino -- but particularly my mom's food
Freshly made Salsa
Butterfingers
Carnitas

4 Places I would rather be:

Back in college without responsibilities.
Reading a book in Hawaii again.
Rolling around in a trillion 100 dollar bills.
Vegas with the breadwinner while the kids are with their lola.

I Realize This Might Get Me in Trouble But. . .

2007-11-07T16:52:00.000-08:00

I breast fed both my kids. The Princess was breast fed until she gave it up on her own at 11 months. My son was breast fed until almost 16 months. I'm a breast feeder. I breast feed in public and I usually do it covered up with a nursing bib. I understand what it's like to nurse your child and have to do it in public. I don't mind when women breast feed in public -- even if they do it openly. It's a food/drinking source and the baby should be able to eat/drink it in public.

However. . . today in my children's music class, a woman was sitting on the floor with her hands back. Kind of like this (I know it's a man, but this was the only image I can find):

Her daughter walked up to her mom, straddled her, tilted her head and nursed. Now, the reason this was disturbing to me was because I believe that nursing is about being close to your child. I think you should cradle/hold your child while you nurse and it is a form of bonding. But the way this child nursed almost seemed dirty to me because it was in a position that you would see a man performing foreplay with his wife or something.

So there. I said it. Now I'm probably going to get hate comments.

It's Not You, It's me

2007-11-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

October was kind of a hectic month for me. My family and I had a lot of things to do. Then there were the fires (I totally thought they were going to hit here--they hit here 4 years ago). We were lucky this year and so were our family members and friends. I did however, lose a lot of sleep over it. I worry a lot (like my brother) that's why I have all these gray hairs (my sister, who is 8 years my senior, only has like 1). At any rate, I digress.

While I've been "away", I've accumulated 643 unread posts. Luckily, 225 of them are announcements of the new DVDs that have come out, but um, the rest are real posts. I actually split my reader into groups:

Craig's List
Entertainment
Food
Friends
Geeky
Occasional Reads

I'm purging everything except friends. I'm going through them one by one this week, so give me some time (it leaves me with 184 posts to read). I thought about purging the friends one too, but then I thought I'd be missing something. I would hate to miss out on all your lives!!! Thanks for hanging in there with me. Just remember, it's not you . . . it's me!

And just so you know how "busy" I've been -- I've only read ONE book in the pas 2 months. That's a record low for me. :-) BTW, tell me about this Shelfari thing, it intrigues me. I've been invited by Jackie & Janet, but I haven't signed up yet (I'm lazy).

It's Crazy Here!

2007-10-23T13:23:00.001-07:00

The air quality is terrible. Last night, the smell of smoke permeated my entire house. The winds are horrible and reaking a lot of havoc . . .

This is an LA Times photo of fire fighters that got put into a very dangerous situation. Luckily they survived. You can see and read the article at http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-10/33404633.jpg

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost their houses. I've never seen so many houses go up in flames, it's absolutely crazy. I've got friends and family that have been evacuated and damage due to the wind but we're still pretty lucky so far. . .

The Shirt Says It All

2007-10-15T15:42:00.001-07:00

I think it was a sign. Almost two weeks to the day I bought the Housewife Hag Minivan, I went to the Pasadena Flea Market.

I found this shirt:

Yes. It does say I'm too cool for a minivan. And yes, I am too cool for the minivan.

I also got this shirt:

If you're envious, of my new t-shirts, go check out Mommy Aarin's website or visit her at the Pasadena Flea Market (yes, this is the famous flea market that talk about on Shabby Chic). (She's a mommy too.)

Shameless plug, I know. But I thought my new shirts were cute. I wore it today and got lots of compliments (and laughs)from my mommy friends.

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On another note . . . While I was at the flea market, my brother's wife straightened The Princess' hair after she gave her a bath:

The next morning, it looked like this (even though she didn't get another bath):

It's so hard to keep straight hair.

It's Official!

2007-10-04T10:19:00.001-07:00

Three and a half years ago, I was contemplating the next car I was going to buy. My in-laws were adamant that I should get a minivan and I have to admit that the features were certainly tempting. I was determined to find the best car for me so, I started asking my mommy friends why they chose the car they chose. I had narrowed it down to about 4 cars:

Toyota Sequoia
Acura MDX
Honda Odyssey
Toyota Sienna

I asked one of my friends why she chose the Ford Explorer over a minivan and she said: "I'm already a housewife, I don't want to be a housewife hag."

So, I was forever affected by that statement. I narrowed my choices to the Sequoia and the MDX. In the end, I chose the Sequoia because my husband thought the Acura was to girlie and didn't think that it felt like a real truck.

I loved my Sequoia, up until Jr. Peanut was born. Then, I started dreaming of the doors on a minivan. When I got accosted by a homeless man I promised myself, I'd get a minivan specifically for the doors.

This past week, I made it official...I'm now a housewife hag with my new Honda Odyssey:

Although I am a housewife hag, I have some pretty cool gadgets, so please call me the "Geeky Housewife Hag". I pimped my ride with the following gadgets:

Navigation System
DVD Player
iPhone

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I'm sorry I've been so mysto lately. I didn't have that great of a birthday last week, I got sick, and I was busy contemplating the purchase of a new car. I will do my best to start reading the 200 posts I have in my google reader...especially now that I can read them on my phone. I also received some recognition from some of my peeps-- Jackie (who thinks I'm nice) and Brillig (who thinks people should read my blog). Thanks ladies, you're the bestest (a remnant "word" from my youth)! Badges and meme to follow.

Today Is the Day

2007-09-25T09:22:00.001-07:00

Today is my birthday! I'm the big 3-2. I feel older, fatter, and less pretty than I was 10 years ago. But hey, most people do too.

This past weekend, we went to the USC vs Washington State game. We went with some friends, so of course we pre-partied and tailgated. We were stoked...we had a babysitter watching all four kids, the breadwinner was the designated driver, and each couple had a pair of tickets on the 50 yard line (we were on the shady side they were on the sunny side).

I made some super strong Vodka/cranberries, so we were pretty liquored up. We also didn't have very much to eat before we went to the game.

About 15 minutes into the game, we get a call from our friends. My friend puked in front of her chair and people were starting to smell the vomit. We told them to come over to our side since there were a couple empty seats.

They came over and sat for about 10 minutes but then they left. So when I had to go to the bathroom, I went to look for them. My friend was in the bathroom sitting on the pot with puke on the floor. She also picked the one stall that didn't have a lock on it so every few minutes someone would try to open the door and whack her in the head. So, I had to stand guard in front of her door while she sat passed out on the pot after taking a humongous shit.

Needless to say, we left at half time. All she cared about though was how she ruined her husbands one chance to watch an SC game. Not a single apology for ruining the night out for me and my husband. Typical.

And if for some reason, she remembers the address for my blog and she reads this...you told me I couldn't tell certain people. You didn't say I couldn't write about it. No one you know reads this...unless you gave them the address.

The Ineffectual Parent

2007-09-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we arrived early at the Princess' preschool. We got out and waited on the steps with a couple of the other girls in her class. The Princess and the other girls started playing on the steps. Running up and down the steps, they giggled.

As the minutes ticked by, more kids arrived. It got to be too crowded for the girls to run up and down the steps.

The mother that was watching the other two girls told them to stop and they stopped immediately.

I told the Princess to stop too.

Of course, she kept on running up and down the steps anyway. I said, "That's one" after she went running up the steps. I said, "That's two", after she went running down the steps. I said, "Do you want to leave and go home?". She said no (so, I knew she could hear me).

Then, the little boy standing nearby honestly and bluntly said to his mom, "That girl isn't listening to her mommy."

Leave it to a child to say what the other moms probably were thinking. And how true it was. She went running up the steps one more time and gates opened, so I didn't get to follow through with my threat.

That's the story of my life these days. "She doesn't listen to her mommy." I've asked her countless times to stop jumping on the couch. I've asked her countless times to stop stepping on her toys. I've asked countless times for her to stop pulling her brother along by a limb. She just doesn't listen.

That's me in a nutshell...the ineffectual parent.

Eye Candy for Wordless Wednesday

2007-09-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

(all photos were googled)

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I just posted my summer reading reviews here, if you're interested. :-)

Lessons Learned

2007-09-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a few lessons I learned in the past few weeks:

Always remember how much you love football season during the fall before planning anything.
Never let your potty trained child con you into letting her drink an entire glass of water before bed time (unless of course you like waking up in the middle of the night to change soiled bed sheets.
Never suggest an Adult Toy party as your next fundraiser for your mom's group unless you want them to look at you like you're some sex fiend. (God forbid if I spice things up a bit right?)
Never volunteer to do the mom's group newsletter. It's a lot of work with little appreciation. There's also that one person that's late for a deadline and then complains that there are things missing from the newsletter. Uh yeah...if you don't make the deadline, it doesn't make it in. These deadlines are for a reason...I have a life and I've got better things to do than sit around waiting for people to actually read the emails about deadlines.
If you're lactose intolerant...that smoothie drink will catch up with you eventually.
Make sure to warn the public if you've had a smoothie.
I need to get a prescription for xanax if I'm going to deal with the morons that call themselves "Customer Support" at Direct TV and AT and T.

Preschooler Sleep Problems -- SOLVED

2007-09-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

Since April 2006, the Princess has had trouble going to sleep. It's a dreaded chore for both the breadwinner and me. We hate it. She always wants us to sleep with her and once we leave, she always comes out (even if we sleep with her until she falls asleep). It's so hard to put her to sleep that she often doesn't even get to bed until 10pm...sometimes even later! What's compounded the problem is that with the exception of once or twice a week...she's given up her naps.

For over a year, we've been miserable with the whole situation. But we may have found a solution...we borrowed our niece, Cousin Princess (CP). That was all it took! I went in there once to tell them to go to sleep and when I checked on them ten minutes later...THEY WERE ASLEEP! So there you have it people, the best way to solve your preschooler's problems...borrow a cousin. CP stayed with us for two glorious nights.

Last night, I had to sleep with her for a few minutes, but she didn't come out. The downside was that she kept saying "I miss my CP. My CP is at Lola's house and I want my CP to come back" (Lola is tagalog for Grandmother and I dropped her off there so my sister could pick her up).

I'll let you know if the Princess regresses. If she does, we may have to borrow CP and her magical powers again.

This is my 100th post!!!

Like an Amex

2007-08-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

We went to Sonoma last weekend and we did two things that made our trip enjoyable:

We stayed a place with a full kitchen (a cottage)
We brought my mother with us.

I wasn't so sure how the weekend would turn out because my mom and I fight like cats and dogs. But, I didn't fight with her at all. The only disagreement I had with her was over her letting my four year old daughter watch Predator (yes, the one with Arnold Schwazenager and yes, I know you agree with me). Other than that, it was great. It was like bringing a baby sitter and a chef at the same time! My mom cooked all my favorite foods and she watched our kids at night while we went drinking. How awesome!

If my mom found it tolerable, I think we'd like to take her with us on all vacations. She's like an Amex card...we shouldn't leave home without her!

The Proverbial Question

2007-08-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

As a stay at home mom, the one question that bugs the crap out of me is...

What do you do all day?

My answer? The same thing that everyone else does...I work. I do the job that I would have had to pay a Nanny 10-15 dollars an hour for. And of course, just like all other working stiffs that work for pay...I get my internet time in during the job (so don't question my blogging!).

You want to know the biggest difference between my job and the traditional job? It's that I give up my life for these kids. As all my friends without kids (or that work) move on to bigger, better and higher paying jobs, I get stuck in a job where there is little appreciation, no monetary pay, no promotions, minimal adult conversation, and maximum whining. People also seem to think that when the kids become independent and go to school...we can just go right back into the work force. We CAN'T! It's almost like we have to start over again...things change in the work force, we have to explain our employment gaps, we need to polish our skills. The worst part about it is...we NO LONGER fit into the work clothing we kept from before we became SAHMs.

And of course, nobody seems to sympathize with me (queue the violins)...least of all the Breadwinner. I think maybe the only other people that empathize with my plight are other stay at home moms...I guess that's why I joined my mom's group and started blogging. It makes me feel better to know that other people are going through the same thing...

I'm Back!

2007-08-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

And newly tanned (not that I wasn't tanned before). Me n' my Peeps (The Princess, Jr. Peanut, and the Breadwinner) flew to paradise (aka Maui). Despite the impending threats of Hurricane Flossi and the tsunami advisory, we managed to have a good time (I think...vacations aren't really vacations for a stay at home mom...unless no kids are involved).

This was the view from our hotel room:

While we were there, the Breadwinner and I celebrated our 6th Anniversary (only one more year to the 7 year itch):

My Island Princess:

Mi Familia:

Me and the Princess looking for sea shells (her newest obsession):

The "sun challenged" (due to lighter skin tones) duo waits for the shell seekers:

The future booze hound sippin his virgin fruit punch

The princess learns the huki lau with her mau mau (I mean dad)

Some photos that rival Shauna's avatar. Even though I don't like chocolate, it doesn't mean that my daughter doesn't...

Gross!

2007-08-08T18:17:00.001-07:00

Jr. Peanut, the Princess, and I were hanging out on the Princess' queen sized bed playing with one of Jr. peanut's new toys.

We were playing and having fun. Then the Princess said to her brother "Ooohhh, you look tired baby brother." She proceeded to pull down her shirt and then said "here baby brother, you want my boobie?". She proceeded to try to feed him while I giggled.

Then she stopped and her shirt went back up. Then she turned to look at me.

She moved over to where I was, pulled down her shirt, and shoved her nipple toward my face. "You want my boobie Mommy?"

Aaaah! yuck! It's not pleasant having the mosquito bites shoved in your face.

I told her "No thank you. I'm not hungry. Maybe when you're older, you can nurse your own baby when you're older.

Kids are weird like that.

Are PG and PG-13 Movies Safe For Your Child?

2007-08-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

I think I'm feeling better after last week. I've decided to post something informative that I wrote in the Newsletter that I edit. There's been a lot of buzz about it in my Moms Groups because of that Transformer movie...

It’s often difficult to gauge the Motion Picture Association of America’s movie ratings. Although a movie may be rated, it doesn’t tell you exactly how it got the PG rating as opposed to the G rating. It is also often surprising how much violence or latent sexual innuendo there is in a PG movie. If you’re looking for a great place to get the REAL scoop on the violence, sexual content and profanity in movies try the following very helpful websites. They detail the questionable sections of the movie for your young ones so that you can make better choices for your children:

Kids In Mind: http://www.kids-in-mind.com

Family Media Guide: http://www.familymediaguide.com

MPAA Rating Info: http://www.mpaa.org/FlmRat_Ratings.asp

My Almost Nightmare

2007-07-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

I went to a pool party playdate today. Everything started great. We had been there before, so the Princess was looking forward to it. There's an in ground trampoline and a 30 foot water slide in my friend's backyard. The Princess was having tons fun going down the slide by herself with her life jacket on.

When the pizza came we all got our kids a slice of pizza. I took off the Princess' life jacket, dried her off and wrapped her in her towel. I sat her down and told her she had to eat before she went back in. All the kiddies ate at the kiddie table while the adults and the younger kids ate at the adult table.

Soon, the kids finished eating and started jumping on the trampoline. I finished feeding JR. Peanut and wiped him down. I decided to change him back into his regular clothes because he was shivering. While I was taking off the swim diaper, my other friend, J., was trying to ask me if I wanted her daughter's old floating bathing suit.

Then I heard something and I turned. On instinct, I put Jr. Peanut down and ran to the deep end of the pool. As I got to it, I saw my friend, A., jump in the water. The Princess had gone down the slide WITHOUT HER LIFE JACKET! I started screaming like a mad woman ( I didn't know this-- but J. later told me that I was screaming blood curdling screams). Just as A. reached her, the Princess was submerged and she was trying to reach up her hand. I was freaking out and delirious.

A. handed her to my other friend, D. (she's a registered nurse). The Princess was okay, but just shaken up and crying. D. handed her over to me, and I held her for a while. When she stopped crying, I lectured her about swimming without telling an adult and without using a life jacket.

I was really upset...and she just wanted to go back in. I wanted to leave because I was so upset and she wanted to stay. When we left, I visited the Breadwinner's office and started bawling. I can't seem to get rid of the image of her sinking with her hand reaching out, out of my head.

I'm traumatized. I don't think I can go to a pool with two kids or the beach when I'm out numbered 2 to 1 with my kids (Jennifer, I don't know how you did it!).

Today has been the scariest day of my life.

Princess Drawing

2007-07-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about this for a while but I've been extremely ~~lazy~~ busy this summer. So I lolligagged until I read Shauna's Post today.

When the Princess showed me this picture, she told me it was a drawing of me. So, I asked her where my body is (drawing a body is one of those developmental milestones you can find in drawings). She took the picture and drew those two circles that I drew the arrows to. What part of my body could those be??? Here are my possibilities:

my boobs
my ovaries?? It is in the general vicinity of my ovaries.
My nursing pepperoni sized aureolas? (I don't know how to spell it)
My nipples?

I give up. You decide. You tell me what my little Picasso made.

Did you notice how my badges from Butrfly and Jackie got cut off?? I'm a Rockin Blo and I got a Thoughtful blogger Aw. Maybe I should come up with a new design...everyone else is doing it right?

I'm Afraid of the "C" Word

2007-07-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

I'm truly fear the "C" word don't you? CANCER. A woman in my moms group just passed away after a 4 year battle with breast cancer and it's truly made me think a lot about how precious life is. You really just never know what is going to happen and how devasting it is to the family that gets left behind.

Our group has been exchanging crazy amounts of emails regarding her. Some people are interested in making her surviving family our "charity" for the year. I'm kind of hesitant about giving money to the family even though I know the treatments and funeral arrangements must have been costly. I would much rather give money to fund Breast Cancer Research in memoriam of her or find a way to give it directly to the children.

Money just doesn't seem appropriate to me because no amount of money would bring the parent back and in no way compensates for that sense of loss. The Breadwinner's Aunt died at the age of 29 from Hodgkins Lymphoma and left behind a toddler and a baby. His Aunt's husband remarried within a year of her death. He wound up remarrying several times and I think the children were really affected by all the mother figure changes. This is why I would want to do something that would directly benefit the children. Death has profound effects on children and it shapes the rest of their lives (not to take away from the pain an adult feels-- but children can't grasp a lot of "adult" concepts).

What are your thoughts? What do you think would be the best way to help a family through this period of time?

I actually would like to participate in Passionately Pink For the Cure. Has anyone participated in this at all? Do you have any other ideas to support Breast Cancer awareness/research?

The Princess-isms

2007-07-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some conversations we've had with The Princess. Remember she's almost 4.

Breadwinner:What are you doing?

Princess:Nuthin'

Breadwinner:Are you making a mess?

Princess:(she doesn't answer)

Breadwinner:Can you help me clean up your mess?

Princess:Can't you just give me a break?

---------------------------------

Me:When I grow up, can I be gorgeous just like you?

Princess:No

Me:Mommy can't be gorgeous like Princess?

Princess:No, silly. I not grown up.

---------------------------------

On an excursion at Home Depot:

Breadwinner:OK Princess, I expect you to behave. (this is a tactic that I use and it works for me)

Princess:Why? Mommy's not here.

---------------------------------

On an car ride to the Breadwinner's office:

Princess:I want to go see Grammie. (this is the breadwinner's mom -- my mom is called Lola)

Breadwinner:You do?

Princess:Yeah, I want Grammie to give me stickers.

Breadwinner:Do you want to go see Grammie because you love her or because you want stickers?

There's a pause while she thinks about it.

Princess:I want the stickers.

I'm Restricted

2007-07-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

I decided to copy Butrfly (she copied Shauna) and do a short post involving getting my blog rated:

I'm rated R because...I'm bringing sexy back baby!!!! Move over desperate housewives, now there's something sexier!!

(It's also because I mentioned piss (6x), crappy (4x), and breast (1x). This is surprising because I say ball sack, sexy, and I'm sure a lot worse than those words. Apparently I can't say breast, but I can say ball sack as many times as I want!!!!)

Piss on THIS!

2007-07-17T21:52:00.001-07:00

My kids have a play room. We block it off at night because the cats love to piss on things in the play room.

So, I've been smelling piss in the play room for the past week. I've looked and looked for the area that the cats pissed on. I didn't find anything and I was getting increasingly annoyed with the cats.

I found it today.

There was piss all right. But it was human pee (cat pee has a distinct smell). In our Little Tikes sport thing:

Right in the basket that the boy is putting the ball in.

It had to have been a boy. I don't see how a girl can sit on the basket without falling over or getting hurt.

There were only 6 boys at the party.

Only 4 could walk.

Only 2 are not in diapers.

One is 8 years old and knows better (his mom is awesome).

The other will be 4 in November and his mom lets him run amok.

I think I'd be able to venture a guess as to who did it.

Absolutely.

Disgusting.

-------------------------------------

On a happier note, I got a Rockin Girl Blogger award from the equally rockin' Butrfly

I also got a Thoughtful Blogger award from the equally thoughtful Jackie.

Thanks ladies. I'm [blushing] honored!

Jr. Peanut's B-day Pics

2007-07-17T09:02:00.001-07:00

Getting My Money Back From This Crappy Excuse For a School

2007-07-11T19:09:00.001-07:00

Remember when I blogged about The Princess going to summer camp? Well it didn't go over very well. The following letter explains why the school is crap.

Dear Preschool Director,

Per your request, I am sending this email to you to formally request that the "two weeks notice" policy be waived. I feel that it should be waived because I don't think my daughter is being provided the kind of preschool program I thought she would be getting based on the policy manuals that were given to me and my visits to the school. I do not wish to have my daughter exposed to an environment with the following things that my daughter and myself have experienced:

Candy was provided to my daughter as a reward. I have several problems with this: 1) In the handbook it states that the parents are not allowed to bring candy to school and I feel that it is hypocritical to not expect parents to be allowed to bring candy but the teacher can give it out. 2) Lying by omission because I was never told that my daughter would be given candy as a reward. 3) It was given to her without my express permission. 4)These are four year olds and they don't brush their teeth very well. They shouldn't be given candy and this is the only preschool that I have ever heard of that gives Candy as a reward.
When I confronted the front office person (not K, but the blonde woman that fills in while K is out and about) on 6/28 about the candy she said that there is a no candy policy and that someone would talk the teacher about it. When I told her that my friend caught her child's teacher (a different one) giving her kids M and Ms she said that sometimes the teachers do give candy out as a reward. Basically -- this woman LIED to me and then took it back.
My daughter sat at a table all by herself on her first day of school because there is assigned seating. Assigned seating at 4 is ridiculous to me and I don't think it should be at the price of isolation especially on the first day of school.
My daughter sat watching TV while eating lunch. 1)This is disrespectful to her food. 2)She can watch TV at home. 3)On the Summer Program Calendar, Monday is reserved as Movie day-- which is precisely why I chose Tuesdays and Thursdays. But she was still watching a movie...on a Tuesday.
On 6/19 Before I gave K my check for the entire summer's tuition, I asked her if I would get a refund if my daughter didn't like it there and she said yes with no mention of the two week notice.

I really just don't feel comfortable sending my daughter to a school with this kind of environment and she has told me that she doesn't want to go. I have pre-paid the tuition for the entire summer and would like a refund of my money without the two weeks notice policy. Which would be $508.

Sincerely,

Cherann Translation: YOU GUYS BLOW!

Success!

2007-07-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

After several long days of preparation, 24 party favor bags, loads of party decorations, hundreds of dollars dished out and lots of help from Godparents...Jr. Peanut's first birthday party was a success. It was a really good time. I really have to thank Cheryl, Kyle, Gomez, B, and J. You guys ROCK!! I think these god parents have learned a valuable lesson: Don't come to your god child's party early...or you'll get put to work.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not, but the party was a baptism/birthday party...so we had several things going on. We did the baptism during a public catholic mass and it was a totally different experience. The priest had us walk up during the processional, mentioned us several times during the mass, performed the entire thing while we stood at the front with loads of people watching, and made us walk down the aisle again for the closing. Good thing I'm not an extremely SHY person...otherwise it would have been a really painful experience. It was also hard keeping a 12 month old occupied during an hour long mass.

Althought the party was a success, there were some mishaps along the way:

My sister-in-law crashed into our light post taking The Princess to my other SIL's daughter's Birthday party.
Kyle left Cheryl's shoes on top of the car and drove away with it still on the roof. I found the remains of the mangled show down the street. I wish I had taken picures of it before I threw it away.
B and J's flight was delayed THREE hours and they didn't even find out about it until they got there. They must have been so tired (they're east coasters)because their flight didn't leave until midnight (California time).
The Breadwinner bumped his head on the BBQ trying to install the sink.
While running around the pool table, The Princess fell and bit her lip HARD!
Jr. Peanut's ear drums ruptured from an ear infection.
The Princess and her cousin took several of the sprinkles jars (from cup cake decorating) and ate them in the jumper (The Breadwinner had to shop vac the jumper). Not to mention the fact that the kids ATE way to much sugar.

Thank god it's over. The house was a mess, there are tons of brand new scratches all over my hard wood floor. Lots of food left over. (Note to self: when you buy lots of appetizers...you need less food catered)I have a two month hiatus until the Princess' birthday... who already has decided that she wants a Hello Kitty party.

I'll post some pictures later.

Ta Ta!

My Thoughts on Raising a Daughter

2007-07-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

I have to say that raising a daughter is probably one of the most difficult things I've had to do. When I see and hear the things that the Princess does, it painfully reminds me... of me. She is like a magnifying glass of all my most annoying traits.

The irritating stubborn as a mule trait? That's from me.

The hot temper? That's from me too.

Ugh. I hate seeing all that stuff in her. When she's being like me, I wonder how I even put up with myself. I wonder if maybe my mom thought the same thing about me too.

There's a New Badge in Town

2007-07-02T17:54:00.001-07:00

At the suggestion of one of my reader's comments, I've worked hard and fashioned this special badge. Let me know if you want one too...

Not many people can say that about such a special search...

My Own Melt Down

2007-07-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's the Monday before Jr. Peanut's Birthday party. He's turning one and he's getting baptized. So it's a big deal. There are so many things to do and I'm being bombarded by other things that I need to deal with:

I am having difficulty with the crappy summer camp I sent my daughter to for the past two weeks and I'm trying to get my money back (I'll write a separate post about it later)
The Caterer for the party tried to tell me that he didn't have the tables and chairs that we requested last week. He all of a sudden had two weddings come up. But luckily he has changed his mind.
There are a ton of things on my to do list.
The Breadwinner has decided that he absolutely has to golf the day before the party and the day all of our out of town guests come. And I'm the bitch that says he's got to get all these things done before he goes...
Jr. Peanut bumped his chin on the kiddie fence and bit his lip. Now he's going to have a fat lip for his birthday party pictures.

So, I ask myself, is it really worth it? The next child (if there is a next one) isn't getting a big party.

Calgon! Take me away!

Googlers Crack Me Up

2007-06-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden, I've had a whole slew of new search terms appear on my keyword analysis from StatCounter. Some of them are kind of interesting...and it begs the question that I'm actually scared to know the answer of...Did they find what they were looking for???

NOTE: I typed in some of their locations so you'd know where some of these people are coming from. You can click on the image to make it bigger (I know it's hard to read the way it is.

I Used to be a Germ Phobe

2007-06-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I was. Most of my Germ Phobias had to do with public restrooms:

I would unravel a little bit of the toilet paper and throw it away (in case the person before had touched it) then I'd unravel the toilet paper that I would use.
I never actually sat on the toilet to pee. I squatted.
If I had to sit (for obvious number two reasons) I would put soap and water on a paper towel and wipe the entire toilet seat. Then I'd take a dry paper towel and wipe it dry. Next, I'd put not one, but two toilet seat covers.
I never used my hand to flush the toilet
I would meticulously wash my hands afterward. But before I washed my hands, I would crank out the paper towel (so I wouldn't have to touch it after I washed my hands).
Using the paper towel that I used to dry my hands, I'd open the door (so I wouldn't have to touch the filthy door handle).

Some non-restroom germ phobe stuff I did included:

At restaurants, I would wipe my silverware down with a napkin.
I constantly carried a hand sanitizer with me and used it like a maniac.
I never opened doors with my whole hand or I used a paper towel to open it.
I NEVER drank water from the water cooler at work (this actually reduced the number of times that I got sick during the year). It's disgusting. People are always filling their water bottles and there was constantly lipstick on the spout.
I never ate anything that dropped onto the table. Let alone the floor.

Well...now I have kids and all that went out the window. I call them my germ magnets. And man oh man, are they disgusting. If I was still that germ phobe, and I saw what my kids get into, I'd be horrified!

My kids pick up crumbs off the floor of my car (that looks like it's a week old) and eat it (I know, why aren't I shop vac-ing my car).
My son plays and drinks poop infested water.
The Princess actually touches the toilet seat when she pees (aaahhh!) and she touches everything.
The kids eat everything that falls on the floor or table.
They suck on the wash cloth after I've used it to wash them (Yuck! It's touched their bottoms!).
They touch everything and constantly have their hands in their mouths.
I'll catch the Princess itching her butt (inside her panties).

So now, I'm like a germ-phobe's worst nightmare. Kids are gross. If you don't have kids...beware if you're a germ phobe!!

Tagged Again!

2007-06-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

I got tagged by Jackie to do a Goal meme.

These are the rules:

1) In a new blog post, list and write about the top 5 to 10 goals that you gotta get so that you can truly say you have achieved your wildest dreams in life. These have to be your best, most exclusive, and over-the-top goals that you can pick off your goals list. (I know I’ve previously said Do Not Share Your Goals, but we’re making an exception!)

2) In the introduction of your post, explain what you’re doing with the Gotta’ Get Goals project and “put a link and/or a trackback to this post”, for the purpose of giving them the full rules and for me to compile the master list of all participants that I’ll link to in a future post.

3) As with Simply Success Secrets, don’t forget to put a link or trackback to the blogger who tagged you for Gotta’ Get Goals in order to let your readers follow the conversation around.

4) Sharing your Gotta’ Get Goals with your own audience, will also share them with the blogger who tagged you and the bloggers you tagged, as well as their whole audience!

5) There is no limit to how many bloggers you are allowed to “tag”, so go crazy. It will help their exposure as well as your own when they tag back to your Gotta Get Goals post. That’s how meme’s work.

6) Sit back and enjoy the show. As Aaron would say, “watch the gotta get goals and the crossover audiences start rolling in!”

I'm not following all the rules, but I'm doing the essential part of the meme. Here are my goals:

1. I want to be the kind of mom that my kids feel they can tell anything to. I never got that as a kid and I didn't really need it but I think with so many bad influences these days, I think my kids will definitely need it. I'm also trying to be more accepting of less traditional types of intelligences (i.e. the arts, social). It's really difficult for me because I'm Asian. Asians are all about Math and Science.

2. I want to work my way back to my pre-pregnancy weight too (Jackie had this goal too).

3. I'd like to go back and get my MBA and/OR get back to working again. (I miss my mad money).

4. I'd like to make more "really good" friendships as opposed to those more acquaintance type friendships.

5. I want to stop putting my foot in my mouth. I always say the wrong thing especially in social situations. Most of the time I don't really mean to sometimes, I just can't think of anything good to say.

So there you have it. Those are my goals. If you'd like to be tagged by it, leave me a comment stating that you want to. and I'll add you to the post. Enjoy!

Sorry!

2007-06-23T23:57:00.001-07:00

I know I've been MIA lately. Thanks also, to those of you that have wondered where I am. I've been busy lately. For some reason, I all of a sudden have A LOT of things to do. I promise, I'll write soon and that I'll read all of your blogs. I'm busy doing that newsletterI mentioned earlier this month. JackieThanks for tagging me, it will be the first thing I write...maybe my goal will be to blog?!?! HA ha ha. I guess that wouldn't fulfill my wildest dreams...or would it??

Super Silly Search Sunday 6/17/2007

2007-06-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

I know I've taken an extended break from Super Silly Search Sunday, but I just didn't like the search results I was getting. Plus, lets just face it. I've grown lazy. Fat and lazy I might add. I'm weaning JR. Peanut but still eating the same amount...so I've gained some extra poundage. I may have to join Weight Watchers or ~~what I really need to do is find some self control when it comes to the richer foods in life~~ something.

I don't think I mentioned this, but I found out that some of my ball sack searches came from Belgium. Perhaps there is some crazy ball sack stretching tendencies going on over there. Why would you want to stretch them? That's what I want to know.

At any rate, I guess I should tell you what I searched for this Sunday....drum roll here

My Armpit Hair Smells Good

There were only 230,000 search results. One of them was one woman's quest to become "one of those hairless freaks that you see on the MTV". In her June 2nd post, she describes how she tried to wax her armpit hairs off. Painful huh? (I occassionally pluck my own armpit hairs because they grow back so quickly when I shave them-- I got used to the pain).

Another search result was some guy's epiphany about the difference between men's and women's deodorant after using his wife's Degree deodorant. I always thought degree was actually a unisex deodorant. At least, when it first came out, it was. The writer didn't like the smell of it (I don't either) and he decided that women's deodorant doesn't take into account armpit hair. I wonder if that really is true.

Some other noteworthy sites:

gurl.com asks people to vote on armpit hair...do they dig it or diss it? The fact that 87 people actually dug it baffles me. But then again, maybe I've just been brainwashed by society.
I also found this marijuana site that explains how to avoid getting tested positive for marijuana in your hair. He talks about how he buys an extension kit that uses real hair and then he glues it to his armpit for drug testing purposes. Geez. The lengths that people will go to right?
Here's a picture of Tyra Bank's armpit. I don't really see anything except skin irritation.
Here's a picture of Julia Roberts'armpit hair...I can't figure out if this is for real or doctored.

Well folks, that's it. A lot of the results that came up were teens/pre-teens asking about armpit hair and what to do about it. I barely remember being that clueless. I'm so glad I'm not a teenager anymore. I certainly don't miss the awkwardness and the huge zits that I got on my nose (right before picture day right?). However, I do miss being twenty something.

By the way, did I ever mention that the Princess gets a kick out of smelling our (The Breadwinner's and my) "stinky armpits". She always asks if she could smell them...then she giggles hysterically.

Nothing Ever Tasted So Good...

2007-06-13T21:06:00.001-07:00

This evening, The Breadwinner came home while I was feeding my kids ~~grilled cheese sandwiches~~ a gourmet meal that included all four food groups (bread, cheese, chicken, and Munchos Chips--potatoes are vegetables, duh!). So, I sat down, with a glass of wine in front of my computer and proceeded to read my daily blog feeds.

When my kids were done, I took them out of their seats and they were off. A few minutes later, while I was reading about Butrfly's run in with the law and drinking my wine (instead of hearing WHINE for a change), I heard the Princess grunting while she was sqeezing out little turds into the toilet. I thought nothing of it until...

I heard splashing.

I ran to the bathroom and found Jr. Peanut playing with the toilet water while The Princess was hiding by the sink.

To my horror, I noticed that The Princess had failed to flush her poop away. Jr. Peanut was sucking on the toilet paper he found in the toilet water and splashing away.

I mean really...what kind of princess forgets to flush the toilet? I guess an almost four year old one does. And where the heck was the Breadwinner?

I suppose I can legitimately get googled for baby eats poop or to be more precise, "baby drinks poop water".

He seems OK but I may need to call the pediatrician tomorrow--just in case.

Just Call Me Horrible Mom

2007-06-12T14:49:00.001-07:00

So, today was the Princess' last day of school. I knew it was the last day and I knew there was going to be an ice cream social. Knowing that it was going to be the last day of school, I wanted to stop by Target and buy her teachers a thank you present.

Of course, going to Target made us a little late...and what I didn't know, was that each preschool class was going to sing a special song for everyone. When we got there, The Princess' class was getting ready to sing their song. We were late! I didn't bring my Camera. All the Daddy's were there and I neglected to tell the Breadwinner (I thought it was going to be an ordinary day). So, no daddy for the Princess. It was the one morning that I didn't have time to comb her hair...so she sang with nappy curly hair (everyone else had their hair in braids and wore pretty clothes).

To think...if I had taken a little bit longer, she wouldn't have been able to perform. Thank God for letting me get there just in time. How was I supposed to know??? I read the newsletter...but it didn't say anything specific. So yeah, call me a horrible mom that doesn't have her act together.

School's Almost Over :-(

2007-06-11T16:30:00.001-07:00

I am so sad. The Princess' last day of school is tomorrow. Even though I wrote this post about her not wanting to go back, she wound up loving her preschool. She quickly made some friendships and has actually started begging to go there every day. I am so happy I took her out of that "Hell Hole" preschool that she hated. I can't wait to send her back in the fall.

She will be starting summer camp next week...at a different preschool. So we'll see how that goes. It's kind of like the Hell Hole school in that it has extended care hours. Which makes a difference because friendships are often forged between the all day every day kids and not the half day, two days a week kids. So, it's a different experience. I'll let you know if she adapts well.

Now, my next decision to make is whether or not I'll hold her back (the Princess has a fall birthday and our school district has a December cut-off). Granted, she has another year until she turns five, but I'm already thinking about it. I'm inclined to hold her back. I've spoken to several teachers and they say that you don't notice a difference in Kindergarten and first grade, but once second grade comes around, you notice a maturity difference. It has nothing to do with academics-- but the social aspects of school

If your preschool aged child has a fall birthday, what are you going to do?

Oh, and it's official, I'm soliciting travel tips for families based on In The Trenches' suggestion from my last post. I'm going to put it in my mom's newsletter. I found these tips from Parent Hacks, for keeping kids entertained at an airport during delays or layovers. Any other tips?

A Request From My Bloggy Friends

2007-06-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hi again my bloggy friends. I'm not sure if I mentioned this or not, but I have taken on a board position and newsletter "editor" for my mom's group. It starts in July and it made me think ..."oh sh*t, I've got to get a newsletter together before the end of this month. What the hell am I going to write about?".

So I started thinking really hard (and this may be why I have a headache now) and I thought...why don't I ask my blogging community? I'm asking you dear readers if you have any blog posts that I can put into my Mom's Group newsletter. It has to be a post that is relevant to moms and I have to approve its appropriateness. In exchange, I'll give you complete credit for the article in the newsletter and list your blog address (maybe you'll get some new readership).

Thanks bloggers

How Many Women With Degrees...

2007-06-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had some friends over for an evening playdate. I bought some hamburgers and hot dogs to grill on the Barbecue. It then begged the question...how many women with degrees does it take to figure out how to barbecue? The answer? None. All three of us couldn't figure it out. It took my husband coming home to get it going. Sorry to the ladies that read my blog. We were a disgrace yesterday for not being able to figure it out.

I guess I never realized how much BBQing became a duty only for men. I don't often see women working the grill. In fact, I don't think I ever have. Not even on TV.

Then I kinda got to thinking, what other tasks have become "gender oriented"? These are some of the ones in my household:

Road Trip Driving: My husband complains that my driving makes him nauseous. I think it's just because he's not driving. Plus, I like to sleep on drives.
Laundry: I'm basically the only one that does it because my husband is pretty inept when it comes to washing the laundry. If he did it, stains would stay on clothes and they wouldn't get separated properly.
Cleaning the Kitchen: I don't know why, but men really don't do a very good job of cleaning the kitchen.
Mowing the Lawn (get your filthy mind out of the gutter): The breadwinner does this for now. But we may have to hire a gardner. My husband has developed an allergy to garden work that not even Clariten can fix.
Nursing the baby: For obvious reasons.
Making Pancakes: I've told The Princess that I don't know how to make pancakes. That way, I can avoid the sticky mess when I'm by myself. Plus, I don't really think pancakes are all that healthy. Especially when the Princess douses it with tons of syrup and butter. Of course, the Breadwinner has told the Princess that mommy knows how and that I'm just lazy. Now, the Princess goes around telling me that I'm lazy. Thanks hubby!
Fixing things: Daddy is best at this one.

Are there gender based tasks in your household too?

BTW? Yes Goldy, I did say Penis Ring of this variety.

I've Noticed Some Things

2007-06-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

So, I've noticed a couple things about my blog. First and foremost, I've been noticing that people have been searching for the EXACT search terms that I've mentioned in my Super Silly Search Sunday. For instance, I told people that people have found my blog with "bookworm hotties" and "ball sack stretching". Yesterday people found my blog using the exact terms! It's almost like people don't believe me and they're googling the terms just to see if I pop up...and obviously I do. People also searched "ball sacks" and "saggy balls cure" yesterday too. Hmmm. Yes, people, I told the truth about those search terms.

It's interesting that those terms bring people to my blog. But I'd like them to find me with better search terms. So, here come the gratuitous words that I'd like to be found with...

Best mom ever
My playgroup rocks
Hot Mommy
Cherann's the best thing around since sliced bread
Brunettes have more fun
Did I already say best mom ever?

Now, the other thing I noticed are the foreign language comments. I've been noticing it on other people's blogs too. What's the deal with that? Are they cussing me out or something? Am I too ball sacky for them or what? Anyway, that's all I have to say about that.

Ta Ta for now. (TTFN)

Where in The World is Cherann?

2007-06-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I've gone misto in the Blogger world. What have I been doing? Nothing much, just carting my kids around to school, play dates, kid classes and the like. But here I am again only to complete a meme. Sorry...I didn't do Super Silly Sunday. I came up with something, but didn't have time to search it. So maybe I'll save it for next week.

Anywhoo, Janet at Dancing Through tagged me for this one!

INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1. Bun in the Oven

2. You da Mom

3. Worker Mommy

4. Janet @Dancing Through

5. Confessions of a Former Bookworm

Next, select five people to tag... cuz I'm lazy (I don't want to look back and see who hasn't done this meme yet) and I don't want to nag anyone, if you want to be tagged, feel free to do this meme.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was living in Houston, Texas dating a man that was 10 years my senior and a VP of the company I was working for. I was training to be a recruiter. Yes...one of my many different jobs.

What were you doing 1 year ago?

Waiting to give birth to my sweet baby boy. He's almost one!!!

Five snacks you enjoy:

1) Classic BBQ Kettle Potato Chips

2) Strawberries

3) Candy

4) Pretzels

5) Toffee covered Peanuts

Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:

1) Somebody by Depeche Mode

2) Fruit Salad by the Wiggles

3 The body electric by ??

4) I'm a drunken Alpha Phi by ???

5) Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:

1) Pay off all the bills

2) Get a new car

3) Get my house professionally decorated

4) Invest it

5) Travel

Five bad habits:

1) Binge Eating

2) Impatience

3) Grinding/Clenching my teeth

4) Being critical of people

5) Picking

Five things you like doing:

1) Reading

2) Being with my family

3) Blogging

4) Playing Fantasy Football

5) Watching TV

Five things you would never wear again:

1) Bikini

2) Bangs

3) Anything that exposes my midriff

4) Paisley

5) Baby clothes

Five favorite toys:

1) My iPod

2) Nintendo

3) My Computer

4) Penis ring

5) Tivo

Sorry to those that read this without formatting. How lame am I? I also completely forgot to put in my own answers for the millionaire question.

I'm In Trouble Now

2007-05-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

You know you're in trouble when...

Your toddler starts understanding you even though you're s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g it out.
You start getting called out on the lies you tell (like telling her there are no more chips even though they're sitting in the pantry)
Your infant boy is already flirting with women by reaching out and grabbing them (yes, he's reached out and grabbed another woman's boob)
Your infant boy discovers his penis and thinks its a new toy
Your Princess starts talking about her wedding at the tender age of 3
You fart and your toddler (that just discovered she can smell things) rats you out buy saying "I smell something. I smell your stinky bottom".
Ball sack is the number one google search term that brings people to your blog.
Both your mother and your sister accidentally call your niece by YOUR name whenever they're mad or reprimanding her.
Your SIL's daughter touches her butt while she's pooping and smiles when you ask her..."did you just touch your poo poo bottom?"
Your 3 year old daughter starts trying to french kiss everyone--even though she doesn't know what a french kiss is.

Super Silly Search Sunday 5/27/07

2007-05-27T18:12:00.001-07:00

It's Sunday again. Time for another silly search. Today I searched for...

"I got addicted and now I'm in blogger rehab."

I wanted to see how many people out there are as addicted as I am. There's a decent amount. The search also brought up search results for druggies in addition to bloggies--so I skipped over those drug addicts and tried to find the blog addicts. Like Blue Girl in a Red State, the first thing I do when I get home (especially after a long weekend) is turn on the computer, check my email, and read my blogs. I may have to attend bloggers anonymous with her. There's a whole forum here for blog addicts. It seems like a forum version of mybloglog. I decided to join it. I had never heard of it before. I'll let you know how I like it.

Daniel Solove, wrote a post called A Day In the Life of Blogging. Here's an excerpt:

Wake up

Check email

Check blog – see if co-bloggers have posted anything and read comments to posts

Check site meter stats – see how many people visited and who’s linking to the blog

Check Technorati – see who’s linking to the blog

Check out blogs linking to the blog

Check The Truth Laid Bear – see the latest ranking of the blog

Check other blogs for ideas for blog posts

Check news sites for ideas for blog posts

Write blog post

Check email

Check blog

Check site meter

Lunch

Ha!! Mr. Solove is soooo candid and soooo RIGHT.

I also found this blog which had an article about what exactly is inside a twinkie. As a kid, I used to eat twinkies like a maniac. Hmm. Glad I don't eat them anymore. The same blogger also talks about how strict China is on people who are addicted to the internet. Good thing, I'm not living in China. Instead, I live here in my house where my husband tells me that I blog too much. Which reminds me...people always wonder how I have so much time on my hands. Let me just say that other people have just as much time on their hands...they just spend it doing other things like sleeping, watching TV, searching the internet for other things (man-- I've caught sooo many people doing non-work stuff at work)...so don't tell my I have too much time on my hands-- because they have too much time on their hands too!!!

I'm tired now from my mini rant. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to fuel my blogging addiction.

I Have a Secret

2007-05-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said that every time you push out a baby out of that itty bitty hole (at least hopefully it's itty bitty), you push out a little piece of your brain (#96)? Well, I'm beginning to think that the toll it's taken on my intelligence is starting to really show.

Which brings me to my secret...sometimes I read blogs and I don't get what they're trying to say. My only thought is--huh? Did I miss something? Then I read it all over again...and still nothing. Where the heck is my brain? And why did my kids hide it from me? Maybe my brain loss metamorphosed into that extra poundage located in my tummy and thighs.

You know, I just had a thought that I was going to include in this post and I've forgotten what it was. Alas, further evidence of the steady decline.

_{P.S. You know what would really help me? Is if people allowed their subscribers to view their entire post rather than just the teaser. If I comment on the post-- I go to your blog site anyway. BTW sometimes, if I can't see the whole blog in my reader...I just don't read it (unless I consider you one of my blogging friends and we talk via comments left on our respective blog sites)}

5 Blogs I Read...And Never Linked To

2007-05-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

I got tagged by the ever so hilarious Oh, The Joys. I never knew that all of the crap that we, as parents, go through could be so funny. Because it sure isn't when you're actually going through it (hindsight is 20/20)...Anyway, go check her ( Oh, The Joys) out.

Oh, The Joys tagged me with a meme to list 5 blogs that I read and have never linked to. By pure ~~laziness~~ luck, I've started reading more blogs and commenting on them but haven't yet put them on my blogroll. So here they are...

Because I Must Blog A funny mommy blog by a woman with bi-racial twins...and she works (for pay...unlike me). She blogs about rude people,vaccinations, and her feet.
Chesca, the exskindiver. She's one of my peeps (i.e. she's filipino), a Wammer (a wife and mother -- another reason why she's one of my peeps), and an intelligent read (her blog, that is).
Kate, the Walking Kateastrophe. She is friends with Brillig-- that's how I found her. She blogs about the things going on in her life, including her kateastrophes. She is also sometimes...Shakira-esque.
Sugar Kane, who currently is MIA, but normally is single mom, a supervisor that plays funny jokes on unsuspecting newbies, and she's got a lot of spunk.
Janet, the wonder mom that dances too. She's got the dog from h-e-double el, has a miraculously organized purse, she's funny and she gives good advice..."Don't give up, be consistent".

Anyhoo, that's it. Please read them. They're good blogs, in fact, they are in my Google Reader Feeds. And by the way,

I also tag them for the meme.

Super Silly Search Sunday 5/20/2007

2007-05-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

Dear heavenly readers, it's been two weeks since my last Silly Search posting. Forgive me readers, for I have sinned! I didn't do the search last weekend because of the Holiday and today, I almost forgot about it!

Before I tell you what I searched for this week, let me tell you what strange google searches brought people to my ~~crazy~~ wonderful blog. Yesterday, "ball sack stretching photos" brought a new reader to my blog. Thanks google! I'm now probably the number one hit for ball sacks. And just to up my relavance in those searches, I'm just going to scream BALL SACK, BALL SACK, BALL SACK!! Another search phrase used was "From My Uterus"-- which makes sense because of The Mixers post. Someone also technorati'd "Saggy Boobs". My favorite though, was the google search term..."bookworm hotties". I popped up!! So, yes, kind readers-- I'm a bookworm hottie because Google says so.

Now, time for what you've all been waiting for... drum roll. Today's Super Silly Search Phrase...

I've Got My Finger Stuck Up My Nose

This search phrase kind of reminds me of Karly's old blog layout. Or at least, that was my visual, after I came up with the search. Anyway, the number one hit (out of 1.8 million results)was a poem by Brian Patten called The Day I Got My Finger Stuck Up My Nose (the link is the cached version because the actual site brings up too many pop up windows). The funniest site that the search brought me to is I Used to Believe's website. The site contains a section on what adults believed would happen if as children, they picked their nose. The funniest one posted was:

When i was young, my parents told me that boogers were part of your brain, so to stop me from picking my nose. Logically, i thought that if i ate them, they would just go back into my brain, and no harm done. needless to say, i never wanted to blow my nose, because then that part of my brain would be lost forever!

It's amazing how many lies parents tell. At any rate, here are some of the blogs that showed up:

Confessions of a Hypochondriac has a funny blog entry about why one of her nostrils is bigger than the other.
The Common Wombat wrote about how he vomits incorrectly and it vomit gets lodged in his sinuses.
This guy went to the doctor and had a "spatula stuck up his nose". But the reason I'm listing it is because he got "dooced". I think he's talking about the web designer that created the blog called Dooce. I learn something new every time I do these searches. Word to the wise: don't blog about work.
Ali admits that her ten year old picks her nose due to genetics...
A hilarious exchange between a mother's two kids.

That's all I can find dear readers... until next time.

Ticket Systems and Home Based Businesses

2007-05-16T14:08:00.001-07:00

The other day, I went into Staples to buy some tickets. I had read an article on Parent Hacks about using a ticket system to monitor your child's TV consumption. I modified it to be reward system similar to what In The Trenches of Mommyhood commented in my advice solicitation post. Except that instead of using a chart, I'm using a ticket system that rewards her for doing her "chores" and allows her to redeem the tickets for TV time, a toy, Disneyland, etc... each reward requires a certain amount of tickets (kind of like at Chuck E. Cheese's-- so that she understands the concept).

It's working out pretty well for me. She L-O-V-E-S being able to collect the tickets. It's teaching her quite a few things:

how to save
what chores are
how to count her tickets
that tickets are priveleges that can be taken away...
It also reduces the amount of times during the day that she asks if she can watch cartoons.

Things have definitely improved. I'll let you know how it goes.

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While I was at Staples, I picked up a magazine called "Get Rich At Home" . The cover story was "Home Based 100 - 100 Surefire Money-Makers to Run From Home". I thought quite a few of you would be interested in the article. Especially if your a SAHM or a Part Timer or maybe even a mom that would like to make extra money. I'm not going to list all 100 (you'll have to pick up the magazine for that) but I thought I'd point out some of the ones that I thought were pretty good:

Special Events Videos/DVDs - get paid to make videos of special gatherings.
Calligraphy Service/Special Invitation Marketing - get paid to address invitations
Parties for Kids - This would be awesome for a lot of you party planning moms
Keepsake Albums - Perfect for the scrapbooker (you can charge per page)
Howdy Neighbor Service - Get paid by merchants to include them in your get to know the neighborhood package
Computer Tutor
Kidproof Homes
900 # Entreprenuer (this would be kind of funny)
Child Care Center (I've thought about doing this before)

Well, the list goes on, but those were my favorite.

Double the Memes Double the Fun

2007-05-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

I got tagged for a couple of Meme's. The first one is from Shauna at Pass The Chocolate. The rules are simple, give five reasons why you love blogging (not hard at all) and tag five other bloggers. No tag backs either but be sure to let them know who tagged you. I'm going to be lazy however and say that I'm tagging anyone that has not yet done EITHER meme:

5 Reasons Why I Blog:

It's good to know that there are other people going through the same ~~torture~~ ~~thing~~ situations that I am. (You guys also give some decent advice)
It's like selectable instant messaging (and at my own reading pace).
It's better than reading chick lit (and shorter)
It allows me to vent.
I've met lots of cool people.

So mosey on and complete that meme-- don't forget to give me some linky love.

I was also tagged by Christy at Christy's Coffee Break for an In The Spotlight Meme. Please check her site for the rules .

I've chosen to do all the questions:

When did you start blogging?December 2006

Is this your first meme?No

What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?Nothing really. Maybe entertain some people and let my family/friends know what's going on (or not going on)in my life.

What are your feelings on the "blog popularity" issue?I'm not sure what the issue is. I'd love to be popular though. I've always been a nerd.

What's your favorite childhood memory?My birthdays.

What makes your blog unique?Moi. I think the title is pretty unique. There are Confessions of a Bookworm but no "former" bookworm.

If you were stranded on a deserted island what three things would you want to have with you?My family, unlimited supply of food, a Wal Mart or Target

Are you a spiritual person?Not as much as I used to be.

Do your moral values affect the way that you blog, and if yes, how?Um, no. I don't think I really blog about anything that involves moral issues.

What is the weirdest thing that ever happened to you?At one point, I was having dreams about friends/family getting pregnant. I was right about every single one for the first 2 years.

What is your best quality?I learn things pretty quickly (except when it comes to gambling games)

What is your worst quality?I have a short temper.

So mosey on and complete this meme too-- don't forget to give me some linky love.

Missed You Guys

2007-05-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Sorry for the hiatus. I took it off for the obvious holiday on Sunday...so no Super Silly Search Sunday on Mother's Day. Hope everyone had a good one. I'll do a real post later but I just want to check in. Now, if you excuse me, I have over a hundred posts awaiting my reading eyes in my Google reader.

The Mixers

2007-05-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

As a mother of two racially diverse children, I was quite fascinated with this article by Peggy Orenstein from Parenting.com. The author of the article is a Caucasian woman that is the mother of a child that is racially half Japanese and half Caucasian (i.e. her husband is a Japanese American and she's blonde and blue eyed). Her daughter looks more Asian than Caucasian and this is an excerpt of what happened:

... while I was jogging in place in the galley trying to lull Daisy into a nap (and, as a side effect, working off the pregnancy weight), another passenger noticed us. "What a beautiful baby," she cooed and, before I could even smile in acknowledgment, added, "Where did you get her?"

This woman was a complete stranger!! I can only imagine the horror. If my kids looked completely like The Breadwinner, I'm sure someone would probably mistake me as the nanny (this actually happened to a friend of mine). Luckily mine do look like they are part Asian. But I wonder what people would say if I was the Caucasion and The Breadwinner was Asian. Anyway, the best is her new comeback for people that ask her where she got her daughter from:

From my uterus. I loved it. It was insouciant, surprising, and it stopped further conversation in its tracks. Best of all, it works. Every time. Where did you get her? From my uterus. Is she from China or Korea? From my uterus.

HA! Take that--ignorant strangers!

I've always wanted mestizo children-- because I think they're beautiful. But after reading the article, I kind of wonder if growing up Hapa (half asian/half white) will make things difficult for my kids in the future. Eh, who am I kidding, my kids are going to grow up to be Hotties and EVERYONE loves a hottie. (Can you tell I'm a proud parent?)

Anyway, It's an interesting article and voices what it's like to be asked questions about your racial ethnicity. This happens to me a lot. Sometimes I get annoyed at the ignorance (i.e. where am I from-- even though I don't have an accent or they'll ask me where my parents are from-- which BTW is from the Philippines but for all they know I could be 5th generation American) but most of the time, I just tell them that I'm Filipino because most people don't mean any harm by it.

BTW, Thanks everyone for the good advice. I may try the charting and making a list...if I can get off my slacker mommy ass.

Help! We've Fallen [into a Rut] And We Can't Get Up

2007-05-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

Remember when I blogged about how The Princess didn't wan't to go to school? Well, for the entire month of April, I had her home with me because she complained about it so much. Like I said, why spend $600 a month if she hates it.

Well, I found another preschool that I REALLY loved. The teachers were nice, she actually was learning something (unlike the other school), her clothes come back clean, each piece of artwork she brings home is labeled with a description(from The Princess) of what The Princess drew/made... you get the picture, I love it. I love it so much, I wish I was a kid again and that I could go there. Well, she loved it the first three times she went there. This morning she woke up..."I don't wanna go to school" even though she doesn't have school today. WTF?? It was a great transition, the kids were really sweet (even the boys), she took to her Australian teacher a lot. I just don't get it. And of course, the kicker was that she says this the day after I paid for her registration for the fall. Yeah. Thanks Princess.

Plus, I think we're spoiling her. This morning she asked The Breadwinner if he was going to work and of course he said yes. So she says:

"Oh yeah. Daddy goes to work so he can pay lots of bills and buy me lots of presents."

She's also been telling us that we're not nice when we don't buy her things. Also, the bribes and threats (aka rewards and punishment) aren't working. Does anyone have advice for me? Is there another way to parent other than offering bribes and threats? We have lots and lots of trouble with sleep (and yes, we do have a routine), sharing toys (this makes play group at my house very trying and now that her her brother wants to play-- she's constantly taking away toys from him), school, getting her out the door, basically-- you name it, The Princess has problems with with it.

So it's official, I'm throwing it out there...please advise me...before all my hair turns gray.

Super Silly Search Sunday - "Britney Spears Farted in Kevin Federline's Face"

2007-05-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday again! And...as you can see from the title, I searched for a "singer" and her husband. I put singer in quotes because there has been talk lately that she is a huge lip syncher. The results from my search yielded only 36,700 hits. I'm guessing it's because my search was so specific. I'm secretly hoping that this post generates some sort of link between Britney, Kevin and Farts in the Google Search Engine (I'm not sure how it works but if I search for it, say 50 times, doesn't it create some kind of correlation???).

Britney Spears Farted in Kevin Federline's Face

You know, I kinda feel sorry for Britney Spears. Most of the sites that came up had derogatory remarks about her. It must be hard having people scrutinize your every move. But sometimes she just makes some bad decisions ya know? Like marrying Kevin, chewing gum during that interview with Matt Lauer, shaving her head, hanging out with skanky Paris...the list goes on. Including these pictures. She's holding a box that says flash... how appropriate considering her boobs are about to burst out of her dress. She doesn't look very motherly, in fact, she looks a little trashy. I think she could have picked a dress that actualy fit her engorged boobs. Aside from the trashiness, she looked great in the pictures and I wish I looked like that when I was pregnant with my second child. I think fart popped up in that above post because one reader had commented that he farted on some other commentor that was defending Britney.

Another site that came up was a whole page on about.com devoted to spoofs, parodies, and jokes of Britney. Including Ask the Buddha Britney, some funny cartoons about her, a game (the object of the game is to stop the Britney Spears and Kevin Federline sex tape from reaching the public), a cartoon video of "oops I farted again" and bald "Britney" pictures.This is one that they posted from Kristin P. (Check out the others. They're pretty funny!):

There really weren't very many results that made sense. In this review of Chaotic, the writer describes a scene in the show where Britney farts in her bodyguard's face... "she farted in her bodyguard's face, picked her nose, and passed out in her own vomit, mumbling something about the burdens of fame and god-given talent." . This site posted about Britney's divorce and someone else posted that he just farted and wrote "I think my fart is bigger news than Britney getting a divorce. "

That's it folks. Everything else was kinda lame.

What if I Had Seen the Future?

2007-05-04T22:49:00.001-07:00

I met my SIL (sister in-law) in the dorms of USC. We became good friends and pledged the same sorority the following year. Who knew that we would go from being roommates...

to Sorority Sisters (this was a 70s party during the 90s-- so don't think I was old enough to be in college during the 70s)...

to sisters in-law...

to mommies-- each of us with two children the same exact age (only a couple months apart)...

I think that if I had known the future, I probably wouldn't have wasted my time getting my heart broken in college (twice--unless you count the gay ex-boyfriend heartbreak then it would be 3 times, oh and once more after college) and dated The Breadwinner instead. And then maybe I would have lost my virginity to The Breadwinner instead of the ~~asshole~~ ~~dick~~ ~~jerk~~ guy that I did lose it to. But then I think that if I hadn't dated the guys that broke my heart, then I wouldn't have known how good I truly have it. Because you know what? The Breadwinner truly is all that and a bag of chips (and so are my kids).

Have a good weekend everyone!

A Comment About Comments

2007-05-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

I've been laughing lately due to some comments I've gotten from people:

Ms. Jenny is new to my blog but has been giving me laughing fits. I suspect that she is also the Jenny that blogs at mama drama. Yes, one of the blogs I linked to in my last silly search post. And ohmigod, she's hilarious! Her X'mas toy (emphasis on the X)post, her extra special date night and her blogging rant had me rolling on the floor. Not to mention the fact that her boobs are like...tied in a knot right now and her cats are following her around due to some faulty advice I gave her...Ooops! Sorry. Thanks for the laughs. I just subscribed to your posts.

I used to live in Houston and your funny blog almost makes me wish I still lived there because there are funny people like you guys. Eh, but almost isn't good enough. I don't miss the humidity (someone once told me that Houston is the armpit of Texas), the cockroaches the size of a small dog, and the pot holes on Richmond. However, I do miss my friend H, the Tex Mex Food and not having to pay state taxes.

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Another comment that had me laughing was Goldy's comment about his nephew. Perhaps these days, role playing has taken on a completely different direction from when I was a kid. I always played restaurant or house...never prostitute (at least not until Pretty Woman came out).

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Umm and Wonder Mom ... "Figures. I pop up when crap is mentioned. Great!". Poop is better than "Cure for Saggy Ball Sacks" or "Deaux Porn Star"... I mean really, what kind of traffic do you think I'm bringing in to my blog?!?!

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Speaking of searches, Butrfly's comment on my Admit Post has me very worried for her. Why is someone searching for "Gay boy taking sh*t on leaves". And why are they being brought to Butrfly's Blog? Unfortunately, that person may find my blog now. But if he/she is reading this, I'd like for him/her to know that that was a very um, specific search. Could it be you that spread some feces love on the leaves? And now, you're searching to see if someone witnessed your ~~backside taking a s*it~~ folly.

Thanks everyone (not just those I mentioned above) for commenting on my blog. You guys ROCK. BTW what happened to my IRL (In Real Life) friends. Why aren't you commenting anymore???

I Got Tagged!

2007-04-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

I got tagged by Shauna at Pass The Chocolate. With a little get to know you meme. You know what I like best about memes? It's an easy post and I like linky love. So here goes...

The Rules:

I will write 10 ~~sordid~~ ~~boring~~ interesting things about myself.
I'll tag 10 (Do I even know 10 bloggers??? That would actually respond??) people.
If you've been tagged, you do your own list and tag 10 more people. ("No tag backs.")

The Facts:

Before I had kids, I NEVER watched or baby sat a child or baby.
I am the baby of my family...and I definitely act like it.
I'm a non-practicing virgin (hence the kids).
I have no spleen. I had a splenectomy when I was 17 years old.
I've been told I look like Thandie Newton, Brooke Burke, Tia Carrere and Talisa Soto (Strange, I know.)
I play fantasy football every year.
I don't have any chocolate to pass to Shauna because I don't like chocolate.
I'm a bleeding heart liberal...or as my in-laws would call me-- a demo-nazi. (I don't know why that would make sense).
My favorite alcohol is Belvedere Vodka.
I'm a sucker for fatty food.

The Linky Love (Tag--> you're it):

Happy Monday everyone!

Super Silly Search Sunday 4/28/2007

2007-04-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

It's that time again folks. This time I decided to do a search on the thing that kinda started this Sunday post ritual. Especially since someone went searching for it...AGAIN and found my blog. I was of course talking about my boobs but somehow it lost its context in the whole google search and popped up in a "Cure for Saggy Ball sack" search. This time someone left out a word. They only searched for "Cure for Saggy Balls". Someone else also found my blog by searching for "deaux porn star". Is that the name of a porn star or something? In any case, today's search was...(drum roll)

"my boobs hang low in a knot"

This search only had about 55,000 results. The number one search result brought me to a site that I've decided to bookmark. It's by another Southern California lady. Her boobs hang low post was in reference to a bra-less Meg Ryan. It was actually kind of funny however, I do side with one of her commentors because I love the old Meg Ryan romantic comedies. French Kiss is one of my favorites (even though it's not listed here)

This post about Barbara Streisand is pretty funny too. It's some sort of blog that makes up captions for silly pictures. I may have to add this to my bookmarks as well.

Some other things I found:

A site devoted to dirty school yard songs rememember those from your youth?
A post about the side effects of nursing.
This site led me to an even better site that makes me feel better about my stretch marks and saggy ball sack boobs. (because even though stretch marks happen to 50% of all pregnant women, Los Angeles seems to only have stretch mark free mommies-- except of course for me and my sister. And that really blows. But Yay! I finally know that I'm not the only one.).
This was a post about getting older. It's kinda nice to know that women who don't have children or breast feed still suffer through the same saggy-ness.
This woman claims she can hold SEVENTEEN pencils under EACH breast. W-O-W! Talk about athleticism.

The rest of the results got kind of vague and only had 2 or 3 of my search terms. But there you have it. Lots of other people have saggy boobs. S

Guess What??

2007-04-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

Finally! Someone actually heard the little violin that was playing my sob story in my last post. I was beginning to think I was the only one that could hear it. Jackie nominated me for two categories. Feel free to vote for me by clicking the buttons below...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go sing...
I'm too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt So sexy it hurts And I'm too sexy for Milan too sexy for Milan New York and Japan

And I'm too sexy for your party Too sexy for your party No way I'm disco dancing
I'm a model you know what I mean And I do my little turn on the catwalk Yeah on the catwalk on the catwalk yeah I do my little turn on the catwalk

wink, wink

Thanks Jackie and Butrfly for ~~pitying me~~voting for me. You guys are the bestest!

BTW-- I forgot to mention that whenever The Princess changes her clothes, she rubs her belly, dances , and screams "I'm soooooo sexy". Talk about a mothers worst nightmare. She's not sexy. She's my baby :-( Who the heck is teaching her this stuff?

I Think Therefore I Ham

2007-04-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ta Da!! It's me-- the wonderful winner of The Thinking Blogger Award. It's great to be a "winner" of such a prestigious award. Especially because I was snubbed by other award "ceremonies". And really, hiccup, it doesn't bother me hiccup, at all. And um, I kinda sometimes hiccup agreed with hiccup table for five hiccup until she too hiccup joined the ranks of hiccup this award. just kidding (I think). But alas, I digress...I was actually nominated by two people:

1. Mr. Thought Sparks who also happens to have a really good post about Home Network Best Practices and this really ROFL youtube video of a baby laughing.

2. Ms. Butrfly Garden. Please visit her site and sponsor Team Isabella in the March of Dimes. She also has several great posts on how to make the world a little bit cleaner.

Thanks guys for my very first blogger award (even if it's really a meme that the Thinking Blogger wanted to start). I'm glad I make you think about ~~silly things~~ thought provoking stuff like eating poop and training The Princess to be a useful helper. Hee Hee. Somebody's got to get the wheels turning on such important topics right? I'm just talking about the things everyone really wants to hear about and who knows...maybe one day my posts will ~~never~~ one day help you win a game of Triva Pursuit.

Now that I've gotten my acceptance speech out of the way, it's time for me to tell you who has me thinking. As a disclaimer, I don't always comment on their posts (but I do read them), so I don't know if they actually read my blog but they really do make me think (i.e. I'm not sure if they'll keep the meme going).

Here are the Instructions:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of this award.

3. Optional: Proudly display the “Thinking Blogger Award” (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn’t fit your blog.)

And the nominees are:

It's a Numeric Life...a thought provoking blog with lots of statistics. Including one about why women often choose the jerk rather than the dad and one about which gender works more.
Adventures in the 916 whose life makes me think about Bridget Jones and her diary. Her blind date misadventures and her bloopers bring me back to the fun of reading a good chick lit book.
Parent Hacks whose site gives me Tons of helpful tips. Things like helpful kid links, how to entertain your kids during airport delays, and organizing toys
Jackie who isn't really a blogger but she helps me find other really good blogs by either posting about them or I check out what communities she's a part of @ mybloglog.com. She is also helping me figure out what my next good read will be.
Kellementology a fellow reader and American Idol fan.

Sorry to cut this short but The Princess had declared that she's leaving me and that I better hurry up. BTW-- she's so smart that she brought me a magazine from the bathroom and said "look mama I found Amekan Idol"...it was the American Idol issue of People magazine. How did she know it was American Idol??? Also: if there are typos, sorry...no time to proof.

Who Does She Think She Is?

2007-04-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

If you're here because of a Thinking Blog post, I'm still working on my acceptance speech. Please check back later for my post.

I think my babysitter thinks she's the new queen at my house. We had her come over because we had a wedding to attend last Saturday and the reception was an "adult only" reception. (Who wants to bring the kids anyway? It always means that I have to keep an eye on them.) The first thing she did was comment on our landscaping (we bought the house brand new last year and we are just now finishing the landscaping). She told us what type of plants we should add and where. Here are some of the other things she did:

She threw out the snow peas I was drying out so I could plant the seeds. Alright, so she probably thought I forgot about the snow peas and that I was letting them fester (originally, I did leave them there festering but then I came up with the idea to save the seeds). We ARE a little untidy but who is she to judge what our actual trash is?
She ran the dishwasher with some items that should absolutely not be put in the dishwasher--like my All Clad pots and pans. The heat ruins the pans.
Some of the items she put in the dishwasher were already clean (sometime we wash pots and things and dry them in the right side of the sink-- so I'm lazy about drying the pots-- but at least I clean them)
She always brings her little "Yo quiero taco bell" dog and her dog tracked dirt all over my dark wood floors. (she feels the need to clean our dishes but not her own dog's paws)
The dog made my cats nervous and they peed all over.
She let my kids drop Triscuit crumbs all over our rug.
The first thing she does when she gets to our house is grabs a bottle of water...then leaves her bottles around after she leaves.
She doesn't do this any more but I once caught her doing her own laundry at our house.

These are just little annoyances and I can deal with them. She's really good with our kids and that's the important thing. So despite my little rant, she's awesome.

Super Silly Search Sunday 4/22/07

2007-04-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if you realized it-- but I scammed my Sunday title off of a Dora Episode (remember Super Silly Fiesta?). Only true fans of the show would know this. At any rate, my super silly search today was (drum roll)

"Baby Eats Poop"

Oddly enough, when I typed it into google-- it actually completed the words for me. So there must be tons of people searching the same thing and there were 1.2 million search results. Wanna know what popped up? The number one site that came up was a site dedicated to explaining all things poop. It describes what poop is comprised of and provides a Q and A section. The author also talks about eating poop. (YUCK, excuse my while I vomit just thinking about it). The site is really quite fascinating and gross at the same time.

It also brought me to a blog post about how you can eat a baby's poop. As if. You've got to be a certain kind of crazy to do that.

Some other sites of note that popped up

The last few items on the above list were because I actually modified the search to look for "Baby Eats Poop" in blogspot only. I feel kind of left out. There are a lot of mommy blogs about poop--and I haven't had a one. I think the closest I've gotten to a poop post is # 62 and 63 and the short do you wanna see my poo poos blurb. So now, it's my privilege to announce that I finally did a poop post. And now, you'll probably be able to find my blog by searching for "Baby Eats Poop".

Potty Wars

2007-04-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

Battling the diaper is a dangerous job. But someone's gotta do it.

Happy Day!

2007-04-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This post is reminiscent of my college days.

I almost forgot until I looked at the date today... Happy 420 everyone! Go out and celebrate with a good, kind, bud. wink, wink

I Still Got It (I Think)

2007-04-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

The other day, we went to a nearby hospital to visit Breadwinner's grandma. The rooms at the hospital were not private, so his Grandma had a roommate.

Grandma's roommate was entertaining visitors as well when we walked in. Breadwinner was carrying JR Peanut-- so of course The Princess whined until Breadwinner picked her up with his other arm. The Breadwinner and the kids stood in the direct view of the roommate's visitors. The visitor looked up at my kids and husband and said loudly, (as only old people can)

"Those kids are cute. They're so good looking that they must have a really beautiful mother"

Perplexed, the Breadwinner replied, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Uh... DUH! It means I'm H-O-T, hot! OK--so, it's like, the geriatric ward. But hey-- after two kids, I take what I can get!!! :-)

In honor of my new found geriatric hotness, I thought I share my porn star name from my myspace page.

Your Porn Star Name Is...

Little Miss Muff

What's Your Porn Star Name?

Crib Annoyances

2007-04-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

We have a Pali Crib. For the most part, I love it. It's cute, well built, ya da, ya da, ya da. The only annoying thing about it is the crib railing that goes up and down. If I hadn't lost part of my brain due to #96, I'd be able to tell you the exact name of the crib railing thing-a-majigy. But it eludes me and for whatever reason, I can't find it on the internet either. But I digress, the thing-a-majigy has been the cause of some of my sleepless time because my baby is sooo sensitive to sounds when I put him down to sleep.

You see, I'm short. I'm only 5'2 and I have to have the thing-a-majigy down when I put him down. After I rock or nurse him to sleep, I lay him down. Then I have to pull the thing-a-majigy back up. Every f*ckin time I raise it up, it clicks or if I push on it so that it doesn't click-- it shakes the bed and wakes up the baby. When the baby wakes up, I have to push the thing-a-majigy back down, rock him to sleep, put him down, lift up the thing-a-majigy and then...CLICK.

It's a vicious cycle. I curse the thing-a-majigy...a lot. Especially when it's four o'clock in the morning. I wouldn't be surprised if JR Peanut winds up with a potty mouth. I'd keep the thing-a-majigy down but he likes to stand up in his crib and I don't want him to fall out.

If only I was taller...and had longer arms.

The Fall

2007-04-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I TiVO'd Dancing With The Stars and I finally made some time to watch it this morning. Oooooh! I should have watched it live! Paul McCartney's ex, Heather Mills fell! It didn't happen until the end of her dance--so I kinda think that ABC told her to fall. Everybody has been waiting to see her either fall and/or see her prosthetic leg fly off mid-dance.

After watching her the first few weeks, I was beginning to think it wasn't going to happen. Heather is actually a pretty decent dancer. She dances as if she doesn't even have a disability and should be an inspiration to anyone that has a prosthetic limb. Heather seems to be able to do anything/dance that she puts her mind to. Granted, she won't win because she's not the best--but she is still pretty good and makes it look a lot easier than it must be. Hence--I think the fall was staged. She basically lifted her good leg onto her partner and put her weight on her bad leg and fell. There's no way she would forget which leg was what. I think it was a ratings/publicity stunt.

Here is the youtube highlight of her dance:

Pretty amazing stuff huh?

A Day of Reflection

2007-04-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today is a sad day and my heart goes out to the families of the victims at Virginia Tech. I probably wouldn't have known about it had my friend not pointed to the TV headlines during our play date lunch. (I tend to not watch the news) The Princess must have gotten some weird vibe, because she was absolutely out of control. She was crying and screaming before I even got to order our food...so I had to bid adieu to my friends and hers (quickly, noisily and embarassingly). To continue on with such a somber day, I thought I'd talk about something semi-serious that happened to me.

Last week, something relatively frightening (but not even close to the above incident) happened to me at Blockbuster Video. The Princess, JR. Peanut, and I were getting into the car after picking up a couple of videos. I did what I always do--I open the door for The Princess and tell her to climb up into her car seat while I strap JR. Peanut into his carseat. As The Princess was putting on the straps to her seatbelt with the door open and I was on the other side of the car, I heard a shuffling. A Transient (a.k.a homeless man) appeared at the Princess' door and asked me for some money. He was actually between the door and The Princess!!! Luckily, he left after I said I didn't have any, but can you imagine?

What if the Transient was hostile or some punk car jacker? He could have taken or harmed The Princess or jumped into the car and taken it. Now, I don't know what to do. Leaving the door open on her side and having her climb in was the quickest and easiest way for me to get both kids in the car. Does anyone have an easier way or another suggestion to load them into an SUV (I'm still holding out on the Mini Van)? I feel like we (moms) are ,targets these days because we pay attention more to our kids than what's going on around us. I know another mom that had her car broken into because her diaper bag was sitting in the front seat while she was in the library. I guess people are starting to take diaper bags now, because we often use them as purses. As if I don't have other things to worry about. The world just doesn't seem as safe as it was when I was growing up.

Admit it. It was you!

2007-04-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

On MyBlogLog.com, you have the ability to look up the statistics for your blog. They provide statistics on how people got to your blog (i.e. the link they clicked on to get to your blog), what they looked at and what they clicked on.

This afternoon, I decided to look at my blog's statistics. Somebody got to my blog by typing "cure for a saggy ball sack" into the Google Search engine. Now, when I wrote this blog entry, I didn't intend for it to be brought up in that kind of search. Will someone please stand up and claim that search by commenting on my blog? I'd like to thank you for the hearty laugh that it gave me. Hopefully your ball sacks aren't too saggy. Perhaps they'll perk up with a good lay (no, I'm not offering any services. I am happily married to The Breadwinner.)

My blog has also been visited by people that searched for the following:

"grey anatomy"+ "spoiler"
greys anatomy crashing down
ipod shuffle game
rocco deluca
katherine heigl dog
i love rocco deluca

The following list came from StatCounter. I'll have to start showing my statcounter badge because they ROCK! I didn't realize they had such good statistics!

Num	Perc.	Search Term
3	17.65%	ipod shuffle game
2	11.76%	grey anatomy spoiler
2	11.76%	rocco deluca
1	5.88%	kids saying funny things video
1	5.88%	spoiler the memory keepers daughter
1	5.88%	greys anatomy crashing down
1	5.88%	funny things kids sa
1	5.88%	parter divorced catholic can he marry in catholic church
1	5.88%	i love rocco deluca
1	5.88%	pregnancy birth effect on hair grey
1	5.88%	effects of pregnancy on hair
1	5.88%	cure for a saggy ball sack
1	5.88%	clubs blake lewis hollywood dance late

So, the crazy ball sack search has inspired me. Sundays will now be...

Super Silly Search Sundays.

I will either do silly searches and post my results and/or tell you the silly ways that people got to my blog. Happy Blogging everyone.

Can I Add You to My Blog Roll?

2007-04-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to have to edit my blog roll soon. I've added so many to my google reader, it's outrageous and I keep finding more!! There's just sooooo many good bloggers out there. I resolve to do that next week. I'm going to be really busy this weekend, so I won't be blogging too much. Drop me a comment if you want me to check your blog so I can put it on my blog roll (provided that I actually like it--If I've commented on your blog, I probably like it).

Have a good weekend!!

Oh and I took this quiz at Quiz Farm . Apparently my designer brand self is Diesel. I guess it's kind of true (although I don't have anything diesel--I like the style). I also like Billabong or Roxy. But definitely a Louis purse.

You scored as Diesel.

Diesel

100%

Louis Vuitton

83%

Anna Sui

75%

Chanel

75%

Abercrombie & Fitch

75%

Burberry

67%

DKNY

58%

Tommy Hilfiger

50%

Gucci

50%

Dior

33%

What Designer Brand Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

Three Things Meme

2007-04-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

I got tagged by Kellypea. After reading her meme blog, I think it's safe to say that she has clearly been affected by the whole Sanjaya "controversy." Me? Not quite so much. I actually am starting to like Sanjaya--not for his singing but his entertainment value.

Now, before I start my meme, I want to mention that I had a crazy night last night and I'm really tired because I stayed up to read this really good book. But beware! It's a semi-sad post.

Death
Heights
Road Rage

The Princess
The Breadwinner
Redneck Mommy

My Family
Books
Vacations

Whining
Fake People
Losing my temper

Technorati . Crazy, I know--I have a link to it but I don't understand it.
What Britney Spears saw in Kevin Federline
How the moneyline works in gambling.

My beloved computer
A TV
My ipod

Oddly enough my dresser is actually my desk right this very moment. Maybe I'll take a picture of it one day and show you.

Visit Australia/Travel the world
Meet the cast of my Favorite Show
Be awarded some sort of Blogger award. Maybe this one, this one, or this one.

Create a kick ass automated excel spreadsheet (loaded with VBA)
I make a pretty good peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Surf the internet for hours

Text message without looking at my phone (someone actually did this in front of my husband)
Lose the last 5 pounds of pregnancy weight
Gather This much information on a daily basis

Your Conscience
Kevin & Bean
Pedia cast (Great podcasts about your child's health)

Fox news propaganda
Podcasts with no point
Your evil twin

How to be an American Idol
That I'm smarter than a 5th grader
How to be a domestic goddess

The Cosby Show
The Electric Company
Reading Rainbow

Now for the very special part….Tag, you’re it! You're turn to tell me three things. Have fun!

I'm Laughing At Myself

The Butrfly garden

BTW, what exactly is a meme? Anyway, looking forward to your answers chersdyls and Butrfly.

Cousins

2007-04-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm sick today. The little buggers have given me another virus.

I thought that I'd share with you a picture of The Princess with her cousins. Most strangers that see them don't believe me when I tell them that these kids are FIRST cousins.

My inlaws also joke that they have the next generation of Charlie's Angels. (The three girls on the right--> a blonde, a half Asian, and a brunette).

Cereal Killer

2007-04-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

The other day, we had an attack of the Ants. The Breadwinner rescued us by spraying bug spray and placing ant traps. As The Breadwinner was spraying, The Princess asked him, "What are you doing Daddy?". Of course, The Breadwinner responded, "I'm killing the ants."

Little did I know that this observation and conversation with my daughter would inflict horror upon us days later... Here are some snippets of the bewildering conversations in the past few weeks:

"Mommy, the kitty cats got vomit on the floor. Daddy's going to kill them."
"Baby Brother is touching my toys. I'm going to kill him"
"Baby Brother dropped the Cheerios on the floor. He just killed them"

"Kill" is now a "bad" word in this household until further notice. Along with "Shut up" and "Died". Anyone that uses these words gets put in the naughty corner (courtesy of Supernanny)--including mommy or daddy.

"Disneyland is the Best Place Ever"

2007-04-09T11:23:00.001-07:00

I must confess that I'm not that great of a Catholic. On Good Friday The Breadwinner and I took the kids to Disneyland/California Adventure to meet up with our friends from New York. And no, I didn't fast or abstain from eating meat. I'm so naughty. Maybe I should put myself in the Naughty corner...for 31 minutes (am I really that old?). There were tons of people there--so, I'm not the only one that wasn't observing the holiday.

At any rate, we had so much fun. After visiting Disneyland 3 times and Disney World once before, The Princess finally understands how FUN Disneyland is and she didn't even get to see the whole place. She doesn't quite get the whole autograph collecting process (below is a picture of her princess autograph book. I think she thought it was a sketch book).

The Princess behaved wonderfully. Jr. Peanut slept for 3 hours and didn't cry the entire day. It was a really successful day. Too bad every day isn't like this one.

I'm not a very good self photographer... This is a picture of me and The Princess (proof of my lameness):

I'll leave you with wise words from the princess:

"Disneyland is the best place ever".

100 Things You Never Wanted To Know (About Me)

2007-04-07T18:15:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd join the multitude of bloggers that have listed 100 fascinating things about themselves. Unfortunately for you, I can pretend that I am fascinating. But really I'm not:

I gave birth to The Princess without an epidural.
I gave birth to JR Peanut with an epidural in the last 10 minutes of my delivery.
Mmmhm that epidural was worth it
Right before my OB/GYN broke my water with JR Peanut , my husband cautioned the doctor and said that his wife (me) likes a little foreplay first.
I grew up in Southern California
I graduated from the University of Southern California--->Fight on Trojans!
I graduated when I was 20 years old
I was a Dean's Scholar at USC.
My biggest college regret is finishing college early (I should have stayed as long as they would give me my scholarships!!)
Houston, Texas was my home for a year and a half.
Chicago, Illinois was my home for six months.
In Chicago, I once had to walk 12 blocks in a blizzard (the buses were all full!).
During my Chicago stay, I lived through one of Chicago's Darkest (literally-- no sun) months in its history.
I met my husband in college.
But I didn't date him until after he finished graduate school.

As a kid, my favorite book was I, Trissy by Norma Fox Mazer
I don't really have a favorite book as an adult...maybe Kite Runner.
I heart Microsoft Excel (nerdy of me, I know)
When I was little, my mom used to make me wear the same clothes two days in a row.
I'm still not sure why she made me do this.
In the third grade, I cut off some hair on the back of my head because it was sticking up.
I glued it back on and went to school.
Grey's Anatomy is my favorite show.
I've had a thing for Patrick Dempsey ever since I saw Can't Buy Me Love.
I've been doing laundry since I was 9 years old.
I'm still doing laundry and I'll probably still be doing laundry till I'm 99 years old.
Hanging out in my jammies all day long is one of my guilty pleasures.
I love a margarita on the rocks (with salt) on a hot summer day.
My husband is a better cook and baker than I am.
When I'm sure that we're done having kids...I will get a tummy tuck.
I want my eyes corrected too.
I am currently addicted to the Mahalo Mango smoothie at Robek's.
My ideal vacation is a beach destination
With a good book,
And a good babysitter.

I never thought I'd be a SAHM (Stay at Home Mom).
I miss my pre-pregnancy body.
People often say I look familiar to them.
One of my biggest pet peeves is a slow internet connection.
I'm very competitive.
I hate losing.
I enjoy a good game of scrabble.
I once played scrabble while I was stoned and I started making up words.
And nobody questioned it..
I sometimes fill in as a 5th person for my husband's poker night.
It busts my husbands ego when I win because half the time I don't know what I'm doing.
I have a membership to a gym.
I've only been there twice in the past year.
Sometimes I forget to put deodorant on.
I can't stand to be around myself when I forget to put deodorant on.
I Google my name at least once a month.
Nothing about me ever pops up.
Sometimes I pop up with my maiden name.
I hated it when that Eddie Murphy movie, Boomerang came out.
I hated it because I have a couple hammer toes.
People magazine is my source for news.
My second boyfriend turned out to be gay.
To this day, if you show me a group of guys...9 times out of ten, I'd probably single out the gay guy as being the cutest guy there.
A high school friend told me that his sister still pines for her gay ex-boyfriend and moved to another state to be with him...I was fascinated by that.

I don't really like the taste of chocolate.
...Unless I'm pregnant.
I don't really think that it is a privilege to wipe The Princess' butt after she's taken a dump.
She does..."Who's going to wipe my butt...raise your hand if you want to!!"
I like good vodka.
I can eat a whole bag of Classic Barbeque Kettle Chips in one sitting.
But I feel really guilty when I look at the empty bag.
I can eat an entire cherry pie (one foot diameter) in one weekend.
I haven't seen a non-animated movie at a movie theatre in almost an entire year.
I used to think Disneyland was for wusses and Six Flags Magic Mountain was the best.
I love Disneyland now that I have kids.
We just bought annual passes for the whole family.
I once wore a penis hat on my head during my bachelorette party.
I carried a sign that said "Horney Bride: Need money for strippers. Suck 4 a buck"
Get your mind out of the gutter...the guys had to suck life savers off my t-shirt.
My husband (at the time he was my boyfriend) and I rough housed until he pinned me down.
In a last ditch effort to win, I spat at him.
Damn gravity...my spit fell right back down on my own face.
I don't understand why my husband can recite all the lines in Fast Times at Ridgemont High but he can't seem to remember anything I've told him in the past few hours.
I love to people watch.

I once got so drunk, I fell in a pond at Miyagi's in Hollywood.
I once got so drunk, I peed on a toilet with the lid down.
I like drinking wine.
I hate the sound of whine.
I've always kind of hoped that I'd get on the best friend episode of Wheel of Fortune.
My best friend is awesome at Wheel of Fortune. She'd win me a lot of money.
I puked on my wedding night.
My husband proposed to me at the Eiffel Tower restaurant in Las Vegas.
He asked me how much I loved him.
I told him that I loved him so much it made me want to gamble.
I finally learned how to play craps.
It's now my favorite way to lose my money.
My second is Pai Gow.
I don't wear make up very often.
Of course, my daughter LOVES makeup.
I think that if Martin Luther King had never been assassinated, the United States would be a much better place.
I have this theory...Every time you push out a baby from that itty bitty hole in your body, a little bit of your brain leaves too.
My motto is...I may not know where my keys or my wallet (or whatever thing I've lost) are but I'm okay with that as long as I know where my kids are.
Caffeine does absolutely nothing to me.
My SIL (sister in law)'s husband says that number 98 is a sign that I suffer from ADD
I'm glad I'm done with this list.

Hottie Detector

2007-04-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

The Princess knows a hottie when she sees one. She and her friend are already kiss ups to hotties... (FYI--she and her friend did this on their own accord, I didn't ask her to pose for this one).

Not Today

2007-04-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it...sometimes I watch TV14 shows while The Princess is is the room with me. In my defense-- she's generally coloring/drawing a picture and not really paying attention to the TV. Unfortunately,she has this uncanny knack for paying attention right at the part that makes it a TV14 show.

Today, I was watching the lifetime dating show called Gay, Straight or Taken. The premise is that a female contestant goes on a date with three men--one is gay, one is straight,one is taken. She MUST pick the straight guy in order to go on a dream vacation with the straight guy. If she incorrectly picks the gay or taken one then that guy gets to go on a dream vacation with his significant other.

The Princess was happily coloring away until the very end. One of the men announces that male contestant XY is gay. The woman says to the gay man..."You're gay? I can't believe you're gay!?!?" The Princess then turns to me and says:

"He's gay? Why? Why is he gay?"

I so, did not want to have THAT conversation. I mean, she's three! She doesn't even understand the boyfriend concept. Of course I responded the way any wuss parent would respond:

"He just is. Let's turn off the TV and sing our ABCs."