Individually. Wrapped. Potatoes.

Yes, you read that correctly, and when I saw them today I could hardly believe my eyes. I pointed out the potatoes wrapped in clear plastic shrink wrap to my hubby, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

Why on earth does a vegetable that growns in the ground - the dirt even - need a plastic wrap? I even verified that they do grow in the ground - in case I've been misled my entire life. And yes, they are a popular food - "the potato is the second most consumed food in the United States. An average American eats 135 pounds of potatoes a year, which is equal to about a one potato per day average. " - National Potato Council's Website.

But still - shrink wrap? Come on. They are potatoes. Am I missing something here? These even come with an easy pull, zip off wrapper. Huh? What the heck is going on here?

The Super Bowl is BANNED at Churches.

You have got to be kidding me. Churches are not allowed to broadcast the Super Bowl? They are not allowed to broadcast the big game on their screens, so they are having to revert to hosting home parties instead. Now, I'm not religious, but this isn't a religious thing. No one should be denied the right to watch the big game with their friends - 5 of them or 300 of them. These churches aren't charging, just showing the game on their big screens. What genius decided that this was a good idea?

The NFL said, however, that the copyright law on its games is long-standing and the language read at the end of each game is well known: "This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience. Any other use of this telecast or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL's consent is prohibited."

The league bans public exhibitions of its games on TV sets or screens larger than 55 inches because smaller sets limit the audience size. The section of federal copyright law giving the NFL protection over the content of its programming exempts sports bars, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. -Washington Post 2/1/08

So it ISN'T just for churches. It is for anyone who has a TV over 55" and shares with their friends in a public place. Guess they shouldn't come to my house and watch the big game with me then. Hey NFL - if you are listening, I occassionally watch the games that you broadcast ON MY BIGGER THAN 55" TV. Go ahead - sue me for owning a TV larger than 55". If I have some friends over (as we did at our Super Bowl party a few years ago) does this count as a public exhibition? No, you say? Well, if I show it in the back yard will you come after me and my projector?

You NFL guys really need to rethink the whole "You can't watch TV with your church friends thing." Again, not religious here, but man, this is wrong. So a pastor or minister, rabbi or whomever wants to share the love with the football fans in their group and build some community in the process - they CAN'T without the threat of a lawsuit. So come on NFL, get your act together and change up the rules. If you are exempting sports bars, think about adding churches and backyard BBQ's, or changing up those antiquated size rules. Come on, I'm sure I'm not the only rabid football fan that has a big TV.

So yesterday I turned three.

I have a double ear infection. Yes, double - both ears. Somehow yesterday I turned back the clock and turned into a child with really small eustachian tubes. Well, that's not what the doctor said, but it certainly how I felt as I walked out of the office. I had written it off as feeling crummy, and then explained it away as being "Mom Sick." My head isn't going to explode, and I have no fever, so there was no reason to suspect anything like an ear infection. I was leaning towards strep or allergies. But who knew that it was something completely different, something that would take a mere 32 year off of my life?

After my class last Wednesday, which I coughed and hacked through (I'm teaching so it was me talking for 1.5 hours), I swore that I'd call the doctor in the morning. I did just that, and of course he was on vacation. Well, I figured that if I'd waited for three weeks I could wait until he got back, so I told them that I didn't need a referral, and that I'd see if it got better over the weekend. I went about my business and on Tuesday I woke up hacking and coughing, not having slept through the night for the umpteenth time because I was up coughing. So, I called my doctor and was referred to the physician who was taking patients while my doctor was on vacation. She was very nice and explained that yes indeed, it was a double ear infection. She also said that if I waited another day or two it would turn into a RAGING ear infection and that I would have that fever and pain. Good thing I went in.

At some point in the near past I had a cold, and allergy attack, or some weird throat infection. That was the cause of my ear infection. My double ear infection. Yeah, I'm three. I asked about the whole only little kids get ear infection thing, and the doctor told me that obviously that wasn't the case as I had two right here in my ears. So, I'm off to antibiotic and Advil land and heavy doses of cough suppressant (also had a lingering cough and some problems in my throat that were exacerbated by the whole ear thing) and am on the road to wellville. Hopefully.

So the next time I have pain in my ears, throat or have a lingering cough, I'm not explaining it away or making excuses, I'm heading right off to the doctor. Yeah, not likely...

The Dreaded Driver's License

No, my kid is only 7, but he asked that terrible question that you never want to hear out of the mouth of your kid:

"Mommy, how many video games do you have to win before they give you your driver's license?"

Huh? Not quite the question I was expecting, but it sure did crack me up. So here I was explaining to my SEVEN year old how to go about getting one's license. Yes, you need to be sixteen. Yes, some kids learn to drive in school and some learn in the parking lot of the local high school football stadium. No, you have to keep your grown up handy or you aren't allowed to practice driving. No, you don't get a car just because you have a license - you have to purchase the car. No, being a good driver on a video game doesn't make you a good driver in real life...sigh...if only...

I Finally Get It...

I never quite understood HOW parents could possibly over schedule their kids. I always though that they are the parents - they are in control and dictate their kids' schedule, right? WRONG. I finally get it. And we've finally run into it head on.

My oldest (Max) plays soccer. It's indoors right now, so it's just games on Saturdays. The little two take gymnastics once a week for an hour. So far so good - one hour a week for each kid. But a few days ago we went ice skating and Max asked for lessons (Ian and Sam weren't quite sure about the whole ice skating thing). O.K. We can do that in the summer when soccer is over. I asked and they do have lessons over the summer, so that's fine. Then we walked into the little boys' gymnastics and my world came crashing down. Max asked to have gymnastics along with his little brothers. You see, while I don't consider myself a sucker, that thought did run through my mind as I told him to ask at the desk if there were any openings. Max had gymnastics when he was younger and not only loved it, but it helped his coordination greatly. Besides, he's only got one other activity on his plate, right? (they were full for the next session, we were added to the wait list, and I'm sure this will come up again soon - very soon.)

No, this is two activities for each kiddo (but the gymnastics might not come up until the fall, so Max is really back down to one), which is still not a lot. But where does it stop? Oh wait - there's one more that I forgot. My oldest is also participating on an Odyssey of the Mind team, which meets once a week through March. They are preparing for a competition, so it might get a bit more complicated, but they are the younger set, so they have less prep than they will next year (if they decide to do this again). So, let's count again. Oldest has two, plus wants to add one, and little guys have one. Geez, the little guys are starting soccer soon, so they will have two also. Oh, and my oldest is taking another after school class stating soon, so that too will add to the mess.

So you see how easy it is to get sucked in to all of this? Here I was just minding my business, offering my kiddos some activities that I thought they'd enjoy, and suddenly we are teetering on that line of being over scheduled. How are you supposed to know how much is too much? And how do you choose between these great activities? I don't mind carting them around (but ask me again when the little two start kindergarten next year), but when do you call it quits on the registrations? I haven't figured that one out yet, but if I ever do I'll certainly let you know.

This whole mess is cross posted at DC Metro Moms.

"Mom Sick"

Yes, Mom Sick, not mommy IS sick. You already know, if you read my last post, that I've been coughing and hacking for a while now. There's a big difference between being sick and being mommy sick. For folks in the drive/walk/bike/Metro to work world, when you get sick you take time off from work to heal and recover. (You see where this is going don't you and it's just the very beginning.) Then, you go back to work a day or week later all well rested and ready to go. Or, you get to where you can barely function and creep/crawl back into work hoping that your co-workers don't scowl but knowing that you have too much to do to stay home any longer (yes, I've been there too.) Well, moms have the same problem occasionally (the sick part, not the crawling back into work because of the piles). You see, moms don't ever get a day off - we just don't have sick leave. Fortunately, we get Mom Sick as opposed to sick, most of the time we come down with ailments. There are, of course, different levels of Mom Sick:

Level 1: You drag around, still accomplishing most of what you need to get done, but take long breaks sitting on the chair/bench/couch/driver's seat. You still are able to drive. You get random looks of disgust when you cough/sputter/drag around, but also sympathetic looks. Your parenting shifts towards letting things slip, but you are still feeling O.K. enough not to let that happen. Very little extra cleaning involved.

Level 2: You are running about 50%, still able to drive, but drop the kids off instead of walking them in. You shy away from human contact as you might infect/repulse/completely offend others. The kids come and ask you (while you are sitting on the couch/bed) to open their juice/hand them some milk/make their PB & J, and you give them just one chance to get you into the kitchen and no more. That second trip could have bad consequences. Some minor clean up (towels, clothing, floors) might be necessary, but at this stage you can generally get to the bathroom in time. (Sorry - too descriptive but necessary.)

Level 3: You stay in bed and sleep all day, yelling at the kids occasionally when they get too loud/close to you, but try to avoid any and all contact with them or anyone else. They end up watching TV/playing video games all day and have to scrounge for food themselves, but you do none of this for yourself. There's no way that you can drive so if your significant other isn't around, the kiddos have a sick day too. Massive clean up is necessary, but since you are the cause and you can't seem to drag yourself out of bed, it waits until tomorrow.

"Mommy Sick" kicks in at Level 2 and continues up through Level 3. For most folks who work outside the home (and some who work at home with help) and have kiddos, they can take those lovely sick days. (I am well aware that not everyone can take/has sick days, so this covers them as well.) Mommies, however, don't get those days off any way you look at it. Fortunately, I am able to parent from my bed, the couch, the floor of the bathroom (Ugh, again, sorry!) or anywhere I find myself when sick. My kids are all old enough to feed themselves (mostly) and my loving hubby has always been around to at least drop kiddos off at school and pick them up and dash back to work. The few times that I've hit Level 3 he's done that part for me, and I've been able to parent/ sleep off the rest in the comfort of my own bed. Sad to say, but while moms don't GET the sick leave, we do what we need, and run with the whole Mom Sick part for days, weeks, or sometimes months. Fortunately when we had those precious little bundles of joy they made us all take a training course in how to be mommy sick, and told us that it's really O.K. if your kiddo eats chips for breakfast, watches five hours of TV, plays video games for six hours, eats who knows what for lunch, and does who knows what to their playroom. Yeah, right.

But the best part, no matter whether you get sick leave and take it, have to use your Mommy Sick leave, or whatever way you manage to handle your illness, your kiddos will be fine. One or two days off the kiddo track will not destroy their little brains. While we joke that their brains have leaked out of their heads, this rarely occurs. Many a kiddo has managed to survive a day with mommy or daddy laid out on the couch and lived to tell about it. So Mom Sick is more of a mindset and while seemingly a bummer for us mommies, is not so terrible for the kiddos.

Not really neglecting you...

Well, I am sort of. I guess not posting counts as neglect to some. I can blame the weather - it's really cold out - not Texas cold but Virginia cold. I've got this terrible cough that wakes me up in the middle of the night. The boys had a three day weekend and they kept me very busy. Tom's been working a lot the past few days getting ready for a big meeting tomorrow. Yeah, excuses, I know.

But really, I'm a bit over scheduled this particular week. I think if I wasn't feeling so crappy that I'd get more sleep and be able to balance more, but the blog happened to be the low man / woman / thing on the totem pole, so apologies. After Tom clears Tuesday night, and after I finish up two more projects for hire that I have to do, we're sitting on easy street. Actually, it will give me time to rest and recover my body. BUT WAIT! I have a class to teach on Wednesday night...so it's gonna start all over again...isn't it?

Slave Labor?

Nah, not with these giggles! Sam is the MASTER of clearing snow off the walk from the driveway to the front door. He did the whole thing with a huge smile on his face. Can't WAIT until they start wanting to mow the lawn, take out the trash, you get the drift...

Really, Mom

In the car today:

Sam: Mommy, who really brings us presents?
Mommy: Huh?


Sam: At Christmas, who brings us presents?
Mommy: Who do you think?


Sam: Santa?
Mommy: Yes.


Sam: But he's just the guy that dresses up in the suit.


Small pause in conversation as I gather my thoughts.


Sam (Pointing out the window): Hey - What's that?
Mommy: (Under her breath) Whew....

Happy Smurfday Smurfs!

Yes, you read that correctly. The Smurfs, much to my surprise (and yours I'm sure), are turning 50 this year. Yes, 50. They were created way back in 1958 in Belgium. I'm sure that the man who created them in the first place had no idea that they would be so huge (for such little critters). He died in the early 90's, so he surely had seen the huge success of the TV show here in the US. So, take a minute and rack your brain - who was your favorite Smurf?

It's Cookie Time!

Several days ago I read a message on our Mom's Club list serve that it was cookie time and one of their daughters was selling Girl Scout cookies and she'd love to fill my pantry with cookies. Then I got a message on our school's list serve that the school based troop was ready to take my cookie order. Then, a friend mentioned that her daughter was selling them and if I needed any she'd be glad to take my order. Do-si-dos, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs could be on my shelf in a matter of weeks if I placed an order now. Huh.

Whatever happened to girls knocking on your door with a wagon in tow and selling cookies that way? That's how I remembered doing it, and that's how we bought cookies when we lived in Texas. Seems that the DC area is more plugged in. But are we cutting the girls out of the equation here? Aren't they the ones that are supposed to sell those cookies? At least in the past few years (due to safety concerns I'm sure) local troops set up booths at Walmart, Walgreens, the grocery store, etc. Did those cookie booths disappear too?

O.K. Aside from that, should we really be eating these cookies? With names like All Abouts, Lemon Chalet Cremes, Trefoils, and Samoas, are these really good for us? Of course not. Not only are they not good for us, they are laced with something that makes them irresistible, and highly addictive. We have all, at one time or another fallen prey to the wily Girl Scout and purchased a box (or three) of our favorite. They must train all year long learning how best to get these cookies into our hands. Now the Girl Scouts have stepped up their game - not only are the cookies to die for, but they've roped their moms and dads into delivering these delectable treats. Man, oh, man. We are not going to win this one...and I'm popping a note off right now to my local troop to hunt up a few boxes ...for the kids. Yes, I said the kids.

I'm not THAT disorganized

Seeing this makes me feel soooooo much better. I'm not disorganized, we just have that "lived in" feel here in our house - mainly because we live in it...oh, and there are those boys...

Go peek there and you'll feel better too. (And only a little creeped out.)

So far behind the curve

I had something reaffirmed two days ago that I'm not very proud of. I'm waaaaaay behind the tech curve - I didn't know what Twitter was. But now I do...and I'm still not sure that anyone else on the planet would be interested that I'm doing laundry, taking a nap, peeing, scratching, you get the drift. My life is not Twitter worthy.

Not quite sure what Twitter is? Well, they say: Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? I say: Huh?

Honestly though, who on earth wants to peek in on the life of a SAHM that naps a bunch of the day, desperately clings to her sanity, washes clothes (and dishes and kids) and occasionally wanders aimlessly during the course of a day (yup, all in the same day!)? I get that some folks who are more plugged in than I might want others to know what they or others are doing, or maybe marketing folks (like the nice guy I met the other night), but me? Nah...I twitter for no one...and I'm still behind the curve...so I'll stick to blogging...



At least these folks get it.

Some things never change

Sam and Tom 2004 Sam and Tom 2007
(Yes, Sam tucked himself under Tom's shirt - that's what an extra three and a half years of wisdom gets you - a more comfy spot.)

Taking environmentalism one step too far...

Seen on a street near the Mall in DC:

At least they fed the meter...

Cat Food

We have a (that means one, singular) cat who is a whopping 12 lbs and eats 1/2 cup of food twice per day. He has this great thing called a bowl that I (or Tom) dump his food into, and he generally polishes it all off in between meals. He's not a fat cat or a skinny cat, he's a jsut right cat. And there's only ONE of him.

So you can imagine my surprise when I went to feed him and found this:

If you look closely from this angle you'll see that there is a MOUNTAIN of food in his dish.

I'm sure that Bunsen didn't mind - he's the kind that rolls with the punches that way. But we did talk to the kids about this - not going into how expensive the food is or how when you change the mix of his food at all (or feed him too much) he barfs his dinner up...

Football Funny

Turn your sound on for this funny one - you only wish they'd correct their bad calls this way!

Color Studies

It isn't really a study, but more of an awakening to my surroundings. I figure that since I scrapbook and create art, I might as well be more aware of what is all around me. I think that there's a lot more here than I realize (Look, I barely avoided saying "There's More Than Meets The Eye" - you just HAVE to see the Transformers movie if you were a child of the 80's and haven't seen it yet).

I digress. Not a big surprise.

Each week I'll pick a color and take a few photos from the color family. It's my way of taking a closer look at my surroundings. Some of the early picture I expect will be of things that some of you may even have seen. But as I go along I hope to gain an awareness of my living and working and playing spaces - more so than what I have now. I'm sure you will also see pictures of me and the family - they wear colors and are a unique pinkish / peachish color as well (who knows what that week will be.

So, here's the first of my year long Color Studies! I have to start with blue - it's all around me and is more of a photography challenge than a color challenge this time. I'll float through this color again later, but for now, here goes:

The Family that Mustaches Together...

Yes, I know that mustache isn't a verb, but take a peek and you'll see that I'm correct - The family that mustaches together...

And who knew that the little men could pull them off so well?

This one was making a run for it:

And last but not least:

Thanks Aunt Gail and Uncle Lewis for a FANTASTIC Hanukkah gift!

IT'S 2008!

Can't believe it, but it's true! I slept right through the New Year. Actually, as now, I was awake quite late last night then slept in this morning. Wait, it's already Jan. 2, so technically it was two days ago, but since I haven't slept yet...well...you get the picture!

I hope that 2008 find you in good spirits (not hung over from them), surrounded by friends and family, and full of excitement over what the next year will bring. I'm turning 36 this year, going to run a 5K at some point, and the little guys will start school full time (pres-school only kind of counts). So, it's looking like a banner year for us! Hope yours is looking like a grand adventure too!

I RAN!

WOO HOO for me!!! I ran about 1/2 a mile yesterday! I am starting in on this thing where you end up not-walking a 5K when you are through - about 90 days. There's no time goal, just the goal of not walking that race. I figured that this was a good place to start seeing as how I haven't run in about Oh..a bajillion years..since high school actually. I exercised in college and ran some here and there - even on an elliptical machine in grad school. But, this was me, picking up my feet, tromping along on the treadmill going about oh so fast. Tom had a big grin (he was running right next to me) as I walked my first half mile, ran the second, then walked the third. I didn't expire, I didn't fall down or trip, I didn't poke an eye out (yea reduction and good bra!) and I can still walk. So, tomorrow we are back after one day of rest. Hopefully I will update you in a month or so when I'm running about 2 miles (which seems like an awfully long distance).

Xmas: The Third Part

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Xmas: The Second Part

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

When Buffalos Attack

I was reading this article on Yahoo News and went hunting for the actual video mentioned in the article. What I saw was amazing so I thought I'd share in case you missed it otherwise. Watch the whole thing but don't fret - there are no animals harmed in the making of this video...

Baba's Birthday

Dad (Hi DAD!) turned 65 while he was here. While we tease hum about being old, he's really still a kid at heart. So, we gave him a birthday fit for that kid at heart! The kids covered him in stickers, he blew out the candles on his cake (all 65 of them!) and then we went outside and played with bubbles! (And he loved every minute of it!)

Happy Birthday Baba!

Xmas: The First Part

We pulled out all the decorations and found that our tree smelled like mold. Yuk. Guess that's one of the hazards in living somewhere where it is slightly humid...and keeping the tree in a cardboard box in the garage. So we found a great substitute:



But our Xmas Tree and all of the branches weren't very accommodating. They got up and walked away shortly after this pictures was taken. So, we found another solution:

You'll notice that all of the ornaments were up high on the tree - we had a wily 16 month old running around and he was all over those ornaments! The tree we ended up getting was the same tree we bought last year (artificial as we're allergic to real trees) so we were set.

Best bowler in our family?

Up until last week I would have said Tom - he consistently beats the heck out of me when we bowl (which is maybe like once a year). But this time I was the big winner. He started smack talking so I had to put him in his place. (Above that's Max, Sam, Ian, Suzie, Tom)

We all had a great time. And even though Tom only arrives at the bowling alley kicking and screaming, he too had fun (except for the losing part - but he brought that on himself by talking all that smack!

The kids did really well too - they had bumpers up to help them out, so they became masters of using those bumpers. Ahhh...boys...making up their own games.

Looking for Santa?

Well, you can find him here: NORAD As of 10:47 pm Eastern he's in Detroit, MI, but he's skipping around! There are also some very cool videos about some of the other places he's been and I'm sure you can see those in the next few days as well. Have a very Merry Xmas!

The WORST Holiday Blogger

I've been blogging for a bit over a year now, and I hit this holiday season and it all ground to a halt. I wasn't out of town, I wasn't overrun by company, and we weren't over loaded with activities. Guess I just fell out of the routine. So, it's back on the blog horse with me! But for now, this is it. Have a great holiday and I'll fill you in on the rest of the past week or so tomorrow!

Religious Education

Heard from the back seat while driving through Burger King:

Sam: It's Jesus' Birthday.
Ian: Who's that?
Sam: A baby.
Ian: Huh?

Yeah...

No way to top this!

his is the best first dance ever. Do take a minute to watch it:

Things Kids Say - Part 4

Yeah I went back and looked - not really a gazillion things they have said, just four. And this one's a doozie.

Scene: Suzie in the van driving Ian and Sam to preschool
Ian: Mommy?
Suzie: Yes Ian.
Ian: You look old.
Suzie: Why do you say that Ian?
Ian: It's all those lines on your face.

Sigh...

Staying up Late?

I was perusing a few stores' websites to see what their hours were, thinking I could run a few errands when the little guys are in school tomorrow. I figured they'd close at regular hours tonight and open at regular hours tomorrow morning, but I was hoping that at least one or two of them would open an hour early so I could sneak a bit more in. What a shock to see that one place, L. L. Bean, is open 24 HOURS from now until Xmas. Also, Kohl's is open basically 16 hours a day from now until then - all the way up until midnight. Well, isn't that convenient? I can spend every waking hour stalking the wiley...well, the wiley....winter coat. Yes, I'm good to go on Xmas gifts, with the exception of a few small things, but I am coatless. I have a nice jacket that will get me through (and it did for the first snow) but it is certainly not warm enough to protect me when I get down and play in the snow. Now, normally in December I would be fine with that other coat, but they are predicting possible snow - and definitely a wintry mix this weekend. And that means that I will be cold. So, it's off to the store to grab the jacket.


So the question is, should I hit up the store tonight after the kids go to bed? Or should I fight traffic and possible sleet and ice and snow, not to mention traffic in the morning to obtain said coat? If you know me then the answer is very easy. I regularly stay up very late. So tonight you'll find me out hunting up the wiley winter coat. Yupl I'm staying up late for a reason this time.

<-So what do you think - won't I look cute (warm) in this?

You are not going to believe this

I mailed my Holiday cards today. Now, off the bat that might not seem like such a big thing. People around this time of year mail all kinds of cards out. Some get theirs out early, others cut it close and they end up arriving right after the holidays. But these were the cards from 2006. Yes, I said 2006. I've already apologized for not sending them out once, but they actually did go out today. So count me in for those who have gotten their cards out in BOTH 2006 and 2007. I'm counting this whether it really counts or not - it's done.

Then again I have three cards here that need new addresses and more stamps. I'll get those done tomorrow...

We survived our drive to Orlando and back. We still all like each other (just like on the drive out) and other than a little extra wear and tear on the van (let's just say that the kiddos trashed it and now it desperately needs a bath on the inside) it was a fantastic trip!

We saw Mickey:


And Santa:


And had a beautiful drive back home: