Internet

My Internet is the suck today. I think it's because The Man is probably sucking up all the bandwidth somehow. I barely got this page open and I have four other tabs still trying to load stuff. Quite a bummer.

I could be working. I could be cleaning. Instead I'm sitting at the computer watching the little circle thingies go round and round as pages try to load. Essentially wasting time.

I will get organized one of these days. I will be productive and organized and I'll have it all together. I will.

Are your kids eating school lunch?

Thanks Jenny for sending this to me. I'm horrified... rehorrified I guess, for I knew this sort of thing happened. It's one of the reasons I've stopped eating meat.

But to know this meat is shipped to schools?? Extra horrifying.

Here's an interesting article detailing more about the video and the circumstances:
http://www.ethicurean.com/2008/01/30/downer-cow-video/

IBC Rootbeer Commercials

Not Fasting

To answer Robin I have to say "No... the juice fast does NOT make you stop being hungry."

I was doing great. Really, I was. Just sipping my juice, feeling great, ignoring my hunger. Until it came time to make dinner. This is where the fasting always bites me in the butt. I was weak, I was starving.

I decided to make them all Chicken Piccata on homemade pasta. I was doing okay as I added the eggs and flour into the mixer to make the dough. I was fine all the way up until I cut those beautiful strips of soft pasta. Oh pasta, how I love thee.

They were so very soft, such a beautiful light tan color, so very perfect were my strips of linguine.

And then came the chicken. Browned so perfectly on the stove, even the fact that I am a practicing vegetarian didn't stop my mouth from watering. I could smell the lemon sauce, the butter... I think one of the capers winked at me.

It was the garlic rolls that put me over the edge. They were glistening in the oven, wafting a luscious garlic into my nose and tempting me... teasing me... I swear, I think I may have been drooling.

Before I knew it I was heating up some fake chicken strips and fixing myself a plate. I was on autopilot... and I ate... and it was so good.

So yes, Robin, I was still hungry. I failed in my juice fast... and I think I've learned a lesson. You see, I've been studying Buddhism so much lately and have specifically focused on The Middle Way which to me, is really the foundation of Buddhism. It smacked me in the face after I sat on the couch, my belly full of scrumptious linguine and Chik'N... fasting is not The Middle Way. Fasting is an extreme. Fasting is not what my body wants, it does not make me strong, it does not help me.

So I'm not fasting anymore... I'm just plain going to eat right. I haven't outlined my plan completely yet... but I will soon and I'll post my guidelines. :)

Fasting

Have you ever seen a picture of yourself and been shocked at what you saw? Today I did.

The Man's cousin sent me a picture that had been taken of us together on a recent vacation and I was shocked. I have gained a TON of weight.

Not that I haven't noticed it. I have. Like many women I have clothes in my closet that span about 6 sizes. When the biggest size stopped fitting comfortably I sort of got the hint. However, it wasn't until I saw this particular picture (which I will not be posting here, thank you very much) that I REALLY noticed.

The fat stops here. I swear it... I proclaim today that it will stop. I'm done.

Today I started a 2 day juice fast. Just a little boost to help kick start me and reduce my cravings. So far it's 4 PM and I'm doing well... but that chicken salad I made for everyone for lunch looked REALLY good.... but it's just two days and I can do it.

The Beach

We're going to the beach today. You see, my parents purchased a beach front condo many years ago and they head up there for weekends probably twice a month. Every once in a while the family decides to meet up there for a day of fun at the beach. Usually I'm happy to go... but this week I fell WAY behind with work and really hoped to make it up this weekend.

Thursday I got a voice mail...

Hey honey, it's Dad. Your mom and I will be up at the condo this weekend and we'd really like you guys to come up and visit.

Notice he doesn't actually ask if we'd like to go. There is no question mark. No, it is said matter of factly. He wants us there and we should definitely head up there.

I sort of just conveniently forgot about the voice mail and hoped maybe he'd forget, too. Until yesterday when driving home from an exhausting day of sourcing inventory my cell phone rang again.

Well! I'm so glad I could get a hold of you!

Me, too....



Did you get my voicemail?

Yeah, I did, Dad. I just don't think we'll be able to make it this weekend. I have so much to do at home and I have to get some work done tomorrow.

Long pause...

You know... some day your mother and I will be in the grave and you'll wish you spent more time with us...

(Keep in mind I am over at my mom and dad's house at least once a week helping mom with something or dropping off something or just saying hi... they are not neglected in any way...)

Wow Dad... you're really laying the guilt on thick this time.

After a brief conversation with my sister about the guilt trip he laid on her we succumbed to the guilt. We'll be up there at 2:00.

I'm going to take lots of pictures and enjoy myself. Maybe I'll even have a beer!

I Read A Book!

I'm exclaiming this sort of in the same manner that my four year old might exclaim it when he gets to the end of Cars: The Big Race. Except that I really DID read the book and didn't just push all the little sound things and make the words up as I went. (Not that my book had little sound things... never mind...)

I finished A Land Remembered last night. Before you think how lucky I am that I had so many hours to devote to reading a book, please know that my children were neglected and forced to play Wii unattended, my house is disgraceful, and I fed my family a strange mixture of Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese, frozen peas, and Boca Hamburger substitute for dinner. I can't accept blame for this, though. The book was too darned good. Since I picked it up at the fair last week I've spent every second I possibly could spend with my nose in this book and last night I just HAD to finish it. I had to because I had to get back to my regularly scheduled life. I highly recommend it if you happen to have a weekend to yourself (insert insane laughter here). Seriously, don't pick this book up if you can't devote yourself to it... it will suck you in.

Anyhow... now I am living in a strange world of withdrawal. I keep getting the feeling that I want to go lose myself in the world of Zech and Tobias and the Florida wilderness and then I remember that it's over. It's sort of heart sinking...

Today I was driving back from dropping the kids off at school and thought that Sol could have driven his Model T right over the very ground I was driving my Chrysler Minivan over right now! Then I remembered it was fiction... bummer...

I wish there was a sequel, I wish it could have continued.... but now I have to get back to reality, back to this century, back to this Florida. *sigh*

Fussypants

I you haven't read Fussypants yet you need to. Right now. Go, I'll wait here.

I KNOW... she's flipping hilarious! And seriously helpful, too. And she does it all while homeschooling FOUR boys and being preggers with ANOTHER BOY. I'm adding her to my list of heroes.

Not only that but she has recently been nominated for the Best New Blog of 2008 and she should win. Seriously. So go vote for her. After you've read her blog and all the other contestants blogs and made up your mind for yourself, of course. ;)

Thursday Thirteen

Because I love procrastination and doing a Thursday Thirteen post will surely allow some more of it, I feel the need to join.

Thirteen Things I Should Be Doing Other Than This:
1. Shipping packages. I have 25 packages to get together today for shipment and if I don't get them out today I'll have a bunch of fun emails. :P
2. Listing auctions. Oh some days it's so hard to be an eBay seller. I just want to read and blog and watch TV.
3. Cleaning my kitchen. I mean really... I have to make a post for my other blog and I don't want to do it because I don't want to take pictures of my kitchen. It needs a thorough scrub down.
4. Laundry. There are more clothes in our laundry room right now than there are in our closets.
5. Exercising. I haven't been to the gym since September. :)
6. Meditating. The Man bought me this wonderful meditation cushion set for Christmas and I've barely used it. :( It's so pretty.
7. Cleaning my desk. The Man and I both have a desk in this office. His is nice and clean, mine is littered with coffee mugs, assorted desk toys, small electronic devices, and papers. It's ridiculous.
8. Playing with Goober. My poor Goober's montessori school was unexpectedly closed in October because of zoning issues with the town they had recently moved into. He has been entertained daily by Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer and though his Spanish is progressing quite nicely, he really could use some human contact not from Joe.

9. Cleaning out the van. The van has been on two road trips since the last time I thoroughly cleaned it. I'm embarrassed to take it to get its oil changed.
10. Organizing inventory. Is that listed? Did I sell that? It's time... with 1000s of dresses it can get a little confusing in here.
11. Shopping. Seriously, this is my job. I get to shop for a living. You'd think I'd be thrilled.
12. Making truffles. I want so badly to try Emilie's truffles! I'm going to try to get to it tonight and feature it on MM. Don't they look beautiful?
13. Sleeping - okay so maybe I shouldn't be sleeping, but I'd sure love to be. :) The Man is sleeping right now and I'm sure he's so warm and cuddly. I wonder what Goober might do to the house if I just took a little nap....

See more Thursday Thirteens here or here. :)

Holy Jeez!

I've been out of commission for a few days. Okay... several days. But I'm okay! I'm sure all two of you that might be reading this have been terribly worried.

Really, life just got ahead of me. The kids had this long weekend that included Friday off and then Monday and then here's a kicker - they have a half day today. What the crap is that all about?

I've completely ignored Meatless Munchies, though I did make a super vegetarian chili last night that I'll be posting there today. Delicious. Sometime soon I'm making truffles.

But enough about my accomplishments.

The other day I went to Target with Goober. For some reason Goober loves Target. Whenever we pass that big red bullseye he pleads that we turn in. The other day we went because I had promised to buy him a new Doc because he had left his old one in the driveway and I ran over him. Oops.

I know, it wasn't my fault. He shouldn't leave his toys in the driveway. However, I found it adorable that he had parked the car in the driveway. How cute is that??

Anyhow, so we went to Target and I got him his new Doc (and a new Dinoco Blue Lightning McQueen, too... because I'm a sucker) and a few groceries and we were out of there.

That was Tuesday. Yesterday I didn't leave the house all day. I got a ton of work done and was still working around 5 PM when I begged The Man to take Bug to his cub scout meeting so I could make dinner instead of sitting at the meeting. They left and arrived back home at 7 PM. The first thing The Man said to me upon walking in the door was "Did you lose something?"

Hmm... I don't think so. I mean, there's my purse over there, I still have my pants on... no, I think I'm good.

"Your phone, perhaps?"

My phone? Hmm... my phone... it has been rather quiet today, hasn't it? No incessant ringing, no text message alerts, I've gotten so much done today....

"Yeah, Frank has it. You'd better call him."

Frank? Who the crap is Frank?

Turns out Frank is a street sweeper guy. A very nice street sweeper guy who picked my phone up in the Target parking lot and did not try to pawn it or sell it for crack. He had been answering it all day trying to get it back to me and it wasn't until one of my friends actually called The Man's cell phone and informed him that Frank had my phone that I ever realized it was gone.

Frank works nights (that's what street sweeper guys do) and told me he'd be in my area around 10 PM. So The Man and I packed up the kids in the car in their PJs with their brushed teeth and went to pick up my phone. I was scared to go pick it up by myself. Safety in numbers, yanno?

The Man gave Frank $40 for his trouble. Thanks Frank.

The Fair Part Two

The fair was actually a lot of fun yesterday. We went in and looked around at all the exhibits while the kids said "Can we PLEASE go ride some rides NOW??" and "I really want to ride RIDES, Mommy!" and "I'm just going to DIE if I have to look at any more crafts!"

Finally just before the kids actually died from cross stitching overload we got them their little ride bracelets and spent the next hour or so standing on the ground looking up at them and waving and smiling, defending their positions in line against other children, and measuring them up against sticks that would tell us if they were tall enough (or short enough) to ride.

We then walked through a livestock tent where a picture of a pig was hanging with all it's parts labeled as types of meat. Yeah... We pet dairy cows, oohed and aahed at baby goats, poked fuzzy bunnies to feel how soft they were, walked into the poultry tent (sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken) where Goober had a total relapse of his absolute terror of birds so we quickly exited, and then visited the petting zoo. We pet camels, llamas, goats, some exotic creature that resembled a ram, and then attempted to wash all five pairs of hands in an outdoor sink that required us to pump water with our feet. Then came the food.

It was an overload. Being a vegetarian doesn't hinder me at all when it comes to the fair. I indulged in roasted corn, a bloomin onion, macaroni and cheese, french fries, cotton candy, and a cinnamon sprinkled elephant ear. Munchkin has recently decided that she, too, would not like to eat animals and has joined me on this quest. Did you know that the average vegetarian saves the lives of 95 animals each year? It's probably less for six year olds but maybe we're saving the lives of 150 animals every year together. That gives me a warm and squishy feeling inside. :)

Besides, I still can't figure out how the boys in my family can go directly from the tent housing the pigs and all the little piglets to the place where they order a rack of ribs.

But I digress. We watched a beautiful cirque style show and an entertaining alligator show and walked through Yesteryear village where houses and stores that stood in our area around the end of the 19th century stand restored and furnished just as they were at that time. I think this might be my favorite part of the fair, actually, as it's a calm and peaceful spot that truly does transform you back into what it must have been like in South Florida back then. I bought A Land Remembered at the General store there and read 15 chapters of it last night. I couldn't put it down until 3 AM when The Man finally just plain demanded I stop it. It's an amazing book so far and even more so since the land it is talking about is my home.

I want to go read it right now, in fact, but I absolutely HAVE to do some housework. It's really getting ridiculous in here. The Man has left to go help his aunt with some computer stuff and will be gone most of the day so I'll be folding laundry while watching Lifetime. Sweet.

The Fair

We're going to the fair today. We bought advanced tickets so today is FREE. So we have to go RIGHT??!

The kids are out of school today and Monday, too. I think it's the school board's plan to make sure all of the parents are thoroughly insane. The kids just went back to school from the holiday vacation and here we have a 4 day weekend. Maybe it's to keep parents from every being financially stable so we'll never be able to send our kids to private schools. Who knows?

The last time we went to a large entertaining venue it was Epcot on New Years Eve and we actually LOST Goober for hours. I can't believe I didn't make a post about this - I think I may have been trying to forget it. Disney isn't quite as organized about lost children as you may think... but I digress.

So considering the last time we were in a large group of people with all three kids we lost one I'm a little nervous about going today. But I'm sure we'll be fine. We're smarter and better prepared this time. Yep.

Wish me luck!

Drowning in scouts

Yesterday the cub scouts had their pack meeting. For those of you who don't know, the pack is the larger group of boys encompassing all the different dens in the area. So the pack meetings are kind of important and a little more formal. The boys are supposed to wear their uniforms.

So yesterday I throw Bug's shirt in the wash so it will be nice and fresh for the meeting and ALL of his patches fell off. It's a wonder I found them all in the washer afterward. Why is it that no one told me this would happen?? I attempted to sew the patches back on and had some success getting the pack numbers to stay on but as far as anything else, it's sort of a joke. I'm pretty hopeless.

The Man even dragged out a little tiny sewing machine we had in the attic and spent a good portion of his evening trying to figure out how to get that to work. No dice.

So Bug did not wear his patchless uniform to the meeting. Almost every other boy there was in total uniform so Bug stuck out like a sore thumb. I counted three times that the leader speaking on the microphone mentioned how important it is for the boys to "show the pack some respect" and "wear their full class A uniform to pack meetings." I felt their eyes burning through me...

After being informed of all the trips coming up, the meetings (pack and den), the parade they're marching in, and the banquet that happens to be falling on the only day I might be able to spend some time with my sister who is going to be in town we got back in the car and were off to Munchkin's brownie leader's house to pick up six cases of girl scout cookies. Thin Mints, Lemonades, Shortbread, OH MY! Yep, that's right, it's COOKIE TIME.

We're signed up for two booths and are expected to try to make it to more, we have numerous relatives to visit to peddle our cookies, and don't forget the regular scout meetings and our field trip on Monday.

You should see my homemade planner NOW. Between the boy scouts and the girl scouts and work, it'll be great if I have time to take a shower before mid February.

WFMW

Yesterday I discovered many new and wonderful blogs to add to my procrastination problem read for daily enlightenment. Robin at Around The Island linked to Rocks in My Dryer today which introduced me to (insert drumroll here) Works For Me Wednesday.

Honestly, if every blogger was required to do a WFMW we'd all be in better shape. Imagine combining the tips of people all over the world. Someone should write a book. Wait, has anyone written a book yet?

For my own WFMW I'm going to feature my new hand drawn notebook planner. Every year I head out to the store to get a planner. Half way (or sometimes sooner) through the year it is abandoned because the darned thing (a) didn't have enough room for me to write in it, (b) was too bulky to carry around, or (c) was destroyed in some freak kid accident.

So this year I made my own. I made it just how I like it in a notebook that leaves me plenty of room to write with Saturday and Sunday having JUST AS MUCH room as any other day (because seriously, I'm a MOM... these days are often busier than the weekdays) and still fits in my purse. Rock on.

Here's the cover. As you can see I have stolen some of Munchkin's Lisa Frank stickers that Santa put in her stocking. The 12 year old in me lives on.



Here's my month view. I put these at the beginning of each month instead of all grouped together like I usually see them. Works for me, yanno?



Finally, the all important week view.



So that's it. ;)

In other news, I did not get sick last night. Yay! However, Goober evidently lost his dinner all over his pillow last night while sleeping.... and did not wake up and let me know. Anti Yay.

So today we have two sickies at home. Bug has a boy scout meeting tonight and afterward we're picking up six (!!) cases of Girl Scout cookies to sell for Munchkin. Yowza. Maybe I should have them all wear surgical masks. Or take their vitamins! Does anyone have a WFMW on how to get kids to take their vitamins? It's not like I can just shove it in a ball of raw hamburger like the dog.

Getting down with the sickness

So the Munchkin is sick today. Earlier tonight she said she didn't want to eat and sort of felt like she was going to throw up. So she lay down in her bed and watched TV with a big giant pink bowl in case she had to throw up.

We all ate dinner and were sitting in the family room when she proudly brought in her bowl full of vomit.

Joy.

So we flushed the present she gave me and I put her in the bathtub. I washed out the bowl and changed her sheets (no she didn't vomit on them and they're pretty freshly cleaned... but my mom always changed my sheets when I got sick so I do it, too) and gave her the quilt of mine she always wants but I never let her have.

She went back to bed and then I felt it. Just slightly... a little twinge in my stomach. Enough to know what very well might be coming soon.

So what do I do? Do I crawl into bed? Do I take a bath myself and go to bed with a bowl and watch TV?

Nope.

No... I'm a mom. There are things to be done and darnit if I'm going to get sick I'd better have them done before the first bit of puke passes my lips.

So I quickly threw our sheets in the wash (they're the nice ones and if I'm going to be sick I'm gonna sleep on clean Egyptian cotton), cleaned up the kitchen, made a grocery list and ran to the store. I got home, put the sheets in the dryer and the groceries away and just as soon as I lay Bug's clothes out for school tomorrow and get that bed made I'll be able to actually get sick.

I ♥ being a mom.

My New Hero

As I said before I've been spending some time perusing blogs and found one by a mom who I am now deeming my new hero.

White Trash Mom, you've earned it. You captivated me this morning with your definition of Muffia (which by the way, should really be updated on Urban Dictionary because their definition is so incredibly not correct), made me literally LOL at your Weird and Random White Trash Mom Facts, and completely indulged my procrastination fetish by introducing me to LINKSATIONAL.

I can't wait to have more time to read your blog further but I do actually have to do some work today.

The New Blog

I've started a new blog about FOOD. Since deciding to venture out into the cold, dark world of vegetarianism I decided I'd like to force myself to try new vegetarian recipes and stop relying completely on Morningstar Farms and the Boca company. Seriously.

So I started Meatless Munchies, where I will make a four course meal every week and post my recipes and what all of us here think about it.

So last night I made my first two posts.... an introduction and the first recipe. This morning I spent some time looking through other food blogs and mom blogs and realized how completely amateur mine really are. That's okay, a little humility never hurt anyone.

Today I discovered a pack of crayons on the ground (isn't that where you keep YOUR crayons?). They were Crayola Silly Scents crayons.



My first thought was "Where the crap did those come from?" Ah yes... Christmas. The time of year your children receive so much additional stuff you have no idea where the crap anything comes from.

My second thought was "Shouldn't we be teaching the children NOT to sniff crayons or any other writing utensil?"

And then I remembered them... so popular in my childhood it's no wonder my generation began sniffing everything they could get ahold of.



Yes... there they are. The infamous Mr. Sketch Scented Markers. Oh I can still smell Green Apple right now. Watermelon and Grape were two of my other favorites. And who can forget the Black Licorice marker! I vividly remember sitting on the brown and gold shag carpet of our wood paneled living room with a clean white piece of paper (aside from the State Farm logo in the corner) that my dad brought home from the office. I would slide that happy scented rainbow of color, nestled snugly in it's white Styrofoam nest, out of the cardboard box (it looked just like the picture above!) and carefully select my first marker. Popping off the cap and inserting it into the butt of the marker I would begin to make my fruity scented masterpiece. Oh Mr. Sketch... I love you so.

I'm gonna have to get me a box before they're discontinued. It's only a matter of time!

Back to Normal... sort of

Yesterday the kids went back to school. They were supposed to be there at 8 AM. That's when I woke up. Oops.

Poor Bug somehow thought it was his fault and looked at me pitifully and said "Sorry, Mommy."

Awww... what kind of bitchy morning torture must I be putting that boy through? It's true though - I'm not even really human until 10 AM. Someday all my children will ride a bus in the morning and be able to dress themselves and wake up to alarm clocks and I won't emerge from my bed until 10 AM. Until that day, I am fueled by coffee and as little noise as possible.

I did manage to get them there by 8:45, even putting Munchkin's hair in a nice slick pony tail. I didn't even freak out or run around like a banshee to do it, either. I calmly fed them both Lucky Charms, drank coffee and ate my granola (Did you know granola had that many calories! Diet food my butt!), and sat watching Morning Joe on MSNBC while they ate and got dressed. I'm not actually sure why I watch Morning Joe... I'm trying be a little more versed on current events but it's not working. Now I think I just know enough to stick my foot in my mouth in conversations with better educated people.

Me: "So Obama seems to be pulling in front for the nomination."
Smartee: "Yes, he's quite charming, isn't he? Aside from being a socialist baby killer with little to no experience, I believe he can inspire our American people to stand up and take responsibility for their own nation. Certainly a trait that is lacking in Clinton."
Me: "My thoughts exactly..."

I'm learning (slowly, but surely) to keep my mouth shut about politics and religion. Neither subject is one that I am very well educated in but I do know what I don't agree with. Unfortunately, I'm finding that my opinions seem to be in the minority - especially among my conservative Catholic family. It's not exactly as though this realization is a big shock to me, or even that it's a recent realization. I've known I'm different than they are for quite some time. It's just lately that it has really affected me so much.

You see, I've been trying this whole "be true to myself" thing recently and though it truly does make me feel more complete and honest as a person, it really does change the way I see those around me. It makes me more inclined to stand up for myself and share my beliefs with those who may disagree with them. It makes me less scared to offend, less worried about what people may think. Because truly - if you don't like me for me, then our relationship isn't real anyway.

My Dad has said recently that I've become more sensitive. He's wrong, though. I'm just as sensitive as I always have been, I was just scared to let people know they had hurt my feelings before. Now I'm learning that it's alright to let it out, alright to cry, alright to disagree. Conflict is not my enemy.

More on that another day. Today I must get some work done and clean up the house a little. I still have Christmas up. Not sure I'm ready to take it down yet. ;)