Just do it

I challenge you . . . I double dog dare you . . .

What I want you to do is think of your most favorite Christmas memory . . . . hold it right there in your mind . . . .

Then I want you to hit play on this song . . . and close your eyes . . .

Just try not to get goosebumps . . .

I needed a tissue . . .

Hope this helps you find that Holiday spirit . . .


*UPDATE* - hit "pop out player" if the player never opens . . .

A what in a what . . . .

So I went shopping at the Mall on Saturday with my 17 year old cousin, my sister and my son . . .

It wasn't that hectic, thankfully . . .

But I got a rude awakening!!!

What has happened to fashion lately . . . . seriously . . .

Since when did "GAP" mean "OLD"?????

Since when did 17 year olds have to look like hookers . . . . cheap hookers at that???

Case in point . . . we went to a new store in our Mall . . . "G" by Guess . . . . I remember the Guess jeans from my youth (which I guess is a lot farther back then I would have hoped) . . .

I could NOT believe what was in the store . . . .

wait for it . . .

a DJ . . . .

there was a DJ in a store

there was a DJ in a store inside the Mall . . . .

there was a DJ in a store inside the Mall of a pretty conservative city in Retirementville, FL . . .

no, seriously . . . . I'm not joking

is a DJ necessary? really?

Oh and he was "spinnin" some "cool tracks" . . . . while we shopped in Hookers R Us . . . or "G" by Guess . . . whatever . . .

I was only oh so happy that my cousin agreed that none of the clothes were her "thing" or "style" . . . because all I could imagine was my Aunt giving me a really hard time for bringing home some of these "clothing" items . . . (even though this is the same Aunt who once gave me a vibrator for christmas, again no joke, I still don't think she would appreciate a backwards "Pretty Woman" shopping spree . . . from innocent to Hooker in 60 seconds flat)

We all got a good chuckle out of the DJ . . . oh and did you know the new word "Jorts" . . . that's short for Jean shORTS people . . . I couldn't make this up if I tried . . . that's what the DJ was wearing . . . Jorts . . . ha!

Then while perusing racks at another store . . . I got a look at what some girls wear out of the house . . . all I will say is this . . . I neither had the body nor the courage to wear those clothes . . . . ever . . . in my life . . .

oh I feel old . . . really really old . . .

Thankful

Earlier today while shopping . . . there was a situation that helped me confirm that I made the right choice in marrying my husband and that I am so thankful for him . . . while shopping I ran into a guy I had a crush on in high school . . . a heart thumbing, can't breathe around him, blush when he looked my direction crush . . . . a say his name and my hearts a flutter crush . . . and to make it worse we were friends . . . so we hung out all the time . . . and he had no clue how I felt . . . so I saw today him from a distance . . . and it was funny . . . I didn't feel a thing . . . not a blush . . . not a heart flutter . . . not a "oh great, what do I say" . . . nope, nothing, nada, zilch . . .

T-crush: "Toots, hey, my God, it's been forever how are you?"
me: "Oh my goodness, T-crush, wow! Oh I'm great, how are you?
T-crush: "Same old, same old, so umm, what's new?
me (great, now what do I say I haven't seen him in 8 years, a whole hell of a lot is new): "Well, a alot actually, I married that guy we both went to high school with that you would never guess in a millions years I would marry (I'll have to post that story at a later time) . . . and we have a five month old, they are both at home . . . "
T-crush: "Oh, wow, ummm . . . wow, that's great . . . "
me: "soooo, what have you been up to?"
T-crush; "um, nothing really . . . "

Isn't that the worse . . . I had very little to say to him . . . I quickly found out he hadn't done much since high school except gain weight and move out of his mother's house, real cool guy, real cool . . . . so we awkwardly finished our small talk conversation and went our way . . . around a very small store . . . bumping into each other every few minutes "oh, hey, are you still here *nervous laughter*" . . . "ha ha are you following me *nervous laughter*" . . . and so on . . .

As I got into my car I realized . . . there is a plan in life . . . I so wanted that guy to ask me out on a date in high school . . . and now . . . . I am SO GLAD he did not . . . not that he isn't a nice guy or anything . . . but he definitely not my husband . . .

Next thing I know my phone is ringing . . . it's Hubby . . . he wants to know if I want a glass of wine when I come home . . . and if we just wanna stay in and watch a movie tonight . . . oh I love him so very much!

I am thankful for living a life where everything happens for a reason . . . and I am so very thankful for my Hubby . . .

I'm sorry

Dear Twilight Movie,

I just wanna say I'm sorry for freaking out on you like I did here . . .

It's just that I was really excited to see my version of the movie . . . you know the version that I had in my head with my imagination . . . and well I guess I was upset that no one took the time to read my mind or ask for my opinion . . .

I know that there are lots and lots and lots of people who love you . . .

And even though I kinda ripped you . . . I'm gonna go back and probably watch you a few hundred times again . . .

So, I'm sorry . . . can we be friends? Maybe if you are feeling up to it you can introduce me to a few cast members?

Thanks,
Tooties :-)

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Okay, so I watched J&K+8 last night . . . ho hum . . . it wasn't that great . . . the people over at GWOP (that's Gosselins With Out Pity people) are having a field day about how many times Kate said "I'm irritated" . . . and it was a bit over the top . . . she hardly does anything it seems except get irritated or annoyed . . .

Anywho . . . I was staying up late to finish a few projects I'm working on . . .

What came on TLC next was "The Duggar" family . . . this is the family with 17 kids and one on the way . . . they have very conservative values, watch very little TV, restrict their internet use to nearly nothing, home-school their kids and continue to have as many kids as God blesses them with . . .

Okay, I can go with most of that . . . I respectfully disagree with some of their opinions, but hey that's what makes the world go round . . .

Then I saw a little snippet on the side of how they view dating . . . this family does not believe in dating . . . they believe that God will lead them to their life-long mate . . . okay I'm not sure about all that . . . but then there was this . . .

They do NOT believe in pre-marital kissing or pre-marital alone time . . . !!! . . . . really, you gotta be kidding me? right?

I mean I will not open the can of worms of pre-marital sex, believe what you want . . .

But pre-marital kissing . . . it's just a kiss and who knows maybe you've just agreed to marry one of the frogs you're SUPPOSE to kiss before your Prince Charming . . . . and zero alone time . . . this is something I'm very much against . . . I know for sure that I'm way different around my family than I am when Hubby and I are alone and he is the different as well . . . I just don't think it's a good idea to have two people committ to life-long marriage . . . . "until death do we part" to someone they have never kissed or spent any alone time with . . . .

My Hubby and I both dated different people before getting together . . . but I think that's the way it was suppose to happen . . . I needed to go through a few frogs to realize what a great guy Hubby is . . . and I'm thinking it was the same for him . . . and I still remember our first kiss and how electric it was and how it made me realize that I was falling for him . . . And the alone time . . . the snuggling and laughing and mushy things we said . . . I can't imagine having to wait for all of that . . . and what if you didn't choose the right person . . .

oh . . . they would so dissaprove of my history . . . and my internet usage . . . oh well . . .

Jon and Kate plus 8

Okay, here's the reason why I love this show . . . there is so much controversy!

There are these sites, this one (the best and host of the most haters), this one, and this one . . . . and they HATE Jon and Kate . . . they love the plus 8, oh but the things they have to say about "KON", oooohhhh, so juicy, so hateful, so gossipy, so makes me wanna watch more, which they would hate because their all about getting the show off air, but all I wanna do after reading one of their posts is watch the show more . . .

Then there are these sites that LOVE them, like this one . . . they LOVE Jon and Kate and adore the plus 8 . . . they are ooyie gooey about all of them . . . and it's nice and all, but the gossip is better and funnier to read . . .

Then there's the "official site" . . . one thing I find particularly funny about the official site is that the "laughter" page is "under construction" and has been for a while . . . anyone see the irony?

So I watch Jon and Kate plus 8 every week . . . some times I'm a cheerleader, some times I'm like "oh no she diin't" . . . and other times I just pity them . . . or envy them . . . two week fully paid vaca in Hawaii . . . um Hun, we need to get to the fertility treatment place, STAT!

It's on tonight . . . and I'm really looking forward to it . . . and even more so looking forward to what all the blogs will say about it . . .

I saw it . . .

and I'm not happy about it at all . . . and I'm filling this post with spoiler's . . . sorry . . .

I say the movie Twilight . . .

and I'm so disappointed . . .

Where's the love people . . . where's that feeling of "I can't live without you!"

What happened to the book? Did the actors/producers/directors/whatever read it . . . did they love the book? Did they reread it a few times and really examine each word our dear Stephenie Meyer chose . . . did they?!?!

Oh, I do want to say the sound was GREAT so, Marshall, did a great job . . . promise . . . I stayed until we saw his name and did a little "woohoo" for him . . . . (Julie's husband Marshall is a re-recording mixer, so he put all the sound effects in the movie)

What disappointed me was . . . that . . . . the movie wasn't the book . . . and I know that my imagination and my imagery might be different than yours, but come on . . . .

Bella has a cell phone? What!?

She "Googled" things . . . can you say corporate sponsor . . .

She's not half as clumsy as we want her to be . . .

And I really thought we were going to have more of her narrating throughout the movie . . . . arghh!

And Edward . . . I want to love you, man, I really do . . . but what's with the make-up? I mean eye make-up, not the "make your skin look white" make-up (I get that), but lipstick, really?

Rosalie, Emmette, Alice, Esme . . . you are all great . . . I think you captured the character . . . Alice needs a slightly lighter voice and she needs to dance more . . . but you guys are in the clear . . .

Jasper . . . what's with the hair . . . really . . . brush it, with a comb . . . you are supposed to be one of the beautiful people and I could think was wash your hair (with conditioner maybe) and give it a good comb . . .

Dr. Carlisle . . . oh I had high hopes for you too . . . and not-so-much in reality . . . your face was too structured, I needed a friendlier face . . .

Okay Charlie, the dad, is great . . . I think he was shown properly and did a good job of keeping true to the movie

Renee . . . whatever . . .

The thing was, the movie was dark to me . . . has anyone seen the move "Thirteen" . . . I was reminded of the jumpy, not steady filming while watching this movie . . . (okay, while finding the link for the movie "Thirteen" I realized they were both directed by the same woman Catherine Hardwicke . . . I don't think I like you Catherine Hardwicke . . . no not at all)

Also, what's the deal with adding/subtracting scenes . . . . oh I really want to remake this movie, who's with me?!

I want the meadow to be an actual meadow . . . . I want to see more of Edward and Bella falling in love . . . I want to see the dinner scene in Port Angeles followed word by word to the tee . . . I want Bella to drink two cokes . . .

I just want the movie to follow the book . . . is that too much to ask for?

Oh and Tiffany mentioned this, but I totally agree . . . what's with his skin in the sunlight . . . totally not what I thought it would be . . . I want amazing and what I got was totally not amazing, it was blah . . .

Is Edward blah? No I don't think so . . .

Okay, I really could go on and on . . . but just know . . . if you are expecting a movie that is the book . . . prepare yourself to be disappointed . . . if you are expecting a movie with references from the book, you'll love it . . .

Don't worry Bella and Edward . . . I still love you two! :-)

The list . . .

The things I have done are in BOLD and Blue . . . you can copy and paste the list to do on your own blog . . .

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (that's Marching Band people, yeah I was cool!)
4. Visited Hawaii (I really, really, REALLY want to)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (only because everyone had to, I can NOT sing at all)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (both)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (some of them anyway)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (forced by parents)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox - twice!
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club - I started one!
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Warning . . . Warning . . .Warning

My hubby and I love stupid funny movies . . .



Knocked Up

Don't mess with the Zohan

Love Guru

Talidega Nights

Good Luck Chuck

Dodgeball

Superbad



And so on . . .



So we rented Forgetting Sarah Marshall . . . .



It was hillarious! Very good one-liners . . . . stupid humor . . .



BUT I MUST WARN YOU . . .



In the first few minutes you see his pee-pee! Really and not just a glimpse . . . no you see the whole thing and the camera lingers for a few seconds . . . and you know when you think about it . . . pee-pee's aren't really that good looking . . . just my opinion . . . but the are kinda gross sometimes . . . especially on a guy that you don't find attractive to begin with . . . and even on a guy you DO find attractive . . . pee-pee's are just dangly and hairy and kinda weird looking . . . not that I've seen a lot of pee-pee's in my time . . . I mean there were a few crazy times . . . in college . . . but no need to walk down that road . . . anywho . . .



To say I was shocked doesn't even cover it!



The never show pee-pees! Never!



Boobies, yes . . . vu-jay-jay, okay . . . butt cheeks, mmm hmm . . . but a pee-pee, never!



And my husband just about stopped the video right then . . .



We laughed about it, but he wasn't mentally prepared to see another nakie man . . . he reacted like someone who just saw someone else vomit . . . or like if you were watching Dr. 90210 and all of a sudden they show a close up of the surgery . . . he held his hand over his eyes and said "just tell me when it's over" . . . hehehe



So, rent the movie if you like, but don't say I didn't warn you . . .



:-)

And . . . I'm done

So I've done it . . . I've read all four books of the Twilight series . . . . AND I LOVE THEM ALL!!!

I've never been so obsessed with books before, never! I am not going to give any of it away in this post because I want you all to enjoy the books as much as I did . . .

I will say this . . . throughout the books there were times where I didn't like the story line, I was upset about a certain sequence or outcome . . . there were times where I toyed with the idea of putting the book down and not finishing . . . but I pushed through . . . and I'm glad I did. I'm very satisfied with the ending of the books . . . a lot of loose ends are tied up nicely . . . I like how there is room for more books, which I hope come out one day . . . all in all, two thumbs way up . . .

I must say the downside of all of this reading . . . I wasn't sure if my marriage would withstand such an ordeal . . . my husband learned to fall asleep although the lights were still on . . . the baby might have cried for a few minutes longer than necessary "just to finish this one page chapter" . . . work suffered a bit . . . my friends were confused when I would say things like "well, I don't know if I can go out tonight, let me see what's up with Bella and Edward . . . " . . . my parents were nearly called in for reinforcement when I couldn't step away from the books for necessary things like a) a shower, b) brushing my teeth, c) changing out of my pajamas before noon, of d) all of the above . . . in the same day . . .

Damn you . . . Stephenie Meyer . . . you write books that become glued to my hands . . . you write stories that I must read . . . you . . . well, you much be very rich now, huh? . . . and you deserve it!

Go now . . . run, don't walk . . . do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars . . . get these books . . . join the cult masses . . . and enjoy!

A gold start for Mama

I was VERY VERY lucky to have my hubby home for the baby's first four weeks home. He is a teacher, the baby was born in July, so we had four wonderful weeks of two parents 100% of the time time.

This was wonderful because I never felt completely overwhelmed. One of us always managed to get enough sleep to help the other. I only breastfed for a little while, I really really tried, so he could help with bottles (especially the ones in the middle of the night). And we always had four hands to give him a bath. Along with many other conveniences . . .

Well, after hubby went back to work, the one thing that always scared me was giving JT a bath all by myself. I was nervous that he was going to slip and breathe in water and then I would have to do CPR or call 911 . . . a bit over dramatic, I know, but I was just worried about it. And it's worse than that really, I just had bad images of him screaming his head off or the water being too cold or too hot or that his body would be so slippery that I wouldn't be able to hold him and it just freaked me out. And because I let it fester in my head it just got worse and worse and worse . . . I'm usually calm, cool, and collected about "do it yourself" things . . . I lived alone for three years, I get the "no one's gonna help me, I gotta do it myself" thing, really I do, but this was my son's LIFE we are talking about here, see I told you too dramatic . . . anywho . . .

Since hubby and I don't live on a "schedule" tubby time kept on getting pushed off to the next day. (This makes me sound horrible) But it got so bad that JT had not had a bath in over two weeks . . . he IS just a baby and I thought how dirty could he possible be and of course I was wipping him off at every diaper change, but I realized that I needed to man up and start giving him baths during the day so this "two-week-sans-bath" thing never happened again.

Yesterday was the big day. I gave myself a little pep talk. I had the phone near by "just-in-case". And I did it. I started the water, got everything I needed within arms reach, undressed baby, and I gave him a bath . . . and we did just fine. There was no slip-age, there was no need to call 911, we even (dare I say) had FUN! Okay, well JT doesn't exactly love the water, but after a few minutes he calmed down and started to enjoy it.

I was so proud of myself. Really I was!

So, I know you SAHM's (that's Stay At Home Mom's) of 5+ are probably chuckling to yourself saying "I give my youngest a bath while folding laundry, brushing my middle child's hair, and teaching my oldest algebra" . . . I know that I have a long way to go with this whole Mama thing . . . but for me . . . I gave my son a bath. ALL. BY. MY. SELF. . . . . and that's the reason why I'm giving myself a Gold Star! So I'll have a little party for myself, maybe have a piece of chocolate, and start giving him a bath every day! :-)

:-)

I'm a winner!!!

YES!!!!

So, I'm somewhat new to the world of BLOG. I was a lurker at first, but thought, ya know what, I can do this . . . I can Blog!

So, I found BATW, that's Blogs Around The World people . . . it's a great site that connects you to bloggers all over the world (hence the name). It's similiar to SITS in that each day they have a featured blogger . . . well a few days ago Psycho Knitter was featured. BATW asks that you give a "tour" of where you are living on your day so that we understand "a day in the life" of you. Psycho Knitter is an american living in Iraq and is a pretty cool chick if you ask me . . .

Well, I started following her blog and then she had a contest to win knitting needles and yarn . . . I'm a crocheter, but I wanted to learn knitting so I entered . . . AND I WON (well, I half won because she split the prize, but don't rain on my parade) . . . . YEAH for me!

So, go check her out and give her some comment love! :-)

On a lighter note . . .

This morning I was on auto-pilot . . .

brush teeth . . . check
shower . . . check
dry-off . . . check

and so on . . .

JT woke up . . .

pick-up baby . . . check
change diaper . . . check
change from PJ's to day outfit . . . check
put dirty diaper in hamper . . . check
put PJ's in diaper genie . . . what a second . . .

Darnit, I put the dirty diaper in the hamper . . . nice move Mama, hehehe . . . . at least I can laugh at myself! :-)

Ouch!

Dear JT's Nurse,

I know its your job to give my baby his "shots". I know you have probably given about a billion shots in your lifetime as a nurse. I'm sure you are immune to the screaming. I know my son is just another one of your patients.

BUT could you just try and be a little sympathetic. Show a little bit of "niceness". I'm not asking for a lot just a little.

Try soothing him before just grabbing his jaw and making him drink the "rottovirus" liquid vaccine. Then with the shots. Could you not drag it out for so long? Could you maybe speed it up just a little so that it's over before he knows it started?

And when he starts the silent cry (you know the one before it gets really really loud) could you NOT say, "okay, those two weren't so bad, this one's gonna be worse!" Really, was that necessary?

And I'm not even going to mention that we had to wait for 45 minutes past our appointment time . . . really if you are that far behind just let us know instead of the on going *knock knock* "okay, you're up next" for abour 30 minutes.

Then when the doctor is with us, could you not interrupt our well waited for, too short, suppose to be undivided attention with our doctor to "ask a quick question about the other patient". I almost said "No, this is OUR time, lady, back off". Almost . . .

Then, finally, after you made my little boy scream his little head off whilte giving him shots, could you maybe put bandaids on that actually stick so that while I try to calm my baby and tell him "it's all over now, it's okay, mama's got you" I don't get his blood all over my shirt? Then when I ask for more bandaids could you refrain from saying "yeah, the first one's I put on never stick well, hehehe". It's not funny!

-Toots, JT's Mommy

You decide . . .

Does this make me a bad mom?

I'm a working mother, shhh! don't tell Dr. Laura, she'll be all up in my face about that . . .

I work from home 90% of the time, I very infrequently go to the office because of all the crap baby stuff I have to bring with me . . .

Working from home has it's advantages and disadvantages . . .

Advantage - I get to wear WHATEVER I want, ha!
Disadvantage - no office gossip
Advantage - If I need a "Mommy Time Out" I take twenty one
Disadvantage - I'm HOME all day, every day, all the time, no matter what

And on and on . . .

AND we don't have childcare . . . I'm a working mom and a mom working . . . I watch my son while I work . . . so it gets confusing now and then . . .

Some days are better than others . . . . and there are THOSE days . . . you know what I'm talking about Mamas . . .

THOSE days . . . . ahhh, maybe I won't go into the details, but you know what I mean right?

Okay, just one example . . . baby wants to wake up at 4(effing) AM . . . . you bring baby into bed with you to soothe him and get him to fall asleep (all the while trying not to fall deep asleep for fear that you might roll on top of him and smother him) . . . . 6AM comes WAY too soon and you hit the snooze . . . again . . . and again . . . finally you drag yourself out of the bed and wait . . . what is tha- . . . oh GREAT, baby peed out of his diaper onto the bed . . . awesome . . . baby is still sleeping though . . . hmmm . . . take a shower at the speed of light . . .get dressed and try, just try, to read a few emails before . . . . and there it is, baby is awake, hungry and angry . . . change baby's diaper and clothes . . . . strip the bed of all sheets (because of the aforementioned pee) . . . make bottle for baby . . . shake bottle and SH!T . . the top wasn't on right and now you are covered in formula . . . awesome . . . all the while baby is screaming bloody murder . . . oh God, what time is it? . . . .WHAT?!?!? Only 7:45 . . . awesome . . . . and so on and so on for the REST of the DAY . . . .

Finally, (cue the angels singing) Hubby gets home from work . . . YES, YES, YES . . . . "hi hun, here's the baby, gotta work, gotta pay those bills, oh yeah um how was your day? your gonna take the baby right? I mean right now, you gonna take him right?"

Right there . . . does that make me a bad Mama? I love my son with all my heart and soul. There is NOTHING in this world I wouldn't do for him . . . but every day I look forward to my husband coming home to relieve me . . . .

So tell me . . . am I wrong for wanting an hour or so of just ME time . . . eventhough I'm a Mama?

I'm tough I can take it . . .

Mayonnaise and Beer

This is not my story, but it made me smile . . . .

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.' The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. 'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents.

Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.'

A little more butter please . . .

Just a quick funny . . .

Last night hubby and I went out to dinner with his parents to Applebe's . . .

My Dad-in-Law ordered his meal with a "loaded baked potato" . . .

Dinner was served, but D-I-L wanted "a little more butter please" . . .

The waitress returned with a tub of butter, seriously, a full cup of butter . . . imagine your measuring cups, the one cup one, full of butter for ONE baked potato . . .

M-I-L and I couldn't stop laughing . . . .

Seriously, who would use that much butter for ONE baked potato?!?!?

:-)

Did you say NOVEMBER?

Woah baby . . . it's NOVEMBER? Did you know that?

I haven't even BEGUN to even THINK about Christmas . . . and some of you crazy people planners are already done with all of your christmas shopping . . . . seriously, how do you do it?

I'm one of those "last minute" shoppers and this year is gonna be worse . . . because we gots no money . . .

I'm not letting myself get upset about the money issue . . . we are paying (most of) our bills on time . . . but there are bigger issues . . .

We JUST found out we make have to move out of our house and back into our Condo that we were renting out . . .

Right before we got the call to put that move into action, we had decided on upgrading our kitchen via cabinet refacing using Home Depot . . . I even picked out my dream kitchen cabinet color . . . and the door pulls . . . and just as I allowed myself to get excited about it . . . the rug was pulled out from underneath me . . .

We are not going through a unique situation here . . . lots of people are facing the same issues we are . . . and I refuse to let myself get upset about it . . .

On days like this I try and remember the little things that make me smile . . .

. . . my husband and the way he looks at me . . .
. . . my son and the way he smiles and giggles when he wakes up in the morning . . .
. . . my friends who would be there no matter what . . .
. . . my dog, who loves me unconditionally, even if I forget to pet him for a while because we just had a baby, he still loves me . . .
. . . a hug . . .
. . . a kiss . . .
. . . a good nights rest . . .
. . . waking up next to the most handsome man in the world (no not Brad Pitt, silly, my hubby) . .
. . . knowing that one day this will all be over . . .

So, it's November . . . and Christmas is around the corner . . . and I'm going to try and start a new tradition . . . let's just celebrate being together and enjoying each other . . . let's make a nice meal and sit around and TALK to each other . . . let's play games and remember funny family stories . . . let's just celebrate and be happy and not keep a running total of how much money we've spent on each other . . . maybe . . . we will see . . .

What are your plans for the Holidays this year???

Do NOT read the Twilight books . . .

(don't worry, there is no spoiler in this post, promise!)

I repeat do NOT read the Twilight books . . .

reading these books may cause, obsessive reading behaviour, the inability to put the book down until it's finished, forgetting to feed the baby because you NEED to find out what happens to Bella and Edward, leaving the dirty dishes in the sink for too long, (after hearing the door close) jumping and start pretending to work when Hubby gets home so he doesn't think you've been reading all day, staying up until way past your bedtime to finish the book, finishing the first two books in four days, and other like symptoms.

The only cure is not to start reading at all (not a possibility) or to block out a good week (or two if you are a slower reader) to read the series start to finish.

Here's the thing folks, in my youth I wasn't a reader. I think it was because it was something forced on me by my teachers and I was a rebel. I bought the cliffs notes, asked a friend or just took an F on the test, because no on was going to tell ME what to do! *letting deep breathe out* As I got older and wiser I realized that reading could be fun, it could be funny, sad, happy, romantic, scary, and maybe even all of the above. AND (and this is the control freak side of me) I got to use MY imagination to put it all together. That's why I usually hate to see a movie once I've read the book, but that's a totally different story. Don't even get me start on The Shinning by Steven King, the book was terrifying and the movie, notsomuch. But I digress . . .

Once I found that I love reading, Barnes and Noble was to me as clothes shopping used to be. I could spend hours just walking around "trying on" books to see if they fit my personality. I have a pretty good record of finding "my"books. I usually stay away from the main-stream, looking for that diamond the in the rough . . . . and every once in a while I will hear a buzz about a new cult book series that gets everyone's attention. I did the whole Harry Potter thing . . . and I enjoyed it, but I never became a fanatic, yes they are good books, but no I'm not going to start wearing a cape and pulling out a wand when things don't go my way . . . so when I heard about Twilight I wasa bit skeptical . . . I bought the first book to have a look, see . . . . and I have NEVER been so consumed by a book before in my life! I swear it was like I HAD to finish the book, like my life depended on it. I had to know what happened . . . and I'm not gonna give any of it away . . . not one little piece because the books are that good that YOU have to find out on your own.

Go and purchase the first book or even better borrow from the library . . . if you are "ho-hum" and not totally into the story right away, put the book down and walk away . . . if you love it like I do continue reading and enjoy . . . . .

I'm half way through the series and I'm kicking myself for not reading these books sooner!

Just put one foot in front of the other . . .

Apparently I love walking . . . who knew?

I was surprised to find this out about myself.

I don't like to "work out" . . . . or "exercise" . . .

I've joined a few gyms with good intentions, only to cancel them a few months later . . .

But I have just recently found that I don't mind walking so much!

Tuesday morning I went for a walk with a friend and our babies in strollers and . . . I enjoyed it . . .

So today, I got up . . . strapped JT into the stroller and off we went . . .

We talked (well, I did most of the talking) and we walked . . . for about 45 minutes . . . and I'm looking forward to doing it again!

And it was a great way to start the day! I'm feeling charged up and ready to go!

Let's just forget that I had a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast . . . I mean after walking for 45 minutes . . . I was allowed a reward, right?

His eyes

Last night I was holding my baby . . . my sweet, sweet baby

He didn't want to fall asleep . . . too much going on with Daddy and Mommy talking

I just rocked him back and forth and patted him on the back until he calmed down . . . and I was amazed that all he wanted was his Mama's attention all to himself

Then we layed down, me on my back and my son on my chest (on his tummy) . . . so snuggly and happy . . .

I looked down at him and he stared at me . . . with these "grown-up" eyes . . . he aged years in a second and I felt like I was looking into the eyes of a toddler . . .

His eyes shifted up, down, left, right . . . all over . . . as if he was studying my face . . . and I just soaked in the warmth of his look . . . he has already mastered the "melt your heart with one look" look . . . at only a few months old . . . he's gonna be trouble I can tell already . . . .

We were both locked into this embrace and looking at each other . . time stood still . . all was quiet . . . it was only me and him in the universe . . .

He looked so wise, so knowing, so happy . . . I half expected him to say "I love you Mama" . . . instead I got a baby babble of coos . . . music to my ears . . .

I knew right then, right there . . . he loves me and I love him . . . I've known that for a while, but there was something magic about this look about this moment in time . . . someone sewed our hearts together and we both just felt it at the same time . . . .

I love you baby . . . forever and ever . . . . no matter what . . . I will love you through the good, the bad, the hard, the sad, all of it . . .

And you will always know that you are loved by me . . . . your Mommy . . .

"You Don't Know Jaques"

I love this new OPI nail polish.

Yesterday I went to get a pedicure and a manicure . . . it was the first time in a long time. I usually get clear nail polish, you know, very practical. But not this time! I decided to go a little crazy and get this pretty brown polish . . . I had seen it on "Mindless Junque" here . . . and I thought "why not?"

Also, OPI is tre cool, who thinks of these names?! "I'm India Mood for Love" or "Yoga-ta Get This Blue" or "Churry Up Don't Be Late". How fabulous is that?!?! So I guess I have to add to my "dream jobs" list . . . #1 is Ben & Jerry's ice cream taster (for obvious reasons), #2 Secret Shopper (get paid to shop!?!) . . . . #17 OPI nail polish namer . . now to get my resume together, hmmm . . .

As she was painting my nails, I could see I made the right decision . . .

While writing something down for work (yuck) I found myself staring at this beautiful (and quite tan I might add) hand with beautifully manicured and pretty painted nails . . . and it was my hand, my nails! This is huge! I'll admit, I'm a recovering nail biter . . . I've been one year "non-biting", thank you very much!

I feel like I've taken a step into fashion and I like it *gasp* . . . . a lot *double gasp*! Next thing you know I'm be wearing Manola Blahnik's . . . . or maybe not, high heels really do a number on my back . . . but you know what I mean!!!

It's amazing what a little change can do for you (or me!)

100 things I love

I love . . . (and not necessarily in this order)



1. my husband

2. my son

3. my family

4. my best friend KH

5. my dog

6. new clothes

7. a great haircut

8. a warm and comfy bed

9. the nick-names my HB has for me

10. chocolate

11. getting a pedicure

12. getting a manicure

13. getting a massage . . . oh do I need one of those!

14. shopping

15. eating really great food

16. my mother-in-law

17. a hot shower

18. being a mommy

19. my friends

20. sunsets

21. ice cream

22. McDonald's fries

23. swimming

24. the beach

25. an ice cold beer

26. a nice glass of wine

27. caffeine free diet coke

28. the number 28 . . . it's my lucky number

29. the way my son smells

30. the way chocolate chip cookies smell as they cook

31. the excitement of Christmas morning

32. the look of happiness on someones face

33. the way the keyboard sounds when you type on it

34. the color blue (any shade)

35. my gap blue jeans and the way they make me look

36. reading a good book

37. non-fiction (the truth is usually stranger than fiction)

38. reading blogs and my bloggie friends

39. being a blog lurker . . . I'm coming out though

40. the show Jon & Kate plus 8 . . .

41. . . . and all the controversy there is with that show

42. when i look pulled together

43. when someone asks for my id when purchasing liquor/beer

44. being in control

45. having things go my way

46. when people come to me for advice

47. when i have to ask for advice myself

48. the word proud, especially if it's used towards me

49. puppies and kittens

50. that I'm half way done with this, it's harder than you think, try it for yourself

51. rainbow flip flops

52. MAC make-up

53. feeling warm sand in between my toes

54. the sound of a can of coke being opened

55. a good joke

56. laughing

57. an inside joke

58. the sound of my son's giggles

59. the Beatles and 99% of their songs

60. the song "clocks" by Cold Play

61. Pandora radio (it's free!)

62. Dave Mathews Band

63. my list so far, I rock!

64. gossip

65. getting real mail

66. reading emails

67. memories

68. photos

69. my camera

70. taking photos

71. Photoshop, to make my photos look cool

72. black and white photos

73. meeting new and cool people

74. being inspired

75. being happy

76. fresh baked chocolate chip cookies . . oh the goowey-ness, yum!

77. they way my husband kisses me and still takes my breath away

78. winning something

79. going on roller coasters

80. feeling loved

81. a secret . . .

82. . . . and being able to keep it no matter what

83. fresh squeezed orange juice

84. pancakes and bacon for breakfast

85. learning something new

86. the way a hug feels

87. getting a new pad of paper . . . the possibilities are endless

88. multi-colored pens instead of boring black and blue

89. knowing that I'm going to have more kids

90. my ability to make people laugh

91. snuggling with my HB

92. the game Scrabble

93. making up nonsense words

94. the hand-jive (from Grease)

95. singing really loud in my car when I'm all alone

96. sarcasm

97. being adventurous

98. spontaneity

99. life

100. me (yes, I think it's a good thing to love yourself!)

Phhfew . . . that took a lot of thinking . . . but I'm glad I did it.

I hope to be back tomorrow to write more about what I love.

Why Toots In Love

I tend to be a negative person. So this blog will be dedicated to being positive and seeing the good in things. I will attempt to see the "love" in everything, every day.

My name is Toots, it's my husband's nick-name for me. His name is Hun Bun (HB) and we have a little boy "JT".

We live in Florida and love it.