Technologically Disconnected

I went completely unplugged over the holiday. I didn't get on the Internet. I didn't check my email. I never logged into Facebook. I didn't blog.

It was nice to live in the moment and truly enjoy the holiday at home with my family.
I did however watch way too much Noggin with Moose and Zee

as well as the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse--can't get the songs out of my head...

Food Glorious Food

Rob and I are fans of the Food Network Show, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" hosted by Guy Fieri. We like this show because it goes to our kind of place--the neighborhood joint with some great food and lots of unique characteristics. The show features out-of-the-way places that serve comfort food, traditional American fare and just plain good eats. Most featured restaurants are known by word-of-mouth and the "regulars". The show does not spotlight 5 star, white linen table cloth restaurants with Maitre D's.

Anyway, there were some tapings done in and around Pittsburgh and the restaurants are starting to show up in the episodes. Rob and I visited one this past Saturday. Nadine's is nothing fancy, just a bar that serves food. It is in the southside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. This is a popular section of the city (and the model for Mr. Roger's Neighborhood) with lots of restaurants and bars--so to stand out they must be serving some good grub.


I ordered a delicious Fried Bologna sandwich. It was scrumptious. Anyone who has never had such a delicacy is missing out. My dad used to make these when I was little. Of course, it was a rare occasion for me to have one since I literally lived on grilled cheese for most of my childhood. I ate grilled cheese for breakfast and lunch most days. It was a great dinner with tomato soup too. I noticed on Nadine's website that they also serve Grilled Cheese. I told Rob we're going back for that.

While we're on the subject of sandwiches, one of my other favorites is Bologna and peanut butter. I know it might sound odd, but it is really very good, try it. It's fabulous. This was another one of my father's creations. The man thinks that anything tastes better with peanut butter, and he's usually right.

Work It, Work It

Right after Thanksgiving, we dressed Bobby in his Christmas outfit (I love the velcro tie!) to get a holiday photo. Given Bobby's energy level, we have approximately a 15-second window to snap the right photo before he is off and running...Here were the top 2 contenders:
1) Rob's choice for our cards:

and 2) my choice, and eventual winner: (So GQ, don't ya think?)
Of course, these were both taken before he pushed the tree over thus permanently damaging the top portion of our artificial tree so that it cannot be affixed to the upper pole area. We now have a Christmas shrub: Ahhh memories. We'll be buying a new tree the day after Christmas.

A not-so-fun milestone...

Just one week shy of the 19-month mark and Bobby is sick for the first time. It started with a slightly runny nose which progressed to a cough. He just didn't seem himself, and lost the "sparkle in his eyes". He continued to sleep through the night and didn't show any real signs of an ear infection, but with the holidays coming up, I decided to err on the side of caution, so I took him to the Doctor yesterday. Poor guy has 2 ear infections and is on antibiotics for the first time. I was not totally surprised. He was having a snack before his doctor's appointment and took the 2 pretzel rods and was trying to shove them into his ears...

I previously wrote about his affinity for Tylenol (or "nana" as he calls it). Figuring he takes his Nana so well and even asks for it by name, I was pretty confident he'd have no problem with the medicine. Boy was I wrong. My mom has had to hold his arms and legs while I struggle to shove the syringe in his mouth whenever he starts wailing. I'm going to consider these twice daily wrestling matches my exercise for the next 10 days.

I figured last night would be a rough one and I went to bed early thinking I may be up with him in the recliner all night. Bobby slept all night though. I didn't, but he did. I expected him to be up, so of course when he wasn't I had to make sure nothing was wrong. I was up checking on him pretty regularly between 2am and 5 am. I wouldn't have it any other way though. I'm glad he was able to sleep and hopefully that will help him get better faster. I'm tired all the time anyway, what's another night of losing sleep to me?

I also learned, when the Dr. was figuring out the proper dosage of antibiotics for him, that Bobby at 19 mo. is the size of an average 3 year old. I only hope he's somewhat athletic, unlike me!

Yahootie, Jr.

I wrote about the "Elf on the Shelf" here. We named ours Yahootie in honor of the elf my grandparents had. Here is the original Yahootie:

and here's the present-day version: There is definitely a family resemblance!

Aloha Friday

It's Aloha Friday. You know the drill.

Today's question is:

How old were you when stopped believing in Santa?


I believed for a really long time. The last year I believed was 5th grade. So I was 10 or 11 years old. I loved Santa but was terrified of him. Even now, I feel some anxiety when I see him. I guess that terror from my childhood is ingrained in my brain synapses or something. I always had to go see him though, and through lots of tears I managed to tell him my wishes.

I took Bobby to see Santa before Thanksgiving--I like to beat the rush. He was "that kid". Blood-curdling screams. Mall walkers stopping to see who was being subjected to horrific torture. The tears started flowing and there was no way he was going to sit on that man's lap, so I stepped in and sat next to Santa and held Bobby for the picture. Unfortunately, I think Bobby has inherited my "kringlephobia".


Check out Kailani at islandlife808.com for more Aloha Friday fun.

Memories...of the way we were...

My brother-in-law posted a picture from his wedding on Facebook today. I think it's a great picture of me and Rob, and I had never seen it before:
This was taken in May 2005, about a month before our 1st wedding anniversary.

Two things struck me when I saw it. First, I remember feeling fat getting into my bridesmaid dress. 3 years and one pregnancy later and I'd LOVE to be at the weight I was then. Funny how looking back I know I should have been happy about the way I looked.

Second, I love my hair in the photo and only wish it could look like that every day when I do it myself as opposed to having it done at the salon. I'm currently growing my hair out for the umpteenth time in my life. I grow it, get sick of it, cut it, then grow it out. A vicious cycle.
If only I could have a stylist at my disposal...

Tis the Season...

It's that Time of Year again. Time to Make the Candy Cane Cookies.

These cookies are my dad's favorite. His mother was an excellent baker and would make him these cookies every year. When she died (over 30 years ago), my dad remarked to my mother that he'd never get any candy cane cookies again. Even though my mom does not like making these, to her credit, not a single year has gone by that my dad hasn't enjoyed these cookies! When I was old enough, I started to help. Unfortunately, my grandmother (Mom-Mom) never shared the secret to how to roll/shape these cookies without becoming totally frustrated. The recipe is easy enough:

1 cup butter or margarine -- softened
1 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

Mix first 6 ingredients together well. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Add food coloring to 1 portion. Blend well.

NOW THE TRICKY PART:

Roll 1 teaspoon of each color dough into ropes and 5-1/2-inches long. Lay them side by side. Pinch ends together. Twist to form a spiral. Lay on ungreased baking sheet. Shape to form canes. (This sounds pretty basic. But just try it, it's easier said than done.)

Bake in a 350-deg. F. oven for about 10 minutes until pale gold. Cool on sheet for 2 to 3 minutes then remove. Makes about 4-1/2 dozen. (This is a total lie. We are lucky if we get 2 dozen!!!!).

Over the years, we've tried lots of different tricks to get these shaped just right. My mother always tells me how perfect Mom-Mom made them. So delicate and tiny. Perfectly twisted and shaped. I can't say that about ours. I have gotten better at shaping them, and some do turn out decent, but the majority look sad and pathetic. Ours belong on the Island of Misfit Cookies!

I like to bake and I like to think I got a lot of my grandma's talent in that respect, but I do wish every year that I would have been old enough before she died for her to show me how to make these darn cookies. One year we tried to skimp and we took all the dough, put it into one big log and cut circles out. We justified this by saying that they were peppermint candy cookies. It didn't work. We returned to the candy cane making.

It is a labor of love to make these cookies, and I know my dad appreciates them. No matter what they look like, they taste delicious--they are made with love. And it's one tradition that we'll keep up every year!

Meet Yahootie

I'm trying to get started on some new Christmas traditions with Bobby now that he's getting older and more active. I have such fond memories of my childhood Christmases. I believed in Santa way too long. I still love the "magic" of Christmas.

I heard about the "Elf on the Shelf" and decided I wanted to get this and start the fun with Bobby. The Elf comes with a book which I read to Bobby. It explains how the scout elf reports back to Santa and gives the rules (ie. you can talk to the elf, but you can't touch him). Each night I move the elf to a new location. Once Bobby gets a little older, I think it will be fun to put the elf in different hiding places and have him find him. One of the first tasks to do with the elf is to "adopt" him and give him a name. I was thinking of waiting on this for a year or two until Bobby could help pick out a name.

However, on Saturday, my parents popped in to see our Christmas decorations and I was showing the elf to my mom. She kept saying he looked familiar and thought maybe she had seen something like that before. I told her that it's supposed to look "retro", and I just think it's so cute.My dad looked at the elf and said it looked like one that his dad (the original Pap-Pap)used to have that sat near his chair. My parents called me last night to tell me they think that Pap-Pap's elf was named Yahootie. That is what I'm naming our elf. Yahootie.

Belated Thanks Giving...

There is so much I am thankful for. It may be human nature to focus on what I don't have or what I wish for, but over the past few days, I've tried to focus on what I'm really thankful for...

I give you "What I am Thankful for 2008"(in a stream of consciousness order):

-the good health of my family and friends.
-the strong bond I have with Bobby. Even after hearing "mama" approximately 10,000 times on Thursday, it never gets old and it makes my heart giggle. I hope to never lose that feeling...
-Rob, and the fact that he accepts my "quirkiness" and "Irish Stubbornness" without fail. He thinks my trying to relive my childhood, aka "Camelot" with Bobby is endearing and not psychotic.
-that my sister and I, after some tumultuous teen years, are the best of friends. I can't even quantify how much she means to me and how much I rely on her.
-that Killarney is alive and well, even if she is a "geriatric canine". She is my daughter and the best dog in the world. I'm thankful for every day Bobby gets to know her. She means more to me than anyone can imagine--and more than I've ever told anyone.
-That Bobby calls my sister, Ee-Ee (what I used to call her), now I have to work on him calling my brother Brian, Bubba.
-That my 88 year old grandma is as lively and feisty as ever.
-that my Grandma has been able to enjoy Bobby and is someone who truly appreciates him just for him.
-That my parents are so supportive and loving of me and my family
-that my friend "Tootie" and I can go weeks without "talking" but I feel as close to her as anyone in my life...I thank god every day for our friendship.
-that I live in the same city as all of my immediate relatives
-for a happy married life, better than I could have ever imagined
-for Bobby's fun personality and childlike wonder
-for a job with wonderful co-workers and a fantastic work-life balance
-that I was at SMC in the 90s when Lou Holtz was the Coach and the IRISH WON GAMES and were National Contenders
-for Chapstick ultra
-that Rob's worst vice is sports memorabilia collecting
-that my life has led me to where I am today...

"Oh, the horror, the horror. They are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement!"

18 month stats...

There is really little to no chance of Bobby being average size or smaller. There are really no "petite" people in my family. Rob is 6'8". At 18 months, Bobby is 33lbs. and just under 35 inches tall. It may look and seem ridiculous but I still love cuddling with my "baby" even if he is all arms and legs and almost too heavy for me to lift/carry.

Merry Christmas-Hope it's your time of the month...

I've been searching online for a Christmas gift for one of my 16 year old nieces. On the site for UncommonGoods.com, they have a gift finder tool. I put in "Teen" Price "$25-$50" and the #1 suggestion was this:

What is that you ask? Brushed steel tampon cases. For $32. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a tampon holder, don't you think? The search continues...

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. -Dr. Seuss

For those "Yinzers" (and you know who you are) who have been following the musings of PittGirl on the BurghBlog (the link was in my blog list)...it is no more. Unfortunately, PittGirl's anonymity was compromised and so she had to bid adieu! No more rantings of pigeons. No more fun analysis of Steelers games-what were they really thinking? No more dread lord Zober. No more rantings about annoying burghers. *sniff* *sniff*

To read her final farewell, click here.

PittGirl and the BurghBlog will be missed. That's church.

Momgenerations.com Giveaway!

Check out Momgenerations.com and their video gift guide & contest to win some really cool stuff for the kiddos!

Let your tears come. Let them water your soul. -Eileen Mayhew

My cousin, Irishembi, blogged about crying here. I fully admit I am an emotional being. I cry while reading books. I cry hearing certain songs. I cry at movies, commercials and t.v. shows. I cry at memorable, happy events. However, I vowed not to cry at my own wedding and I didn't (I didn't want to appear to be a blubbering mess in all the pictures!!! It worked and I was just all smiles!).

Once when I was dating Rob, he called and I literally could not speak because I was crying so hard. He was very concerned that something had happened. It took all my energy to tell him between sobs that everything was fine and I was just watching the "Dawson's Creek" series finale and I'd have to call him back. The fact that he didn't go running for the hills after that meant a lot to me. (He has since seen me blubbering watching "My Dog Skip" and reading "Marley and Me", so I think he's grown somewhat used to this quirky behavior).

My grandmother used to tell me that sometimes you feel better after a "good cry". I think that's true. I don't cry everyday, and I have a pretty even-keeled temperament but sometimes a good cry is good for the soul.

There are a few movies, and certain scenes within those movies, that guarantee the unrestricted flow of my tears. In no particular order, here's a sampling:

1) Rudy
2) The Notebook

3) My Dog Skip

4) Paulie

5) Steel Magnolias

6) Life is Beautiful

7) Billy Elliot

8) Dead Poet's Society

9) Hoosiers

10) The Lion King

Friday Funny

Aloha Friday

Aloha Friday! In honor of the past few weeks of my life, here's today's question:

How do you deal with Stress? What do you do to relax?

For me, a warm bath usually helps. Also, if I can squeeze it in, a nap! Last night, I took a warm bath, poured myself a glass of vino and watched "The Office". Heavenly!

HAPPY 1/2 BIRTHDAY TO ME...

My birthday is May 13. Today is my 1/2 Birthday! The fun part is that today, November 13, is my older sister's actual birthday. Yes, we are exactly 3 1/2 years apart-to the day. So in a twisted way, we get to share in each other's special day. I don't know exactly how or when it started but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with my sister feeling left out in May. (Middle child syndrome?) You see, My birthday is May 13. My older brother and our grandmother-who lived with us growing up-share a birthday on May 12. Also, our birthdays usually fall around Mother's Day, so to my sister, it probably seemed like everyone in the house was getting presents except her. My uncle Danny was the first to start giving my sister something on her 1/2 birthday. It kindof evolved from there.
It is a fun family tradition that we have kept up-even my parents wished me a happy 1/2 birthday this morning! I want to keep the fun and tradition going with Bobby. Last year I had a 1/2 birthday party for him(his is Nov. 21, since his actual birthday is May 21) complete with 1/2 a cake! In 6 months time, he changes and grows so much, why not celebrate it??
Rob thinks it's ridiculous but it is just something silly that means a lot to me! So I will continue to celebrate!

I Just Want a Chocolate Chip Cookie...or two, or twelve

Maybe this is why I haven't lost much weight recently!
For me, stressed = desserts!
Does it ever seem like things are going along just fine and then *BAM* you get hit from every direction? That's been my life the past few weeks.

Bobby's part-time caregiver informs me that she is not going to be able to watch him regularly anymore, so I embark on a child-care search. Bobby is with the new sitter for the 1st time today. It was the first time I had to leave him somewhere unfamiliar and have him crying and clinging to my leg. It really broke my heart. On top of all the childcare drama, my 10 year old dog, Killarney--my first "baby" had a tumor that needed to be removed. She had surgery yesterday. She got home last night and was listless and lethargic. She has a very large incision with 2 drainage tubes. I just wanted to lay on the floor with her all night and pet and cuddle her...

My Honey Did...

Rob was off yesterday for Veteran's Day. I took Bobby to the sitter, so that Rob could have some time to do some things around the house...Boy was it worth it! Rob did so much yesterday, and was still in a good mood when I got home last night!

He emptied the dishwasher, did all the leaves/grass cutting, winterized the outside stuff like the grill and A/C unit, did laundry, re-caulked my tub, stripped the beds, flipped the mattresses, washed the sheets, put new sheets on and took out the garbage. He rocked the Honey-Do list...

I've gotta give him props!!! He is a gem!!!

Only 44 Shopping Days Left...

The holiday shopping season has officially begun in our house! I prefer to do most of my shopping online--there is the initial rush of ordering everything, then you get a second dose when packages start arriving at the door...
Once again, I'm going to try to get to Christmas before Rob guesses his gifts. I think ruining my surprises for him is part of his holiday traditions--it sure does bring him great joy! Last year I had to throw down the gauntlet and tell him that if he guessed what his presents were, I would return them all and he'd be getting whatever crap was left at the stores on Christmas Eve. I still think he guessed everything, but he kept it to himself, thus giving me the illusion that I was surprising him. I really do love buying for everyone and trying to get frivolous gifts that nobody "needs" but would really want to have!

Now, if I can only learn to wrap presents well. I really do try but honestly, I can't wrap a box, let alone an odd-shaped item. Bobby at 17 mo. would do better than me. But, it's the thought, right?

Aloha Friday

This week's question is...............

What is your favorite Children's Book?

My personal favorite is the classic "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey.


To read to Bobby, my favorites are:
"You are My I Love You" by MaryAnn Cusimano and
"On the Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman

Friday Funny

My Fantasy Me...

You'll notice I added a cute little cartoon version of my family down at the bottom of this blog. Go ahead, scroll down, I'll wait for ya..................................................................................................
Did you see it? Good.
Now, let's play Reality v. Fantasy.
Reality- I wear glasses.
Fantasy-I wear a string bikini.

Damn! Stick Colleen is so Hot! Fo Shizzle!

One for the History Books!

Last night was an historic one, but not for the reasons you may think. Yes, it was inspirational to see the American public get off their asses and vote like they've never voted before. No matter which candidate you supported, this election got people interested, excited and hopeful that they could change the course of history. I think it was a real turn-around from the usual voter apathy. However, that is not why last night was historical, at least not to me personally.

Last night, I got my first unsolicited kiss from my little boy! Certainly I've showered him with kisses and cuddles. When I ask for a kiss, most times he'll oblige (unless he's engrossed in one of the political ads on t.v.--Thank God that's over with for now!). No, last night, unprompted, Bobby said, "Mama!" and then came over and gave me a kiss. It was one of the most heart-melting moments of my life. Even though I've been stressed and emotional recently, last night, I was happy and content. I was reminded that no matter what, nothing else really matters other than the love of family.

Happy Election Day!

Aloha Friday!

Since it's the Halloween edition of "Aloha Friday" today's question is:

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANDY?

Mine is a "Clark Bar" made right here in Pittsburgh, Pa. It's like a Butterfinger, only WAY BETTER!

Check out islandlife808.com for more Aloha Friday fun!

Trick or Treat! WOOF! Part 2

Yesterday was Bobby's first experience at Trick or Treating. I wrote about my hopes for his costume here. Thanks to my sister, Erin (aka Ee-Ee), it turned out perfect. I shudder to think what it would have looked like if I attempted to do it myself given my level of craftiness...

Bobby wore the costume ALL DAY and loved it!!

Yo Gabba Gabba

What is the premise of this show? I have now seen it a few times and I still don't "get it".

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

We all have our personality quirks. I am a creature of habit. I do not like change. I like routine, predictability and habit. Even when I was young, I did not adjust easily to new things.

In early elementary school, if I was faced with a substitute teacher, I would panic a bit because things were not going to be done the way I expected them to be done. In much the same way, the start of every new school year brought excitement coupled with anxiety. I had to learn a new routine and new procedures. (My early school years were a nightmare for my parents, and especially my mother, who had to try to anticipate things that might occur so as to prepare me for them...but I'll not be writing about all that since it would take up weeks of blogging entries if I wanted to delve into all that...suffice it to say, I have overcome an almost paralyzing shyness)

Being that I don't like change, I like to keep Bobby on somewhat of a schedule and routine for my own benefit. I was thrown a curveball on Monday when I received an e-mail at work from his sitter indicating that her family schedule/needs were changing and she probably wouldn't be available to regularly watch him. I was very upset and started crying in my office, and really cried that night as I finally had the words to respond to the email...I spent 45 minutes with her yesterday morning as I dropped Bobby off--it's a hard pill to swallow.

To back up a bit...I found out I was pregnant in September 2006. I always intended to take maternity leave and return to work. I knew my mom would help out some with watching the baby but I didn't want her to do 100%. I also knew I didn't want him in a daycare, but rather in a home setting. So, just 3 months into my pregnancy I began the search for part-time childcare. I posted on Craigslist, I checked out websites. I checked community bulletin boards, I asked co-workers...Around Dec. 2006 I was contacted by Heather--who responded to my craigslist posting. She was a teacher who quit to stay home with her kids and was looking for 1 child to watch. She lived in my town, about 10 minutes away. I made arrangements to meet her with my mom. I was impressed with her, her home environment and the way her kids were being raised. This was a good match. I had an agreement with her to watch Bobby after I returned to work, and he wasn't even born yet!!

Bobby arrived May 21, 2007 and I sent her pictures and shared my joy with her. We took him over in the summer to visit and let her meet him. He started going to Heather 3 days a week beginning in August 2007. She's a loving, energetic and wonderful caregiver. She taught him baby sign language. She helped me figure out what kind of sippy cup he liked. She took him to the library for storytime. For his 1st birthday she made me a scrapbook of pictures of him through the year at her house. When I take him in the morning, he is anxious to go inside and happy to be there to play with the girls. Rob and I were pleased with how she cared for him, what he learned there and his development. She "knows" Bobby and appreciates his personality. She's seen his development from a 3mo. old to a 17 mo. toddler...

Now I find myself about to begin another search...and to change the routine...

Aloha Friday...

It's time again for "Aloha Friday"... the "day of rest" in blogging world. Today's question is:

What is your favorite game show on t.v. (new or old!)?

Personally, mine is Jeopardy! (Even though Alex is pompous)*

Check out An Island Life for some links to other cool blogs and Aloha Friday questions!

*When I tried out for Teen Jeopardy in high school, Alex was at the try-out and did a Q&A session with the teens. I asked him for an autograph for my best friend, Tom. Alex declined saying, if he gave me an autograph, he'd have to give everyone one. So, I followed Tom's instructions and said, "Alex, you're pompous" and then I sat down. Hmm...wonder if that had something to do with me not getting picked?

Ralph's World

My friend, Melissa sent Bobby this CD entitled "Peggy's Pie Parlor" for his birthday:

I thought she might have picked it out just because the album was by a band called "Ralph's World" (her Dad's name is Ralph...) Anyway, I found myself listening to this CD in the car even when Bobby was not with me. They are infectious songs that cover a lot of different genres. The title song is a polka, there is rock, pop as well as traditional songs. If you are like me and don't want to just listen to mindless kid pop, the Ralph's World CD's are excellent!! Check out the website, and you can hear snippets of the songs online...

WW Wednesday

I lost 3.6 lbs!! WOOHOO

The weight watchers points system seems to work, and I don't feel completely deprived (I went to happy hour and had beer & wings with Rob on Friday)...

New and Improved

As you can see, I changed the format and header for "The Snug". Just trying different layouts and templates. The picture I added as the header is one of my favorite pictures of Bobby. He was 2 1/2 weeks old, on his first trip to the beach and my parents' beach house, "The Irish Belle". I just love the contrast between his "chicken" legs and Rob's...
Now that he's over 30lbs. and 17mo. old--it's hard to remember him ever being that little...
It brings a smile to my face every time I look at that picture--good enough reason to have it as the title of my blog!

Aloha Friday

Today's question is...

Do you prefer college or NFL football? What is your favorite team?

Personally, I prefer college, and I cheer for the Irish of Notre Dame!

B-B-O

We have big white letters above Bobby's closet spelling out his name. Rob started a little routine of pointing to the letters and saying "B, O, B, B, Y. What's that spell? Bobby! That's YOU!" Bobby really enjoys this little ditty and laughs and smiles. He now points to the letters too.
However, he doesn't quite get the order right and instead keeps saying "BBO". This is his new name for himself and we've started referring to him as BBO.

Now, as an uber-fan of Seinfeld, anytime I hear BBO, I can't help but think of "BBO" as "BEYOND B.O."-- 1. beyond B.O. (body odor) 2. an unbelievable case of B.O. 3. may cause longtime car wash guys in the business for 38 years to say he’s never smelled anything like it 4. quote: “Oh, this isn’t even B.O.! This is beyond B.O.! It’s B.B.O.” — George Costanza

As a mother, I don't really want to associate my adorable little boy with a horrendous case of body odor but I can't help it. Curses!

Recipe for Disaster?

I signed Bobby up for Music Together classes. Tonight is our 3rd class. The first week he was a holy terror. There were about 8 kids there. I spent the hour dragging him back into the classroom (in the church basement) after he would run into the hallway, the bathroom, the kitchen, up the steps etc. It was an exhausting class.

Last week he was much improved. There were only 3 other kids there, lots of room to move around and I convinced the teacher and other parents to keep the door closed thus preventing his escape from the classroom. He seemed to enjoy it and even marched around and danced!

However, I have just been informed by my mother that Bobby has only slept about an hour all day today. Good Grief.

What do you get when you mix (1) overly tired 16 month old with (4) other toddlers and singing and dancing? ONE TIRED MAMA!

Trick or Treat! WOOF!

I wrote about "Freny" previously. In trying to decide what Bobby should be for Halloween, I thought I should make him be something meaningful to him. He loves this dog. He also pants and/or woofs whenever he sees a dog. I thought it would be an easy-to-make costume with a white hoodie and sweatpants. Easier said than done. It is nearly impossible to find plain white toddler sweats. I have enlisted my sister, who is much more crafty than I, to help.

Stay tuned for more details...

C is for Cookie

I am not looking forward to WW Wednesday this week. My friend Shannon got married on Saturday and I'm pretty sure that I went over my "points" for the week--damn the cookie table tradition and bacon-wrapped scallop appetizers! I should do a detox/cleanse for the next week! *sigh* I've gotta get back on track...I just hope I don't regain the 3lbs. I lost last week.

Two steps forward, one step back.

Let's Get Physical-Part 3

I almost spit out my water last night while watching "The Office" and hearing Michael Scott and HR Holly singing, "Let's Get Ethical...Ethical...I wanna get Ethi-caaaal, let's Get into Ethics now..."

I will never think of that ON-J song the same again!

Let's Get Physical--Part 2

God, I really LOVED that song by Olivia Newton-John when I was little. It debuted on the charts in November 1981. I was 7 years old. I remember getting the 45 single for Christmas and playing it over and over and over...and dancing and singing around the family room where the record player was located.

I remember singing it while I waited for my bus after school. I went to Catholic school. I remember my principal, Sister Mariella, scolding me and telling me that I should not be singing that song at school. I couldn't figure out why. The video was just about exercising and my 7 year old mind did not see any other meaning--what was wrong with exercise? And besides, it was "Sandy" from Grease singing it, she was a nice girl...

As Olivia Newton-John says, "Let's Get Physical"

Week 2 of the new weight loss regime starts today. Last week I focused on getting back on track with eating. This week I'm going to try to get back to daily (or at least regular) exercise.

I used to be militant about exercise. I always hated it, but I made myself do it religiously. Of course, that was before I worked full-time, got married and had a baby. Now, if I'm short on time, exercise is the first thing to go. I generally don't like exercising and I'm a clock-watcher; counting down the minutes until I can stop.

I know people say, just tell yourself, "I'll exercise for 10 minutes" and then once you get started you'll do more. Not me. If I did that, after 10 minutes I'd be ready to quit.

I did get a Wii Fit last May which I do really love--it is really fun and addictive. I love to see my little Mii hula hooping and running. I've got a plan in my mind, let's just hope I can get my body to do it!

Losing It!

Week 1 was a SUCCESS! I'm down 3.2 lbs!

WW Wednesday

My friend Shannon and I joined Weight Watchers last Wednesday. She wants to lose weight for health reasons. So do I, but I also want to lose the last of the baby weight now that Bobby is 16 months old. (If I still have the weight when he's almost 1 1/2 years old, can I still call it baby weight?) I also have too many suits in my closet that I'm on the verge of fitting into again.

I'd also like to drop a few pounds while Baby #2 is still a future plan, and not a reality. I know what's going to happen. It's what I call "Murray's law"--I'm going to spend the next 6 months being vigilant and getting my figure back only to get pregnant again and put it all back on next summer. That's the circle of life, my friends. hehe

Rob can attest to the many half-hearted attempts and weight loss failures in trying to lose the last bit of weight. Maybe by publicly shaming myself, I'll finally reach my goal!

I weigh in at lunch time. I am hoping for some motivating success...

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

Since last Monday's Steeler game, Rob has been battling a cold. Congestion, coughing, the works. He's been sleeping in the guest room because the coughing was keeping me awake and he was tossing and turning so much I slept horribly.

I had a sleep study done back in 2006 because I always seemed tired no matter how much sleep I got. The results? Not sleep apnea (as I had self-diagnosed)...but Marriage. Yes, the Doctor basically told me that I slept just fine during the study. REM sleep, dream state and all that other good stuff. No, he diagnosed that my sleepiness was due not to any medical conditions but rather to the sleep patterns of my mate. Nice, huh. How do you treat that one, Doc?

Although I sleep better without him in the bed, I want him there next to me. I consider it one of the many perks of marriage. I still like that he tucks me in every night even though he comes to bed a few hours after me.
He's tentatively scheduled to check out of the guest room tomorrow and I'm glad.

The War Rages On...

It is that time of year again. The autumn leaves are falling, the days are getting shorter and Rob and I are battling for supreme control over the thermostat.

Rob is a human furnace and if he was allowed, he would not have the heat on or it would be set for the low 60s. I am always cold. I almost always have a blanket on. The temperatures at night have been dropping into the 40s, high 30s. Also, I heed the warnings about blankets in the crib and so Bobby goes to bed in just pajamas, or when it's really cold, I'll put a sleepsack on him.

Our programmable thermostat is set at 67. I routinely manually override the darn thing to bump it up if I'm cold and it's not kicking on. The other night Bobby woke up around 4 am. After I got out from under the covers, I was freezing. I checked the thermostat and Rob had manually adjusted the temperature to 62!!

We've called a cease fire in the war. We have each vowed to leave the temperature where it was set...

Will we be negotiating a peace treaty to this war for the next 50+ years?????

Himself

Bobby is 99.9% of the time a happy-go-lucky kid with nothing but pure joy for life. (The .1% is when I'm trying to get him to sleep and he's fighting to stay awake...)
When I look at his little face with all the wonder and excitement at the world around him, I know what is meant by the phrase, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling..."

It's the Great Pumpkin!

Bobby had his first outing to the pumpkin patch today! It was a great sunny day and Bobby seemed to really enjoy the sights and sounds...pigs in the pen, the "toddler" corn maze, the hay ride and getting his first pumpkin.

I celebrated the day by throwing my allergies into overload with all the hay, pollen and other particles in the air-HaHa. It was a great day!