Celebrity Crushes

Because if Lani can do it, so can I! My list is a little off the beaten path too. In no particular order:

2. Hugh Dancy

3. Topher Grace

4. Jessica Alba

5. Johnny Depp

6. Scott Elrod

7. Hugh Laurie

8. George Clooney

9. Orlando Bloom

Rip Hair Out. Scream. Foam at the Mouth

Have had a relatively good day considering I had no plan other than the Y at some point. I really don't like days where I have nothing going on or no place to be. I tend to lay around the house and mope. I cleaned the basement this morning, did two loads of laundry, kept the kitchen cleaned and the sink shined, vacuumed the kitchen and under the dining table, picked up stray toys, cleaned an insane amount of dirty diapers and pull-ups. I crashed on the couch for 1/2 hour after lunch while Nolan did who knows what downstairs. He came up to go pee and for some reason pulled on the top of the toilet tank...those covers are seriously dangerous. It didn't fall on him but made him cry, which woke Avrie up very prematurely from her nap. Got to the Y by 3:15, had just gotten in the shower and soaped up my hair (yes, I just went for a shower...not to workout) when I hear "Shannon to Kidstuff" over the intercom. So I blew through what was supposed to be a looonnngggg hot shower in record time and get to Kidstuff with sopping wet hair. "Did you page me"? "No". I guess "Cheri to Kidstuff" sounds a lot like they want me when I've got my head under water. So, now what am I going to do? I went up and biked for 15 minutes and then got the kids. Now my day takes a very sharp turn for the worse.

Nolan sees peppermint candies on the counter that are NOT for the kids. They are an incentive for guests to take a survey. He wants one. I tell him "No", heaven forbid. Huge screaming fit all the way to the truck. I put Avrie in her carseat and turn to get him and he hits me in the face. My first reaction was to instantly slap him in the face. Which made him furious. He kicked and hit the back of my seat all the way home. He had settled down by the time we parked in the garage. We get two steps in the door and the kids start fighting. The hitting and kicking kind. The tackling and headlock kind. I'm expecting Evan home at 5 and call at 4:50 to see where he is and he hasn't left yet because of the snow. I royally chew him out for no good reason at all. Then I go find the kids' valentine stash that they've long forgotten about.

We're eating and going to bed. Even if it is only 6:00.

I want a date and I want to be wooed. And I want it to be HIS idea. How much more subtle can a girl get?

A Confession

I wonder if a person can be too honest? I really don't see the point in NOT sharing things. Evan and I were talking last night and we wondered if maybe we're too comfortable with each other!!

So, I'm about to make you feel really good about yourself. I'm about to thoroughly annoy my mother. I'm about to make myself look like the laziest human being on the face of the Earth.

Way back on February 10th we made deep fried chicken legs. I had every intention of using the same batch of lard to deep fry some walleye a few days later. Rather than take up fridge space I just put the pot out on the side step. It's still there.

Feel better now?

Treating Myself

Another thing I wish I could afford: regular sushi. Wednesdays are a loooonnggg busy day for me with Klara and preschool and trying to fill two hours of time while Nolan is at school. Today I had a shirt to return from two months ago (found the receipt when I cleaned my purse yesterday). I got to the mall with the two girls to find that the store is no longer there. By this time they are needing a snack and I didn't bring anything along because my brain was still in bed. So we went to Barnes & Noble and got a delicious Crisco biscuit for them to share. Then back to the truck and to Target for supper food, sushi for me (I so deserve it today) and a frozen pizza for the kids. I had to get the crunchy (grocery store crunchy = soggy) shrimp roll until I confirm with my doctor that raw sushi will NOT kill me, which I firmly believe.

Luxury

On the radio one day last week they were asking people what they'd do with a million dollars. I day dreamed about all the things I'd have if I could afford them. Today at Unique I found $58.50 worth of Origins products and I paid $1.80 for all. I got a tube of Modern Friction, a tube of Out of Trouble and a bottle of Well Off. All brand new. I could never, ever afford to spend so much money on facial care. I'll put a limit to my list...20 30 things I wouldn't mind having the money for:

1. 1200-thread count sheets. Or...just sheets that match.
2. Regular mani-pedi's
3. Weekly massages
4. Laser hair removal
5. Clothes that make me feel amazing. I have nothing I feel good in.
6. California Closets
7. Spanx. The real ones. Knock-offs are just that...not the real thing.
8. Highlights
9. Laundry service. I would like laundry eliminated from my life.
10. Cleaning service
11. Shoes, shoes, shoes
12. Bras. I own 2 at a time and wear them to death before I buy 2 more. Cheap ones suck.
13. 100% of our groceries organic, free-range and grass-fed.
14. Salon hair products. I actually have 2 giant bottles of TIGI Bed Head in my shower right now. Mom used to work for a crazy lady who impulse shopped and she let her take stuff she didn't want anymore. I stole them from Mom.
15. Bookshelves
16. Private school
17. A gardener
18. Big screen and Wii
19. Vacation
20. Liposuction
21. Regular acupuncture treatments
22. Regular chiro adjustments
23. Temperpedic bed
24. A mattress for Nolan's top bunk
25. High quality rugs
26. Handmade quilted throws
27. Voice lessons
28. Art therapy
29. EO diffuser
30. Eye glasses

Doodie, Doodie, Doodie

Nolan had an appointment today with a pediatric gastroenterologist. Finally. He'll be on a 3 day intensive bowel flush and then daily softeners until he gets things figured out. I don't think we'll be traveling too far from home over the next 3 days! The doctor was awesome. So if anyone needs a doodie referral just ask!

We got out and walked in the sunshine today and it was wonderful. I've got severe cabin fever to say the least.

Nolan's preschool teacher accepted a new position and this will be her last week teaching. He's pretty bummed. But the new teacher was there today and he took quite the liking to her so I'm sure he'll get over it soon.

Avrie's new favorite phrase: B, B, B Bapple (apple). It's too cute to correct.

Nolan's new comeback when I tell him "no". "But I love you, Mommy".

There is one father in our parent discussion group at school and he let out the secret of getting men to do things. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Oh, and it's quite simple. I'd let the cat out of the bag but my husband reads this occasionally. And it's not sex. Although that does tend to work.

WHOOOHOOOO, spellcheck is B A C K!

Thursday Schmursday

We went to the mall after breakfast this morning to play, walk and check out the puppies. If I'd have found $600 laying on the ground I'd be snuggling with my new Shar Pei puppy right now. Those little guys are way too cute for their own good. We got the requisite Auntie Anne's pretzel with fake cheese and caramel flavored corn syrup. Yum, yum. I had to look up a copycat recipe when we got home. I think I'll have to give it a shot...anyone tried this with success? We also got an Orange Julius. YUCK. Absolutely disgusting.

Stopped at Blockbuster on the way home to check for a movie I've been wanting to see but they were all out. Nolan wanted the new Land Before Time. He's watching it with the volume off because the dinosaur noises are too scary.

We have Klara for a few hours this afternoon...nap hours I'm hoping!

I just got a call from my husband...who NEVER calls me for no reason. He had to brag about his speeding ticket this morning. Ha. Our insurance JUST went down $100/month. He seems to think this won't cause an increase. Sure hope so.

Here's some pictures from this morning:

Showing off their new tattoos from Nolan's valentine treat bag.

Awwee.

He looks like he's up to no good.

This is why Mommy needs a shower and Covergirl. I always think I don't have a vice. But I do. I feel 110% better after I do my face. If I go out of the house like this people always ask me if I'm okay.

Yup, it is me under there.

House Lust

Because I don't think I've posted enough today. Because I'm so infatuated that I just have to share. Because I really need to get that almost naked lady off the front page!

We found our dream house. Only it's a bit too much of a commute for Evan. Which means long days and an absurd amount of gas money. Which means I'd have to work outside the home so we could live. Which isn't an option for us since raising our kids is first priority. But, but but it's so insanely awesome and everything we want in a home!! And affordable!! Click on 'virtual tour' to get all the pictures and make sure you click on the big picture option. And then lust with me. And plan the loft down to the littlest details. The 'craft room' looks unfinished at first glance, but it is! The walls are that way for effect. I'm so in love.

Good thing we have an architect for a brother. Now we just need to find an old building for cheap, cheap, cheap and have him renovate for us.

Cheri Rocks!

Eye love eyes and Eye think Cheri absolutely rocks! My day has been made!

You Must Read NOW

I know that I recommended this book quite some time ago. I had to return it to the library right in the middle of it and just finished it last night. I feel that this book needs its own special recommendation. I haven't read something so moving and memorable for ages. I finished it sobbing, which resulted in a headache. I can't stop thinking about the characters and their fate. Simply amazing work. Run to your library and get it today!

Smile!

The kids coloring yesterday morning. I'll say it's morning since they are wearing their pajamas. Chances are very good it was closer to Noon. But that's still morning, right? Anyway, check out the scowl Nolan is giving Avrie. And we wonder where she gets it from...

Smile for Mommy, Avrie!


They were being awfully quiet one morning. Then I had to go and interrupt it.

Smile for Mommy, Avrie!

What the ???!!

MINNEAPOLIS — Naked sushi is coming to Minneapolis. The dining fad of eating sushi off a woman or man naked — except for some strategically placed banana leaves and flowers — started in Japan.It has swept through Europe, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Now it's coming to the Twin Cities, in blustery March.Thom Pham has scheduled a naked sushi night at Temple, his downtown Minneapolis restaurant, on March 8. He says he's hired eight models for the night, six women and two men. He says they have to be completely hairless with perfect skin for the event.He's booked more models than he needs, just in case one of them gets a pimple.Tickets for naked sushi night cost $75, which includes sushi, sake and champagne.

Seriously!? I can't even imagine. It must be all single people who would attend this. I can't think of many any wives who would be okay with their husbands eating sushi off a naked model.

Time to Purge *edited

It's been awhile since I've spewed some random thoughts:

• If you're suffering from low self-esteem I recommend heading over to the local Old Country Buffet. In no time at all you'll feel like a goddess.
• I decided we need to drastically cut back on how much we eat out for mainly financial reasons but also because we've been eating really crappy lately. So we decided to give it a go for 2 weeks (no eating out unless someone else is paying!). Then I remembered we had already scheduled a dinner date with friends tonight.
• And then I caved this afternoon and picked up lunch for the 3 kids and I. If I hadn't done this, we wouldn't have been done eating until at least 2.
• Wild rice soup two times in one day makes for really, really insanely nasty diapers. Like, seriously. I have changed way more than my share of poopy pants today.
• I hear Nolan whimpering downstairs and poke my head down the steps to ask him what's wrong. "I have poop on my hand". Oh yippee. I feel so lucky.
• I hit the treadmill for an hour while the girls were napping this afternoon. It didn't up my seratonin as much as I'd hoped. Although I got my dose of House and feel like being snarky and sarcastic for the remainder of the day/week/month/year/life.
• Avrie is queen of the tantrums today. I've lost track of how many times I've wanted to deck her.
• I hate candy. Valentine's WEEK sucks. I'm very thankful that Nolan's preschool class gave out stickers, pencils, etc. He only got 2 suckers, a licorice stick and a tootsie roll for candy. Oh, and I hate it because it makes the kids crabby. But also because I can't leave it alone. And that's so weird because I hate sugar candy...at least I do when I'm not pregnant.
• I'm only 9 1/2 weeks and I'm already rubber-banding my jeans. I am not looking forward to digging out the maternity clothes. At all. I wish I was loaded so I could buy all boutique stuff and look halfway decent.
• I am going through severe scale withdrawal. I feel lost. I've tried to get Nolan to tell me where it is but he can't seem to remember where he watched Evan hide it. Which is strange since that kid seems to remember every single little detail of his life.
• I went to scrounge up some clothes for meeting and, on a whim, pulled out my "too-big" bag from the closet to see what was in it. Well, what have we here? My scale! My husband is a horrible hider....behind almost-maternity clothes?! Not too brilliant! So, I immediately peed, stripped bare and hopped on. I was pleased to see I've only gained a pound and that's a pound that might be lost in the morning! Wheeeeeee! Now I'll see how long it takes him to read this and discover that he has to find the scale in order to rehide it. Heeheeeeeeeee. Unless Garret reads it first and tells him. Likely, I guess. I feel mean....I really do like you Garret!
• I did BodyPump last night for the first time in 3 weeks and I wasn't as out of shape as I thought I was.
• I love seafood. I'm craving mussles and scallops and salmon and shrimp and, like, the whole sea.
• I'm so pissed annoyed (is that more becoming?) at Blogger's spellcheck. It's been defunct for two weeks.
• My new favorite artist singing my new favorite song:

Children's Museum

Playing in the Water Works.

I did it!

Playing UPS!

Patiently (impatiently) waiting her turn.

Postman Nolan delivering his mail.

Another stop.

This was a flat picture! If you turned the knob, the dog came out.

A lady at the checkout told Nolan he owed $5! Poor kid!

Buying groceries!

Chopping up a steak while cooking a banana and ginger. Eeeyuck.

Crazy kids with painted faces.

I posted this one just for the lady in the back...do you think she's alright?!

Conveniently, CandyLand is right around the corner. I've wanted to take the kids to a candy store just to see the expression on their faces. We weren't even through the door and Nolan is screaming "I want, I want, I want a lick-pop, I want, I want"! And Avrie is doing her classic "Eh, Eh, EH, EH". They hardly put a dent in them. I put them in a plastic bag when we got home and they haven't remembered them since we went on Friday. Must not have made too big of impression. Avrie's was good...lemon. Nolan wanted the yucky one.

Pics, Pics, More Pics

This is the face I get when I ask for a smile.

Rocking her baby and kitty.

My handsome boy.

Goofing off.

I just know this horrid picture will be in a slideshow someday.

My foot a few days ago.

My leg the same day. Doesn't it look awesome! The burn. Not the leg.

Beauty with a Belly

Thrifty Thursday

Clockwise: Maternity hoodie, watercolor crayons, brand new Crayolas, Elmo DVD, pizza cutter, awesome knee highs, skirt for Avrie, yummy smelling bath salts, equally yummy votive candle set. Total: $13.

I was all set to go to the gym this morning and went to get dressed and found both of my workout pants in the washing machine. So, we went shopping and out for lunch instead. Sounds so much better, right?!

Obama Ba-ma Ma-Llama!

I hate politics. I don't understand it. I think it's ridiculous and I wish November was here already so I could hear about something else on the news. I don't know anything about the candidates except their names and gender.

So, I drop Nolan off at preschool today and sit and chat with the other moms for a while. They are all very involved politically. One of the moms is Dee Chaudhary, the wife of Satveer Chaudhary, state senator. She speaks all over the state and is very political, for lack of a better term. So they are all talking about how much fun they had at the caucus(es) and blah, blah, blah. Then they turn and look at me and wonder if I went. I shrink down in my seat and admit that I'm embarassingly unpolitical and have no clue.

I understand the importance of having a good leader for our country. However, I think things get blown so far out of proportion. God's will will be done no matter who is in office. That I believe. And that's really all I need to worry about. Come closer to November I'll do a little soul-searching and praying and see where that leads me on the ballot. I will vote. I don't live in a free country for nothing.

As for now, I'm supporting Obama because he is HOT!

Mystery Cookies & Yoga

We went to story time this morning at the library (look at me! I'm being one of those put-together moms!) When we got home I had books (Skippyjon Jones) to carry in so I didn't shut the garage door and left the truck door wide open. I had every intention of running back out to shut them but I forgot and they remained open for 5 hours this afternoon.

4:45 finally comes and we pack up for the Y. I get out to the truck and see someone has left me a ziplock bag of cookies on the front seat. They smelled fresh, however, there was a vermin hole in it. So, I can't figure out if the squirrel brought me the cookies or if a kindly neighbor did and the squirrel beat me to the treat! They now reside in the dumpster for safety reasons.

There's nothing like doing Tree and Star to Just Breathe by Anna Nalick to center oneself. Nothing grounds me like a good Yoga session. I feel so quiet and I'm able to pray and meditate much easier during class than at home amongst the chaos of the kids. And I've almost mastered the splits!! Mindy: I really, really love the new class now that I've gotten the flow of it down!

Motivation

I don't want to wait until I'm 40.

Where do you get your motivation?

As a stay-at-home Mom I seem to GREATLY lack motivation to do things. I can never keep up on laundry, my closets and cupboards are a MESS and I never do anything remotely hobby-ish other than reading. I used to be very creative. I do have the excuse of being pregnant right now, but I am ALWAYS tired. I can have a nap any time of day. Even if I just got up. I know that I could benefit from medication but I really don't want to go down that road again, especially being pregnant. I could start up therapy again but that means I'd have to find a babysitter for appointments. Whine, whine, whine. I laid on the couch this afternoon while Avrie napped and Nolan played downstairs. I didn't read a book. I didn't work on clock stuff. I didn't clean my kitchen. I didn't put away the clean laundry. I didn't dig out the yarn and needles. I didn't paint. I just laid on the couch. For an hour. Without sleeping. Arrrgggh.

Other moms seem to have it together. Projects with the kids. Trips to museums, story hour, etc. I have all I can do to get Nolan to preschool twice a week and to the Y occasionally. What's their secret?

I Seem to Think in Random...*Revised*

• I woke up this morning, made breakfast and was feeling particularly skinny, ha. So I went to weigh myself and my scale was missing. Evan hid it. Or threw it away. I hated him for a split second and then just felt relief.
• So, there is this hoser, Garret, that Evan works with. He apparently has taken a liking to my blog. Hi Garret!! How is Hillary? Word is that you've got the hots for her.
• Avrie's newest words: "more" "no, that's mine" "stinky" "peepee" "I wanna jump".
• She loves to wrap her kitty or doll up in a blanket and rock it.
• Nolan is in the bathroom yesterday and I hear "it's huuugee". Hmmm.
• Kid's Stuff (the daycare at the Y) was making sno-cones with the kids this morning. They'll want to go all the time now!
• I forgot to take the garbage out before we left this morning and the house reaked when we got back. So I dug around in the cupboard and found some old chocolate extract I've never used and poured that in a pan with some water and am simmering away the odor. While I was digging around in the cupboard I found an old bag of gummie bears that someone had given Nolan. I picked out the white and orange ones and ate them before the kids saw. Eeek, I'm so mean.
• Evan is going to start playing two hours of hockey on Friday afternoons and be home early! Whoohoo! He'll have to work 9-hour days, but that's fine with all of us. He'll get some exercise and fun!
• My goal today is to do all the laundry. You have no idea how big of goal this is.
• I really, really want Flylady to work for me. I can't seem to find the motivation to get my rear moving. And I hate wearing shoes in the house and I hate getting dressed if I'm not going out. I'm so hateful.
• I haven't done BodyPump for two weeks. It's going to kill me when I finally do it again! I've done Resist-a-Ball twice this week and really like it, but I'm the youngest person there. I feel weird.
• Spellcheck isn't working for some reason. Deal with it.