mommypalooza™ ~ a daily dose of mommy mayhem.

Makeover-a-palooza

As you can see, I've made over my blog. It's been long overdue....think of it as a Blogiversary gift to myself. Anyway, i am not particularly fond of how it turned out, especially with the textured page background but it'll have to do for now. At least until i decide to venture into the dungeons of the basement where my big mama computer is. Since i am too lazy to install Photoshop up here on my laptop, it takes a huge effort (and a lot of free time) to be able to get down there to my other computer and play around with graphics and colors. And since my time seems to be occupied by breastfeeding these days, i decided to pay homage to my God given talent. It's the only one i seemed to have discovered at this point 31 years into my life.

My apologies if it offends your eyes...i know it's a little bright but hopefully it won't take me a year+ to revamp it again.

Thank goodness he takes after me.

David and I have realized that Nathan does NOT take after David when it comes to remembering people's names. Case in point: I've only told Nathan once several days ago that his preschool teacher's name is going to be Ms. Jan. Well, yesterday we were discussing something and I said something to the effect of, "aren't you going to be excited to go to preschool in September?" and he replied to me, "yes....and I'm going to see Ms. Jan?" I was like "WOW!" I mean, pretty good recollection especially since he doesn't yet have a face to put with that name (we meet Ms. Jan later in August).

After telling David about this incident, his response was, "well, I guess he's not like me. He can actually remember people's names." Yep, that's my boy....the good ol' socialite....never forgets a name!!

Spinach and other assorted greens.

I canNOT believe it! Today while at lunch at Johnny Carinos, David got Nathan to actually consume (without much of a fight) lettuce greens, spinach, and a bite of raw carrot. We both had salads before our meals and when I saw david reach over and put a piece of Cesar salad onto Nathan's plate I was like "yeah, right!" But Nathan actually ATE it!!! I immediately grabbed a carrot stick off of my house salad and handed it over to David without saying a word. He knew what I wanted him to do with it. He looked at me and replied, "yeah, right!" rather softly and under his breath, but he tried anyway. To our surprise, Nathan did manage to take a small bite out of it.

When our entrees finally arrived I grabbed a few pieces of the spinach from my stuffed tortellini dish (which was to DIE FOR) and gave them over to David to feed to Nathan along with his fettucine alfredo. We explained to Nathan that the spinach had some cheese mixed into it and that it would taste yummy with his fettucine. He took the bait. He continued to eat his pasta taking intermittent bites of spinach mixed it. It was great!! I now have another great meal idea to add to my list of things that Nathan will actually eat!

Let’s Play “Run”!

Nathan's new favorite game is called "Run" and lately he is constantly asking to play it. It involves him running around in circles in the family room while i am propping Will up on my knee to have a looksie. Lemme just say that N8 isn't the only one cracking up about it....Will LOVES THIS GAME!! I have never seen or heard him chuckle quite as loudly and as long as he does with Nathan running. Every now and then N8 will change it up a bit and pretend to accidentally fall down and boy does that really get Will going.

Just recently N8 has requested that I make Will clap for him as he's running around in circles and recite the dorky poem/rhyme-y song I made up. It goes something like this:

"Clap for Nathan Yay, Yay, Clap! Big Brother's running fast He's goin' right past! Go, Nathan, Go! You run as fast as Dash!"

FYI "Dash" refers to the kid on the Incredibles movie which is a family favorite around here.

This new game pretty much wears the three of us OUT! It's so fun though!

Insanity is NOT a defense.

Sorry if i offend anyone here but i just have to say that insanity in my opinion, is NOT a defense in the case of Andrea Yates. I mean, of course she's insane to have killed her innocent kids - you'd HAVE to be. That's just a given fact not a defense, people! It irks me that people seem to actually use that as a defense, like they don't know right from wrong. Of course they do, they just don't acknowledge that they do.

Do you know how many times i've felt pushed to the brink of just bursting in to a million tiny pieces out of frustration or sheer exhaustion from being a mother? But i stop, gather my wits and leave the room of my crying babies if i have to just to take a break!! If you're that desperate and TRULY have no one to turn to, why not go take your kids to the nearest fire station where they accept kids without question? Or, drive over to your local pediatrician's office and talk to someone. Do i pity Andrea Yates for "having gone through what she did"? HELL NO!! I pity her kids; her helpless, innocent, beautiful children. I am not saying she shouldn't be forgiven, but perhaps she is too "insane" to KNOW she should ask for forgiveness?

Andrea Yates is not only a sorry excuse of a mother but of a person. And now she gets to go off and live her life, albeit in a mental hospital, but that's only until she can be proven as "not a threat to society". And what about those poor babies of hers she robbed of life? Six months old was the youngest....how fair is it that the KILLER gets to live and breathe but the six month old will never see her first birthday? You know what, we've all as mothers suffered some form of post-partum weirdness, I mean you have to just for the simple fact that your life is thrown for a loop now realizing you are in charge of little people. Post-partum blues is no excuse for killing your kids. I don't care how "insane" you think you are. Not in my book.

Just another excuse to go shopping.

I found out online yesterday that our city is participating in the tax-free shopping days the first weekend in August aimed at attracting more back-to-school buyers. I, of course, am going to participate. Nathan could use some new clothes for preschool and Will is starting his first semester of Kindermusik this fall. Why not shop?? It's stuff i'll buy anyway at some point this year. I just wish i was in the market for a new computer, as those are tax-free as well up to around $3,500!

I think i'll treat myself to some new threads as well....he, he, he!!

Why did i just do that?

Okay,well the boys are both napping so i thought i'd take some time to get online and get caught up on email. My problem is that i brought my new bag of Black Forest Gummi Bears along with me and now after shoving most of them all into my mouth while typing, i feel sick. Ugh! I mostly have oranges and yellows left in the bag since i don't care for those too much. My faves are the red, white, then green. YUM! Feeling this sick is a tragedy, i know, but they are SOOOOO good!

Look out, Johnny Depp.

"Ahoy there, me hearties!"

It’s 2:22. Do you know where your kids are?

I do. Thank GOD they are both gettin' some z's!!

Rhyme Time

Nathan's latest craze is rhyming EVERYTHING!! He's been on this kick for about a month or so now and constantly says, "listen to these rhymes .....'Nathan-Bathan' " or something along those lines. It's pretty hilarious. Also, when someone says something to him that also happens to rhyme, he'll jovially yell out, "HEEEYYY....that rhymes!" Here are some of his faves to say:

"Will - Chill" "William - Pilliam" "sock - clock" "bath - math" "chocolate - shmoclate"

I know there are tons more, but these are all that come to mind now.