sentimental, but also PMSing

 

My boss shared this quote with us today - it kind of felt like a punch in the face, but at the same time, it made me feel all lovey-dovey - I'm already in Valentine's Day mode.  My first thought went to Patrick, how he (and so many other children) were blessed to have parents that are completely and unconditionally in love with them.  Parents that would do anything for them.  Parents that think they're the greatest at everything.  Parents that think they're funny and smart and caring.

And then I thought about those few students I have, the ones that just don't have that.  Their parents aren't crazy about them (at least in a conventional way).  They don't dress them nice or wash their clothes.  Their pants are too short and their hair doesn't get cut.  They don't help them with projects or take them out to eat.

Those kids need someone who is crazy about them too.

Today I had a student bring in his diorama project on the desert biome.  He printed out black and white pictures and put them on toothpicks, stuck them in the shoebox and that was it.  That was his project.  All the others were loaded with glitter and trees and animal figurines, an obvious sign that their parents had spent some money, just so their child could feel good about their project, feel confident and proud to show their classmates.

Of course I told this student I was extremely proud of him for putting together what he could (and I genuinely was); the fact that he even got that far was huge.  But I could tell he wanted his project to look like the others, he wanted to be proud of it.  I asked him if he wanted some background paper to make his desert really stand out, and he said yeah!  After school I drove to the craft store and bought a 27-cent piece of scrapbook paper that had some pyramids and sand on it.  I'm so excited to take it into school and let him situate it into his biome box. 

~~

Okay I totally got off on a tangent. 

My whole point of this post was that I had a complete blow-out Mom moment this afternoon.  Like, yelled.  Yelled at my 16-month old!  I'm losing it!

Patrick has become a pretty picky eater the past few weeks and it's making me edgy.  When I made him a plate of chicken parmesan, garlic bread, strawberries & pineapple, he looked at me and said "Uh-uh," shaking his head no.

Mom:  YES.

Patrick:  NO.

Mom:  EAT THE FOOD OR YOU'LL STARVE.

Patrick:  Uh-uh.

Mom:  FINE!!!!!!!!

He proceeds to throw the entire plate on the floor.

After about an hour I cave and decide he needs to eat.  I mean he's a frikking baby.  Do you want eggs?  Uh-huh!

I make eggs.  He throws the plate on the floor.

Guess what he got for dinner?  Fig newtons and m&m's.


So, in summary...

I felt so bad about yelling I could have cried and decided to put hearts all over a photo of me and my darling little boy that I AM CRAZY ABOUT!

finally...Christmas!

While Christmas certainly has its benefits (mood lighting from the tree, alcoholic beverages, drunken family member confessions and/or dancing, JESUS BEING BORN), it is really just full of negative things. 

 

Jeff and I were lucky enough to have a large baby at Christmas this year.  So in between the four parties (one of which we hosted), Patrick did what all large babies do when they start climbing but haven't quite figured out the consequences - he got hurt.  Not the quick trip or the pinch of finger.  I'm talking big hurts, like getting hit in the head with the corner of a stool, burning his gut with my curling iron, and busting his lip on our footboard.  Yes, there was BLOOD.  I knew I was a mother the instant I saw the BLOOD.

 

Look back on our pictures though, there must have been some enjoyable parts of the holiday, at least for Patrick.

 

 

When my parents asked me what they should get Patrick, my mind drifted back to a time when I would peruse the Pottery Barn Kids catalogue and dream about getting these jumbo sofa chairs for my kids.  So, a sofa chair it was!

 

 

My mom (pictured) brought over an entire bar to my house for brunch on Christmas Eve, all top shelf.  My dad did the mixing and boy-oh-boy were the bloody marys out of this world!

Later that night we all went to my Grandma's, where we've been going since I was an infant.  My grandma had five boys, so she's an expert on toy-buying and nearly had a heart attack when I suggested she buy him a lunch box for Christmas.  "How the hell is he going to play with a lunch box?" she said. 

Christmas morning was a little disappointing.  We spent so much money and brought home so much stuff, but it seemed so little when we put it under the tree.  Simplicity, I guess...

It didn't matter though.  Patrick loved it all, especially his cell phone.

I made an amazing Italian appetizer for our brunch, courtesy of my friend Mary.  I will put the recipe at the bottom of this page for you...it's perfect for a get-together, but mostly for snacking on after you get home from partying at your local saloon.

"let me eat in peace, mom"

Sorry for the cleavage, but I was faking a smile for the picture.

We finished out Christmas Day at my in-laws, who always spoil us.  Patrick had an evening snack and made some business calls.

Merry Christmas in January!

january book club

We all agreed that The Chaperone was a welcome change from the books we had been reading.  The majority of the story takes place in the 1920s, when corsets were the norm and the bob-haired flappers were beginning to make an appearance. 

The story surrounds an empty-nester woman (at the mere age of 36) who chaperones a 15-year-old Louise Brooks to New York City for a summer. 

Something that made the book really interesting was that Louise Brooks was a real woman! 

She was an American dancer and actress, starring the lead role in a few films as well as the lead in eight silent films.

All of us liked the book, some more than others.  Personally, I loved it.  The idea of women in that time, as well as the manners they were expected to uphold just astounded me.  I mean, never going out of the house unless your hair was pinned up?  Gah! 

Some topics of discussion were:

• Gay rights (you'd have to read it)
• Women's rights
• Prohibition
• Sexual abuse
• How society knows so much these days that secrets don't stay secrets

The average score on a 1-10 scale was a...

mini boden wish list

The spring/summer Mini Boden catalogue has arrived!  Here are the must-haves for my growing baby boy!



fisherman's hat

 



laundered shirt

 



long sleeve jersey polo

 



mariner breton top

 



mariner jumper

 



stripey sweatshorts

 



swim trunks

kalahari

 

Our first family vacation!  Woot woot!  Kalahari was an amazing family-friendly spot just a few minutes away and ended up being the perfect getaway for our little family.  Every single employee we encountered was so friendly and accomodating, despite the crowded conditions.  Maybe they could give Walmart a few pointers.

 

On the downside, what would family vacations be if you weren't broke when you got home (I spent $3.00 on two chocolate-dipped gummy worms), if your kid didn't almost get smashed in the elevator doors, and if he didn't also fall off the bed in the middle of the night.?

 

I call that a success!





 



 

Immediately after check-in we headed up to see our room, which of course was the shittiest most economical room in the whole place.  Patrick's first move was to get the remote and stake his claim, which I ceased to sanitize pronto. 

 

The remote and fig newtons kept him occupied for quite some time while Jeff and I unpacked.

 

 

Then it was off to the waterpark!

 

 

The wonderful thing about a waterpark in the dead of winter is that everyone's pale and still hasn't lost their Christmas weight, so Jeff and I fit right in.  We purchased some water shoes for Patrick right there in the swimwear store.  They turned out being the best $15 we spent!

 

 

Our studly man all tuckered out from the water slides!

 

We were fortunate to have some close friends staying a few floors above us.  Their daughter was entertaining Patrick while we ate pizza.

 

We can't keep that kid off tables!  So why try?

 



 

In the morning we took Patrick to my Mom's so Jeff and I could spend some time together at the waterpark and ride all the Big Boy slides.  It was such a memorable trip!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

dinner for the week

 

Planning meals for the week can be exhausting.  When Jeff and I were first married, I never really planned anything - I would get inspired during the school day, run to the store after work for fresh ingredients and throw it together when I got home.  Not to mention I was alone.  The house was quiet.  And I didn't have to do tricks to open the oven without killing a baby (balancing the hot baking sheet while holding Patrick back from the 400° oven with one of my legs).

 

Now that we have a third little person in our family, planning is essential.  I can't just run to the store every other day, even if I wanted to.  So this is what's been working for me, and I doubt it's an original idea...I bet women all over do the same thing, it's just that I have finally figured it out.

 

1.)  "This Week's Meals."

 

The internet is such a blessing, for real.  I'm so sick of the same old meals every month:  tacos, grilled chicken, beef stew.  Over and over.  You can find ANYTHING you're in the mood for, so I get my list from random sources on the internet.

2.) Grocery List.  I've been pleasantly surprised at how little I really need from the store, as long as I have the basics at home.

3.) Shop.  Once a week.

I also use that grocery time to pick up anything I need for my classroom/science activities as well, hence the styrofoam cups and gummi worms.

4.)  Read over recipe-de-jour.  Gather all ingreidents.  Chop what needs chopped.

I used to be in the middle of cooking a meal and realize I didn't have an ingredient.  There is nothing more frustrating, so now I put everything on the counter prior to cooking, just to be sure.


5.)  Cook.

The only issue with trying new recipes is that sure as shit, some are going to be complete flops.  Actually, the majority are flops.  But then you find a new recipe that makes you want to climb on top of the table and yell "I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!"

i.e Apple-Honey Drumsticks.

Do yourselves a favor and make these - pair it with Uncle Ben's white rice and steamed carrots & broccoli.  I kid you not, there was a moment after I ate my portion that I wished I didn't have to make Jeff a plate because I wanted to eat the rest.

*A couple tips:  put in a little more honey than it calls for, use good quality chicken (I splurged on organic), and if you don't have red pepper flakes, just use ground cayenne pepper.


6.)  Enjoy your week stress-free!  All your meals are planned, and all your ingredients are bought!  Such an innovation! 

when you're sick and mommy takes a day off to stay home with you...



 

 

You get fluffy pancakes, strawberries, and kiwi any time of the day.

 



 

You get to read electronic books like this one.

 

Your Mommy lets you open up presents from Christmas that she stashed upstairs because she was afraid you were going to be overstimulated.  Psh.

 

 

And you get to sleep in the big bed...

 

 

...while your Mom gets geared up for book club.

 

 

You get to visit your Daddy at work.  Isn't he dreamy?  He's also starting to look like he's edging ever-so-quickly towards 29.  Don't tell him I said that.

 

And he lets you stand up in the truck and scream your head off.

 



Time to start making Mommy stay home more often!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



golden globes 2013

The only star I absolutely had to see at the Oscars this year was Jennifer Lawrence.  Last year, I had no idea who the blonde beauty in the red dress was...this year, she was all I was waiting for!

2012

 

2013

It's pretty obvious she looked freaking amazing at the Globes last year, however, this year she looked more like her true self.  Gosh, she is so pretty.  She just looks like someone you'd want to hang out with.

 

Okay so let's start with the good.  And "good" is really the right word, because that is the highest point anyone got to.  There was nothing jaw-dropping about last night's fashion.

 

 



 

Of course, Jessica Alba is beautiful.  She can wear anything, but I especially love the necklace and retro hair.

 

 

Claire Danes had a baby like 30 days ago, so she looked tired fo sho.  But I guess she did okay in the dress selection.  The eyeliner is a bit much.

 

Naomi Watts.  Very pretty.  Not too extraordinary though.

 



 

I guess this is okay on Juilianne Moore; it's definitely age-appropriate, but the french twist?  Can someone say 1995?

 

 

Here are the "I just don't know's..."

 

 

Zooey Deschanel is so stinking cute, but this does nothing for her.  I feel like she's worn the sweetheart neck a million times over.

 

Amy Adams is already so fair-skinned that this dress should either make her look amazing or make her look washed out.  I can't decide which, but I do think the dress itself is stunning.  Maybe it's her hair?  Bores-ville.

 



Anne Hathaway had a big nomination so I was expecting something a little more glamorous on her.  However, there is something I love about the simplicity of it.  Didn't you think the top was too big?

 

 

And now, the BAD.

Poor Giuliana.  One of my favorite people in the world, and this outfit and make-up were a complete catastrophe!  She looks like she's dressed up for Halloween.  No joke.

My number one question is:  why is Katherine McPhee even invited to the Globes?  She must have been in something I didn't know about, but come on.  My second question is:  Why does she want so much attention? 

 



There are no words.  I'm uncomfortable just looking at Lena Dunham in this chocolate piece of Queen Elizabeth's wardrobe.

 



Two words:  garden party.  And I don't want to go.

 



Sofia Vergara didn't look too bad except for she was POPPING out of this black gown.  Fashion faux pas if you ask me.

 

 

Halle looks like she just left Peter Pan's party in Neverland.  Or Peru.

We get it J. Lo!  You have a great body!  Cripes!

 



This is a hot mess.  The hair, the open chest.  Open leg.  Open everything.  Eva Longoria, you know better!

 



 

Another garden party, except this one looks even more boring than the last.

Okay everyone is talking about Taylor Swift's ensemble.  I agree, it was refreshing not seeing her in a red dress with red lips, but if I'm being honest, this is hideous on her body.  Her A-cup looks like a double D, and her hair looks like she's got color on it waiting under a blow dryer.

 



 

Once again, Heidi Klum is obviously gor-geous.  But she's always in white, and her fake tan looks super, super fake.

 

You can't blame these actresses for their hits or misses, it's their stylist!  I feel like they put them in whatever dress is beautiful, instead of working with their skin color and body type.  Kind of like most women when they pick out their wedding gowns. 

 

What did you think of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler?  Hilarious!

 

And dang, they looked GOOD!  Talk about getting into shape!