Slow Down Saturday

It was all I could do to stay awake at work for the whole 4 hrs I went in for. I came home at 10 since J and the Boy had baseball stuff. Peanut Butter and I walked to the library and I though daycare was doing a brat fry fund raiser today at the grocery store, but when we got there it was some horse club, but PB and I both got a cheeseburger. I don't know what they spiced them up with, but they were delish. I'm glad I walked half way home before taking a bite, or I probably would have had 2. We both got a good nap in this afternoon. Thankfully I didn't have to fight her to get her to lay down.
My apologies to Stonyfield Farms. If you had just confirmed you got my email, I wouldn't have felt so bad when I opened my mail today and saw you so kindly sent me coupons for 5 free half gallons and some others for yogurt. I won't give up on you yet, but does your yogurt really have to be so expensive, or can't Wally World carry the strawberry. Though this does give me a reason to stay out of that retail hell.
This little green guy had PB's fascination. She grabs his hands. She tries to dance with him. She looks in his pot, I should really put something in there. Maybe he won't get blown over as often.

Friday's Failures

It's my pity party.
My goal for May was to be able to run a steady 2 miles, and sadly today I could barely kick out a measly mile. My knees are starting to feel the wrath. I also failed to sign up for the Race for the Cure, so just put loser after my name.
Stonybrook Farms, I'm glad you feel you don't have to answer my complaint about the 4 half gallons of your skanky milk I purchased. You do realize that I had to dump 4, I repeat, 4 half gallons of milk had I not bought on sale, would have been 17 dollars. Not to day the measly 12 dollars I did spend wasn't missed. I will never buy your nasty milk again and Organic Valley will be receiving my milk dollars.They have farms here in WI anyway. I wish my Peanut Butter didn't love your dang yogurt so much, because I'd be forgoing that since it's the most expensive freaking stuff on the shelf.
It was all I could do to boil water and heat up sauce for spaghetti for dinner. I had no motivation, except the fact I didn't want to pay to eat out. Thankfully the kids ate it up. I am getting heartburn as we speak.
Sex and the City is not playing in town, do they not know I need to see this and J has given me the ok to go tomorrow, I was not planning on driving to see it, I will have to debate this with myself tomorrow.
Peanut Butter managed to destroy the living room in 3 min after I had it all picked up. I felt especially great when the boy said, "she never does this when dad is home."

Thoughts for Thursday: Yearbook Photos

On This American Life last week they discussed how yearbook photos are just a smiley face and don't show for the most part who that person really is and what is going on in their lives at the time. What will people remember of this time in their lives from their year book photo? I am going to date myself and throw up some old photos of myself. The first one is of my freshman year, I think, that or sophmore, pretty sure freshman. See, I get nothing memory wise from the photo, except that I loved that reddish shirt. The second is the end of my sophomore year I was cleaning out my locker. It was on the third floor by the biology room. My softball jacket is in there, I'm holding the box that my class ring came in and wearing one of my fav shirts. I actually came across a note while digging this out that said, "remind mike to tell me something some day Aug 6 1990." Well, here's your reminder. I knew exactly what it was about as soon as I saw it. Weird. The third is my senior portrait(Modern Portraits Ironwood MI). I get nothing from that photo either, though senior photos have come a long way since then. even my brother's('96) had more of his personality in them. I think there is an effort to capsulize who you are in them now, which I think is great. And the last one, sorry Mom, I did drink at Jessie's party, though I think I confessed that one already. Yep, life in a small northern WI town; nothing like a party at the deer camp.
When you look at your yearbook photos, do you get the warm fuzzies from high school, or a big blank like me. My personal photos are where it is at. I remember so much when I look at them. Even with Peanut Butter's studio photos, which I love, I don't get sense of who she is, which is why I don't feel so bad about missing her 18 mo one.

A Meltdown and Wednesday Wonderings

I was wondering how long I could put up with Peanut Butter's meltdown about losing her nuk on the way home from The Boy's baseball game. You would think something that is basically her precious would not be just tossed out of stroller while her Mama is trying to run and won't notice her precious being gone because she is more worried about just running one more block. She kept pointing to the counter and I had to break it to her about 5 times that we didn't have another precious hiding up there. I was hoping she would pull one out of a hiding spot somewheres, but no, just whining, spitting, and the cry for more. Luckily, I found a precious hidden under the computer desk, I made it about 15 min.

I wonder why I didn't sign up for biggest loser at work, well I didn't want to actually write down how much I weigh for everyone to see. It is just a group in the hospital unit I work on doing it. It is funny watching people try and sabotage each other. And I really didn't want to have to cough up a dollar any week my weight happened to go up, because I am the queen of fluctuation up and down the same freakin' five pounds. I am going to have to beat this cookie craving I've been having.

I wonder why I torture myself bring her to The Boy's games when she runs all over and I don't get to see much.

For those wondering about PB's fabulous pj's they are from old navy and are on sale for 10 bucks right now. I actually though I was buying a shorts set and was a wee surprised when I pulled them out of the package and they had long legs, I looked at the package agian and duh they were longged ones. It is more than I really like to pay for them, but the clearance ones were only a dollar cheaper right now in the store. I think I may have to get these ones.

PJ Palooza

I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend. I was just a bear yesterday. It was like from the moment Peanut Butter woke up crying in the morning I was a complete crank. I just couldn't break out of it.

I did manage to actually get some scrapbooking done. I don't think I've touched much since March. I'm loving the Close to My Heart book, Imagine. Perfect for scraplifters like me. I'll post some pages when I get the finishing touches done on them.

Went to the dentist today. The boy didn't have any cavities surprisingly, since he rarely brushes his teeth. But they pulled two baby teeth that were just hanging there. The were seriously on by a thread; I don't know how the boy can stand that. Pull the freaking teeth out. Then the dentist says, don't worry about the co-payment on the extractions. We'll cover that. I'm like okay, I could've pulled them out with my bare hands, but bill away. If I didn't like him so much, I'd be pissed about it. They put up with PB running all over the joint so they are good peeps in my book. He also ground one of my teeth down so it doesn't rub when I clench and grind my teeth in absolute screaming rage in order not to say a word, giving me a big ol' toothache. I hope it works.

I had to add a photo of Peanut Butter's new funky PJs.

21 Months and ready to drive.

Peanut Butter now thinks it is so cool to sit in the driver's seat and pretend to drive, that she tried to climb up through the open window. I am surprised she didn't get in, she is a crafty one. She usually find some way to get to what she wants. She has an eerie sense of directions too. This evening we went for a walk at her insistence, she kept pointing to the stroller saying, "More." At the end of the walk, yes I did run too, we crossed the road that leads to the park and she pointed down towards where we walk to the park and started screaming as we went by. Apparently she wanted to go to the park, not just for a walk. You can't even see the park from that corner. Luckily I didn't go to the park since as soon as we got home it started pouring.

My Five Dollar Find

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It is the big city wide rummage sale, of course I decided not to sell all of our junk, being a holiday weekend. Boy was I wrong. They are out in droves. I am a drive by rummager, I am looking for specifics and well I am a clothes snob and rarely buy them at rummages. I know it's dumb, but it is my thing. Anyhoo, I saw this lovely kitchen set as I drove by and had to stop. I have wanted to get Peanut Butter one for a while, but they are a little out of the budget right now. I walked up and the tag says 5 bucks, but it is filthy. I hate that. I almost walked away, when I though, ah hell, for 5 dollars you can clean the damn thing. I bought it and spent 20 min scrubbing the thing down. Peanut Butter could not wait to play with it. It was worth way more than the 5 dineros and time it took to clean it. She is having so much fun.
The bad thing is she will not nap. She fought it again today. I figured if I took her for a long run/walk she would succumb, but no. After 3.5 miles and an hour and a half of more rummaging. I ended up with 5 books, 3 beanie babies, a couple items of clothes, and a tired toddler. I finally basically forced her to nap by holding her in the recliner, which I hate doing. I now have a cranky half napped kid who is more than ready to eat. Good Times.

Thoughts for Thursday: A Letter To Boys

I was having a hard time deciding what to pick this week, I was going to write about photographs, and their significance ala This American Life's episode on Showtime this week. I think I will save that one. The other thing on my mind is a girl in the boy's class is pregnant. This is 6th grade people. I just cannot wrap my head around it. How does a 12 year old, well I know how, but how? Which brings me to my topic of a letter for boys. I read this article: A Word of Advice-Middle Aged Mother to surly Teen Boy, by Jenn Mattern, in Brain Child. Since they didn't post the article, it basically was about a letter a Mom wishes she could give the surly Boy who bags her groceries. She tells him to not be so surly, to be a good guy, to become the guy she wants her daughters to date. A guy that isn't just out to get in a girl's pants and then call her names to his friends. A guy that cares about the girls feelings and that sex can mean more than "sticking your boy parts into girl parts" and to be a guy who can look her in the eyes and she sees a future son in law. I want to give the article to the boy to read, since J's advice is "keep it in your pants." Is it too much to think that teen boys can be more than sex driven. I would hope so. I would like my daughter to meet a boy like the author described. The boy still gets pretty embarrassed when we ask about his girlfriends, but you and I both know a person can be one way with their parents and another with their friends. I would hope he isn't attempting to have sex for the sake of having saying hey I had sex. And I am hoping I will have taught my daughter enough to know when she is 12, she is so not ready to have sex.
Thoughts?

A Coo A Coo

Peanut Butter's newest word is Clue. It sound more like coo, but I know what she means. She was watching Blue's Clues and she pointed and said, "Coo, Coo." at the paw print. She almost has the little dance down for the intro. Chastise me all you want for letting her watch TV, well DVD's on the computer, but sometimes it is the only way to get things done.

Opening Day

It was the boy's first game of the season tonight. He had a great hit his first at bat, a double. They should have a good season, the team looks pretty good. Peanut Butter did her best to entertain the crowd. She wanted in the score box. It was starting to rain lightly, so I decided we'd better be on our way in case it started to rain harder, since I had the stroller, so yes I ran to and from the field.
I have this nasty sinus cold and of course all of the nastiness seems to be settled on one side. It drives me bonkers. I should really take a look at getting this crooked, possibly broken nose fixed.
I almost forgot, my wonderful Mom came down on Saturday and watched PB while J and I had an actual date. We went for dinner at Nakashima's, a Japanese Hibachi place. It was so good. We also took in a movie, how I talked him into Prince Caspian is beyond me, but it was also pretty good if you're into that kind of stuff. I managed to stuff myself with popcorn and licorice. It was a good time. Thanks Mom.

Note to self

Remember that Peanut Butter can reach the counters now and will grab anything in her grubby little hands range.

Remember that Method floor cleaner bottles look a wee bit like a wide baby bottle.

Be thankful that when swallowed only a glass of water is needed to chase down what ever she wasn't forced to spit out.

Thoughts for Thursday: Summer Plans

With Memorial Day next weekend, the start of "summer" is just about here. Time for lazy days in the sun. We don't really have too much planned, and with the price of gas, I don't think we will do a whole lot of travelling. We have a few baseball tournaments for the boy, but most of them are pretty close, within 60 miles. We are going to gooberville next month. I wasn't going to go, but now for some odd reason it is calling me. Maybe because there isn't 7 feet of snow on the ground. I think we might try the Milwaukee Zoo, a Brewer game for sure, the Columbus Pool, and maybe a day trip to the Dells. I would like to go to the Twin Cities or Chicago, but I don't know if that will happen. I'd also think about camping once or twice.
Do you have any big plans for the summer? Does the price of gas have you down? Are you a regular weekend camper or beach goer?

Wednesday Wonderings

Just a couple quick ones.

I wonder is Peanut Butter is going through a growth spurt, because she is eating like a horse.

I often wondered if/how a white person would survive in some of the South American prisons and well I found out on Locked Up Abroad in Venezuela this week. Very interesting. I wondered what it would take for me to agree to smuggle drugs and well, I don't think anything could persuade me after watching this show.

I wonder why my Fridays are the hardest mornings for me to get up. I wanted to hit snooze forever this morning. I felt drained all day.

I wonder if the Goddess Nike thought I was such a loser half assing it today, that after my measly, mostly walking, mile on our trip to the park that she made me go back out after dinner and suck it up for 2 more. I did a total of 3.6 miles today, walking probably 1 of them. I might just take tomorrow off I'm feeling a little sore now.

No Depp

Peanut Butter and I ran downtown to see if we might get a glance of Johnny Depp, but alas he wasn't on set yet. They seemed to be still setting up when I was down there. I was running so fast :) I zoomed by the store front that all the I'm assuming extras were hanging out. Why couldn't I have been walking at this point. Any who this was about as close as they let you get and I wasn't going to wait around all day. I know it is Johnny Depp, but I just couldn't do it.
I think I am going to do the Race for the Cure in Madison. I don't know whether or not to do the 5K or the 1 mile fun run. I pretty much ran 2 miles today. I was shocked when I looked at the pedometer. So I'm torn. I have until Friday to decide.

Monday Monday

Though it isn't really my Monday, I was on my fifth day of work today, it seemed to last forever. After J and my big mother's day blow out, as in fight, not party, I was just wiped out this morning. I never really felt like was really awake. After work Peanut Butter and I ran to the park and played. We came home had dinner, went to Wally world. I debated whether or not to get a potty chair. I'm thinking she is starting to show signs she is ready, but am I? This means she's heading into big girl territory. I'm losing my baby, she already losing a lot of the baby face. I look at her and think to my self this is going way too fast.
We went to the library and I think I might to a book club on The Zoo Keepers Wife. We'll see I've never done one before, but I need something. I need some adult interaction. I found out Johnny Depp is going to be shooting his movie in town tomorrow. I guess they transformed an old hotel down town. Maybe I go down there tomorrow and see if it's still set up. I'll try and get some photos if possible.

Thoughts for Thursday: Your Favorite Things

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Oprah and her favorite things. I'm sure we all have our own lists of things we love and cannot live without. I'm sure most of the things we love are not entirely out of most people's price ranges. I figure as much as I read feedback and reviews about stuff, why not here about what you all have to rave about. It can be something you use around the house, or this great purse you found, just share with us a few of your favorite things.

Besides Miss Peanut Butter, some of my favorites are:

My canon pixma photo printer, love it, it prints beautifully.

I love just about any scent of Burberry, I own Touch, Brit, and Weekend. I love the men's line too. I like a lot of Burberry stuff, but the perfume is about all I can afford. I'm a bit of Anglophile.

I love the Ecover stain remover. It is by far the best stain remover for greasy stains. Now I can't guarantee it for an all over oil splatter, but it will usually come out. It gets a lot of stuff out. I'm amazed.

Diet Coke, serious addict here.

Bell Chalet Pizza, if you are ever in gooberville, you must have the Bell's pizza. I almost want to drive 4 hours for it now. If you are there you'd might as well get a pasty from Manny's in Ironwood, the only ones without a ton of onions, unless they have changed their recipe.

The La Campagne Bakery's oatmeal cookies, all of them are awesome. I hate raisins, but I like their oatmeal raisin cookies and there are a lot of raisins in them cookies. They are huge too, so I break them into 4 pieces for my allotment for the day.

Wondertime magazine. I just like it, it has nice long articles. It doesn't seem bombarded by ads like parenting and parents or as preachy.

I'll leave it at that for now, and read about what you find to be a favorite thing.

Wednesday Wonderings

I always wondered who would pay more than 5 bucks for shampoo, until my tree hugging got the better of me. I am now using Giovanni tea tree triple treat shampoo. I love it. Since getting rid of parabens and sodium laurate sulfate is the next change on my list, I even splurged on Peanut Butter and bought her some Burt's Bees Shampoo/Wash. She smelled so good after bath time tonight. I also bought the Jason shower gel in cranberry satin. It smells fantastic.

I wonder why PB has decided to fight nap times? She ended up falling asleep in the jogger today.

I wonder if it was better for me to walk the 2+miles or run the 1.5?

I am wonder, like Michelle, who are some of these people on my traffic feed?

The Zoo Adventure

We went to the Henry Vilas Zoo this morning. It is a nice small zoo and best of all it is free. Parking isn't great, but I found a spot but it had a two hour limit. I wasn't sure it would be enough time, but it was. Peanut Butter was all excited pointing to all the animals. We saw giraffes, rhinos, seals, lions, penguins polar bears, emus, and monkeys. Being that it was by far the best weather we've had this year, everyone was there.
We went into the monkey house and everything was well and good until there was a back up at the chimp windows. PB being the little thing that she is wiggled her way through the crowd under the rope and was oohing at the windows when I snaked my way in. I tried to call for her over the 20 moms in from of me, you'd think someone would have given me some room to get her, but no. All of the sudden this chimp, must have been p.o.ed that PB was that much cuter than him and came charging at the window, banged on it and scared the begeesus out of Peanut Butter. She was so scared running with outstretched arms as I'm trying pushing my way through to her now. The day didn't get much better from there. I think she was scared of everything then. She ran from the emu that I pointed put to her. She didn't even want to look at the lions again which she loves. She even does a roar, when you ask her what a lion says.
We played a little at the park they have there. I couldn't believe she crawled up the whole cargo net to the slide. It was getting hot and Peanut Butter was getting beat and not really wanting to look at anything, so we went and had lunch.
I also splurged, spent the rest of my stimulus allotment on these bad boys. Yep, a pair of running shoes. I went to FleetFeet did the whole sizing, how do you run bit, and these were one of the one they picked out for me. They are so comfy. I know they ain't real purty, but they're men's since my huge size 11s don't fit into many pairs of ladies' shoes.

Busy Busy

We kept pretty busy today. After I got home from work, Peanut Butter and I ran to the park and then ran walked to the grocery store and home. We ate dinner and checked out J's baby, the Junior League baseball game. J is commissioner and has put a lot into getting a team going. I hate that it takes away from our time, but I'm also proud of the job he's done.
They had a huge sand/dirt pile at the field and PB went to town. She borrowed some kid's trucks and played. I then remembered I bought a sand set and it was in the car. She and the other 10 kids on the pile were covered. I'm glad it was bath night. I was beginning to think she didn't like getting dirty but she dove right in today. I may have to get that sand box now.
We might go to the zoo tomorrow. It is my day off. I don't know if she's old enough, but I think she'd like seeing the animals. Its a really small one too. It is supposed to be gorgeous out so we have to take advantage of it.

Piece de Resistance

Peanut Butter graced us with her First Drawing on the Wall, titled Scribble-de-Scrib. I almost didn't think it was going to come off. I really had to scrub. I know, I've heard the magic eraser is, well, magic. I just can't bring myself to buy one. Too bad she has eaten most of the color wonder stuff, who ever came up with that is genius, pure genius. PB just doesn't have the patience yet to wait for it to magically appear. Maybe that's why it says ages 3 and up. Who knew.

I finished the book, Come Back, last night. It was an amazing read. I picked it up to prepare my self for what could be the very worst in dealing with the Mom/Daughter dynamic. It is about a mother who's daughter ends up half way across the country strung out on drugs and her quest to save her. The mother ends up sending her to a rehab/reprogramming place in Czechoslovakia, which gets shut down and is transferred to one in Montana. The book is written by both of them, so you get a sense what the other is feeling at the same time. It bounces back and forth between the two. It was really really good. I don't want to give away to much, but I am recommending to all moms of daughters even teen daughters. It can be difficult to read in parts as in emotionally.

I have regressed on the running. I only walked yesterday; Friday I did nothing, my hinder was killing me. I did some today, but I admit I took a shortcut to get to the park sooner. I'm such a slacker. I did get out there though.

The Nuk

I admit it, I am the biggest wimp when it comes to taking the nuk away. I know it must be done at some point. My current cut off it when she turns two. She was really good up until the past week having it only for sleeping, in the car and for the occasional tantrums. But I think her molars are coming in and I don't know if the sucking is soothing or what, but she really wants it during the day, and I give in. I take it when we are playing at the park, she puts up a bit of a fight, but eventually gives it up. She has gotten very good at biting down on it so you can't just pull it out. I know I will have to be strong on this soon, but I'm going to let J and the boy be the hard asses right now. I think the boy gets some power trip off of taking it from her, I hate it, really, really hate it.

Stimulating

We received our stimulus check yesterday, so Peanut Butter and I stimulated the economy today. With these purchases.




I only have $150 to play with and I am putting 50 of that into savings. I spent $25 on these frivolous items: a golf set, runners world, rubber bands for PB's fabulous pig tails, and a sesame street dvd, $35 on food and took $20 cash. I have a little to use yet, but it will keep. I would like to get a pair of running shoes. I know20 bucks wont buy a pair, but it is a start.

I'm feeling special

I have been bestowed this wonderful award from April she made my day. Hopefully I can make some one else's.
I am sharing the love with Amy, who has been very encouraging and Jessica for my fabulous banner. Thanks to both ladies.

Thoughts for Thursday: Gas

There is all this talk about repealing the 18 cent federal gas tax. I don't get it. Is that 10 dollars at month one saves now, worth what it's paying for? I certainly don't want my income taxes to go up. But I'm sure by repealing the gas tax, all that money has to come from some where. The measly 10 a month for me and you multiplied across the nation I'm thinking is a bit of revenue. As our so humble oil man president said the other day we need to give him some real ideas. Since these companies seem to be making money hand over fist, including Haliburton's oil division, maybe we should take away any tax breaks they are receiving, I mean they are there to help them earn a profit and be sustainable, I'm thinking they are at this point and don't need anymore breaks. Maybe we should have them impose a gas cap. Since everyone is bracing for the $4.00 a gallon, or already seeing it let us hold it there for a while maybe a couple years. Maybe there won't be a flush of commodities trading to keep the barrel of oil prices going up.

At this point, I don't know who or what to believe anymore. One day gas consumption in the US is down, but we have a greater demand the next. I definitely know my gas consumption is way down. I'd be downsizing too if I didn't owe as much as I do on it. One day it is this catastrophe the next this rig, I don't believe that one event drives the market as much as it does. I think they eventually make up that down time. It is not like the oil they were drilling evaporated because the power went out. It will be there when the power goes back on. One day there is a surplus the next there isn't. It is kind of sad that I was actually checking into flights because it would be cheaper to fly than drive 8 hrs.

I also don't know if corn ethanol is the answer either. I wish it was, but that seems to be forcing farmers to choose do I use corn for food or fuel, which in turn has raised prices on all food. I'm sure there is someway to start giving some real incentives to make nongas dependent cars. here isn't a documentary on "Who Killed the Electric Car?" for no reason.

I will also admit for the record, that yes, I have an SUV, but I do get about 20mpg hwy. And I live in Wisconsin people, they don't always have all the roads plowed at 5 am. If I lived in AZ I would be lovin' my prius.

I'm done with my rant about gas for now. I just don't think the 18 cents is the answer. If you have a real idea let me know, or if you want to complain too, go ahead.