spankies

Over ten years ago my hair was overprocessed with a perm and fell out around my hairline. When the hair grew back in I looked funny because I had to wear my hair back for work and the little hairs would stand up straight. The rest of my hair was super curly except my short little hairs that stood straight up. My sister called them spankies.

I have spankies again, except the problem is inverted.

I lost a TON of hair a few months after Ralphie was born and it started coming in a few months ago. It's about an inch and a half long now and looks ridiculous, I hate it. This time it's not just along my hairline and it's curling at the ends. My haircut demands straight hair that I iron everyday but I inevitably get a curl crinkle about an inch from my scalp. I hate it but it makes me think of my sister calling me Spanky years ago.

more adventures in motherhood

Wasn't it just a couple of days ago I said I almost got caught with chocolate easter bunnies? Well today I got caught with a comic book that was supposed to go in an Easter basket. I left it on the table accidentally. What a retard I am.

child abuse at the gym

I had such a good work out and diet day yesterday that I was really excited to go to the gym this morning. I had gone about an hour earlier than usual and had the children's room to myself for the first few minutes. Today I showed up and there were tons of unruly children and the treadmills were in use so I had to do the elliptical. It's okay, but I feel like I accomplished something if I run for 30 mins. Anyway, I set Ralphie, buckled in his carseat, next to me instead of in the corral. If I put him in the corral without Schmitty he screams the whole time.

Back to my story. I put his carseat next to me and started my little elliptical workout when I heard a commotion followed by a screaming Ralphie. The carseat had somehow tipped on its side while he was still strapped in. I stopped and set him back up thinking that I'd put him too close to the pedal and kicked him over. (Very embarrassing in a room full of other mothers.) Afterward, a woman told me that he'd actually reached out and grabbed the pedal and that's how he flipped over.

smarty pants

It looks like (unofficially) we're moving back to Offutt in the summer, probably early June. It's coming fast and I'm already getting nervous. There's a lot to do.

I'm a genius today. I went shopping and bought some Easter candy only to forget and leave it on the counter for Schmitty to discover. He's usually all over that kind of stuff but I managed to yell at him to get out of the kitchen before he saw it. I also bought some German candy to send my neice and nephew only to discover it's filled with brandy and whiskey.

I went to the gym, as I usually do, but the treadmills were taken today. There are only two so I was kind of mad, especially because the people on them were walking. I don't know why it irritated me so much but it did. That whole room annoys me. I was thinking that I have my own treadmill, I could save myself the frustration but it's downstairs facing the circuit breakers. That's unbearably boring. Running in place in the basement staring at the circuit breakers. Maybe it'll be a better set up when we move.

a bird? a plane?

Who the heck knows. Schmitty and I went to the optometrist today. I need reading glasses so I stopped by the BX and picked up a $12 pair. I also have to go back for glaucoma tests because my "cups" on my optic nerves are too big. (It should be noted Yago couldn't stop giggling about my big cups when I called him.) Schmitty has a slight astigmatism but the dr doesn't recommend glasses yet.

Now I feel like an old lady with glasses perched on the end of my nose.

Retraction?

I was considering writing a retraction to my "evil" comment but I think it's clear to anyone who knows me that I wasn't actually insulting the program, more my willpower.

I don't have much interesting going on today but I'm a little sad about Clinton's fledgling campaign. I was really rooting for her, I still am but I'm becoming discouraged. I really think she has more to offer and a solid vision backed by plans of action. Obama is inspirational but I don't think he'll be able to do what he's claimed capable of. He's beginning to understand that as evidenced by his backpedaling on the campaign reform agreement he had with McCain.

Also? Castro has stepped down. I've been waiting for that for 15 years. I've never understood our policy with Cuba and don't understand what the Cubans in Miami are after. It's never made sense. I don't foresee a whole lot changing under Raul but it's still a big deal that Fidel's not in charge anymore.

I wish I had more interesting things to post but I don't. It's almost lunch and I'm still in my jammies procrasting a shower.

Another embarrassing moment

Today I went to the alterations shop because I ordered a skirt and it's a little big in the waist and a teensy bit longer than I wanted. I stopped by to see if it could be fixed on base because they wouldn't touch the dress I wore to my wedding. (Keep in mind, the dress wasn't a "wedding dress," just a party dress.) Anyway, I was wearing jeans and a sweater with some cute new kitten heels so I had knee-high stockings on. Well, they ushered me in to a little fitting room to put the skirt on and I had to walk out in front of what seemed like dozens of guys waiting in line wearing a black skirt with my big white knees showing over my old lady knee-high stockings. To top it off I got to pull up my shirt so the guy could pin the waist.

The worst part (besides showing off my white whale belly that housed two children) was I'd just eaten the big lunch mentioned below so the skirt wasn't really that big. Embarrassing!

Diet Power (or Diet Weakness)

A while back Yagopuchae purchased a program off the web called Diet Power, I'm convinced it's evil. You have to log every morsel you eat and it calculates the calories and your metabolism. In the morning it asks for your weight and then measures it against your goal to tell you how many calories you're allowed. Did I mention it's evil? I went out to lunch today and now I've eaten 1,000 more calories than I'm allotted. Of course, Yago has to turn everything in to a competition which means I'm losing against Diet Power AND him.

That also reminds me of the recalled beef. I'm reading The Omnivore's Dilemma and seeing the footage from the cattle processing plant is disgusting. Gross gross gross. They're claiming it's isolated but I'm sure it goes on everywhere.

Ralphie's chewing on a hairbrush, I'm not sure it he thinks he's brushing his teeth or not.

Introduction

Schmitty started a blog of his own today. We invited some readers but if you can't view it and want to just send me an email. He was excited today but I anticipate it waning shortly. I should also warn you that he chose the color motif himself...

I really think the worst part of posting is trying to figure out a title. It's like the subject lines of emails. I spend more time trying to synapsize the body into a couple of words than I do writing the dang thing. Of course, you couldn't tell that by reading my titles or subject lines because I give up.

The house is a disaster and I have a lot to do but housework is so BORING. We're having company for dinner tonight and I'm going to make chicken breasts stuffed with herbed goat cheese on top of some buttery polenta. Sam picked the menu. I don't know what to make for dessert. I made cookies yesterday but they turned out awful so I ate them all. Pitiful. So I have the housework, grocery shopping, dinner prep but I'm still in my sweats. I have managed to try to torture my new pimples and pluck a couple of eyebrows. Very productive.

To add pressure to clean the house our landlord is bringing over a potential renter to show our apt. We'll be leaving in about three months, that seems unbelievable to me.

I need to go get dressed and start my chores. Ugh.

Valentinstag

Today is Valentine's Day and I'm not wondering what Yago will get me. We don't really exchange gifts. I'm happy knowing that he loves me and I think he knows I love him. (Even though I haven't been very nice the last couple of days.) We got Sammy a little something but we celebrate it mostly as a children's holiday. I told him last night that despite the hokey sound of it, I really like our family. Of course that was before Ralphie woke up at 5:20 this morning.

I just downloaded the new Suze Orman book from Oprah.com. It's available until 5:00 pm PST today if you want to download it. I'm not sure I'll ever read it but it was free.

Something really stinks over here but I can't figure out what it is. It smells like old garbage but I'm only getting occassional whiffs at the dinner table.

I've really been trying to workout again in another effort to drop a few pounds. I sabotage it with my diet though. The nightly ice cream isn't doing me any favors.

spam

I've been emptying my junk mail at Yahoo and discovered I've been spamming myself. I've been sending myself notifications that my prescriptions are ready. Sweet.

The terror (church mouse) is uncommonly cute today. He's sitting around chewing on his index finger.

Ooh la la

Last Saturday morning, on a whim, we went to France. Yagopuchae decided we should have an adventure so I got in the shower and we settled on a trip to Strasbourg. I'll miss that when we go back to the states. There's no laying in bed on a Saturday morning and discussing a drive to France. We ate pastries, I had a Quiche Lorraine. Schmitty and Yago had a pastry that smelled like swamp feet.

no olympic medal on the horizon for him

So it seems my time with Isaiah has come to a close. His mother has enrolled him in before and after care on base. I was pleasantly surprised at how well he listened to me and followed my rules, not to say it was roses every morning... Schmitty is accustomed to running to the bus stop with me in the morning. Isaiah? Not so much. But he did run in the rain with me one day when we were late so I can't fault him.

Have I mentioned I'm digging the wireless? To hell with housework and laundry!! I have the internet back!

my babbling brook

Yago just set up our wireless last night so I'm not longer having to write and fight Ralphie for the trash can at the same time. He just woke from his morning nap and is upstairs babbling (loudly). I'll let him babble for a few minutes...

I spent the last few days trying to squeeze a pimple on my lip, it's finally exploded to a full blown coldsore. Yuck. They're so gross and I hate the stigma attached to them. The first one I got was in fourth grade or something, it's not like I was doing nasty things. Why does a person feel so ashamed to have a coldsore?

Last night I made homemade focaccia again, that stuff is evil good. I can eat the entire loaf/batch whatever. Sam helps me and we have a good time making it. He pokes the indentations, brushes it with olive oil, and sprinkles the parmesan cheese on top. It's so tasty.

Well, the babbling has turned in to crying and shouting. Time to go.

Sometimes kids are a real pain...

I'm sitting here watching Ralphie get in to everything he possible can. Cords galore in the drawers of the desk.

A few minutes ago I was trying on the new clothes that just came in and caught him eating a clump or dirt he'd pulled out of a plant. Grrr. Can't a girl try on her new clothes without her baby eating dirt?

I just finished bathing him... He pooped ALL over himself and the changing table so I gave him a bath. During the bath he puked (spit up) so I had to start over. I finished and took him out and carried him to the changing table I had just cleaned when he spit up down my back. Which reminds me, I forgot to change my shirt. I cleaned him up, AGAIN.

Schmitty's piano teacher loaned him a metronome but he lost it. I've searched all over this house and can't find it. Today I went and bought Schmitty and his teacher each one (to replace the lost one). Sixty Euro!!! That's about $100!!!

Ralphie's messing with the trash can now. Busy busy busy. He's like a dog that pulls out the dirty tissues and eats them. Really. I'd better go change my shirt and try to make the house look like I did some work today.

The kids...

The mornings with Isaiah have gone well, he hasn't misbehaved at all. I was ready for a battle but it never came. Ralphie on the other hand is a different story.

He figured out how to open cabinets and pull things out. Yesterday he broke my medium sized mixing bowl. He knows how to turn off the tv even though we never use the button on the tv. How did he figure that out? On the plus side, he's quit biting my fingers when I try to brush his teeth with the finger puppet toothbrush thingy.

He's ten months old and I was thinking that Sam was 10 months old when he last saw his biological father. It's strange to think about, it doesn't seem that long ago.

Speaking of fathers... Today was job shadow day. I tried to talk Sammy in to shadowing a housewife but he wasn't interested. He went to work with Yago again this year. He wore a tie and nice pants but not a full blown suit, he was adorable.

What have I done?

This morning at the bus stop I offered to start taking a Kindergartener in the morning. His mother was there for the first time and I was thrilled there was another mom to talk to. Unfortunately, she starts a new job on Monday.

It was her first time taking Isaiah to the bus stop and she was surprised how dangerous it is. (I watch Isaiah almost every morning run around and not listen to the high schooler that's supposed to be babysitting him.) I told her that even though Sam's in second grade I go with him every morning and make him stand away from the bus stop. (As evidenced during our conversation, Sam was the only kid a decent distance from the busy road.) I was actually happy she was concerned because I always wondered why she didn't walk with him in the morning when I knew she wasn't working.

Anyway, I told her she could drop him by our house in the mornings on her way to work and he could walk with Sam, Ralphie and me. Now I'm wondering if Isaiah will listen to me any better than he listens to the other babysitters. I hope so. I think I'm meaner.

Please, let it be tired.

I'm having a problem with my eyes again, I keep losing focus. The same thing happened to me when Sam was a baby. I went and got glasses but a few months later my eyes were fine. I blamed it on being tired and having a job where I just stared at computer screens all day.

Well, it's the same thing. I can't hardly pluck my eyebrows. I can't read directions on packages and I can't read my books. If I rub my eyes I get a few seconds before I lose my focus again. At night, I just read by guessing what the words are.

I don't know if that's how one loses vision. I thought things just got fuzzy and you couldn't see anymore. Not that you could see them for a few seconds and then it felt like your eyes were crossing.

Anyway, I spent ridiculous amount on two pairs of designer glasses when Sam was a baby but when I moved to TX they never made the trip. I didn't care because I didn't need them anymore. I've decided I'm either getting old and need glasses or I'm just tired and need to rest. I really wish more sleep helped.

Now I'm trying to make an appt at the optometry clinic and not having any luck. I called about a month ago and they were booked. They told me to call back and try again in a few weeks. I called today but they're closed on Wednesdays. Of course. That's how it always is. If I show up to get the baby vaccinated it's always on a day the immunizations clinic is closed. Whatever. Thank you military health system.

Oh baby!

My little baby is turning in to a big terror. He's a crawling machine that recently learned how to pull himself up.

He's in to everything and if I thought I didn't get much rest before, it's worse now.

He sprouted several new teeth since Barcelona, he now has six.

Soon, he won't be a baby anymore.

And? We're still fighting The Garmisch Gurgles.