Happy Birthday Hubbs!

Today is my main man's 30th birthday! I am so in love with this guy. Can't believe that I started dating him when he was 19! He is still the same dark Italian stud I met when I was a senior in high school. I don't give enough shout outs to the guy. He has been working like crazy lately and I am so proud of everything he is doing. He has accomplished so much already and I know he has yet to do so much more.

We had a nice date together at a local casual pizza spot tonight. The guy doesn't cook, but recently he has taken up the art of making Deep Dish Chicago style pizza, with homemade dough and everything. He seriously almost has it perfected. I know that one day he will open the restaurant he is scheming of now but until then I am completely enjoying this new cooking hobby. Especially since before, his specialties were fried eggs and grilled cheese.

Happy Birthday Hubbs. You are amazing.

Book Worm

So at the beginning of summer I said that I wanted to read four books. The first one up is The Girls from Ames.




I originally had seen this and passed over it because it is written by a guy and I figured what the heck does a guy know about girl friendships. Then I came upon it again and realized that the guy writing it actually interviewed the women for the book and that it was actually nonfiction. Plus the fact that both of my parents hail from the midwest (one from North Dakota, one from Iowa), I thought it would be interesting to tap into where they came from.


I started reading on Sunday and I am hooked. I thought I was hooked when I read The Help, but this one just is so good. Maybe because these women really are real. Each night this week, as soon as the dishes are done, the kitchen cleaned up and the house somewhat orderly, I plop down on the couch and stick my nose into the book.


The other night Hubbs was sitting next to me watching TV and made a funny comment. "I wish I had a good book to read, all I have is my stupid iPhone 4". Which on another note, he is obsessed with.

The Summer List

While I don’t get a summer break, I still want to accomplish some things this summer that I don’t see myself doing the rest of the year.

- Read 3 books, however it takes me so long to decide what to read. I need suggestions.

- Keep cut flowers on the dining table at all times

- Declutter closets (I think I have put that on my to list for the last several years)

- Cash in the change in glass canning 10 lb. jar on my dresser. Whatever I get from it will go towards a rainy day.

- Learn to cook one new recipe a week

- Get back into The 30 Day Shred DVD (because I just found it in my bedroom)

- Brown bag it to work 4 out of 5 days a week (I have to allow for one weekly splurge)

- Learn how to use our Nikon DSLR camera to its potential

- Not dress like a lazy ass on the weekends. This one, I am already turning around.

- Enroll Miss S in Mommy & Me Swim Classes

Energize This

I have been running on limited energy lately. I’ve noticed being really tired whenever I do any sort of activity, it doesn’t have to be physical. I am kind of out of shape, I would like my ass to be a bit more taut, but overall, I think I look pretty good for relying on chasing my toddler around as my main source of exercise. I am trying to get back into pilates, which I really do enjoy.

I just never remember being this wiped consistently. What is really kind of strange is that I am not stressed either. I have been really good lately in not letting things get to me (except for my pre-Mother’s Day anger). I don’t know if I am anemic, dehydrated or what. Another thing that is going on concurrently to my lack of energy is headaches. Pretty much for the last two weeks I have had headaches every day. Not migraines, but just annoying, energy suckers. Those mofos.

I am thinking about trying to be better at doing my pilates DVD’s and drinking more water. I hate this feeling and I want to get my energy back.

Serenity Now!

I seem to always get embroiled in anger whenever I plan family events. This past week both my family and hubbs' family have completely pissed me off regarding plans for Mother's Day. We are trying to combine both families together so that we don't have to jump around to different houses, however, trying to coordinate while making everyone happy never works. Everyone has do to things "their" way. Sometimes I think we need to just stick with separate family events. It is almost easier, despite having to drive to different locations. At least feelings aren't hurt and temper tantrums are fewer.

There have been so many moments lately where I literally have to take a step back, take a breather and move on because I will let myself get super fired up if I stew over it. Hubbs is really good about getting mad over something but then forgetting about it. Things just eat away at me until I explode. I am really trying to ask for "Serenity Now", put things into perspective and not give a shit. And then I pour myself a glass of Pinot Noir which helps too.

Monday, Monday

So, I took pictures of my outfit today to kick off my Tardy Spring Fashion Week. However, since hubbs had already left for work and I don’t have the cool self picture taking capabilities of a Mac, I had to rely on the self portrait in front of a full length mirror. The images suck, and I still need to upload them this evening. But dammnit, they will be up. I promise.

At work on Friday, I burned my hand on scalding hot water from my instant soup. At one point I contemplated going home (it was that painful). I pictured large blisters that were going to appear. I Googled “How long does it take for blisters to appear on burns”. I couldn’t focus. I wandered aimlessly through the halls looking for someone to take pity on me. I texted Hubbs and got no response. By a couple hours later, the area was still red, but no blisters. And the next morning, no blisters. WTF? I am not saying I want a blister, but when I contemplate leaving work due to the pain on my HAND, you know it must be bad. All I am asking is for some proof, cause I rarely leave work for pain or illness. I am one of those stubborn jackasses.

I have a stiff neck today. Nothing makes me crankier than a stiff neck. Maybe it’s the years of physical therapy and chiropractors (from a bad car accident when I was 18) that make me sensitive to anything back or neck related. Or it could be the 8 weeks of excruciating sciatica when I was pregnant. I think I slept on it wrong. But damn, am I pissed today.

We had a lovely Easter weekend. Despite the weather being absolutely disgusting yesterday, it was still a great time. My mom prepared an fantastic dinner, Miss S looked like such a doll in her Easter dress with her cousins. I ate way too many chips and dip before dinner and proceeded to engorge myself on mashed potato casserole and ham, and maybe some chocolate Easter eggs too.

Chatty Kathy

Miss S is such a little sponge. She is in the faze of repeating every little item we say. So far my favorite things she says are “Ningo” for “Flamingo”. The door bell goes “Ning Nong”. The doggy goes “Row row”. Yellow is “Well Wow”.

The other morning, as we were running around trying to get out the door, I told her we needed to get her shoes on as she went running into her room. A couple moments later, she came running out with her pink Converse, carrying them by their laces. And hear I didn’t even think she was paying attention!

I love looking at everyone’s Spring Fashion Week outfits. And I am completely behind the ball, but I might have my own Tardy Spring Fashion week next week. We’ll see if I get my act together.

I am ready for a vacation. I am exhausted and burned out from work. I wish I could have my own Spring Break. It is moments like this this I think about becoming a teacher.

Easter Ideas

Aight, folks. I need some ideas on what to put in an Easter basket for a toddler. Growing up my Easter baskets were chalk full of goodies, mainly of the chocolate form, but usually I would get one legit toy, namely a doll. The toy would usually be hidden a la an Easter egg hunt. One year, my mom hid a Cabbage Patch kid in the oven. It wasn't on, of course. I remember bartering with my older brother to exhange his Reese's egg for my Peeps. It never seemed to work out in my favor. The Reese's eggs were prized possessions in my household and it would usualy be the first thing I consumed.

So now that I have a wee one to make holidays magical for as they were for me, I need some ideas. Miss S is too little to eat Whoppers, Jelly Beans, etc, so what kind of sweet treats are good? I was also going to toss in some new barrettes, maybe a bathing suit (although the reappearance of our wintry weather brings no indication that Spring will be back anytime soon, thus swimming in a pool is a bit far out).

As far as the Easter bunny is concerned, there will be no visits to see him this year. Each sighting so far at the mall has brought looks of terror and panic that I have had to beeline into a Disney store just for solice.

Word.

Spring Cleaning

Not that it officially Spring around these parts, I have decided to rid every last closet of unnecessary items. I have held on to too much stuff through the years with the thought that I would some day find that I need an oblong table cloth for a rectangle table, or need a pair of slacks I haven’t worn in three years but that I got on Clearance at Express and were a good deal dammit!, or the 478 dishtowels that have pasta stains all over them that I continue to store.

I think I will start in my closet first. I am finding that my work style has kind of changed through the years. At the early part of my career I wore collared shirts and sweater vests all the time, thinking that is what professional women wore. Since having Sonya, I think my style has been kicked up a notch primarily in an effort to make sure I still look fresh even though I am now a mom. So anyways, I will be tossing out a lot of collared shirts, cheap tops from Old Navy and slacks from Express that I just loath all of a sudden making my room for breezy blouses, my blazer & cardigan collection and skirts.

Then I will move on to the linen closets, Hubbs’ closet and finally our office closet. This past weekend I pulled out all of Miss S’s clothes that are too snug or too short and put them in storage. She has a little stash of Spring clothes going. I can’t believe she is moving into 24 months clothes. I think that half the reason she doesn’t have many warm weather clothes is because I have not wanted to move up from 18 to 24 months. She just is getting to be such a big girl!

Ode to the Irish

I am not Irish. I am German and Norwegion, however, I still wear green on St. Patty's Day. I dress my daughter in green on St. Patty's Day. I eat corned beef and cabbage and about 537 potato pancakes on St. Patty's Day. I like traditions, dammit, whether they really are relevant to me or not. Maybe I like traditions because basically they always involve wearing special items and consuming large quantities of food. Who really cares anyways.

I am about to embark on Budget Crackdown 2010. Not too thrilled about that one. Why? Well, I like to shop. I like Starbucks and I like spending too much on groceries each week. So basically, I just don't like the constraints of a budget. I figure, I work my arse off all week so that I can have a little fun now and then. But, I am back to brown bagging for awhile and maybe whittle down visits to the GAP, but come one I need to buy Spring clothes for not only myself but an adorable little girl whose little tee shirts from winter are so snug it is rediculous, but incredibly cute. Oh, and I am sure the hubbs needs some essential tee-shirts too.

And, to prove my non-existent point, it was 77 degrees today. Spring really is right around the corner. Why can't spring clothes grow on trees?

The Mean Aunt

On Saturday I brought Miss S over to my brother and sister in law’s house where my mom was watching their four year old and 17 month old. We decided to take the three girls to the park, with the little ones in the wagon and Leah riding her big wheel. I started getting stressed over the thought that my mom and I were outnumbered with three kids. I was especially paranoid about Leah riding ahead into the street. Even though my mom insisted that she knew to stop and wait at each corner (and she did) I couldn’t stop the agitation. It got worse at the park when both Miss S and Little Ava tried to scale the double slide at the same time while I was watching them. I just couldn’t handle two kids to myself while my mom was across the park with Leah.

It was barely 15 minutes in and I couldn’t handle it anymore. I told my mom “let’s go!”. Her being the calm one (and also a elementary teacher and the best grandma ever) tried mellowing me out so that the kids could play longer. It didn’t work. I was stressed. Stressed that one kid might fall off the slide while the other darted towards the street. At one point I even yelled at my niece Leah for screaming to get our attention. “Leah, stop screaming, you are FOUR!” Nice aunt I am.
I know I am confident while with Miss S, but the prospect of watching one more or two more, makes me sweat. I don’t know why I got so ridden with anxiety. Can’t figure it out. All I know is that I am sure my niece Leah reported back to her parents that I am the mean one.

By the time we got back to the house I needed a cocktail. But it was only 4.

Moments of Bliss

This was my weekend. And it was blissful.

A Storm is a Brewin'

Hubbs is away tonight. My mom is coming over for a slumber party. Probably get our shop on (what we do best), purchase clothes for spring and then have to wait another month at least before I get to show them off due to a long winter. Oh yeah, and we miiiiigggghhhtttt even mix in some Fresh Choice. Because, no place pops off more than Fresh Choice on a Friday night. Kids eat free, and boy are they eatin....for free.

And it's stormin' outside. My boots are getting some serious wear this season. And I wore my hair curly twice this week just how Linz did last week. Curly hair seems to hold up better during moments of torrential downpours.

What's Happenin' Hot Stuff

So when I go out of town, it usually takes me a long time to get caught back up when I return. I fell behind in my housework, grocery shopping, blog reading, and laundry and of course work. So although we have been back for over a week now, I just now am getting my bearings.

While I have been getting back on track…

1) Lucy has manifested chronic gas. We ran out of her fancy dog food one night and had to get her some Iams. So she has been gassing the house up. It has been so stinky I swear I am waking up at night because of it.
2) I received two new pairs of heels for work. I swear I went through a two year stretch where I didn’t buy any new work shoes. Needless to say this latest purchase was a score and both are cute.
3) I started reading Nanny Returns. It’s okay. Simple reading. Just like the first one.
4) Watched Inglorious Busterds and hated it.
5) My daughter refuses to eat chicken. No matter if I fry it, dice it, sauté it, drench it in cheese , she tastes it and spits it out quicker than I can sneeze. I am a poet!
6) I actually went on a three mile walk when we got a weekend of spring time weather. It was the most I have exercised in a long time. Well, if you don’t count chasing around a toddler which has kept my metabolism in check.
7) I have learned that CSI:Miami airs in Spanish right before I go to sleep. I was flipping the channels last night before dozing off and landed on the show thinking it was the real thing only to learn that it was in Spanish. I couldn’t stop laughing.
8) Brushing Miss S’s teeth has become a complete struggle. How do I get to brush them? She simply clamps her jaws together, turns her head the opposite way and grunts “no”! I need suggestions!

A Rekindled Love Affair

When I was 24 I began a love affair. For the last (almost four years!) this affair as been off an on. But the passion has always been present. There has been the typical lust, excitement, newness, change, disagreements and obsession through the course of the relationship. Unlike many fleeting affairs, this affair has stood the test of time. And the Hubbs is okay with it.

It started back when I was naïve at 24. I was taken advantage of by the smell, the emotion, the freeness that is…. New York. Yup. My affair is with a city, not a man.

This past weekend, I introduced my hubby to my secret. He finally understood what I have been feeling these past four years. He got why certain songs make may bring me to tears: “New York, New York”, “Empire State of Mind”, and “Glamorous”. He recognized why I must watch movies such as “Ghostbusters”, “When Harry Met Sally”, “BIG” and “Home Alone 2” over and over again.

He gets it. For when I am New York I experience utter awe. I love the energy on the streets, how life is so much different than where I live. There are so many options on things to do and places to see. However, I run into some guilt (as with most affairs) over the money I spend shopping, or sometimes I feel guilty over the things I was not able to get to in time. Business brought me back to my Secret Lover on Saturday. It just so happened that business brought the Hubbs there too so we made it a mini-vacation. Miss S stayed with my parents and we were off. The weather was clear and freezing with an intense windchill. I made the mistake of not having a hat the first night as we wandered around Times Square. The next day I spend too much money at the street vendors for ear muffs, gloves and school boy sweater hats. But they so made the difference.

It was great to be reacquainted with my lover again. We picked up right where we left off and I am already planning our next meet up.

Anyone else have secret obsessions?

Doing it all....

What a week this week is. Did that even make sense? I am taking a quick second to relax, down a cup full of Lemon Lime Airborne, maybe download some iTunes and then call it a night. The cycle of sick continues to spiral around and around. Just when our house was free of the stomach flu, little Miss S got a nasty cough which has morphed into the snotty-humidifier on every minute- conjested-cranky cold of the year. I in turn seem to be getting it, however, I continue to battle it out with a crap load of vitamins.

On top of the nasty cold, work has been so hectic. After Miss S is snuggled in for the night I am working. I can't even find time to go pee. Thats how crazed I have been. I am surprised I actually remembered to brush my teeth this morning.

Aight, I'm done rambling. A couple things that bring me comfort when I get sick:

- I love, love, love the Old Fashioned glazed donuts at Starbucks. Seriously, they are pure bliss in my mouth and instantly make me feel better.
-Listening to "We Are the World". How awesome was that song? I mean, Dionne Warwick, Steve Perry, Cyndi Lauper, ? Come on. It doesn't get any better than that. By the way. I love anything '80's.
-Christmas socks.
-Green tea. Bigelow makes a Jasmine Green Tea. It is so light and exotic tasting.
-Snuggles with my girl and kisses and giggles
-How I Met Your Mother

Sugar

Some days are just so hectic. Today was one of them. I spent most of my day driving around to various meetings. All the while, it was dumping buckets of rain. At one point I hydroplaned which made my heart skip a beat and I think at the same time I sprouted my first gray hair. Ugh. So when I finally was able to settle back at my desk, the first thing I thought of to mellow out the stress of the day was look at this. Sometimes a little sugar is all I need to unwind.

The Diary of an Escape Artist

My formal name is Patty, as in Peppermint Patty. However, through the past years I have adopted many other names thus am rarely called my formal name unless company is over. My parents (Missy Marshmallow and Hubbs) usually call me “Pussy Pickles” (like Pussy Cat) or “Kitty” but mostly just “Puss” (pronounced puuh-us).

I have recently mastered the art of escaping unnoticed for a period of time in the evening hours after that toddler has gone to bed and while my parents are cleaning the kitchen, watching their TIVO’d shows or checking their Facebook pages. The door into the garage floats open if it is not shut properly, a perfect way for me to get the heck out of dodge. Since I am an indoor feline, all I do all day is sleep or wish I was outside frolicking with other felines.
In the past week I have sneaked out about three times, and each time I was soon discovered in the backyard like a pathetic rodent not knowing where to go. As soon as they open the back door I go running back in because, hey, that’s all I know!

Though last night, I grew some balls and decided to venture a bit further. I heard my parents calling my name for a half hour. I heard them circle the block on foot and in their car with their windows down, shining their brights on houses, trying to see if their precious kitty had flipped them the bird once and for all. My mom was quite worried I could tell. I could hear her yell at the Hubbs to find a better flashlight instead of the mini-SOLAR powered Mag-Lite rip off from the Dollar Store.

I made it into the backyard behind our house when some monster sized cat looking for a good time approached me. It was at that time that my mom heard this scuffling behind the house that she located my wherabouts, hollered for Hubbs and began to climb the massive oak tree to hurdle the fence.

It was at this point I wanted to get back home. The monster cat scurried off into the bushes. I tried to climb the fence back over but my lack of outside skills kept me grounded. It started to rain. Hubbs and Missy S barked at eachother about who was going to go into the neighbor’s backyard to retrieve me and risk getting shot by the home owners. Finally, they figured things out and Hubbs came and got me, handed me to my mom who carried me back into the house. I was a drowned rat. But, I had a blast. After a quick drink of water, I curled up on top of my mom’s new pea coat and snuggled there the rest of the night. Suckers.

Sneaky McSneakerson

Defining Moments

We have AppleTV. With it, you can see all of your pictures you have saved on your computer display in a slideshow right on your TV. Last night, while waiting for Hubbs to get off the phone so we could watch How I Met Your Mother, I sat watching all of the pictures pass by in no order at all. It was just so amazing to me to watch so many different moments of my life. It got me thinking to certain moments in my life that define who I am today. Here are some of my favorites:
-The way I felt on the first date with my now-Hubbs, full of butterflies and innocence
-A hit and run accident that left me with 40 stitches on my forehead and years of rigorous therapy
-Getting into the highly competitive college I hoped for
-Graduating in FOUR years! Unheard of nowadays.
-Getting engaged to my now Hubbs
-Walking into our first house the night after moving in, inhaling the smell of fresh paint and new carpet.
-Getting hammered at my Bachelorette wine tasting party and barfing all over the limo in front of family and friends.
-Marrying Hubbs
-My three grandparents passing away within three months. When they left, it felt like a piece of my childhood left with them.
-My small procedure which indicated I had endometriosis
-The positive sign
-Four family members being killed in a horrible accident while I was four months pregnant. I think I matured beyond my years the day that happened.
-The birth of Miss S
-Learning to be a mommy.
-Becoming a tight unit of a family. The best defining moment ever.

A Little Gas

Since the stomach flu dominated our house this past weekend, I still am not quiet back to normal in the digestive tract. So today, I had to make a quick talk to a room full of sales executives in my company and while I was waiting around to go on I realized I was getting all gassy from my freaking coffee. My stomach apparently was not agreeing with it and wanted to get all crazy on me. It was so hard for me to keep it in. I literally thought I was going to make it to the front of the room, go to give my presentation and rip a fat fart in front of all of them. I was even thinking about witty things to say if something so mortifying actually did happen. I shifted and moved around in my seat and eventually that feeling passed (not literally) and I was ready to give my talk without blowing everyone out of the room. Can you imagine? I guess at least it would be guaranteed that they would remember my presentation!
I know.....gross. But my stomach has been on the fritz all week so I had to vent somewhere.