How has it felt having food poisoning all weekend?

Well said, Mrs. Potato Head, well said.

You Tube

Sadie at the other end of a wrapping paper tube...

While you've got a sound amplifier...might as well...

What did humans do for entertainment before kids were invented?

Life Imitates Art

It's snowing in Philly again...coincidence, or product of preschool wishful thinking?

I have my theories...

Ice Cream Tutorial

How to properly enjoy a cup of strawberry ice cream with gummy bears and sprinkles:

Truly, no bowl of ice cream has ever felt so appreciated.

Choo Choo

I took the train to NYC today for work. On my way there, alone with my thoughts, I decided it was only appropriate for another peek into the abyss...

- Drive to the train station in NJ, wonder to myself..."is New Jersey just a vast wasteland of strip malls, treeless sidewalks, and oil stains on the road?"

- Apparently

- Discover 4 full parking lots. Have to drive to the heinously far gravel lot and pay $7 to park.

- These were the wrong boots to wear to the city.

- Wait for the train...realize that some girl wants to sit beside me...I either stole her seat, or she wants to chat.

- Ugh, she wants to chat.

- Plaster smile on exhausted face, listen to her talk about her job interview

- Does she seriously think she's going to get a job interviewing in a sweatshirt? seriously?

- Time to board - maybe she'll sit somewhere else so I can concentrate on Edward and Bella...

- Watch as she climbs to the upper level.

- Inconspicuously go down to the lower level

- Edward, Bella. Bella, Edward. Wow - that was a quick trip!

- Cringe as annoying girl says, "Oh hi! We meet again!"

- Allow annoying girl to subconsciously direct me out of the train station and into the taxi queue while listening to her almost ruin the ending for me (you know...Edward, Bella...)

- Thankful that I had annoying girl to help me navigate, grab a taxi

- Wonder if all taxis smell so nice while simultaneously looking so dirty

- Note that taxi driver is NOT friendly or in the mood for a conversation. omg - am I annoying girl?

- After what seemed to be much too long of a ride, get out of the cab at Broadway and Houston - $12.50

- Decide that I need to take my coat for a good dry cleaning.

- Walk to the address past some ridiculous looking matched boys standing outside of Hollister...think, "hmm...they must work there" (no one else would purposely match and look that ridiculous).

- These were the wrong boots to wear to the city.

- Greet the attendant...wow...not much of a greeter, this guy.

- Go up eternally slow elevator

- Wind around the halls until I find Daily Candy.

- Holy Cow - am I really in the Daily Candy office?

- Note that the male receptionist must like men WAY more than I do...and he's dressed better too - grr.

- OOh - free samples...free samples of beauty products for your "intimate area." ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! I have a pic, I can prove it...but this post would then be rated R.

- Walk around the office with my camera snapping photos, figuring out which of their hand-me-downs we'll want for our office.

- Suddenly realize that I am the LEAST fashionable person in the office. That girl's boots must have cost $500. Each. Nice boots, though.

- Pack up, a mere 30 minutes later, head back down the eternally slow elevator.

- Tell the attendant I hope he has a great day. Notice he doesn't even look up from whatever it is he was reading to say, "yep" unenthusiastically. Some attendant.

- These were the wrong boots to wear to the city.

- Realize I have to learn how to hail a taxi while walking back to the corner of Broadway and Houston. Maybe the ridiculous Hollister twins will do it for me?

- No. I can do this.

- Barely move my fingers in front of my stomach. This taxi driver must be used to tourists...I can't believe she noticed my non-hailing. Later Hollister kids - enjoy your delusion.

- Take an entirely different route back to Penn Station - $8.50. That first guy...what a jerk.

- Hop out at Penn Station, determined not to go the wrong way.

- Turn around after about 3 minutes realizing that I did, indeed, go the wrong way.

- Find my train, get on board, find a seat.

- Suddenly realize that I must have been on a super nice train on my way to New York. This one has faux wood paneling. The kind you find in a basement that hasn't been touched since 1970.

- Tap...tap tap tap...tap tap...tap tap tap. Something on this train sounds like a telegraph. Not distracting, just a faint clicking somewhere up front.

- Edward, Bella, Bella, Edward. I can't believe I finished all four...maybe now I can sleep again!

- Off the train.

- These were the wrong boots to wear to the city.

Full of Cute

We tried to have family night out tonight. It actually went pretty well aside from Chili's being too crowded...we ended up leaving Chili's because of the 40 minute wait time (what did we expect on a Saturday?). Instead, we went to the mall and ate at the food court. Why not? Cheap food, everyone gets what they want (I had Chinese and Eric and Sadie had Chik-fil-a).

Eric needed some new shoes and jeans (the two things he is perpetually in need of), so we picked those up tonight as well. While we were shopping for jeans, Sadie got a little impatient...

"Daddy," she said, picking up a pair of stone washed jeans, "just get these...these are full of cute!"

You wanna know what I think is full of cute?

Stuff I Never Wrote About

I take a lot of photos...these are the orphans that didn't make the cut because I became distracted by a different topic.

Remember the bird wall decals? Apparently, while I was enjoying taking the photo of the wall decals, I should have been paying more attention to my 2 year old. My 2 year old who was apparently spraying the closet door with Daddy's shaving cream. I put the camera down long enough to clean it off the door, but evidently I missed a spot. Look closely. {sigh}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes, I think I'm God's favorite.

On the way home from work one day, I couldn't get enough of this sunset. I took a picture so that I could keep it.

In the middle of a snowstorm, these birds were very confused...I want a life where I'm content to sit on my perch with my friends and be pelted with snow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is what it looks like when Sadie takes my camera and actually snaps a photo...

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A bow for every outfit...or a project for every evening. I can't decide which is more important (or more exhausting).

I made the two felt ones the same night...

This one is our "ode to pink" bow. Who knew one woman could have 9 varieties of pink ribbon?

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Bedtime stories with Daddy...that's a little skirt hanger between Sadie's feet...

A Mother's Guilt is Never Done

I knew it. I knew I should have spent extra time putting together awesome Valentines for Sadie's class. She goes to a posh little preschool with posh little Benetton toddlers. The last words I heard as we walked out the door tonight were, "Oh! Don't forget that all of Sadie's Valentines are in her lunch box!"

"That's right," I thought, almost absentmindedly, "they pushed their party back to today because of the snow!"

We got in the car, Sadie unzipped her lunch box, and then it happened. She pulled out the first Valentine...the one from Charlotte...

Please bear in mind that as ADORABLE as this is just the way it looks right now, before Sadie took the lollipop out of the center (it was the very middle of the flower - the stick was the "stem"), it had three large pink cut out hearts that formed a perfect flower. The stuff you see here is just the frills. It was a full on pink lollipop flower. Are you frigging kidding me? Seriously, Charlotte's mommy? Seriously?

"Hopefully the others were sensible and brought Wal-Mart pre-boxed Spiderman and Dora the Explorer cards."

NOPE. Look what Gavin's mommy did...

And then some kid with a mommy who thought to herself, "I don't have time to make something great, but LOOK - kids LOVE these!"

...and after an excruciating drive home trying not to beat my head against the steering wheel, pulling through McDonald's for supper (ugh), and grabbing a toddler, a lunch box, a laptop, a purse, two bags of McDonald's, a drink tray, and a bag full of apparently perfect Valentines, we went upstairs so that Sadie could open the rest.

A ball, a little container of bubbles, a Lightning McQueen tattoo...

Did she have Dora the Explorer and Spiderman cards? Of course! but they came with suckers and stickers and tattoos and balls and candy hearts and m&m's.

Sadie had adorable princess Valentines that she decorated with little princess stamps and stickers. They were super cute and she LOVED putting them together for her friends, but that's it! What was I thinking!?!

In what I'm sure is a highly emotional response to a fairly harmless situation, I can't help but feel guilty. We should have done something with her princess Valentines...let her do a little princess Valentine art...and put a prize with it. I'm sure she's not scarred for life, but I do want her to know that the other kids like the prizes she brings.

I can't wait for the next holiday. Just wait, Charlotte's mommy...just wait...

Accomplishment

A celebration of one of my top 10 greatest life achievements...

...and a fabulous photo to have on hand when Sadie brings home "Mr. Right."

Children Learn What They Live

This photo makes me want to read more, listen to classical music, pray all the time, cook creatively, turn off the television, be more friendly, set the table properly, make my bed every day, show my mother more respect, be gracious, humble, loving, joyful, and patient, exercise more, and commit to learn something new every day.

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you. ~Robert Fulghum

Bathroom Menagerie

You know what was so great about going to Target with gift cards and no agenda? Besides having gift cards and no agenda?

Getting these awesome wall decals :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

(or, how to go on a date at home because you're broke and have a toddler who's in bed)

First, I'd like to clear up one thing - I don't love Valentine's Day. I think Hallmark has America by the...well...you know.

But - it is a great excuse to go on a date. And I do love excuses to go on a date. We can't afford a babysitter and I would rather do something pleasant (like have a root canal) than go out on a night when a million other "couples" will be out exchanging niceties.

Here's our quick fix:

1. polycarbonate (read: unbreakable) wine glasses filled with your favorite soda...or water. $6

2. cookies 'n' cream in a red bowl. - $2.50

3. romantic comedy flick that both parties agree to watch. - $0

4. avoiding shoving ourselves into a crowded restaurant with ZERO ambiance because of an inordinately increased amount of noise (and overpriced "Valentine's Specials")? - priceless :)

I needed a break tonight...just some relaxation time...

Here we go again...

- Decide I want to take a hot bath after Sadie goes to bed

- Remember that the only bathtub in the house is in Sadie's bathroom...the bathtub she just got out of.

- Decide it doesn't matter...I really need a hot bath

- Run water, grab towel

- Is this as hot as this water gets?

- Check to make sure the hot is turned all the way up and the cold is turned all the way off

- yep.

- Get in the lukewarm bathtub.

- Look up at the giant, obnoxious overhead light. No lamp, no candles, just a giant obnoxious overhead light.

- Listen to the equally obnoxious fan that comes on with the light switch {WHIRRIRIRRRRIIRRR}

- Look over at the potty chair, the pink stool, the pile of dirty toddler clothes, and the baby soap and shampoo

- Lean back against the frog pod toy caddy

- Realize this is the LEAST relaxing bath I've ever had in my life.

- Give up and get out.

- Decide I'm going to go to Target, by myself. No husband, no little girl...just me.

- Declare my intentions to my husband.

- Get dressed in a long sleeve Google t-shirt, a pair of dirty jeans, and some rain boots...they're the fastest things I could find. I'm glad they don't have a peopleoftarget.com website...

What does a woman in need of a night out buy at Target when her only obligation is to the fact that they close at 10pm?

• (2) pairs of earrings
• (2) bracelets
• an awesome new night gown...I think it looks better on me than the chick in the photo
• a 48-pack of AA batteries
• some Lindt truffles...the milk chocolate ones
• a four pack of softsoap (four different flavors!)
• (2) 24-packs of soda
• I can't remember what "up bath" is, but apparently it cost me $15.99
• some lip gloss for my littlest valentine
• three hair clips
• a random green circle placemat...I'm pretty sure I can make a tree out of it or something
• some wall decals
• A pint of cookies 'n' cream ice cream
• Oh - "up bath"...found it...it's off-brand toilet paper. Lots of it.

...and I finally broke down and got a new book for my bookmark.

Serendipity

• Because I wanted to be a lifeguard when I was 15, I took a course at the Y.
• Because I was scared out of my pants when I found out what saving lives was actually about, I forewent the desire to work at Kool Park Pool and applied for a job at the Y.
• Because I wasn't old enough to "work" for the Y, I volunteered.
• Because I volunteered, I was offered a position immediately upon turning 16.
• Because I did pretty decent work for a 16 year old, I was the head lifeguard by the next summer.
• Because I spent 2 years learning and loving the Y, I got a job at the YMCA right beside campus when I went to college.
• Because I lifeguarded at the YMCA in Raleigh, I met a million people (who have a million stories each).
• Because of the people I knew, I weaseled my way into a front desk position.
• Because of my front desk position, I was given the opportunity to interview for a "real" full-time job at the Y directly out of school.
• Despite the fact that I interviewed for the job in a wet bathing suit (straight out of the pool from swim lessons), I got the job. (I love you, Beth!)
• Because I did pretty decent work for a newbie straight out of school, I was asked to interview for a corporate HR position.
• Because we wanted to be near family with our new baby, I left my corporate HR position to move to Hickory.
• Because of our distinct lack of funds, I decided it was time to go back to work - so I applied for a job at Google...as a long shot.
• Because of my odd mix of skills and experience (and a masters education that I thought would do no good), I got the job...an amazing job doing exactly what I would choose to do if I could work for free...you know...besides be a full time mommy, of course.
• Because my husband wanted to go to optometry school, we decided to uproot and head to Philadelphia.
• Because of Google, and after a grueling interview process, I got yet another amazing job doing exactly what I would choose to do if I could work for free...once again, besides be a full time mommy.

Any slight change would have altered the trajectory for everything else. There are lots of other little things that would have changed life as well (what if I hadn't met Eric that first day of school? what if Google hadn't moved to NC? what if I'd taken the first job I was offered in Philly [holy cow...could we have survived?]?)

I'm so thankful I'm not God...If it were up to me, I'd have gotten that job at Kool Park.

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In that very first "real" job, fresh out of school, I had an office with a giant hole (leading to the abyss, I'm sure) in the wall. {insert grumblings about the only office I've ever had being as a 22 year old kid...} The hole was FULL of old general ledgers, napkins, photo albums...if it existed in the 60's, it was in that hole.

I found this calendar in the hole, and kept it...

Awesome, right? I just re-found it tonight...it must have been stuck inside one of our encyclopedias for the move. It reminded me that everything happens for a reason. I think I'll frame it...

Oh, To be Two Again...

Tiara? Check.

Night Gown? Check.

Tutu? Check.

Leggings? Check.

Ruffly Purple Ariel Panties? Check.

Hello Kitty Bedroom Slippers? Check.

A day off of preschool so she can parade around the house in whatever she wants? Double check.

Deliver me from Sweden

Wanna know what I've been up to? I've been figuring out your Swedish Furniture Name. (You know...after cooking dinner, baking, bathing Sadie, bedtime stories...the usual). Wanna pretend you're a trendy piece of furniture on an IKEA shelf? You should try it...

Laundry Today or Naked Tomorrow...

Today was supposed to be laundry day. I did not do laundry today. I walked over the pile about 9,140,219,578 times between the living room and the bedrooms, but...I did not do the laundry today. I'm not sure why it intimidates me so much.

On a related note, I did find something awesome for my laundry room. Maybe if I had those on my wall, it would encourage me to do more laundry? I think I should give it a shot...

In the meantime, I'd like to make you feel better about your own laundry pile.

Sadie and Snowella...

Snow days = a very good excuse to wear those awesome OshKosh overalls that have been hanging in the closet since September.

This is Snowella the snow mound...the snow was too fluffy and dry for a snow man, but we were just as happy with Snowella...

Snowella with her glasses on...she can see much better now. She thinks you look cute today, by the way.

Sadie working on Snowella.

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I'm pretty sure there are parts of a man's brain that never go beyond 7 years old...like the "I wish there were other guys here - we could play an awesome game of football in this snow!" part...

I'm pretty sure it's that same part that made him do this:

My 27 year old husband diving into the snow...

My 27 year old husband landing in the snow...

My 27 year old husband saying, "ouch." Seriously? Like he's surprised it hurt?

Happy Saturday!!