Unplugged

Gotcha! Did you think for 4.5 nanoseconds that this was going to be a post about how allofasudden we were going to be one of those no-TV-no-computer families? Hah! I would die, literally, I think, if I couldn't plop the munchkins down in front of the TV while I got dinner ready, did laundry, cleaned up, etc. etc. ad infinitum ad nauseaum. And if I didn't die? For sure I might kill something. Especially on a real rat's ass difficult day like today where Boy Wonder (the artist formerly known as A, my 21-month-old son) refused to nap, refused to play, refused to act anything like human. We had a wonderful morning playing at the park with a friend, had an almost civilized lunch, and then WHAMO as soon as we got home he was clingy, needy, whiny, etc. in other words thoroughly 21 months old and I am, right now, taking a well-deserved, well-earned break by allowing them (yep, D too) to watch Hi-5 until dinner time. Now, lest you think the kiddos are just watching any old thing, I do have rules. They are only allowed to watch what I record for them on TiVo or on PBS or other commercial-free channels. I draw the line, as faint as it may be, at Disney, Nick and the Cartoon Network.

Oh did I mention how D is currently exhibiting behavior that, if she weren't only 5-1/2, I'd be tempted to call P.M.S.? Moody, oversensitive, crying, grumpy, it's all there folks, except for that fun bloated feeling. I know the signs. Unfortunately, she's not old enough to be offered any of my go-to home remedies: shopping trip, new shoes, chocolate, or a cold beer, not necessarily in that order. So I am trying to talk her through it. While cooking dinner. A dinner that will be almost wholly unappreciated by the kids, but that I will thoroughly enjoy much later with M.

Oh, yeah, ok, back to unplugged. So. Basically, I'm making ice-cream manually. Because while as much as I love my KitchenAid and also it's ice-cream accessory bowl, it's a bitch really difficult to use when your ice cream base is really chunky or thick, as was the case with my latest batch of coconut-cherry ice cream. So, I'm freezing it old-school with a bowl of ice, sea salt and lotsandlots of stirring. I may have to invest in a free-standing ice-cream maker (since I pretty much make all my own now) and save the KitchenAid for plain flavors or thinner custards. But in the meantime, I've got semi-frozen coconut-cherry ice-cream all over the kitchen because the darn dasher splattered it everywhere. Everywhere including into a bowl which I happen to be eating RIGHT NOW (yep, kids, it's a prerogative of mommy-hood. So sorry! Now go watch TV.). After which I'll get back to cleaning, and cooking dinner, consoling D and keeping half an ear on Boy Wonder as he watches his third episode of Hi-5. Just as soon as I finish this post. There.

Dinos for a day

April has been a busy month at school. The Kindergarten moms have been in charge of teacher treats all month and today is Paleontologist Day. The kids are beyond excited -- even my very, very girly girl who refused the offer of work shirts, desert boots and pith hats but was happy to wear a pink t-shirt and bright pink bandanna. She wanted to wear a skirt, but I was able to talk her out of it. They will get to measure dino "fossils," read a dino story, make a dino print and I'm in charge of the "hatching" station involving both papier mache eggs AND real hard-boiled ones that the kids will get to peel (and eat?!).

A is saying 2-3 new words a day now. I've actually started calling him "This" because it's the word he says the most. He's also started saying "no" -- to everything. This morning I had to take him to Mom's Morning Out (since I'm helping at school) and even though he hasn't been there since December, the second he saw the building he started to cry and say No NO NOOOOO. Do you hear faint screams? That's probably him. It broke my heart. For about 3 seconds. Then I rushed home to enjoy my hour of total quiet, uninterrupted alone time. Yay me!

I can't believe summer is right around the corner. I'm sorta dreading the days of "what do we do now?" but it is tempered by not having to get up at 5:30 a.m. and rush around every morning. Plus, this year D will be doing swim lessons and a bunch of camps so it's mostly just fun.

I'm off to Dino Day!

Must. Post. Soon.

After a frenzy of activity last week: baking up Chocolate Goodies for my Pay it Forward packages, helping with Teacher Treat's for D's school, and finally heading out of town for my Bro's 40th birthday party, it has occurred to me that I've not been posting as regularly, frequently or as lengthily as I'd like. (Although it probably suits you just fine.)

Things will probably get worse before they get better as it is a short week for D at school and I'm heading out of town again (I think) and I still have the normal range of household duties to perform/manage/ignore. Since Tuesdays are our busy day around here, I got dinner ready this morning instead of waiting until after school & swim lessons. This will, I hope, relieve some of the stress of getting dinner ready and on the table while the whippersnappers whine for snacks and I whine back that there are NO SNACKS before dinner and if you ask me one more time I will [insert empty threat]. Hopefully, having dinner PRE-pared will allow me to be the gracious and loving mom I want to be, offering up constructive ways for the kids to occupy themselves for 15 minutes while I boil pasta and not the royal bitch crabby and yelling mom I can be when I'm trying to whip up a healthy interesting dinner in the 15 minutes before everyone dies of hunger and that I highly suspect no one is going to eat anyway. Sigh. Is there an upside to having one of the world's pickiest eaters?

Cooking away

I've got half of the goodies for my Pay it Forward boxes ready! Woohoo! And it only took me four days to get to it! That would be two days of planning, two of shopping and now today -- cooking. If all goes according to schedule (both mine & A's) the goodie boxes will be on their way to the winners first thing in the morning. The two "easy" goodies are done -- I just have to bake cookies and get everything all packed up.

Have I mentioned that A is now only napping about every other day? And has decided to start "talking?" What a big boy!! Here are some of his favorite vocabulary words:

"meeeeees!" - please
"moh" - more
"cuk" - cookies
"Mah" - my beautiful, wonderful mommy

"meeeeees!" - please
"meeeee" - I (not to be confused with "meeeeees")
"juh" - would like some juice
"Dahhhh" - like my sister D
"gaaaahhhh" - although I won't drink it


"meeeee" - I
"gu" - am going
"dun" - downstairs
"aaaaaaahhhh" - NOW! With or without you!


"meeeee" - I
"bis" - am going peepee (we think he's actually trying to say penis. Whatever. At least he knows where it's coming from.)
"Dahhhh" - on D in the tub
"hahahahahaha" - isn't that funny?!


"play bead" - please let me play with the super-dangerous, major-choking-hazard, must-be-supervised-at-all-times bead set.

And the winner is....

Thank you to Texas Preppy and Cindy for entering my Pay it Forward contest!! I had A (my 21 month old assistant) "help" me draw names, and maybe it was the sight of just those two lonely entries sitting in the basket, but he steadfastly, repeatedly refused to draw just one. So... I declare you BOTH winners of my Pay it Forward (w/Chocolate!) giveaway! I'll be sending you an email shortly to get your shipping info.. or if you read this before I get around to it, please email me. And of course now you get to host your very own Pay it Forward!

Thanks for playing! Have a great weekend!

Pay it forward.... with Chocolate!

I'm still on Cloud 9 after winning the Grosgrain Garage pincushion Pay it Forward contest! And yes, I do sew... or actually embroider... once in a great while. I'm also campaigning for a sewing machine, so I can start making cool things myself -- although, as I don't really have the "eye" for pattern, color or design, my creations may be for My Eyes Only. We'll see.

ANYHOO.

As part of my winning, I've agreed to host my very own Pay it Forward. So if you win mine, you agree to host your own. And so on and so on. It's the gift that keeps on giving! As I mentioned yesterday, I'm a decent baker/cook so I've decided to give away a Chocoholic Basket o' Treats! Items may include:

Homemade dark chocolate pudding mix (just add milk),
Dark chocolate bark, and
Decadent double-chocolate cookies

So, please leave me a comment before noon tomorrow (Thurs. 4/10) and I'll announce the winner on Friday! I'd do it earlier, but I'm committed to making a pile of wrap sandwiches for the teachers at D's school for tomorrow so, between grocery shopping, making sandwiches, taking sandwiches and all the other stuff I have to do I know I won't get to it before then.

Good luck!

Pins(cushions) and needles!

YIPPPPEEEEEEE!!! The most un-winningest person in the Western Hemisphere has WON something. I'm the Lucky winner of the Pay it Forward contest over at Grosgrain Garage! Thanks to the unbelievably talented and stylish Lisagh, I'll be receiving this very, very soon...








(Sorry Cindy!)

So! Check back later today... or maybe first thing in the morning.... for the details on my own Pay it Forward giveaway. I sure don't have Lisagh's talent with needle and thread, but I'm a pretty decent baker/cook! So I'm thinking of something along the lines of a custom care package.

Stay tuned! And thanks a million Lisagh!

TGIF

Yay Friday! A whole long family weekend ahead! Hurrah! In a perfect world, the kids would sleep until 7:30 tomorrow, wake up in a great mood, we'd get to my favorite Italian market by 9 and they'd have a whole tray of freshly-baked cannoli muffins (think jumbo muffin with ricotta, almond, cinnamon and a chocolate streusel swirl --or just take my word that they are the best muffins in the world), then we'd get some cappuccinos, some juice and head to the beach for a picnic breakfast and kite-flying session.

I'm feelin' my oats this morning, the happy happy result of three consecutive nights of unbroken sleep! (I hope I didn't just jinx it.) Kids, dogs, everyone. Yay!

This morning I actually took the time to put on an outfit, fix my hair and slap on a bit of makeup. Some may view it as a spring cleaning effort, or a celebration of our glorious, brief Florida spring weather, but really I think it's because at the Library on Tuesday night the librarian called me "sir." By mistake. Cause I really am female. Now, I have really short hair, but I've never thought of myself as "manly" looking. Really! M (sweetly) pointed out that it was at the end of a long tiring day, with my getting little sleep for the preceding couple of nights, I had on no makeup, hair was a disheveled mess, and I was dressed in one of my ratty t-shirts with a pair of old khaki shorts and flip-flops. I don't even think I was carrying a cute purse or bag or tote or anything. D and I just rushed off to the library to do the research for her April Fool book report. So. Rather than have my children exposed to anymore guessing games regarding Mommy's sexuality, I've decided to clean up my act and dress like the lady I am. So there, Library Lady!

Plus, you can't help but look cute and girly in seersucker and a little lip gloss, which is exactly what I've got on today.

Have a great weekend!

Indecisivity

I'm not an indecisive person by nature and I can be short with people who are. EXCEPT when it comes to decorating our new casa. Maybe it's the fact that we know, God willing, that we'll be here for a very long time so there's no rush to getting things done. Maybe it's that with more than double the sq ft of our old house I can't think of how to fill it up. I do know that part of the problem is that I haven't really found furniture that I love. The formal dining room and living room are all courtesy of Ethan Allen. I found an awesome solid wood kitchen table and chair set at Target (or all places) that are perfect for the breakfast area. But other that, and especially with our new master bedroom, we might as well be living on futons and milk crates. Perhaps I need professional help. But again, there doesn't seem to be any rush.

That said, I have been setting up the kids bedrooms and playrooms slowly but surely. They had all their old furniture (D needs a dresser - still looking for that, this week I want an antique, next week it will be Danish Modern or something) and I found some great stuff at Land of Nod for the playrooms. And just today I was finally able to decide on floor rugs for the playrooms! Whew -- the last hurdle (besides figuring out what to do with the lighting.) Now we'll have comfy, cozy spaces for both of the kids to play in - and for D to use for overnights or whatever in the next few years. M wants to install a chalkboard door between the playrooms - cute idea, great for leaving messages, but we have to wait until A 1) no longer eats chalk and 2) can be depended upon not to color on the walls. Although we'll let him and then I won't have to worry about artwork.

Managed to read this far? Sorry for such a boring post -- sometimes I just need to work things out by writing them down. Also helps me when the packages start arriving to remember what I was thinking when I ordered stuff. Cause honestly, sometimes I just don't remember!

Hump day

It's totally Wednesday around here. M had to be up at 4:00 (yes, AM) today to fly to Miami for a couple of days. Being a morning person anyway, I rarely go back to sleep on those early days and today was no exception.

We're still recovering from a few of the illnesses that graced our March Malady Month. A is down to about 1/2 a box of tissue a day, I'm down to one Benadryl a day and A has only gagged-up once today! Hooray! Of course, Fize the Wonder Dog was up at 5:30 barfing in the kitchen, but hey that's what you get when you eat every piece of rubbish you come across.

To add to the challenging fun of getting a five-year-old ready for school by 7:30 each day, D has requested NO SANDWICHES for her school lunch. NO PROBLEM, I reply, but you're going to have to eat something besides fruit. So our new lunch schedule for the remainder of the school year is:

Monday - pasta day
Tuesday - stir-fry day
Wednesday - burrito day (this may not stick since she hates beans and I feel like she should have something besides cheese)
Thursday - chicken day
Friday - pizza day (this is the only day I let her buy school lunch)

For the record, I wanted a seafood day - D loves shrimp and almost all fish - but M nixed it as being too smelly and raised some important food-safety issues, i.e., how to keep shrimp hot/cold until lunchtime using only a Thermos container or ice packs.

For tomorrow's chicken, I'm roasting some mini-drumettes with a plum-hoisin-oyster sauce. I'm going to start sending her with tiny cups of salad in addition to these goodies. Or maybe broccoli or asparagus spears, both of which she loves. Because she needs her fruits and veggies.

And because I rarely practice what I preach and I'm also not a big fan of sandwiches, for my lunch I'm having a delicious dish of Talenti Caribbean Coconut gelato. Low fat! All natural! Yummy! With just enough coconut to make you feel like you're on vacation. It's a little hard to find, but I got mine at the local natural grocery just up the street.

Such a geek

So on D's homework sheet tonight one of the assignments was to do a research report on chicks, due Friday, 3-5 pages with illustrations and a bibliography.

So after swim lessons and dinner, I rushed A into bed so that we could get to the Library before it closed and get some good reference books. I spent a solid hour with her there, teaching her about call numbers, the Encyclopedia and - God help me - how to cite. (Not for nothing is she the daughter of an English Lit major and a lawyer - we cite everything around here.)

On the way home, it occurred to me that this might be a bit advanced for a Kindergarten class. I re-read the homework sheet when we got back and there it was in teeny, tiny print at the bottom: "April Fools!"

I've been HAD.

What's more geeky... that I fell for it or that I was pretty excited about the project? Perhaps I need a hobby....

Down time

When I need half an hour to regroup during the day, I have the kids do this:








A is slooowwwly recovering from the vile Flu bug. (Thankfully, no one else got it!) He goes through a box of tissue a day though and is up at least once a night to spit up. Poor runny baby! I feel like I haven't had a minute of downtime in weeks. Our water bill is going to SUCK since I've had to do at least one load of laundry a day. But enough about the Flu. He's getting better and that's all that matters. I think he's well enough to do a short trip to the beach to play tomorrow morning. I loved going to the beach with D when she was little. We'd play in the surf and sand and then have a picnic lunch. She got all tired out; I got an amazing tan. We'll see what happens when A & I go. As with most things with him, it could be amazing, fun and relaxing or a utter screaming hassle. No doubt about it -- and it's not just a boy-girl thing -- he's a different type of kid altogether.

One week ago:

A was not sick

I was not tired

We all got a normal night's sleep

We were getting ready for Easter

We were doing this:

Problem-solving with math

A has the flu. It was sorta inevitable given how sick we/my mom/everyone we know has been, but I still hate to see my kids sick. Especially when it come on at around 10:00 at night. Especially when it involves having to get them out of bed at 10:00 at night to prop up their mattresses and put spit-up cloths under them. And especially when they get sick right when M will be gone overnight on a business trip. Yay! More all-night fun for mom.

So, here's how we are solving today's problems, using Visa Commercial Math:

One sick toddler + sick toddler waking up every hour + sick toddler hacking up a lung (- a few hours rocking sick toddler) = exhausted mama

Sick toddler + exhausted mama = D's Unlimited Video Watching Day

Sick toddler + exhausted mama + husband out of town = Chocolate pudding for dinner

Exhausted mama + chocolate pudding = Self-indulgent pity party

Exhausted mama + pity party + two kids at home (- Videos) = Grandiose craft ideas

What kind of grandiose craft idea? Well, in my exhaustion, I'm trying to work out how I can make floor cushions for the kids. I'm actually surprised I'm not just hoofing it over to PetSmart to buy dog beds for them to use, because at about 4:00 a.m., when the idea first occurred to me, that was my first instinct. After all, Fize the Dog with Nine Lives has had several wonderful dog beds from there and they are the perfect size and come in cute patterns.... but then again is it weird to have the kids lounging on the floor on dog beds? Plus, maybe Fize would be confused? Shouldn't she have something that is hers and hers alone?

Anyway, here's the math:

Two floor cushions from Amazon + shipping and handling = $160 (approx.)

Two foam inserts + materials + sewing machine + learning to sew (- putting off all my other chores) + hypothetical issue of whether I'd ever sew anything again = $200 (approx.)

Hmmm... what to do....

Easter: Not just eggs

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with my brother and his family in Naples. Despite my mom still not feeling quiet up to par, we managed to fill our hearts (and baskets) with love, play and wonderful food. My SIL put together a fab spread for Easter morning lunch/brunch and even though we did not make it to Mass this year, it was wonderful to be with our extended family.

After lunch/brunch, we hid almost 200 eggs in my brother's huge yard for the kids. For the first time ever, all of them were old enough to participate in the egg hunt. It was so much fun to see the older ones (ages 3-11) running as fast they could to find as many as the could. A took it slower - he was very methodical in his egg-seeking: you look on the bench, under the bench, carefully between each bench slat and finally do a careful survey of the bench and its environs, just to be sure. And all with an ultra-serious look on his face as if he had finally figured out that the finding and collecting of eggs was his main mission in life. So cute. This being Florida, we don't even fill the eggs. We used to, back when there was just my nephew and we would hide about a dozen eggs, but we quickly found that almost any candy (even jelly beans!) will melt, mush or otherwise disintegrate in the punishing Florida heat. And we had a problem too with any undiscovered eggs later attracting ants, roaches and other vermin to the scene. So, because there are so many kids in the family now, and they all get baskets with candy and treats anyway, we skip that part of the ritual.

This week is D's Easter Vacation from school. I'm trying to strike a balance between planning fun activities and giving her lots of downtime, but either way it means that I'm twice as busy during the day as usual. And? A has finally given up his nap. Sigh. He's gone from my baby to a toddler in a blink of an eye. And wouldn't you know it? I've got that weird longing to hold a baby, cuddle a baby, to be pregnant again. I mean I know at almost 42 years old it isn't the most practical thing to want, but the yearning is there sometimes. I think M feels it too. Since 2002 our main focus has been on having kids -- now we're moving on to raising them.

What?!

Yesterday (on a scale of 1-10):

Weather - 2. It was super windy. I really don't like wind. It bothers me and makes me edgy.

Children - 7. A is getting his last four teeth and is drooling, crying and has an upset tummy. D is on Easter Vacation and is already missing her school friends, the chicks her class hatched out as part of their "farm unit" and her routine. She was weepy and needy at bedtime last night and as I gave her a final kiss she, in a choky sad voice, blurted out "Am I going to die in my sleep?" Oh my. For one panicked, selfish moment (it was 8:15 - 45 mins. past her regular bedtime, so she was tired and I knew it and I was tired too) I wanted to say something quick and meaningless ("Of course NOT honey!") and get back downstairs to American Idol and M and some girl scout cookies. But then... I just couldn't. So I curled up on her bed and rubbed her back and asked her why she thought about that right before bed. We ended up having a very beautiful conversation about God and Heaven and some of the things we Believe and why we Believe them... with a nice bit of biology thrown in there as well. Going to parochial school (especially at Easter!) they get a lot of information about the Spirit, but sometimes she wonders about the mechanics of it all as well. A nicely balanced kid we've got there.

Baking efforts - 5. As the weather continues to warm up here my baking suffers apace. Hot, humid (windy!) conditions are just not conducive to the creaming of butter, or whipping of egg whites or heating up the oven - and thus the kitchen and the house. I think our a/c labored until almost 9 last night to cool down the house. Plus, whatever manages to bake and brown will be totally un-crisped and soggy unless eaten or frozen almost immediately. So, bring on the days of BBQ, salads, stove-top meals and frozen desserts! I make an amazing toasted coconut ice cream -- no oven required!

American Idol - 1. Hello, America? Kristy Lee Cook DOES NOT look like she wants to be in this competition!! She's had no performances worth mentioning, she looks visibly uncomfortable on stage, she has no charisma or star presence (although she's probably a very nice person) and now she has to tour with the rest of the Top 10?! I think those were tears of terror she was crying last night! Please, please stop voting for her just because she's pretty and has shiny blonde hair. Let her go. Have mercy. I'm no Amanda Overmeyer fan, but at least she knows how to entertain!

Have a wonderful Thursday. It's laundry day here @ Three's Company!

Breathe

Thank you to everyone who emailed or commented with sanity-saving wisdom! Sometimes what you need most is to know that other people do have the same problems/issues/concerns/fears that you do. After I mustered my emotions and scaled down from royally pissed to ticked off to irritated, M & I had some discussion about what occurred last weekend and after things like "obtuse" (my word) and "martyr" (his) were said, we were able to clear the air a bit. I can't say he'll actually do any better (thank you Stacey for your example!) but at least I have an inkling of where he is coming from now.

Things have been a lot calmer this week, not the least because most everyone is healthy again. A's pink-eye seems to have cleared up WITHOUT infecting anyone else (and I don't have to give him eyedrops 3x/day anymore, which was getting physically impossible anyway), and Easter weekend is nigh. Easter is my favorite time of the year, because of everything it signifies and promises about renewal.

As part of our family Easter celebration, we usually host my entire family and at least part of M's here for Easter Sunday brunch, but this year with my mom just recovering, we decided to go to Naples. My wonderful sis-in-law, who is a professionally-trained chef, is hosting dinner both Saturday and for Easter Sunday. Go Nicole!! She is a stupendous cook and she & my brother are excellent hosts. Plus their house is totally kid-friendly. So it looks like I'll be both relaxed and well-fed this weekend, which are two of my favorite states of being.

I need to rant for a second

I try not to make this blog too too negative or rant-y or soapboxy, because all in all I have a very blessed and wonderful life and family and I am truly, deeply grateful for it and everyone in my life.

BUT.

Remember over the past few weeks, when maybe I've blogged a few times about all the various maladies striking my family, and then striking me? I may have glossed over (to spare you the gory details) of just how sick I was, but suffice it to say I couldn't be far from a bathroom for about 3 days. And yes, M did step up to the plate and help me the ONE night that I was so sick that I literally couldn't get out of bed. But. Even that night, I seem to dimly recall staggering downstairs around 10:00 to clean up the kitchen, make school lunches and set the coffee. The rest of the time? By which I mean all day and usually at least 2 times a night? I was on call for the kids, trying to maintain a semblance of normal routine, cooking meals, grocery shopping, cleaning to keep the germs at bay, laundry, playing, homework, reading and comforting children as needed. In between those activities, I took my meds, ran for the bathroom as needed, cursed my luck and I might have cried once or twice because I really did feel horrible and I was so so worried about my mom.

M has had a similar bug for a day now and (here's the griping part) is he pitching in to help with the kids? cleaning the bathrooms to help keep HIS germs at bay? picking up the laundry strewn around our bedroom? reading a story between trips to the bathroom? No. He is upstairs, wrapped in cozy blankets, reading and resting on the couch in our sunroom. I love him dearly, really, but COME ON. Give me a break. I managed. I can't even imagine copping out like that. And I hate to sound ugly, but I can't help but think of it as a cop out. I have managed to somehow paint myself into a role in the household where not only does he not feel like he needs to pitch in, but when I do he acts like I'm imposing on him. Indicative of this dilemma is his referring to watching the kids as him "babysitting" -- I don't believe that when I ask him to watch the kids it's babysitting. Most would call that parenting. And God forbid he actually take the two of them somewhere - he won't. Can't handle it, doesn't know how to prepare for it, and would never offer to, let alone actually do it. He will actually complain that we "never" get to have a date night, but then fully expect me to coordinate a (real) babysitter, make plans, take care of feeding/bathing the kids before we go out, etc. Then I get to rush around, get dressed and go out for a few hours. We have had many, many conversations about it all of which revolve around the fact that he has to do his job (supporting the family) and I have to do mine. I have tried to remind him that he works set hours, Monday-Friday but my job happens to be 24/7 with no time off, lunch breaks or even a smoke break (if I smoked). But he calls that "trumping" him and then I'm left feeling ungrateful and whiny. His other advice is "you don't need to do that" which can apply to activities as varied as grocery shopping to laundry to cleaning to getting the kids to clean up their messes. But if I don't do it, who will?! Should I let the house fester on unattended to? Should we run out of milk? Toilet paper? Will that spur him on?

Am I bitter because we were supposed to be on vacation this week so it hits me doubly hard that it's just business as usual around here? Probably yes. I probably just need some time to myself, which I fully, selfishly expect to get in 17 months or so when A will start pre-school. But for now, the occasional vent will have to suffice. Anyone have any perspective on the situation for me? Am I just a whiner? Any good advice on how to get your mate to pitch in? Or am I fighting a losing battle?

Road trip

I'm too stressed to clean my own house, so I'm packin' up the kids and heading to my parents for an overnight. I think they'll need a little help cleaning, maybe do some grocery shopping, make them a nice pot of chili or something. My mom is feeling a lot better, but is still pretty weak and I don't want her to overdo and get tired and relapse.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Fallen idols?

Guess I'm not the only one having a bad week. I've been following the fallout of Gov. Elliot Spitzer's scandal fairly closely because before I was a SAHM I worked for an excellent, reputable, wonderful company that he ruined with his lies and innuendo. He cost my former employer their stellar reputation (no charges were ever filed), cost many people their careers and absolutely destroyed the stock price. I lost a ton of money, as did many of my co-workers, as we were all invested in the company stock plan. His self-righteousness, blatant political aspirations and sanctimony are now coming back to him in spades. I hope his wife leaves him and he goes to jail.

In other Idol (idle?) news, I loved last night's American Idol Top 12 round. I think we're beginning to separate the wheat from the chaff now and what the HELL are Kristy Lee Cook & David Hernandez still doing in the competition?! I think Danny/Danielle was better than both of them -- at least he was entertaining. I was also pleased to see that David A. had some missteps as well. He's always irritated me a bit. My faves? Brooke White (I'd buy her album RIGHT NOW if she had one!) and Chikizie! I also liked David C.'s rendition of Eleanor Rigby. We'll be tuning in to watch the results tonight for sure. It's funny because M & I have never watched the show or followed the contestants this closely before, but since the writer's strike sent all our fave programs into reruns, we really didn't have a choice. And now we're hooked.