Over the past few days, I've had quite a bit of this for so many things...but most obviously for my blog. I bring up my blog page and get ready to write an entry, but then just stare sadly at the screen...with a complete lack of inspiration or insight.
Much like writer's block...just not for a term paper.
And it's not as though there hasn't been a whole host of things to write, or blog, about. On the contrary, life has been quite full of blog-worthy moments.
Perhaps that's why I feel so apathetic toward writing about them...too much pressure to list them all! Sheesh.
Not that I'm melodramatic.
You can imagine how great I am at getting the Christmas Letter finished.
I think I'm just overly tired this week...our Thanksgiving holiday was by far one of the best, and honestly, I'm still recovering from the fun. My equilibrium hasn't quite been fully restored, and yet I'm already feeling the pressure to be jacked-up and excited about Christmas. Which, I am, of course...but man. We went to Miss Margaret's class today and made as many Christmas trees as you can imagine out of as many art supplies you could possibly find at Michael's. And Benjamin loved it. Adored it. Loves Jingle Bells now and is singing it non-stop...which, ok, is a welcome reprieve from the Firecracker song my dad taught him from his DVRed CMA award show...but I'm just saying. For some reason, while we sat in the circle at Miss Margaret's class today and sang songs with animated hand motions and red and green plastic eggs filled with black beans (Christmas maracas?)...I just wasn't feelin the spirit. I was more interested in my travel mug of coffee.
Sidenote: the mug is totally cute, Ann.
Honestly?
I think I'm just tired as f**k.
Now it's time to go bring the crazy-train in my TV room to a hault...Benjamin and Jonny are speed crawling through the tunnel, turning around at each end and screaming with joy as they propel themselves back through in the opposite direction. Hilarious.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Black Thursday
Without stealing the title of Black Monday, Sarah Cavanaugh...can I borrow this phrase?
Thanks.
Today was just that.
Glass of wine, DVRed 30Rock and Office...then bed.
Thanks.
Today was just that.
Glass of wine, DVRed 30Rock and Office...then bed.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Flexibility
I need more of this.
With Benjamin:
--and his ever-changing "neeeeds"...when will he stop saying this???
--and his need to draw on himself
--and his insistence on eating ketchup on everything, even his pancakes
With Jonny:
--and his desire to get up and talk happily in his crib for approx 45 each night....around 3am
--and his obsession with yanking on my ponytail...and then laughing uproariously
With Brian:
--please, that's just too private.
With myself:
and everything.
But I did manage the splits tonight (close enough, anyway) during yoga...so I'm well on my way toward achieving greater flexibility, right?
Now if I could just stop wiping down the counters 50 times a day...
With Benjamin:
--and his ever-changing "neeeeds"...when will he stop saying this???
--and his need to draw on himself
--and his insistence on eating ketchup on everything, even his pancakes
With Jonny:
--and his desire to get up and talk happily in his crib for approx 45 each night....around 3am
--and his obsession with yanking on my ponytail...and then laughing uproariously
With Brian:
--please, that's just too private.
With myself:
and everything.
But I did manage the splits tonight (close enough, anyway) during yoga...so I'm well on my way toward achieving greater flexibility, right?
Now if I could just stop wiping down the counters 50 times a day...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
You know what's so random?
Including a picture of your 2 year old in a set of concert pictures. Seriously, though, could you resist? What a nut.Wednesday, November 7, 2007
How many ways...
can you cook chicken?
Ever since we learned about Jonny's allergies, cooking meals--not to mention grocery shopping in general--has become a real challenge. In some ways I've enjoyed it, because it's caused me to get out of my rut with our meals...but lately I feel like I'm stuck in yet another one.
With chicken.
Naturally I'm trying to do more meat for protein, since he can't have eggs...but the wheat one is really the hardest! I bought some gluten-free products last week, and so far he's in love with the cereal...but I'm still working on him with the tortillas.
That's where the chicken comes in!
I made chicken quesadillas over the weekend...and by the way, folks...those tortillas aren't half bad! Brian and Benjamin gobbled them up just fine. I think Jonathan was just a little put off by the crunchiness.
Anyway, besides that, it's been every possible variation on chicken you can imagine. With brown rice (can't have white), by itself on the grill, browned in the skillet with veggies...and at the moment I'm poaching chicken, as well.
We do turkey burgers, garden burgers, etc...but holy shit, I feel like we just bought that moster-sized bag of frozen chicken breasts from Costco yesterday, and we're already nearing the end of the bag.
Just my thoughts for today.
Rather boring, I'm sure...and far less scandalous.
Ever since we learned about Jonny's allergies, cooking meals--not to mention grocery shopping in general--has become a real challenge. In some ways I've enjoyed it, because it's caused me to get out of my rut with our meals...but lately I feel like I'm stuck in yet another one.
With chicken.
Naturally I'm trying to do more meat for protein, since he can't have eggs...but the wheat one is really the hardest! I bought some gluten-free products last week, and so far he's in love with the cereal...but I'm still working on him with the tortillas.
That's where the chicken comes in!
I made chicken quesadillas over the weekend...and by the way, folks...those tortillas aren't half bad! Brian and Benjamin gobbled them up just fine. I think Jonathan was just a little put off by the crunchiness.
Anyway, besides that, it's been every possible variation on chicken you can imagine. With brown rice (can't have white), by itself on the grill, browned in the skillet with veggies...and at the moment I'm poaching chicken, as well.
We do turkey burgers, garden burgers, etc...but holy shit, I feel like we just bought that moster-sized bag of frozen chicken breasts from Costco yesterday, and we're already nearing the end of the bag.
Just my thoughts for today.
Rather boring, I'm sure...and far less scandalous.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
The many uses of baby wipes...
Honestly? Couldn't think of what to title today's entry, and I just finished cleaning up our lunch mess with the ever-useful Kirkland wipes from Costco...just love those bad boys. Unscented, which...I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of at first, since you're left with nothing to mask the stench of messy diapers. But when cleaning off faces, counters, hands, toys, spilled milk, etc...I'm mighty glad for the unscented-ness.
Anyway, I promise this isn't the extent of my post today.
What a great weekend! Brian and I left mid-afternoon on Friday for our trip to Detroit (hilarious as it sounds). After about 20 minutes in the car, we both agreed it was completely strange to be driving on the highway without children! We chatted for a while, but mostly just enjoyed the radio (NPR--yay! No Dan Zanes!!!)...and I caught up on my Parenting mags.
Our hotel was great, nothing special, but super close to the concert venue and restaurants. Dinner was so-so (Pontiac, MI is not the mecca of tasty and cultural cuisine), but we managed to enjoy several pints of yummy beer before the show.
The opening bands were pretty decent, but the second of the two was our fave--I think they were called Augustana. Brian and I obviously aren't super in touch with music these days, but congratulated ourselves on recognizing several of the songs.:) The longer we stood there (it was a club-type venue, so no seats), drinks in hand..having a good time...it brought back some really great memories from Chicago. One of our first dates, actually, was to see Coldplay at The Riv--a smallish venue for a band that was less-known in those days. Anyway, it was the beginning of a shared love for these kinds of concerts...the venues always making such a difference. We're not sit-in-your-seat-and-enjoy music type of people...so we loved it.
AND.
The band--Dashboard--was ammmazing. Incredible. Energetic, played for a long time, and had a great rapport with the audience...they really are a great concert band. The lead singer, yes, was as yummy as imagined...but by the time I had two or three gin and tonics, Brian was the yummiest thing in my mind. LOL! Not that that should be laughable...but was surprising given the context.:)
There were lots of people in their twenties...but not so much that we felt like we were chaperones.
And like I said, lots of gin and tonics.:)
Overall, what a fun night...the only time I felt seriously overage was when I was in the line for the bathroom, and there was a girl next to me texting her friend in the back of the line...."Ohmygod...".:) Oh, and she had a cigarette with her. In the bathroom.
Our drive home was really pretty with all the fall color...and by the time we pulled onto my parents' drive, we were beyond antsy to see the boys.
Unfortunately, Jonathan had just woken Benjamin up by dropping B's porta-potty (I guess it was pretty loud) on the hardwood floor upstairs...thus bringing Benjamin's nap in the lower level to a crashing halt. B was not happy.
At all.
So we had a verrrrry crabby Benjamin on our hands...but decided to go to Meijer for a family grocery experience anyway.
WHAT WERE WE THINKING??????????
Benjamin had what I termed his worst, most collossal meltdown to date while we were trying to check out with the groceries. There was a display of matchbox cars...he went into full "I'm going to go ape unless I can walk out of here with my arms loaded down with cars" mode...and I knelt down and tried to encourage him to pick one.
I knew things weren't going to go well pretty much immediately...and by the time I started putting said cars back onto the rack (who the F decided to sell these things by the anti-bac stuff and fingernail clippers at the checkout lane, anyway?) Benjamin decided to scream and yell loud enough to be heard back in the housewares dept.
He went beet red, stiff as a board, and when I picked him up...he went horizontal on me and started kicking.
It was from hell.
I walked out calmly, pressing my face into the back of his neck (so as to avoid the evil stares and few sympathetic looks)...and when we got outside, he jumped down and started bolting for the car. We have a rule that he has to hold mommy or daddy's hand in the parking lot, so as he took off he began yelling "no mommy's hand!!!".
Lovely.
I won't go into anymore excruciating detail...too late as it is, I know.
But suffice it to say, we won't be making any trips to Meijer on such low energy anytime soon...when we got home, unloaded the groceries, and started making dinner (and pouring wine heavily), Benjamin came shuffling into the kitchen.
"Mommy..mommy..."
"What, Benjamin..." (complete I love you but am really ticked at you right now sound in my voice)
"I sorry, Mommy."
PLG.
Anyway, I promise this isn't the extent of my post today.
What a great weekend! Brian and I left mid-afternoon on Friday for our trip to Detroit (hilarious as it sounds). After about 20 minutes in the car, we both agreed it was completely strange to be driving on the highway without children! We chatted for a while, but mostly just enjoyed the radio (NPR--yay! No Dan Zanes!!!)...and I caught up on my Parenting mags.
Our hotel was great, nothing special, but super close to the concert venue and restaurants. Dinner was so-so (Pontiac, MI is not the mecca of tasty and cultural cuisine), but we managed to enjoy several pints of yummy beer before the show.
The opening bands were pretty decent, but the second of the two was our fave--I think they were called Augustana. Brian and I obviously aren't super in touch with music these days, but congratulated ourselves on recognizing several of the songs.:) The longer we stood there (it was a club-type venue, so no seats), drinks in hand..having a good time...it brought back some really great memories from Chicago. One of our first dates, actually, was to see Coldplay at The Riv--a smallish venue for a band that was less-known in those days. Anyway, it was the beginning of a shared love for these kinds of concerts...the venues always making such a difference. We're not sit-in-your-seat-and-enjoy music type of people...so we loved it.
AND.
The band--Dashboard--was ammmazing. Incredible. Energetic, played for a long time, and had a great rapport with the audience...they really are a great concert band. The lead singer, yes, was as yummy as imagined...but by the time I had two or three gin and tonics, Brian was the yummiest thing in my mind. LOL! Not that that should be laughable...but was surprising given the context.:)
There were lots of people in their twenties...but not so much that we felt like we were chaperones.
And like I said, lots of gin and tonics.:)
Overall, what a fun night...the only time I felt seriously overage was when I was in the line for the bathroom, and there was a girl next to me texting her friend in the back of the line...."Ohmygod...".:) Oh, and she had a cigarette with her. In the bathroom.
Our drive home was really pretty with all the fall color...and by the time we pulled onto my parents' drive, we were beyond antsy to see the boys.
Unfortunately, Jonathan had just woken Benjamin up by dropping B's porta-potty (I guess it was pretty loud) on the hardwood floor upstairs...thus bringing Benjamin's nap in the lower level to a crashing halt. B was not happy.
At all.
So we had a verrrrry crabby Benjamin on our hands...but decided to go to Meijer for a family grocery experience anyway.
WHAT WERE WE THINKING??????????
Benjamin had what I termed his worst, most collossal meltdown to date while we were trying to check out with the groceries. There was a display of matchbox cars...he went into full "I'm going to go ape unless I can walk out of here with my arms loaded down with cars" mode...and I knelt down and tried to encourage him to pick one.
I knew things weren't going to go well pretty much immediately...and by the time I started putting said cars back onto the rack (who the F decided to sell these things by the anti-bac stuff and fingernail clippers at the checkout lane, anyway?) Benjamin decided to scream and yell loud enough to be heard back in the housewares dept.
He went beet red, stiff as a board, and when I picked him up...he went horizontal on me and started kicking.
It was from hell.
I walked out calmly, pressing my face into the back of his neck (so as to avoid the evil stares and few sympathetic looks)...and when we got outside, he jumped down and started bolting for the car. We have a rule that he has to hold mommy or daddy's hand in the parking lot, so as he took off he began yelling "no mommy's hand!!!".
Lovely.
I won't go into anymore excruciating detail...too late as it is, I know.
But suffice it to say, we won't be making any trips to Meijer on such low energy anytime soon...when we got home, unloaded the groceries, and started making dinner (and pouring wine heavily), Benjamin came shuffling into the kitchen.
"Mommy..mommy..."
"What, Benjamin..." (complete I love you but am really ticked at you right now sound in my voice)
"I sorry, Mommy."
PLG.
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