Are You Trying To Sell Me Something?

Beware Dorothy, there are actual humans behind the blogosphere curtain.  We met, they're better than I could have hoped for, and they didn't try and sell me anything.  

Yup, Hot Blogging Mamas

They wear hot mama shoes, too.

Check out our hostess Katydidnot.  She cooks a mean lasagna, has a heart full of laughter and house full of children to adore.

Blog This Mom rocked her biker boots, and knows how to WRITE.  Find her.  Tell her she's a writer.  Make her believe it.

We don't know how she pulls it off, but if you want a role model talk to Jenn at Juggling Life for advice on doing it ALL, and doing it well.

San Diego Momma knows how to snap a photo, make you laugh, and balance family life.

And Aaryn Belfer tells it like it is with compassion and dignity, all wrapped up in a smile while balanced on smokin' hot red wedge sandals.

The kiddos were amazing.  Maybe they have been reading over our shoulders because they seemed to sense the beauty of friendship around them.  A certain little sweet-pea even shared her birthday with us.   

If you can, go make it real.  Meet your local blog friends.  These ladies did not disappoint.  I officially have a crush on them all.    

The Sanitation Patrol

This video is about 6 months old, but I thought it was pretty cute toddler talk.  This is my very first blog-video, and it took me far too long to upload so I must be doing something wrong.  But, I think I've found a new way to spend my time -- editing home movies.

Prepare for many more editions, and hope for me that I'll figure out how to do it in under an hour next time.

New Material Coming

I've neglected to post for a few days.  My daughter, literally, just asked me, "Mommy, when are you going to be done with your computer?"  

I know I'm not alone.  When I finally went to check on some of my blog-friends, LaskiGal said exactly what I was feeling.

So, I'll be back.  But I'm waiting until naptime, or bedtime.  I miss my blog friends, but my kids miss me more.  

After Easter Clean-Up

Easter grass is a major no-no in our house.  Won't buy it.  It's messy and probably bad for the environment.  Easter grass, right up there with Christmas tinsel is a nuisance not to be bothered with.

But plastic Easter eggs ... how do you boycott those?  I guess you don't.  So when I read this idea on re-using eggs over at My Ice Cream Diary I thought I'd give it a shot.  

What's for dinner?

Mom, that's silly.

What's Inside?

Crack it open.

Scrambled eggs!  Fun.

She had other fun ideas to check out.  I've never seen my kids eat dinner with such pleasure.  I wonder if this will work for brussel sprouts?

Wordless Wednesday

No Way Are We That Old!?

Did that sweet little cherub face get your attention?  Yup.  Mine too.

Meet Courtney, a lifelong friend.  Now I know many of you have these sweeties in your life too, because you've blogged about them.  Now it's my turn.  But, can you even take your eyes off that sweet little baby?  I know, I couldn't either.  I think when we have our own babies we *know* they're cute, but sometimes we're so darn tired that it's hard to really grasp.  Well, I sleep through the night now, and I can appreciate a cute baby in all his glory.

Meet baby Jackson.  

Courtney lives in a place far far away.  We don't get very many visits anymore.  Not without the aid of a large jet, many suitcases, rental cars, and many months of advance preparation.  So when I found out she was visiting her in-laws in a town not so far far away, I was thrilled.

We realized that we had been friends for 19 years.  No way are we that old!  How can I even be old enough to be able to say, friends for 20 years.  

As a consolation prize, the waiter carded us.  See, he didn't even think we were 21, so how could I have a friend from Junior High for nearly 20 years?

Thanks Court, for being a great friend through these fine years.  We had fun sleepovers, and we had fun being rejects at the Catholic School for a year, and we had fun road-trips together.  But the best part is playing with each other' kids'.  We've come a long way baby!  Let's see what the next 20 years brings (gulp).  

(First baby-holding session ever!  They're being careful.)

Courtney is such a good Mommy, too.  You know the kind.  The kind who say, "Oh, he's going to fuss, move his left leg, fart 3 times, blink with one eye, then fall asleep."  She knows him that well.  And she was right.  

Easter

A Matter of Semantics

I'm a bit of a grammar snob.  There are a few words that just freak my freak out when I hear them.  What?  Freak your freak out is one for you.  Well, write it in your own damn blog.  :)

The following are like nails on a chalkboard to me:

*** Can you take a "pitcher" of us?

A what?

This?

This?

Oh, a PIC-TURE. 

 

*** We drove "acrost" the country?

You what?  

***  I love all kinds of chocolate, "expecially" dark chocolate.

Ex-what?

***  As in, Bush calls for a development of more "nucular" power.

Enough Said.

***   "For all intensive purposes"

Uh huh.  So the purpose is intensive.  Mmm-hmmm.  Did you mean for all intents and purposes?  Please say yes.  

Try being married to me.  I'm no fun.

Oh, but here are some new words that I LOVE using as verbs.  It may drive you crazy, but I'm all about these:

***  I Googled it.  As in googling an ex-lover.

***  To get an idea of the value of my home, I Zillowed it.

***  Your ass just got Punk'd.

***  I'm Blogging this.

For extra credit, use all of my favorite words in one brilliant sentence.

A New Friend

Angela's Chocolate and Potatoes.  That's it.  Chocolate.  Potatoes.  Not together, as Angela mentions.  But separately, they are a way to Heaven.  Who is Angela? Angela is an incredible mother to sweet little Gregory, a wife, a massage therapist, and she is blind.  She is blind, yet she BLOGS.  You try that.  She also watches movies, works, and does all those other things us humans do.  She has a guide dog too, oh, but he lives with Angela's mother.  She inspires me.

Find out how she picks her son up from preschool when the babysitter gets stuck, and her husband couldn't leave work.  Find out how she watches movies.  And ask her other questions you may have about how she gets through the world without her vision.  She'll write you back.  She'll fascinate you.  Hopefully she'll inspire you, too.

Blog-Rolling With The Homies

Check out the updated Blog-roll.  These people are the clever little blog pals I love to check out.

Hope I haven't missed any...

Goodnight Moon

For as long as I can remember, I have read exactly two books each night to my children.  Never more, never less.  Some nights I'm in the mood to read many more.  Some nights I'd rather tuck myself in without another verse of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  But I always read exactly two.  I read two books to Tatum, and two books to Chase.  This way they have consistency.  They don't beg, "Please Mommy, one more."  They also know they can count on me, I'm good for two.  (Daddy often takes this duty with one of the munchkins, too.)

So, my twins are now 3 years, 5 months, 19 days old.  Two books per night per kid means I have read 2,528 books ... and that's just at bedtime.  Whew.  

So friends, tell me *your* bedtime routine.  

Wordless Wednesday

This Is Me

So, this is me.  I guess I don't put pics of myself up very often, not such close-ups at least.  Thanks to Brien at Detour Salon in Encinitas for yet another fine haircut.

I'm going out on a limb and changing my profile picture.  It's still me, just jamie, taken today.

Sand Berries

Isn't there something truly magical about a sleeping child?  

When my kiddos were little(r) Chase was puzzled about the "sleep" forming in the corners of his eyes.  I began to describe it with the story of the "Sand Man."  But I realized that the idea of a Sand Man coming into a toddlers' room at night may not be the best thing to think about upon falling asleep.  So I told him of the "Sand Fairy," a tiny fairy who brings sand to us while we sleep to help our eyes stay closed.  As the (revised) story goes, the Sand Fairy brings along this magical sand, but somehow the story got lost in translation.  Chase decided that the "sleep" in his eyes was actually called Sand Berries (from the Sand Fairy, of course).  To this day, I can correct him because it's too darn cute.

Here are some sweet memories of my sleeping angels.  Look close enough and you might even see the sand berries.

Prelude to Easter