A New Look

I have playing around with blog templates and a cool site, Picnik, that my friend Shannon told me about to edit/enhance photos http://www.picnik.com/app#/home/welcome

A Little Break

On Tuesday, I got a little break from Mommyhood when I dropped Riley off at Uncle Josh's while I went to the Dermatologist. Most people wouldn't think this was a break but I got some alone time with a magazine and a few adults so I didn't mind getting stuck and prodded.

After we had Riley sufficiently distracted by the puppies, Mimi Rose and Tallulah Belle, I snuck out while Josh and his sister took over. He said she kept herself busy by staring at the dogs through the french doors. "She think she's at the zoo," Josh told me. Riley has never been to the zoo, but we'll go with that.

Meanwhile, back at the office, I relayed to the doctor that I have these moles and skin tags that keep popping up. She says, "You're at the age where weird things start appearing on your body." After she told me that the dry patches on my eyelids is Eczema I had about enough of my adult outing and was on my way. Getting older is awesome isn't it?

After I left the office, I called Josh to report that I was on my way home. He said, "I think she did a stinky," with a little disgust in his voice.

"It's OK," I said, "I'll change it when I get there. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Josh and his sister evidently felt sorry for Riley/couldn't stand the stench and ended up changing her diaper. They explained it was a two-man job. Josh evidently told his sister, "Jamie says that you have to clean her va-ja-ja when she does a stinky." He told me that he felt better if his sister took care of that area.

For some reason, I felt so relaxed after my appointment. Besides have random bandages all over my neck, I felt rejuvenated from my little break. It also helped that Riley had a good time at the "zoo" as well. I'm thinking about joining a gym so I can get daily breaks like this --- I don't want to work out or anything crazy like that, I just want to use the child care. Maybe I can drop her off to play with the other kids and find a gym that has a smoothie bar?

Shhh...Mommy's Asleep

Sometimes, I like to "pretend" I'm sleeping in Riley's playroom while she flits around the room. Yesterday, I laid down on the large, stuffed lion and placed a teddy bear conveniently over my face. It was warm and cozy in there. She was fine for a bit, having a tea party behind my back while talking to herself. After a bit, I was really starting to relax and enjoy my alone time with Mr. Lion and Teddy. Then, Riley has to come and interrupt by placing books on top of me and saying, "Mommmmyyyyy." When I didn't respond and after trying to stifle my laughter, she began gently patting on my head. This led to her yanking me up by my hair to insist that I read a book to her.
Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Anxiety

I am anxious that Riley and I will be traveling by plane for the first time to TX.

I am anxious that she has strep throat for the second time in her short life.

I am anxious because I am going to have to deal with TSA...with a 15 month old.

I am anxious to be away from my Main Man Dan for a week.

I am anxious that Riley is so "active" and there is not a spare seat on the plane.

I am anxious because I hate flying and I get motion sickness.

I am anxious because Riley hates sleeping away from home.

But really, I'm excited about getting away for a bit and seeing my parents and bro...not so much about the other stuff.

A vibrating WHAT?

Yes, that is right, if you haven't seen the advertisements, there is a new mascara on the market that has a vibrating wand! Can you just imagine a round-table discussion brainstorming new and creative ideas and someone busts out with: Let's make mascara vibrate! Who wants a stick shaking by their eye? It is bad enough to torture our lashes with a curler but now, consumers are expected to take it one step further? If I want to get really crazy, I'll just take my regular 'ol wand and shake it around a few times as I apply it. I'll skip the battery operated alternative thank you very much. I can't imagine what would happen if you operate that machinery under the influence or with a toddler yanking at your leg.

Murphy Made Me Do It...

So again, the bad Mommy that I am, walked out of Riley's line of vision for mere moments to wash out a glass and this is what I return to. Poor Murphy, he never had a chance with Baby Houdini around all the time.

Mommy's Little Helper

So, I was loading a bin full of clothes that Riley has outgrown. I turn my back for one second and this is what I find...

Hit me baby one more time...

I have two baby dolls leftover from childhood. One, a cabbage patch red-head doll that my Dad's hard work earned after he installed a bunch of fans in a Sears manager's home. They were in high demand in the 80s. The second doll, is a little more life-like, with a bald head, eyes that close when she lays down, and a soft body. This one is Riley's favorite.

And when I say favorite, I mean it's her favorite for me to carry around.

At first, Riley will walk around and hold the baby and give her kisses. She will hide with the baby doll, play with her shoes, and use her as a pillow.

Then, she gets tired of all that nonsense and expects ME to carry around the baby. She doesn't want me to put the baby down, oh no, she wants me to hold it. So, in my insane mind and to prevent the 20th meltdown of the day, I stupidly oblige. So, there I am, making dinner, with a baby doll slung over my shoulder. The neighbors must think I'm nuts.

Water, Water Everywhere

The past few days have been filled with lots of fun and play dates. Yesterday, we went over to a friend's house to play. They have a long, green snake that spurts out water along his body. While the moms snacked and chatted, the kids played in the lovely non-Florida grass, went down the slide, and played with the water snake.
While I thought Riley would be really interested in playing in the water, she was more interested in pushing Lily's baby doll stroller. Then...the big guns were pulled out - the red car. As I know Riley has a strong obsession with our little red car, I knew she would be excited about it. Indeed she was. So much so, she tried to push everyone out of the car. We are really working on sharing, I promise, but it's really hard for her to comprehend that saying, "No, no, no" to her little friends and squeezing and pushing them until they exit is not nice. So...Riley had to go to time out...in the corner of the patio. If that wasn't enough fun for one day, the moms loaded up the kids, 7 in all, and headed out to Chik-Fil-A. I think my little peanut is going to turn into a little nugget. After a little lunch, we headed home for a nap for Riley and Mommy.

So, I guess I am a glutton for punishment and wanted to continue our water adventures later that afternoon. Riley loves to go "side" but it is so blazing hot that I am tempted to stay indoors for the rest of the summer. So, my brilliant idea was to let her play with her little red car (a different type but still oh so exciting) while I ran the sprinkler for her. We have an old school one that rotates from left to right as it sprays a fan of water. Because of the lack of good grass in our yard, I assembled the water excitement on the driveway, stripped Riley down to nothing and let her go at it. So picture this: A naked toddler running down the street while pushing a little red car...and a drenched mother running and yelling after her.

You see, Riley was somewhat perturbed that the "rain," as she called it, was messing with her alone time with the car. She kept telling it "No" and trying to run away from the sprinkler. My thoughts of a hot summer day, frolicking in the sprinkler was dampened. Instead, I had a butt naked baby screaming and running in the middle of the street. Sign me up for Mother of the Year Award, please.

After I pried her little hands off the car's handle, I carried her inside. During her bath and at least for a good 15-20 minutes afterwards, she was wailing, screaming CCAAARRRR!

I called Dan at work and told him that when he returned home to find the driveway littered with clothes and a diaper, a sprinkler, a red car, oh, and our house phone, to not be alarmed. We were not kidnapped, I just couldn't return outside to collect the rest of our belongings for fear of another CCCAAARRR incident.

Friends at the Table

Yeah me!

I finally figured out how to add a visitor counter to the site. You can find it under, "Friends at the Table" on the left side of the page.

Patience and "trial and error" does pay off.

Now...if I could just learn to perfect my chocolate chip cookie recipe, the day could be declared a success!

The Wrinkle Test

We got a new Whirlpool "Duet Steam" front loading washer & dryer. First of all, I couldn't figure out what to do with it so I waited until Dan got home to read the directions to me. Call me lazy if you will, I will tell you that I have a one year old.

To begin, we had to run the washer with no clothes in it to make sure it was clean, I guess. No lie, Dan and I stood mesmerized, staring into the glass dome. We weren't sure it was even on because it made very little noise...compared to our old clunker anyway.

While I have been on the computer typing away, Dan has been reading out interesting facts from the booklet. It is 9:30 and we are putting in our first official load. Then, Dan decides to bust out the big guns and give it the "Wrinkle Test." He had me thoroughly examine his dress shirt & pants he intends to wear tomorrow to work - every wrinkle on the bottom, sleeves, and also, it was necessary to give it a smell test. It was strange. He is pumped. You would think he does the laundry or something. He walks out to inspect the load every so often, popping his head in to proudly announce, "There is a light in the dryer!"

Results of the Wrinkle Test: Pretty Good!
Not iron quality, but a lot less wrinkled. It beats throwing it into the dryer with a wet bath towel. As an added plus, it got all of the stray dog hair off of the blue dress pants.

Independence Day

We started this Fourth of July with a parade. We came late so I think we missed the good floats. Dan made the remark that all we saw were contractor trucks and trailers pulling sweaty, candy throwing people. But, Riley was a good little parade watcher as she twirled her flags and waved at the people passing by.

After we stopped at Riley's favorite eatery, Chik-Fil-A for the usual, nuggets and milk (Mommy & Daddy love the sweet tea), we headed home. Our little firecracker took a long nap and awoke a few hours later to help Daddy plan the dinner menu. Dan has decided that the weekends will be his chance to cook for the family since I am the chef throughout the week. I am more than happy to oblige, and I must admit, I get a kick of making him put on my cupcake apron.

So, as I enjoyed my own little Independence Day from cooking, Riley and I played and snacked on Daddy's homemade gingerbread cookies. That's right ladies, homemade. They smelled and tasted delicious. For the main meal, Dan tried out a new Rachel Ray recipe, Tex-Mex Fried Chicken with Corn on the Cob. Very southern, we thought. Riley had her first encounter with corn on the cob. She loved her some butter and corn. She sucked and ate her way all the way around the cob. It was precious.

After dinner, we gathered all of our supplies and headed to our little city's Fourth of July bonanza. This year, they were doing a laser light show instead of fireworks, a good alternative to the loud blasts that we knew Riley would be afraid of.

She had a great time running around, looking at the red, white, and blue balloons that hung overhead, and dancing to the music. Sometimes, I think she got confused, and she would walk up to a group of people and sit down with them. It was funny and strange all at the same time.

We met a nice family of three who were seated next to our blanket. Their daughter was 20 months and Riley was slightly enamoured with her, her stroller, and her chair. Then, they got ice cream and all hell broke loose as Riley's taste buds went into overdrive. After standing in line for a good 2o minutes, Dan also returned with ice cream for his two favorite girls.

After 9:00 (over an hour past regular bedtime) the laser light show finally started. We were a little disappointed because it was not what we imagined. There was a large inflatable screen in which they projected images on while a green laser fanned across the crowd. I guess we were expecting more of a light show that resembled fireworks.

Finally, at 10:00, we returned home with a very cranky and sweaty baby. She drifted off to sleep as soon as we put on her pajamas, cradling her blankie as we sang our bedtime songs.

All in all, it was a busy, fun day...definitely one to remember.

Exercise

I don't like exercising. I hate sweating in particular and my face gets flushed the moment I start to heat up. Dan thinks he is getting fat. (Insert eye roll). He points to his belly where his 6-pack once resided. So, in effort to battle the "bulge" he is taking up an exercise routine. I say routine, but we will see as this was his first day back on the bandwagon.

Before Riley and I even rose from our slumber, Dan retreated to the garage for some push-ups and curls with the weights. Then, if that wasn't enough, he came in and told me he and Murphy were going for a run.

....Some time passes....

I hear Riley rustling in her crib and make my way over to the other side of the house, blinking back the sleep from my eyes. That's when I see it. Dan is sprawled out on his back near the front door. Without stopping, I ask if he is OK. His reply, "I think I'm having a heart attack." To which I say, "Alright, well, when you are done, can you take out the garbage?"

Dan has always been an active guy, playing rugby and other sports. But, as he is aging, his body is having a tough time making it around the lake twice. I can say all this from the comfort of my home...in the air conditioning. See, this is why I don't exercise.

Check Yourself before you Wreck Yourself

I am tired, so tired.
I need a reality check.


Breakfast

Riley: Waffle, milk, strawberries and banana

Me: Coffee


Lunch:

Riley: Cheese Quessadilla, spinach nuggets, milk, and fruit

Me: Brownie

Sleep:

Riley: 12 hours + a night

Me: Maybe 7

Activities:

Riley: Running, climbing, exploring, chasing, and laughing

Me: School work, dinner, cleaning, chasing around running, climbing, exploring, chasing, and laughing toddler

Clothes:

Riley: Yesterday, I actually IRONED her top. I couldn't believe it!

Me: Two-day old $2 tank-top and over sized shorts. Who has time to find clean clothes that fit?

Hair:

Riley: A perfect pony, complete with matching bow.

Me: New hair-do is (semi-dirty) slicked back with a bobby-pin.