I love-a da Larlen.

My BFF/ son's godmother/ cousin's future wife/ Lauren is gone. In FL, for a month.

Hmm. Selfish, I know, but I have no one to shop, drink smoothies and cream soda, and get giddy about Hanson with.

Our whole schedule is off. Zeke walks around saying, :I love a da Larlen, where'd Larlen go?" I mope, wishing for a girls night of Ben and Jerry's PHISH Food and some kind of Brad Pitt movie.. preferably Fight Club.

And so, we have realized- we including myself, my son, my husband and my cousin (Zeke's godfather)- Lauren balances everything. She chills, she listens, she makes us laugh. She's that one person in the group people take for granted, she's our buffer. Our comfy "hey let's hang out and drink wine coolers!" nerd.

I even found an email exchange between her and my hubby the other day:

Nick : "We miss you. PS- I'm glad you don't hate me anymore. Christina needs someone to remind her how much I love her."

Lauren: "I miss you guys too. And I'm glad you aren't a doucheb@g anymore!"

Priceless.

My only salvation is our planned girls night for the night she gets back in MD... oh, and that Hanson concert we're going to in October :)

Cahrazzzzy

So. This past week Zeke got a broken nose. From my two year old niece. She kicked a cup into his nose. On purpose. And she laughed about it.

And he looks like a little raccoon with his two black eyes and purple bruise across the bridge of his nose.

Oh. man.

It's been eons.

I have not posted in forever. Well, more like four months, but still, that's a long time! So, in four months, what's happened?

I work at Lowes, CSA, and it's nuts. I know nothing about hardware and tools, but luckily I don't have to. I just push papers, handle customer complaints, and smile,... oh, and answer the phone.

Zeke is now 2 years old. And talking, and getting into everything.. it's almost as if on his second birthday he said to himself I'm two now, let's do bad things! Other than the everyday hissy fit, screaming in restaurants and thinking all toys belong to him, he's still a good kid.

I pretty much have a second child, Brooke. My brother-in-law (currently in jail)'s baby momma doesn't care for my neice properly... and doesn't care. So, Nick and I take her as much as possible. She is 2 as well, as of June... however, Ezekiel is like twice her size. And her favorite (and only) phrase is "I wannnnnt that!" Otherwise, she just kinda stares. Hopefuly we can socialize her better. She's come a long way already.

And, as boring as that is, that's about it. I start more classes soon, and I'm super busy like 24/7. BUt I'll blog once more, I promise.

Marriage, oh marriage.

Society often sees "temptation" strictly as a problem for husbands. You know, there's a hot secretary, or some chick jogging that winks at him, etc. I think few people realize what wives often pass up because of their commitment to their spouses. Now, I'm not saying women never cheat, I'm saying this woman doesn't.

I think my husbands hot, that's a given. But I swear, in the past week I have been asked out, hit on and even given a phone number by three different, and three very attractive, guys. One guy is in my sociology class, so he has access to my email, etc... awkward. Two of these incidents happened while I was with my child... desperate much? I mean, I guess some guys see a young mom as the whole package, wife and family in one step, voila.

This is what I'm getting at; many times I find myself wanting to go out to a club, dance with 'x' number of guys... skank it up. But, I'm not the average single 21-year-old. First and foremost, I'm a mom, and regardless of if I were married or not, I owe it to my child to not do that. Second, I'm married, I made a commitment to Nick. Some people say they one day realize I am stuck with [insert name here] forever? Same conversations, same sex, same mundane cycle?

I love our same mundane cycle, and I wouldn't trade it for the world... even if that Justin guy has the most toned arms I have ever seen.

Viri...

Exactly what is the plural of virus? Viruses, viri?

Anyway, my son has one. Ah, yes, vomit, fever, grumpy, absolutely pitiful ...and milking every moment of it. I find myself wondering, when did he learn this?

In his defense, he is quite ill. He's somehow managed to lose 4 pounds this week, a feat I can't even seem to accomplish in two weeks. So, now I'm trying to find a way to make chicken soup with three times the daily calorie intake, maybe I can beef him up.

Despite being miserable, hot one moment and cold the next, my child is being the sweetest little man. Cuddly, and smiling and whenever someone coughs he asks "ok?" But, by far today's events take the cake.

While at the Dr.'s office, Zeke was in a good mood. Smiling, giggling, all aspects of his flirty 2-year-old charm. The Pa was checking his throat.. and goosh... vomit all over her. I kinda snorted, I couldn't help but laugh. Of course, Zeke's response was, Oh nooooooooooo. Sorsy!!!! Oh nnnnnnooooooooooooooooooo.

It took a while to clean up and calm him down, but I wish I would have had a video camera. Oh, I love my child, vomit and all.

***lots of links! if you don't know what it is, more than likely I linked it!***

I was reading a blog that I follow.. yeah this one right here, and in the post it mentioned the shootings that happend in Knoxville. The crazy mans letter.

Seriously. What has gotten into people. I understand disagreeing with other people's politics, but blaming, let alone hating, them enough to massacre them? And his argument is that they aren't Christians. Last time I checked:

1. God frowns on killing other people, in fact, it's one of those things called the Ten Commandments.

2. Jesus was a socialist. For real though, he was.

It's all so petty. People make me sad... furthermore, ignorant people piss me off. Ugh.

Naptime.. the bane of my existence

So, I get home from classes and picking Zeke up.. and wham! he's in a horrible horrible mood. Naptime! So, I figure I can get him to take an hour nap from 4-5, in bed by 8:30, no problem.

Ha! What a joke! He went "night night" supposedly. Supposedly meaning he lied still until I stopped checking on him, stood up, got undressed, peed everywhere and then came into the living room grunting, "Oh no, Mommy, wetttttt" (with I slight gritty tone, so wet sounded like wehhhhgggt). Oh my.

Now, I'm washing the sheets. Oh, did I mention he did this to his sheets last night, so both sets of bed clothes are in the washing machine???

My only choice was to make his bed with blankies and hope it was suitable.... it's now 5:00 and I'm hoping he'll sleep atleast 30 minuts. I have a feeling when I poke my head in to check on him in 5 minutes, he'll be hiding under his big boy bed. I have to give him points for originality. Ugh, terrible twos.

Pet chinchillas and imaginary friends.

People often ask how Nick and I met. See, Nick and I disagree on how we met. His friend Ali and I were honors art students for our county in high school. I specifically remember meeting Nick at one of our galleries fall of my senior year.. mostly because my boyfriend at the time was reallllly po-ed the Nick was flirting. Eck, my ex bf.

Anyhoo, we bumped into one another at severeal parties, etc. He also worked at my favorite place to eat on my lunch break while working on the weekend. Then, he moved to CA briefly in January. He friend requested me on Myspace, and we sent messages back and forth. I would always et butterflies in my stomach whenI saw he had sent me a message. We talked about our favorite animals, our imaginary friends growing up, even me getting elbowed in the eye by a banana.. long story.

So, he moved back to MD in March, and we started dating shortly after. We went to my senior prom, and I practically spent all summer haning out with him and my BFF Lauren at his apartment. That was the best summer ever.

He claims we met on Myspace. Of course, I hold to the fact that we met at parties, art shows, etc. Is it weird that I get kind of emabarassed that he says we met on Myspace? I suppose I don't want the stigma of a "Myspace ho."

I mean, here we are years later, married with a handsome baby boy.
Regardless, to this day we send silly messages back and forth on Myspace while he works midnight shift... and I still get giddy when I see the New Messages! icon on my screen. I suppose it keeps things fresh, and reminds me of that excitement of new love. I ♥ my husband.

Oh silly yet simple pleasures in life.

O-P-I-N-I-O-N-S

Haven't posted in FOREVER. I suppose the easiest thing would be to talk.. pop culture!

The Miley Cyrus "Scandal"-

OK, so now we know she's just another scandalous Disney Star. Let's hear it for the new Lohan! Who cares. Talentless. Lame. Over it.

Chris Brown/ Rihanna-

At first, I felt bad for her. Now, I don't. I mean, she's an adult, if she wants to stay with a guy who beat her into a pulp, that's her deal. But I have no pity when it happens again. And trust me, it will.

Jon from "Jon and Kate Plus 8"-

So, for those who don't know, Jon has been attending Sorority parties, hanging with mid twenty something chicks, and he's staying with his parents more than his 8 kids and wife. I mean, his wife is mean, even from what is shown on tv. But, you have 8 kids. You'd think he'd know whether or not he could live with her for the rest of his life before popping out a bajillion children. If you have kids, chill with the pseudo mid-life crisis. It's bad enough if they're gonna have to go through a divorce.... they don't need to see their dad skank it up in the tabloids. Bitchy wife or no bitchy wife, don't be a lame dad.

Russell Brand-

Creepy yet strangely appealing comic genius. I watched his Comedy Central special yesterday, I loved it. Check him out, you might be put off by his "look," but you'll fall in love with his indifferent charm. Oh, love the hair too.

And, finally, the lack of Yo Gabba Gabba on Nick Jr.:

Nickelodeon has seen fit to only play YGG two days a week and instead play more Max and Ruby..... my child hates M&R. The show is stupid, cancel it.

No quiero ir a la clase de espanol

Last night Zeke woke up and wanted to climb into bed with me. Now, normally, I put him back in his own big boy bed, but last night I caved.

Never ever again.

He actually hogged the blankets and tried to push me out of bed! He's got strong calves. And he snores. So, I suppose my point is that my toddler turns into a bed hogging old man when he sleeps. It's really weird.

Anyway, I awoke this morning to Zeke saying, "Uh oh Mommy, blanket's wet." Well, THAT was an understatement. My son saw fit to take his diaper off and pee... everwhere. Quite literally, the only dry spot in the bed was a 1/2 foot border around me. I'm not sure how he did it, but I was so impressed I couldn't be mad. So, little man sat on the potty while Mommy stripped the bed and washed the sheets. I jsut hope he doesn't think the bed is the potty now. Oh my.

Frozen Precipitation Make Me Happy

Snow. glorious snow.... 9 inches to be exact.. and counting.

All my classes got cancelled, 2 tests and one paper. Beautiful.

And Zeke loves the snow. LOVES. It's kinda creepy... he'll most likely marry it someday, if possible.

Anyway, so it's basically a sheet of white outside, our road is unplowed adn I'm waiting for my husband to come home. Allow me to explain. My husand bought his SAAB in November of 07.. he ricocheted between curbs and messed the wheels up in a snowstorm of Jan 08.... and drove into a ditch while it was raining in March of 08. (Another story I don't want to talk about, but we just got the car back in December from the March accident)

Anyway, so as you can see, I am QUITE apprehensive about him currently driving home in this.

Crazy driving aside.... I love snow! I'm gonna make me a snowman!

e-filing your taxes is apparently a joke.

When you e-file at H and R Block, they say your return will be direct deposited within 8-15 days... well, tomorrow is day 15, and still no moolah. Oh, and I went on irs.gov and used the oh so "helpful" where's my return function... not helpful. "It can take up to three weeks to process your return. Please check back in a week"

I say, stick it to the man. Jerkfaces!

In other news, last night was girls night... no, I didn't get sloshed, I don't do that... but, I actually hung out with young people without children. I realized I'm socially awkward. I talked about "doody" way too much. Luckily, no one but me was sober, so I will most likely be the only one who remember my doody ramblings.

My name is Christina, and I am a sweet tea addict.

They should have AA for those of us addicted to sweet tea. It's my crack. No lie... at one point on one of my diets, I would skip two meals a day just so I could make up for my sweet tea calorie intake.

Oh man. And Chik-fil-A has the best sweet tea ever. Damn that tantalizing cow and his deliciously sweet caffeinated beverages.

Anyway, so I am currently hyped up on the stuff... I really feel like a junkie. So, today when I was filling out an application to work at Lowes this summer, I came across the question "Are you currently or have you ever been addicted to any substances?" What do you put? Does sweet tea count? And while I'm at it, does Dove chocolate count? Oh, the technicalities.

In the end, I put "no." I mean, I don't want my new employer thinking I'm a crackhead.

I thought about giving it up for lent. I honestly wouldn't be able to function without the caffeine and sugar.

Pitiful.

There's a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy.

It's official, Zeke's birthday will be Yo Gabba Gabba themed.. specifically Brobee. Now just to plan it. oh my... I am super excited though. Zeke is going to be two, geez I am so old.

So, for those of you who haven't heard, Ray Lewis might be playing for the Cowboys next season. Now, let me explain....here in Baltimore, we take our football seriously. And we love Ray Lewis.. he is the spirit of The Ravens. In fact, I can garuntee if he stayed with Baltimore until he retired, there would be a statue of him out up right next to the one of Johnny Unitas. I would be crushed... CRUSHED... if he left The Ravens.

In other news, I am getting my first tatto this summer. Originally, I was going to get angel wings with Zeke's name in between... but then people might think he died. So, now I have decided that since Zeke is getting so good at writing his name, I will have him draw me his name, and I will get it tattooed.. somewhere, not sure where yet. Tommy Lee.. yes, that Tommy Lee, has similar tattoos; it's actually where I got the idea.

Oh, and today I found pictures of Nick from when we started dating... so I thought I would share them. He was such an adorable little rebel.

Life advice only a mom would appreciate.

This is a list of 10 bits of advice I compiled for my cousin who recently had a baby boy.

1. If your child has (or had, in most cases) white shoes, the best way to get the rubber part white again is with a magic eraser.

2. Magic erasers are awesome... especially if all the crayons in the house aren't washable.

3. When your child demands a straw, not a sippy cup, use a NUBY. It's a sippy cup, but you can also stick a straw in the tiny hole in the lid.... without spilling!

4. Buy winter coats in the spring before you need them... and always a size bigger than you think you'll need. Clearance is a beautiful thing.

5. Never let you child watch Daddy play video games..... it really does make them more violent.

6. Non chlorine bleach actually works better on getting rid of stains than regular bleach... and it's color safe.

7. Bio-Oil is the best way to get rid of mom-stretched skin.

8. If your child throws a hissy fit, I find it most effective to mock them. Immature, or genius? You decide.

9. Reading a spanish dictionary to your child is the best way to make them bilingual.

10. Always always always be ready for poop in the tub. Before he fell in love with the potty, it was Zeke's favorite method of going.

Busy Business

So, I have had a crazy week.. which is 90% why I haven't posted in forever.

Well, first thins first- I turned 21 this past Sunday. WOOHOO. Honestly though, it wasn't terrily exciting. But, my BFF Lauren came over and we had some daquiris and watched movies after I put Zeke to bed (Nick was at work). Oh, and my Nanna came to visit for the weekend too. She even brought her chihuahua, Taco. Zeke is obsessed with him. She's a pretty fly Nanna.

Which leads me to my other event. Friday night Nanna took my family and I to Olive Garden for my pre-birthday dinner.... and I got salmonella. No lie. So part of the reason I did nothing for my birthday is because I've been sick as a dog all week. But it isn't so bad, it helped me lose seven pounds. Not too shabby.

And finally, I got a new car. And it's b-e-a-u-tiful. it makes me feel a million times better just lookin at it.

I know, this blog post is particularly boring. I promise the next will have something juicy, I swear.

Memories and tokens... not for everyone?

I found a car to buy, I believe. An old man in the city recently lost his wife to cancer- he is selling me her Subaru for half of what it's worth. He told me, "I just can't look at it, and I want you to have it."

Nice man, really he is. But it got me to thinking- is it generally common to get rid of your loved one's things so quickly? Is it better to hold onto things, or push them away? My cousin passed away this past fall, and my aunt has left her room just the way the little 11 year old dreamer had it when she passed, clothes and all.

If Nick were to suddenly pass, what would I keep? What would be unbearable to see everyday? If, God forbid, I should lose my child, what would I save? My best friend compared it to the "your house is on fire, what do you save?" theory. However, I think it's different. If my house were on fire I would save my child and my husband.... not one possession is a precious as they are to me.

Memories are such a strange thing. One minute you want nothing more than to hold onto them, and the next they are too painful to recall.

So, my question is, if you lost a loved one, whether it be pet parakeet or Aunt Lucy, what do you keep? Does it matter?

Birthdays and Bounce-abouts.

My birthday is a week from today. The big 2-1. I know.. normally it's such a huge deal, but it really doesn't feel that important. When you have a husband and kid already, sitting home for a movie night looks so much more appealing than a night out drinking. Plus, I'm a wimp when it comes to alcohol- I can't handle anything stronger than Arbor Mist.

And to top it off, I am starting to plan Zeke's 2nd birthday in April. We ordered a moon-bounce, and Ezekiel is thrilled. He yells "bounce!!!!" And we can't choose a theme. Right now we're juggling between Yo Gabba Gabba, Finding Nemo, and Spongebob Squarepants. Such a dilemma! Planning his 2nd bithday is so.. different. Last year I planned whatever I wanted, he could care less. This year he's telling me who he wants to invite, what theme he likes, and even what flavor cake to get. Crazy.

So, I'm getting old, my child is getting older. It's a welcome change... but the older both of us get, the more I want another baby. My ovaries are practically glowing I want a girl so bad.

Whatever Happened to Good Samaritans?

So, my car is dead. And by dead, I mean I'm pretty sure that the damages it received in an accident yesterday is more $ than it's worth.

So here's what happened. A car 2 cars ahead of me slammed on his breaks, the man in front of me slammed his, I slammed mine.... I stopped in time, and thought THANK GOD. Then my car started moving, and I couldn't stop it... the guy behind me knocked me into the car in front of me. I cried, and hurt my neck, the back and front of my beloved Subaru were smashed, and etc etc.. then I turned to look at the car behind me, and he left before I could see what kind of car it was!!!! He went around me and the car I hit with the rest of rush hour. Plus, no one stopped. The elderly man I hit had no clue what the hit and run driver's car looked like, neither did I.

So, what ever happened o the Good Samaritan. Why did no one see fit to stop and say "Hey, that car looked like this" or even "Are you ok?" My car was in pretty bad shape! And, who hits some person, badly at that, and just drives away????? Luckily I got out with just a minor neck injury.

Ugh. Oh well, hopefully my car is fixable, and if not, I hope they give me enough $$ to buy a new one.

In better news, hablo espanol! Y yo estoy muy bien! Me gusta mis clases este semestre.

In other words, I've greatly improved my spanish, I can actually speak it. And, I quite like my classes this semester. Even my calc class is bearable, which says a lot for me.

Text books, new notebooks... and I always manage to forget a pen

I started a new batch of classes today, including math, blah, Social Psycholoy, Sociology (Social Issues) and Spanish 4.

Well, actually, Spanish starts tomorrow. Anyway, so the same drill- buy textbooks, which in some cases cost me more than it did to enroll in the course, but new notebooks, etc.... and I get to class without a writing utensil.

As I scavenged through my purse looking for anything at all to write with, I realized I am such a mom. I had a diaper, hand sanitizer, band-aids, desitin, lollipops, a pack of fruit snacks, my iPod (which has Zeke's music on it), tissues, handi-wipes..... and the only writing utensil I could find was a pack of crayons from the kids meal at Olive Garden. Luckily, there aren't many notes to be taken the first day of classes.

My purse is like Mary Poppins' bag! Honestly, it isn't that big- so how is all that stuff in there. I suppose in this scenario, opting out of a diaper bag isn't always more convenient.

Le sigh, all is well. I am on a break between classes and I ran top the store and bought a pack of pens.

Dorothy Mantooth is a saint!

Oh man, I love the movie Anchorman. It may be horribly immature, but I do love it.

Speaking of movies, my best friend Lauren and I like to cast our own movies. We've heard buzz about a Barack Obama biography, so here is whom we've chosen for the Mr and Mrs Obama.

Barack- everyone say Will Smith, but I say nay! I do love me some Will Smith, and he does have the ears, but I opt for Tim Russ. He'd be perfect, and he sounds just like Obama.

Michelle- I know, it's controversial.. but I choose Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth. Yes, that woman from The Apprentice. She has the perfect bossy factor.

I think a biography movie would just be overkill at this point though.

We came, we hugged, I disinfected.

That was the slogan to the world record attempt my son (then 9 months old) and I participated in last year. Our local radio newsman, and germaphobe, decided to try to set a new record for most hugs in one hour. Well, as of November it has been confirmed that we did it! No lie, my child set a world record (along with about a thousand other people). Here's this really cool 3d panoramic.. check it out!

From Josh Spiegel's blog;

Congratulations to everyone who helped me break the Guiness World Record for most hugs in one hour. It's official--we broke the record! It happened at last years Polar Bear Plunge. The record will be acknowledged in the 2010 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. (11/18/08) 6:21pm

Playdate- the young mom's saviour.

Today was a playdate day. I (and Zeke) always look forward to playdate- best friends, kids my son gets along great with, and an excuse to eat chicke nuggets and mac n' cheese.

Today got me thinking how much all the kids have grown. As if it isn't crazy enough how old Zeke's gotten, the baby of our group just turned 1!!!

The funniest thing ever; one of the little girls, Lilly, picks uo a baby doll and pats her on the back saying, "it's ok baby, you're safe." Oh Lord I almost died laughing.

On top of it all, Zeke is the only boy. He loves it- but sometimes it worries me that he wants pigtails in his hair and loves baby dolls. It's all good, he's a ladies man already and he isn't even two.

Long story short, the four of us mommies share the five kids between us. We're each others' last minute sitters, designated 'take the kid to the doctor while I'm at work' person, and best friends. It got me thinking, maybe it does take a village to raise a child. Obviously, I'm Zeke's mom and disciplinarian, but why can't Jackie or Rachel or Chrissy influence him? I think it's great that our families have such a tight network. Plus, I much prefer the dad friends Nick has to his other friends

Does everyone have a network like this? It's like a serrogate family for us.

When did my child turn 13?

As you may recall, I mentioned that my son has an attitude. Well, that attitude is disturbingly adorable.

Last night he woke up three or four times, which happens sometimes when he has nightmares. So, he woke up the third time, and said "Mommy, can I have warm milk 'peese'?" (mind you, my child is a year and 9 months old, so this sentence was astonishing). So, I get him his milk, and he drinks it, and then attempts (in his drunken warm milk stupor) to put his pacifier back in his mouth.. backwards. So I grab it to turn it around for him, and kid you not, he grabs my hand, looks me dead in the eye and says, "Let go Mommy!"

Huh???? He all of a sudden developed this ability to form sentences, let alone ones with attitude! What happened to my baby boy? I feel like he got so big so fast. In some ways, I feel like I never had a baby at all.... I came home with a preteen.

Alas, he has been using sentences all day, including trying to force me off the toilet this afternoon, saying "Mommy make food!"

Oh, and I felt colorful today.

Snow, slush and cuddling.

If you didn't know, I live in Maryland. Our weather is so fickle- it was supposed to be in the 40s and 50s this week, then BAM, Monday night, all day Tuesday and today we've gotten snow, then sleet, then snow again... now more slushy sleet. Zeke got to play in the snow yesterday and had a blast. But today, ew.

But on top of all of it, Nick is driving in it. It's an hour to and from work for him.. and needless to say he's a bad driver. So, he worked 11pm-7am today.... and come 2:30 he wasn't home..... He stayed at work and pulled a 13 hour shift. I was kinda po-ed, not that he was working overtime, but that he didn't call and I assumed he was in an slushy ditch somewhere.

But, alas, he goes back to work tonight at 11. So, we've said maybe 5 words to each other, "want some dinner?" "no thanks" and he went to sleep......

I am going through cuddling withdraw. Selfish, I know. But I don't sleep without him home at night. He has off Monday and Tuesday.... oh, we're cuddling, for all 48 hours.

Birthdays ARE Important

My husband doesn't think birthdays are a big deal- if he had it his way they wouldn't exist. Seriously, the man didn't want our child to have a 1st birthday party last year, and one year he got me a toothbrush for my birthday.

I can't blame him, he had a really lame childhood... the only reason I know his birthday is because of our marriage license. But, I got him to like Christmas, so this year I tackled the birthday. It's kind of like re-teaching him how to have fun.

Simplicity- the quickest way to Nick's heart... other than the unmentionable way... is his stomach. So, I made him this ridiculous cake- he loves Reese's Cups. It's a Reese's Cup crusted cake. He ate three pieces! I have no clue how he isn't fat.

Then, I let him do whatever- no nagging involved. He got to use the good ole "it's my birthday, I can do what I want" line.

I'm not sure that it's normal to have to teach my husband to appreciate birthdays and stuff in the same way I would a child- it really is like teaching him how normal kids grow up. To his credit, he's a great dad in spite of not having an example.

Needless to say, he liked his birthday.... it might also be that I vowed I would never make this cake unless it was his birthday. I love when Nick is a happy camper.



****how to make this cake****

you need:
Devil's Food cake (from scratch or boxed, whatever you preference is)
2 things of Fudge icing
2 BIG bags of Reese's Cups
2 small cake pans, I used 4" square pans.

Bake the cake, make 2 layers. Chop the Reese's Cups into quarters (my aunt suggested after I made this cake that it'd be easier to freeze them, then chop them in a blender. make sure the piece are big and that they are thawed before assembling!) Make a thick layer of icing on top of the first layer, layer some Reese's chunks, then glop some icing on top so the 2nd layer will stick. Thickly ice the cake, then crust in Reese's mosaic style. Voila, it's delicious!

Insecurities are so juvenile, right?

At what age do you grow out of feeling unpretty? I mean, everyone has their pretty days, where they feel muy caliente and no one can touch then.

But I mean that flaw, that one thing you are so self-conscious about. Mine is my mom belly- muffin top with stretch marks strewn everywhere. No amount of crunches or belly fat loss will get rid of that skin. My son was worth it though.

Belly flub aside, there is that feeling of "I want to be appealing." Do 70 year old women feel it? Does my grandmother scan the grocery store to see if anyone is checking her out? And I honestly don't remember the extent of that feeling in high school- is it less now than it was then?

My point is, why is a mom muffin not beautiful? Why are stretch marks unappealing? Who cares if I may or may not be starting to get wrinkles???? It's because we allow for them to be an unappealing trait. So today I began a late (better late than never) resolution. I will embrace whatever, mom belly and all. I will never feel beautiful until I allow myself to be beautiful. I think that rulle applies to everyone, man, woman and child!

Guilty Pleasures

I'm eccentric in the sense that I love, LOVE, some weird stuff that other people find "old school" or "juvenile" or even "un-momly" (is that even a word?) So, let's get this out in the open. Here is a list of things (shows, bands, etc) that are my guilty pleasures.

10. Gummy feet, they're delicious! I haven't had one in forever, and the only place I've been able to find them is on the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD.

9. Spongebob. Not only does my toddler love him, but I have loved him since middle school

8. Celebrity Rehab. I'll be the first to complain about lame reality TV, but I can't NOT watch this show.

7. The Powerpuff Girls. Buttercup to be precise. I vowed that if I had a girl I'd make her nursery PPG themed.

6. Ramen Noodles. I feel like I still live in a dorm whenever I eat them, but darnit, they are so tasty!

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Nuff said.


4. Boys with tattoos and piercings. More specifically my hubby... he has tons of them, and his ears are gauged. We are such an odd couple because I'm such a goody two-shoes, but it works.

3. Crocheting. I know it's an old lady hobby, but I love it. If you ever need a baby shower gift, holla! I'll make a baby blanket.

2.Playing dress up. It's honestly part of the reason I want a daughter so bad. Sometimes my other mommy friends and I do each others makeup and get all gussied up just to watch a movie and have some daquiris. (while the hubbies watch the children, of course.)

1. Hanson. People sometimes ask if they're even still around. The answer is yes, in fact I've seen them in concert twice this year. Insane, I know.


So, now that I've revealed some of my guilty pleasures, what are yours????

Terrible Two's or Treacherous Threes???

My son officially has an attitude. And it's a big one.

Don't get me wrong, 99% of the time, he's one of those angelic and adorable children that tricks you into having another one! But oh boy, when he throws a fit it's CRAZY.

It started in November.... from then until earlier this month he had maybe two or three fits. Now he has atleast one a day. Is it horrible that he's so dramatic it makes me giggle, which just makes him angrier? He isn't even two yet, how bad does this get?

Everyone tells me, "Three is worse than two." Maybe it is, but I'm betting if I don't put up with the throwing fits nonsense now, it can't get too much worse. I'm at a loss for solutions, so I did what I saw on an episode of Supernanny; each hissy fit gets him one and a half minutes of time out (a minute for each year of age). It works pretty well, especially when he realizes he's being ignored.

In the meantime, today has been great so far.... no fits yet! (fingers crossed) My husband just started his job as a campus Police Officer at Towson University, and he's working midnight shift. Zeke is taking more time to get used to it than I am. So, when Nick got home from work this morning, we took a family walk in the neighborhood and visited our friends' horses. Now Nick's in bed, Zeke said "Night night" to Daddy, so we're going to go grocery shopping. Let's just hope that he stays hissy fit free for the remainder of the day, especially in the grocery store.

How does that Aretha Franklin song go again?

RESPECT.
Big word. Personally, I have a rule that I might not like someone but I will always respect them.
I have a list of people I don't like, for various reasons, for example-

Bill O'Reilly-politics aside, the man is just so angry all the time

Troy Palamalu- he plays for the Steelers, and he always makes that game changing play that beats the Ravens.

Hannah Montana- can't sing

Despite my personal opinion, I respect all these people.

Ann Coulter breaks my rule. I knew who she was, and didn't think much about her until I saw this video from The View. I am convinced that the woman has no soul.

I might not agree with everyone's life choices or whatever, but since when was being a single mother a crime against humanity???? Mothers are the most selfless people on the face of the earth, single mothers especially! Oh, I'm sorry, it was most defintely my best friends agenda to ruin society by raising her child on her own- lame father be dammned!

My child doesn't like fishsticks

My child loves fish- in a pet kinda way. We took him to the Baltimore Aquarium, he loved it. He even has a pet Betta named "Pee Pee." Zeke chose the name himself.



However, we went to playgroup today and for lunch we made the kids fishsticks. This would be my son's first taste of the processed childhood favorite... and he hates them. Is it maybe just the label "fish." Is it possible that my 21 month old toddler has such an attachment to his pet he refuses to eat its kin? Or maybe he just thinks they're that gross.



All I know is he gave his fish a kiss when he got home. It was by far one of the most adorable and yet puzzling things I've ever seen him do.



The other young mommies and I all agree we have some strang kids. Jasmine growls instead of giggling. Emmie has hams for legs and Bee likes sniffing people. Lilly is OCD, and my child has an affinity for fish.



Oh goodness.

Streusel Anyone?

I was doing my wifely chores and attempting the Mrs. Cleaver status I would oh so love to acheive. I was baking streusel muffins, from scratch.

Of course, I got distracted and haven't yet gotten past organizing my ingredients. However, whilst staying up to make these baked goodies, I began to reflect on a little bit of everything. No worries, nothing really serious... just randomnimity.

1) Has anyone seen the new show on VH1, Confessions of a Teen Idol? It's lame. I don't even know who 90% of these guys are, let alone do I care that they want to be famous again... which leads me to my second reflection..

2) WHY does VH1 have such stupid shows? It all began with Flavor of Love, and gradually rolled down a giant hill, collecting every pile of crap it could until it evolved into a ball of slop consisting of mutiple charm schools and other "of love" shows. And really, Bret Michaels? Gag. My hubby and I do, however, particularly enjoy watching replays of the fight between Chance and "what's his name" on I Love New York.. simply for Chances line, "F*@# these banana trees!"

3) I am stoked Jimmy Fallon is going to have a Late Night Show. He's hilarious... and honestly 10x funnier than Conan O'Brien.

4) I have three pet Betta Fish- I sometimes worry that instead of becoming the cat lady I will be the Betta Fish lady. Do those kinds of titles apply to married people??

5) Why am I baking streusel cupcakes ate midnight? Am I a cooking/baking addict? Is there a rehab for that? Perhaps when I create successful recipes, I will post them on here for all to enjoy!