Driving Miss Claudia

Ah...carpooling with Claudia...always an adventure.

I carpool with a lady from my office every day. It's nice to have someone to talk to (and dance the YMCA with) on the long drive to and from work every day. Sometimes we wear hats, sometimes we dance to the Thriller song, sometimes we just laugh at the guy next to us picking his nose (not because he's picking his nose, but because, hello, if you're gonna do that, get tinted windows buddy). There are some pretty strange people (and cars) out there. Fortunately, I have my camera in my purse, so I will share a couple of tidbits I've managed to capture.

Exhibit #1: Driving home I see a car that is falling apart...literally. The bumper is tied on with string. The license plate is half on-half off. My favorite thing here is the bumper sticker though: "Honk if parts fall off"... Ha ha...I was actually surprised that it said that. I mean, I had seen the sticker on other cars before, but not on cars where parts might actually fall off! I'm sorry for the bad picture quality, but it's hard to take pictures and drive at the same time. I didn't really want to add to the damage on this car.

Exhibit #2: Driving to work I see this....I'm all about hanging cute stuff from your rear view mirror, but there should be a size limit to the things that you put up there. This lady had a stuffed dog hanging from her rear view mirror. The thing was so huge though that it looked like a real puppy hanging from it's neck. Very morbid and very distracting... "Oh my God that woman has a dead chihuahua hanging from her mirror"! Yes, that was my first thought when I saw it.

Fast forward about 3 weeks and we get Exhibit #3: We're driving home this time and I notice a car that has a large picture of a dog taped to the back window. This leads to a full on discussion between J (my carpool person) and I about why someone would do that. Perhaps it's a lost dog (but then wouldn't you write "lost dog" on it somewhere? and wouldn't you just post it in your neighborhood? unless it jumped out of her car on the commute to work so it could be anywhere?), perhaps she just really really loves her dog, or perhaps her little dog died (which would be quite sad). I was so enthralled with the picture in the back of the car that I didn't quite notice the front. Look familiar? Yes folks same driver, different angle. It's the hanging dog lady...I don't know if she's following us or what, but her scary dead chihuahua has got to go. Ha ha...I can't believe we saw the same lady again...and that she's got another lovely tidbit on her car that I didn't notice the first time (but you can kind of see it in the first picture). What a nut!

Come to think about it, she must think we're the crazy ones for taking pictures of her while driving.
____________________________________

Seeing as I had so many protests on Tuesday's post...Happy birthday again Jenny! Have fun at Disneyland tomorrow!

Mr. No meets Mr. Hankey

Christian has been in this lovely defiant mood these past days (weeks?, months?). Christian, are you pooping?...NO!...Christian...let's change you're diaper....NO! CLEAN DIAPER!...

Everything is NO, so the potty training attempts aren't going well. The daycare provider tried to start potty training him a couple of weeks ago and gave up. She said, perhaps I'll try again in a couple of months when he isn't in such a combative state.

We've got 2 potties in my house, one upstairs and one downstairs (so I wouldn't have to run up or down stairs in case he actually wanted to go potty). They are both used as chairs, footstools, toy storage and for playing on...and that's it. I haven't really pushed the potty issue much (at least I don't think I have). If I see him straining I ask him if he wants to use the potty and he says NO and I let it go. Whenever he sees me go to the bathroom he sits on the potty too, but never does anything, he just likes doing what I'm doing. Before bath time he sits on the potty (if and when he wants to...we don't tell him to sit on the potty) while we run the bathwater, but once again, he never does anything (except for that one time he peed), he just sits there and plays. It's not looking like this child is going to be potty trained anytime soon. I was hoping he would be before LW (little wiggly) came along, but I don't see it happening. I see myself changing two sets of diapers.

Then something happened yesterday that showed me just how in control and calculating toddlers can be. I took CMan to the bathroom to get ready for bath time. He was wearing his shirt and diapers. While I was in his bedroom setting up the towel and pjs etc, he was in the bathroom and I could hear him taking off his diaper. I came back into the bathroom and thanked him for helping me (taking off his diaper by himself). He took it off and said "peepee" so I said "OK baby, sit on the potty while mommy gets your bath ready" knowing full well that he was only going to sit on it and not do anything in it.

I continued to run the bath water. When I turned back and saw that he had actually done (or was about to do) #1 (about 3 drops, but hey that's a start) and that he was also straining. I said "did you pee in the potty?....do you want to do poo-poo too?" and he said "NO!" so I left him alone and kept filling the tub. When I turned back again he was still sitting and as happy as a clam. I got up to check out the pee and noticed that he had actually pooped too (despite the strained face, I didn't think he would actually poop in the potty)!

Oh my god his first potty poop! I was so happy and congratulated him on his accomplishment. He then held his diaper up and said "clean diaper!"...so cute. What wasn't cute was when he wanted to touch the poop. I quickly decided it was time to say bye bye to Mr. Hankey and flush him down the toilet. Bye bye poo-poo!

I had some special stickers that came with the potty that I was going to give to him, but unfortunately we put them away (since I swore we wouldn't need them for many many months to come) and now I couldn't find them. How anti-climactic is that? Poor baby. So I found another way to make a big deal over it. We called daddy at work and gave him the news and then we called grandma too. Christian said "Hurray!" on the phone when he told his daddy. Hurray indeed my little boy.

That's a start...right? I mean, it just comes to show me that he CAN do it, he just doesn't WANT to....and to think I didn't even have anything to do with it (no coaxing involved); he did it all by himself (or maybe it was just another fluke...only time will tell).

And yes, that was a picture of him and his little friend up there (it's censored though). Hey if Jon and Kate can do it...so can I.

Happy Birthday Jen!

My partner in crime Jenny was here this weekend, unfortunately she left yesterday, so we didn't get to spend her birthday with her, but I did see her on Friday. She invited me to her house for another one of her little "campouts" where much fun was had.

Jenny and her mom set up the tent, the fire grill and the TV in the back yard. We all sat out there watching scary movies, talking crap, eating tons of stuff that's bad for you and conducting important scientific experiments (what happens when you drink soda and eat pop rocks at the same time?).

Unfortunately, I had to leave somewhat early, but not before I tried to convince my friend M to come to my house in her police car with the lights on (perhaps on April first?). She could put up some police tape and drape a blanket over one of my halloween dummies on the driveway. Ha ha! I'd love to freak the neighbors out like that and make them think that we were up to something (for some reason Ren didn't find this scenario very funny or amusing). Ah party pooper.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Jenny and I can't wait to see you in October!

Happy 6th Anniversary Ren!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband. You're caring, considerate, thoughtful, hardworking, funny, handsome, and quite a catch (like you so often like to remind me). You're an exceptional father and partner and I'm lucky to have found someone like you to raise our child(ren) and share my life with.


...and hopefully, one day, we will look this good again.

















Oh and you have great taste in gifts too! Ha ha.

I love you sweetie, thanks for putting up with my craziness.

1 and 4

Here are the answers to my 6 lies and 2 truths game:

1. I mooned the entire class in elementary school: True. I was in first grade and dared a boy to do it. He said he'd do it if I did it too. He didn't get caught by the teacher. I did.

2. I failed my driving test the first time I took it. False. I passed the written one and didn't have to take the driving one because I had done so in Driver's Ed.

3. I want another dog, but Ren won't let me get one. False. Two is more than enough.

4. I ate so many sour candies that I made my tongue bleed. True. I love Cry Babies, who knew that if you eat too many of them your tongue will crack...and bleed.

5. The most piercings I've had on my body at one time is 7. False. This was kind of like a trick question; I've had 8. Three on one ear, five on the other, during my grunge days.

6. My favorite fruit is strawberry (with chocolate on top of course). False. Mango is my favorite fruit.

7. I dyed my hair red once, but it looked so horrible that I dyed it brown immediately afterwards. False. I've never had a dye job that I consider so horrible that I've had to dye it again right afterwards.

8. I fell from the monkey bars when I was young and had to get stitches. False. No stitches for me...not yet anyway.

It looks like Emma came the closest since she got one right. Thanks for playing girls!

Little snake little snake what do you see?

I see a lady taking pictures of me.





As I was walking to my car after work yesterday. I happened upon this little fellow. Fortunately, I had my camera with me (when don't I?) and was able to snap a couple of pictures before he got away. He was very scared of the towering human, so he hid under leaves and wiggled away. Upon further research, I found out that he is a Southern Ringnecked snake, non-venomous and rarely bites. Here's a website with more pictures so you can get an idea of his size. So cute.

I'm working on the answers for the truths/lies games; I haven't forgotten.

6 and 2

I found this on Emma's blog and thought it would be fun. I've listed 6 lies and 2 truths, can you tell which two are true? I hope I didn't make it too easy for the people that have known me forever.

1. I mooned the entire class in elementary school.

2. I failed my driving test the first time I took it.

3. I want another dog, but Ren won't let me get one.

4. I ate so many sour candies that I made my tongue bleed.

5. The most piercings I've had on my body at one time is 7.

6. My favorite fruit is strawberry (with chocolate on top of course).

7. I dyed my hair red once, but it looked so horrible that I dyed it brown immediately afterwards.

8. I fell from the monkey bars when I was young and had to get stitches.

Happy Valentine's Day

From the cheeto bandit and company

This past weekend we went to Brandon and Matthew's birthday party at the park and we had a great time. At first Cman was hesitant to get in the old bounce house o'fear, but he eventually got over it and was bouncing in there all by himself. We also rode on the little train, but I think I liked it more than he did.

Tonight I have a date with folding the laundry so that should be hot and steamy. Ren and I hate going out this day because everything is super crowded. We celebrate our anniversary in 8 days anyway, so we'll go out then!

Last but not least, I went to the OB today. Little Wiggly is doing well. HB 177.

Happy V. Day to all!

Too much fast food?

Chris got a little house from Santa this past Christmas. His favorite thing to do is jump in and out of the windows Dukes of Hazzard style. The door is merely decorative.

The other thing he likes to do is to open the shutters, hang out the window and say: CHEESEBURGER!


I think we're going to cut back on the drive-thrus a bit.

Did somebody say Free Pancakes?

Celebrate National Pancake Day at IHOP today! Just stop in at any IHOP today from 7am through 10pm and they'll give you one free short stack of their famous buttermilk pancakes. All they ask is that you make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network.

Sounds good to me... pass the syrup please.

The old picture parade continues

Wow, I'm just a blogging machine these days!


Remember back in this post when I showed you the picture of Chris standing on the porch of the beach house?


Well, I found the one of me standing in almost the same spot...30 years earlier.


How cool is that?


Check it out:

Happy Birthday Crispy Nugget!

I'd like to wish my oldest and dearest friend Cristy (aka Featherhead) a Happy 32nd birthday today!

I say oldest not because she's the oldest (she's not), but because I've been friends with her the longest.

...and of course...I've included proof.

Behold the pictures from my 12th (or 13th?) birthday party. I'm making a pouty face because I'm a spoiled brat and I don't want my brother (bottom right) touching my Carvel face ice cream cake. Cristy is the one with the fashionable shirt sitting on my right.




And here she is again at my 32nd birthday party (20 years later).

Still crazy (although she would beg to differ over who the crazy one really is here) and still my friend (I don't know how I've managed to not scare her away yet).

I love you my friend...have a wonderful birthday!

Say Cheese!

Little wiggly behaved well yesterday and let the nice technician take his picture.


Even though I was 11 weeks yesterday, the baby measured 11wks 5 days. The heartbeat was 171 and everything look good. I got my blood drawn and I have to go back in 5 weeks to have another blood draw. My next ultrasound is in 7 weeks.

I will be back in little while with some birthday wishes for my friend (and more fun and embarassing old photos)....stay tuned!

Extra N

Today I have another ultrasound appointment. I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, here are a couple of words that I just love how CMan mispronounces:

efanent = elephant
cosanon = corazon = heart
mecinin = medicine

It's funny/cute how he adds the extra "n" in.

The fun begins

Christian, although the neighbor down the street wears a head scarf that reminds you of the one that Johnny Depp wears, this does not mean that she too is a pirate. Please refrain from pointing and screaming "Yo Ho!" whenever you see her. It embarasses me (and makes me giggle too).

Oh....and no, you can't go inside her house either (looking for more pirates I guess?).

There you have it, my son is fascinated with pirates. He asks me to sing the "Yo Ho" song to him at night and asks me to play the movie for him every day. It might have something to do with the fact that Pirates of the Caribbean was the first Disney ride he ever went on (at 3 months old).

I have trained you well my son.

See, it's not just me

If you saw the Superbowl yesterday then I bet you can guess which was (one of) my favorite commercials. If not, I'm gonna tell you anyway, better yet, I'll show you:



Thrilling the world baby!

and here's a nifty video from London that Amanda sent me this morning:



Which naturally leads me to my little Thrill the World box on the right over there. I wonder if I'll be able to pull my little stunt off this year. What with trying to recoup from a C-section and all...Hmm.