7:33 PM

In other News

Emily got a brand new bike that looks to me like it was made for a teenager. Seriously, I am having a hard time understanding how on EARTH I have a kid that is big enough to fit on this thing. Wasn't she just a toddler a little while ago? What year is it again?

She does look really grown up riding it...even if she is wearing a Princess helmet. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

6:46 PM

I heart the Weather Man

He totally cooperated this weekend and made it possible to spend some quality time in the Great Outdoors. Thanks, pal. Keep up the good work .

Anyway, we totally took advantage of the nice weather and took a trip to our local State Park.
I love that picture. He looks like he's thinking...and she looks annoyed. Really, they are both just chewing.
We went fishing, as you can see. If, of course, you aren't completely distracted by the giant scrape on Ethan's knee. Poor guy. They are an epidemic, apparently.

They must have inherited my grace. Sorry 'bout that, guys.


Another interpretation:

Oh, and here's proof that I actually attended the outing too...you know, since there are no other pictures taken of me the entire day. Ahem. So, here I am. Packing the car.


Ahem.

6:23 PM

VICTORY!!!

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Why is this little man celebrating in the middle of my messy living room, you ask? Maybe the fact that he is wearing UNDERWEAR!?! I am thrilled, to say the least. I would also like to take this opportunity to pat my own back. Repeatedly. Potty training, oh excuse me, I mean Potty Learning, is not for the weary. However, in typical Ethan style, we stuck it out. He will now be sporting tightey whiteys until he is old enough to understand that he should switch to boxers. I will let Andy handle that. My work here is done.

11:05 AM

I'm Feeling Saucy

I think I have finally found the path to stardom. The cool chicks over at The Secret is in the Sauce are having a contest with really cool prizes and lots of exposure for my little old blog. I usually don't win things, but I am excited to participate. Woohoo. I just love contests.

Now I need your help. in order to enter, I have to send them my 3 favorite posts. I need some suggestions, people. Did any of my past posts make you laugh so hard you wet yourself? Inspire you to bookmark my page.? Please, do tell. I can't make this kind of decision on my own.

6:23 PM

My Dog ate my Laptop

For Emily's 3rd birthday, her uncle bought her a pink snake. A live one that lives in a cage in our house. It eats mice and slithers and I don't love it. However, I have to admit that I do kind of like having a bit of a zoo at our house. All the fish, the hermit crab, the cats, the dog, us...and the snakes. That was not a typo...snake is now plural. As in, another snake. About 2 weeks after Pinky was introduced to our family, another snake named Spotty suddenly appeared. Andy acted as though he "wasn't really sure" how that happened, but we both knew what happened. He must have felt as though Pinky may get lonely so he got her a friend. How sweet. And sneaky. Whatever.

Pinky and Spotty have been tight since the beginning. They have lived in harmony, I guess, but I don't really pay much attention to them. Andy takes care of them, the kids say hello to them every day, and I just ignore them. They have chosen to get back at me for ignoring them in the most interesting of ways. They DID IT. In my house. Under my roof. Nasty. To make matters worse, that little hussy Pinky went and got herself knocked up. I shudder at the thought.

The words "snake eggs" just should not be put in the same sentence as "our house" in my opinion, but it seems as though my opinion doesn't matter much. Just to give you a more accurate picture of what is currently going on in our house, I would also like to mention that we have some fish that multiply every couple of weeks and that the cats Max and Timber are so deeply in love that they spoon on a regular basis. They are both boys. Our house is now a cross between a science experiment and a cheap motel.

I must admit that I am kind of excited for the happy couple. Pinky and Spotty were able to overcome some pretty big obstacles and start a family. Pinky will be laying her eggs within the next few weeks. I do appreciate the learning that will take place for the kids...I think it will be a pretty cool experience for them. I will keep you posted (if you want...).

6:05 PM

Internet Love

Have you ever fallen in love online? I have, many times over. Not with people, of course; with PRODUCTS. You know, stuff that you really want that you admire and think about buying. You search for them regularly and eventually take things to the next level: the "Favorites" or "Bookmark" stage. Don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about.

I fall in love with all kinds of stuff. But it all starts with houses. Homes that I would love to live in. I am talking real estate lust here, this is serious stuff. I don't fall in love with huge houses in developments, I always go for the ones with charm and mature trees. These are spectacular homes with a decent sized yard and room to store all my crap. By crap I mean the other stuff that I have fallen for and subsequently purchased in a whirlwind courtship. All online.

I furnish every room in this house with items purchased from Pottery Barn. (Sorry, Phoebe.) I drool over the shelving in Ethan's room and Emily's wooden kitchen set. I pick out coordinating colors thanks to Lowe's paint finder tool. I decorate my study with office accessories from Target. I fall in love with bedding, couches, and throw pillows. I pretend as if these items will not get destroyed with Gogurt accidents Goldfish crumbs. This is the honeymoon stage. Unfortunately, this stage can't last forever.

These relationships all end the same. After some careful reevaluating, I decide that this really isn't a good time for me. I end things with the house. Cut it off completely. Delete it from my bookmarks. It is no longer my favorite. I may check in with the house from time to time. See if it is still there, waiting for me to have a change of heart, or if some other owner has made the commitment I just couldn't make. I sigh as I remind myself that I have moved on, and I quickly switch screens to my rebound house. It is kind of bittersweet.

So, here's to lost love, full shopping carts, and that little "x" in the top right corner of my screen that has saved my credit cards from countless acts of abuse.