Rare & Well Done

She was your 'BFF' in high school...the one that grabbed your yearbook on distribution day before you even had the chance to open it for the first time and reserved her three pages to sign before anyone else (she may have even taken it home for the night so that she had time to really think of what she wanted to write and make sure she didn't forget a single memory of the past year). 
She was the friend that you couldn't stand to be away from for more than the 45 minutes you were in separate classes and therefore needed to share a locker with so that you had a reason to see each other at the sound of each bell. 
She was the one you shared an Accounting book with so that you could write notes to each other and leave them in the book so the teachers never caught on, thinking you were just really into reading the book.  (suckers!)

We had met in 4th grade...we were ten.  At that time, we never imagined where our lives were about to lead us...

College.  The rulebook states that you should try and pick a school that is different from most of your fellow high school classmates and that you never, ever room with a close friend.  My school was 90 minutes from home, nearly 25 from our graduating class chose it as well, including us, the inseparables, who of course were going to be roommates.  It was what many probably considered a disaster just waiting to happen. 
We weren't listening.
Freshman year in our tiny little 10x10 postage stamp of a dorm room...a success.
Sophomore year, yet again, in the same room (after our parents denied our apartment request)...another success.
Junior year, happy as clams with tons of space in our brand-spankin' new townhouse...room for LOTS of success.
Senior year, after three years together, how could it NOT be anything but a flying success. 

We did it.  We beat all the odds, proved everyone and anyone wrong, and continued on.  That senior year of college was ten years ago.  Our 22-year long friendship is rock-hard and she is one of the most important people in my life.  She is hilarious, beautiful, intelligent, and incredibly strong.  She makes me laugh, she makes me cry, and we have been through more together than many could imagine.  She is the type of friend I wish for everyone. 

You are deeply loved, Lars...you made us beyond happy these past three days.  Thank you for making something that is so rare to so many so real and so awesome for us.

Kid You Not

Keepin' it short and for real. 

Scenario:  Monkey is being put to bed tonight...

her Steeler jersey is in the middle of her bedroom floor (which she in all honesty DID sport today while Bug was dressed in green & white...we play fair in this house)...

she then proceeds to projectile vomit all over the room.

No joke.

Congrats to them as they head to the Superbowl.

We, however, will probably find some other type of black and gold to wear for that occasion.

Bits and Pieces

My mind has been all over the place this week.  I can't seem to focus on one thing, but rather a hundred different things are running through it.  Here's a few...

Bug will be starting preschool in the fall.  NOT POSSIBLE.  She cannot be this old and she is not allowed to leave me yet.  Okay, back to reality...I don't know why, but I seem to be obsessing about it and want to make sure I find the best one for her.  I'm searching the internet, calling directors, contacting every mom I know who has gone through this...TOH thinks I'm nuts...I think he's onto something.  Her birthday is right around the cut-off date, which means she can either be the youngest in her class, or we can wait and have her be the oldest...I know it's just preschool, but at the same time it's preschool and it is the beginning of her years in school.  For me, it's s-t-r-e-s-s.

...she is still supossed to be my little sleeping baby...

Monkey may need a name change to 'Clown'...while I can already predict that Bug will be the girl in school who tattles on everyone and tries to be the teacher's pet (I say this with love...), Monkey will be the one in the back of the class cracking everyone up.  We were playing 'sleepover' yesterday and we were all pretending to sleep and suddenly Monkey starts fake snoring so much so that we were laughing hysterically.  And then she laughs at herself.  I love her. 

perfect example of the clown...

and the teacher's pet...

(at least we have one of each!)

Funny 'Monkey-ism'...when you give her something, she says, 'Welcome'  not thank you, welcome.  

There is possibility of BIG, BIG fun for us next weekend...can't reveal anthing until it's over, but we are super-psyched...keeping our fingers crossed that the weather cooperates...

My grandmother sent us a card yesterday and said that she was talking with my cousin (who is 19) and she told my grandmother that she thinks TOH and I have a storybook romance and a storybook family.  The next time I see her I will pay her.  But seriously, I think that was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to us.  Love her too.

We were told Bug will get her dance costume tonight. I think I'm more excited than she is.  I don't care if there is a foot of snow on the ground, I will get that costume.  Tonight. 

I asked TOH to go out and pick up some dishwasher soap the other night...along with the soap, he came home with these:

best lollipops ever. and they don't make me feel guilty.

even BETTER.

He said he had read the blog and wanted to help with my 'guilt' towards the organic stuff...God love him.  Always thinking. 

He also came home with laundry detergent...it was on sale...it's powder.  I have never in my life used powder.  I don't even know what to do with it (where to put it in the washer?)...is there a special spot for it?  I'm so clueless.  Keep laughing, I deserve it. 

And I'll end with that...time to go play in the white stuff.  Yes, it's not gray anymore.  It's pretty.  yay. 



Black and Gold

I'm originally from Pittsburgh.  When you're born in that city, I think there is a statement at the bottom of your birth certificate notifying you that you are required by law to be a Steeler fan throughout your entire time on this earth. TOH was born in Erie, therefore he grew up being a Browns fan.  When we first met, we made bets when our teams played each other.  I really couldn't have cared less, but it was fun for me to pretend I was one of those crazy die-hard Steeler fans.  And I'm allowed to call them crazy because #1, they are, #2, they will openly admit it, and #3, most of my very close friends are the ones I'm talking about :)  For those of you who are not familiar with true Steeler fans, some examples of why people call them crazy include:  they wear their jerseys all days of the week (not just on game days and NOT just during the football season), if they lose on a Sunday the majority of the city has a day of mourning on Monday and some people go as far as taking the day off of work (not because they are hungover), and there are Steeler bars all across the country...no matter what city/state you are in, you WILL find a Steeler bar.

I may be hunted down for saying these next few words, but I've never been a huge fan of any pro-team, let alone the Black and Gold.  I'd much rather watch/root for college athletes...and I'll just leave it at that rather than diving into my soapbox.  So, anytime my 'hometown team' plays, TOH and I go all out to see how fired up we can get my 'Steeler girls.'  We send demeaning texts, emails, voicemails, etc.  It sounds harsh, and many don't understand my so-called disloyal ways, but we find it hilarious how worked up these fans get and we just like to have a good time.  Pure entertainment for us. 

Well today, one of the top 'crazies' we know did a little entertaining of her own.  A package arrived...

Local restaurants in Pittsburgh sell Steeler cookies and mugs...

notice the mug, 'I take mine Black and Gold' 

(good lord!)

You did it.  You won girlfriend.  We opened it, we laughed, we ate and drank, and we definitely enjoyed. 

And although we may not be loyal fans, thanks to your cookies, you have us all for this weekend...

And as much as it pains me to write this...'Go Black and Gold!'

Haha...love you, Alyssa!

The 6~8 Week Itch

You've all seen it a hundred times...the ever-so-depressing commercial for depression, "Are you tired, sad, etc."  TOH and I saw it last night, looked at each other, laughed, and said we were both  ready to call the number on the screen.  We are tired, like want-to-sleep-for-a-hundred-years tired.  We are sad that we haven't seen the sun forEVER.   It seems like it's been raining for weeks and it's flipping freezing.  The pretty white snow is gone and now it's just gray.

No matter how hard we try with every 'entertaining' bone in our body, we're just not cutting it any more.  Play-doh is fun, but there's only so many cakes you can possibly create.  All the pages in the coloring books are full.  The couch cushions have had it and can't handle being turned into another fort.  The circles that they've made on their bikes in the basement just may have made a permanent path in the cement floor...

After all the recent talk about the zodiac signs changing, I was reading through mine the other day and it couldn't have been more accurate..."You need to live in a warm, sunny climate."  Ding, ding, ding.

Snow and cold temperatures for Christmas I can handle, in fact, it's welcomed from Thanksgiving to New Years, but just as the decorations come down, this stuff needs to go away for the year as well.  I miss my sunny days...I'm not asking for a heatwave here, just warm enough to take a stroll around the block...or go to the park for five minutes all bundled up in our jackets...I'm easy to work with, really. 

So, no more laying around the house.  (This is me trying to really motivate myself...can you tell?)  We are going to do something (at least) 4 out of 5 days during the week that will get us out...we will, we will, we will...
While everyone else is complaining during the scorching hot summers, I'm quiet.  I love it and I can't wait for those days to return.  However, until then, I am Cathy Complainer.  Sorry friends...

Get here soon, sunshine...PLEASE!!

Love It.

Best new blog.  Great name, hugely hilarious, all-around pretty awesome.

http://www.poopwhisperer.com/

Home...Sweet, Funny Home

While this place we currently call home is sweet in many ways, it is crazy funny.  The characteristics of this town used to annoy me when we first moved here, but now I just laugh.  Hysterically. 
It snowed here yesterday.  Total= 4 inches.  Schools closed.  Not 1, but 2 days.  And who knows, they may just be shut down tomorrow too!  I went out to the store yesterday in the middle of 'white death' as they call it and the roads were perfectly clear.  Granted, I know that there are many back and side roads that the crews were still working to get to, but if that were the case, why was our little cal-de-sac done 2 times yesterday and then again this morning at 7am when there wasn't even any new snow on it...therefore, I laugh. 

And while we were laughing, we soaked up the snow...

with an occasional wipeout...

loving the new sleds!

And last night it was all about 'homemade'...everyone made something homemade for dinner...TOH made his to-die-for mashed potatoes, I experimented with a new potato soup recipe, and the girls went the dessert route and made chocolate pudding.  All sorts of good from everyone.

We really do love you, little town.  Not only are you fun and safe, but you provide us with some pretty hilarious (free!) daily entertainment!

Guilty

Something I don't remember feeling as much of before I had children.  I feel like it was easy to make myself happy and easy to make others happy...at least that's how I remember it in my own little world (which may not be exactly how it was!)  But now that there are kids in the picture, things have definitely changed.  And as much joy, laughter, greatness, etc. that they bring into our lives, those little people sure bring on a lot of G-U-I-L-T.  It comes in lots of different forms...from having to return to work and feeling guilty for leaving them or choosing to stay home and then feeling guilty that you could be providing them with more if you did work.  From choosing to or only able to have only one child and feeling the guilt that they will never share life with a sibling to having more than one and feeling the guilt day in and day out that one of them is not getting as much 'individual time' or attention as the other.  For three years, I have struggled with all of these scenarios and today, more of the 'G' word was added to this ever-growing list. 
While I managed to get both girls (and TOH!) down for naps at the same time today, I was flipping through channels and came across an interview with Nicole Richie.  Knowing that she has two little ones around the same age as Bug and Monkey, I stopped to listen.  The topic of conversation was how she is raising her kids 'green, organic, vegan, etc.'  Examples:  she has no dairy in the house, no sugar, no canned foods, strictly organic, made-from-scratch meals, organic clothing, no plastic toys, no battery-operated toys, home cleaners made from ingredients in the pantry.  And these are only the examples she could rattle off during the two-minute interview.
As I sat there and listened to her go on and on, my eyes started to wander around our living room...from where I was sitting, I saw sugar-filled Christmas cookies, a sippy-cup filled with milk, a can of mandarin oranges left over from lunch, and toys...if they're not plastic, you can sure bet they're battery-operated (although they did get quite a few sets of wooden puzzles and blocks for Christmas, so there's a positive...). 
I instantly felt like crap. Like the worst mom ever.  I put the girls to bed tonight thinking, 'I am so sorry that I am not doing more for you...'  I know that most of us have grown up with plastic, batteries, non-organic everything, and many of us will live til we're 80+, but she just made me feel like I am doing such a disservice to my kids and I should do better as a parent. 

Did she get into my head, yes.  Am I going to go psycho-crazy because of this, no.  But I do feel like I can at least make some kind of attempt to change some things.  Although she can't sell me on the whole toy idea...I'm going to give the sugar, canned-foods, (some) organic, and home-made cleaners more of a shot.  Considering I gag everytime TOH cleans the kitchen floor with that god-awful Pine-Sol crap, I would be happy to make our own!  (yes, he does the floors...yes, love him.)

So, with that being said, even though I am pathetically sitting here feeling like a lump full of guilty crap, I'm going to try and end it with a positive...

Here's to a new year filled with less guilt. 

It may take a little work, but these two are worth it.