Horn Finger Evolution Revolution

So, I have been waiting and working and waiting and working and stressing and waiting and stressing and working and trying to get to 35 lbs of weight loss before writing my next weight loss update.

It hasn't happened.

Sonofabitch!

Now you see why I stress, and work and what not.

I give up.  Today, I am writing an update on my weight loss.  I have lost 34.6 lbs.  Not 35 lbs.  But - that's ok.

You want to know why that's ok?

Because I had an idea today.  Today, after our WW meeting, my co-worker and I went to Jimmy John's for lunch.  Did you know that they have free smells there? I mean, what a bargain!

Any who - Jenny and I were leaving the sandwich shop, sandwiches in hand, after getting our free smells, when some dude walked behind my car as I was backing up.  Like he had a death wish - or the dream of getting hit by a middle class girl driving a Dodge cross-over and then suing her for the little money she might have.

Oy.

After we left, discussing why would someone walk behind you when you're driving I decided that humans should have horns.

Totally.

I mean, wouldn't it be awesome to have a horn for the dumb and annoying things that happen to you?

Baby eating dirt off the floor, it's mom not paying attention - HORN!

Crazy woman yelling at cashier in store - HORN!

Mother in law talking - HORN!

Mother talking - HORN!

I think you get my drift.

Jenny thought wouldn't it be funny if the horn was in their nose, but that is just preposterous.  I mean, how would you use that on purpose?  And what would happen if you sneeze?  No, Jenny, you are obviously not thinking this through.  (P.s. this idea is REALLY why you had a nose bleed today.  Even your nose disagreed).

Truly - this new horn should be in your finger!  Can you imagine?  Someone's backing up and doesn't see you - just point, and HORN!!  Or, you send your kids to their room, and they are yelling and crying and all you have to do is point and HORN!  You get your point across AND you drown them out.  BRILLIANT!  However, there may be one downside - for people that talk with their hands.  It's going to sound as if they have the dirtiest mouths in the world when they are all "And then the BEEP BEEP BEEP said they would make it happen.  BEEP, but they didn't.  BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!  Also, for baseball players - pointing to where they want to hit the ball?  Or the catcher giving signals?  The ball park would be one big BEEP BEEEP BEEP BEEEEEP.  It would sound like BEEPING Morse code.

Any who - what a great idea right?  Let's start the Horn-Finger-Evolution-Revolution!

Oh the tangled webs we weave...

I had a conversation with my brother today.  I don't know how we got to the topic, but we did, we talked about our parents and our relationships with our parents.  We talked about and psychoanalyzed our parents.  Seeking answers, making hypotheses and theories.  But, that's really all it was.  A bunch of theories on why we have the relationships with our parents that we do.

This got me to thinking.  What will my relationship look like with my kids as they grow older?  What do I want our relationships to be?  What will happen in their lives and mine that will impact our relationship?  How will they be with Tony?  What will that relationship be like and how will I factor into that?

I know that I've stated before that my parents were married and divorced long before 30.  I was raised by a single mom, and I am the oldest.  My mom remarried when I was 10, and more siblings came along.  The reason I bring this up is, there was so much change in my young life, that I grew up craving stability.

My kids may grow up to crave change and may not like my boring life.  That's ok.  But, back to the real question at hand.  What do I want our relationship to be like when they are grown?

I want them to be happy.  I want them to seek out the activities, careers, and people that can and will make them happy.  Most of all, I want to be happy for them.  I worry that I won't like the people that they choose as their significant others.  I worry that I will be too domineering and tell them what they should and shouldn't do as they get old enough to make these decisions themselves.  I hope that I have the foresight to be able to step back and let them live their lives.  I want to be a confidant.  I want to talk to my kids regularly.  I want them happy to visit me, or happy to have me visit them.  I want to share with them while they have families and grow their families.

What is your relationship like with your parents?  What do you want your relationship to be like with your kids when they grow up?

Also, in the spirit of family, here are some pictures of mine.

I may or may not join up with my beginning blogging inspiration, Emily, for her Embrace the Camera.  We'll see tomorrow.

Olivia and Daddy

Mommy and Mia

The Effects of a Cleaning Lady...

Did I mention recently that we have a cleaning lady?  Yes, yes, we do.  We are very lucky people to have people to help us keep the house clean.

So, now that we have some free time, what do you think we're doing with it?

Sleeping?  Sometimes.

Blogging?  Obviously not.  :-)

Other house projects that have been put to the side?  Looks like it!

Recently, we have cleaned out closets, re-organized junk drawers, re-organized under a bathroom sink, and most recently, cleaning up our outdoors. 

We had been kind of lacking in the yard work, other than mowing.  Our landscaping that had been put in about 5 years ago was showing some serious neglect.  So, yesterday, we packed up the kids and went to Menard's.  We picked up flowers, top soil, peat moss, fun garden decoration and even some garden lighting on our second trip of the day.  We came home and got to work.  We are very satisfied with the results and wanted to share with you.

Before and After of our front garden.  We took those giant bushes out and replaced them with lilac bushes that have far to grow.  We also took out 4 of the grass looking mounds that sprout yellow flowers later in the year.  These were replaced with a number of different flowers.

Again, before and after.  Check out the big bushes we removed from the front - they will be adorning the bare sides of our house.

On the other side of the house, 2 of our grassy looking mounds found their way over here.

Before picture of our 2 trees in the front.

The after shot of the trees.  We planted the other 2 grassy mounds, along with some mums and pansies.

Close up of flowers in the front, as well as the lady bug that we added.  We have a bee too, not pictured.

Finished product (before lighting).  Mia is talking to the aforementioned bee.

This is going to be the prettiest garden when all the flowers and bushes grow in!

I thought about starting this post apologizing for my absence.  But then, I thought, geez, every time I start a blog post, I talk about being absent.  Whatever.  This is my blog.  I write what I want, when I want, and shouldn't have to apologize for not writing.  So, I'm not.  I love that you're here reading this, and I'm sorry if you were disappointed that I hadn't posted.  Somehow, I'm not thinking that there was much disappointment out there.  ;0)

So - I could talk about what we've been up to lately, but that's boring.  I mean really - I'm bored just remembering it.  

I got to thinking.  I am working on planning a baby shower.  It got me to thinking about parenthood. What's it like to be a parent?  I recently told a co-worker that being a parent is like being on the longest baby-sitting job ever.  And I wish these kids' parents would come pick them up soon.

I really think that being a parent is one of the hardest things I've ever done, if not THE hardest.  It takes patience, knowledge, the balls to try new things, patience, love, hugs, patience, frustration and patience.  My kids don't always behave the way that they should, or even the way that I would like for them to behave.  They don't eat the food I make, or the food I buy.  They wear clothes that make them look like they are covered head to toe in pepto bismol.  They make me yell and they make me laugh.  It's kinda awesome.

But, back to the beginning.  As noted earlier, a friend of mine is pregnant.  This is her first.  I have been excited for her to have kids for awhile and was excited when she told me she was pregnant.  (This is how/when I learned that pregnancy IS exciting, as long as its not me that's pregnant.)  When she told me, she was less than thrilled about this new development and felt bad about that, like she should be sprouting rainbows from her palms and roses out of her butt now that she's pregnant.  If you have kids, do you remember the first time you found out you were pregnant?  I do.  I burst into tears.  I was terrified.  Prior to this, it was exciting, would I get pregnant?  Is it eve possible?  What will pregnancy be like?  Then, that evil little pee stick has a plus sign and now what? HOLY CRAP!!!  NOW WHAT?!?!?!

I could totally understand where she was coming from. One of the things I learned after my first pregnancy is that pregnancy sucks, but there is an awesome end - a baby.  That little baby was the best/coolest thing I ever did

It's kind of the same as parenting.  Parenting will make you throw up, be abusively angry for little to no reason, make you clean and re-decorate furiously.  Parenting will make your hair turn gray and wrinkles to suddenly appear on your face.  Parenting will make you embarrassed over things you can't control, and make you want to control them even more.  Parenting is something you can't hide, and secretly love.

I love my kids - they are the brightest, somewhat well-behaved, most beautiful (yes, I'm partial) kids in the world.  I really do love this parenting adventure that we are on.

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While I wasn't here, here are some of the things that we have been up to:

I've been rocking out on Words with Friends.  Some of my better scores.

Tony had a birthday and is happily 32!  Happy Birthday to my tonsil-less man!

Mother-Daughter Manicures.

Olivia lost another tooth and left a note for the tooth fairy.  She is a note-writing fool!

I cleaned my fridge.

Mia ran her head right into my face and busted my lip.  My chin is fine - that's just the lighting.

We went to the city and did some touristy things.  Here's Mia by the bean.