Tuesday, March 28, 2006
My own personal Lent
OK, you know me. I'm not Catholic. I'm not even religious. However, I've decided to participate in Lent. We'll call it Lent Lite. It's not as long as the real Lent, and it doesn't require traditional Lenten customs, like soul-searching, repentance, praying, almsgiving, meatless Fridays, ashy foreheads, and the like. (am I going to Hell?) However, my own personal Lent will begin on Wednesday, March 29th (aka Tasty-less Drink Wednesday) and concludes on...when does the real Lent end? Easter Sunday? So, Sunday, April 16th, we'll say. And for Mel Lent, I will participate in the quasi-fasting Western tradition of giving up something near and dear to me. My choice: soft drinks. It's going to be hard, this I know. But I think I've developed a problem. When you can down two Dr. Peppers before 10am, something needs to be done. I plan to replace the toxic, sugary, delicious goodness with pure, thirst-quenching, bland, tasteless water. It should be good for me. And maybe I'll lose a few of the several pounds I've packed back on in the last couple of months. So, if you see me, ask me how my Lent is going. I'm really committed. I swear. I am.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective
Had to change the Walgreens batteries in my mouse today. Looks like the dead ones lasted almost a month! Wow!
Still reading the Notaro book, I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies). I'd say I'm almost finished, since I have like only 2 stories to go, but it's taking me a REEEEAAAALLLY long time to read this one. I'm thinking of changing my rating system on the navigation bar. The goofy asterisks moonlighting as stars are kind of annoying me. Perhaps I will whip up some little image in PSP, sort of a "Mel's stamp of approval" type thing. So, like, if I recommend a particular book (ummm, 4 stars or higher, using my old system), I'll stick a little yet-to-be-created symbol next to it.
Luke is swinging in the swing, fake coughing (his new fave pastime) and cooing and laughing at Dr. Phil. I swear, that guy is like Mr. Rogers to my kids. Both boys really dig the Doc. Is he like sending the 3 and under set subliminal messages or something? Or is it his funny-sounding voice? Or, gasp, his funny-looking face? I think it's the mustache.
So, while both boys were napping, I decided to take a nice bath today (I like when people - particularly those 60 and above - use "nice" as an adjective for things like food, "a nice roast"...so I decided to have "a nice bath"). However, my bath was neither "pleasing or agreeable in nature," since as the tub was filled and I turned the water off, I heard Luke babbling in his room. The babbles soon turned to fussings and fussings soon turned to agitated cries. It was then that I knew my nice bath was over. It really bites to have to drain a tub full of perfectly hot and bubbly water. So, one quick bath and one even quicker shower later, here I sit, blogging, with my youngest son making smacking noises and laughing hysterically at Dr. Phil in the background.
Yeah, have you heard about this asshole who blogged about how rockingly her son has been sleeping, declaring that he sleeps no less than 8 hours without waking lately? Well, her son decided to wake for a feeding at midnight last night. Showed her, didn't he?
Alrighty, off to make my seal-of-approval image. Have a fabulous weekend.
Still reading the Notaro book, I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies). I'd say I'm almost finished, since I have like only 2 stories to go, but it's taking me a REEEEAAAALLLY long time to read this one. I'm thinking of changing my rating system on the navigation bar. The goofy asterisks moonlighting as stars are kind of annoying me. Perhaps I will whip up some little image in PSP, sort of a "Mel's stamp of approval" type thing. So, like, if I recommend a particular book (ummm, 4 stars or higher, using my old system), I'll stick a little yet-to-be-created symbol next to it.
Luke is swinging in the swing, fake coughing (his new fave pastime) and cooing and laughing at Dr. Phil. I swear, that guy is like Mr. Rogers to my kids. Both boys really dig the Doc. Is he like sending the 3 and under set subliminal messages or something? Or is it his funny-sounding voice? Or, gasp, his funny-looking face? I think it's the mustache.
So, while both boys were napping, I decided to take a nice bath today (I like when people - particularly those 60 and above - use "nice" as an adjective for things like food, "a nice roast"...so I decided to have "a nice bath"). However, my bath was neither "pleasing or agreeable in nature," since as the tub was filled and I turned the water off, I heard Luke babbling in his room. The babbles soon turned to fussings and fussings soon turned to agitated cries. It was then that I knew my nice bath was over. It really bites to have to drain a tub full of perfectly hot and bubbly water. So, one quick bath and one even quicker shower later, here I sit, blogging, with my youngest son making smacking noises and laughing hysterically at Dr. Phil in the background.
Yeah, have you heard about this asshole who blogged about how rockingly her son has been sleeping, declaring that he sleeps no less than 8 hours without waking lately? Well, her son decided to wake for a feeding at midnight last night. Showed her, didn't he?
Alrighty, off to make my seal-of-approval image. Have a fabulous weekend.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Kid stuff and a happy visit with Amy
So, here's what's going on in the world of Maddox. Amy came for a week-long visit and we saw her every day, except Wednesday. We hung out a lot, ate a lot, played a lot, went bowling, went shopping, and just really had a good time. It sucked when she had to go back. Some possible good news, though...Shawn might get discharged this summer (apparently the Air Force recruited too many officers or something like that). So, we find out as early as May if they get to come home for good!
Amy playing with Luke:
Today, I've been up since 5:10am. One of the side effects of Luke sleeping through the night is that he likes to wake up for the day miserably early. Usually, it's around 6:30, but I guess today was my lucky day. So, yeah, Luke is sleeping awesomely these days! More nights than not, he sleeps about 10 hours. Sometimes more, sometimes less - but hardly ever less than 8 hours. It's like the answer to my prayers.
Luke's been rolling from his stomach to his back for a couple of weeks now. His favorite place to do it? In the crib. His favorite time to do it? Naptime. Which kind of sucks, but it's cute anyway! It's kind of like it's uncontrollable. Like involuntary or something. There must be this infant brain sensor that goes off upon waking that informs the body: Must. Roll. Over. Now. We haven't seen any back to tummy action yet, but when that happens it's all over. I remember Cameron rolling back and forth, all across his room. I can't imagine what kind of mine field it's going to be, with Luke rolling around and Cam running all over the place. Hopefully, we won't have any Lukey tramplings.
Luke in mid-roll:
Cam has been very cute lately! The other day, we were playing in his room. Luke was lying on a blanket, eating his toys. Cam touched Luke's bare feet and said, "Luke's feet cold. Cam go get socks." He proceeded to go into Luke's room and get a pair of socks out of his drawer. He brought them in and said, "here Mom, put Luke's socks on." What a little nurturer!
Some cute Cam phrases of late:
"Mom is an old man"
Cam: "Cam eat that strawberry there in dining room"
Mom: "Is the strawberry good?"
Cam: "Good. And juicy, too!"
As the garbage truck backs up the street to get the neighbor's trash: "Bye bye, garbage truck! Have fun over there!"
If someone other than me tells Cam that they love him, he says, "No! Cam love Mom!"
Sweet kid, huh?!
Amy playing with Luke:
Today, I've been up since 5:10am. One of the side effects of Luke sleeping through the night is that he likes to wake up for the day miserably early. Usually, it's around 6:30, but I guess today was my lucky day. So, yeah, Luke is sleeping awesomely these days! More nights than not, he sleeps about 10 hours. Sometimes more, sometimes less - but hardly ever less than 8 hours. It's like the answer to my prayers.
Luke's been rolling from his stomach to his back for a couple of weeks now. His favorite place to do it? In the crib. His favorite time to do it? Naptime. Which kind of sucks, but it's cute anyway! It's kind of like it's uncontrollable. Like involuntary or something. There must be this infant brain sensor that goes off upon waking that informs the body: Must. Roll. Over. Now. We haven't seen any back to tummy action yet, but when that happens it's all over. I remember Cameron rolling back and forth, all across his room. I can't imagine what kind of mine field it's going to be, with Luke rolling around and Cam running all over the place. Hopefully, we won't have any Lukey tramplings.
Luke in mid-roll:
Cam has been very cute lately! The other day, we were playing in his room. Luke was lying on a blanket, eating his toys. Cam touched Luke's bare feet and said, "Luke's feet cold. Cam go get socks." He proceeded to go into Luke's room and get a pair of socks out of his drawer. He brought them in and said, "here Mom, put Luke's socks on." What a little nurturer!
Some cute Cam phrases of late:
"Mom is an old man"
Cam: "Cam eat that strawberry there in dining room"
Mom: "Is the strawberry good?"
Cam: "Good. And juicy, too!"
As the garbage truck backs up the street to get the neighbor's trash: "Bye bye, garbage truck! Have fun over there!"
If someone other than me tells Cam that they love him, he says, "No! Cam love Mom!"
Sweet kid, huh?!
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
I'll be burning my bra next
Dear Friends at Curel Skincare:
Thanks so much for the 1 oz sample of Curel lotion and thanks especially for my Curel 365 Days of Freedom from Dry Skin 2006 Calendar! I mean, I already have a regular calendar, you know, with boxes for days of the week, that lists holidays and cycles of the moon and such. But now I have a calendar that will actually free me from dry skin ALL YEAR 'ROUND! (OK, so far, I've yet to be free from dry skin, but perhaps it's because I haven't yet hung the calendar up. Maybe when I hang it, the freedom will begin.) The best part is that my calendar includes "liberating quotes" to keep me in the right mind-set! Yes! Now I'm free AND liberated! Let me tell you, quotes such as, "It's easier to be comfortable in your skin when your skin doesn't remind you of a scratchy wool sweater,"
"A good hair day makes you feel beautiful from the outside in. A good skin day makes you feel beautiful from the inside out," and
"Even rice cakes are fattening if you eat too many..." liberate me beyond my wildest expectations. Thank God I am now set free from the oppression of dry skin and excessive rice cake consumption.
Again, I owe you the most sincere gratitude for improving my life with this amazing, thought-provoking calendar. Yes, it's true what you say: "(Dry skin) is more than a state of being...it's a state of mind."
Let me leave you with these parting words (partially lifted from my fabulous calendar)..."Laughter may not heal all wounds (or dry skin), but it's a pretty good bandage."
Moisturizingly yours,
Melanie R. Maddox
Thanks so much for the 1 oz sample of Curel lotion and thanks especially for my Curel 365 Days of Freedom from Dry Skin 2006 Calendar! I mean, I already have a regular calendar, you know, with boxes for days of the week, that lists holidays and cycles of the moon and such. But now I have a calendar that will actually free me from dry skin ALL YEAR 'ROUND! (OK, so far, I've yet to be free from dry skin, but perhaps it's because I haven't yet hung the calendar up. Maybe when I hang it, the freedom will begin.) The best part is that my calendar includes "liberating quotes" to keep me in the right mind-set! Yes! Now I'm free AND liberated! Let me tell you, quotes such as, "It's easier to be comfortable in your skin when your skin doesn't remind you of a scratchy wool sweater,"
"A good hair day makes you feel beautiful from the outside in. A good skin day makes you feel beautiful from the inside out," and
"Even rice cakes are fattening if you eat too many..." liberate me beyond my wildest expectations. Thank God I am now set free from the oppression of dry skin and excessive rice cake consumption.
Again, I owe you the most sincere gratitude for improving my life with this amazing, thought-provoking calendar. Yes, it's true what you say: "(Dry skin) is more than a state of being...it's a state of mind."
Let me leave you with these parting words (partially lifted from my fabulous calendar)..."Laughter may not heal all wounds (or dry skin), but it's a pretty good bandage."
Moisturizingly yours,
Melanie R. Maddox
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Bottoms up!
Yeah. So, we went bowling Thursday. It was Cam's first full game and he did great! He got a 54. Thankfully, Tony was able to snap this extremely attractive photograph of me helping Cam push the ball down the lane...
Nice, eh? I'll post some less offensive pictures of the event on maddoxdirect.com soon.
Nice, eh? I'll post some less offensive pictures of the event on maddoxdirect.com soon.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Returning soon
OK, so I've been totally neglecting my poor blog, but I have a very valid reason. My sister has been in town and we are trying to soak up every minute of her while she's here. I promise to get back to you, My Lovely Blog, really soon. I have lots to say!
Thursday, March 9, 2006
Just another Thursday
Lukeadoodle slept almost 11 hours last night! Sighing happily! Well, he woke up around his usual 3:30. I got up to go to the bathroom, but his fussing was settling down. I stood in the hall for a few minutes and he was quiet, so I went back to bed. He woke up again at 4:20 or so, and only fussed for about a minute and then went back to sleep. He woke for the day at 7:20! That's nearly 11 hours!
So, ugh. It's raining and dreary outside, and I just can't get motivated to do anything. I've done a few loads of laundry and sorted through Cam's old clothes to find stuff for Luke to wear, but that's about it. I really need to get dishes in the dishwasher and get it running. A shower would be nice, but both boys are up. Cam will probably go down for a nap in the next half hour, but Luke just got up from his. He's happily playing in his piano (think exersaucer).
I have a terrible addiction. I've been compulsively downloading and watching "The Office" episodes from itunes. I'm pretty much caught up to the point where I started watching the show, and it's taking every ounce of willpower I possess to not download the ones I've already seen. Can I just say I Love That Show! And, dammit, tonight's episode is a repeat. That I downloaded last week.
Ahh - I took a long break to get the kids to bed and take a bath! A big ole long bath. And it rocked.
So, this is pretty cool. BNL is going to host a cruise. It's called Ships and Dip, and it's a Carnival cruise that goes from Fort Lauderdale to Turks and Caicos (two places I'm totally clueless about) January 15-19, 2007. The band will be on the ship the entire time and will perform two concerts, plus various impromptu shows. Other musicians and comedians will be there as well, although they haven't announced who yet. I kind of really want to go. It doesn't seem too expensive for a 4-day cruise (699 a person). I'd love to go, however there are some drawbacks:
-cost, not just the cost of the cruise, but airline tickets, as well. Especially spendy if Tony went with me.
-being away from Cameron and Luke for 4 days would suck
-if Tony did go with me, who would stay with the boys?
-are cruises even fun if you lean on the anti-social side?
-who would go with me if Tony doesn't? I certainly wouldn't go by myself.
I just don't know. I probably won't end up going. The pre-sale for Ladies Room members starts next week.
OK, well, it's now 4pm and I need to get the kitchen cleaned up...so we can mess it up again during dinner!
So, ugh. It's raining and dreary outside, and I just can't get motivated to do anything. I've done a few loads of laundry and sorted through Cam's old clothes to find stuff for Luke to wear, but that's about it. I really need to get dishes in the dishwasher and get it running. A shower would be nice, but both boys are up. Cam will probably go down for a nap in the next half hour, but Luke just got up from his. He's happily playing in his piano (think exersaucer).
I have a terrible addiction. I've been compulsively downloading and watching "The Office" episodes from itunes. I'm pretty much caught up to the point where I started watching the show, and it's taking every ounce of willpower I possess to not download the ones I've already seen. Can I just say I Love That Show! And, dammit, tonight's episode is a repeat. That I downloaded last week.
Ahh - I took a long break to get the kids to bed and take a bath! A big ole long bath. And it rocked.
So, this is pretty cool. BNL is going to host a cruise. It's called Ships and Dip, and it's a Carnival cruise that goes from Fort Lauderdale to Turks and Caicos (two places I'm totally clueless about) January 15-19, 2007. The band will be on the ship the entire time and will perform two concerts, plus various impromptu shows. Other musicians and comedians will be there as well, although they haven't announced who yet. I kind of really want to go. It doesn't seem too expensive for a 4-day cruise (699 a person). I'd love to go, however there are some drawbacks:
-cost, not just the cost of the cruise, but airline tickets, as well. Especially spendy if Tony went with me.
-being away from Cameron and Luke for 4 days would suck
-if Tony did go with me, who would stay with the boys?
-are cruises even fun if you lean on the anti-social side?
-who would go with me if Tony doesn't? I certainly wouldn't go by myself.
I just don't know. I probably won't end up going. The pre-sale for Ladies Room members starts next week.
OK, well, it's now 4pm and I need to get the kitchen cleaned up...so we can mess it up again during dinner!
Tuesday, March 7, 2006
A common theme is important, right?
Proof that I ain't real smart:
We bought a new handsoap dispenser and toothbrush holder for the bathroom last week. It gave me the idea to put out the nice soap dispenser in the kitchen as well. It was under the sink. I couldn't remember how well I (or Tony) washed it last, so I put it in the dishwasher. So. Later that night, after the dishwasher had been running for a while, Tony noticed gobs of suds billowing out from under it. I stood there, perplexed, as Tony ran to get some towels. Where the heck could the suds be coming from? We use dishwasher tablets, and I'm pretty sure they don't make bubble bath-like suds. Then it dawned on me...there must have been soap still in the dispenser! I am such a dumbass. I mean, it felt empty, but did I check? Nope. So, moral of the story? Don't put soap dispensers in the dishwasher. Be domestic and take the time to wash them by hand. Don't be a dumbass.
To save time, we gave Cam and Luke a bath at the same time this weekend. Before I had two kids, I was against group bathing. Now that we have two, anything goes. This was our first two-boys-in-the-tub experience. First, Cameron got in and then I undressed Lucas and laid him down on his sling. All was going well...Cam was being nice to Luke. He wasn't splashing and was helping wash Luke's feet. Then we noticed something small and yellow/brown in the water. Since it was small, Cam the Man was ruled out as a suspect. "Oh, so Luke pooped in the tub," you might think. Nope, again, it was my dumbass fault. Although Luke's diaper was mainly dry and was poop-free, I had forgotten to check in between his cheeks, where little "elfin turds" (credit that phrase to Tony) like to hang out. So, yeah, the water had to be changed. And did it really save us any time? Dumbass strikes again!
Finally, it may seem like a no-brainer to some, but if your hair has been falling out like crazy for the last two months, and every time you get out of the shower, you are tired of depositing long hairs onto your various body parts after towel-drying your hair, an easy solution is to use two towels - one for your hair and the other for your body. But you probably aren't a dumbass and would most likely figure that out before two months had passed.
And, if you're curious, here is the inspiration that resulted in the dishwasher fiasco:
We bought a new handsoap dispenser and toothbrush holder for the bathroom last week. It gave me the idea to put out the nice soap dispenser in the kitchen as well. It was under the sink. I couldn't remember how well I (or Tony) washed it last, so I put it in the dishwasher. So. Later that night, after the dishwasher had been running for a while, Tony noticed gobs of suds billowing out from under it. I stood there, perplexed, as Tony ran to get some towels. Where the heck could the suds be coming from? We use dishwasher tablets, and I'm pretty sure they don't make bubble bath-like suds. Then it dawned on me...there must have been soap still in the dispenser! I am such a dumbass. I mean, it felt empty, but did I check? Nope. So, moral of the story? Don't put soap dispensers in the dishwasher. Be domestic and take the time to wash them by hand. Don't be a dumbass.
To save time, we gave Cam and Luke a bath at the same time this weekend. Before I had two kids, I was against group bathing. Now that we have two, anything goes. This was our first two-boys-in-the-tub experience. First, Cameron got in and then I undressed Lucas and laid him down on his sling. All was going well...Cam was being nice to Luke. He wasn't splashing and was helping wash Luke's feet. Then we noticed something small and yellow/brown in the water. Since it was small, Cam the Man was ruled out as a suspect. "Oh, so Luke pooped in the tub," you might think. Nope, again, it was my dumbass fault. Although Luke's diaper was mainly dry and was poop-free, I had forgotten to check in between his cheeks, where little "elfin turds" (credit that phrase to Tony) like to hang out. So, yeah, the water had to be changed. And did it really save us any time? Dumbass strikes again!
Finally, it may seem like a no-brainer to some, but if your hair has been falling out like crazy for the last two months, and every time you get out of the shower, you are tired of depositing long hairs onto your various body parts after towel-drying your hair, an easy solution is to use two towels - one for your hair and the other for your body. But you probably aren't a dumbass and would most likely figure that out before two months had passed.
And, if you're curious, here is the inspiration that resulted in the dishwasher fiasco:
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
Twisty
Lucas slept 8 hours before waking to be fed last night. Now that's what I'm talking about!
I finished Me Talk Pretty One Day. Great book. I love Sedaris' essays and I like his writing style - for the most part. It does bug me when he omits commas where they are needed, but at least he does so consistently! So, ok...I gave Me Talk Pretty 4 stars. I really dug many of the stories, but there were a few that were just blah to me. Otherwise, it would have been a 5 star read.
I've moved on to another "memoir" - I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies) : True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl, by Laurie Notaro. I considered sticking with David Sedaris, but decided I would appreciate him more after a break. I already have some stuff to say about Notaro's style, but I'll save it for the "review." I shouldn't say review, since I don't do anything close to reviewing the books I read...more like "short, two-sentence blurb."
So, having your first baby is easy. I mean, yeah, you don't know what you're doing and everything is new...yada, yada, yada, but with only one kid, when you go to put the baby in the swing/carseat/highchair, the safety straps are just as you left them: nice and in order - ready for the next use. When it's your second baby, and when the big brother is Cameron, you can't count on the straps being ready for you. In fact, you can count on the opposite. Not only are the straps all buckled, but they are twisted and mangled into crazy configurations, so that it is almost impossible to undo them while holding a 20-pound 4.5-month-old, and if you ARE able to get them straightened out, and when the 4.5-month-old is Lucas, he is most likely by then fussing and not in the mood to sit in the swing/carseat/highchair anymore. (that, my friends, is quite what reading Laurie Notaro is like!)
OK, well, today's Highlight Day. 5:30 is my appointment. My boring, virgin hair will (hopefully) be interesting and have dimension and crap like that. I hope anyone can even see the difference! Ha!
See you on the more colorful side.
I finished Me Talk Pretty One Day. Great book. I love Sedaris' essays and I like his writing style - for the most part. It does bug me when he omits commas where they are needed, but at least he does so consistently! So, ok...I gave Me Talk Pretty 4 stars. I really dug many of the stories, but there were a few that were just blah to me. Otherwise, it would have been a 5 star read.
I've moved on to another "memoir" - I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies) : True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl, by Laurie Notaro. I considered sticking with David Sedaris, but decided I would appreciate him more after a break. I already have some stuff to say about Notaro's style, but I'll save it for the "review." I shouldn't say review, since I don't do anything close to reviewing the books I read...more like "short, two-sentence blurb."
So, having your first baby is easy. I mean, yeah, you don't know what you're doing and everything is new...yada, yada, yada, but with only one kid, when you go to put the baby in the swing/carseat/highchair, the safety straps are just as you left them: nice and in order - ready for the next use. When it's your second baby, and when the big brother is Cameron, you can't count on the straps being ready for you. In fact, you can count on the opposite. Not only are the straps all buckled, but they are twisted and mangled into crazy configurations, so that it is almost impossible to undo them while holding a 20-pound 4.5-month-old, and if you ARE able to get them straightened out, and when the 4.5-month-old is Lucas, he is most likely by then fussing and not in the mood to sit in the swing/carseat/highchair anymore. (that, my friends, is quite what reading Laurie Notaro is like!)
OK, well, today's Highlight Day. 5:30 is my appointment. My boring, virgin hair will (hopefully) be interesting and have dimension and crap like that. I hope anyone can even see the difference! Ha!
See you on the more colorful side.
