I just really wanted to put a link to Bombadee for the week, as she expressed my sediments exactly.
What have the Tot’s been doing?
Thanksgiving:
Two family celebrations in two separate towns. Mine and Jeff’s family’s celebrate so differently. Jeff’s Mom prepares all of the food, you show up about an hour before the meal to look through the sale papers, eat, Mom and Sister Jenny do the dishes while I clean the meat off the bird (I can clean a bone like no one else!) and then you go home. It’s very nice, but short and to the point. My family gets together for holidays around noon and basically has a constant, never-ending smorgasbord of food that everyone pulls up to like a trough all day. Games, cards, pool, four-wheelin’ in the woods…this goes on until well past dark when the last of the overstuffed relatives are still playing Euchre next to the crackling fire in Uncle Bob’s living room. We managed to hit both.
Friday:
Hair cuts and color for the kids and much needed giggles with the BlahZeeBlah’s followed by a fun filled afternoon and evening at the Bombadee’s. They had two tables going with games, food aplenty, and kids running circles. We played this awesome game called Scruples and I discovered that Mr. BlahZeeBlah is one of the most cunning men I know and Jenny is one of the most honest women I know. My son managed to take a dump in his pants while we were there and then on the way home I had to pull over so I could puke all of the wonderful food I had eaten in the ditch. Michelle’s homemade roasted garlic hummus does not taste as good coming up as it does going down.
Saturday:
Both Jeff and I: puke, puke, puke, diarrhea, puke, diarrhea, diarrhea, diarrhea, diarrhea.
Sunday:
Some relaxation, at last! Jeff cleaned the house and we put the tree up and all of the holiday decorations out. I studied for my second certification test for about four hours then took a break to watch the Bears (or should I say Grossman) lose the football game. Spent the rest of the evening snuggled up on the sofa listening to holiday tunes as the tree sparkled in the corner and the tiny figurines ice skated on my St. Nicolaus Square village atop the entertainment center.
It was a very busy and very wonderful holiday weekend (except for the puking and diarrhea, of course).
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Success at Last!
I hadn’t posted this phenomenal news from the House of Tot sooner for fear of jinxing something. The fear is now gone, the objective has been met.
Jeff began his new, first shift job on Monday and Sitter Sally suggested it was the opportune time to make another big change as well. No more diapers. I was fearful at first, as SugarLips has shown no interest in the potty what so ever, even crying at times when the suggestion was made to try it out. After much consideration, we agreed; this is the perfect opening to tell him that he will be going to Sally’s house for breakfast and lunch everyday, will be having preschool time each morning, napping at Sally’s in the afternoon…and oh yeah…no more diapers. We’re going cold turkey.
Sunday afternoon I went shopping and bought 14 pair of size 2T-3T underwear in a variety of styles. We had Buzz LightYear, Cars, Spiderman, Superman, Football! I was so excited to get them home and put a pair on those cute little buns. Little did I know I would first have a twenty minute conversation with my 3 year-old on why he thought underwear was “scary”…don’t ask, I still don’t quite understand. After a great deal of discussion and some sneaky jumping on the bed distraction we finally got him into a pair with a huge Superman symbol prominently displayed on his tiny rear. He kept asking for a diaper, but we told him that there were no more diapers so he would have to use the potty and kept our fingers crossed.
Next came the pièce de résistance; The Potty Chart. Sugar and I made a quick trip to the Super Dollar Store and bought our supplies; a big white poster board, markers and sparkly stickers of snowmen, stars and clowns. With each successful “event” a sticker would be earned. My entire plan relied on the notion my son would covet the sparkly stickers.
To spare readers the lurid details I will offer this summary; since Sunday evening we have had no, that’s right NO, pee accidents. This morning he even woke up with a dry pull up (he gets one only for night time sleeping, not naps) and immediately told me in his not quite awake yet, crackly voice that he had to use the potty. Poop is a hurdle we have yet to successfully clear having one accident on Monday evening with no further occurrences as of this morning. I know he has to go though, observing the tell tale signs of constant gas and declarations of “my tummy hurt” this morning. Keep your fingers crossed I come home to celebration tonight and not a grocery bag of rinsed out Spiderman briefs and blue jeans.
Jeff began his new, first shift job on Monday and Sitter Sally suggested it was the opportune time to make another big change as well. No more diapers. I was fearful at first, as SugarLips has shown no interest in the potty what so ever, even crying at times when the suggestion was made to try it out. After much consideration, we agreed; this is the perfect opening to tell him that he will be going to Sally’s house for breakfast and lunch everyday, will be having preschool time each morning, napping at Sally’s in the afternoon…and oh yeah…no more diapers. We’re going cold turkey.
Sunday afternoon I went shopping and bought 14 pair of size 2T-3T underwear in a variety of styles. We had Buzz LightYear, Cars, Spiderman, Superman, Football! I was so excited to get them home and put a pair on those cute little buns. Little did I know I would first have a twenty minute conversation with my 3 year-old on why he thought underwear was “scary”…don’t ask, I still don’t quite understand. After a great deal of discussion and some sneaky jumping on the bed distraction we finally got him into a pair with a huge Superman symbol prominently displayed on his tiny rear. He kept asking for a diaper, but we told him that there were no more diapers so he would have to use the potty and kept our fingers crossed.
Next came the pièce de résistance; The Potty Chart. Sugar and I made a quick trip to the Super Dollar Store and bought our supplies; a big white poster board, markers and sparkly stickers of snowmen, stars and clowns. With each successful “event” a sticker would be earned. My entire plan relied on the notion my son would covet the sparkly stickers.
To spare readers the lurid details I will offer this summary; since Sunday evening we have had no, that’s right NO, pee accidents. This morning he even woke up with a dry pull up (he gets one only for night time sleeping, not naps) and immediately told me in his not quite awake yet, crackly voice that he had to use the potty. Poop is a hurdle we have yet to successfully clear having one accident on Monday evening with no further occurrences as of this morning. I know he has to go though, observing the tell tale signs of constant gas and declarations of “my tummy hurt” this morning. Keep your fingers crossed I come home to celebration tonight and not a grocery bag of rinsed out Spiderman briefs and blue jeans.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Friday, November 03, 2006
Innuendo
Recently overheard at work:
“It’s too hard, I have to suck on it to get it soft”
(referring to a piece of taffy)
“It’s pretty tight when you try to put two through there”
(attempting to pull two carts through a narrow opening)
“Cause for eight bucks I can have some woman massage my head”
(in response to asking Schweaty Man why he bothers to pay for his crew cut rather than buying a set of clippers)
“Let’s see how big this unit is”
(when opening a document for printing)
“It’s too hard, I have to suck on it to get it soft”
(referring to a piece of taffy)
“It’s pretty tight when you try to put two through there”
(attempting to pull two carts through a narrow opening)
“Cause for eight bucks I can have some woman massage my head”
(in response to asking Schweaty Man why he bothers to pay for his crew cut rather than buying a set of clippers)
“Let’s see how big this unit is”
(when opening a document for printing)
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Halloween of Tiny Tots
Mimi, The Rainbow Witch (9 years old)
Abi, The Devil (11 years old)
SugarLips, "PiderMan" (3 years old)
Showing off their loot...
-------------------------------------------
I found this pic over the weekend and thought I would share...
Vintage TaterTot and Bombadee.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Class of '91 Reunion Part Two: Who the Fu** Is That?
Jill, Erika and Tot: I can't believe we didn't end up in the bathroom singing When Soft Winds Blow...
Tot & Wendy: The first person I ever skipped school with, it was in the sixth or seventh grade and we were totally busted...(be thankful Wendy, I almost scanned in pics from my 5th grade slumber party where we all dressed up in togas made from my mothers floral sheets and you had a bad perm and that contraption you wear across your face and head at night with braces...)
This pic could sum up our entire evening...continuous pee-your-pants laughter
1991: Flash, Jeel, E and Pief
2006: Matt, Jill, Erika and Jennie
Not quite sure what Jill and I were doing here, but it should have been my first indication to stop drinking...open bars at class reunions are not the best idea. (Doesn't it look like I have horns growing out of my head in this pic...it took me a minute to realize it was the persons behind me ears)
This picture cracked me up when I noticed Dean flippin' me off in the background.
What I would have given for Matt to put his tongue on me in high school...I had to wait 15 years.
We really should get together more often guys, I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time. Love you Mark!
This is a picture of a girl that I was stalking with my camera all night asking everyone "Who the fu** is that?"...it should have been another indication that I had too much to drink. All of my old classmates must think I've become a raging alcoholic. After looking at it again though, I still have no idea who the fuck it is.
See you at the 20!
The TaterTots.
Class of ’91 Reunion Part One: Brown Blazers and Striped Shirts
The day before the reunion...shopping for an outfit. I thought it would only take a few moments to run into Old Navy and pick up this great outfit I had pre-shopped for online. It was a nice pair of really dark denim jeans to be paired with a silk avocado green wrap top. Mrs. Blahzeeblah was waiting for me so I was trying to hurry. She was going to help me revise the platinum hair I chose to sport for Vegas and instead go with a more realistic looking brunette with golden highlights. As fate would have it, the shirt I wanted to buy was only available online and the jeans turned out to have this horrible low rise cut giving me a muffin top hearty enough to feed the Jolly Green Giant (ho-ho-ho). After three hours and four stores I settled on a pair of jeans, pale gold tank and chocolate velvet blazer from Kohls. I also bought some bronze pumps and fabulous dark teal suede purse. For Jeff I picked up a black button up collared shirt with pin stripes. The rest of the afternoon was run, run, run with hair dyeing and giggles with the Blahzeeblah's. I was speeding to get to my Small Smug town (an hour from their house) to pick up SugarLips when suddenly my cell rang; it was Mrs. Blahzeeblah letting me know I had just left her house sans purse. What a friggin' day! It finally arrives, the day of the reunion.
Thankfully Jeff and I made arrangements to meet up with our old pals E and Mr. E at a local brewery before the reunion was slated to begin. We arrived first and ordered a couple of beers and chips with salsa as we sat uncomfortably on the same side of the booth in anticipation of our cohorts (I always find that odd, when couples share the same side of a booth at restaurants with the other side empty). After about ten minutes the phone rang; E calling to tell me there couldn’t find the place. With some quick directions, my excitement grew knowing we would be running towards each other within in moments; arms in the air, fingers wiggling and that high pitch screech chicks make when they are about to hug (yes…she is the ONLY person I do that with). It was so wonderful to see them again. It’s funny how you can not hang out an old friend for years, but when you do it’s as if you were driving around town drinking swigs from a bottle of Bacardi with Bandits in your mouth only yesterday. (Don’t ask) We laughed our asses off when our embrace finally broke and it dawned on us we were both wearing dark denim jeans paired with brown blazers and heels. Not only that, but as Jeff walked up to join in the merry greetings he and Mr. E were both sporting dark button up collared shirts with pinstripes. I shit you not. We must have both shopped in the “15 Year Class Reunion” section of the store.
Thankfully Jeff and I made arrangements to meet up with our old pals E and Mr. E at a local brewery before the reunion was slated to begin. We arrived first and ordered a couple of beers and chips with salsa as we sat uncomfortably on the same side of the booth in anticipation of our cohorts (I always find that odd, when couples share the same side of a booth at restaurants with the other side empty). After about ten minutes the phone rang; E calling to tell me there couldn’t find the place. With some quick directions, my excitement grew knowing we would be running towards each other within in moments; arms in the air, fingers wiggling and that high pitch screech chicks make when they are about to hug (yes…she is the ONLY person I do that with). It was so wonderful to see them again. It’s funny how you can not hang out an old friend for years, but when you do it’s as if you were driving around town drinking swigs from a bottle of Bacardi with Bandits in your mouth only yesterday. (Don’t ask) We laughed our asses off when our embrace finally broke and it dawned on us we were both wearing dark denim jeans paired with brown blazers and heels. Not only that, but as Jeff walked up to join in the merry greetings he and Mr. E were both sporting dark button up collared shirts with pinstripes. I shit you not. We must have both shopped in the “15 Year Class Reunion” section of the store.
Friday, October 27, 2006
The Tot’s Impending Divorce…
Okay…okay…the title of this post is a joke. Of course! It’s my newest funny-ha-ha that was really old to every one around me by the third time I said it. Something is happening in my marriage that hasn’t occurred in the past eleven years. My husband is moving to a first shift job. To avoid the high cost of having two children in full time daycare, way back when we were in our early twenties and hocking stereo equipment to buy diapers and formula, Jeff moved into a second shift job. He has always been with the kids all day and I take over in the evenings. At most, the kids have been in daycare for our 2-3 hour overlap. Just when the girls finally hit the age they were in school all day, Jeff starting looking for a day job. Then we found out I had a SugarLips growing inside so it was postponed. Isaac is a bit older now and we found a daycare that rocks, so we decided Jeff could try to move into a first shift job again. The place he’s been working had nothing available though, so once again…we waited.
They say it’s all in “who” you know. We met the Blahzeeblah’s and Bombadee’s for dinner less than two weeks ago when Mr. Bombadee handed Jeff a business card and told him to call his boss. One of the shop guys was hanging on by a thread and they may be looking to replace him in a hurry. Dan suggested Jeff. Less then a week later Jeff had an interview and was told the job was his if he wanted it. After some schedule rearranging on my part (thanks a million Sparky) and tough benefit negotiations (Jeff is still thanking me for insisting he ask for more days off) our lives are about to be turned upside down. We’ve always said one of the reason’s we been able to maintain the excitement in our marriage is due to the fact that by Saturday we can’t wait to see each other. That theory is about to be put to test. I can’t thank Dan enough for all he’s done, although it could be fun to try ~wink wink~.
So how will things change? We will sit together as a family for dinner five more nights a week. My children’s father will be cheering them on from the sidelines at all of their baseball games. Homework duties and soccer practices will no longer lie solely on my shoulders. If I’m invited to a Pampered Chef party or out for cosmo’s with Bombadee on a Tuesday night, I won’t have to arrange a babysitter. We will begin to battle for the remote control. This will be the last trick-or-treating on Halloween night Jeff doesn’t experience through pictures. I will be going to sleep with the love of my life just inches from my side Monday through Friday. I will have a reason to postpone actually going to sleep Monday through Friday that doesn’t involve the dirty book Bombadee loaned me. I can’t wait!
Can I get a woo-hoo?
They say it’s all in “who” you know. We met the Blahzeeblah’s and Bombadee’s for dinner less than two weeks ago when Mr. Bombadee handed Jeff a business card and told him to call his boss. One of the shop guys was hanging on by a thread and they may be looking to replace him in a hurry. Dan suggested Jeff. Less then a week later Jeff had an interview and was told the job was his if he wanted it. After some schedule rearranging on my part (thanks a million Sparky) and tough benefit negotiations (Jeff is still thanking me for insisting he ask for more days off) our lives are about to be turned upside down. We’ve always said one of the reason’s we been able to maintain the excitement in our marriage is due to the fact that by Saturday we can’t wait to see each other. That theory is about to be put to test. I can’t thank Dan enough for all he’s done, although it could be fun to try ~wink wink~.
So how will things change? We will sit together as a family for dinner five more nights a week. My children’s father will be cheering them on from the sidelines at all of their baseball games. Homework duties and soccer practices will no longer lie solely on my shoulders. If I’m invited to a Pampered Chef party or out for cosmo’s with Bombadee on a Tuesday night, I won’t have to arrange a babysitter. We will begin to battle for the remote control. This will be the last trick-or-treating on Halloween night Jeff doesn’t experience through pictures. I will be going to sleep with the love of my life just inches from my side Monday through Friday. I will have a reason to postpone actually going to sleep Monday through Friday that doesn’t involve the dirty book Bombadee loaned me. I can’t wait!
Can I get a woo-hoo?
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Cheeeeez!
Isn't it funny how people react when the three-year-old is manning the camera?
Mrs. Blahzeeblah, photgraphed by SugarLips (10/22/06)
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Class of '91, continued
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Class of '91
15 Years? That can’t possibly be right. Saturday night Jeff and I head to the Banquet Center for the East High School Class of 1991 Reunion. There was no five or ten year event so most of these people we literally haven’t seen since senior year. One of my closest friends who I have managed to keep in contact with over the years, even though she and her family live in a neighboring state, is E. I can’t wait to see her. We are meeting her and her husband for drinks at a separate location before the reunion starts, so we should be in fine form by the time we decide to make our grand entrance.
I emailed E this morning and told her she has to help me with a few things:
Names. I suck at names, BIG TIME! I guarantee I will have people coming up to me all night exclaiming “PIEF” (my nickname in school) and I will have no friggin’ idea who in the hell they are. Jeff and E will be able to tell by that stupid smile you get on your face when you’re pretending the person in front of you was the coolest person ever and I can’t believe we’ve lost touch…blah, blah, blah.
“So what have you been up to…married…do you have any kids?” How many times will I have to answer this question? I want to put my response in bullet form and print it out on little cards I can hand to people when they ask. “Here you go, this has all of the information you need on it…nice to see you.” Do I have to ask this question of everyone I see too? Will there be a test at the end of the evening? Like I care.
Gossip. It’s already happened, I have reverted into the 15 year old mean girl who giggled in the corner about the nerdy boys and called girls who were prettier than I was slutty. I work with a girl I’ve known since the fifth grade, she is actually the person who talked me into going to this in the first place. (You know who you are…and I know you’re reading this). She and I were emailing back and forth yesterday about what we plan to wear and within 3 reply’s I was already making reference to a girl who was rumored to have serviced a guy through a chain link fence in high school. What the hell?
“Oh my gawd…you two are STILL together?” I’m sure the first few times I will politely smile and say, “yes…still together…can you believe it?” By the 84th time however, my response will probably have morphed into “No, we haven’t seen eachother since prom but when our eyes met in the parking lot we just knew and told our spouses to get lost and had hot monkey sex in the back seat of his car. It’s just like old times again.” Yes, I am happily married to the boy I began dating when I was 16 years old, who took me to my senior prom, who I lost my virginity to for crying out loud. Doesn’t seem all that odd to me, I’m sure lots of people will be at the reunion with the person they lost their virginity to…although I doubt they will be married to them. ~snicker~
I promise to share stories and pictures next week. Wish me luck and let’s hope I don’t make too much of an arse out of myself.
I emailed E this morning and told her she has to help me with a few things:
Names. I suck at names, BIG TIME! I guarantee I will have people coming up to me all night exclaiming “PIEF” (my nickname in school) and I will have no friggin’ idea who in the hell they are. Jeff and E will be able to tell by that stupid smile you get on your face when you’re pretending the person in front of you was the coolest person ever and I can’t believe we’ve lost touch…blah, blah, blah.
“So what have you been up to…married…do you have any kids?” How many times will I have to answer this question? I want to put my response in bullet form and print it out on little cards I can hand to people when they ask. “Here you go, this has all of the information you need on it…nice to see you.” Do I have to ask this question of everyone I see too? Will there be a test at the end of the evening? Like I care.
Gossip. It’s already happened, I have reverted into the 15 year old mean girl who giggled in the corner about the nerdy boys and called girls who were prettier than I was slutty. I work with a girl I’ve known since the fifth grade, she is actually the person who talked me into going to this in the first place. (You know who you are…and I know you’re reading this). She and I were emailing back and forth yesterday about what we plan to wear and within 3 reply’s I was already making reference to a girl who was rumored to have serviced a guy through a chain link fence in high school. What the hell?
“Oh my gawd…you two are STILL together?” I’m sure the first few times I will politely smile and say, “yes…still together…can you believe it?” By the 84th time however, my response will probably have morphed into “No, we haven’t seen eachother since prom but when our eyes met in the parking lot we just knew and told our spouses to get lost and had hot monkey sex in the back seat of his car. It’s just like old times again.” Yes, I am happily married to the boy I began dating when I was 16 years old, who took me to my senior prom, who I lost my virginity to for crying out loud. Doesn’t seem all that odd to me, I’m sure lots of people will be at the reunion with the person they lost their virginity to…although I doubt they will be married to them. ~snicker~
I promise to share stories and pictures next week. Wish me luck and let’s hope I don’t make too much of an arse out of myself.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Vegas Picture Book: Part Three
Madame Tussaud's
Captian Jack and Tot, a fantasy fulfilled
(well, not really...he was made of wax afterall)
The craftmanship was actually quite amazing and eerily lifelike on some...
"For I can't help...falling in love with you..."
Lovin' my country roots with Tim McGraw
Mr. Tot and the porn star...
Just another notch on Mr. Hefner's bed post...but one he'll never forget
Finally, I get to tell George W. what I'd like to in person
Friday, October 06, 2006
Vegas Picture Book: Part Two
Mr. Tot's favorite nacho's at Margaritaville
The PepperMill...old school ambiance 
Hoochie Mamma attire the girls decided not to wear out...our husbands told us we look like we were paid for
I coudn't stop staring at the bald guys package...oh wait, their both bald...
LaLa meets Dory
The Tots out on the Town
My red patent leather sling backs and polka dot dress...ahh Vegas...
Spoiler for next week:
The Tots at Madame Tussauds
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