Sorry I just had to do it...

Here in the NW, things are desperately trying or actually beginning to spring and bud and flower! I just had to change my banner photo and share a lovely purple crocus or two. Seems every where we turn these days there is something new and green or a flower bud that wasn't there the day before. If you live somewhere where this phenomenan has yet to begin, I hope you can enjoy ours even if only in photos.

And for those following the discussion, Hairdo B is definitely in the lead and going strong. So if you see me in the next few months and you are wondering just what the heck is going on with my extremely funky hair... think "growing it out".

Eek pictures of me! Why?

O.K. I HATE pictures of myself generally. You may have surmised that given my blog photo is well let's say awhile ago.

And so you will realize just how painful it is for me to post these more current photos of myself but I'm just wondering what other people think. I have pretty always hated my hair and now I am faced with a dilemna (the answer to which my children are not useful in coming to). First the girl was all about me keeping my hair cut short, her brother was adamantly opposed preferring the old longer hairdo. Now they've reversed. As of this morning, the girl wants to be able to play with my old longer hair and the boy has decided quite suddenly that he prefers it short. Hmph.

Anyway... Do most people prefer:

Option A

Or Option B:

Now realize that I will flip flop 100 times no matter what anyone says and come to my own conclusions but if you've got an opinion, here's your chance to throw it my way (keep it nice :-)). And thank you to my wonderful photographer (the boy) who is one of the rare few who almost always gets a picture of me I can stomach!

And if it helps to figure into your decision (or only complicates matters).

A: Know that I cannot leave the house in Option A/short do unless I use my straightening blow dryer which I then use several times during the day and god forbid it rains on me!

B: I more often than not have ended up pulling my hair back with this do cause my hair was too big or frizzy or something just didn't seem right but I don't have to blow dry it or curl it or straighten etc. Rain be damned.

I hate Sunday mornings

I wish it wasn't so... I used to love 'em when I was young and without children. Ah... those were the days. Sleeping in. Getting coffee at the neighborhood deli along with a bagel and veggie cream cheese or brunch with friends at the local diner with endless coffee and a ham and cheese omelette -- all of this around 2pm in the afternoon!

Today is different. Last year I hated it because it was a mad dash to get out of the house alone with the kids, trying to get one to stay in church preschool (Unitarian) by herself and teaching a 1st/2nd grade class with a teacher whose personality didn't really mesh with my own. This year it is well... just yucky.

Every Sunday I awake thinking this will be a good Sunday morning. We'll manage to get to Dad's arrival home from work near lunch time without any major blowups, freak outs or tantrums. But with almost ludicrous regularity, the kids lose it at some point - usually by about 8:30 am or so.

It seems it is always something. Now mind you, if I jumped out of bed at 5:00 a.m., exercised and met their wakening up eyes at 6:30 a.m. with breakfast on the table and activities to do non-stop until Dad's arrival, maybe we'd do well. But then again, they'd grouse 'cause that's what they do on Sunday mornings. We had a pretty good time last week (after the freakout/meltdown time) because I forced them to walk the dog with me all the way to the local school (just under a mile away) and there against their better grousing judgment they played pirates together and find the clues to the hidden treasure and didn't want to leave.

This week they have proclaimed they like to fight and then proceeded to do so. The girl decided she doesn't like pancakes but not until after they were requested by brother and made my mother (she is eating them as I type). Mind you I have NO plan, ZERO, squat. Mornings are not my best time. I need coffee, breakfast and some simple activity (such as playing on the computer, checking my e-mail and such) for at least a half hour usually longer to fully awaken enough to engage with my children.

And so... here we are -- with over 2 hours to go until Pops arrives on the scene. It is relatively quiet right now but it may or may not last. We've still got to get dressed and I need to eat (had to leave the room due to too much whining) and take a deep breath break. What else shall we do? Dunno. The boy wants to make new playdough so we can construct a volcano with colored lava. Maybe we will. Gotta go now to deal with the impending fight over who gets to play on Nick Jr. games on the computer and who will actually get dressed before their father gets home.

Can't wait 'til Monday morning (or at least Sunday afternoon). Baby Loves Disco, here we come! Let's see who grumps there (can anyone say Dad and boy)? Wish us well. Too bad I don't own my copper satin disco pants anymore. Actually it is for the best as I would no doubt NOT fit in them any longer. I miss those carefree disco days (although they weren't really carefree as I was an adolescent who wanted to be popular and have friends and a boyfriend etc., etc. and no doubt did plenty of grousing on my own).

Camera pushing

I've been trying to take my camera out a bit more... force myself to take some pics. These I actually found at home. O.K. Norma got what it is too quick... I was in love with these photos for a short while but now I'm not so sure. Might make a test photo card with one... does anyone else like them (or not). I'm good either way.

Feels like a Monday

Was gonna post but can't upload pics right now. Hmph. It is a Tuesday, but it feels like a Monday after a very nice long weekend. More about all the things (sports, sports, sports) that kept us busy this weekend when I'm not cutting my daughter out of some hot pink yarn she's tied herself up in and get my boy to eat more than 4 small pieces of pear isn't going to give him enough energy to get through until lunchtime.

More later.

Stealthy Mama Malt-o-Trick

The boy eats his bowl of extra healthy Malt-o-Meal (below) while overseeing his Mama's work on a school auction project.


Stealthy Mama Trick # 1 zillion and 3 (well maybe not that many but hey who is keeping count?):

When the boy asked for Malt-o-Meal for breakfast yesterday morning, I decided for some odd reason (to get more calcium into a boy who refuses to drink milk) to make it with milk rather than water. To my amazement the boy actually ate it without comment... which translates into ... he didn't realize what his stealthy mama did. :-)

When Mama Ain't Happy

I once heard a therapist say that parents are often surprised by the darkness of their thoughts toward their own children at times ... and that this is normal. It is the old - what you do with it - thing coming into play.

To that end, here is a great and timely link to Urban Mamas (a wonderful resource for metro Portland area parents and others) with a discussion for all us parents who have ever had dark thoughts, lost their temper or thought they just might...

If Mama Ain't Happy (check it out)! I'm gonna when I've got a few minutes to really read.

Happy Thursday.

Going with the parental flow

Sometimes as a parent, things just don't work out as originally planned. I'm having a week like that, including:

Meet boy for lunch at school only to bring him home feeling a bit sick,

3:00 a.m. next morning, awaken to boy stating loudly, "Mom! I think I'm gonna throw up!" And he did and he still is off and on. Needless to say the entire family has had its schedule thrown off.

In addition: Broken toilet seat (replaced), broken clothes washer (gonna have to replace) and this morning emailed videos warning of shadow governments. More than I can handle first thing.

That's my week thus far. And yours?

Super thoughts on Sunday

I realize I haven't been in the blogging mode lately. Not sure what's up with that and if it is a temporary or more permanent thing...

I do have a few thoughts on this Super Bowl Sunday morning:

• I feel sorry for parents who don't get to be friends with their children's friends... who don't get to play with them at a cooperative preschool, can't spend time reading with them or taking walks or hanging with them at recess or in the lunchroom... what's better than having little friends who just have to shout out your name and wave at you with broad smiles across a crowded school lunchroom (or) who tell you with a big giggle and a smile that you are indeed "dilly" (which is 3-year old for majorly silly),

• I have been a bit obsessed with our new budgeting system, spending time going over receipts and expenses weekly and am thrilled to admit that we came in under budget this month! Now mind you there were a few categories where went over but there were others where we were under... so all in all we are ahead of ourselves. Now if we can just manage this month to set aside the extra paycheck (most likely for full-day paid kindergarten next year), we'll be on a roll.

Even though I'm not overly invested one way or the other, I am looking forward to some homemade chili (not mine) and fun watching the Super Bowl with family. Not sure who to root for (how about whomever wins?). Not sure what's up with Super Tuesday either -- just know that it is a'coming... this go around I'm waiting for things to shake out a bit before I get overly invested. Last presidential primary season, every time I liked a candidate they'd drop out so what was really the point? PS... I already miss John Edwards. Vice President maybe? Hmmmm.