5 days????

I am super stressing out. I am hosting Christmas Eve at our house for my side of the fam, and I have a lot to do. I need to get off the computer and call Honey Baked Ham right now and hope that it's not too late to order a ham to be picked up on Friday afternoon. My mom is insisting on a ham from there, and even gave me money for it, so I better make it happen. Plus I haven't finished shopping, and Mr. Sasha hasn't actually looked through all the stuff I've purchased for the kids, so I'm not sure how that's going to go. I think I went overboard, but we shall see what he says. I still have two BILs and four dirty santa gifts to get, along with a gift card from somewhere (thanks Tina!) for my 16 year old cousin. Damn, damn, damn. I so need to plan better.

Note from school yesterday: "The Politician did so well in PE. He ran so fast that everyone clapped for him and yelled 'Yeah Politician!".

So glad my lunch-stealing, spitting bully is speedy.

And yup, that's Blake Shelton. We went to the same high school and actually drank many a beer together back in the day. Super guy- seriously.

One More Present Down, A Million More To Go

Mr. Sasha ordered his own Christmas present yesterday- yay for me! It's some fancy-schmancy golf bag with dividers to keep all his million dollar clubs separate, which is very important for some reason. So that's one thing done. One I am really having trouble with: my 16 year old cousin.

Mr. Sasha took The Politician with him to a family birthday dinner last night, and I kept The Wild Child home with me, because the prospect of her in a steak house was not pleasant. The ILs and everyone else dining at Salt Grass should totally thank me for that.

I pretty much spent the evening: searching for her diaper that she had taken off, convincing her to put it back on if she didn't want to sit on the potty, following her around while she moved the Elmo potty seat from bathroom to bathroom, following her back to her room when she said "Come on!" and then getting the door slammed in my face as she died laughing. Oh, it was a riot for sure.

Her pronunciation is flippin' hilarious right now. She is just trying so hard to saying everything I say. She had an eczema outbreak, and I told her I was going to put some cream on her "itchy spot". She repeated "pitchy pot". So stinkin' cute.

A Trip to the Dentist

You Veronica Mars fans will recognize the title, but alas, I must change it to "A Trip to the Office".

On The Politician's sheet today: "The Politician has to go to the office today for spitting on a friend in Spanish class, and on a teacher in the bathroom hall." (The italics were a Sasha touch so you'll take special notice of his completely inappropriate target.)

Lest you think there was one office visit, please note that there were two. This must be some kind of record. Now he has only been to the office one other time (the Mashed Potato Incident), so the asst director said it was not that big of a deal. But still... am I raising a future bully? He better gain a little weight if he's going that route. I don't know of many bullies in the single digit percentiles for weight.

Oh..... and be sure and watch Clash of the Choirs this week- it starts tonight.... someone I went to high school with is directing a choir...... yes, he's a star! Guess who?

Something for your viewing pleasure

Oh, ya'll. I noticed last night that my Tivo picked up a little gem for me- my very most favorite show from Summer 2006, that was, of course, cancelled.

And I'm sure you didn't see it, because no one did! (besides me!)

It's called Lovespring International and is a mock dating agency show, with a little improv thrown in. It's absolutely perfect humor. Of course, Mr. Sasha did not get it, but he sometimes did not get Arrested Development either. You have to be as cool as me to understand it, I suppose.

I just found out that all the epis are online. It's Required Viewing, as far as I'm concerned.

Check it out here and let me know what you think. It's under "Full Episodes" on the left hand side navigation bar.

A Crash Course in Meteorology

...FREEZING FOG ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY...

WTF is "freezing fog"????? I am learning all kinds of new terms this week... snow showers... freezing fog... what's next? Stay tuned for more crazy weather from the southwest!

Two Guys and a Saw

..... and no insurance, I'd imagine.

No way in hell I'm letting "Two Guys and a Saw" clear limbs out of my yard. I can just see the lawsuit from them getting injured working on my property. I am 100% sure they weren't bonded, seeing as how they looked homeless and I can only assume unemployed.

Seriously, no less than 6 people have rang our doorbell or left us fliers offering their services to clean up our yard. The ice really brings out the crazies.

Waiting on the snow to fall tonight. We still have some of our customers without power, and the local IOU still has over 100,000 out of power. The local schools are still closed, but my wonderful daycare has been open since Wednesday. Love them love them love them. Although The Politician is having some lunch issues there, which I will post about once I sort out my opinion on the whole deal and how I plan to handle it.

And holy cow, I still haven't done any more Christmas shopping. They have been brining us lunch in so we can just work through our lunch hours, so no shopping for me (Target, have you noticed?). I fully expect Visa to call me and ask about the unusual activity on my cards (none!). Still have no ideas for Mr. Sasha.....

You've Got To Be Kidding Me

My local forecast:

Tomorrow night: Rain and snow in the evening, becoming all snow late. Low 27F. Winds NNE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precip 90%.

Saturday: Snow showers in the morning. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low 20s.


Just asking: What's a "snow shower"? I assume it will be raining snow? Like snow so fast and so much that it looks like rain?

Dear Santa,

We love you so much, we even let you come take a picture with us.

A guitar and fire truck (yellow) and a helicopter with a man inside and a hook on the bottom. That’s only what I want for Christmas.

I have been a good boy, but Sis has been biting someone.

Sissy wants an Elmo with a guitar. And she needs a green balloon, her favorite color.

Daddy wants a shirt like my PJs that I have on right now.

Momma wants a girl guitar.

Our neighbor L needs two fire trucks (his favorite color red) and M needs a girl guitar.

That’s it.

Love, The Politician, age 4 1/3

The Sasha Family has power

Well, thank goodness we only had to spend one night at the ILs. Cause as much as I appreciate their hospitality, my kids ate way too many M&M while there were there. Plus they have a super-annoying Grandfather clock that chimes every 15 minutes. Right outside the bedrooms where our whole fam damily was sleeping. I just don't get g-father clocks. Who wants a constant reminder that time is passing by? Yeah, yeah, I know all about it- I swear The Politician was just born yesterday, and he is already 4 and back-talking me.

I'll try to post a pic of our street later- so very sad. Lots of beautiful trees that probably can't be saved. We'll have to call our tree man, who is normally shirtless and smoking a cig, all while manning large cutting apparatuses. Wonder what he wears when it's 32 degrees?????

Ice Storm Hell

Ya'll, it's bad here. The worst ice storm since The Ice Storm of '87. The Sasha family was without power, so we drove to Mr. Sasha's parents for the night. I am back at work this AM. The IOU that serves my home had over half a million customers without power as of last night.
The crazy thing is the road are fine, it's just the ice on the power lines and trees. Our street looks terrible- our house is about 35 years old and our street has lots of beautiful established trees. The are all broken to shit. So sad.

The real problem here is that I was going to bid on a black Coach Carly that ended on ebay last night, but since the power was out and we were at the ILs, that didn't happen. Damn. I really have my priorities in order, don't I?

A Note of Congrats

Just wanted to write a little note of congrats to a dear friend (you know who you are!) who got a BFP over the weekend! I had the greatest pic of her tests in my inbox this AM. What an exciting holiday surprise! You are a wonderful mom and I am so excited for you to experience that second child, and also to see if your second is as much of a hell-raiser as my second is!

If we were closer, I'd run over and give you a big hug! Since we're not, I guess I'll settle for this little post, addressed directly to you! Hugs!

"Wintry Mix" my ass

Yeah, it's straight ice.

Good thing I only needed to turn right out of my driveway this AM, because turning left would not have been possible. Lots and lots of trees broken and down because of the heavy ice we got yesterday and last night. I have a million things to do today, but most of my town does not have power. Luckily, our trees look OK.

Schools are closed here today, so daycare is closed too, so Mr. Sasha is home with the kiddos today. Nice thing about being self-employed. He went down to his office before I came to work to get his laptop so he could get some work done from home today, but the power was out so he had to go back to the car and pray that at some point when it was my car, maybe I might have put a flashlight in there. And of course since I am Safety Patrol, there was one in the glove box. Score one for me!

Hope your weather is better than ours. Snow is pretty, but ice is nasty.

Have I told you my new theory about "plans"?

So I've come to the realization, maybe due to Lexapro, that "plans" simply suck. You've really just got to roll with it, change your plans as necessary, and just let go of your expectations. It's really refreshing to have this outlook, which is so different than how I lived the first 33 1/2 years of my life.

Anyway, Mr. Sasha started telling me last Wednesday that he wanted to take the kids to look at Christmas lights on Friday night. I told him it had been a busy week, I would have to make my NMB on Friday night, and hey, let's just see how things go and not try to make any plans right now.

FF to Friday, and Mr. Sasha is pretty insistent that he wants to start this new "eating out and looking at lights tradition". But he's also running late, and doesn't get home with the kids until 5:40. By this time, they are hungry and rummanging through the pantry pulling out whatever they can find. Mr. Sasha is just insistent that we go out to eat, so I tell him it's got to be quick because the kids are hungry. After finishing dinner at a fast food restaurant, we head over to the ritzies to see their beautiful lights. About 5 minutes in, The Wild Child starts crying and saying "Home. Home. Home." Then The Politician chimes in "Yeah, I just want to go home please."

Tee hee. I just knew the night wasn't meant to be. Mr. Sasha needs some Lexapro.

WC Update

Chompy McChomperson did great in the Twos yesterday. They said she was wide-eyed all day and had a great time with all the new toys and such. *sigh* I can't believe my little girl is almost two..... And I also can't believe that I haven't even THOUGHT about her birthday and if we are going to have a party, etc. Damn these Christmas bdays (mine is the 29th....)

When we picked up The Politician yesterday, Mr. Sasha said, "Hey, your sissy is in a new room now! The Twos!" and P said, "Yeah, dad, I already heard." Funny how word gets around a preschool so fast.

Tomorrow is going to be C-razy. The Christmas program at the school is at 8:45 am, then the Christmas parade downtown at 10 am, then my work's childrens Christmas party at a local family fun place after naps, then we have a progressive dinner for our new Sunday school class tomorrow night. I am making the fabulous Neiman Marcus bars and I can't wait to eat one. Or 10. And to introduce them to new people. Who will be asking me for the recipe, so I will make sure to have copies in my purse.

I still haven't gotten a Christmas gift for The Hardest Person Ever to Buy For (aka Mr. Sasha) so I am constantly thinking about that. I did get him John Grisham's new football book and season 1 and 2 of The Office, but I need something "big".

And crap, I also have to get birthday presents for WC.

Wow, can't believe how fast December is going by. Tina, your Christmas ticker just keeps pissing me off because I realize just how much I have left to do and how little time there is.

Are you done shopping?

As of 10 am this morning

My little piranha has been moved up to the next classroom - the "Twos" because we can't get her to stop chomping on the "1 1/2s".

If that doesn't stop the behavior I totally understand if they have to suspend her- I can't imagine there's anything left to try....

So please, dear blog readers, cross all your fingers, toes, and whatever else you got because Momma's pretty much out of vacation time until Jan 1 and it would be super-hard to line up childcare for WC for an entire week.....

My Little Troublemaker

was involved in a little incident at school yesterday- a group of ornery little boys decided to stop up one of the sinks and flood the bathroom, and yes, The Politician was involved. Whether he was an instigator or a just participant, I don't know, but he was definitely involved. Gee.

Also, I'd been telling him for about 2 months that the grocery store was all out of Fruit Loops (little white lie in order to push the somewhat healthier Cherrios), but he of course spied them when he tagged along to the store with me last night. "Momma, they finally have fruit loops!!!!!!" he said as he was tossing boxes of them into our cart. Oh well, 2 months of not having super-sugared up cereal in the pantry is better than nothing.

Name Game

I was just tagged by ElleBee so here goes! I do reserve the right to substitute because I am a little leery of stalkers.....

1. Witness Protection Name (mother's and father's middle names): Kay Jordan

2. NASCAR Name (first name of your mother's dad and father's dad): Jack Harvey

3. Star Wars Name (first three letters of your last name, two of your first): Lamsa (small substitution here)

4. Detective Name (favorite color, favorite animal): Blue Monkey

5. Soap Opera Name (middle name, city where you were born): Lyn Small Town

6. Superhero Name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink, add "the" to the beginning): The Pink Whisky Sour

7. Fly Girl/Guy Name (1st two letters of your first name, last two of your last): Sart (another sub)

8. Gangsta Name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite cookie): Chocolate Aunt Luanne's Christmas Cookies

9. Rock Star Name (first pet's name, childhood street name): Velvet Place

10. Stripper Name (favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy): Happy Skittles

I tag: Kate because she loves being tagged and Traci because she probably needs a break from unpacking.

My little helper

Last night, The Politician said, "Momma, the laundry in the dirty clothes basket is getting really tall!"

Yes, I know, why don't you start a load of darks?

My Inner Slut

evidently does not exist. Even after an Italian Marg (Bartender: So just a margarita with amaretto subbed for the triple sec? Me: I don't know, that's what I'm paying you for!) and a few diet coke and vanilla rums at the lesson place, I still had trouble letting loose. Really, I had quite a bit of trouble "getting it" since I just don't have any upper body strength (cause running builds no arm muscles...) and although there was one "turn" I could sorta do... I just wasn't as good as....

My sister in law and the birthday girl! Seriously, they were awesome. Not as great as our obvs professional instructor (I bet she had another job to get to after we left at 9:30 pm), but they totally got it and were spinning all around that pole. I told Mr. Sasha his sister was seriously good and maybe she has her own pole in her bedroom and he said "Yeah, I don't want to think about that."

The instructor ("Ebony") was actually pretty cool, but I was put off by some of her wording: "Shake your cookies, girls!" and "Now stick your girls out and shimmy down the pole." I have several bruises on my knees and even on the top of my feet (???) and I was absolutely painfully sore yesterday and Sunday and that's why I couldn't update you any sooner. No, actually Mr. Sasha hooked up his new laptop in place of my desktop and I lost all patience figuring out Windows Vista and how to freakin' get on the Internet, so I had to wait until I got to work today to blog.

Political funnies: "Momma, my belly button looks like a cinnamon roll." (and it kinda does!)

Also, he was helping me make some Reese's Peanut Butter Bars (don't get all excited and ask for the recipe, it was totally a kit from Sam's) and I gave him a bowl to stir and he said, "Actually, momma, I'm not really able to do that."

The Wild Child absolutely wore me out at the Advent Festival at church last night. I literally chased her around the church for 2 hours and oh my God, she's almost 2!!!!! I totally don't have control and I don't know what to do about it. She just looks at me and laughs and runs away from me as fast as she can! But she's learned how to say "I wuv ew" and my heart totally melts and I just snuggle her tighter and thank God for all my blessings. Now wipe that tear away!

Well, I guess I'd better get to work since I have 100-eleventy (tm Tigger) things to do today. Have a great one!

Blog material just FALLS into my lap

You're not going to believe this.... I am going to a pole dancing class tonight. That's right. And I am SO not the pole dancing type...

My sister-in-law called yesterday and said she is throwing a spur of the moment bday party for one of our sorority sisters who I absolutely love. And it just so happens that it is a pole dancing party. We will have drinks (I suppose to loosen us up) and learn some moves. Mr. Sasha is intrigued, as you must imagine. One of my co-workers told me yesterday, "If you play your cards right, you may not have to get Mr. Sasha a Christmas present after all."

So stay tuned, I am most positive I will have some interesting stuff for you.

Oh, and Santa

You totally don't need to get me this, cause I just ordered it for myself using my Amazon rewards!!!!! Yay!!! One of my favorite shows EVER!

In the span of 5 minutes

1. The Wild Child took off her diaper and PJs pants and put on a pair of The Politician's car undies. If there weren't so many Pervy Perversons out there, I'd snap a pic for you cause it's actually pretty damn cute.

2. The Politician managed to lock us out of the shower/potty area of our bathroom. And we don't have a key to that doorknob.... And an after-hours locksmith is somewhere north of $100, and I know this because I have had to use their services before.

Ya'll, I can't make this shit up. It's just that crazy at the Sasha house.

SHIT (So Happy It's Thursday)

I almost forgot one of the funniest parts of the Nativity Scene Hunt- we also found the angel driving the Little People ice cream truck, I suppose in case someone needed a frosty treat on that wonderful night.

Last night The Politician was helping me sort laundry out of the dryer, and he saw his Christmas PJs that he had worn for the picture the night before (yes, I did laundry again, told you I love it!). He said, "Hey, I think I'll wear those again tonight because I actually looked pretty cool in them last night."

Rebecca, you can probably get a better deal on the shoes anyway ordering directly from Piperlime yourself. They have free shipping and free returns, and of course since you are a Bargain Boardie, I am sure you are registered w/ ebates and can get a little rebate there. If you aren't..... see my link below! (I'm shameless, aren't I?)

Oh Rebecca, I just looked and they are out of 6.5s at Piperlime! I haven't sent them back yet, but I would need $53.75 (what my mom paid- $50 plus tax) plus whatever it would cost to ship them to ya. Leave me a comment and let me know!

Just a few things

1. So I'm breaking myself of nose spray today. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I simply can't take cold meds because they make my stomach feel icky. So it's been a few weeks and I know it's time to go cold turkey. Last night was the night. It's so hard because Afrin is the Most.Awesome.Thing.Ever. I go through this same cycle every time I get a cold. Mr. Sasha gets all mad when he sees me using it, but I always tell him, "I always stop....."

2. After reading a post from Tina, we got our Little People Nativity Scene out on Monday night, and against my better judgement, we left it out within reach of The Wild Child. After I hunted for missing Baby Jesus for 20 minutes last night, I had Mr. Sasha look and he found it in a bag of clothes I had set by the door to return to a friend. Good save, Mr. Sasha.

This morning we were cleaning before the cleaning lady comes, and I noticed that not only was Baby Jesus missing yet again, but also Mary and Joseph. Mr. Sasha found them in the play room when The Politician was playing with his fire truck before bed last night. Baby Jesus was up in the bucket, and Mary and Joseph were in the front seat, with Mary serving as driver. See, he's pretty smart- Baby Jesus saving the world and all and Mary and Joseph getting him there.

3. I finally decided that I think I will order my cards from Snapfish- my favorite online photo site. There are a few good codes right now- GOCARDCRAZY for 20% off, and AFFORDER30 for $30% off $30 or more. AND I will also go through ebates, because they offer 10% back!

Here's the sign up info if you haven't signed up for ebates yet! (If you do ANY online shopping, you totally need to sign up!)

Through December 31st, 2007, Ebates has new bonus: I tell my friends about Ebates and we each get a Holiday Bonus: $10! Just sign up through this link. They just sent me a check this week, and I've gotten back over $150 since I signed up!

https://www.ebates.com/refer-a-friend/signup/holidaybonus/index.htm?id=26179778

By George, I think we got it!

Things just work better when you don't push it. We spur-of-the-moment decided to put the Christmas card PJs on the kids after baths last night. They were in good moods, so we stuck them in front of the tree and I snapped about 20 shots. Above is the best one, and I think we'll just consider it done and use that pic. They are both happy, clean, and pretty damn cute if I do say so myself. If we tried again, it would just be a nightmare and I'd have to do a "Merry Freakin' Christmas" card because they'd be so pissed off and would certainly cry.

So, done! Now I just need to decide how to have them printed up......

So what do you think?

Shoes came today. Yes, I did have them shipped to me instead of my mom- cause I've got a strange foot that can vary from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2, so I had to order 2 sizes to see which one fit (the 6 did).

I switched the laces from blue to brown and I think I like them better. They are kinda retro, which I am not, but I think they are cool. But what do YOU think? I don't want to be all nerdy and weird and a dork to boot, so just let me know if this is a bad fashion decision. Still have time to find something else for mom to give me for Christmas!

School pics

Holy crap, I just figured out how to get this copyrighted pic on here!!!! Of course, I'm not trying to do anything illegal, just show you guys how precious my little hellions are. The pic turned out pretty cute, especially since it's was taken at school. Phew, that was hard work, but I learned something new today, so go me!

On another note, I totally played the Santa Card yesterday, and told The Politician that it's very important to be good because Santa is watching and really wants him to be a good boy before Christmas. I stayed away from "If you are bad, you'll get no presents!" but I guess I implied it.... He was being rascally this AM and after I got on to him, he said, "So Santa is watching?" "Yep, buddy, he sure is...... Better etch that in your memory."

So I guess after Christmas, it's the Easter Bunny I can use?

Right now Mr. Sasha is....

plunging the toilet in our bathroom because The Wild Child put an entire roll of toilet paper in there in less than 10 seconds.

And we just discovered that she also unrolled the entire roll in the other bathroom, although she stopped short of putting it in the bowl and left it in a nice pile on the bathroom floor.

And I probably kept her bottom half dressed about 45% of the time today.

The Politician is Just Like Momma

Today I was cutting up a banana for The Wild Child, and The Politician said, "Momma, will you please move the banana away from me? I can smell it and it's making me sick."

I was telling Mr. Sasha this story, and he said that P said this to him on Friday: "Daddy, please move that orange away from me, the smell is making me gag."

I myself absolutely cannot stand the smell or taste of bananas (except for banana Laffy Taffy), although I have NEVER said that out loud or in front of P. Somehow, he's picked up on it though, and I feel terrible about that.

So go ahead and give me the "My kid won't eat fruit and it's all my fault" bead for my Bad Mommy Vest.

OMG Ya'll

I can't keep The Wild Child dressed today. I have found her in various states of undress, mostly the bottom half being what she's shed. And it's frakin' cold today.

Midday, I switched to Dora Easy Ups, and that was a huge mistake because she can take those off even faster.

I have terrible visions of her pee-peeing all over my furniture so I've spent the day chasing her around trying to re-dress her. Anytime I mention the potty, she sweetly says "No......" so I don't think it's potty-training readiness causing the nakedness. I think she just wanted to be nekkid. And difficult. And contrary. And cause me to say, "Yep, this baby-making factory is officially shut down."

Calgon.....

Shopping (shoe success) and parties

Believe it or not, two sorority sisters picked my lazy ass up at 4:45 am yesterday morning and we shopping until 3 pm! I actually just went to get a visual on this crazy Black Friday stuff, which I got a super taste of at Wally World at 5 am, and I figured if I found some good deals while I was out, that would just be a bonus. We had a super time, lots of gossiping involved and also some yummy eating and bargain hunting.


Now, this wasn't a bargain, but The Politician loves My Friends Tigger & Pooh, so when I saw this DVD, I had to get it for him, and of course I gave it to him yesterday, because it's a Christmas movie, and you can't really give a Christmas movie as a Christmas gift. I think he's watched it no less than 5 times already. Score 1 for momma.

I found The Holiday for $3.98 at Target! That was actually for me and not a gift, so I don't guess I was off to a very good start! I swear I've only seen about 4 or 5 movies since P was born in 2003, but this movie and also Love Actually were on my list to pick up this year.

And here's my shoes!!!!!!! Someone had suggested ballet flats, but since I'm only 5'2", I just don't think I can carry off flats and be dressed up. So I found these, which are an awesome compromise because they are actually a ballet flat with a little heel!!!!! They are made by Franco Sarto, who I have never heard of, and they were damn near $80, but hey, I am done. I tried on several pointy toed pair, but OMG, that broken toe is going to be a problem for me for the rest of my life. Just couldn't even smash that toe in there.... I guess that's what 4 swirls gets you.......
Last night was my niece's 4 year old birthday, OUTSIDE at 6:30 pm, and even though it was 80 degrees last Sunday, winter is finally here so it was below 40 last night. We bundled up the kiddos and continually wiped snot from their noses. They really did have a good time though, but the cake may have had something to do with that.

Hope you all had a great holiday and ate too much! I ate a bunch of Neiman Marcus bars for you. Did you make some?

8 Interesting/Random Things About Me

Rebecca just tagged me, so here goes.

1. I must wear socks in bed because I cannot have my bare feet touching the sheets.

2. I can tap dance and remember how to do all the times steps, the buffalo, pull backs, wings etc.

3. I suck at history- don't know who fought in what war, etc. I also pay no attention to politics. I figure there are plenty of people out there taking care of it for me. Please don't judge me.

4. I am a math whiz. Love me some algebra.

5. I love wearing my contacts and my eyes actually feel better with them in. When I take them out, my eyes are very dry and hurt and I have to put drops in them about 5 times during the night.

6. I cannot wear lipgloss because it bleeds so bad into the lines around my mouth.

7. I must blowdry my bangs before I do anything else to get ready in the AM because I have a cow lick that makes them crazy if they dry on their own even just a little bit.

8. I absolutely love doing laundry. Best chore ever, seriously. Sometimes I want everyone to change their clothes just so I can start the washer.

I tag my dearest Kate, who I certainly did not mean to leave out last tag. And I also tag Hello Darling, whom I adore and she might just be my BFF if we lived closer together.

Oh, and a very Happy Turkey Day to you all. May you eat too much and get to take a big nap today.

Dear Santa Part 2

Should you happen to be at Coach......

Seems like

The Politician (while pushing on my thigh): Momma, it seems like your leg is a little squishy......

Dear Santa

Please? Found here. Don't forget to go through ebates first!

Break Time

Gotta take a little break from the company budget... so, courtesy of a myspace bulletin....

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments.. what is it?
1. Produce: grapes
2. Bakery: Lofthouse cookies
3. Meat: pork tenderloin
4. Frozen: Phish Food Ice Cream
5. Dairy: Raspberry low fat yogurt

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?
1. jeans
2. short sleeve T
3. Saucony tennis shoes

If I was to listen in on your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?
1. Probably.....
2. Actually....
3. So.....
4. Really?
5. So how's that going for ya?

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?
1. drink a nice cold can of Coke while I am getting ready in the AM
2. check my yahoo email
3. hug my kiddos

We're talking a 3 hour block with nobody around. What 5 activities might we find you doing?
1. running on my treadmill
2. reading Us Magazine
3. shopping at Target
4. blogging/reading other blogs
5. painting my fingernails (I haven't done this in 4 1/2 years!)

We are going to the zoo. But, it looks like it could start storming, so it'll have to be a quick visit. What 3 exhibits do we have to get to?
1. baby Gobi monkeys
2. fish
3. elephants

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?
1. Oprah's Favorite Things (It's on tomorrow, and the only day of the year I watch her!)
2. The Office
3. Ellen
4. American Idol

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a triple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?
1. Phish Food
2. Smores
3. Cookies and Cream

Somebody stole your purse/wallet…in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?
1. green comb
2. little black notebook with password hints
3. Blackjack
4. anti-bacterial hand sanitizer
5. bottle of Imodium from recent stomach virus

You are at a job fair, and asked what areas you are interested in pursuing a career in. Let's pretend you have every talent and ability to be whatever you wanted, so what 4 careers would be fun for you?
1. Nail tech
2. Being Kristin on Eonline
3. Attorney
4. Music talent scout

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?
1. Never drink and drive
2. You are damaging your skin with all that sun worshipping and tanning bed visits!!!!!
3. Respect your parents a little more
4. Don't turn your head upside down and spray the hairspray all around your face and cement it with a blow-dryer

If anyone cares to continue this... I tag Hello Darling and In the Mind of a Thirtysomething Mom

I think I may gain my 10 pounds back this month

.... because I am all about the sweets during the holidays. Who I am kidding, I am all about the sweets everyday and could probably live off sugar. Only sugar. Really.

The Sasha family will be heading to the lake on Thursday for TG because my mom's side of the fam is getting together at my Aunt and Uncle's marina. Should be fun, although the forecast shows that the high will be 41 that day, unlike the 81(!) that we are having today. Yesterday, we were all outside in shorts and Ts raking up leaves. And then in 4 days it will be 41.....

Anyway, I am totally making my prize-winning Neiman Marcus bars, and I think that The Politician and I will whip up a batch of Holiday Pretzel Treats one night this week. He loves doing these and it really is a good treat for kids to help with.

I also plan on finally letting The Wild Child have a taste of chocolate since she's almost 2, so she'll even get to try them this year. I know I am the craziest mom ever, because even though I can't get my shit together in my daily life, I have managed to hold off on peanut butter and chocolate until both kids had their second birthday. I have nutty skin issues, and both kids have had eczema and lichen straitus (google it- weird stuff) so I figured waiting on PB was the way to go. Only time will tell.

Holiday Pretzel Treats from Family Fun Magazine

Salty pretzels combine with sweet chocolate for these fun treats that make a yummy gift few can resist. (In fact, you may want to make some extras for yourself!)

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug
M&M's candy

1. Heat the oven to 170º. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.

2. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.

3. Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons.

Crazy Saturday

So I ran my Turkey Trot this AM, and did pretty well, considering I've been coughing up stuff resembling small pine cones all week. I also got a terrible stitch in my side and had to walk for a bit several times, but still came in at 30:13 so I am excited. It was a nice, cool morning and I wore shorts this time, so no cussing Mr. Sasha at around mile 1 for making me wear pants.

Mr. Sasha talked to The Politician this morning, and he assured him that he was up for running the Lil Gobbler Dash so Mr. Sasha brought the kids up to the race site after I was done. I thought it was going to be a go, but P got a little stage fright and only made half a dash..... oh well, we'll try again later.

I just got back from dinner with some sorority sisters I don't get to see very often, and it was awesome. I had two Italian Margaritas, so so so good. Lots of reminiscing about crazy days and crazy things we did and all the times the fuzz let us go with just a warning rather than drag us in. I just took half a phenergan as a precaution against insomnia- I need some sleep! One of these days I know I will run out of excuses and also run out of phenergan....

Check out my awesome header made by Jennifer on my birth board! I love it and it is exactly what I had in mind. Thanks Jennifer!

One quick add: I live in a part of the country where it's not uncommon to run both your A/C and your heater in the same day... we are talking about 30s and 40s at night and 80+ during the day. Today was one of those days. Nuttiness I tell you. I wore a short sleeve T, jeans, and wedge sandles to dinner. On Nov 18. Hmmph.

Oh, today I went to Target to search for shoes to wear with my new jeans, and I came up empty handed. First of all, before I began my search, I should have totally told you that I have broken both pinky toes in the past (yes, due to alcohol, shut up) and I have a rough time with the really pointy shoes..... Help please?

Ebates Holiday Bonus Offer

Through December 31st, 2007, Ebates has new bonus: I tell my friends about Ebates and we each get a Holiday Bonus: $10! Just sign up through this link. They just sent me a check this week, and I've gotten back over $130 since I signed up!

https://www.ebates.com/refer-a-friend/signup/holidaybonus/index.htm?id=26179778

Stopping by the office for a bit

I've been in a mind-numbingly boring CPE session today- if that damn CPA wasn't so hard to get in the first place, I'd totally say screw the CPE, but I don't EVER want to have to study like that again. So I'm stopping by the office for a minute on my way to get the kiddos, and of course I have to blog for a bit before I check the alarmingly tall in-box on the corner of my desk.

First, Mr. Sasha texted me this morning and said that The Wild Child really only bit twice yesterday- the other two times her "shadow" teacher stopped her before it actually happened- fab news! They were supposed to call us today if she bit again, and with no phone call as of 3:49, maybe we are in the clear (knock, knock). I gave her a dose of Motrin this AM for good measure just to ward off any cranky-ness.

20 bucks you are wondering what's up with the above pic- well, it's a darn good thing I am numbed by Lexapro, because old-Sasha would have simply freaked out when she saw that SCORCH MARK ON HER POTTERY BARN BEDSPREAD. New Sasha just said, "Huh, what the hell? And how can I fix that?"

All I can figure is that on Wednesday morning when I was frantically cleaning before the cleaning lady came (yeah, yeah, I know) my curling iron must have still been hot when I set it out of the way and on my bed. That's all I can come up with...

Two super nice ladies on the bargain board suggested that since it is patchwork to begin with, I can just have a new patch sewn on that section, and as luck would have it, I do have an extra sham I am not using, so that will work perfectly. Except I don't sew....

Anyway, I was super-proud of my reaction and how I didn't lose it. I love modern medicine!

Tonight Mr. Sasha and I are taking advantage of Parents Night Out at our church and going out to dinner and using my gift card to Salt Grass that I won in the dessert contest with my rockin' creation. And tomorrow is the Turkey Trot and hopefully I can beat 30 minutes again, although I'm not counting on it since I haven't been able to run in almost 3 weeks because of the mysterious stomach issues and the subsequent cold that I caught. Then a bday party for The Politician to attend, Girl's Night Out with some sorority sisters.... A fun weekend ahead, and surely there will be some blog material in there somewhere....

News

Well, I got third place, which I was pretty excited about until......

We went to the TG dinner at the school the kids go to, and the assistant director stopped me and said The Wild Child has bitten FOUR times this morning! Three DIFFERENT kids.... I am just sick at my stomach. I don't know what to do. I think they are going to suspend her, and I think that's probably the right thing for them to do. I just don't know how we are going to swing it.....

She said she would see how she does this afternoon and tomorrow and then decide......

I just went from top of the world to bottom of the heap in 10 seconds flat.

Two Step Round The Christmas Tree

It's my own damn fault, but The Politician is all into the Christmas spirit and we'll be listening to the above album for the next six weeks. This album was purchased by a very drunk me after a Suzy show in 2000 in Annapolis in a little bar I can't remember the name of and re-found last Christmas and played a million times because P loves "Two Step Round the Christmas Tree".

I'm not a huge country fan, although I live in an area of the country that means that type of music is pretty unavoidable, and truth be told, I'm OK with that. Actually, I'm a mean line dancer, if you can picture that. I'm stellar at the Tush Push, although it's been a few years. And, to tell you even more, I actually wore Rockies and Ropers quite a bit since we frequented C&W bars in college.

It's really quite a good album, and we've got the cutest little family tradition where we pump our fist in the air on the "Cotton-eyed Joe" part of the two-step song. Go here to listen to a snippet and I think you'll like it too.

In the spirit of ClemsonGirl, here's some lyrics for ya: (Can someone tell me how to do single spacing?????)

Cause a Western girl, can't be still

And a silent night is not for me

Roll back the rug so we can

Two step 'round the Christmas tree

Get In Your Car Right Now

and go to the store and get the ingredients for:

Neiman Marcus Bars

Absolutely, hands-down the best thing I have ever tasted. I am somewhat famous for this dessert, and am asked to make it often by pretty much everyone I know. I made them for a dessert contest at work today, and I'm telling you, if I don't win, the contest is rigged. I saw the other desserts, and they are crap compared to my pan of heaven.

Anyway, here's what you need:

• 1 box Duncan Hines Deluxe yellow cake mix
• 1 stick butter (I use Parkay)
• 3 eggs
• 8 oz block of cream cheese (I use Philly 1/3 less fat)
• 1 box powdered sugar (I think it's 16 oz- but it's the box, not the bag)
• glass pan (this is very important- must be a glass pan)

Combine: 1 egg beaten, 1 stick melted butter, and cake mix. Pat stiff dough in 9X13 pan that has been sprayed w/ Pam.

Combine: cream cheese, 2 eggs, and entire box of powdered sugar. Pour this over dough.

Bake at 350 degrees 30-40 minutes, until top is golden brown. I let them cool and then store them in the fridge.

If you don't make this for your Thanksgiving dinner, you'll be sorry.... you'll be sitting there at the table, thinking, "Hmmm... I wonder what I'm missing since I didn't make Sasha's Neiman Marcus Bars? I totally should have gone for it! This pumpkin pie is really nothing special...."

Seriously, just do it. You can thank me later.

Is Anyone Keeping Count?

... of my transgressions? Because I earned another bead for my Bad Mommy vest this morning.

When I was dropping The Wild Child off, I heard teacher #2 say to teacher #1 "Do you want to mention...."

And then teacher #1 said, "Hey, we've figured out why The Wild Child is taking her shoes off all the time."

Me, in my head: What? She takes her shoes off all the time? I did not know this....

Teacher #1: Yes, her shoes are way to small. Her toes are getting smashed and are very red when she takes her shoes off. They are just way too small.

Me, in my head: OK, OK, I get it. I'm the worst mom ever for not noticing that my kid's shoes are too small. Please don't keep going.

Me, out loud: No problem, I have the next size at home, all ready to go. Her toes must have grown overnight, because Mr. Sasha and I sure didn't notice! Do you need me to go home and get them, or do you think it can wait until tomorrow?

So I ask you, dear blog reader, am I really the worst mom ever? Because I'm seriously starting to think so....

Stellar start to the day, ya'll

Holy hell. What a morning. Just dropped the kids off, fixing to turn into work, do a curb check. (A year later and I'm still not very good at maneuvering the family van.) As I am pulling into my spot, I notice the steering wheel is shaking a little and the Fan is pulling to the right..... Yeah, flat tire.

So I call Mr. Sasha, who I must tell you was totally fab about the whole thing. He came up here, and after I so sweetly reminded him of the "rightsy tightsy, lefty loosey" rule, he put the spare on and off we went to Sam's. And here we are two tires (the other front one needed to be replaced also) and $180 later.

So that's all I got for you right now. Except to tell you that The Wild Child is behaving oh-so-well. Yesterday was a banner day- the assistant director found The Politician's spare blanket that was missing for 6 weeks and I saved a bundle at CVS and even met a bargain board mommy there. Random.

Hope this day turns around. I have to time for crap today!

Fun Lunch Hour

Crap, that was fun. I FINALLY went to the chi-chi boutique to spend my $150 gift card that Mr. Sasha bought me almost 2 years ago. He knew I had always wanted some pricey jeans, but he was crazy enough to get me the gift card when The Wild Child was 6 weeks old. What was he thinking? Only people like movie stars are back to their pre-baby weight in 6 weeks.

So now that she's 22 months old, things are back to normal and I feel like I am at the weight I want to be. So I headed over there... and walked out with some Paige Premium Demin boot-cut jeans. ClemsonGirl, I really need your help! I need to get them hemmed (read: get 15 inches hacked off), and I need to figure out shoes before I can do that. My fashionability is all on your back. Specs: I like somewhat of a heel since I am only 5'2"....... I just don't look right in flats. Smooches for your help!

Note: I did edit this- the original pic I posted was not the correct style, and it made it look like I might think I have the abs of an 18 year old, which I assure you I realize I do not. I am totally not into rocking the muffin top, don't worry.

On another note, have you had Sugar Plums? I got some at lunch because my favorite candy store just got them in stock. Every year around Christmas I go buy a bunch of these yummies and stuff myself silly and turn my tongue nice and purple. Go get some if you have never had them! They'll make your holiday season brighter, I promise!

Just call me

...... Mommio. Or at least, that's what The Politician is calling me these days. I assume he's being all Squirrel Nut Zippery and that's just his version of "Daddio", but who knows.

Also, he was giving me a Spanish lesson yesterday and telling me that he wanted to put on his "pantalonas", which I am 100% sure I didn't spell correctly, but he appeared to be talking about his pants.

And hey, does anyone want (need!) to apply for a Gymboree Visa? I've had mine for a few years, only to get the 5% discount on their clothes, and I also use that card exclusively to gas up, and I use the rewards to buy clothes on the clearance rack. They so kindly sent me a $25 off $50 coupon last month and I used it to buy The Wild Child bee-u-tiful Christmas dress in red plaid.

Anyhow, they are evidently offering a $20 sign up bonus if you sign up and use my referral code: 100 035 040. Here's the app:

http://www.gymboreevisa.com/cgi_w/cfm/credit/gymboree/refer_a_friend.cfm?ics_src=54000

In the spirit of full disclosure, I would also get a $20 bonus... but it's the holidays, and don't you just feel like giving?

My kids say the funniest things

This weekend, any time I have coughed, The Wild Child has looked at me and said "Ah choo!". Believe you me, it's been a million times. I did find out on the bargain board that someone's kid was prescribed phenergan for coughing, so hey, there's another excuse for me to take it and drug myself to sleep tonight.

Also, today The Politician started saying, "If you don't mind, I'd like to....." and "If you don't mind, why don't we...." and on and on. I bet he has said that 10 times today. I'm super glad he's being polite, but WTH?

Crazy kids......

Ebates Double Bonus Offer

It's Christmas shopping time, and if you haven't signed up yet for Ebates, now is the time.

It's Double Bonus time, which means you and I BOTH get $10 if you sign up through this link and make a purchase through ebates. I have gotten over $120 back since I signed up.

www.ebates.com/doublebonusoffer/index.htm?id=26179778

Let me know if you have questions! It's super easy and you still buy from all the stores we love, like Gap, Old Navy, Sephora, etc.

Woo Hoo!!!!

Another no-bite day for The Wild Child!!!! Fantastic.

Note from The Politician's teacher: "The Politician had a difficult time listening to his teachers today and was very hyper."

Yeah, yeah, you just got a taste of my every day. I'm always wondering why he is so good for the teachers (aside from the mashed potato incident) and so disobedient for me. Good to hear he's spreading it around. You go ahead and work on that, cause I'm not having much luck at home.

Last night before PTO I ran by TRU and picked the extras (nursery, washing machine, sink) for the Rose Petal Cottage for WC for Christmas. I'm going back today because they were out of the free baking set when you buy the cottage itself, and since I'm all about the free, I didn't buy the cottage yet to see if they get more baking sets today. It looks precious, but Mr. Sasha is going to be all kinds of pissed off at me because you gotta put the shit together. Who am I kidding- I'll end up doing it, just like I did The Politician's train table when I was 1 week away from delivering WC. He may be pretty to look at and a great football player and salesman, but he sucks at putting stuff together.

Good news!

So The Wild Child had a fab day yesterday and did not try to eat any of her friends. Yay!!!! Maybe we are getting through to her.... We'll see how today goes, but I am hopeful that she will be a good girl.

Political Funny: This AM I was drying my hair in the bathroom and I heard Mr. Sasha talking to The Politician, who had just woken up, in our bedroom. I also saw the lights go out in our bedroom, which usually happens when P walks into the room, because he doesn't like bright lights in the AM.

Mr. Sasha: Politician, go ahead and go to the bathroom and Momma will help you wash your hands and brush your teeth.

P: No, Daddy, my eyes aren't ready to go in there yet!

As for me, I just got back from a super-exciting (really!) meeting about a music festival that I am helping organize here in our town. I am so pumped because I so miss the music scene. Since we became parents, our nights out have disappeared, and that just sucks because you used to be guaranteed to find me on wherever there was live music and beer on Saturday nights. But those days are long-gone...... Anyway, the festival I have been dreaming up for the past few years is actually going to happen. Only this is we have too many chiefs--- we had to make some executive decisions this morning and just get it done.

And tonight I have a PTO meeting and then dinner out with two moms I have gotten to know through the school- fun! I miss my social life, and it's been nice to meet some new people and make some new friends. And drink a little beer.

Politicial Funnies

Note from school yesterday:

"The Politician had a happy day, but was sent to the office for putting mashed potatoes in his hair and his friend's hair at lunch."

Also, I was telling Mr. Sasha all about my Christmas card picture plans, which involved the cutest PJs from Baby Gap that I got for a great price with yesterday's special discount and free shipping, ebates, and using a $10 reward certificate (rose for WC and green for P). I so badly want to do the "Sorry Santa, we tried to be good!" pic with them eating Santa's cookies in their Christmas PJs looking sheepish.

The Politician was horrified, and said, "No, Momma, that would hurt Santa's feelings! I don't want to do that picture!"

And all the explaining (It's just a joke! Santa will think you are hilarious!) couldn't convince him, so it looks like we'll be back to the 'ole two kids sitting on the fireplace picture. Me and my grand ideas.....

I'm Healed!!!!!

I finally feel back to normal!!! Yay! The doctor who prescribed the Lexapro called back me yesterday to see how I was feeling. He agreed with the nurse smoking crack who didn't think it was the Lexapro making me sick. He thinks it may have been food poisoning. And since I have no idea what I ate two Mondays ago (fried cheese? Taco Bell? Lean Cuisine pizza?) I guess we'll never know.

Just to tell you how good I feel, this is what I've eaten this morning:

• can of Coke
• Halloween pack of Skittles
• Halloween pack of Nerds
• 100 Calorie Nutty Bar
• Yeast Roll

So, yeah, back to normal. But that was a long damn 2 weeks. And I didn't lose a pound. WTF?

WC update: Yes, she bit again yesterday. I emailed the parent of the child I thought it was (since she was telling on herself and saying his name when I would say something about biting). The mom was very kind and said she understood that some kids just do this and thanked me for emailing her. When I picked up the kids after work yesterday, she stopped me in the parking lot and invited us over for dinner! So that felt good that they totally don't hate the Sasha family and aren't campaigning for that 1 week suspension that I am holding my breath waiting for.

Stripping yet again

So last night Mr. Sasha went to check on WC before we went to sleep, and it's a good thing he did, because the little turkey was nekkid from the waist down, sleeping soundly with her butt up in the air.
She had taken off:

• Robeez
• socks
• PJ bottoms
• diaper

Someone told me that they used to put their child's diaper on backwards with the tabs in the back so they would have a harder time getting it off. We'll try that tonight and see what happens.

And I'm guessing it's about time to start potty-training since Saturday night I couldn't keep a diaper on her just running around the house.

I'm totally not ready for potty training- I don't mind diapers at all because there's no mess factor. The Politician reluctantly potty trained at age 3 and that was fine with me, because it only took a week since he was older and understood what was up.

Of course, I just bought 4 giant boxes of diapers at Target when I found a good deal. I should have known better......

What A Day

So I've been chasing WC around tonight reciting passages from the above literary classic.
When I got there to pick her up today, turns out she had just bitten her friend A about 10 minutes before because he was on the rocking horse she wanted to get on. Holy crap! We just can't catch a break. The assistant director was awesome and told me how nice it was that Mr. Sasha and I are very concerned about the situation and want to be proactive. She assured me that they know this is a stage that will pass. She also offered the above book for me to take home for a few days.
And...... I totally think she's getting it! As soon as she sees the book, she says "No no bite!" So cross those fingers, toes, and whatever else you got and let's see how tomorrow goes.
Health update: Turns out my brilliant brain flash was not so brilliant. The nurse at the hospital hotline I called didn't seem to think that was the cause- she said I've been on the meds for too long to just now have this reaction. Then she got all crazy and said I needed to go to the dr tomorrow and TAKE A SAMPLE IN A ZIPLOCK. Plus I needed to keep it in the fridge before I go, you know, to preserve it. Lady was smokin crack right there at the hospital- that just ain't happening.
And I'm also definitely not pregnant. To cover all my bases, I stopped at the pharm and picked up a test, that in about 2 seconds registered negative. Cool. Cause the alternative would not be cool, although it would be blog fodder, it might be the death of me. And Mr. Sasha. So phew.

Oh no....

I just had a brain flash and I'm afraid my beloved Lexapro may be the culprit of my stomach issues!!!!!!! I did a quick side effect search on web md and found the cha cha cha and "feeling like you are going to throw up" listed on there.

Anyone have any experiences with this? I have emailed three friends who might know, and put in a call to the nurse of the dr who prescribed it, but alas, no one is available to help me!

I'd hate to have to stop taking it, but my lord, I just can't feel like this anymore.......

Cross Your Fingers

.... that my little carnivore does not bite anyone today at school, because she may be bound for a one-week suspension if she does.......

Thanks to the ladies on the bargain board, I understand the situation a little better and understand that it just may be necessary to keep her out of the classroom for a bit to try to break the cycle, and to show the parents of the bitten kids that they are trying to do something about it.

But that doesn't help this working mom figure out child-care coverage for that week.....

So let's just hope today's the day that her behavior improves.

Here ya go

Well the reunion was nice. Quite a few people came that I hadn't seen in a long time (like 15 years) so that was cool. H, if you are reading, wish you could have been there. The only sucky thing was that since I am still feeling crummy, drinking beer sounded like the worst idea ever and I know people either thought I'd found the Lord (always had the Lord in my heart, thank you, but I follow the "moderation" doctrine) or that I was pregnant (and I'm not that either, Tina) since I did not have a single drink of alcohol.

So about the pic above- how about those savage tans, big bangs, and off the shoulder dresses? I sported all three- you'll find me directly under the center of the balloon arch (nice arch huh?) in the black dress with my shoulder stuck out towards the camera. Good times.

Mr. Sasha is off to a football game and the kids and I are just hanging out. I just sucked down some more Emetrol and a got a new script for Phenergan, so I should be good to go. I think tomorrow's the day I'll turn the corner and be back to normal, although I've been saying that for a few days. But really, I feel it, it's going to be tomorrow.

OMG, has it been 15 years?

So tonight is my the 15 year reunion for my high school graduating class. How has 15 years gone by?

Thankfully, I am feeling a little better this AM. I was a little worried that I planned this damn thing and wasn't going to get to go. Not sure I'll be drinking any beer- that sounds absolutely terrible right now, but that could be because it's only 10 AM.

I'll try to post a funny pic in a bit if I can get my friend K to do some blurring on it.

Proof

The hat didn't make it outside of the house, but at least the jacket and spats stayed on. The binoculars were a last minutes addition that came in the mail today and The Politician wanted to wear them- hey a fireman might need to see something in the distance, right?

The Wild Child loved her costume and totally figured out the whole ToT thing- "Treat Treat" was what she said at each house and she sometimes continued to stand there like "Hey, if I stand here long enough, will you give me more?"

No gold bars or coins, but we did get some good loot. Now I'm off to pull my faves out of their buckets- they are asleep and will never miss 'em!

Score 1 for Momma

So The Politician did indeed wear his costume at school today. And The Wild Child loved her kitty costume. Pictures to come later hopefully. Mr. Sasha tried this morning, but they are all blurry (hello, automatic focus?) so I'll try tonight with the good camera.

We are set to ToT in the ritzies and hopefully get some bars of gold. Or at least some high dollar candy..... My friend Slim from HS is coming over and our neighbors too. We'll be quite the large pack.

I'm still feeling shitty from my mysterious 8 day stomach virus and am now resorting to downing Emetrol like water. I'm hoarding my Phenergan because I only have 4 halfs left and don't know what I am going to do when they are gone. Do drug dealers sell Phenergan?????

Cross Your Fingers

because The Politician says he will wear his costume today at school. He told me Monday that his costume was "only for Halloween day, and not for any other parties" which may explain why he voted no on Sunday. So we shall see. He did say that his friend D was going to be a "fire dog" (dalmation?) and they would walk together during the parade. I will let you know after Mr. Sasha lets me know, because I am stuck in a budget meeting this AM.

Poor Mr. Sasha, he had a load of stuff to drag to the school today.

• Costume for The Politician (fire chief)
• Costume for The Wild Child (kitty cat)
• Cheese and crackers for WC's party
• Lime sherbert for P's party (for punch? who knows) ($20 bucks that one is still sitting in the freezer at home.....)
• Motrin and Sudafed for WC
• Camera to take pics during the parade

I hate it when it's his day to take to school and there's lots of stuff to take. He's even more forgetful than me, if that is at all possible. I bet this morning involved turning around and going back home for something.......

Go Ahead and Give Me That Award Right Now

I shut The Politician's fingers in the car door last night. I started to shut the driver door because I was going to turn around and get him in his car seat behind me, and he decided to climb up at just the wrong time and put his hand there to help himself up.

I saw it happening, almost in slow motion, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Damn.

He cried of course, so much that Mr. Sasha heard from inside the house and came to see what was wrong. I was pretty sure that there was going to be blood or missing digits or something, but someone was watching over us and neither was the case.

After the promise of some ice cream, he calmed down and we went on to Sam's as planned to get some Cetaphil lotion, because I tried to get some at Target yesterday and they wanted to rape and pillage me and take my first born child- amazing how much they wanted for it.

So it was a little swollen, but he could make a fist and would even use his other hand and press on his fist to make it tighter. After I posted a query on the bargain board as to whether or not to head to the ER, we decided to give him some Motrin and wait it out.

This morning he seems fine, but is being a little careful with that hand. I told his teacher that his fingers got shut in the car door last night, and The Politician chimed in helpfully "Yes, Momma did it." Thanks for that P.

So I don't even think we need to question it or kid about it anymore, I am the worst mommy ever. I'll take that trophy and hide it in the closet, thank you very much.

A Problem Re-surfaces

I'm a little worried about The Wild Child and what her future profession might be. See, last winter we had a little problem with her. She managed to undress herself (at least partially) pretty much every night. And since we have shitty duct work and her room is just as far from our heating unit as it possible could be, it gets a little cold in her room at night. It got so funny, I started taking pictures of how I found her in the AM. You'll note the Robeez that she has on in all these pics- we discovered that she was unable to take off her pants if she had Robeez on, and as a bonus, they also kept her socks on.

Here she is with one arm through the neck hole.

And one arm out the bottom. (makes much more sense)

And of course, with the shirt completely off.

These pics were taken between Jan and April of this year. After that, she just stopped one day.

But she's started up again, and has taken her pants off the last three nights.

So is she gonna be a stripper???????

At least I tried

Well, last night at the church Halloween carnival, The Politician went costume-less. Sigh. I thought I had the perfect plan this year and was sure he would wear a costume- he even acted excited about the fire chief jacket that I had gotten for him.

But as we were getting out of the Fan (family van) last night I said, "OK, Politician, let's get your costume on!"

Politician: Nah, I don't think so.

Sasha: Are you sure? Everyone will have theirs on.

Politician: No, I don't want to wear it right now.

So we went in and I thought, surely he'll change his mind once he sees everyone in costume.

Nope. I asked him again, and he said "No, Momma, I told you, I don't want to wear a costume."

So there we were, the Sasha family, the only kids in the whole place without a costume. (I had opted not to even try to put a costume on The Wild Child because she is cutting her 2 year molars and was pretty much in a pissy mood.)

Also, chalk another qualificiation up for my Mom of the Year Award, because I forgot to bring a treat or trick bucket for him to carry around. So I ran out to the car and found a random plastic sack for him to use. The upside of all this is that my kids are going to grow up with very low expectations for life since I never have my act together and am never organized.

Just another crazy Saturday

Yesterday was a crazy day. I already told you about the race in the AM. The Wild Child had her very first (other than relatives) birthday party to go to from 1:30-3:30, and the The Politician had one from 5:00-7:00. Mr. Sasha and I tag-teamed it, partly because I had a charity event to go to last night that I needed to get all gussied up for. More on that later.....

I was frantically trying to get ready for the event and noticed that The Wild Child had been pretty quite for a bit. I went in search of her and was greeted with........

The little toot looked at me and said "Uh Oh!"

So I just shut the door and when Mr. Sasha and I passed in the garage as he was coming home from the bday party and I was leaving for my event, I said "There's a surprise for you in our bathroom!"

My charity event was for an organization that I volunteer for (actually, I'm their unpaid bookkeeper....). It was a Dancing With the Stars-type event, and it was pretty fun. Although, I am still disappointed that the bar did not have sour mix, so no Whisky Sours for me. Above is a pic of me all dressed up, which happens about twice a year, if that.

Oh, and here's a pic of my face- I am so pumped about how good my skin looks and will definitely be going back for more! And Nip/Tuck starts back this week! Totally unrelated, but talking about my skin made me think of that. Can't wait to see what Christian Troy is up to.

30 seconds rocks

So I shaved 30 seconds or so off my 5K time and broke the 30 minute mark!!!!!! I had planned on running in this race this AM for quite a while, and was really excited to try to finish under 30 minutes and make a new personal best. However, I've had a bit of the cha cha cha since Tuesday and was unsure if running this AM would be a good decision. I've been through an entire pack of Imodium this week, and and super pissed off at whoever decided to put them in those Alcatraz-style blister packs that you have to cut open. At 3 AM in a hotel, I gotta tell you, scissors aren't handy. TG for fingernail clippers....

But I digress. So about 8:05 I decided to give it a whirl (after taking another dose of Imodium), picturing myself knocking on someone's door begging for a bathroom) and toss on some clothes and get in the car and drive like a bat because, good Lord, the race starts at 8:30. I barely made it to the race starting point with 2 minutes to spare. They had even moved the chip table. So I got my chip, tied it on, and pretty much started running. It was about 43 degrees, and Mr. Sasha convinced me that I needed to wear pants (my new Champion petite pants from Target!) and a jacket. After about a mile, I was mad at him because my legs were sweating, and I hate sweating.

So I shed my jacket, and had a super run, even though I had sweaty legs. My chip time was 29:30!!!!! Go me! And they had cinnamon crunch bagels at the finish line- score.

And I've felt much better today, so maybe a little exercise was all I needed to work that bothersome bug out of my system. Sorry if this post was TMI!

Home from the casino a little poorer

But not because of the casino.... Actually, I won $40 cash in a door prize drawing at the conference, and I turned that into $63.10 on a penny "Shake Your Booty" machine. Yeah, yeah, it's only $23, but hey, the machine was fun. Except for that smarmy old man that I had to ask to step away because he was standing behind me peering over my shoulder blowing smoke in my face. Listen buddy, if Mr. Sasha does not allow me to smoke, then I just can't have smoke 2 inches from my face because it reminds me how much I miss it. Step away.

And technically, I'm up some other money because I'll get a nice check for about $250 for mileage and per diem. So...... when Mr. Sasha suggested we go shopping last night......

Guess where we went?????

Oh yes, my most favorite store ever. I wanted to check out a North/South bag that a salesperson told me about in Boston. I have specific purse requirements. I really like the lunch tote style bags, and I have a really small frame and non-existent shoulders, so most bags fall off my shoulders and that pisses me off. I need something that I had put on my shoulder and kind of hold on my back with my arm- it's hard to explain, maybe I'll take a pic for ya.

So I wanted to check out that bag. Turns out it would not work for me. But the lovely sales girl listened to what I was looking for and steered me towards.....

The Carly. Isn't she pretty? Mr. Sasha was none too pleased, but I totally threw it back in his face that shopping was all his idea. I would have been totally cool with staying at the hotel and watching The Office. (What did I miss BTW? I haven't gotten to see it yet.)

We also went to Pottery Barn Kids and got The Wild Child a precious pink and white gingham dress with a white peter pan collar for next Easter- half price. And a princess dress-up skirt for under the tree. She's all into "pretty" right now. Also found two casual shirts at Ann Taylor Loft- I love their petite department and can finally not look like I am wearing my big sis's clothes. So I had so much fun shopping!

At my favorite local store, Target, I found a kit to dress up your pumpkin. Have I told you that I am not at all artsy or creative, and carving a pumpkin would be a complete disaster that I'd abandon after about 15 minutes? Well, this kit was perfect for ADD me! And The Politician loved it and had a ball dressing up his pumpkin. And they are totally reusable, so expect to see this year after year. Cause I'm just that lazy.

So it's nice to be home. The kids were super sweet and lovey and missed us terribly, although my parents did a fab job taking care of them. Can't ask for much more than that.

Damn exclusive contracts

The indians have an exclusive contract with none other than Pepsi, which totally pisses me off because my coffee every morning is a nice cold can of Coke, which is nowhere to be found. And since Mr. Sasha drank a six pack while playing golf yesterday, he couldn't drag his ass out of bed in time to go somewhere to get me one while I got ready.

So Pepsi it was, but I must say it's just not the same. I'd love to have a Coke and a smile.....

Just dropping in to say...

This sure ain't Vegas baby.

See ya in a few

Mr. Sasha and I are off to an indian casino for a few days for a conference for my work. It will be super boring and I am sure I will fall asleep more than a few times. But hopefully lady luck will be good to me at the blackjack tables and I can win enough to get a new Coach while we are there. I'd love some Coach shoes.....

Wish me well!

Blogger ate my post

Last night I wrote the greatest post- seriously I was giggling it as I was typing because it was damn funny! Then I pressed "publish" and it was gone. Chewed up and eaten. Damn.

So I'll try again, but there are no guarantees that it will be as funny.

Last night Mr. Sasha was convinced that the kids needed to go to bed earlier than usual because we all needed to leave the house at 7 (!) to get to my work to get flu shots before the kids go to school. I was laughing inside at him because it totally backfired with The Wild Child and she fought it so hard that she was still awake 30 minutes after her regular bedtime. Mr. Sasha needs him some Lexapro I tell you.

The Politician and I had the following conversation while Mr. Sasha was trying to get The Wild Child to stop throwing her bunny out of her bed.

P: Momma, I am so hungry.

Sasha: Politician, there is no way you are hungry because you ate an entire Taco Puff, and drank a bunch of milk, and hey, you probably even had a million packs of smarties while daddy was playing bathroom barber and giving you a fresh buzz.

P: But Momma, I am sooooooo hungry.

Sasha: See, we are done eating tonight. No more food. It's almost bedtime.

P: That's what the weatherman said.

Sasha: What????

P: I don't know.

So is my son becoming the Michael Scott of our house, and was this his version of That's What She Said? Holy cow, maybe he has a career in comedy! But I don't really get it.....

Ebates Double Bonus Offer

I can't imagine that there is anyone left who doesn't know about ebates, but if you aren't signed up yet, let me be your referrer because it's double bonus time again. Through November 15th, both you and I will get $10 after you make your first purchase.

Click on this link to sign up!

www.ebates.com/doublebonusoffer/index.htm?id=26179778

Happy Shopping! By the way, I've gotten checks totaling over $110 back just buying things I would normally buy!