Oldies

When riding in the car, I like the oldies station aka the Nirvana channel but sometimes I put the local pop station on in an attempt to stay fresh and hip with the kids. Unfortunately I keep hearing Hold It Against Me by Brittany Spears. The lyrics remind me of a thirty year old man with a half exposed hairy chest adorned with gold chains above tight polyester pants. Yes, I believe her lyrics were written by Larry Dallas of Three's Company;

"...If I said I want your body now

Would you hold it against me..."

I can only guess the rest of the album includes other early 80s classics such as "Hey baby, what's your sign?" "Do you come here often?" and "My place or yours?"

What Jack Likes

Scootching around the living room floor on his belly

Chewing on books and crinkling paper

Sweet potatoes

Pulling the dog's hair

Standing up while holding onto his toy box

Music

Shaking things that rattle

Football

Dropping things from the side of his highchair

Chewing on fabric

Checking out the menu so he can order for everyone

Midnight

Today was "dictionary day" at the grade school. People are supposed to dress as a dictionary word. Kids were encouraged to learn a new word, not wear a "costume" and be creative. Ella went as "Midnight" wearing all black with a few silver sparkles, a definition and picture of a clock on a black ribbon necklace. Upon dropping Ella off I saw a pink feather boa, a pink wig, some saddle shoes and a few other odd outfits, but next to Ella's the absolute best was the dude directing traffic in a tuxedo with a conductor's wand. He was so enjoying his job this morning.

isms

I like a young lady doctor, someone fresh out of medical school with all the newest information and procedures on the top of their brain, a fresh optimism and a slight looming fear of messing up, creating a need to double check everything they do. Except when picking an obstetrician, then I want a small experienced woman who has birthed children of her own and has very tiny hands.

I like an old insurance guy, someone who's been around and knows everyone in every department and is familiar with the tricks and shortcuts of getting things done. I want the guy that realizes what an easy and valuable thing good customer service is, he will come to my house when the siding gets blown off and look at it, and he goes to the country club and golfs with all the other guys that need to process my claim.

These are my sexist, ageist preferences. What are yours?

Limited Time Offer

Ella found one pink glove. She's wearing it. She mentioned to me "If you need me to touch anything cold, I will touch it."

Sleep Button

I hate the little sleep button on my keyboard. You know, the one with the moon on it, that when accidentally looked at too hard sends a computer into a narcoleptic fit of frozen, leaving me wondering what the heck just happened. Yeah, that button. I never use it, or more accurately, I never mean to use it. That button can suck it.

Chilly Scene

Kiki over at

is still doing 365 skies and this morning, I remembered while standing in my front yard looking up and thinking that this grey cold sky is making me home sick, I want to be included in the Friday Sky Roundup. So here is the cold grey Texas sky. While friends and family back home are trying to stay warm on the day they cancelled school because it was -25°, we were forced to get gloves and hats out for 32° .

One Tall Please

I received a French press for Christmas. I use it every day. It makes the best coffee in the history of coffee. Even better than the expensive coffee shop coffees and in fact the few times I went through Starbuck's drive-through and ordered a regular coffee because I've given up dairy, I received burnt coffee like sludge for $4.00, even worse than the stuff in that brown topped pot at the local gas station. When you remove all the chocolate sauce and cream what's left tastes acidic and gross. I guess the Barista Index is on the swing, all the good drink makers have left their crap ass coffee shop jobs for real ones and left the teenagers and the inexperienced olfactory challenged freaks to burn the drinks.

Knots and Mashups

We're all moved in and mostly unpacked. The bigger space has me feeling less knotted up. The handyman is coming today to do small repairs. Tomorrow is the first day back to school.

***

Why is it impossible to make the back of my computer look nice? I sat down with zip ties last night and coiled up cords, yet is still look like Medusa is lurking in between my desk and my shelves.

***

Go here and listen to "Imagine a Jump", "Smells Like Rockin' Robin" and shake your groove thang to "Gimmie Gimmie". Or just download the whole thing for free!

.

010111

This year I resolve to let the kids eat more dirt, let the dirty dishes sit longer, skate smarter and soak in the tub longer.

Fragile

I’m packing things up today. For the first time ever we’ve hired movers. As I pack for the third time in eighteen months and realize how tired of schlepping things from place to place I am, broken things I meant to glue or sew are getting tossed, little slips of paper that remind me of something that normally would get hoarded away into a nook or the bottom of a desk are going away. I am tallying the last eighteen months as I put it all into boxes again and I keep just marking FRAGILE on everything.

The Bombadee Report

We are moving again. This time from the coast, inland and my address will officially be Houston, TX instead of a the little town next to Houston, TX. We found a house we like and so we're packing up for Christmas and moving the week of the 27th. We'll miss the kids at the apartments, but we've had over 25 days (not in a row) with either no water or no hot water and just after Thanksgiving I hit my limit of broken pipes in the complex and called a realtor. It was when I just changed a particularly messy baby and turned to wash hands to find the water just off, with no warning. At that moment I decided that even camping would be better because at least I would have water.

The new house has 4 bedrooms (so ya'll can come visit) hard wood floors, a two car garage, and is about five houses down from the neighborhood pool and toddler splash pad. It's twenty minutes from Dan's job and the skate rink and forty-ish minutes to downtown Houston. It's an hour and twenty to the beach. We'll have big trees and bike paths and I'm sure all new kids to play with and best of all, we'll be closer to everyone we know in Houston. Somehow, every friend we've made through work, gaming or derby have all been Northsiders. So yay for being able to visit people without the hour drive.

I don't think I have enough furniture to fill the new space. We really paired down for apartment living so 2011 will bring with it furniture shopping and auctions. I need a couch, bar stools, some patio furniture, a grill (is that furniture?), a chair, a china hutch and maybe a few rugs. Oh, and a washer and dryer but that's really less exciting than couch shopping (Craig's list.) Then when we get there I have to get the Kid registered for school, plan a birthday party, find an exterminator, and a lawn guy and get ready for my first away game since 2009.

The Extra Special Super Duper Seventh Birthday Sleepover Extravaganza will take place all at the new house. We're going with traditional cake, ice cream, balloons and party games and then her best pal will sleep over. My first baby is turning seven. There will be more on this later.

I've joined the Houston Roller Derby Knockouts, we're a travel team but not THE travel team (The HaRD Knocks.) At the beginning of January we're going to Baton Rogue to play against Red Stick Roller Derby. I'm pretty excited about it. We decided instead of schlepping the whole family out for one night, just I am going to to with my team mates. On top of moving to the new place, it's the best Christmas present ever. Yes, sometimes a woman, a mom, and full-time housewife who loves her family dearly, enjoys time off. Thank you Husband.

Texas Skies

When we drove into Texas in the moving truck I said "Everything really is bigger here." I was so inspired I started a series of paintings revolving around Texas Skies (I haven't finished the first one yet*.) Well, I'm not the only one who is in love with the skies around here, my pal over at I Still Hate Pickles is starting a wonderful project called Texas 365. She's posting 365 Texas Skies, and is asking for participants from wherever you are in the world. You just post a sky on Friday and link up & put a comment on her blog. Ok, ok as usual I'm late.

On the way to practice Saturday morning, taken with my phone.

*Promises to post the painting when it's done.

Recruiting First Graders

The Kid: Nathan's dad came to school today, he's in the army and he told us all about it. I want to be in the army.

Me: What does Nathan's dad do in the army.

The Kid: He fights, but there are army people who don't do fighting, that's what I'm going to do.

Me: Oh, what will you do?

The Kid: I will be a messenger and give the fighters information.

Me: Or you could also be in the Air Force and fly planes or the Navy and be on a ship.

The Kid: Doesn't the Navy just handle odd and weird things?

Me: What do you mean?

The Kid: In a movie, when odd and weird things start to happen, or monsters show up, they always call in the Navy. I'm not so sure that's for me.

Something New

Jack Tries Something New (Food) from Jenny M on Vimeo.

Mighty Jack, Big in Texas

As surprised* as I was when Ella seemed to be born loving pink and sparkly, I still wasn't prepared for a four month old son who loves football. Back in August, a good friend found himself alone with and confronted by our dear screaming infant, he picked him up and let him watch the Saints vs Texans on the big screen and discovered it had a powerful calming effect. Skeptical, I've tested it several times; changing the channel and watching my young nose tackle get upset, kicking his feet and seemingly yelling at me "I was watching that! There's four minutes left!"

I say nose tackle because despite Jack's few weeks in the hospital and his minor digestive issues, this boy is huge. After the obligatory "How old?", strangers always exclaim "Wow! That's a big boy!" I'm lucky to have a stash of baby clothes that span to 24 months because otherwise this baby would have to go naked until I can shop every week. I had to knit baby booties for him because his legs are like hams.

And now I'll give you the official numbers: at four months, Jack is weighing in at 18 ½ lbs (92% for his age), is 26 ½ inches tall (87% for his age) and loves a little rice cereal which he tried it for the first time yesterday.

*I don't care if my either of my children play football or barbies or both, or even barbie ball.

Foolishness

A New Do

Why hasn't someone invented a cream rinse that will get gum out of a kid's hair easier than scissors will?

New Diet

The baby was having digestion problems and as a result I gave up milk last Friday. Today the doc said it's not enough and I have to give up all dairy and anything with whey in it. Then she offered up that most people can't do it and that if I wanted to move to formula she could give me some samples. (Wow! Way to encourage breast feeding Mz. Pediatrician!)

I will admit is was hard last Friday when I opened the refrigerator and found the gourmet Wisconsin cheeses mom just sent me, fruit on the bottom yogurt, cream cheese, french onion dip, ranch dressing, sour cream and milk all off limits, but going to the grocery and looking for things that don't contain whey was even harder. I opted for shopping the parameter of the store and buying fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, knowing the further challenge would be preparing these things. Who has time to peel, chop, mix, cook, steam and concoct while also holding a four month old? It's a difficult thing especially when you're low on sleep, nursing on demand and hungry for sweets most of the time. So, I took it as the best excuse to buy sushi and beef jerky and a few other junky non dairy things for quick eats.

Finally a poem to commemorate the day:

Dear sweet milk,

I miss you the most.

I bought almond milk to replace you,

And it was really gross.