tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525681712290843192024-03-06T01:42:57.953-05:00Milking MiamiIn my singleton days, I used to say I'd never be one of those women who defines herself by her husband and children. Now I say I'm lucky to have my husband and children to define myself by . I'll never get the notion that "losing yourself" is a bad thing...to love truly, your sense of self must be lost, for it is your ego that will royally screw things up every single time.Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-88003524166191642332010-06-23T19:04:00.000-04:002010-06-23T19:04:27.075-04:00Finally, I blog about breastfeeding...<div style="text-align: justify;">I sit down after a stressful couple of days and I find <a href="http://redgirlinbluestate.blogspot.com/2010/06/you-know-what-happens.html">this little gem</a>... oh where oh where should I begin (hahaha, you probably thought I was going to say "could my little dog be?"). <br />
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Let's start with T's eczema. Does he consume dairy, Valk? I know, I know-- your people and all, but it's worth looking into. Eczema can definitely be a symptom of an intolerance to casein. Not human casein. Other casein. Is it bovine casein? Yeah, that.<br />
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You guys crack me up. I have to tell you I think Sujong hit the nail on the head when she discussed breastfeeding being "biologically normal". I am currently about to quit my job over this same argument, no lies, because some people I work with insist on discussing ad nauseum (sp?) the "benefits" of breastfeeding. It is this superior attitude that is absolutely NO different than the disgusted attitude Kim K had in her stupid tweet. I can't remember who said it but I was not at all shocked that Kim K did not show Kourt any sort of sensitivity since it is so in character for her to only think about herself. I think she's the middle child or something. Anyway...<br />
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Valk! You have to learn to NEVER READ THE COMMENTS!! Those people are fucking idiots! All of them! Just like the ones that go on there and start professing how they nursed their babies for x amount and "all my baby gets is booby milk!" and they want a pat on the back.<br />
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Disclaimer: I want a pat on the back. I wanted it soooo much more before. But now, now I think I want something even more. I think I want it to be the most boring, normal thing for me to have been nursing every single day of my life for the last 5 years, 3 months and 9 days. I don't want it be shocking to anyone anymore. I want it to be such a non-issue that I don't even ever think to count the time. Why? Because, really, there isn't anything special about it. Sad to say, but I must soon find another claim to fame. Maybe I can make it big blogging about guarding and protecting hearts or something. :)<br />
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Women pull the damn guilt card because as a society, we allow them to. We sit here and hand hold and tip toe because we don't want to make any postpartum mother feel "bad", as if we were so fucking powerful that we had the control to make someone else feel a certain way. I'm so over people not taking responsibility for their own damn actions. There's a big difference between presenting facts in the matter of fact way they simply are and lacing your facts with breastfeeding nazi rhetoric. I'm not talking about the latter. I used to be the latter. Now, I just discuss the truth. Why? Because no one would worry about making a smoking, heroin shooting crackwhore of a pregnant mother feel guilty, would they? No, because the facts are the facts and the science is the science. <br />
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And, as a decision maker, you cannot feel guilty for that which you did not know or know how to execute. You make the best choice with what you have to work with. The mother who really thought, because she bought into the million dollar advertising campaign that formula was "just as good" or who knew breastmilk was the obvious choice, but had no idea and no support on how to execute her plan shouldn't feel guilty. The mother who came across a trusted nurse or pediatrician who began supplementing the baby at birth and sent mom home with enough samples of formula to get through the Apocalypse shouldn't feel guilty. She should feel ANGRY. Not at herself. But at us- the public health community. *We* failed those mothers. No one else. <br />
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And we all continue to do so when as a society, we go on and on about the supposed "benefits". We need to just stop with the benefits bullshit. Breastfeeding has no benefits. I think that's why I loved Kourtney's blog the most - because she was just so nonchalant about it. She was very "this is me, this is what I want to do, the end". I have a lot of respect for that. <br />
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I think we should just begin to discuss the obvious and that is that NOT breastfeeding is nothing short of a landmine of risks. <br />
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You know what pisses me off MORE than the personal choice argument? The "I fed my baby formula and he/she turned out just fine"! Yeah, well, my dad used to give me sips of beer when I was 5...do you think if I do that Jonny will STFU about his arm already?! ;-)<br />
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BTW, Valk, you and everyone else have every single right to be angry because it DOES affect you. Among many other things, thanks to all those moms who made the "personal choice" to not breastfeed or made the "personal choice" to ignore the help that was offered, your insurance premiums are higher, your Danny is exposed to a shit ton of sickly children whose germs he then brings home to you, your seats on planes are getting more expensive because of the obesity issue, your Earth is being polluted with the byproducts of manufacturing formula, and most importantly, that Womanhood you stand so proudly for and represent in such exquisite fashion is being destroyed.<br />
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I will be the first to admit that breastfeeding my children was a personal choice-- I had the audacity to want to reduce my predisposed genetic inclination for breast cancer by 37%. It was a selfish choice I made, which in turn became a selfish choice I continued to make every day because it empowered me as a woman. The other stuff is just the fruit of my labor. You know, in the same way that pushing a baby out of my vagina or withstanding an asshat of a doctor while she chopped me up to give me Bryan made my fabulous children the fruit of my labor. Should I be awarded for that? Given a fucken medal? Or maybe acknowledged as having done what the human race is supposed to do- carry on?<br />
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So, carry on, my friends! :)</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-8330947605308408282010-03-23T22:01:00.000-04:002010-03-23T22:01:19.753-04:00An Ode to the Jode - My follow up to "Survival of the Fittest"<div style="text-align: justify;">Dear Jodi,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wonder if you know that I feel so lucky to have you in my life. I was just thinking about that today when I was making dinner. This whole distance thing really blows. Who do you think we were in past lives that we're able to call each other "friends" without having ever seen each other's faces? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I read your comment, half asleep at 8pm EST in bed, my immediate thought was, "<b>WAIT, WHAT</b>?!? Why the fuck didn't you <b><i>SAY</i></b> Pantley's book was the answer to all my prayers?!?!?!" Sadly, I am not kidding. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You see, I'm not that "excellent" mom who just roughs out a phase or who puts her life aside to go to bed at 8pm for the last 5 years. I mean, at least I don't do those things cause I'm "excellent"...I do them cause I'm clueless. And hopeful. Really, I do hope that eventually, one day soon (preferably), Bryan will let me leave his side for a moment without waking up in complete and utter disarray. Or wake up without crying hysterically if I happen to be in the shower instead of by his side. You know, because setting my alarm for 5:15am every morning so that I miss his light sleep stage which doesn't happen again until 5:45am is not fun. Taking a shower all nervous thinking I'm hearing yells from the other side of the door is not fun. But still, I remain hopeful. More than anything, because the alternative is not something I think could work and I haven't reached my wits' end yet, but definitely <i><b>not</b></i> because I am an excellent mom. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Honestly, I think that excellent mom is the one who is so in tune with her baby that she sees the baby is ready for a change and tries it out, not being stuck on any one decision. That's the mom I know you are. And the excellent mom is you for having found what is clearly working in a very real and positive way for both you AND Katherine. That speaks volumes. That's what the excellent mom does. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, I just wanted to clarify my position. I do recommend cosleeping. I can't imagine my life any other way. I do believe wholeheartedly that babies younger than 18 mos are very rarely ready to make the transition from out of the family bed and into their own. I believe it because of research I've done and read, but mostly because of my own heart strings which tug and pull at the mere thought of my babies not wanting to sleep with me. But even more than that, I believe in YOU and loving, caring souls I'm blessed enough to call my friends like you who make different decisions and I respect and believe in their decisions for them and their kids. I know you know it wasn't directed at you, but I am sorry if any of it sounded judgmental because it really wasn't meant to be that way at all and really isn't how I feel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for Pantley, have I ever told you I am so freaking stubborn that I have no problem shooting off my leg to save my foot?? My problem with her is that she advocates her method (which I admit to not knowing much about because of the following premise alone) with babies as young as four months, and I take real issue with that as I'm pretty sure you do, too. So because of that, even if she is the answer to all my prayers, I won't read her. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love you very much, Jodester, and it is mothers like you who inspire me to be a better mom every day. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-55182459208112238092010-03-22T20:56:00.000-04:002010-03-22T20:56:40.851-04:00Survival of the Fittest<div style="text-align: justify;"><i>**Originally written, but never finished, on March 9th** </i><br />
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The other day, I was speaking with a first time mom of a four month old baby girl. Like any attentive mom of a four month old, she was sleep deprived and wondering if her baby would <i><b>ever</b></i> stop nursing through the night. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I remember those days. I remember the days when I wasn't confident enough in my own mothering abilities that I doubted my only working practice to get my first born to sleep, which consisted of nursing him to La-La Land each and every night and not being able to move for fear of him sensing a wayward boob in the middle of his drunken sleep and waking in pure anger. How dare that boob try to get away? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back to the mom. When I asked her if she considered bringing the baby to bed with her, I heard my own doubts in her answer. "Hmmm, but then to get her out of the bed is just too much of a problem. We only have a queen sized bed and you know, she needs to learn to sleep on her own." I briefly brought up sidecarring the crib, but knew I'd hit a wall. I never feel like I know what to do when I hit the wall.<br />
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I remember the day we gave in and decided to just bring J to bed with us. It was around the 5th day post partum. We'd spent two days at home, doing everything possible to get him to sleep in his bassinet. It was as if it had pins in it. I remember Ray telling me to lay on the pillow for 15 minutes so it was hot and smelled like me and then trying to "transfer" the baby to the hot pillow, hoping that would work. I remember putting my milk stained bra in there. I remember rocking. Singing. Crying. I remember wanting to hold my baby in my arms all night long and feeling like I couldn't. I remember going online the next morning and making sure we weren't doing permanent damage to him if we did sleep with him. And I remember finding <a href="http://www.drjaygordon.com/">Dr. Jay Gordon</a>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back to the mom. What I wanted to tell her was to read Dr. Gordon's <a href="http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVAugSep03p88.html">book</a> on cosleeping. What I wanted to do was explain that now, as a mother of two little ones who sleep in our bed, our upgrade to a king was not only the most useful purchase ever, but also the most enjoyed. What I knew I shouldn't do is tell her is that in the last five years, my confidence in my judgment as a mother had grown, and that my almost 3 year old still nurses about 3 times a night (and has yet to fall asleep without a boob in his mouth). No need to make her any more scared than she already was. I know enough about people and am humble enough at times to not push my ideals onto others. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When Jonathan was around 1, I remember searching on the internet and coming across this amazing <a href="http://www.mothering.com/breastfeeding/doesnt-the-breast-work-anymore">article</a> from Mothering.com talking about this very thing and helping me to feel normal. Who cared if my newly categorized "toddler" had switched from waking up 3 times a night to every hour on the hour? Pshhhhh, who am I kidding??! I did! I was sleep deprived and pregnant and working 40+ hours a week. I get it. I get that mom and all the other moms worrying about their kids and sleep, as if all the other kids in the same age bracket that they know don't have the same issues. But after nursing for 16 months, I'd also gotten that two things always rung true when it came to parenting. Half asleep, I remember chanting my mantra...<i>"This, too, shall pass"</i>. And I also learned that other parents lie. A lot. As much as I hated it, I knew it was temporary. I knew that for a reason I was not privy to, my baby needed me more than I needed sleep. What a crazy thought!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There's a part of me that lets me look at children in different times, cultures and settings. I think about where my child would be sleeping if I were Japanese. Would it be culturally accepted if I tried to put my kid to sleep in a different room? What if I lived in a cave... would my baby who sleeps through the night just two feet away survive? Or get eaten by a saber tooth tiger? Was there a reason why pacifiers were invented? Does it mean that the need for my baby to "pacify" himself at the breast is a very real, innate and dare I say, <b><i>normal</i></b> behavior? My years of nursing were leading me to believe so. Not because I'd come across any amazing research in my studies, but because I needed some sort of rationalization for the way my children behaved. The truth is, thinking about these what ifs validated the way I mothered. And it helped me cope. Forget the fact that now, after nursing every day of my life for the last 4 years, 11 months and 25 days, I finally realize I really was right.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The other day, I had the honor of shadowing one of S. Florida's best lactation consultants. She's also a doula and as part of her doula services, she does a lactation consultation at any point post partum. We went to visit a mom of a two month old who was nursing wonderfully. During the consult, the mom mentioned that her husband was frustrated by the nursing. She said he'd said he felt "breastfeeding was highly overrated" and didn't like that the baby was "on top of his wife" all day. He told her that if she put the baby down for a second, the baby cried. Knowing this husband personally, it was one of those situations where you had to walk the line between empowering the mom without pissing off the very controlling husband. It's a fine line. A very, very fine line. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite all my own wonderings about saber tooth tigers, the LC said something I'd never considered. She turned to the mom and said, "think about how it was when we were cavemen. That baby who cried every second was the one who was going to get picked up by his mother for fear of that baby making such a ruckus that a wild beast might find them. The baby who was content being put on the floor and quietly gazing at the sky while some beast snuck up behind him wouldn't make it," she said . Then she turned to the mom and said, "your baby is the smart one. Your baby knows about Survival of the Fittest." Hmph. Talk about inflating that dad's ego, if only he were there to hear it...<br />
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I wish I had a good way to end this post, but I don't. Baby sleep is elusive and frustrating for everyone but the baby. My "babies" still give me a hard time, as evidenced Saturday night when my husband and I tried to go out for his birthday, but no one could put either baby to sleep, despite them being 5 and 2. But, I have a pretty good idea that the same way they won't be drinking kegs of breastmilk at college frat parties, they also won't be needing their momma to fall asleep either. <i>This, too, shall pass...</i><br />
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</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-41239678089001507372010-03-22T20:34:00.000-04:002010-03-22T20:34:39.768-04:00*Sigh*<div style="text-align: justify;">I seriously have about a gazillion things to blog about, but no time to do it. I don't even know where to start. How is everyone?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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Jon Jon's birthday was last weekend. I am officially the mom of a 5 year old. It's heartbreaking. Ray's birthday was last weekend. Oh, wait, that can't be right... ugh. I dunno. I've had 2 birthdays and 2 birthday parties 2 weeks in a row. I am pooped. With a capital P. Pooped. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You know, as much as I love being out and about and really can't be home for longer than a day without getting cabin fever, I like doing it on *my* terms. I have some huge event or another every single weekend from 2 weekends ago until after Mother's Day. I seriously can't stand it. I just want to VEG and do nothing or do whatever I want to do, but I can't, because I have best friends having babies and other ones getting married and special people having birthdays and really, I just want to do NOTHING! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ray went to some business seminar last week and he saw John Walsh speak. He says that Mr. Walsh went into every single detail about his son's disappearance. Every single one. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. We had just gotten to this country when it happened and lived about 10 miles south of where his son went missing and I remember the absolute paranoia that surrounded, rightfully so. It was supposed to be this inspiring story because due to his loss, he invented ways to look for other missing children nationwide and some sort of uniform system and protocol to when a child goes missing, but seriously, I can't stomach thinking about it for too long. Ray was bawling in the middle of the seminar. Anyway, Mr. Walsh said he has some legislation he's trying to pass that Congress keeps holding up and I'm seriously sick and tired of every single fucking politician out there. I am so angry with all of them. Stop the fucking bullshit. Stop the goddamned special interests and pass a fucking bill that MATTERS. That goes to this Congress, the last Congress, the future Congress and just as many presidents. I'm over it. If and when I remember, I'll google the bill he's talking about and expect each and every one of you to contact your congressmen and tell all your friends and non friends to do the same. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lent. I couldn't decide what to give up for Lent this year. I really didn't want to give up Diet Coke. So instead of giving up Diet Coke, you know what I decided to give up? Being mean to my mom. Thank God Lent is only 40 days. Hahahaha! You know, I'm just tired of being mad about it. It's not my estilo. I'm a happy person. I don't have the attention span to hold on to things and really hate playing the "woe is me" card, so my continuous, unrelenting anger towards her is really so very unbecoming. And it's beyond my control. Lent is the obvious time to try such a grand maneuver. I'm happy to report it's working out great. And that I also inadvertently gave up Diet Coke, too. For the most part. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My potty training experiment with Bryan is going really well. What's the experiment, you say? Well, actually potty training! Hahahaha! I haven't eliminated night time and nap diapers yet, but only because I am too tired with this damn social calendar to wake up in the middle of the night to try to get him to pee. But I have started to remind him before we go to sleep that he has to tell me when he has to pee and in mid-dream, he has said, "Mami, pee pee, pee pee, Mami!!". By the time I get up, he's already peed, but still. It's progress.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am 4 chapters behind on my studying. Oy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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Ugh, someone is crying. That's never good. Ok, so I'll end this on a funny note:<br />
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The other day, Jonathan says to me, "MAMI! Do you know that in <i>AFRICA</i>, the kids <b><i>WALK</i></b> to school?!". And I said, "Yeah? Did you know that Abu walked to school, too??" <br />
Jonathan responds, "ABU lived in <i><b>AFRICA</b></i>?!?!?!?!??!"<br />
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</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-20706020111431579542010-03-08T17:11:00.000-05:002010-03-08T17:11:05.254-05:00I need daily sunlight.I noticed last night that I just do not go outside anymore. I don't know when it happened or how it happened, but I'm pretty sure it's contributed to my rageful craze lately. So Saturday, I woke up very early (thank you, Bryan) and cleaned the house head to toe so that I could spend the day doing something fun without feeling guilty about it. Ray was so sweet and found this county park for us to go to and I will admit that at first, I wasn't too excited. I wanted to go to 1st Street Beach to see how pictures of the boys would turn out there because they have this really cool rock type pier and it being the last place where the beach and sea meet, it's bound to be different, but I am so glad I sucked it up and went for the unknown instead. My goodness, what a hidden gem! I'm sure there are tons of Miamians who know about Matheson Hammock Park, but I was not one of them. It isn't even really far- I seriously cannot believe I have never been there before.<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Part of the reason Ray picked it is because online, he read that it had "beautiful scenic views" and there was a "beach" and a park, too, so he thought it would be great for all of us, and he was right. It was really cool here yesterday-- definitely too cool to go to the beach, but perfect to find a hidden gem like that because I am sure that when it's hot, the place is as packed as a can of sardines. There is this historic restaurant that I had never heard of called the Red Fish Grill and when we got there, a wedding was going on. So live music for free! woo hoo! Jonathan walked by and said, "wow, Papi, it smells DELICIOUS!". Hahaha. </div><br />
I'm going to take you on a photo tour of our day, even though you've already seen some of these on the other blog:<br />
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While trying to find the "beach", we came across this flag planted in the ocean. How beautiful, huh?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdvAY_BuT91J8RnWgJwXzv0VcI4LaHwFQySr28Vrh8s4TzNISse8Hdfspg0fe_6cJxQyaJ-8Om8lwzZfzWbVnJC_4LaB7Jc6kJFVsIciFGoE0hPf3mI8na8R6zBLXx47pILNoHtJp6iY/s1600-h/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdvAY_BuT91J8RnWgJwXzv0VcI4LaHwFQySr28Vrh8s4TzNISse8Hdfspg0fe_6cJxQyaJ-8Om8lwzZfzWbVnJC_4LaB7Jc6kJFVsIciFGoE0hPf3mI8na8R6zBLXx47pILNoHtJp6iY/s320/014.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">These are mangroves, as seen while driving by. They are really amazing and something unique to our tropical region. I saw on wiki that parts of Louisiana and Texas also have mangroves. I would not be caught DEAD in this park at night. Mangroves are really creepy because the root of the trees grow above ground, too. You can't really see that here, but it almost looks as if they're tiptoeing on their "feet" (roots) and they are all intertwined with the other. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9vNFLz7D1n5eMLCoIGI1mFyeGsu8R0rhC5AZiyT60xeF97zf7ldK6WtJSRAnI90XqtXdCSstrdTtL_aewsp6Oy9dYiD41rr7wNiCfcXm7yLzeIX5_ZjN-CJ4kBnUlpLgHznXnBbpWxA/s1600-h/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9vNFLz7D1n5eMLCoIGI1mFyeGsu8R0rhC5AZiyT60xeF97zf7ldK6WtJSRAnI90XqtXdCSstrdTtL_aewsp6Oy9dYiD41rr7wNiCfcXm7yLzeIX5_ZjN-CJ4kBnUlpLgHznXnBbpWxA/s320/015.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My sex-ahy husband looking dapper. Or trying to. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1y2ywXcq3hUs8aUinn7zWPEKYZxey3EKBgUXWhHXnTICC7toWHaFdX_Iot0v2O3FRpIU_JmCxJGM8LA16nB-kzH1llInVQ5Q0UpSZ3vL8rtJM52T0HSmY2kb7rx5qcDck_9INRbZ4-DY/s1600-h/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1y2ywXcq3hUs8aUinn7zWPEKYZxey3EKBgUXWhHXnTICC7toWHaFdX_Iot0v2O3FRpIU_JmCxJGM8LA16nB-kzH1llInVQ5Q0UpSZ3vL8rtJM52T0HSmY2kb7rx5qcDck_9INRbZ4-DY/s320/026.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And this picture sucks because I didn't see the damn tree branch shadow on his head, but I needed to put it here because do you see that? Do you see how big my Jonathan is getting?!? Ugh. He will be five this week. I seriously can't handle it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9kNaRdyrtwmY05cn7IJ-IaM43KopE0aDCEd3fibWk1Ldmjg1RiFm9cPgKC7PH8YTAo8Xaq5_AvbcBS4pO_I8GwcWqUL2c_DM16U5Ooj5PpLdQYci_TjVCvKzL2VoDTdszWAQzjez2JlH/s1600-h/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9kNaRdyrtwmY05cn7IJ-IaM43KopE0aDCEd3fibWk1Ldmjg1RiFm9cPgKC7PH8YTAo8Xaq5_AvbcBS4pO_I8GwcWqUL2c_DM16U5Ooj5PpLdQYci_TjVCvKzL2VoDTdszWAQzjez2JlH/s320/028.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">He fell right after we took the picture on the rocks. He was running and the flip flop tripped him up. The problem with historic parks is there's lots of gravel. Gravel = bloody knees. But look...look at Ray taking care of him. He really is the sexiest man on Earth and a lot of that has to do with these tender moments. And his yummy lips. woo hooo!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ImRa7TmBL5XLDK49jk1aKsZ9EwZtmQJlGghFugL-xI-_AiNzmqGCSeuW9yk4yGSh-CxT1L6RP-yYpF-yzohk2G7qZNQQq3lvI7CcMxdNR1ogXMtmzPL0cuJZYd9-42QTJBJtVYodLHY/s1600-h/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ImRa7TmBL5XLDK49jk1aKsZ9EwZtmQJlGghFugL-xI-_AiNzmqGCSeuW9yk4yGSh-CxT1L6RP-yYpF-yzohk2G7qZNQQq3lvI7CcMxdNR1ogXMtmzPL0cuJZYd9-42QTJBJtVYodLHY/s320/030.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So as long as I wasn't trying to take a picture of him, it was ok for him to laugh. Little Booger. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qHdHD4rmZoca6LiCYAuqVcnl54ECMrG-Z7Nm1U77B6V7XUvLZQ6v6FFpCjk3_Nm3XhilrbCovZ4ZkbNUDCw5ElpD50Y9e-d6dTZgNmV-OqfEXhCpAXI5kNVfLXKLnxilaLLYpyPBZsY/s1600-h/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qHdHD4rmZoca6LiCYAuqVcnl54ECMrG-Z7Nm1U77B6V7XUvLZQ6v6FFpCjk3_Nm3XhilrbCovZ4ZkbNUDCw5ElpD50Y9e-d6dTZgNmV-OqfEXhCpAXI5kNVfLXKLnxilaLLYpyPBZsY/s320/036.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmJZFKbXWcDxgmgcEynyl3ZuHfLd5v7xwwj-_yzC29k4H_d6fg3e0W9AVxYJOjAbunU5lIUeApOjWoxiUSdGM653Yc1gNVLqjIMAt6fBUv85w0zwCDWR1sS4bftrCaEykV-UhjBH6JSo/s1600-h/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmJZFKbXWcDxgmgcEynyl3ZuHfLd5v7xwwj-_yzC29k4H_d6fg3e0W9AVxYJOjAbunU5lIUeApOjWoxiUSdGM653Yc1gNVLqjIMAt6fBUv85w0zwCDWR1sS4bftrCaEykV-UhjBH6JSo/s320/044.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jonathan had no problem posing for pictures. Or demanding they only be of his "good side". </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcvgV7J1iI7Ya5M0IH7csnQl-EF7RVa2TWksBd9ppsaAkr5dPVdGvn9IueqFQjqCXpQaDyuKgCweK3RKd-WJ-vg_FQWwCnhyeJxZYH7PRj5wDG8kS-96Z9_73yk30q335WYEiEMBsQzc/s1600-h/057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcvgV7J1iI7Ya5M0IH7csnQl-EF7RVa2TWksBd9ppsaAkr5dPVdGvn9IueqFQjqCXpQaDyuKgCweK3RKd-WJ-vg_FQWwCnhyeJxZYH7PRj5wDG8kS-96Z9_73yk30q335WYEiEMBsQzc/s320/057.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This kid...he seriously infuriates me and cracks me up at the same time. Look at this pout!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvOF5uy7fUyZ1wo37x8SeAA9MQXqOhNh-j94VnSq2KDwGYo4G3SMBx5RBupVkgLrP_cm_qL03oJofrK39VoGqgf9qu4o1qOWmL-xZA8lUSvEj1c62DQA5_FGJpb5kueyWgXfWhu3tsAk/s1600-h/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvOF5uy7fUyZ1wo37x8SeAA9MQXqOhNh-j94VnSq2KDwGYo4G3SMBx5RBupVkgLrP_cm_qL03oJofrK39VoGqgf9qu4o1qOWmL-xZA8lUSvEj1c62DQA5_FGJpb5kueyWgXfWhu3tsAk/s320/059.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjkHrKftYmEvy3mgoalBTWOImgcdFe-T6mKJyCCyijnnViCmaqsYkWW5wGkfFqoomutJIJwQZAY4OgYOaFZqbGSVudRxKWdzHCjNAe44wMIsQWIZQbCBYIF9wws8mUALFzwfAQRgZtJ8s/s1600-h/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjkHrKftYmEvy3mgoalBTWOImgcdFe-T6mKJyCCyijnnViCmaqsYkWW5wGkfFqoomutJIJwQZAY4OgYOaFZqbGSVudRxKWdzHCjNAe44wMIsQWIZQbCBYIF9wws8mUALFzwfAQRgZtJ8s/s320/048.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Squirmy Mc Squirmy. Anything to get away from the camera. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jkllcjrdwk0HW-J9ONDn_Me_NzAOvbdnAGdNSbrl-wqwqv0v8gOCg3aywSYsXwoUl8BEbjhHT7m7stdq2UQGAG6tJzRTmoczJzB3CirqiZItKn9QojtSgJf_iT73tShh54aufwF9foo/s1600-h/082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Jkllcjrdwk0HW-J9ONDn_Me_NzAOvbdnAGdNSbrl-wqwqv0v8gOCg3aywSYsXwoUl8BEbjhHT7m7stdq2UQGAG6tJzRTmoczJzB3CirqiZItKn9QojtSgJf_iT73tShh54aufwF9foo/s320/082.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RxcBRHhsbWZLw3JQz3vDsWlENmsTBPrVuU-o6Rp0doiQcUzQWYhGJ1a1fiztqCFEuNlAFHlFMP07KRdGGcbnaWO75ja5U_qPlw2i-XYdyIMK5ufbqegtHOVsIPlaSx0se1XxNV5ZCi0/s1600-h/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RxcBRHhsbWZLw3JQz3vDsWlENmsTBPrVuU-o6Rp0doiQcUzQWYhGJ1a1fiztqCFEuNlAFHlFMP07KRdGGcbnaWO75ja5U_qPlw2i-XYdyIMK5ufbqegtHOVsIPlaSx0se1XxNV5ZCi0/s320/033.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"What's the problem?! I'm not that wet!!" And then he complained when he froze his tush off because he was SOAKED and the sun went down and he was COOOOLD. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WIPFwyoYDxJAV8RtvktGAWbWJSB9IwNPBLt0FtPNbmrYHrPpEAufoM9RRPL69xIy3xgAi03068LtUmsio_6A9GAyTyre4nx0Nqd7JGOw7mYGvRySHI1Hj8CqcUo3Ejbt9mF9v-OY_ac/s1600-h/092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WIPFwyoYDxJAV8RtvktGAWbWJSB9IwNPBLt0FtPNbmrYHrPpEAufoM9RRPL69xIy3xgAi03068LtUmsio_6A9GAyTyre4nx0Nqd7JGOw7mYGvRySHI1Hj8CqcUo3Ejbt9mF9v-OY_ac/s320/092.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> My almost five year old. *tear*.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yqoxxqb838cOknKzi9aH1rZjFgmoNcMxbEX0M56gT4kVtirnSzSq94LDJUEeoYPYe6a0Ggt3jEPf8p5cy8miV1N4WyxocorghwU5LUqClwu5bjWq_GJaP7CTDbXZPRgEOiNbxOftUUc/s1600-h/106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yqoxxqb838cOknKzi9aH1rZjFgmoNcMxbEX0M56gT4kVtirnSzSq94LDJUEeoYPYe6a0Ggt3jEPf8p5cy8miV1N4WyxocorghwU5LUqClwu5bjWq_GJaP7CTDbXZPRgEOiNbxOftUUc/s320/106.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He seriously sat there and told me he did not want me taking any more pictures. He told me to go away. Look at his hands! This is apparently his "I mean business" pose.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjDuu-cd5JdfrxxjdXdjA3-NxN7EDMt0OPVTB5Zh147QT1JFwoVzzZG_nZLG-wz_p3SIPy-vTepXv-UsKW-CQoFlj7d6eA48zKITPWo9KeOw4zhkbfpm7mKt-2RFg8WmtsmuqmpG2iEA/s1600-h/108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjDuu-cd5JdfrxxjdXdjA3-NxN7EDMt0OPVTB5Zh147QT1JFwoVzzZG_nZLG-wz_p3SIPy-vTepXv-UsKW-CQoFlj7d6eA48zKITPWo9KeOw4zhkbfpm7mKt-2RFg8WmtsmuqmpG2iEA/s320/108.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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This is Jon Jon's "I love you, Mama" face.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymKt2hk0kCmusvdUw6ktPSjJS9WyFKTLtuaZ_1Phelo4BRUUBRogLf2gVxk5MIj-fZ7yAs2IGmbzl5Jy8EyKmbWXR4ezGhbIBsc_kOh4z519eDZSHGmzmrOGBui2macjP_GisEBoUxoQ/s1600-h/111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymKt2hk0kCmusvdUw6ktPSjJS9WyFKTLtuaZ_1Phelo4BRUUBRogLf2gVxk5MIj-fZ7yAs2IGmbzl5Jy8EyKmbWXR4ezGhbIBsc_kOh4z519eDZSHGmzmrOGBui2macjP_GisEBoUxoQ/s320/111.JPG" /></a></div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-55014747967141478212010-02-28T10:47:00.001-05:002010-02-28T10:54:47.344-05:00The Longest Day Ever<div style="text-align: justify;">That's what yesterday seemed like...the longest day ever. But when I was thinking of the title for the blog, I remembered that the day I gave birth to both my boys seemed like that, too, although with very different, happy outcomes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let me start by saying I promise there's a point in here somewhere...bear with me. Or is it bare with me? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am signed up for MSNBC texts, so whenever they feel something is "breaking news", they send me a text, regardless of the time. Sometimes, it's totally worth it, like yesterday...sometimes, not...like when some Olympian I've never heard of wins a gold for something I've never heard of. At 2 in the morning. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I turn the ringer to my phone off so I don't actually hear anything, but I am uber sensitive to light and when the screen lights up, believe it or not, that wakes me up. So, at 2:21 am EST, I got the text about the 8.8 earthquake in Concepcion, Chile. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, I don't know my geography in <i>Florida</i>, so knowing it anywhere else is really asking way too much. Half asleep, I start googling from my phone where Concepcion is and it says something about the South and a border and maybe it was the midnight haze, but then I panicked because my grandma lives in Peru in the city that borders Chile and wow, please don't tell me that two families may be effected. I should add that I think I'm getting J a globe for his birthday. Ok, so back to reading - Concepcion is a crapload of kilometers away from Santiago, which, if I knew my metric conversions, which um, I don't, it would have or have not reassured me that everything is ok. All this background work was done because I was trying to determine if I should wake up my mom who is working in Puerto Rico and for sure had no idea what was going on. All our family is there. Everyone. Hearing that an 8.8 mag earthquake hits where all your family lives is really bizarre, especially at 2:30 in the morning. I finally called her. It didn't matter much because my mom turned her phone completely off and there was no way of getting in touch with her anyway. My mom really sucks for emergencies and is always completely unresponsive and inappropriate, so really it was probably for the best. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, I decided everyone was in a deep enough sleep that if I turned on the TV to see what was going on, no one would wake up. I get to Channel 356 (MSNBC) and they're showing "Lock Up". Switch over to the Weather Channel and they're talking about the wintry weather (sorry, wintry weather friends, but earthquake trumps snow). Hmmm.... what's left? Ugh. Fox News has Glenn Beck on. CNN? Dammit what channel is CNN? Part of my marriage vows surely consisted of not watching CNN... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, Anderson Cooper was ending and CNN was the *only* news network that had coverage. Ummm, why did MSNBC find it ok to text me at 2:00 am only to not have any actual coverage? Grrrrr! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I finally decided to try and go back to sleep, deciding there was nothing anyone would know other than it hit because it was still nighttime over there and more than likely, all power was out. But I was shocked to find out that despite it being over 200 miles away from the epicenter, Santiago (the capitol) was hit pretty bad, too. Unfortunately, that was where all my family lives.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sleep was elusive. At 6:30 am, I turned the news back on and this time, rewarded CNN with my viewership because they were the only ones covering immediately after, and was really impressed at the organization I saw. Police were out, the President was in view, the citizens looked worried, shaken, but like survivors. I love Chile.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It just so happens that my favorite aunt happens to be visiting Miami right now, so I called her and thankfully, she'd already heard from her two sons and everyone was ok. I sent an email to my uncle, who unfortunately is not in Chile with his wife and kids, but is on assignment in The Congo. He had, however, already heard from his daughter and apparently, they were all ok. No power, no phone lines, but with internet and alive and well. Yay!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We moved here when I was 4. I've never ever lived in Chile and I've only visited once, although that trip is still very vivid in my memory. I remember the ocean and the salt banks and the mountains and a beautiful hill with a statue of the Virgin Mary on top of it. I remember the supermarket selling the best strawberry yogurt ever and the beautiful trees dripping with ripe, orange apricots. I remember meeting my 95 year old great grandma and staying at this beautiful oceanfront home on a long and winding highway. I remember feeling a small earthquake, or what they call "<i>un temblor</i>" -- a tremor -- during my cousin's birthday party in one of my families' backyard. I remember drinking one of those delicious coca-colas that come in a small glass bottle at a time when "the New Coke" had taken over in the States and you just couldn't find <i>real</i> coca cola anymore. I remember collecting antique keys and steel cast irons I later used as weights in remote little towns for my mom's collection. <br />
<br />
Because we moved around so much, I really can't say I feel like I belong to any country. It's so hard for me to understand the depth of love Ray's family has for a country they were forced to leave - country they associate so much with, yet push away with the same intensity. I admiringly envy people like Valk and Jodi who are just so patriotic and PROUD to be Americans. I'm proud, too, and I know I live in the best country in the world, but I'd be lying if I said I felt "American". I am an immigrant and that fact never ever eludes me. I was born in Peru, but I can't say I've ever felt particularly Peruvian. I love the food and the Incas amaze me. Whenever someone questions my breastfeeding practices as weird or even disgusting, I remind them half-jokingly that I am an Inca and that is what my people do. I really probably am not at all Inca, but you get the point...I channel the country I need to channel when it works for me. But not yesterday. Or today. I feel like I felt as I watched the Twin Towers crumble. Sad, helpless and...dare I say it? Yup, patriotic. The fact of the matter is I'll always be from all over. But I find a lot of happiness in realizing that my heart belongs to two wonderfully amazing countries, both full of people with great hearts and unparalleled resilience. And, thankfully, their flags are the same color so as not to confuse me too much. ;-)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Having only one cousin here, it's insane to me to know I have so many cousins in Chile. There's one I've only met thru Facebook. His name is Felipe and he's the total cool guy you want to be friends with in high school. I have another who is in a rock band. Actually, that's my second cousin in a rock band. The other one lives here and now he's an investment banker, but man, in a past life...I remember seeing his records at the Virgin Music in Times Square. I'm not starstruck often, but my cousins definitely make me proud. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, all this happened by 9 am. My mom still remained asleep and had no idea what was going on, despite everyone with a working phone calling her and letting her know. She says she woke up to 12 messages and an ungodly amount of missed calls. Duh. On a side note, I could never be that oblivious. I could never be that disconnected. Especially not when my family is somewhere else. That isn't a criticism of her- I actually think it's pretty amazing to just <i>sleep</i>-- I'm just saying I couldn't do it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Really, I could go on and on and tell you that I spent the day shoveling shit, literally, and working on the yard and catching up on RHOC and checking in with family and I even had a date night at home with my husband where we ate ceviche and lomo saltado and watched Couples Retreat, but at the end of it all-- and really, it took forever and ever and ever-- all that mattered was my family was ok, and my three boys were here with me. I can't ever describe the love I have for them, and I don't ever want to. Part of what makes it so special and intense is that there are no words for it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">P.S. I just want to add that while my disdain for Fox News is for obvious reasons, I still did not expect them to ever give me a valid reason, outside of political differences, to loathe them. Would you believe that when Ray started switching channels (he'd had enough of CNN) at 8 am, every news network and most local channels were covering the earthquake <i><b>except</b></i> for Fox? I get that demographically, South Americans vote blue, but I expected even <b>YOU</b> to have half a soul, Fox News. Fuck you. Fuck you bigtime. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-68685322296677055232010-02-20T20:58:00.001-05:002010-02-20T22:40:03.184-05:00Crier, Crier...Pants on Fire<div style="text-align: justify;">Valk just wrote a <a href="http://redgirlinbluestate.blogspot.com/2010/02/no.html">blog</a> and in it she talked about crying. It's all I could think about as I sat there in my study group, fighting back emotions to a) pummel the teacher in the throat and b) curl up in a ball and cry. And cry and cry and cry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I managed to just cry. I tried to fight back the tears. I tried pinching my thigh and biting my inner cheek really hard. I tried deep breathing and really, anything that would NOT show that weakness, but alas, the tears started falling. It's been 8 hours and my cheeks are still stained. I have really salty tears. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't mind crying. I'm not even an excessive crier. I bawl at movies (which is why I never watch any), Johnson & Johnson commercials and that's about it. Oh, and of course, when I'm so angry I can envision blood splat on the wall. Then I cry. And then I cry some more because I am so damn mad at myself for crying. It's so unprofessional. And immature. But there is no way I have found to control it. And that's what happened today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I hate feeling censored. I hate feeling confined. I hate rules. I hate being talked down to. And I hate threats. Really, if you want to piss me off and evoke emotion you've never ever ever seen in me before, do any one of those things. I know we live in a world of rules. I'm ok with that. I'm ok with that because I am a good person and am guided by my moral compass and because my moral compass is a very reliable measuring tool, I rarely do things that require extreme rule breaking. I mean, I don't get all hot and bothered about making more than one copy of an article when I'm only allowed to have one, but you get me. It's because of my moral compass that rules bother me so much. Because at the end of the day, I don't really give a fuck what the rule says if it offends my sense of justice, my sense of good, my morality and my ethics. Really, I do not give a fuck. And you can try all you want to threaten and censor and guess what? I still don't give a fuck. And please, don't think that me not giving a fuck somehow means I don't know the rules. On the contrary, I know them so well that I have figured out that they are for stupid people and that offends me even more. In a past life, I can promise you I was one hell of an attorney and while you were busy citing the rule, I already found my loophole and can argue with you til you are blue in the face about why I am right and you are wrong. And I will. I do beat dead horses. All the fucking time. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The problem is when I get to the point where all I see is red, I have no problem cutting off my arm to save a finger. And that sucks. Because I don't need to be all self-sabotaging. I mean, it's bad enough you saw me cry and are probably thinking it's because you hurt me in some way, and God does it bother me when anyone thinks that. When I'm hurt and sad, I strap my big girl boots on and actually say, "you know, I'm hurt and sad, how can we get past this?". But when I'm angry.... whoa nelly!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Amy wrote about <a href="http://scrapsofbeauty.blogspot.com/2009/11/and-psychosis-continues.html">PMDD</a> and while I still don't know what the last D stands for (deranged? delusional? delectable? delicious?), I'm pretty sure something's going on. I say every month I'm going to track my period, but I never do. It does seem like I have 2 weeks out of the month where I am unbearable. Two whole weeks. My poor husband and children. And my poor other personalities. Ugh. So I bought this supplement called "Mood Balance", but I'm a little scared to take it. I also noticed today that I'm a nervous eater. I don't know when that happened, but all I could do in that study group was stuff shit in my mouth. That's a new habit I must have picked up in the last few years. Fun. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ray took me to eat sushi today. He was the highlight of my week. We had $30 to spend, which is HILARIOUS because Ray and I both think we're heirs of the Rockafellers and are almost incapable of budgeting, especially at dinner. But we did. We got out our phone calculators and tabulated to the last dime. I loved it. Of course, the sushi place we go to has this special roll they make for us which is just deeeeeeeee-vine so we ordered more. And then with more, I had to order another drink and more ginger dressing. Ray just had me peeing. I can't remember when we've laughed so hard. It was awesome. What was more awesome is that he did this because tonight he's going to watch MMA at his best friend's and tomorrow he's going to play golf so he really made an effort to carve out some time for us knowing we wouldn't have a lot of it this weekend. That was the best part. Effort goes a long way. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've had a good week. I hope you did, too. And here's the take away message: Make your own rules. Live with the light of your heart guiding you and make your own rules. Once a rebel, always a rebel...</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-58751257848804849072010-02-16T23:01:00.000-05:002010-02-16T23:01:53.069-05:00I want to be a snowboarder<div style="text-align: justify;">I really do. I used to want to be a figure skater, but not anymore. Now I just want to snowboard. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Realizations like this make me remember that as girly girl as I may want to be, the Gemini in me-- and all its masculinity -- will never let that happen. Yup. I want to be a snowboarder. Never mind my inability to balance or the fact that I'm geographically challenged. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I used to pride myself in my ability...my need... my insatiable desire to reinvent myself in the blink of an eye. But now I'm older and the things I never thought would seep in have. Fear. Fear and responsibility. It's not that easy or practical or very admirable to drop everything you know and go on a whimsical limb because it'll make you feel good when you're 34 and a mother of 2. Nope, not very admirable at all. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As boring as it is, I really have spent the last 5 years reinventing myself. Old friends must look at me and think, "Wow! How'd that happen?". I'm a wife and a mom and I finally have a career and I sometimes remember that I can't pig out at my favorite sushi spot because I have diapers to buy. I no longer have a Friday Night Drinking Fund, even if I do still keep my kids' college fund money in a Chivas Regal bottle. I remember that slamming doors and walking out and disappearing for days on end isn't cute or tough or adventurous anymore. Hmmm, but snowboarding is. Yeah, I really want to be a snowboarder. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's hard to go from being a One Man Show to answering to someone. It's hard to think about someone's needs above yours all the time. It's even harder when you have to multiply that by 3. Hard doesn't mean I'd rather be doing something else. Hard doesn't mean I'm not where I want to be every day. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For me, the difficulty of it all fails in comparison to its lack of luster. For a commitment phobe like me, there's nothing scintillating about commitment -- to myself or others. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've never been into sports. I'm not a gambler. Never been a cheater. Am not impressed by rollercoasters. I never got into drugs. I don't even like scary movies. But in my own bizarre and very real way, I am an adrenalin junkie. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">You know, this was just about me wanting to be a snowboarder. But then I saw Bob Costas and I figure, if he can get on TV with that really bad dye job and carry on with a straight face, I can surely find a way to continue my necessary reinvention while cultivating a purposeful, sparkly and scary one. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm pretty sure I can learn how to snowboard, regardless of fear and responsibility. Geography has never been my strong suit anyway.</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-43045186547450822512010-02-03T13:28:00.000-05:002010-02-03T13:28:31.408-05:00There are a whole host of things I should be doing<div style="text-align: justify;">but instead, I'm sitting here, blogging. Wednesdays are my day off and I have reclaimed them. I should have spent the morning reading on the anatomy of the breast, but I didn't. I should have then done laundry or cleaned the house or done anything other than this, but I didn't. I curled in bed, covers up to my ears, and watched The Bachelor!! Wooo hoooo! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The bad thing is I have no idea when I'm going to get that chapter on anatomy in. :-/</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My kids have really been taking me to some serious highs and lows lately. I have this notebook where I write in anytime they say anything really funny and I haven't written in it in such a long time. I think I felt guilty that it was mostly about Jonathan, but you know, he's at that age where he's just hilarious. I think he's even funnier than he's supposed to be because he's learning how to speak the Englishes so he totally messes things up sometimes. In a completely amazing way. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bry is just the silent type. He's probably the funnier of the two because he's more of a jokester than a smooth criminal. Jonathan is just such a romantic.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bry has been doing amazing this week! Three days in a row with no crying when I drop him off. I am so hoping that phase is over. He has yet to let Ray take him to school, which supersucks for me because that means I am really, really late to work on Mondays and Fridays, but I'm confident we're making progress. Now he just wants to bounce on my head all night long. Fun times. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last night, I was herding them into the bedroom for bedtime when I realized their toys were *everywhere* so I got mad and told Jonathan to start picking up his toys right away. As much as Jonathan is the sweetest thing on Earth, he has such a fucking 'tude, man! He talks back for everything and gets super snippy... man, sometimes I fantasize about smacking that sassiness right out of him! But mostly, I enjoy the shit out of it because I know he'll need character and he'll need strength and ultimately, those two needs will breed respect. Or at least I hope.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, he starts huffing and puffing and slamming toys where they belong, not at all happy and then he says, "I'm NEVER gonna get MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!" and I make the mistake no mother should make and ask why and he puts his hands on his hips and looks me square in the eye and says, "BECAUSE OF YOUR ATTITUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Of course, he did this in front of Ray. As if I need my husband feeling all high and mighty! But, holy shit, was that hilarious!! How many moms can say they've effectively deterred their 4 year olds from a life of marriage, huh, huh? Oh, yeah! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-65446178553959255092010-02-01T17:29:00.001-05:002010-02-02T15:58:34.730-05:00I'm Movingmy Bachelor blog. I don't even know how I got started doing a Bachelor blog...actually, that's not true. I do know. I miss my friends, man. First, there was the constant contact of myspace groups, then we moved to another forum, and then facebook... all of which I have left. And I miss my friends. I miss the stuff girls talk about when they don't want to talk about their kids.<br />
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Now, don't get me wrong. I have my local friends who I see and spend time with, but never without something else drawing my attention away. We're either at the park, trying to enjoy each other while we keep an eye on our (and other people's) children, or we're at work trying to shoot the shit before someone important sees us. This other group of friends, while distant, was different. Our meeting place was here...this computer...and we knew that if there was another distraction (like a 2 year old pulling on my arm right now yelling boobie!!), no one had to know about it unless we decided to discuss. It wasn't necessarily pulling at us and from each other.<br />
<br />
So yeah, that's how I got the Bachelor blog started.<br />
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I've moved. You can now find it at <a href="http://www.andreadoesreality.blogspot.com/">www.andreadoesreality.blogspot.com</a>. If anyone knows how to transfer blogs over to another, please let me know. I want to move the Bachelor blogs from here over there.<br />
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xoxo. See you guys tomorrow! :)Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-54387721685578127452010-01-29T06:43:00.000-05:002010-01-29T06:43:22.156-05:00Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays...<div style="text-align: justify;">You know, this was supposed to be a blog about my life as a breastfeeding mom. The good news is my life as a breastfeeding mom is no different than the life of a non-breastfeeding mom. So I have nothing to report. And really, there is no bad news when you're living a life of a breastfeeding mom, so I'll stop there. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's birthday season!! You know..adrenalin in high gear, sleepless nights coming up with the perfect plan on a budget, throwing that budget out the window and then coming back to it, and the hardest thing of all, trying to top myself from years past. Really, I'm not and will never be one of those moms who tries to throw a party better than the one her kid went to. I just don't have the need or capability of being envious and petty like that. You'll never ever hear me say or have me think, "but so and so did THIS last year so now I want it". Uh-uh, not me. And yet, my insatiable need to have all the pieces of the party fit one particular theme drives me insane, in a good way, every single time. I live for birthday season!!! Woooooooooo Hooooooooooo!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This year's kick off? Jonathan's FIFTH birthday!! I can't even believe it. I am so focused on theme pieces that I cannot concentrate on being upset. I told him yesterday, "you're going to be FIVE! You're not my baby anymore!" And he said, very matter of factly, "Mom, I will still be your baby when I'm five. And when I'm big like Carlitos, I will <b>STILL</b> be your baby," and rolled his eyes and walked away. Carlitos is his 19 year old cousin who just came from Cuba. God, I love my eternal baby. He just knows so much more than I ever will. He's such an old, pure soul. *sigh*</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, back to birthday season. I was watching Teen Mom (Valk, you got me hooked!) on Tuesday and thinking how amazing it must be to be content with such simplicity. That is not me. Ray and I get into debates about the size of the party every year. I want something small. My Napolean-complexed lovebug wants something GRAND! Invite EVERYONE! What do you mean there's ONLY 50 people?!?! Invite MORE! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I hate that many people in my house. Bryan gets clingy because he hates that many people in his house and instead of enjoying my birthday boy, I have to deal with Bryan and his clinginess and play hostess to a bunch of people. >:-<</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fortunately (and unfortunately), Ray has a GINORMOUS family and even inviting "family only", we end up with a number in the 40s. Which is when I start hoping for no shows. :-P</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh, back to the fun stuff!! Do you know how hard it is to plan a complete, head to toe outer space themed party?!?! I've got the invitations narrowed down from Etsy-- I just have to pick one. My friend Annette is making an upright rocket ship cake (which will match the invitation). I've got alien and outer space inspired favors for my gift boxes which will perfectly match my invitation, and I even have a lady who will make a rocket ship piñata (based on the one from the invitation). I'm impressed with myself. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My setbacks?!?! I have a couple. Food. I can't think of any space inspired food. So I'm settling for lasagna. But I'm open to ideas. Then there is of course my budget. And, lastly, trying to find entertainment that matches my theme to perfection hasn't been easy. He wants a bounce house, but I can't find any that are space like. Ray said we'll put banners. That's ok, I guess. But I want something more precise. I came up with a few ideas yesterday and will keep you posted once I get prices. I'm so excited!!! I mean, you know what I really wanted is someone to come with a chimpanzee because they have been into space. Hahahahaha, so not kidding. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This work thing is really getting in the way. Have a great day. Oh, and Sheella, I love you and want nothing more than to read your blog, but my computer can't handle it! Waaaaaaaaaah!!!!!</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-42776198981339088812010-01-26T17:42:00.000-05:002010-01-26T17:42:15.858-05:00In case you hadn't heard...<div style="text-align: justify;">Jake is looking for love. He's looking to find a wife, and he's very confident that one of these ladies is <b><i>the one</i></b>. As evidenced by his overuse of the word "neat" to describe what a "swell" time he's been having on each date. Really.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Barf.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ok, so at least it's getting better. He's still so damn boring, but I like that he has conviction. This week was awkward once again, to say the least. Is it just me or is this Bachelor season gearing up for the Most Uncomfortable Moments in Reality TV award??<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Valk missed the first hour, so let's see if I can remember. Hmmm, Road trip!! Ugh, I hate road trips. I get super duper carsick unless I'm driving and I really hate being in small spaces. They were so excited to get out of the mansion to spend an undetermined amount of time stuck smelling each other's bowel movements with women who are all "fixing" to bone the man they each want to marry? Yeah. These girls aren't too bright. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So they aren't ever returning to the Mansion. I kept wondering if it was because the sponsors were so pissed that Jake and his Busted Crew are so freaking lame that they've pulled advertising revenue and the producers were forced to end the lease early. Really, this is how my brain works. *sigh*<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alright, their first stop was in some vineyard. Very pretty. And Jake's tent is up the street from the RVs? Anyone wondering why one of them wouldn't sneak out in the middle of the night and just go climb in the tent? <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">During all this, Vienna keeps telling the camera how she feels bad for all these girls since she knows she's <b>The One</b>. And how they're all so sad to be vying for <b>Her Boyfriend</b>. She's annoying. And looks like she got punched in the face and the doctors never were able to set her nose back properly. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first date is a one on one? I can't remember. It was Gia. Gia is so pretty. But she has this lisp. I keep looking at her and diagnosing her with a tongue tie. I want to speak to her mother and see how nursing went for them because she either a) has a tongue tie or b) wore a retainer and braces for such a long, long time that her mouth is used to operating with something in it. Hahaha, so many potential jokes right there...so, so many.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vienna was convinced she would be going home because "she's this New Yorker and Jake is all about the outdoors. She's so not for him. I'm for him." I swear, that's what she said. So what if she's urban chic? Don't be hating on the swim model you Fight Club Graduate!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I liked them together. Gia's sweet. And wow, what a surprise that Jake was in 11th grade before he got kissed. No.Freaking.Way, Jake! And here we all thought you were as smooth as a baby's ass. What was up with that awkward game of Spin the Bottle? Is that how you play??? Lame-O!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So he gave her a rose. yay!!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date Number 2 was a Group Date. Oh man, he said the cheesiest freaking thing and I cannot remember what it was. And when he said it, I said, "OH MY GOD that was CHEESY! I *must* remember!!". A lot of good that did me. All the girls except for Gia, Ella and Kathryn went on the date. And they went dune buggying. And sandboarding. Looked like fun. Except for all the sand in the nose. That's not so fun. Then they went to this hotel "where all the celebrities go!". And some dumb fucking chic actually said, "we must be so special to him, because he took us to this great hotel <i>WHERE ALL THE CELEBRITIES GO</i>!". Pathetic much? Of course, I can't remember the name of the place either, but it's the second time I've seen it. The first time was on The Girls Next Door. It was the same hotel they took Bridget's sister to for her 21st birthday. And it is tah-ckay! with a capital TAH! Horrible!! But of course, these girls thought it was the most beautiful thing EVER. Those midwesterners don't get out much, huh? *ducks head at incoming tomatoes from the Midwesterners*.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And so group dates are not his thing, as he likes to remind us so he calls all the girls into some cornball named room for some alone time. How Ashley thought for one second that they had a "connection" was beyond me. Maybe it was the "tick tock" music in the background, but man, that was some painful alone time. And no kiss. She's got some great legs though. All the girls at the table are putting money on Vienna being the one to go. Him and Tenley hit it off and really, she's just as annoying as he is so I propose they get married and make little Boyscout and Girlscout Future Leaders of America together. They'll write their own Cornball Dictionary and the highlighted words will be "dynamite", "neat", "swell" and the phrase of the day will be "Boy, I sure do appreciate...". Ugh. I swear I'm watching a glorified episode of the Beverly Hillbillies. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">He tells Vienna to slow her roll because she's annoying all the girls and he can see why and Vienna goes on to talk about herself. Duh. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date 3, double date with Ella and Kathryn, who are both upset they're being played against each other. Kathryn and her googly eyes scare me. And Ella and her witch nose and Dolly Parton Revival red jacket were ...wow...silencing. Clearly, the show does <i>not</i> provide stylists. Kathryn gets totally ignored and shows us either a) her anorexic ways by leaving ALL her food on her plate or b) her hatred of fresh steamed vegetables, either of which is grounds for dismissal, IMO. Ella tries to seduce him with her pretty eyes, hook nose, and horrible fake nails ala Jersey Shore and tell him that she's "so much more than just a mother" *insert Eartha Kitt's creepy Cougar growl here*. And he still sends her home. Buh-bye. He's doing you a favor, Ella, I swear. So Kathryn is sitting in her chair doing the fucking happy dance because despite the fact that he has never ever ever talked to her on camera and has told her she is beautiful and all he can say is she has pretty eyes (btw, that is a SURE SIGN that you are NOT BEAUTIFUL!) and he completely and utterly IGNORES her not only the entire show, but the entire double date, she think she's the lucky girl to stay with him. She really does. And then he drops the ax on her googly ass. Buh-Bye, Kathryn. No matter how many times she tells him he's making a big mistake, he still sends her off on her way. And she does tell him quite a few times. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ahhhh, the Rose Ceremony. Ali was spectacular as always, although she's got a bit of a temper on her. Vienna was creepy and wanted to make sure he still knew how fabulous she was. Oh wait, oh wait, oh wait!! I forgot that when they were in the hotel <i>where real celebrities have been</i>, we caught a glimpse of all the girls getting ready, and yes, boys and girls, some authentic shots of her applying make-up. It was like the intro to a bad episode of What Not To Wear. That, boys and girls, is how NOT to do your make up. Unless, of course, you're going for the cracked out whore look, in which case, she's on to something and should have the look patented. No, really. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alright, so this cute girl who has never ever ever said more than a word (Jessie) decides she needs to tell him Vienna's a bitch and I'm glad she does because it lets me ogle over her fabulous green eyeshadow and perfect eyebrows and lets me confirm that she is, in fact, wearing pantyhose. This may totally be a regional thing, but if it isn't the 80s or at most, '90-'93, you do not, under any circumstances wear either nude or off black pantyhose. No matter what. Do.Not.Do.It. The Indecent Proposal mini dress should have been my clue, though, really. Ah, I was so disappointed.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once again, Jake is reminding us that he is here to find love. And he's cutting to the chase, guys. So bye bye Ashley and bye bye Jessie with your fabulous green eyeshadow and horrible hose. I'll miss you both. Meh, I won't miss Ashley. She always rubbed me the wrong way. And, yeahp, that means Voracious Vagina Vienna (hahahaha, I don't watch porn. Is that a bad porno name? It sounds great to me!) is here to stay. Much to the shigrin of Ali. She is not.at.all.happy. Whoa, Nelly. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next week, *gasp* is a real nail biter. I seriously think that at this point William Shatner should be MCing the whole damn season. <br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-17898200394109955692010-01-24T10:07:00.002-05:002010-01-24T10:07:32.513-05:00One More Thing...Were any of you watching The Jersey Shore?!?! How about RHOOC? I am so sad Jersey Shore is over. It was the most amazing comedic relief ever. And I want to know what you think about Lynn and Gretchen? Do you think Gretchen overstepped her boundaries? Or do you think Lynn is over sensitive because she's been slacking as a mom?Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-46711559415477720402010-01-24T09:36:00.000-05:002010-01-24T09:36:58.310-05:00Just Checking In<div style="text-align: justify;"> Hello, my lovely ladies. I really feel like I have completely fallen off the radar and that you all will forget about me, as much as I love each and every one of you. There is soooo much going on right now that I feel I don't have enough time in the day. Actually, I know I don't have enough time in the day. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bry has been a real peach for the last month or so, and I am struggling with ways to improve what's going on, and I've done really well in a lot of areas (hahaha, why am I taking the credit for this?!?!), I mean -- <i><b>he</b></i> has done really well with what I've implemented, which has been basically been giving him ALL my attention except for when he's behaving how he knows he shouldn't. And, the temper tantrums have definitely been curbed, but he is going through the <b>worst</b> separation anxiety ever. I can't leave the room without it being a catastrophic melt down. And actually trying to go to work?!?! Yeah. It's been a challenge to say the least. You know, I know all kids develop differently but I thought that was supposed to peak at 18 mos?? We're about half a year late, man! Yeah, he's walked in here twice and I've had to sneak away each time to finish this blog. Little Booger.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, I haven't even had time to pee. Seriously. After about 10 years without ever getting a UTI, I've had the beginnings of one three times in the last month, as recently as this morning. Today, I realized that yesterday, I didn't drink enough water because I knew I wouldn't have time or where to pee and bam! thank you very much, you damn UTI. I'll bombard myself with cranberry pills and AZO as I've done in the past and hopefully, it will be over by tomorrow, but yeah.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What else? I really fucking hate Costco. Like REALLY. I love everything in that place...I could stay there for hours and spend thousands of dollars but they are so damn impractical that I seriously have violent feelings of hatred towards them! It started when one morning after just having gotten the membership, I decided to go after dropping J off at school with Bry. We'd all woken up super early that day so naptime for Bry would be earlier than usual and the fuckers weren't open at 9 am. Not even 9:30. No, no, no...they don't open until 10:00 am on the weekdays. That, to me, is completely unacceptable. So, I went to BJs, which, although not as awesome in their selection, opens for me at 8:00 am. Thank you, BJs...I appreciate you. And BJs carries Pampers, when Costco only carries Huggies. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Then Costco lures me in again with great coupons, so I make a plan to go with my mom last Saturday. We get there at 7pm and the fuckers are closed. At 7pm on a Saturday?!?!? They close at 6. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally, Ray and I go yesterday and when I get to the register, coupons in tow, the lady tells me they don't take manufacturer's coupons!!! Who in the hell doesn't take manufacturer's coupons?!?!? Outrage. I was seriously pissed. Hahahha, I'm such an ass. But damn you, Costco!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hmmmm, work. I don't do hypocrisy well. I really don't. If I don't like you, I just don't like you. I'm not mean to you, I just don't even act like you exist, because really, you don't to me. But even then, if you're nice to me, I'll usually feel bad about not liking you and<i> try</i> to like you, always against my better judgment. My first call about someone is 98.8% right. Anyway, there is this girl at work who I am ready to kick in the fucking teeth. Not only because of her antics, but because of the hypocrisy. She came at me on Wednesday like she was doing me a favor reminding me about something only for me to find out that as nice as she was when she had come to me, she's already bad mouthed me to my boss. What's that quote?? "She who lives in a glass house should not throw stones?" Yeah, I butchered that probably. Dude, because of her ineptness (is that a word?), I have so much work lately. If she would do her fucking job during normal office hours, I wouldn't have to do it for her after hours, with my kids and husband mad at me because instead of having one or two moms to call, I have SIX thanks to her eating shit all day. Bottom line: Don't fuck with me. I promise I'll make you feel worse about yourself than even I feel about you. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alright, I'm being summoned again to go and watch Shrek. This dictatorship by a 2 year old is highly overrated. <br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-66519960145452320422010-01-19T18:26:00.000-05:002010-01-19T18:26:52.024-05:00Blue Balls and the Cuckoo's Nest<div style="text-align: justify;">Man, am I bummed. Crazy got kicked off the fucking show and now what am I going to do for entertainment?!?<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last night's Bachelor supersucked again. What the hell is up with the horrible dates this season?!?! And the overconsumption of helicopter rides?!?! I mean, what a way to make a girl feel special...hey! let's go on a HELICOPTER ride!! Novel idea, Jake, really. I'm so glad no one thought of it before. *eye roll*<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let's start off with the bungee jumping date...I mean seriously. Whhhhhhhhhhhhhhy would you pick a fucking date that makes you look like a bigger sissy than you already are, you boring fuck? I can't take it. I hate watching men cry. And crying over bungee jumping? Lame-O!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">(I'm listening to my kids kill each other. It's my new mothering technique. If I don't walk in, will they stop killing each other? Hmmmm...)<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I really don't get why everyone hates Vienna. I mean, I don't get why he<i> likes </i>Vienna, but they haven't shown her do something soooooooooo horrid as to warrant the entire household hating her, other than the last move where she stole him from Ms. Blue Balls when she already had a rose. That was pretty shady. Dare I say it?!? Dare I?!?! Yeahp...she violated "woman" code! Muahahahahahha! <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Annnnnyway.... So really, the bad dye job and crosseyedness is really getting to me. But I don't hate her. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Did you guys see where in the previews, Tenley said she was pregnant and then she didn't say it on the show?!?! I hate that they're pulling the same lame shit as they did last season!!!!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ok, then on to HORRRRRRIBLE Date No. 2... a comedy club?!?!?! I would have died. And walked off. Right then and there. I'm not for public ridicule, ever, but not on national TV and not when I'm trying to impress a guy I supposedly like even though he's dating 14 other women and I haven't gotten a chance to know him. I can do the self deprecating thing on my own terms, thank you very much. But I'm not a performing monkey and I won't make you laugh on demand. Yes, my speech for the camera would have gone something like that.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I thought it was totally fucking tasteless that that Cory (Tory?) girl spent her routine ragging on other girls. I get that it's a competition, but I don't ever get the need to put someone down to make yourself look better. And the fact that he kept her after that was pretty telling, too. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh God...and Crazy and her skit?!?! It was a fucking trainwreck. Despite the fact that I didn't get it. Dewd. You have to have some really nice juicy boobs to refer to them as coconuts and she totally missed the boat on that one.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">(Ha, they stopped fighting. It worked.)<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The "Afterparty"?!?! Oh God, oh God, oh God...that kiss between him and Michelle? It was like watching a lizard try and catch a fly between a crack in the concrete...her tongue was going nowhere. It was beyond awkward. I can never spell that damn word. I mean, what the fuck was she thinking?!?!? "I really neeed a husband!!!!!!!!!! I'm ready to get married!!!!!!!!!!!!!" No, bitch, you need to get tasered to bring you down from your spazz attack. Can you calm the fuck down already?!?! You're 25. And desperate. Ew.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br />
Hahahahhaha, did you hear her when she was on the corner waiting for the cab when she said, "<b>Everybo</b>....<b><i>Some</i></b> people said that Jake was the one for me. I know he was the one for meeeeee!" I think she was referring to the voices in her head. Fucking nutjob. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I mean really, the date with Ella? Weird. And it was only cute the first time around when the producers did it with Jason. I get the need to meet her son and for her son to meet him. I even get that it was her birthday and what a nice present. But I think it would have been in the best interest of the kid if they would have waited until she were one of the finalists? No? Whatevs. I was bored. And I don't like her nose. And I felt bad for her because her title kept saying "hairstylist" and her hair was struck with humidity and looked atrocious. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Aaaaaaannnnd, finally, Blue Balls Elizabeth. Really?! Really, Elizabeth you freaking asshole? I totally got what he was saying. The whole coy thing was so overdone. And stupid. And nobody cares about you and your fucking kiss, you fucktard! If you're going to play the "til I'm the last one standing" card, you better know how to play it right. <i><b>That</b></i> was not playing it right. Obviously. Obviously. Buh-Bye, Flat Ass....<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have no idea who the other girl that got sent home was, but I can't wrap my head around her being a "homemaker". Huh? <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So there's this girl at work who spends a good amount of time and energy scouring websites for spoilers, and this season is no different. Don't worry, there will be no spoilers here, but she told me today the ending of it all. Oh, and she also told me that she's pretty sure she's seen Vienna on a porno. So for any of you watching pornos, keep a look out. Hahahaha! Btw, that's way more than I ever want to know about one of my co-workers. I'm just sayin'.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So if you want to know, I know. Hahaha. I see dead people, too, but that's for another blog. ;-) <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-79228605948277214372010-01-13T16:28:00.000-05:002010-01-13T16:28:29.891-05:00I've entered into an inappropriate affair with The Bachelor<div style="text-align: justify;">Because my goodness does he annoy the hell out of me! Did you guys see where he was going on a date with that midnight blue shirt, and as he walked up, he unbuttoned not one, but TWO of the buttons? Dewd. That shit was only cool if you were John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. in NINETEEN SEVENTY-SEVEN! (Yes, I googled the year...I mean really, I was two).<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I mean, you're such a fucking boring pill that the hookers you decided to keep would rather bang a cute "staffer", then wait to see what you're all about. Now <i>that's</i> boring.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I swear, if Chris would have said "entered into an inappropriate affair" one more time, I was going to lose it. Or start taking shots to get through it. You know, like the game Roxanne? Whenever the Police says "Roxanne", you take a shot. Love that game. We played it to Beat It in NYC with Kari. Fun times. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This show is boring me! I can't take it anymore. You're dry humping some pretty girl in the pool, then give a rose to some <i>bridal magazine model</i> whose coy girl act is soooooooooo obvious?! Is it even dry humping if they were in the pool? <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What about the retard who wrote this long asssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss letter (on a napkin, no less) in 5th grader writing about how she wasn't going to kiss him because other girls had kissed him?!?! I mean, seriously?!?! You're a fucking nanny with a HORRIBLE boob job!!!!!!!!!! Do you really think we're going to think YOU AREN'T EASY?!?! And, ya dumb fuck, if you'd seriously considering marrying a guy YOU'VE NEVER KISSED BEFORE, you have more issues than your bad boobs. And missing ass. I'm an ass girl. Did you see her ass in those jeans?! Me either. Cause it wasn't there. And she really did say, "In my spare time, I like to write" and then took out her crumpled up napkin and started her monotone reading. HAHAHAHAHAHA! I really hate monotone reading. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And don't ask me what being a nanny and bad boobs have to do with being easy. Because I don't know. But it feels right to say it. So I will.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">What else? I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ali. Just love her. Love her yellow dresses. Love her dancing to Chicago (what ever happened to Peter Ceterra...wasn't he the lead singer of Chicago??). And really, she's the best thing there. So, I hope she runs! I seriously can't believe what an utter bore Jake is. I mean, I can. It isn't a surprise. But he's the kind of guy that the fact that he is <i><b>that</b></i> good looking doesn't even matter because he is so.fucking.boring. He reminds me of a few guys I've dated. Briefly. Hahahaha. I think it was in high school, and then maybe again right after -- there was this dreamy guy named Carlos. He was in the Navy (no gay jokes, please) and gorgeous and sooooooooooo sweeeeeeeeeeeeet. And BORING. To no end. You know, the kind of guy that you *try* to like with all your might because on paper, you *should* like him, but you just can't stomach the thought. Yeahp. I'm sure if I sit here and think about it, I can name a couple more. Maybe I will. Another day.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yes, yes, yes, I married a freaking GOP Gold Card Member who is INFURIATING at every single turn and we disagree on just about everything, but man, I can never say that he's boring. Or that he isn't damn sexy. But anyway...<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And crazy-psycho-you-will-see-her-soon-on-America's-Most-Wanted-Michelle is still there. I keep watching this show hoping we aren't on real time. And by real time, what I mean is that I hope they've been there interacting longer than 2 weeks, because really, what at any point has he said or done that make you sooooooooo in love with him? Or want him so bad? Was it when he said "dynamite"? Barf. I can't get over that. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br />
He didn't even make a Mile High joke or reference when him and Ali were on the plane! SO.NOT.SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love Vienna's energy, but she's a crazy 22 year old party girl from Florida! T-R-O-U-B-L-E. And her crosseyed-ness is really hard to get over. I get a headache when she comes on the screen.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And what about the crazy girl who waited to have sex before marrying her ex husband who cheated on her? I'm missing why it's such a HUGE deal for her to tell Jake (when he's dating 14 other girls) that she was previously divorced. Am I wrong?<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ugh. The hair dresser with the son. Does anyone else think it's totally fucking weird that she told her son she was going to go try to land Pilot Jake (haha, no pun intended)? I would be embarrassed to tell my kid that I was going on some reality show to find a husband. I mean, if I were single, I wouldn't be above going on a reality show, but if I had kids, I'd be embarrassed. That's all. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And the saddest thing of all is that I will tune in next week. What the hell is wrong with me?!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-85748501620774171252010-01-09T20:22:00.000-05:002010-01-09T20:22:05.184-05:00It's 32 degrees<div style="text-align: justify;">in <i><b>Miami</b></i>. I just walked outside in a tank top and my pajama bottoms to see our outside thermostat. Holy hell! Today reminded me so much of my time in New York City. It was bitter cold, wet and gloomy...in <i><b>Miami</b></i>. It has been drizzling all day long in this eerie Chinese water torture fashion. The temperature has continued to drop as the day's gone on. I can't even believe it. I must have asked Ray three times to tell me again what he'd heard about the polar shifts he came home talking about when Apocalypse first came out.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had a birthday party to go to in a park and we couldn't stand it. And I love the cold. I had a scarf, coat and gloves on. I still thought my toes were going to fall off. I kept all my winter clothes but my wool socks must have traveled to the Bermuda Triangle because I can't find any. Any socks, that is...wool or not.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was a wind chill advisory in effect. At 1:00 pm. I seriously feel like I'm living in an alternate universe.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was this day in 2000...it was October, right around Halloween. I had just moved into my own apartment in Astoria, right above some bar with a beautiful brick front, just around the corner from a bunch of Greek bakeries, the fresh pastry smell following me home each day. I was walking down my block to the market when snow flurries starting coming down. It was way too early in the season for snow flurries. I remember the darkness, the clouds, the humidity, <i>the peace</i>. I remember going home and taking a nap. When it's cold and you live alone, that's all you can do to pass the time. While they didn't happen often, those were the days that waiting on the subway platform in Astoria for the N or the R to come through, on their weekend schedule, was out of the question. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I got back in the car from the birthday party, I threw off my boots and blasted the heater in an attempt to feel my toes again. I was instantly thrown back to February 2000...walking around the Theater District and Hell's Kitchen in 5 degree weather. I had two pairs of socks on, both wool, but the cold was biting through anyway. Looking for an apartment in Manhattan can be hell. It must have been the shoes... I never did understand that sometimes, fashion and function just can't mix.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">That 2000/2001 winter was brutal. It barely snowed but was colder, much, much colder than usual. There really isn't any point to the cold if you aren't going to be blessed with snow as well. That pretty sums up what I'm feeling right now. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Except me and the Kuks got to spend the day cuddling. And that probably wouldn't have happened if we'd had our normal, sunny and gorgeous 80 degree days. I'm not complaining. <br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-69539492117565835702010-01-06T10:49:00.000-05:002010-01-06T10:49:33.344-05:00Do You Love my Deer?<div style="text-align: justify;">Hahaha...they're kind of freaking me out. But the colors make me so happy! Freaking fucking deer eating my flowers! My niece saw Bambi when she was three and was totally traumatized. I happen to think Disney movies are just so cruel. I mean really, poor Simba's dad gets killed? Freaking Nemo's mom gets eaten alive while she's sleeping?! And all his little fish egg siblings?!!?!?! And then he is KIDNAPPED?!?!?! It's way too much for me to handle. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is soooooooooo cold here today! I am LOVING it! I know, I know, don't laugh...I totally get that some of you are freeeeeezing your asses off, and well, we're not, but it is really, really cold for us. It was 36 degrees this morning when we woke up. It was awesome. The only thing that sucks about it being so cold in Miami is that we are not prepared for it. You know, we own a couple of sweaters-- max, and everything else is super lightweight. So we've had one week of cold weather and have no idea what to do. My husband is <em><strong>miserable</strong></em>. And I am just stupid. Because I have at least three fabulous coats I never ever get to wear and the one time I could wear any one of them, they are still hanging in my closet while I am freezing. Our central heat is broken and we never ever worry about it until, of course, it dips below 40 which is usually a total of two times a year. We've been using a space heater in our room and when you have four people in one bed, you really don't get that cold anyway. But I feel like streaking outside I am so excited about this weather!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I just don't know how people with children do it. We are so used to running around outside all year long that more than a week or two of this would be crazy for me. Major bouncing off the walls cabin fever would occur. I get that eternal summers aren't for everyone, but I'll keep them. Have Summer, Will Travel. :-D<br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-92190684536023005032010-01-04T18:28:00.000-05:002010-01-04T18:28:05.254-05:00Oh yeah!That's right, ladies...The Bachelor starts tonight!! My longstanding run of really bad TV stands! Woo hoooo!<br />
<br />
I'm not too happy that it's Jake. I was really hoping it would be Reid. I was really hoping that I would get an entire season, with two hour long snapshots of Dreamy Reid. Instead, I get Glittery Pilot Cap Jake. Not too happy.<br />
<br />
Anyway, my absolute favorite blog for the Bachelor is <a href="http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-meet-pilot-jakes-bachelorettes/?iref=spotl">here.</a> She is so freaking funny and she does liveblogging, which is even funnier. <br />
<br />
Make sure to come back here and tell me what you think. I'll be Tivoing and watching it as soon as I can get the boys to sleep. Oh yeah!!Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-76185952551402702632010-01-04T18:08:00.001-05:002010-01-04T18:09:22.047-05:00I should tell you<div style="text-align: justify;">that I've gained four pounds in 2 weeks. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I should tell you that this morning, I reread an email I had from Valkyrie where we discussed the New Year and eating better and trying out the Atkins, and then in a carbohydrate panic, rushed over and made 4 more mini pancakes for myself from Jonathan's stash.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I should tell you that last night, as I watched Desperate Housewives, I couldn't believe that Really Fat Susan looked like a skinny version of me.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I should tell you that I weigh almost the same now as I do when I was 40 weeks and 1 day pregnant with my 8lb5oz baby boy.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I should tell you that I can't figure out what has happened, or when I eat, or why I eat, or what I eat that is causing this to be so. I know it isn't hormonal, because in the hopes that my thyroid all of a sudden gave out, I went to the doctor and got a complete work-up, only to be told I was the healthiest fat person he'd ever seen.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I should tell you that today, I promised myself I would go walking with the boys despite it being virtually impossible because of their yelling and squirming to "walk" along with me, which turns my power walk into carrying a 30lb baby home with me while the neighbors slow down and stare. And instead, I ate a hamburger from McDonald's. *barf*<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I would tell you all these things, but the problem is, I haven't told myself yet. I've been getting by on my "pretty face" for a while now, but my newly founded double chin is getting in the way.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As soon as I decide to face the truth, I promise, I'll tell you. <br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-72169897433844618932010-01-03T11:39:00.002-05:002010-01-03T11:39:48.557-05:00Reality TV**This was written on June 24, 2009 and never posted**<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">I keep thinking about how many blogs must be written about reality TV- the phenomenon, how annoying it is for some, how totally not real it is for others, etc. I can't explain it, and this blog surely isn't going to be about all those things, because I love it.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I really do. I totally believe that there are absolutely *no* ugly people in Laguna Beach, California, and it makes complete sense to me how they would all stay friends and move and live in these ginormous houses and barely work and wear makeup at all kinds of crazy hours without it ever smearing or looking posed. You're probably thinking that was a sarcastic sentence, but really, it wasn't. The only thing that gets me sometimes is how Spencer gets his money. Really, I haven't a clue. But I want to believe all the rest. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My latest guilty pleasure is the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Gahd, I adore those girls!! I wasn't a huge fan of the other Real Housewives...I mean, I watched and all, but not with the same addiction I do New Jersey. For me, a lot of it has to do with seeing complete normalcy in the close relationship the Mansos have and wishing that my children are as happy to be around me when they're becoming adults as Caroline's kids are to be around her and her husband...as my husband is to be around his parents. It's also the normalcy I see in the way Teresa is with her daughters and her husband. So yeah, she goes a little crazy in the shopping department...if I had that kind of money, I would, too. To be quite honest, just last week, I got a little talking to from the hubby letting me know I needed to slow down on the gift giving. He was right, I cut back, but my point is, I understand having the money to spend, and wanting to spend it on nothing other than your children.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It could also be this idea of grandeur. These ladies live large! And not just because of their financial status, but because of their personalities. Teresa is a total ditz, but she just loves the shit out of her husband and girls, with no boundaries. I love that. I get that. I am that. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And the Dina and Lexi scenes? I read in her blog that some people felt she was overbearing. Yeah, I get a little tachycardia whenever Jonathan goes somewhere without me.<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For a long time, I thought maybe there was something wrong with being so connected to your children. There's all this talk about remaining your own person when you get married or have kids, and I never really know what that means. From personal experience, I can tell you that you really can't. If you're fighting to "remain your own person", then you can't be fighting to mesh the way a marriage needs to mesh at the same time. You aren't fighting to melt into your children the way a parent needs to to be a good parent. You're doing the exact opposite. <br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>How about the Bachelorette? Hubby really doesn't get that one...Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-77878716811073732482010-01-01T16:15:00.000-05:002010-01-01T16:16:00.000-05:00I just don't subscribe to the Gregorian Calendar<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">...because I've never understood the hoopla surrounding New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. I know, I know, I'm crazy!! But I just don't get it. It's just another day. I get why people are hopeful about it, but I'm not really sure what changes from 11:59 pm December 31st to 12:01 am January 1st. And I spend my entire time thinking that there are already places in the world that are already in the "New Year" and other places that have yet to be in the "New Year", and if you own a business then your "fiscal New Year" is really much more important than your December to January New Year, so really, what is this elusive "New Year"?! <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I'm not buying it. Carson Daly and Dick Clark aren't making any money off of me. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In my most heightened party girl stage, I still wanted to curl up in bed and veg out on New Year's Eve. I didn't get to do it much then, and somehow, not now either. Boo!<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I get that for some people, it's a point of hope, of renewal, of inspiration. But that's only if they do something about it. What's that quote -- something like 'doing the same thing over again and expecting different results is the true definition of insanity'? Yeah. That's what comes to mind.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I'd like to think that every new day is a point of hope, of renewal, of inspiration. I try to remind myself of that. I've failed pretty miserably at it lately. But I still have it present in my everyday thoughts so I take it to mean that there is hope for me still. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">You know, I don't know... I guess if I force myself to think about 2009 and all its faults, which is what I think the "New Year" demands you to do, I'm sure I could. I definitely can't say it's been an easy year for us, but I can't say it's been a bad year. I can't say any year I've ever had has been a bad year. Not because bad things haven't happened, but because it's just part of a larger picture which I have faith in.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Last night, Jonathan asked me how I knew that God loves us and takes care of us. I'm really bad with all the religion stuff. I don't know the stories and the reasons why and while sometimes, I want to learn, most times I don't. I call myself a Catholic because that is what I most subscribe to, but really, at the root of it all, I just think religion -- any religion -- is a way to get to God. Of all the limited religions I know, there is always a central character who's love and power and strength guides the rest of us mortals. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I had a really strong phase in my teen years where all I wanted to do was become an attorney and somehow that coincided with the time I questioned religion the most. While those two worlds of future dreams and religion were colliding, I learned that when you are getting ready for a case, the Plaintiff and Defendant present to the Court a set of "stipulated facts"...things both parties agree on and do not argue to be true or false. For instance, in a murder trial, some facts both parties can agree on would be that there was a murder. The rest is debatable. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">That is how I learned to look at religion. All religions (even atheists in their denial of God's existence, somehow demand him to be true in my opinion) have one stipulated fact and that is that there is a God. And He is helping you and loving you and guiding you and all you have to do is let Him in and look for Him. That is what I hope Jonathan and Bryan understand about God. That is all I can teach them. Maybe they'll go to some formal training, such as catholic school or CCD. Maybe they'll do all that and then decide to convert to Judaism at 20. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Hahahaha-- waaaay off topic...anyway, I don't subscribe to the Gregorian Calendar. I'm going to see if I feel more hopeful and inspirational and ready to say "goodbye" to the past year when the Chinese New Year comes along. C'mon, Tiger let's see what you can do! :)<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-59268651679349276522009-12-23T09:05:00.001-05:002009-12-23T09:25:18.987-05:00Traditions Old and New<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I remember at some point in my childhood, we used to open gifts at midnight. I can't remember if this came before we used to open them on Christmas morning, or after. When I was about 5-6 years old, I had already begun to suspect that maybe Santa wasn't real. We were going to visit my Tio Coco in Philadelphia and would be there during Christmas, and I just knew in my heart that Santa wouldn't be coming because Santa was really my mom and dad, and well, they'd be with us in Philadelphia. I still remember opening the door to the little apartment we lived in and seeing the living room flowing with presents. That was the moment I knew he was real. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As I got older, life got more complicated, divorce set in and the holidays became more of a tug of war than something to be merry about. It's hard for me to silence those demons during these months. I really love Christmas. I love the religious aspect of it, and I love the St. Nick aspect of it, too. I love the colors and lights and the busy-ness and the idea of happy kids on Christmas morning. And that's why it's so hard. Because I still want to be one of those happy kids on Christmas morning. But as you get older, it just isn't the same. Having kids changed that for me a little, because now I get to create the scene to bring out the perfect look of surprise and glee in them. It's priceless. I love the way it makes me feel. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anyway, when I got married, that brought a bunch of new traditions to the table, traditions that quickly sandwiched mine because, well, I didn't really have any and my husband does. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Christmas day is really not that big of a deal for the latins I know (this includes my South American family). Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve, is the really big day of festivities for most hispanics down here. In the Cuban culture, it's a day of pig roasting and dancing and overindulgence and love and laughter. And it starts tomorrow.</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Christmas Eve Eve (as I used to call the days before Christmas when I was little), my husband and his father go to the butcher's to pick out *the perfect pig*. It has to be one big enough to feed the expected 40+ people. For Jonathan's second Christmas, my husband decided it was time to start taking him to the butcher's, too. Now that Bryan is old enough, he's going to join in on the tradition as well. As much as it drives me a little batty inside, it makes me really happy to see how much it means to my father-in-law and the hubs. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">*Side note. This troubles me on so many levels. First of all, I cannot look at a dead pig. I love the taste, but really, it grosses me out. I'm a total woos about it. Secondly, Jon Jon was 21 months old when he first went, and his favorite books were books about farm animals. I really could not make the mental leap that he would be ok with going to pick out a dead animal which he would then light on fire and later eat. Rest assured, he was totally fine. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The poor pig, which I secretly name in my head (everyone deserves a proper burial, and if his is going to be in our tummies, he must have a proper name), sits on a long table in my in laws' living room thawing out. It's fucking gross. And fucking cold. They put the AC on 40 (ok, not 40, but as cold as it will go) and he just sits there, spread eagle, melting away. Ew. </span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Christmas Eve, the hubs wakes up super duper early (either by choice or because my FIL comes to drag him out bed) and they go over to his house and start seasoning the pig. It sounds so much nicer in cuban talk: "adobando el cerdo". A ton of mojo, salt and garlic pepper. And they build the Caja China early in the morning. The caja china is this wooden box made specifically for roasting a pig. It has a metal bottom which is where the charcoal goes, I think. Or maybe it goes on top? I don't know. Remember...there's a dead pig in there, head and all. I'm not looking much. Around 3pm, the men start the fire and the pig goes in. And roasts. And roasts. And roasts. The guys all go over way before and play dominoes and drink beer and eat cheese and salami and chorizo and all kinds of freaking delicious stuff that you can munch on without saying you had a meal. Because you *cannot* have a meal. You have to be STARVING when the pig is ready to fully appreciate the deliciousness of it. Don't you dare think about eating first. It's forbidden.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Not me, man. I'm home. I'm home avoiding the dead pig smell like the plague. At times, my children need me so I am forced to go over and pick them up. I think my in laws do it on purpose, I swear. They can't understand how I can eat my steak bleeding red but can't look at a pig. I try to explain that if I had to butcher the cow myself, or hang out with his dead fucking body before I ate him, I probably wouldn't be so gung ho about my bloody steak, but they still don't get it. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Oh, God, I just remembered that last year, Jonathan saw the pig had nipples. So he asked where his mommy was because he wanted to drink some boobie. And then he ate him. No problem. No mental trauma. Hahaha- us adults have all the hang ups!</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Alright, so about an hour before the pig is done, the vultures start hovering. Supposedly, the cooked skin is one of the most delicious parts. So everyone just lingers around like seagulls on a pier, waiting to see when the Chefs are going to tear off a piece of the pellejito or chicharron (which is cooked crispy skin) and give it to them. Seriously, sometimes they fight for it. Ew. Ew. Ew.</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And then the moment of truth. The pig is READY!! There's a loooooooong table set up which sits 20 on each side and we all sit down to eat together. My MIL and SIL make all the other sides -- yucca with garlic mojo, black beans, rice, salad, bread and all kinds of different desserts like flan, arroz con leche, tres leches, and some key lime pie. Hahahaha. I mean really, we are in the USA. :-P</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And for all my "ewing" and gagging, the pig is fucking delicious. The meat is perfectly cooked and just melts in your mouth. I get to watch my boys run around with their cousins and they are so excited that Santa is coming soon. <br />
<br />
We leave around 11pm, although the party has been known to go on til the wee hours of the morning. There was one year that my sister went and they stayed up karaoke-ing until 2am. But the later the Munchkins stay up, the lighter they sleep, and I can't have them getting a peek at Santa. Santa doesn't come if he thinks he's been seen...</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Christmas day, the boys wake up at the crack of dawn and see that Santa really did come! He ate the cookies we baked and he found a way in regardless of us not having a chimney. He gave the carrots to his reindeer and all those questions about why he doesn't exercise aren't really important when he's come and brought all the gifts. I make a regal breakfast fit for my King and make sure the four of us are napping by noon. At around 6, we go to my sister-in-law's house where they have fresh cuban bread and chopped onions waiting for the whole family to get together again, but this time to eat "pan con lechon" (pork sandwiches). It's divine.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This year, I'm throwing a wrench in the plan by making a turkey on Christmas day. Hopefully, I can also throw a wrench in the plan by enjoying the day, and understanding the importance of family and tradition, instead of feeling threatened by it. Logically, this experience sounds magical for my 3 boys, but emotionally, it's hard for me to deal, it's hard for me to share, it's hard for me to not be in control-- of myself and my emotions, or others. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">But, here I am, on Christmas Eve Eve, hoping to surprise myself. Hey, stranger things have happened...like a fat man with flying reindeer getting through a chimney and making it around the world in just one night... ;-)</span><br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-37062672553294678732009-12-22T10:34:00.002-05:002009-12-22T10:37:48.556-05:00PC - I'll tell you what bothers me!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A friend of mine just blogged about political correctness and how annoying it is. I would linky up, but I don't know how to. It made me think of what really annoys me. And that's the political correctness surrounding breasts. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My breasts have always been gorgeous. And natural. And soft and silky and all that is good and sexy and for half of my life, I've used them to my sexual advantage. And I continue to do so. I have no problem with cleavage and the power it gives you. I have the luxury of living in a climate where plunging shirts are not only the norm, but a near necessity.</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have also been nursing every single day of my life for the last four years, nine months, eight days and forty-three minutes.</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I'm still perfectly ok with knowing that not only can my breasts raise two healthy, happy, intelligent gorgeous boys, but they can still get me out of a ticket once in a while. And can always get my husband excited. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am surrounded all day with women who have a problem with this. Whether it's women who don't want to breastfeed because they think the breasts are only sexual and that having a baby on the other end is ew! gross! Or women who are offended by the sexualization of the breast because gosh darn it! breasts are for making milk and nothing else. And really, I just want to know why they aren't, or can't be for both? I mean, mine are, but what about yours?</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wanted to do our Breastfeeding Dept's Holiday Party at Hooters. Not only because I really do love their fresh oysters, but because what I love most about being a mom who successfully nurses her two boys is that I can do it without being this wholesome, crunchy granola mom who thinks that anything short of using breasts for lactating purposes only somehow makes you less of a lactivist or untrue to "the cause", and instead, use my multitasking breasts for all their glory. What better way to bring those two worlds together than by having a bunch of IBCLCs and future IBCLCs enjoying lunch surrounded by big, juicy breasts?!</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't fret-- it was at some hibachi place. :-/</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My breasts aren't as fabulous as they used to be. Truth be told, I'm not as fabulous as I used to be either, being about 30+ lbs heavier than I need to be. But, man, oh man, they've done a lot of good in their short life, and maybe one day, I'll even repay them with a little pick me up. </span><br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452568171229084319.post-48624957323932119032009-12-11T16:13:00.002-05:002009-12-11T16:13:34.155-05:00Really? No, Really?!<div> <div> <div> <blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 5pt;"> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <blockquote style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-style: none none none solid; border-width: medium medium medium 1.5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-left: 3.75pt; margin-top: 5pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 4pt;"> <div> <h1><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt;">Al Sharpton Blasts Tiger Woods for Lack of Mistress Diversity</span></span></b></h1><div style="margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 5pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><img alt="cid:image001.jpg@01CA74FE.7FA00870" border="0" height="270" src="http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=0b053902ff&view=att&th=1257f5bbf5484e26&attid=0.1&disp=emb&zw" width="500" /></span></span><br />
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</div><div> <div style="margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 5pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Rev. Al Sharpton held a press conference today to blast Tiger Woods for the lack of diversity among his mistresses. Sharpton claims that the lack of African-American women among Woods’ harem will have a negative affect on the black community, specifically young black girls.<br />
<br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> “Why is it that a man who calls himself black can’t bring himself to cheat on his wife with a black woman?” said Sharpton, speaking to a group of supporters in <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">Harlem</span></span> . “What does it say to young black girls everywhere when you pass them over? Shame on you, Tiger Woods. What would your daddy say?”</span></span><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Sharpton, who has long championed taking black women as mistresses, said that today’s black athletes need to stop neglecting black women when it comes to extramarital affairs, and should follow the examples of positive black role models such as Jesse Jackson and Martin Luther King, <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">Jr</span></span>., both of whom cheated on their wives with black women. Sharpton also stressed that cheating with African-American women would help the black community financially by giving black girls the chance to sell their stories to tabloids and gossip magazines.</span></span><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> Added Sharpton, “I’m not asking you to not cheat on your wives, I’m just asking you to give back to your own community.”</span></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Little Miss Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331610017041834439noreply@blogger.com6