Electric Blue

Ok, I turned in my test questions for the company that I am writing for. I turned them in a few days early with a note attached asking for some feedback. I really am not sure if I am on the mark or not. I still have not heard anything. Either they were great, or they just can't get around to telling me you stink! I spent my possible earnings tonight at Mom's night out. Wishful thinking?

I have another job interview on Wednesday for a preschool reading academy. It sounds like it would be a great fit, but then again I have been wrong about every position I have attempted thus far.

On to the potty front... Ella has sworn off panties. I can't figure out what has changed. Are the panties too small and she is getting a wedgie, because that can be enough to turn anyone off. She is doing great minus the pantie revolt. Mommies, I have a tip for you, avoid Trix yogurt. We bought it as a treat for Ella. It turned her poop blue, not a nice navy color, but electric blue. It did a number on her nice white sheets. So much for a stain stick. I have pondered calling the 800 number for laundry tips on the back of the package just for fun. Boy, has my idea of fun changed since becoming a mom!

Sisters

This evening Ella was getting pretty fed up with Claire in the tub. So she said, "I want to throw Claire away". I told her that I understood that sometimes little sisters can be a little annoying, but we love them anyway. So Ella said, "Tomorrow is trash day."



The pictures are from a birthday party that we went to at build a bear . Super fun!

Little Runaway

When you become a mother you have THIS IDEAL OF HOW YOU WILL RAISE YOUR CHILDREN. Occasionally you witness another mom doing or saying something to their children and you think, at least I have it more together than her. Then YOU have a day in which other mothers are thinking the same thing about you. Yes, mothering is a very humbling job.

Yesterday was my day from hell. I failed as a mother and am probably the talk of my cul-de-sac. It was my morning to sleep in until 8:00. Whoo Hoo! The girls were downstairs with Jeff. Suddenly, I am startled from my precious sleep by, " Ella! Get into time out NOW." I race downstairs to see what had happened. She had thrown her red kool-aid laced with amoxicillin on the carpet. She hates to take her medicine, so that is they only way we can get her to drink it. I rush to clean up the large stain splattered over my carpet. I then realize that we are out of carpet cleaner. Jeff takes off to home depot to pick some up. Ella is sobbing in the corner. I sit down with her to "talk it out." She swats at me and says, "go away mommy". I scooped her up and put her in her room. I worked for about 10 minutes on the carpet and then went upstairs to talk to her again. Claire at this time was happily playing in her little kitchen. After about 5 minutes of talking to Ella and helping her clean her room I hear..."Excuse me? Excuse me from downstairs. I run down the stairs. Who the heck is in my house? I am wearing a tank top, no bra, shorts and my eyes resemble a raccoon with last nights mascara still clinging on. The woman is holding Claire and says with certain reproach, that "your child was five houses down running around." Oh my Gosh!!! I thanked her profusely, still unable to digest the magnitude of the situation. She began walking out the door and said in a haughty voice, "perhaps you need to take better care of your child." WTF??? OK I was too frazzled to say anything. Apparently, Claire had opened the front door and went out for a stroll in her jammies while i reprimanded Ella. A little teary eyed, self esteem shot I walked into the kitchen just in time to discover that I had forgotten to put the coffee cup under the coffee maker...yep, coffee was everywhere ruining my handmade Halloween cards. I madly rush to clean things up, cursing myself as I cleaned. Then another knock on the door. Someone had found my dog. She had escaped with Claire. I began sobbing, Jeff was still not back with the carpet cleaner after an hour and a half.

I was picturing CPS showing up questioning my parenting abilities. I played over and over the things that COULD have happened to sweet Claire. Then I thought about the woman that brought her back to the house. She must think so little of me. Oh well... I am a mom, I am not perfect, but I try. That little turkey Claire will be the death of me!

brown

Lately poop has been the topic of conversation in our family. This just cracks me up!

Great

Today was a day. I dragged both girls to the gym for my dance class. Ella is still in a mood so i was in fact literally dragging her. I was having a great time dancing until I raised my arms. Apparently I was going for the European look. Gross! After the gym we went to HEB. Drama ensued when Ella lost her free balloon and the buddy buck machine ate her buck. Ella is really having a hard time dealing with EVERYTHING. She really is such a joy...when she is asleep!
I mopped the floor, vacuumed, did laundry, emptied the dishwasher, made food for my meeting tomorrow, and made dinner. I wrote that just to make myself feel better, like I really did something. Oh yeah...and I took a shower so I could eliminate the European look. I showered, shaved my legs, but forgot about the pits AGAIN. Perhaps I will set a new trend, wonder what would happen if I applied styling product to it??

This years Haunted House!

Addiction and Quitting

What is it with Chick-fil-a? It is just a chicken sandwich with a bun and two strategically placed pickles. There must be something secret in the breading or marinade, it is addictive and no other chicken sandwich will do. McDonald's has tried to replicate it...yuck. Why is it that I always want the darn sandwich on Sundays when it is not open. One day I asked one of the employees why it was not open on Sundays, she said, "because of God."

On another note, I finished my writing job a day early. I wrote my two questions and am sending them in as I type this. I KNOW that I will need to revise them. They were just OK. So much for 25 dollars a question...for the amount of time I spent on them I think I averaged 2 cents per hour. I am just glad that they are done. Jeff thinks I should just quit, since I am stressing so much over it. I told him that I just have to try my hand at this before giving up. During college I was pretty good at quitting. I worked for a week at IHOP and got fed up with the 70 year old blue haired career waitress telling me that I had to show my work when calculating change. I quit Tres Amigos after one day. I hated that I smelled like beans and became privy to the cleanliness or lack there of in the kitchen. Did you know that tres amigos was founded by three white guys? After tasting the food I really don't think they have any friends with authentic recipes. Oh yeah, and I worked at Gallup poll for two days. I am telling you, getting hung up on is not good for self esteem. After college, I was a teacher for 8 years and never again quit something. Gotta go my Chicken Sandwich is getting cold.

tag team back again

Claire is just getting over her sinus infection and ear infection. She is on antibiotics. The antibiotics have done a number on her little belly. I have changed her clothes 4 times and her sheets twice just today. Her poor little tushie! Two days ago, Ella got a runny nose and this afternoon began running a fever with cough. So, I took her to the doctor...just a cold. Now of course I am feeling yucky. Tag, I'm it.

I went to Ross today and looked at clothes. I can't believe that the sweater dress is in style again. It didn't look too bad on my prepubescent body way back, but now I can't imaging how it would not cling to every little budge or imperfection. Leggings and sweater dresses are not a style that I was hoping to come back.

The count down is on to submit my first set of test questions for my new job. As I mentioned before, two weeks to write two questions. I stink at this, I really do and I have become the worst procrastinator. I have done laundry, dusted, mopped all to avoid writing my second test question. I am avoiding the computer because I feel guilty for not working on my question. What happened to my drive, my work ethic, my ability to think??

Snot and Modern Jackass

Claire has a double ear infection and a sinus infection. She is on antibiotics but looks nasty, nothing says beautiful like crusty snot in your hair. She is quite skilled in blowing dual snot bubbles. Talent I tell you, I'm thinking about entering her in America's got talent.

On another note. If you have sometime,listen to this. It is my favorite segment that I heard on NPR. It is about the "Modern Jackass". After you go to the link, click on full episode (it's free). Listen to act 1

http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=293

Let me know what you think... do you know a modern jackass. I myself have been one at times.

If I only had a brain

I did manage to get a part time job writing test questions for the teacher certification test in Texas. I have until Oct.9th to write two questions. Sounds soooo easy right? I mean, what moron can't write two test questions in two weeks? My brain just can't think anymore. I attempt to write professional sounding questions and they end up sounding like something you would ask a middle schooler. My professional vocabulary is dead. I have writers block. My ability to remember all of those education classes and theories is shot. I have to worry about domains, competencies,directed stems, open stems,rationals...I hope I am making it sound hard! My wonderful IBS is acting up due to the stress of two measly questions. I am debating if I should just call the company and say that I am not cut out for this, or turn in my questions and wait to be canned. I get paid 25 dollars per approved question. So far I am averaging 5 cents an hour IF they take my questions. I know there is a learning curve, but this is ridiculous!

On another note in my quest to save money, I thought that I would make the party invites for Ella's birthday party next month. I made them on the computer , bought special paper, glue, envelopes, glitter...it turned out NOT to be remotely money saving. Sometimes you feel like a windshield and sometimes you feel like the bug. Yep! I'm the bug.

I am attaching a few pictures from today.

Let's Bowl, Let's Bowl, Let's rock and roll!

Today we went bowling with my mom's group for the first time. Ella had a BALL!

Observations

The past few days Ella has been a little diva. She wants everything her way and has been "so sad" as she puts it. Can 2 1/2 year olds have PMS? Today she is back to her chatty sweet self. She has told me that I look pretty 5 times today, apparently she did not notice my new cluster of PMS pimples and unwashed hair. Unconditional love...or perhaps she just wanted her fruit snacks. As I was rushing out the door today, Jeff brought out my coffee. She said, "Ahhh..daddy is a very nice man and he is a cute man too." I cracked up. She kept chatting about the fabulous qualities that her Daddy posses. Then she said, "He is sometimes very stinky too and he needs to wear a shirt." The benefits??? of Jeff working from home is that he can choses to work with or without a shirt and sometimes a morning shower.