We Spell Happy Birthday D-Y-S-O-N. April 29, 2009

For the last few years or so I have been casually begging Keith for one of these vacuum cleaners.  The few couples that we know who have them talk about how amazing they are, and Keith and I on the other hand have been through three different vacuum cleaners in the five years we have been married, and I was not super excited about any of them.  In fact, with our most recent vacuum after I would use it I would then “swiffer” to pick up all the dust that was missed by the vacuum.  The one thing stopping up from getting one was the price.  If you have never looked into one of these beauties you might be a little shocked at the price.  Because of that I always assumed that our home would never hold one of these gems.  Little did I know that the combination of a 30th birthday and the power refurbishing would score me one.  Keith found one for $100 less than the original price, and decided that in my case a clean house equals a happy wife, so he decided to get it for me for my birthday.  I am now the proud owner of a Dyson DC24!  I know that it’s a little 1950’s of me to ask for a vacuum cleaner for my birthday, but those of you who have one of these know how great they are.  I even had a friend tell me that she loved hers almost as much as one of her own children.  And the Huttons spent all their wedding gift cards on theirs.  Today was the first day that I used it, and I actually vacuumed my lampshades.  I would have found more things to vacuum but Ellie kept asking me if we could go get the frozen yogurt that I promised her.  Even typing this I am looking around thinking about what else I can suck up.  This thing could be dangerous.  On a sad note, this means that we have a lovingly used vacuum cleaner that needs a new home.  She has two brand new filters, and would love the chance to clean up after another family.  Let me know if you would like to bring little blue into your family.

And The Originality Award Goes To… April 27, 2009

So I got lots of great gifts for my birthday, but Jenn Glenn stole the cake, pun in tended, with the most original birthday gift of the year.  As soon as I finish off all of the other sweets that I have accumulated over the past week, and come down from the guaranteed sugar high, I will be making these bad boys.

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet. April 21, 2009

No I’m not talking about a super hero, I am talking about the rate of speed at which my 30th birthday seems to be coming.  This will be the biggest birthday that I have had since my 21st, a night in which I remember every detail, however my roommate at the time remembers only pieces.  I have mixed emotions about turning 30, and I think that it’s because for my whole life I have had these awful thoughts about that number.  Remember, “Don’t trust anyone over 30″.  Where on earth did that come from?  Then I have Oprah saying that 40 is the new 30, does that mean that 30 is the new 20?  I certainly hope not.  Although now that I think about it 20 was not a bad year.  I left a “comfortable” relationship, and I moved out of my mom’s house and 500 miles away.  Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not going to leave my husband, and we are not moving 500 miles away…at least not yet, but 20 did hold some big changes and new experiences, and I hope that 30 will hold the same.  Oh, and I would also like to loose 3lbs.

Hello Summer, Welcome To Long Beach. April 20, 2009

I was in my car today at 5 p.m. on my way to pick up The Bean from daycare, and the thermometer in my car that tells me how hot it is outside said that it was 101 degrees.  This means the start of sweaty armpits, shorts, and having to wash my bras more often.  Welcome, Summer.

Dude, It’s Pizza Dough! April 17, 2009

I’m sure that many of you have seen the American Express commercial with the guy tossing the pizza dough around.  Well if you haven’t I’m sorry, but I didn’t post it here so you will have to find it elsewhere.  Keith saw it for the first time tonight, and when I looked over at the end his mouth was hanging open…i guess he was impressed.  While I didn’t post the commercial here, I did find a video of the same guy doing even more awesome tricks.  And like I said in my title…dude, it’s pizza dough!

How Can Something So Small Smell So Bad? April 17, 2009

Yesterday after I picked Ellie up from school and we got home, she begged me to take her shoes off as she always does.  She pretty much hates wearing shoes, and sometimes hates wearing clothes.  In fact, when we watch “The Jungle Book” she wants to take off her clothes so she can look like Mowgli.  Other times she just wants to take her clothes off for no reason.  Getting her to keep her shoes on in the car on the way to daycare is a daily challenge.  So yesterday we get home and I take her shoes off, and GOOD LORD I HAVE NEVER SMELLED ANYTHING SO AWFUL.  I couldn’t just smell her feet if I was sitting next to her, but I could also smell them every time I walked by her, and if I left the room for a couple of minutes and then came back in I swear it was as if they had stunk up the whole room.  Finally I had to light a candle to combat the awful stench waves that I believe I actually saw rising from her feet.  I took this picture of her feet while The Bean was sleeping, and I actually feel bad for her stuffed monkey Verde who seems to have ended up with his nose right over her feet.  Sorry Verde, sleep tight.

It’s Not The Tail Of A Skinny Cat… April 16, 2009

…it’s the approximately 12 inches of hair I had cut off today.  I have always been one of those people who lets their hair grow out long, and then decides one day to chop it all off and start over again.  Well, today was chopping day.  This time my hair had gotten longer than I have seen it in a while, and unfortunately was also pretty damaged.  It was getting to the point where I felt like my hair was actually starting to swallow me because it was so long and angry that I had let it get so many of those dreaded split ends…dun, dun, dun.  I apologized to it often, and promised to put it out of it’s misery soon, and today I made good on my promise.  I hope that my hair goes on to a new and better life, wether that be on a wig for someone who has no hair of their own, or in the trash if it doesn’t make the cut…get it, make the cut?  Okay sorry, that was bad.

   

Quickest Nor Cal Trip In Years. April 13, 2009

So aside from the time I drove seven hours home the first weekend after I had moved away, only to be there for what was probably less than two days, and then turn around and drive seven hours back, this had to be the shortest trip up north I have ever made.  My dad offered to fly Keith and I up for a visit, and we have never once turned down free airfare.  We left Monday night and stayed at my dad’s house until Thursday afternoon.  The trip was fun and very relaxed.  We got to spend time with my grandparents as well, who I don’t get to see very often.  While we were there Ellie helped my dad bake a birthday cake for me because dear God, 30 is coming like a speeding freight train.  We also got to drive around Berkeley, and lust over some of the houses we would want to live in if we ever moved up there.  Ellie did really well on the plane ride there because we brought along her portable DVD player and let her watch movies.  The only problem was that the flight was only about an hour and since she couldn’t have the player on during take off or landing, she only got to watch about 30 minutes worth of Nemo.  My dad’s house has more bedrooms in it than he even knows what to do with, and an entire upstairs that is pretty much left empty.  Despite all the space I decided that it would be best if Ellie stayed in the same bed as Keith and I because the beds at my dad’s house are easily as tall as she is and I knew she would fall out of it if she slept in one by herself.  You would think that sharing a bed with a 30 lb., 3 foot tall , two year old wouldn’t be a big deal, except for the fact that in the middle of the night Ellie likes to sleep across the whole bed, leaving Keith and I clinging to the edges at 2 am.  When we got to the airport to fly home Keith and I decided to relive our glory days by dining at the lovely Oakland International Airport Chili’s Too.  We ordered Ellie the super nutritious Kids Chicken Crispers, which she took one bite of and decided she didn’t like, I don’t blame her.  At this point it was a couple hours away from bed time and she had had no nap.  She started crying that all she wanted was fruit snacks, so after some useless bargaining Keith went to one of the airport shops and bought Ellie a bag of gummy bears which made up her dinner.  We don’t normally let our child eat gummy bears, and never only gummy bears for dinner, although I seem to say that about a lot of things lately, so maybe we really do let our child eat crap on a regular basis. But she’s smart and her poop looks normal so we can’t be doing her too much harm, right?  Besides, any of you who have ever parented a two year old know that when they are tired, and you are tired, and you are in a public place, you will pretty much give them anything short of a live grenade if it will keep them happy.  Here are some pictures from our trip…enjoy.

     

Stop The Presses! April 6, 2009

For the next few days Keith and I will be visiting my family in Northern California, because that’s what you do when your Step-mom has cancer and your Grandfather doesn’t know who you are anymore.  Therefore, I will not be blogging again until ohhhhh, around Friday.  Enjoy your week.

I Have A Joke For You. April 3, 2009

How do you get an elephant into a Safeway bag?  You take the “e” out of Safe, and the “f” out of way…get it?  Let me know.