Bag Balm

8-Hydroxyquinoline Sulfate 0.3% (Antiseptic) In A Petrolatum And Lanolin Base.for chapped conditions and superficial abrasions . Salve originally intended to soothe irritation on cows udders. It is used as a treatment for chapped and irritated skin on humans and can be found in drug stores and farm stores. 

One warning: 
DO NOT PUT IN HAIR.

Too bad since Elle cannot read.


As that is exactly what she did with the ENTIRE 10 ounce jar the night before Easter Sunday.

Telephone

Ah...gotta love phone options these days:

Back then it was:

Rotary Dial or Touch tone Phone.
No Answer or Busy Signal.
Answer. Chat. Hang Up.
That was pretty much it.

Now it is Cell/Landline/Computer.
The love/hate Caller ID

To Answer or Ignore?
(they can't tell...or can they?)

Chat.
 Flash.
 Mute. 
Text.

Face Time.  IM.  BBM.  Skype
And it does go on and on, yes?

A recent morning:
(not always my dear mother whom I love calling but was in this story and yes, I told her I was going to post this...)

As my phone rang the other morning promptly at 8 AM, I glanced down to see who it was and immediately clicked:

"Ignore."

I will chat with my mother later, I thought as I was frantically getting all 3 kids dressed and failing, ready for school as I wanted my oldest to be there seconds before the 2nd bell rang.

Why 2nd bell?

1st bell...pas possible.

8:45 AM, she calls again.

"Ignore, "

As I hit for the second time which I've just dropped off my oldest child at school (seconds before 2nd bell) and head back home to get my middle child dressed as he refused to earlier since he really wanted to be in costume and all...

See why 2nd bell is much more attainable for us...

And not to mention my pajama wearing, pneumonia stricken, snot faced 2 year old girl, whom was howling in the backseat.

As I'm silently congratulating myself for continuing my progress of breaking free of co-dependency upon others such as my parents, I then get this text from my mom;

"Call me back ASAP please."

All before 9 A.M.

Panic begins and my mind races, "Who died? Hospitalized? Gossip?"

What, what, what?

I must know!

I immediately call my mother back

at 8:46 A.M.

"Hey mom! what is up?" trying to sound nonchalant.

"Dahlin'...
I've just bought Elle the most precious three dresses. You must go online and browse through them and let me know what you think."

Yet:

It sometimes seems to be at these times we are not most thankful for those who are always thinking of us....though we should be and yet, at the end of the day, we are always thinking of that one person...

Who do you think briefly of in the morning but yet mainly who is really the one you think of at the end of the day?

To break up or not?

Early this AM, well okay, 8 AM but still it was early for me when I had a much needed highlight appointment with my hairsylist.  He is not only good eye candy (a plus), but a fabulous hair color, cut and wash guy yet I went to someone different last time. 

Why?

 Maybe I was in a hairstyle rut, or just wanted to see "who" else was out there but now am happily back to my regular hairstylist.  

As we gave each other a hug and he took my starbucks so I could put my smock on, he then asked if I drive a SUV?  

I said, "why yes.  A black one." 

He said, "I KNEW it was you when passing you in the Starbucks parking lot the other day.  I wanted to honk, but thought, nah...she may not recognize me."

 That brings me to 5 reasons you should consider keeping your hairstylist if considering a change: 

Reason#5

Always happy to see me!

 If he had seen me and I had "broken up with him", what to expect?  Surely it would not be a hello.

Reason #4

He/she shouldn't and probably won't ever lie to you.  

Reason #3

You will always end up feeling fabulous...even if you walk out with a mullet complete with a rat tail.

Reason #2

If you've know him/her long enough, they give you the juiciest gossip of the town...

Reason #1.

He/she is also your therapist. Knows most or ALL of your secrets...

How long have you been with your favorite hairstylist? Or are you secretly breaking up with yours by going to another one...? Is your hairstylist also your therapist?

Elle

Two years ago, this day I was taken to the hospital for contractions, not quite intense but unusual. The nurse came back with the results that indeed my water had broken. 

YES!!!

As I was done with carrying the hot air balloon in my stomach.

This was mid morning, Febuary 5th. As my mother heard that I was going to have scheduled c-section that day, she looked at me, "Honey...don't you think you could hold out a few hours so she and Mark could have the same birthday," as his birthday is Febuary 6th. 

If only looks could kill...

That day, Elle made her dramatic entry into my world, 5 weeks early at 7 lbs 11 ounces.

Life has not been the same since then.

She's fabulous. She's lovebale. She's sweet. She's snuggleable. 

But then there are times when she's devilish...temper tantrum thrower. 

But all I know is when I look at her in times when I'm upset and then gives me that smile of hers, my heart just melts!

Happy Birthday Elle!  Love you tons!

Ladrones! Ladrones! Ladrones!

My husband likes to stay on path.

I like to take the off beaten path.

I convinced him one time to accompany me on one of my off beaten path exercusions in Buenos Aires.

We randomly ventured into an area called "La Boca."

As Mark's pace quickened, a cab then squealed by, slammed on its breaks and yelled for us to get in.

"ladrones! ladrones! ladrones!"

"Ladrones?" Mark asked and looked the word up on his blackberry.

Robbers! Thieves! 

Cab driver took us back into the safer neighborhoods. Mark then pulled out his map.

We went to this museum:

Armas de la Nacion Mueseum.

Did he want guns for the robbers? Thieves? 

Or Me???

Nah, I am still here!  And he gave me a map which of course I misplaced...

Do you like to follow the map? Do you prefer everything black and white?  Or do you like to venture off path and see what life has to offer you?

Eccentrics

It is the eccentric habits of my children that can either drive me crazy one day and amuse me the next.

Had I known when registering my wedding china ages ago, that my future child Thomas
would require 4 knives when I make his peanut butter honey sandwich. 

One knife for spreading the peanut butter. 

One knife for spreading the honey. 

One knife for cutting the crusts off. 

The final knife for cutting the sandwich into two triangles.

And if he wants another sandwich, no problem. 

Just get me 4 more clean knives.

Elle requires 2 spoons for each cup of yogurt. 

If she wants another cup, that's 4 spoons.

Or even the occasional occasion as Thomas requires two spoons for his ice cream:

I wish I had known this when registering for wedding china and silverware. Instead of 12 place settings each of Wedgewood, Lynn Chase and Haviland and the fancy silverware, I instead would have chosen a lifetime supply of the unbreakable, tacky, cannot believe parents buy it; Sponge Bob, Dora, Superfriends, Batman, Cinderella plates, cups and flatware etc.  I am proud to say I have a drawer and cabinet full of them.

Like I said, had I known back then what I know now... 

The Toothbrush

If I were smart, I'd invest some stock in toothbrush companies. 

Or, better yet, I really should take our paycheck and have it directly deposited into Colgate Co. 

You see, Elle has an infatuation with toothbrushes. She uses it to brush her 5 baby teeth at least 10 times a day. She walks around the house with it and drops it off in her most convenient spot whether the kitchen, bottom step or even in some random corner. But what has really gotten to me or shall I say my husband, her latest use of it, which is dipping it into the toilet bowl. 

Laughingly, I told my husband this and you know he did not think it was so funny.

So what has he done?

After each use, he places the toothbrush on the "out of kid's reach" high shelf, next to the sink, in the bathroom.

But that's not good enough for him.

He has placed it on the shaving cream can which is located on the "out of kid's reach" high shelf, next to the sink, in the bathroom.

"Still, not good enough," he thought.

So now, he has it turned right side up some days or facing down other days on the shaving cream can, which is still located on the "out of kid's reach" high shelf, next to the sink, in the bathroom.

And if it looks like it has been touched or even moved, toothbrush goes directly into the trash can. 

Any other toothbrush companies I shall look into besides Colgate?

Undomestic Housewife

I am the most undomestic housewife. 

 Even my six year old recently surveyed our bedroom filled with clothes and one spoon, said "Mom and Elle have just been up here." My husband asked, "How do you know?" "There are clothes all over the bed and the floor and yes, one spoon. Mom threw the clothes everywhere and Elle, of course had the spoon."

Convinced? 

Ideally, my New Year's Resolutions should be the following:

1. Be a Neat Domestic Housewife

My children would say, "YEEESSS!"

2. Be a Chef

In their dreams:

3. Match all pairs of socks and put them in respectable place

No possible picture for this...

Instead, I am going to focus on the three which I know I am good at:

1. Laugh.

2. Love.
As we love our neighbor, Chase and saying "Goodnight" to her:

And:

3. Enjoy.

Happy New Year to you all!

(by the way, the boys bedroom is now clean)

Fetch!

Elle is drama. 

There I've said it. 

And I mean it. 

Many days I find myself sending texts to one of my friends who also has not one but two drama girls, asking "How do you survive?" And yesterday was no different as I sent her this text, "Didn't you say once that all C does is cry and want to be held? How did you handle it? I'm losing it with Elle and you know it takes a lot to make me lose it."

Her response:

"Oh my, yes. Ignore her."

2 seconds later, another text:

"Drink."

Followed by:

"Move here." 

A few more:

"She is my stalker."

"Praise her 30 times a day even for little things."

Last but not least,


 "Play human fetch. Throw a ball and make her go get it."


Hmmmmmm.....

"ELLE, GO FETCH!!!"

Nuts? Oui ou non?

My husband thinks I am nuts. I first agreed with him but then I looked at my life and thought, "I am not nuts, it is my life that is nuts!"

3 kids under 6 1/2 years, husband traveling all through this December and January for interviews, moving to a new city in June yet we don't know which and when we will find out. And he's still on call/working 80+++ hours a week.  

No family in town.  

A broken window by the boys playing ball at 7:30 in the morning. A broken shower rod also when they thought they were super heroes that could fly. That is just the beginning.

We moved here from Nashville with 12 big plates, 12 small plates and 12 bowls. We now have 9 big plates, 7 small plates and 3 bowls left. As for silverware, I have since lost count which I know Elle has thrown away most of it.  Just caught her too late. 

A constant search each morning for clean matched pair of socks and of course, Thomas' other shoe. And now that it is cold, Thomas runs out with mismatched socks, one shoe on and mismatched gloves...no coat and no hat which he refuses to wear yet he is constantly requesting a scarf.  Yes my life is nuts. 

Would you look at me strangely if you noticed my child walking around like this.....

Don't worry, I would not either!  Is your life nuts too?  What do you do to remind you of the purpose of it all?  Breathe?  Pray? Meditate? Or just continue on...?