Creamy Grape Salad with Brown Sugar, Pecans and Yogurt

Today, I abandoned my child.

I feel like I'm at Alcoholics Anonymous.

It has been 3 hours and 39 minutes since I last abandoned my child and I am going to rot in hell.

Really, I am.

Don't try and make me feel better about it.  Abandonment is abadonment no matter how hard I try and tell myself I really needed to do this one thing for ME.  To feel like I have a life that is seperate from my youngins. Why am I speaking this way? Who am I, the mother of the Walton kids.  Surely not.  I don't remember her ever missing her kids softball game.

Movie Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

She just wants her boys to get along.
You know, hang out, and like each other.

At most she wants them to be. . . . .Friends.

At least she would like them both to survive adolescence so that their children can have Uncles.

Is that too much to ask?

Well. . . . . . . .

Maybe.

Vanilla Chai Protein Tea

The grass is turning greener.

The weather is getting hotter.

And I've got a real problem on my hands.

Pretty little precious knees.

20 month old knees to be exact.

That were perfect.  Not a scratch to be had.

Until it got too warm to wear pants everyday.  And we started to dress those pretty little knees in pretty little dresses.

And then those pretty little knees coupled with big wobbly heads went kerplunk onto the hard gravelly concrete.

Creamy Bowtie Pasta with Cheese, Tomatoes and Peas

This is my nephew, Cole.

He's 3.

And really cute.

He has been flowering up my life for the last 5 days as he plays, and smiles, and hugs, and kisses.

He's very, very, friendly.

With a very small bladder.

The combination can be lethal.

On a recent trip to the public restroom after a long ride in the car watching DVD's,  Cole told a stranger in the restroom that we were watching a movie about her.

She chuckled, looked at me and smiled. "What movie are you guys watching?" she asked eagerly.

"Oh. . .I'm not sure. You know kid movies. . . . .Come on Cole.  We have to go!" I said as I dragged that cute kid back to the car.

We were watching Nanny McPhee.

Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

"Mommy. . . " she asked as she sprawled over the couch, "Can I ummm. . . .call my friend Emily?"

I opened my mouth to say "Yes.", but there was a strange smirk on her face.  She was definitely up to something.  I dismissed it hoping I wouldn't find out later what she was planning, and nodded my head in agreement.

I got up from the couch, smiled at my children and excused myself.

I wanted to be 'ALONE''.

In a small room. 

Somewhere, where people might take a magazine or a book to get a quick 5 minute read.

Somewhere, where people GENERALLY are BY THEMSELVES, with the door locked.

However, in this instance the door was not locked.

Because, I was at home alone with all four of my children who could at any minute decide to wedge themselves between the refrigerator and the wall, break their face, or have a mental breakdown.  I kept the door unlocked FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY.  Like a fire, or severed appendage, or an asteroid shower. ALL REAL EMERGENCIES.

 Notice, I did not include a 'call from a best friends mother'.

Why?

Because THAT IS NOT an emergency.

Easy Spinach and Chicken Quesadillas

Soledad (4):  Mommy I don't want to ever leave the earth.

Me:  What do you mean? You don't want to die?

Soledad:  Yeah. I don't want to die.

Me:  Well good.  Cause you won't ever. 

Soledad :  Huh?

Me:   Your spirit will never die.  Your soul, your you.  It will live forever and ever.  Only your hands and feet and hair and skin will die. Well not your hair.  Your hair is already dead. Understand?

Soledad:  Well. . . . I'd like to have my hands and feet.

Me:   Oh, you don't really need them.  Their like your  jacket.  You don't want to keep your red jacket forever, do you?

Soledad: Well, maybe.

Me: Trust me.  You won't need it.  You're going to outgrow it.  Just like your hands and feet, and skin.  One day, you'll be happy to leave them behind.

Soledad:   Okay, if you say so.

Geez. Hope I'm right.  Maybe I should have said she'll get a new set of appendages in heaven. And if she finds she needs a jacket, I'm sure Jesus has extra.

Crockpot Barbeque Pulled Pork Sandwiches

What do you do?

When the air is thick, and the clouds are looming?

What do you do?

When the midnight blue of the sky, marks an ominous feeling in your heart, what can you do?

-X-

There's the crack of the bat against the ball as it diligently soars chasing the stars.

It makes its arc, turning full circle, and it begins its descent toward the ground.

She looks up.

Glove in hand.
Eyes on the ball.

It's falling, falling, falling.

Crack. Snap? Definitely. . . . . WHAP.

Right in the noise.

Easy King Cake

I'm on Day 2 of a Two Day liquid cleanse/diet/detox???

I don't even know.

So you'll have to pardon me if I slurb my wurbs.

It's just that I'm so humgree.

And deliribous.

And humgree.

Ends tonight at 10 pm sharp. I'll be ready.

I'll have 2 hours left to live the high life on this Fat Tuesday of 2011. Yippeeeeee!!!!

First things first. Bing Bake. I mean King Cake.

Our One Year Anniversay & $20 CSN Store Giveaway!!!

Guess what today is?

It's our anniversary.  Our one year blogging anniversary.

365 Days of Silly stories, delectable food, and random things written down that pop into my head.

It was really good for me.

I hope it was good for you.

We aim to please, you know.

I have a little something for you.  To let you know, that you really mean a lot to me.  And because,  my heart melts whenever I think of you making comments.

Over and over again.

I really love comments, and I really love you.

So TODAY. . . . . .

Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth-Cookies by Alice Medrich

Have you been searching for the perfect cookie?

Not a really good cookie.

Not a great cookie.

THE PERFECT COOKIE.

The one that is suited to your tastes exactly.  Slightly sweet with fruit.  Only chocolate and nuts will do?

Personally, I'm a sucker for large, chewy, gooey, with a bit of crunch rendered by some type of nut.  The nut would be pecan, the chocolate dark, and the cookie slightly sweet.

I make no bones about it.

Low Fat Chocolate Granola with Pecans and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Can you see me?

I'm wincing.

It's a side effect.

You know, of Dingledorklosingthingsitus.  It's a condition. Or maybe a disease.

I have it.

Bad.

Real bad. Which, is not good.

How to Make a Simple Hair Accessory & Keri Hilson ~ Pretty Girl Rock

Me:    What did you just say?

Soledad (4):    Silence.

Me:    Warwick! What did Soli just say?

Warwick:    I don't know.

Soledad eyes wild, with her eye brows pinched in the middle. She has a smirk on her face that is dancing in mischeviousness.

Me: Soledad! What. did. you. just. say???

Her smiles widens, she places her hand on her hip, and tilts her head to the side.

Soledad (4):   Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful.

And then she skipped off into the sunset.

I'm not even playing.  That girl is a trip.

Orange Energy Drink

* this is the grand finale in my series. . . .Tale of  Freedom.
Part I
Part II

I have something to say.

Sometimes, I feel ummm. . . . . shackled.

Bound.

Gagged.

Tied.

Enslaved to my circumstances.

Sometimes, I want to yell about it.  I want to slap somebody in the face and say, "WHY DON'T I HAVE A JOB???? WHY MUST I STAY AT HOME ALL FRIGGIN' DAY AND CLEAN UP THE SAME DAMN ROOM 35 TIMES?  WHY DON'T I HAVE CONVERSATIONS THAT DON'T END IN HOW MANY DAYS UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY AND MY SISTER JUST STUCK HER FINGER UP MY NOSE?"

But I don't yell about it because that would be rude.  And also, nobody would hear me. And if they did hear me, I would be judged. And I have a sneaky suspicion that judgement would be harsh.

Also, I know. . .there's no other place I'd rather be.  Most days.

But, it doesn't change the fact that I do feel this way, and . . . .I feel just horrible about it.