Sitting here on my lap, nursing mostly playing, I say "are you ready to put jammies on?"

You know what the answer is? "milk".

I know that's what is occupying you right now, goofball.

Woohoo!! No traffic ticket to pay!! I rock. ;o)

Then I went to target and spent the money on cute shoes and boots and new backpack for the boy. It's very cute and says things about "futbol" which is good for a little Europoseur like himself. ;o)

I was also incredibly excited to see, on my way to the closest current target which is about 30 minutes, not one, but *two* new targets slated to open in October. If they have a photo studio I will keel right over in joy. But seriously, new target might make me do that anyway.

In the morning, I go to court to contest a traffic ticket. 16 years of driving and this is a first. Wish me luck or something. It's not at all how I pictured it for several reasons.

I've decided that I'm going to just suck it up and get the ballerina stuff I so love from old navy, and if I feel bad about the money, use it for her halloween costume. I can do a little bun or something. That is hysterical.

I think maybe the last time I was this excited about a new shopping venue was my first trip to H&M.

Today I went to the New Balance factory store. Running sneakers, cool. Sparkly purply baby size sneakers for $10, freakin fantastic. I am on like a super high over the stupid place.

It's probably also too much caffeine and not enough food, not enough down time in the last few days. I am going to die if someone comes to look at the house Saturday.

The girl has this jungle thing. She always says "Jungle beans, jungle beans, jungle beans".
None of us know what this means. 
Today while I was changing her, she commented on Jungle Poop. News to me.

Okay. So NJ is the state with the most hellacious traffic ever.

Left at 1 pm friday. Arrived (according to mapquest, 4 hrs 40 minutes) at 8  pm. And the stops were only about 2 for 8 minutes each. Seriously now.

But it was worth it. Got to see bunches of friends and make the new ones. I got to *be* the special surprise at a bridal shower. Then fun crepes for breakfast. Still an awful trafficky ride, but we got to go to ikea, which if you know me, is always a good thing.

People are such losers.

His mom is already talking about moving into his house. Which she will eventually be evicted from when it is taken by the bank for non payment.

When her daughter died last year, she didn't go to her funeral and I'd bet you fifty bucks she won't go to his either. Hell, that's probably the day she'll move in. I can't believe he got out of that family intact and now this.

My heart is breaking a million times over. Yesterday, we were breaking down camp and getting ready to head home when we got a message that hubby's best friend was in a "really bad accident". We didn't know if that meant two broken legs or  . . . well, what happened. By 10 pm last night, life support was shut off and hubby was there with him when he went.

We have miller lite in the fridge for his visits. Wedding pictures feature him goofing off in many ways. We ate our wedding dinner with each other, and him. He knows the severity of baby girl's shreiks. We used to sit in front of the tv and have our bonding time while hubby put big boy to bed. Last time it was cut short, we sent hubby away because "we were bonding".

I don't know what happened. He hit a telephone pole. That's all we know. No rubber marks, 6:30 a.m., going about 60 mph which is the standard for the road he was on. We will likely never know.

My son just came to me with a turtle found out in "the weather". Aka the toy chest. And the turtle's name? Of course, it's Perry Trotman.

For some reason there's a mile or so of abandoned highway in the next town over. It's accessible but has no parking near it, so no one uses it. So we rode bikes over there (4-5 miles maybe? easy) and took the kids out on it. Boy rode his new bike with training wheels. As we were helmeting up and all, we saw two fox. They didn't even act ascared of us. Then we saw several snakes, much graffiti and rubber marks and burned sticks. I think it's mostly for animals and screwing around kids. I propose families take it back.

Soon we will go to the other end on the "outside" and see if it's more accessible. There's a relatively new wildlife observation deck, so someone is using it.

Spent the weekend camping on a lake in Maine. Fun, but it'll be more fun when our lil house is there.

Yesterday, while running laps around the tent, little boy tripped on a stake, smashed into hubby's boot. Right, like dss is going to believe the "fell" into daddy's boot line. Not to mention I think it may be broken. Seriously thinking that if the pediatrician won't do anything for it, of not telling anyone. Mandated reporters and whatnot.

Am I a bad mom if I find a babysitter for opening night of The Simpsons The Movie?

Today I was in target, with my long list about 3% complete, when I ran into a friend I have been having trouble connecting with for about 2 years. She has never met babygirl. So I dropped the list and we went to Denny's. I finished out the list this afternoon at walmart. And replaced the screenhouse purchased at target with the walmart version for 36/103 of the price. I don't get it.

Anyhoo, it was super fun catching up. Someone who knows me as just plain old me, not from childhood or as a mom, but as a true adult person. I showed her pics of the kids, sure, but we mostly talked about architecture and long lost friends from former jobs.

It'll probably be another two years before we repeat though.

In the interest of saving some money and eating more healthily, I've decided to plan our meals. I have never, ever, been a planner. I don't even know how to do this. I guess I need a calendar or something. It is pretty fun, though, that this afternoon we made dessert for tonight. It's very exciting.

We made honeydew melon with Jello inside. I feel so 50s housewife, in that "junk food twist on fruit" way.

The senseis are back from vacation and not a moment too soon. We love each other but we need structure.

Remember this post? Her baby died having lived only 12 days.

Now her angel has a little sister. I'm just so happy. She had a beautiful, healthy baby girl on Tuesday. Congratulations B and the whole B family!

So there's this song we have that goes "shananana mommy's sleeping/getting up/running/jumping/tired/start over". It's very catchy and we all like it. M loves to sing "shananana mommy ti-yud". G likes to interpret and add things. It's hysterical.

"Mommy's cutting the grass. Mommy's hunting. Mommy's digging for rocks."

The funniest part is, it's never things I do. He never says "mommy's folding laundry" or "drinking coffee". I crack up every.single.time.

So people came and looked at our house this weekend. If they had already sold their house, they'd buy ours. Meaning we need to figure out where the freak we are moving to. The list is getting longer. And while I'm really enjoying sketching up our new house, without a site it's all kind of a load. Sigh.

My daughter is 20 months old. Sure, she's only been walking for 2.5 months, but she can count to ten. So this morning, there were some cards out, so she counted for the sitter and I. The sitter lined up 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Babygirl identified each one and told me ten was "one oh!"

I bought workbooks last week to work with big brother full well knowing that she's going to be helping plenty.

Additionally, the beach pass might have been the best $35 ever spent. Time it at low tide and it's fun, safe, and not too busy. Yesterday we got there at 1:30 and parked right at the entrance, as on a 90 degree day, those who got there at 9 are fried and heading home.

Not to mention that babygirl falls asleep and we go to karate where she sleeps in a/c comfort while I watch 4 year olds barely not kill each other.

My boy has started karate. He has now gone four times, two private and two group lessons. It is hysterical. He loves it. Hiya! I wish they had classes during babygirl's nap time, as she could snooze in a stroller, but instead I'm keeping her quiet and off the mats the entire time and not really paying attention to my boy.

Today we went to the beach, even in the rain. It was actively raining when we arrived, so we ate lunch under the pavilion. By the time we were done it was merely cloudy and drizzly, so we walked to the waterfront, where they dug. Then, of course, a game ensued with cousin A (who had her sixth birthday today, happy to you princess) which involved laying in the sand. Apparently there were child eating vermin in the sand and this is what we get:


He's asleep now under the power of Benadryl. He seems to be doing just fine.

I think the rule should be that you don't host Fathers' Day bbqs at your house on your birthday. At least everyone else brought stuff so it was relatively easy but seriously. I got no rest and the girl was up at 5. I'm pooped out.

We're trying to sort things out in the car today. Fireman Sam lives in England, and maybe that's why no firefighter has the red Captain helmet. But Bob the Builder lives in England. So I ponder that maybe if Bob has a fire at one of his sites, Sam will come put it out.

This is, apparently, the funniest joke ever. Even funnier than "why did the monkey throw the trash can out the window? he wanted a fire truck."

Somehow, I found myself in stitches as well. I'm reverting to 4 years old.

Gosh am I a slacker.

We went away for the long weekend. Camping in Acadia. The boy climbed a mountain all by himself. It was lovely. We're still putting things away.

Babysitter got sick. Niece and auntie came to visit. We went to the beach.

Today we went to the beach again and I bought the annual pass. Five trips and it pays for itself. I just wish I bought it last week.

Also, the boy started Karate today. He is having serious "respecting others" issues, particularly with regard to intentionally hurting them. Bleh. I don't want to raise a bully.