Hmm....I see a common thread here

I was participating in the facebook 25 random things about me, tagging that has been going on, and while I was writing I thought about a couple blogs that I recently read about identities. One of the other bloggers wrote about her identity as a mom, and how that has changed from her identity before she was a mom. The other blogger wrote about her identity as a soon to be mom.
This got me to thinking about my identity.
So I filled out the 25 random things about me, and like half of my answers revolved around booze. So I had to adjust my answers a bit to make sure I didn't sound like a drunk. Then when thinking about my identity I started to think about things I like to do...again my thoughts turned to booze.
I am beginning to see a common thread....I like booze.
I can't hide it, so I think I should embrace it.....in sort of a Thursday 13 type of way.
So, here you go...my 13 favorite drinks!

1. Beer...pretty much any kind, but on a hot day there is nothing better than an ice cold Coors light...I know pretty WT right? but whatever!
2. Martini's, I like martinis, I like the girly kind like cosmos and lemon drops, but I also love a good vodka martini...dirty please!
3. Wine...you bottle it and I'll drink it! I prefer reds but I won't pass up a good Chardonnay or SB.
4. vodka and soda with a lime
5. Rum and diet coke, ah how this takes me back to college. Kristin and I used to walk to El Torito at least once a week for one (or a few) of these little gems. Delish with chips and salsa.
6. Margaritas! Muy Bueno!
7. Tequila shots...more specifically Patron! So so good...but I refrain from tequila shots lately as they make me a bit too crazy
8. Jungle Juice...yeah you know what I'm talking about. Ah the college days of fruit flavored rums with fruit juice...so you can't taste the booze at all and they go down like...well juice..dangerous
10. I have to go WAY back for this one...but Zima's with jolly ranchers...now I think it's disgusting but man I used to drink those all the time...when I was ...um we'll leave the age out of that.
11. Mimosa! Nothing says good morning like a little OJ in your Champagne....or um...I mean a little champagne in your OJ.
12. A good old Vodka Cranberry...Delicious and nutritious
13. Beer...yeah I know I already said that, but I LOVE it and it deserves to be on the list twice!

Damn you gymboree!

Why do your clothes have to be so freaking cute? I mean really is it some sick plot to bankrupt parents.?
So I avoid the mall, so I can avoid you and your taunting sale signs.....but what do you do? You go and put an outlet in the the next town over....BASTARDS!
Now I'm not only drawn in by your uber cute clothing, but by the fact that it's an "outlet" which means I'm getting a good deal...oh I can't pass up a deal...of course not.
So now I have to avoid the outlet mall too...thanks!

Another funny from my sister.....

On Saturday night my sister decided to cook dinner for her boyfriend and decided to make Chicken in wine sauce. So she called my mom and got the recipe. Dan, Natalie and I were out at a birthday party for a friend.
On Sunday morning, I was putting away her dishes (another story all together) from the meal the night before and noticed that the insert for the rice cooker was out on the counter but the lid was missing. So I started looking for the lid, and finally found it in a random cabinet, dirty. As I was washing it I noticed that the handle was sort of melted. I examined it further and realized that there was strings of melted plastic all over the lid and the handle was pretty screwed up. I was perplexed...how could she have melted the lid to the rice cooker. And I was a bit pissed that she tried to hide it...but whatever.
When she finally woke up, I asked her how she melted the lid...her response "I didn't" ...Um yeah you did.
A bit more questioning from me...which included..."did you leave it on the stove?" "did you put a hot pot on it?" etc. Finally she turns around and says "I don't know how it happened....it can go in the microwave right?"
Ummm...NO! It's metal! It's part of an electronic appliance....no it can't go in the microwave.

Ugh! How can one person lack so much common sense....I mean I brushed off the "which way is hot" comment..albeit with a few laughs, but really she had no idea that you shouldn't put metal in the microwave.
Once again, I am rethinking her living with us......and every time I tell my mom one of these stories she just laughs...a knowing laugh.

To each their own....

I frequent a couple parenting boards, and I really enjoy them. I like getting feedback from other moms and hearing about things that worked or didn't work for their little ones.
But every once in a while a post comes up that makes me question things. These posts have been more frequent lately, especially on the age specific board that I frequent. I have been noticing that I am one hell of a laid back mom. Some gals on the boards are freaking neurotic. I admit I have my issues that I am neurotic about, like checking on Natalie frequently through the night, and really I don't even know what I'm checking for anymore, I know she's still there, I know she's fine in her crib...but still I have to go in there anytime I wake up in the night.
Some of the posts on the boards about compulsive diaper changes, and not allowing a child to cry for even a minute, and the various foods that "my child won't have" are ridiculous.
I mean really, forgoing a shower for an entire day cause you just can't bring yourself to let your kid sit in their crib alone for a few minutes for fear that they might cry is ludicrous. Kids are going to cry, and running to their every beckon call is...well possibly creating a monster.
As for the foods, I have seen all too often kids that were not allowed to have things like sugar, go nuts and overload on it when they finally do get some. I think letting your kids have and try things in moderation is good, allowing them to have a small taste of something that isn't on the "approved" foods list isn't going to bring the world to a screeching halt. Letting your kid have a little diluted juice isn't going to set them up for a life of pain and torment.
So people, maybe it's time to have a bit of a reality check, step away from the computer and live, enjoy your kid. Stop tying to control every single thing your kid does, and for heavens sake stop posting about how horrible other people are for letting their kid do something you frown upon.
Oh, and never say never! Cause the minute you do, you're kid will make you a liar, that much I know for sure.

One of those days.....

Today is one of those days that is ingrained in your memory. A day that years from now, when someone mentions President Obama, you will remember with vivid detail. A day that made history. I am proud, proud to be an American, proud that my child will grow up in a world where everyone can dream of becoming President, and proud of MY President.
Today is also a day to be thankful, not only thankful for the change that was made today, but thankful for those who came before us so that today could happen.

I blogged too soon...

Or maybe I should say, "If you blog it, they will come". I wrote a couple days ago about how I never go to the movies anymore and how sad I am blah blah blah.
Well guess what I did on Sunday......that's right, I went to the movies. We took Natalie to Dan's parent's house and we went with my entire family to see Gran Torino.
It was awesome, it was really an amazing movie. Clint Eastwood was awesome, and the story was incredible. This was the kind of movie that has you laughing one minute and crying the next....but in a good way, not in the bi-polar way I make it sound.
Anyhow, it was really fun to go to the movies, and to see something that was actually worthwhile. Natalie had a great time with her grandparents so it was a win win!
And we got the tickets at Costco so it was only $14 for 2 tickets.

So, since apparently all I have to do is blog about something for it to come true, my next blog will be about winning the lotto.

Natalie's new tricks...

are not so fun for mommy.
When I say no to Natalie, she has started laughing at me. It's really hard to stay stern with her when she's just cracking up, and because she's laughing, everyone else around is generally laughing too...nice people you're supposed to help me...JERKS! She generally stops doing what we said no to, but often times she just laughs and then keeps doing it.
And often times she just looks at us with a Cheshire cat grin and bats her eyelashes...man are we in for it.
Her other favorite thing to do is to be sneaky. When she is trying to do something that she knows she isn't supposed to do, she crawls really slowly over to the forbidden item, and then slowly turns around to see if we're watching. If we are she smiles and bats her eyelashes, like "what mom, I'm not doing anything."
I am so in for it!
I'm sure it's probably my Karma for being such an "angel child" right?!?!

Mom of the year award goes to......

Me! Although I think the title of the award should possibly have bad in it but whatever.
I was folding laundry in Natalie's room, and I put her in her crib to play so I could get it done faster. She has recently started pulling herself up on everything. So she was playing and pulling herself up on the side of the crib...having a great time. Well apparently she saw something she wanted on the floor and she reached for it, over the side of the crib and flipped out of the crib.
I guess it's time to lower the mattress on her crib.
I feel like an arse, but she only cried for about 2 seconds and then started laughing.....so now I'm thinking I have some sort of dare devil on my hands as well.
I need a drink....and it's only 11 in the morning!

I fear I'm starting to be one of those out of touch parents

I knew that parenthood would change me, and I was prepared for that...what I was not prepared for was how out of touch with reality I would feel.

I have seen two movie in the theaters since Natalie was born...actually since I got pregnant with her, granted I wasn't a big movie goer before her but we went a few times a year.

When I got pregnant I couldn't fathom the idea of sitting more than 1o feet from a bathroom for over an hour, then once she was born I felt guilty if I took her to grandma's so I could see a movie. So, once in the last almost 9 months have Dan and I gone out to a movie. We went out to dinner and saw Dark Night. It was fun....but that was like about 6 months ago. Now with it being Oscar season, there are tons of great movies out and I won't be seeing any of them.

So this got me to thinking, am I becoming one of those moms who has nothing to talk about outside from her kid. Will it be 10 or more years before I start seeing movies on a regular basis again. My mom used to joke that she didn't see any movies in the 80's because she had kids, I thought "oh sure mom, you are totally exaggerating, I'm sure you just don't remember"...but now I fear that she wasn't exaggerating....I'll be lucky if I see one movie a year for the next 10+ years.

If I can't find time to see a movie, than there is no possible way I can find time to read a book...geeze that would entail taking 15 minutes of time for just me...no one else...just me, and honestly the only time I'm alone all day is during my 15 commute to work...and I think the CHP frowns upon people reading books while driving.

So there it is, I'm going to relegated to talking only about my kid, I'm going to become a completely pop-culture ignorant mom....I won't be able to keep up on fashion, cause...well if it doesn't include jeans and drool spotted tops...it isn't in my wardrobe. And I can't keep up with reading, cause they don't stock the pediatricians waiting room with fine literary works other than Dr. Seuss, and I can't talk TV cause...well okay I can talk about TV, but not in a timely manner cause I watch shows like a week after they air on Sundays during Natalie's nap.

My fear has become a reality, I'm no longer any one's witty fun girlfriend who can sip wine and chat about current events of pop culture....I'm a mom.

And, actually it's wonderful....really truly wonderful.

Friday funny from my sister.....

If you know my sister, than there is no explanation necessary...if not...well she's blond...very blond.

My sister lives with us, and a few weeks ago she announces that she's going to go take a shower, as if anyone cares. So off to the shower she goes, a few seconds later, with the water already running she re-appears in the living room.....
Sis: "Hey, you know what this bathroom doesn't have"
Me: "No, what?"
Sis: " a little sticker to tell you which way is hot and which way is cold in the shower..."
Me: *trying not to be too sarcastic* "well, it's just like every other shower or faucet in the US, hot is to the left and cold to the right"
Sis: *pauses to think about this amazing new theory, that she is hearing for the first time* "Well, whatever, could you just get a sticker....I'm tired of burning myself everyday."
Me: *trying my hardest to not laugh in her face* "Umm...yeah, I'll think about it"

As soon as she left Dan and I cracked up. First off because she had no idea that all faucets were the same, and second (and of course funnier) that she continues to burn herself with the same shower...I mean really, after one or maybe two scalding events you think you'd make a mental note as to which way was hot.

Yikes!

I'm back.....

So I've been MIA for a while (although I doubt anyone really noticed...I mean I only have 6 followers...but whatever).

Anyhow, the holidays were great, Natalie loved seeing everyone. She didn't have much interest in the gifts, but eating tissue paper was a major high point for her. She loves eating paper so having that much easily accessible to her was like...well...Christmas.

Here she is on Christmas morning....And later on Christmas morning all dressed up.

I had a great 5 day weekend with Natalie and Dan over Christmas and then back to work for only two and a half days before another great 4 day weekend.

On New Years Eve, we christened our new house with a NYE party. This year there were as many kids as adults...or so it seemed. And there was no Tivo snafu as I hid the remote control from Dan....last year still haunts me. Picture rewinding live TV and re-celebrating midnight at about 12:02 because you're dumb ass husband was drunk and playing with the Tivo remote...ugh.

Anyhow, having the party forced us to get all of the remaining stuff put away....um or thrown in the garage...same difference right?!?

So now I'm back to work...and that means back to blogging...you're welcome!