Ten things to smile about

I'm linking up with Emmy today for Ten Things to Smile About.  If you haven't checked Emmy out yet, you should. :)

1.  Maggie gives kisses now.  They are open mouth kisses, but adorable and cute and there's not much better than open mouth kisses from your baby girl.

2.  I got to have a great holiday celebration with these lovely ladies:

3.   PJ got to play in the snow and had so much fun.

4.  Sibling love, instead of rivalry.

5.  The Packers lost to the Giants in the playoffs, thus ensuring me to be able to watch the Super Bowl again.

6.  It's going to be nearly 60 degrees in Chicago today -- so we are grilling steaks.  This doesn't happen in January in Chicago.

7.  Had a play date with my two oldest and best friends -- seen here in our younger YOUNGER days.  (and yes, we are in a bathtub, at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas).

8.  Result of said play date:

9.  I made chicken tortilla soup for the first time and it was delicious.

10.  I got a new blog follower on the last day of January (HINT, HINT -- you know you want to be #63!!)
 



Hugs.

Best big brother ever.

Life Lessons: The I Can't Come Up with a Clever Title Edition

1.  This week? Was my first 5 day week since the week of December 12.

2.  Not awesome.

3.  PJ officially remembers stuff.  We were reading a book with a polar bear last night, and he said "Polar bear jumped in the water mama!" (This happened at the zoo a couple months ago and the polar bear put on a show which eventually ended with him jumping in the water).

4.  Maggie will pound her hand on her chest and say baby!

5.  Speaking of Maggie -- earrings do NOT stay in little girls ears.  We've lost so many earrings.  It's frustrating.

6.  So I got those little plastic thingies and put them on the back of the earring on top of the original earring back.

7.  Those bitches better stay on there.

8.  Started our taxes last night -- still waiting for my W-2 from the workplace from hell.

9.  We are getting a good return - YAY!

10.  Which means operation "Shopping all day by myself without children or men" will commence soon.

11.  I haven't had steak since New Years Day.  I am starting to go through withdrawal.

12.  I'm almost done reading 11/22/63.  I was skeptical, but I really really like it.

13.  Maggie is almost in 18 month clothes completely.  She probably could be, but I am being super lazy about switching out the clothes, plus she doesn't enough yet, which is part of what will be happening during #10 above.

14.  I am planning on buying her about 6 pairs of shoes from Target.com though.  The store never has what I want.

15.  I'm going to see Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert.  At Wrigley Field.  And we have seats ON THE FIELD.

16.  Life is good.

PYHO: Vowing

I've been kind of asshole again.

To the person I love most.

I need to stop and realize that I have a fantastic husband.  That my actions are causing him hurt, pain and to not want to be around me.

I know this, but for some reason, I can't completely stop.  I get better and then I relapse.

I don't want to go into detail.  I just want to stop.  I want to be nice, sweet, and loving.  I want to show him how much he means to me, how much I love him, how important he is to me, and how much he is the best part of my life besides the kids (which is a total different kind of love, as you moms know).

I'm starting today.  I'm vowing today.  To make our marriage better.  To make him feel the way I should be making him feel.

I feel like a total asshole.  And I should.  But he shouldn't any longer.

Chocket.

This is what PJ was asking me for this morning.

CHOCKET MAMA!
I stood there puzzled.

What do you want baby??

CHOCKET MAMA!!! While waving his cup at me...

Finally, annoyed with my stupidity, he went to the fridge, opened it, and took out the Hershey's Syrup.

CHOCKET FOR MY MILK!

Ah.  Chocolate.

:)

Rainbow Babies

I don't normally post twice in one day, but I felt this was necessary.

I had a miscarriage before I got pregnant with PJ.  It was terrible, but I was lucky enough to get pregnant quickly after.  However, I never stop thinking about the baby I lost.

PJ is my Rainbow Baby.

"Rainbow Babies" are the understanding that the beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm. When a rainbow appears, it does not mean that the storm never happened or that the family is not still dealing with its aftermath. What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and the clouds. Storm clouds may still loom over but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy, and much needed hope.

Please share this with someone who has lost a baby.  There is nothing that will ever fill the hole that is caused by losing a child.

Monday Musings.

How exactly does an experienced NFL kicker miss a 32 yard field goal that will end your team's quest for the Super Bowl?

How exactly does a punt returner NOT hold on to the ball better when losing the ball means your team's quest for the Super Bowl is over?

Why did it snow around 8 inches on Friday, was 17 degrees outside, and last night there was a thunderstorm, the snow melted and it is currently 45 degrees?

Why are women lacking the gene men seem to have that enable them to do absolutely nothing but sit and whine when they don't feel good?

Why when I go to Target thinking "I don't need much today!" I get a cart full, which is 85% stuff I needed, and still spend $100? 

How is possible to need a $100 of things at Target every week?

Why don't we have a four day work week? It would be so much better if we were always off on Mondays.

Will Maggie's four teeth that have been coming in for over a month every actually come in??

Why, when logically if you do laundry every week you should have 14 outfits for two people, do I have about 30 outfits for each of us?

How is it possible for socks to disappear off the face of the planet?

Why, when a small toy falls to the floor, does it always go underneath a piece of furniture, and as far back as possible so you have to actually move the piece of furniture to retrieve it?

How, when I didn't cook a single thing yesterday, and was gone from 11-8, how are there still dishes in the sink?

Pfffbt.

That's how I feel today.  Like Pfffbt.

I've got this icky feeling I've had since last week that I just can't shake. 

I have nothing of substance to blog about. 

So here's some, as tv shows would call them, clips.

***Maggie was getting off the chair, and as she did, kicked PJ in the head.  PJ, not to be outdone, proceeded to try and roundhouse kick her in the head, since they were both standing.  John had to turn away in laughter and I had to squeak out "no, buddy, Maggie didn't mean it" without laughing in his face.

***Took Mags for her 15 month check up.  We were in the train room.  There was a train signal light with a red light and a green light.

"PJ, what color is this (pointing to green light)?"

"GREEN!"

"Good!  What color is this (pointing to red light)?"

After some thought, "NOT GREEN!"

***At every red light -- STOP MAMA.  At every green light -- GO MAMA.

***babaw -- Maggie trying to say football.

***Chicken Tortilla Soup I made for dinner last night = success.

And a large, huge, THANK YOU to the New York Giants for beating the Green Bay Packers, and thus allowing me to watch the Super Bowl this year.

Hopefully next week is a better week.

MLK Weekend

This particular weekend isn't usually a great weekend for us.

In 2009, John's best friend's dad died the Friday of MLK weekend.

In 2010, John's dad was admitted to the hospital again.

In 2011, John's dad died -- the Friday of MLK weekend.

We celebrated my father-in-law's life with a remberance party on Saturday at my SIL's house.  We had all his favorite foods.  Friends, family gathered.  We did shots.  We watched football. 

I have no doubt he was smiling down on us.

Due to the ominous things that have occurred this weekend, I had a feeling that we were going to lose my mom this weekend.  Maybe not this weekend, but I was on edge about it.

Two people in her life told me on Thursday about dreams they had about her.

In one, she went into the ocean and started getting better.  Told her friend she had contemplated suicide, but knew she had to just fight ALS for a little while longer and they would have a cure.

In the other, she was climbing out of an apartment window onto a fire escape.  There was a lot of people around, most of them her former boss never knew.  He kept telling her to be careful, and she kept saying, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

I'm not really superstitious, but these dreams seemed telling to me.

They still do.

I want her to be at peace, I want her suffering to end. 

But I am not at all prepared for it.

Proud.

The other day we got home and I had PJ and Maggie's juice in those take and toss cups (which by the way, if you don't have, you should get, because they are awesome).

I couldn't remember who had the blue one and who had the green one.   I said to Maggie,

"Do you want your juice?"

"Okay!" (She's too cute when she says okay).

I give her the blue one.

She runs away.

Comes back a minute later, empty handed, grabs the green one.

I walk into PJ's room and see PJ has the blue one.

She went to give PJ the blue cup, because apparently, she remembers who has which cup.

PYHO: The Man Period

You know what I'm talking about.

The crankiness.

The snapping.

The mood swings.

The nitpicking.

The woe is me attitude.

PMS?

Nope.

Your husband.  Your significant other.  Your spouse.  Has.  His.  Period.

Maybe you're lucky like me, and your man gets his period the same time every month, just like you do.  Maybe you're extra lucky like me, and since you started getting your period again, your periods overlap.

Maybe you're lucky in that you never know when it might show up.

But you know what I am talking about.

He snaps at you because you missed the garbage when throwing away a Q-tip.

Or maybe you forgot to put the remote back where he could find it, because clearly in plain sight wasn't good enough.

You sweetly ask "What's wrong babe?"

The response: "Nothing.  Why do you always think something is wrong??"

Maybe you lose your mind for a second and reply "Because you're acting like a dick, that's why."

To which he replies "No I'm not.  You're being a bitch."

Or maybe you've learned, after living through many man periods, that the response should be "Just making sure.  I love you!"

Have you suggested five things for dinner, all being shot down?  In turn, have you asked for suggestions, even going as far as "whatever you want!" and still getting "I said I don't know."  And then you make something and he's pissed because it's not what he wanted?

I'm pouring my heart about this, because I want as many women as possible to read this.  Because I have the solution.  To make the man period disappear. Immediately.

Are you ready??

Here it is:

THREATEN TO MAKE YOUR FACEBOOK STATUS:

"Man, I really hate when my husband has his period."

And all will be well in your home.

**Disclaimer -- my husband does not currently have his period.  It's not due till the 21st-25th of the month.

Resolutions I'd like PJ and Maggie to make

I've decided you're never too young to try and change things for the better, right?

PJ

1.  I will refrain from pushing, hitting, or grabbing Maggie when she begins playing with a toy I didn't even know we still had, or that I haven't touched in days. 

2.  I will learn that they are trucks, not cocks.  And socks, not cocks.

3.  I will tell Mommy or Daddy or whatever grown up is around when I have to go pee BEFORE I go.

4.  I will not dump my lego bin, memory game, or various other toys with many pieces out on the floor just so I can see Mommy look for the bottle of Grey Goose.

5.  I will try new foods, like chicken and steak.

6.  Instead of announcing "I'm peeing!" in the bathtub, and then proceeding to pee on Maggie, I will at least wait till Maggie out of the tub.

Maggie

1.  I will not have a meltdown four seconds after getting into my car seat if Mommy doesn't give me fruit snacks immediately.

2.  I will stop trying to eat paintbrushes.

3.  I will stop changing the 1080i setting on the cable box. Or, I will figure out how to change it back so Mommy can stop asking Daddy.

4.  I will stop throwing my food onto the floor when I am done, or just angry for whatever reason. 

5.  When I can talk, I will tell Gramma the reason I cry when I am with her is because she never visits and she takes me away from Mommy.

What resolutions do your kids need to make?

My smarty pants

On the recommendation from a friend, I downloaded the Starfall app for my IPhone for PJ.

He LOVES IT.

It teaches the ABCs, and my god, he loves it.  It's very interactive, there's easy games (that he has mastered, hence the smarty pants).  He literally played it for an hour before bed last night.  Did not move from the couch.

If you have an IPhone/IPad and a child that's at least two who you are willing to allow to play with it, I cannot recommend it enough.  Seriously.  It was $2.99 but so well worth it. 

Oh, and if you missed it, check out my post from last night. :)

365 Photo Challenge

So my good bloggy friend Rebecca inspired me to do a 365 photo challenge.  Of course, only a couple of these were actually taken on the date that they were supposed to, but from today forward I promise to be on time with them!  I'll post on Sundays, so this week you get a bonus pic. ;)

1.  Me 

2.  Breakfast.  

3.  Something I adore. My Kindle.  Yes, I've read four books in ten days.  And I don't necessarily adore the cover, but I wanted to show you because isn't it cute? Even John said it was very "Lisa-y."

4.  Letterbox

This was the card box at our wedding (it was much prettier for the wedding).  Now I keep all my cards from John, the kids and other meaningful, sappy momentos in it.

5. Something I wore.

Lucky Jeans.  Love them.  Lucky me.

6.  Something that makes me smile.

I realize this is a terrible photo.  This is the mat/picture from our wedding that our guests signed.  It hangs in our upstairs hallway so I pass it any time I go to or from our bedroom.

7.  My favorite.

I realize you'd all get bored of pics of PJ, Mags, and John (you all know I adore them and they make me smile), so here.  Coca-cola.  My favorite liquid. :)

8.  My sky.

Obviously not my morning sky.

Hope you enjoyed.  And if you didn't, I guess skip my blog on Sundays.

Life's Lessons: The What's With this Weather Edition

Linking up with Sara and Rach today for the triumphant return of Life's Lessons.

1.  It's January 6.

2.  The expected temperature today in Chicago?  57 degrees.

3.  For all you winter haters, if this makes it 30 in April, I'm gouging your eyes out.

4.  Speaking of gouging eyes out, I just finished Catching Fire, book 2 of the Hunger Games.

5.  I love it a lot.

6.  I also love my Kindle a alot.  If you read a lot you should get one.  Seriously.

7.  PJ's new favorite word is boogers.

8.  It sounds like an adorable word when he says it.

9.  I am having a holiday get together with some of my favorite ladies tomorrow and I am GOING BY MYSELF.

10.  No children to chase.

11.  No diapers to change.

12.  No crying or desperately fumbling for something to feed them.

13.  Just me, my friends, and martinis.

14.  Who said there's anything wrong with day drinking?

15.  I also got my Iphone 4S.

16.  I asked Siri what her favorite color was.  She said "I don't know how to describe it in your language.  It's like different dimensions of green."

17.  I told her I liked green too and she said "Noted."

18.  WTF does that mean, Apple??

My Best of 2011

I've had quite a bit of new followers the later half of the year.  I thought I'd bless you with the ability to see the top8 posts on my blog from 2011 -- as compiled by the Stat tracker here on blogger.  Alot of them are PYHOs (thanks, Shell).  So here you are!

1.  Linked up with the always amazing Shell to rock my baby bump.

2.  Pouring my heart out about the challenges of marriage.

3.  Potty training still sucks to this day.

4.  I hate everybody. (this one is pretty self-explanatory).

5.  The party no one wants to go to...

6.  I really am lucky.

7.  My first PYHO - about my jealousy of SAHMs.

8.  PJ starting to say I love you.

I hope you enjoy re-reading or reading some of these for the first time, and I hope that by this time next year, I have 100 followers. :)

Remember if you follow me and let me know you're a new follower, I'll follow you!

PYHO: Friendship

It's a new year. 

I've been thinking the past few days, when I realized this was the 7th new year John and I have rung in together (actually, 10th if you could the other three we rang in together when we were not a couple), about how truly, truly amazing the friends I have are.

My two oldest and best friends have been with me since I was 16.  We have had our periods of disconnect.  We have had our differences.  But nothing ever changed between us. We never loved each other any less.  We all had babies in 2009.  The same doctor delivered all of them -- three boys.  Dylan, PJ, and Luke.

I love these girls like sisters.  I would do just about anything for them.  One is the godmother to Maggie.  If either of them had godmothers for their children, I'm certain I would be the godmother to one or more of their kids.

Then I have my other close friends.  I have about 7-8 other close girlfriends.  Friends I love with my heart and soul.  Friends I can tell anything to.  The girls who get together for girls night out.  And I have known the majority of these girls for anywhere from 10-13 years.

I also have a solid group of close guy friends, some I've known since I was 16, some I've know since I was 19.  I can depend on them.  They can depend on me.  We help each other, look out for each other, celebrate each others happinesses and lean on each other for support in times of trouble.  Alot of these people I've mentioned are in this picture:

Some are missing.   But most of them are there.  Celebrating me and John's wedding day, because, for the most part, we have the same friends.  Since we were friends first.

I have another group of friends.  Girls I talk to on a daily basis.  Girls I met when I was planning my wedding and we now have formed a private group message board where we talk daily.  These girls know more about me than they probably ever wanted to know.  But they are a rock.  A support system.  Friends.  Friends I'm not sure how I would have gotten through some of the rough times without.

And then there's my bloggy friends.  Some of you I wish lived near me because I know how much fun we have.  Some of you I think about daily, when something comes up that makes you pop into my head.  Some of you are truly, truly friends.  Especially Rebecca, Monica, Sara, Rach and of course, Shell, the wonderful host of tis link up.  I consider all of you who's blogs I read and who read mine friends, but those five have been with me since the beginning.  And I love you ladies.  I love sharing your joy, feeling your pain, and for all the support, care, laughs, and love.

So cherish your friends.  I know I do.

Chicago finally realized it's winter.

Hey everyone.  I hope you all had a great Christmas and a good New Year's.  I had a great time off, which was littered with unusually warm winter days for Chicago -- 30s and 40s, even a 50 I think.

Not today.  Today it was 12 when I left.  Good times.

Anyway.  I've missed you all.  And here's what you've missed. :)

**Went to dinner with friends the first night of my vacation.  Had three-four martinis.  Talked about myself in third person.

**Went to Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier with the kids.  So much fun.   Will be more fun when the kids are a bit older but we still managed to have THIS MUCH FUN:

Christmas Eve.  First, here's Maggie in her adorable "russian" coat.

**I got Maggie dressed first and PJ saw her and said "Maggie, you look cute!" then took her hand, lead her to the couch and said "Cheese mama!"  The result:



We went to my parents.  Of course, there's not much we can get my mom, so I emailed a bunch of her friends and former co-workers and asked them to write letters to her talking about the fun times they had.  I put all the letters in a scrapbook.  She of course cried, but I have been told she has now read all the letters and loves it.  John and I also wrote one.

Then we  had Christmas Eve with John's mom in her trailer.  Yes trailer.  As in trailer park.  We'll save that post for another day.   It went surprisngly well, except for the fact my MIL will not stop saying shit about Maggie being too attached to me. 

The girl is in a clingy stage, and she also never sees you.  Maybe if you saw your grandkids more often.  Some gems:

**You're NOT going by your mother (while taking her out of my line of sight, which of course makes Mags scream hysterically).

**You really have to cut off this connection between you and Maggie.  It's ridiculous.

**You mom has to go and ruin everything (by saying good-bye when I was leaving the other day and she was babysitting).

And variations of this.  I'm about to rip her eyes out.

Oh and she bought my almost three year old that Go Fish game.  You know the game with about 50 little fish who's mouths open and close?  WHO DOES THAT???

Christmas morning went awesome.  Kids loved all their toys.  I got a KINECT!! For the Xbox.  John was all worried I wouldn't like it, but I love it.  Except my arms are so fricking sore today I don't even know what to do with myself.

I also got jewely.  Boy knows better, okay??

The rest of our vacation was a lot of just hanging out around the house, seeing some friends, etc.  It sucks to be back at work.  I'd stay home everyday if I could.  :)

Oh and can I just say?  I am ready for all the tv shows to come back.  Good lord.



Is there anybody out there?

So I've been off for 11 days and I have thoroughly enjoyed spending the majority of it with my loves.  So I haven't blogged.

However, tomorrow I must go back to work so I will be back to blogging.

I will probably not be able to catch up on all the blog posts I missed.

If you got something you know I'd love, please direct me to it and I will definitely read it.

Otherwise, I'm back in effect tomorrow.

Love you all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!