Too Much Perfection?

Where the hell did you come from?

Seriously. February already? For 14 more days we'll be plagued by aisles and aisles of crimson cellophane-wrapped hearts filled with scrumptious candy that is enough to buckle the knees of even the most stoic Jenny Craig or Weight Watcher's advocate. And I love it.

Mmmm... that creme filled goodness brought to you courtesy of Russell Stover. Pure bliss.

Damn. Now I'm hungry. For chocolatey goodness.

This is exciting. I cannot tell you what a rare find this is. It is amazing. I'd like to present to you something that the human world has never seen before...

In their natural habitat, my entire family, all together, posing for a camera...

Christmas morning began at our house with way too many presents! Santa left the wutz an ATV and some toys from the movie Cars. He was so excited he ran right past the ATV, he didn't even see it!

Yeah, yeah, I know... but I'm still playing catch up.

On Christmas eve, the wutz woke up to the last visit from Jingle (original name, I know). Jingle is our Elf on a Shelf. He'd been causing trouble every night for weeks, but on his last night in our home he brought a little present that was left hanging on the bedroom door. The present was a ton of party favors that the wutz is absolutely in love with. Fortunately, they weren't noisemakers. Yay Jingle!


After we got home from the Santa Fly In, the wutz was allowed to open his Christmas Eve present. He had been eyeing this shiny green package that his Granny wrapped for well over a month. When he finally tore into it, he discovered a light up music box with an animated train.


And I couldn't wrap up Christmas eve without displaying the cute sweater that the wutz was forced to wear. He looks just thrilled with it, doesn't he?

Since I am still playing catch-up, I would kick myself if I failed to post about the annual Santa Fly In, since I've posted about it every year!

This year we got the opportunity to fly in the plane with Santa and Mrs. Claus. We did it when the wutz was a baby but he had a cold last year so we declined the offer. The wutz was so excited to fly with Santa. He loves Santa, of course, but he reeeeaaaaalllllyyyy loves planes. Typical boy. You may remember pictures from last year's Fly In of him in Santa's lap, pointing toward the plane when Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Yeah. That's my boy.

So this year he was excited to fly! At first he didn't want to sit near Santa, but after about 60 seconds he changed his mind and parked himself directly in front of Santa. They proceeded to converse for the entire 30 or 45 minute flight. It was great and the weather was perfect for flying!








It was very cool to see all the people waiting for Santa as we did our fly-by!

2009 was an interesting year. It was full of ups and downs. With DH out of work for nearly nine months, it was a very scary time. However, we survived it and as of right now we are truly no worse for wear.

The wutz continues to grow like a weed and he's the brightest fella ever (gotta love a mother's perspective!) and he continues to be the light of my life.

Life is good going into 2010 and I hope it only improves.

My intent is to return to this blog once more and become more frequent in my posts. I would love to accomplish another round of 365, so we'll see!


Happy New Year!

For weeks now, the wutz's school has been practicing for the Christmas program. Over and over. Bless them, they have worked so hard for this program. The wutz has been singing the songs nonstop. He'll be playing, then suddenly he'll burst out in song - a Christmas song, of course. You likely saw the video I posted of him singing "The Chubby Little Snowman" which is one of the songs they have been practicing.

During practice, my dear child was the loudest and the most boisterous of the entire school, according to the teachers. So that's why I was so surprised when Friday, after waiting for over an hour to make sure I had a good seat, as the Christmas program began, my child came down the aisle with his face as bright as his red pajamas he was wearing. Tears of pure terror streaked his cherub cheeks.

Ut oh.

As soon as he saw me, he ran up to me and I kissed his cheek and whispered he'd be okay. I gave him a loving shove down the aisle, then he suddenly collapsed to the ground. Face first. So there my crying child was. In the aisle as if he'd been struck down and laid out in the Spirit or something, until the teacher ran and picked him up and carried to his seat, where I could hear him crying that he wanted his Mommy.

Awwwwww.

Finally it was his class' turn for their two songs. I waited eagerly to see if he had calmed. But, alas, I did not see my dear child. I looked over each child standing there on the risers. No wutz. Then I leaaaaannnnned over in the pew so I could see down the aisle to the front of the church and what I saw, I shall never forget:

My child, my dear, darling child... was army crawling down the center aisle searching desperately for me. He would raise up at each pew looking for me. Then he finally found me and he scrambled on my lap. Where he proceeded to whisper/sing each and every song in my ear as we watched the rest of the Christmas program from the pew.

*sigh*

Yesterday, we took the wutz to Granny and PopPop's house so we could sneak off and make our annual Christmas toy run. The wutz, as always, was delighted to be able to spend some time with my parents. He adores them, of course, as they do him. So while he got to eat way too much sugar, we trekked to Tallahassee to enter the bowels of hell, otherwise known as Toys R Us.

On approach to the parking lot there were cars lined up waiting for vacant parking spots. Not a good sign. We bypassed as much of the traffic as possible by veering straight to the back of the parking lot because it is easier to hoof it than wait for some idiot to back up and depart.

Upon entrance to purgatory, we were greeted by a line of customers that literally wound around the inside of the store. Damn. After a few moments' panic, we realized that said crazies were in line for Zhu Zhu pets. Hahaha! I already have three of those suckers! So we marched into the frey and began our shopping. We impatiently waited for people blocking us left and right to decide on their purchases and continue on so we could get the things we needed and get the hell outta there. Finally we did. But not before I passed an employee clutching extra Zhu Zhu pet tickets. So I asked him for one, he handed it to me, and I purchased it for $9. No waiting in line required. Take that, suckers!

After we left purgatory, we drove to the outskirts of the city to a restaurant I'd been dying to try. Once we arrived at Z Bardhi's, we realized they didn't open until 5pm. It was 4. But the owner saw us approaching and he quickly unlocked the door and ushered us inside. The waiter asked if we minded waiting about 10 minutes over drinks while they got everything fired up so they could serve us. Of course we didn't mind a bit. We didn't even have to wait that long and we had the entire place to ourselves. The house salad was delicious and the lasagna was even better. But the bread was the best ever, soft and crispy all at the same time. Heaven. I can't speak highly enough of the place and I cannot wait to dine there again.

After leaving a substantial tip, we departed and made our way back to the parents' house to pick up the wutz. But once we got there he refused to leave. R e f u s e d. Why? Because his cousin Michael was there! He wanted to stay and play with his cool cousin. After trying for way too long to persuade him to come home with us, we finally caved and told him he could stay. It was to be his first night away and I was fully prepared for a 3am phone call from a crying kiddo to come pick him up. I am happy to report the call never came! He finally called at 8:30am to tell me he was ready to come home. And by the time we arrived, he'd changed his mind!

So, we all survived not only a harrowing shopping experience, but also the wutz's first night away from home!

I've no idea how to rotate videos, I'm impressed with myself for managing to upload it off my phone, so my apologies.



Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

The wutz decided over a month ago that he wanted to be Thomas the Tank Engine for Halloween. I was saddened that he picked out a cheap costume from Target instead of some of the uber-cute costumes I'd found online, though. Apparently he's grown out of the stage where I can use him as my dress-up doll. *sniffle*

So tonight we dressed him up in his little costume and took him first to Grandma's house, where she gave him a handpainted cauldron of treats. Inside the cauldron was a toy tractor and trailer. Wutz bliss in a cardboard box.

Next we drove to town and went to Granny and PopPop's house. There he got an entire bag of chocolate and another toy package that contained a truck, tractor, and trailer. He was thrilled to death and immediately started playing with his loot.

Finally it got dark enough to go Trick or Treating. We went to the Polo Grounds because they close off the streets so vehicles cannot drive through. It is very crowded with children, so it really makes it a lot of fun. Except for the handful of snotty kids with zero manners that I want to bop in the head with the wutz's treat pail. And I did it several times in my head, too. It made me feel a little better. But I digress...

After the first house, the wutz realized something was very wrong. We walked up to the second house and he stepped closer to the steps and the lady handing out candy. He hesitated. Then he leaned forward and looked into the basket containing oodles and oodles of candy. When he realized there really was no tractors in the basket he shook his head and turned around to leave. Fortunately, the lady had no clue why he stepped back and turned, so I eased in quickly and steered his shoulders so he had to accept the candy in a quasi-polite manner.

Back on the street we had to have a brief little talk about what Trick or Treating is really supposed to be about. Fortunately, he got the hang of it and ended up having a great time.

I wish everyone a wonderful Fourth of July. Please have a safe and happy holiday!

Yesterday, DH and I had a wonderful day. My sister and my brother-in-law babysat the wutz and DH and I went to Tallahassee to go to a movie. We saw Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. It was pretty much a chick flick, so I enjoyed it, but DH claimed he did also, so that was good. After the movie we went to the Olive Garden and ate a wonderful early dinner. It was nice to sit down and enjoy an adult meal for once.

After dinner, though, we doubled back down Monroe Street and DH drove me to Bink's. Binks is a piercing place. It isn't one of those tattto-slash-piercing joints. It is exclusively piercing and the guy that owns it is a registered nurse. Or so the sign says. *heh*

We hopped out of Notta and went inside. We were met by Bink's apprentice, Marina. I chose the jewelry I wanted, filled out the paperwork and paid the fee to get my new piercing. Then Marina showed me into the room and I hopped up onto the table, which was basically the same table my gynocologist uses. Not a good sign.

I watched her as she took out the sterile equiptment, peeling open the wrapping on each tool and placing them on the metal tray beside me. I think this was about the time my heart started flying out of my chest because it was beating so crazily!

Then I made a mistake. I glanced over to the tray. The needle looked freaking huge. HUGE.

I stayed strong, though. I resisted my fight or flight instincts which were screaming inside my skull: Run. Run. RUN!

After Marina explained the process and made a mark for my approval she then inserted the metal stopper and told me to close my eyes if I needed. Then she told me to take a deep breath. I think I'd forgotten how to breathe. Seriously. But I finally remembered and I pulled in half a breath of air into my lungs when the needle sunk into my skin and completely pierced my nostril. In one swift movement Marina, the piercing goddess, had impaled me with the needle and threaded the tiny opal piercing into place.

It was surprisingly easy! And it really didn't hurt badly. It literally felt like a bee sting.

Now, a day later, I can definitely say I love it! I am glad I did it. Hopefully I won't get fired over it!

My parents saw it today, thanks to the Princess. She made sure they noticed it before we left for brunch. I made it through an entire meal without anyone noticing. It wasn't until we were in the parking lot preparing to leave that they noticed. And that was only because she kept clearing her throat and making gestures to her own nose. It was obvious she wanted them to notice something.

And they did.

The reaction and look on my mom's face was priceless. And hysterical. About 10 emotions washed over her face in the time it took her jaw to hit the pavement. My Dad muttered and told DH he should have put his foot down. Typical! DH didn't tell him that he thinks it is sexy, though. I guess that wouldn't have been the moment to say something like that anyways.

Fortunately, by the time we returned to my parents' house, they seemed to be over it. It wasn't really mentioned again. Thank goodness!

So now, without further ado...

My new piercing:



Please pardon the fact that I just got out of the shower and haven't a lick of makeup on.