Yes, I'm back - albeit, a little tired and missing a few more brain cells than usual - and you'll have to excuse the mess. This is the first time I've sat down in days - seriously, first thing I did was get back from BlogHer, sleep for 4 hours and then take the kids to Six Flags, because I was away from home...FOR FOUR DAYS...alone, and without them, and the summer's almost over, and they, you know, haven't had ANY fun, yet - and I still haven't unpacked, blogged or, anything. Family comes first, yes? My BIL is visiting... Read more →

My sister-in-law flew in from Arizona - and boy, are her arms...uh, never mind - she's moved into Casa de Mucho Hormonal, already and is staying with us for while, anyway. So, in my infinite wisdom, I thought it would be an absolutely fan-TAS-tic idea to surprise her parents (a.k.a. the inlaws) on our way home from the farmer's market. "Atwhay ouldshay eway ingbray?" Huh? "Orfay essertday!?!" Well, it finally happened - I thought - I've finally gone and lost my mind and could NOT understand a word she was saying, or they're just plain talking crazy, in Arizona! "DESSERT...what... Read more →

In less than a week, I am about to embark on one of the greatest adventures of my life - since becoming a mom, anyway - and I'm excited to be able to attend this year's BlogHer Conference in Chicago, where I hope to have the pleasure of finally getting together with some of the bloggiest...mommies...I've been reading...for a long time...and who I am dying to meet...face-to-face! They've allowed me to escape into a private little world - though, quite undeservedly named and rather unpleasant to the ear - blogging has simply become a refuge from, you know, the average,... Read more →

Though, I don't know if I believe in angels, I am pretty sure there's a special place - especially, reserved for tired and wigged-out old mommies and daddies, like us - and perhaps most parents would agree. After years of raising kids and killer dust bunnies, it's sort of, you know, hard to find the magic. [wink, wink] You know what I'm saying? [nudge, nudge] Say no more. Are they gone, yet? Okay - we don't want to scare the straights, or anything - but, here's the thing, my husband and I are coming up on our 17th wedding anniversary... Read more →

Thing Two had her 11-year-well-visit, today - okay, so we're 6 months late, again - and I guess the main reason we've been putting it off so long is... [shivers] I absolutely HATE needles. [burps in mouth, a little] . Always have, always will. Taking my kids for their shots is never easy and I think most parents would tend to agree with me on this point (no pun intended) but, insisting that they go through something as traumatic and unpleasant as, GULP, getting a shot in the arm with a very sharp object...well, it's painful! Taking care of sick... Read more →

[...exercising a vested interest in spawning fear since 1993] Having been raised in a very superstitious household - where spilled salt and broken mirrors were considered unfavorable signs of bad things to come - and being a very clumsy child, I was a cause of deep concern for my family and often times found myself the subject to one of my grandmother's homemade remedies, or lucky charms. Did they work? Depends on who you ask - especially, whenever things finally went right - my grandmother swears it did and growing up, I was scared to death that lightening would strike... Read more →

It's 10 p.m. - do you know where your children are?!? [shakes head in disgust] In bed, hopefully - unlike mine, who are STILL awake! - but, it's been a stormy night and the hubs is holed up at work, because, apparently, lightening struck and fried the bank. [blank stare] Seriously, the tubes in the drive-thru were flying in and out of the tube-flinging thing and all h...e...double hockey sticks broke out and the kids won't go to sleep, unless I provide them proof that their father is indeed alive and well and not looking like a crispy critter. Silence.... Read more →