Kimmy-girl

I met Kimberly off the school bus today and as we were walking home she said, "My tooth is still in my mouth...I haven't lost it yet."

I exclaimed, "Do you have a loose tooth?"

"Yeah!" The way she said was like 'Mom...this news is like soooooo 4 hours ago!'

I started shrieking and clapping and crying and I guess my enthusiasm was infectious because this big ear to ear grin started to spread across her face. She proudly showed me her teensy tiny wiggly baby tooth (lower right incisor. well, are incisors on the bottom of your mouth too?). She called Daddy and when he answered the phone she said, "Daddy I have something really exciting to tell you...my tooth is loose!" After talking to him for a few minutes, she also called the grandparents on both sides and Miss Patty.

sniff. My baby's losing her baby teeth. This is just another indicator that she is growing up as she should. It is bittersweet. I'm so proud of her for this young lady that she is growing into. whaaaaa!

Okay, onto important business. What is the going rate for teeth these days? We are already talking about the tooth fairy. Kimberly thinks that she is too small to open an envelope, so we need to find something else to put the tooth in when it comes out. She also wanted to know if the tooth fairy is watching her. LOL at the thought of my daughter mentally guarding her loose tooth from a little stalking tooth swiping fairy! Do you think that it should be a dollar for the first tooth, two dollars for the second tooth etc? That might get confusing. Also, I probably got around a dollar per tooth when I was little. With inflation what would that amount to these days? Any ideas would be appreciated!

Note to self...

...get a flu shot next year.

I usually never get them because I've not had the respitory flu in more years than I can count. But this hurts.

I missed going to temple with my friend again. Damn you fever, body aches and chills! :( I'm bummed out. I'll go next friday for sure. Or at least it is a tentative yes. These last two weeks have surprised me so who knows what will happen in the next 4 days.

Okay since I have been staring at this blank screen for 5 minutes, I guess I have nothing more to say. Damn flu meds make my mind hazy. Oh wait! Here is a short story...

A baby calf.....that's half
Went in the stall......that's all.

:D

Fighting fair

I have turned into a mean troll. Last night Jeff offered to make spaghetti because I'm in the throes of the flu from hell. He started getting 'fancy'. This means he added chicken, ground turkey and fucking pinto beans to it. and cheese and cream of mushroom soup. WTF?

I threw a fit and started bitching at him. It ended with me yelling, "Eat a dick!"

His reply? "That's your job."

Ha ha, he can always make me laugh...even in an angry twisted way.

The secret of a happy marriage? Keep your fights clean and your sex dirty. :) Peace

I think I have the flu

Yesterday I had chills and could not get warm. Last night my fever and body aches started. I think I have the flu. My fever is low though so I am assuming that I'm fighting it pretty well. Jeff calls me Typhoid Mary because usually everyone around me will be sick and I will be fine. Not this time apparently. Kennen had a flu shot this year and Kimberly has a pretty strong immune system...damn she better have a strong immune system after I nursed her for 21 months! Oh wait, you know what? She did get a flu shot! I vividly remember having to hold her down while she screamed and tried to fight us off. To those of you with babies that feel terrible every time you need to get the scheduled shots, just remember that it gets worse at they get older. :D

I'm pissed because I never get sick. Damn airplane ride! I was thinking about going and getting some tamiflu but I read that the antivirals will shorten the duration of the flu by only 1 day and that if you are a healthy adult then it really isn't necessary. I'm gonna save my money. Tamiflu is expensive! $114 before insurance and I think my insurance pays like 30% so yeah...I would rather buy a bucket of paint or material to make curtains!

It's all about priorities...

:D

Doesn't anything stay the same?

I have sad news. Well, sad to me...sad to the people of Mesa, AZ...sad to Sara.

Matta's on Main street in Mesa closed this past weekend. I swear it's the best Mexican food on the planet. Or at least the best that this girl has ever tasted. When I was there this weekend, my bestest friend Tanya made it a point to take me there to say goodbye to an amazing green chile pork chimichanga that goes by the name of 'Sandy's Special'. I have been going to Matta's for about 20 years and I think I have gotten the sandy's special every.single.time. It's that fucking good. I raved about it so much that I convinced 3 other people at the table to try it also. Cuz I'm cool like that. When I asked Tony what he thought of it he said, "It's bomb."

Hellz yeah it's bomb! There is this one waitress that I remember, and those of you that have been to Matta's anytime in the last 18 years quite possible had her as your waitress too. She's polish and has the same thick accent that my grandparents have. I remember beign a little kid eating there with my Mom and my brother. One time I was crying and she came up to the table and said, "Is your brother being mean to you?" I tearfully nodded my head and said, "Yes he is!" Then my exasperated brother hollered, "No I'm not being mean to her!" Okay maybe he wasn't being mean to me that particular moment but I'm thinking that she also has an older brother and how they can be, ha ha! And I of course didn't waste an opprotunity to get a little sympathy.

The good news is that Matta's grill on Higley and Brown (aka a stones throw from my moms house) is still open so I can still get my fix there. I also checked out their website and you can buy their hot sauce by the case! If you ever want to buy me a present, that would be a good one! There are also whispers of them opening a new restaurant at Tempe town lake. That would be bomb.

Here are me and my friends with my favorite waitress who has worked there for 18 years!

I'm back

I have so much to say, but I can't get it out. I flew into AZ on Thursday morning and spent the afternoon with my grandmother and my cousins. I watched her process the fact that her husband of 66 years was dead. They are from Poland and even though she is a 91 year old woman, she still has so much innocence about her. I think that he shielded her from the world. She seemed like a broken little child for the most part, but I am surprised and relieved that she had moments of strength and clarity. She wants to stay in her house. I'm not sure how that is going to work because she cannot drive and she was refusing to eat or drink anything.

I offered to stay with her one night, but she told me, "It's okay! I'm not afraid of ghosts."

Um. I kind of meant to lean a shoulder to cry on and to make sure she had some dinner, but I'm glad that she has some fight left in her.

The wake on thursday and the mass on friday morning both left me completely mentally and emotionally drained. I want to write more about it, but I just don't want to go there.

Thank goodness I have my girls in AZ that took me out on Friday night! :D I'm still waiting for them to send pictures so I can post about that. Ahem...you hear that Tanya? Where's my damn pictures? I spent the rest of my time there with family. I love my cousin Ashley to pieces and it's really sad to know that our kids are growing up without knowing each other.

This trip really reminded me of the wealth of people that love me back in my hometown. For the first time I have really wanted to move back. I told Jeff and he was annoyed. We have so much here and do I really want to mess up a good thing? I guess that I am just going to have to settle for visiting more often. It has been way too long...the last time I was there was June of 2006. I am thinking of bringing the kids out during spring break. We shall see...

Oh, and the most important thing happened while I was in Arizona! Jeff and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary! We were 3 states apart, so we had to settle for phone sex...


kidding...

:D

Going to AZ

:(

My mom called me last night and told me that my grandpa died.

My heart is broken.

He walked me down the aisle when I got married. When the minister asked 'Who gives this woman to this man," my grandpa answered in his thick Polish accent, "I do."

He fed me kielbasa and rye bread when I went to their house.

He called me Stacia (pronounced Stah-sha...not Stay-sha) instead of Stella as a pet name because I was named after his mother.

He always made Jeff drink a Rolling Rock beer whenever we visited. He wouldn't take no for an answer.

Whenever I was there, he would have me program phone numbers into his cell phone for him.

He would say all kinds of non-politically correct things in only the way a very old man would. "Those Mexicans are clannish! When I moved to America from Poland, I learned English! We spoke Polish at home but English out of the home. We didn't expect America to learn Polish! If that's what I wanted, then I would have moved back to Poland!" Touche' grandpa.

I am flying out in the morning. Jeff is taking a few days off work to play Mr. Mom.

Note to self...buy waterproof mascara.

Psst...

Hi!

I just found this website and I am obsessed.

www.theshapeofamother.com

Ch-check it out!

Shalome!

Yesterday a lady that i met over the summer showed up at my door. Our daughters are in kindergarten together and Kim went to her birthday party a few weeks ago. This woman and I also have little boys that are the same age. I really like her and have wanted to become better friends with her but she is a teacher so our schedules are conflicting.

Anyway, she came over yesterday and my house was a MESS! Gah! She has stopped by unannounced about 4 other times and I have always invited her in but she has always declined saying that she needed to get home. Any of those times would have been a great first impression. But this time, OMG.

Let me set the stage for you. The kids found all their artwork from this school year and it looked like they both grabbed huge stacks and thew them up in the air and then left them where they fell. I slept in (I actually had only gotten 3 hours of sleep that night but that is a different story!) so Kimberly had served up a bag of chips for breakfast and there were chips and crumbs everywhere! Like dumped out on the floor and then the kids did the riverdance on them. About 3 pairs of shoes from each family member where all over the floor. dust bunnies. dirty dishes. Laundry monster pile waiting to be folded. Mangy ass dog barking. Toilet plugged up. Please God don't let her ask to use the bathroom. Leftover bowls of something left on the breakfast table. Stairs littered with toys. Kennen was in his jammies. Jammies covered in cheeto dust. I'm glad that Kim can dress herself and put her hair in a ponytail. Oh and I'm so glad that I blow dried my hair and put on makeup.

So anyway I told her, "My house couldn't possibly be messier, but come on in!" Cuz that's how I roll. :D

Anyway, she came over because she wants me to go to Shabbat with her. That right, jew church on Friday nights at sundown. She and I are in the same position. Married to jewish guys. Jewish guy refuses to go because they know that it is expensive to join a temple. She is a brave soul though and has been taking her daughter every Friday night for a few weeks now. And she asked me if I would come with them next week! I'm excited! I really have a lot of respect for the jewish religion. It is very practical. Even the way they shake you down for money. They don't give you a bunch of ballyhoo by saying, "A good person gives 20% and a soul damned to hell gives nothing," (an exaggeration I know but just keep reading). Instead they say, "How else are we going to pay for this temple you and your family have been enjoying? Here is your bill". I appreciate that honesty. I also have not fed the spiritual part of my life for many many years now. I am excited to go and pray and listen to a person talk about something bigger than me.

Anyway, the kids all ran around playing for about 30 minutes while this mom and I talked. She is so funny we get along really well. Plus she saw my dirty house and didn't flinch when I told her I was hung over and sleep deprived. It can only get better from here right?

Man child

Kennen pees standing up now. This might not seem like 'news' but when you don't have a penis (like me) and you have not been the one to show your son how to lift the toilet seat, it's pretty fucking hilarious to watch him pull down the front of his pants, aim and fire! Then at the end of every 'event' he says, "Shake it off," as he...ahem...shakes it off.

Then there was that day that I sent the kids outside to play and I was sipping my coffee and watching out the window when I nearly choked. He was running and then stopped, whipped it out and peed. Shake it off. Tuck it back in. Run and play 'Monster Hannah' with Kim and the dog.

Every day I love them just a little bit more. :D

4?

I was just on myspace and I saw a bulletin from a girl I used to know when I lived in Illinois. She had 2 kids when I lived there a little over 2 years ago, but now she is expecting her fourth child any day now.

I kind of cringed at first but honestly I am jealous. I know I could physically have 4 kids if I wanted too but I am too scared to make that choice. I am jealous of her faith that everything is going to be just fine...even if she and her husband are doubly outnumbered.

3 would be my ultimate maximum. Oh, and what would a new baby do to Kennen? I like him the way he is now. Completely confident of his rank in the family. Kimberly has gotten over her bitterness of her little brother the interloper. He would be 3 1/2 or 4 by the time a baby would arrive.

Argh, this is crazy talk. No.More.Babies Stella! I'm in the home stretch. Kennen is potty trained day and night. 2 more years, he will be in school full time. I could get a job. We could actually have disposable income. Honestly I think I am too selfish to have another one. I only want that sweet baby. Once they are 2 I start pushing them to be independant and out of my hair. I have a boy and a girl. A perfectly matched set.

Go away baby fever!

Random...

I hate to say it but the holiday snacking has caught up with me. I put on my fat jeans the other day and they were tight. Oh Snap! :D

It's okay though. I have a bike that my old neighbor gave me before she moved (halloooooo! Lisa...do you read my blog still? I miss you girl!) and I pumped up the tires and gave it a whirl.

Biking is really fun! We have great biking trails close to my house, and aside from them being thickly wooded and a good place to hide a body, it is a very pretty and serene ride. The only bad part is that I've been told by someone that I look like a giraffe on wheels. LOL, okay she didn't say that but she saw me riding when she drove by and was like, 'whoa she's tall!' sigh.

No I don't play basketball in case you were wondering. :D

Hmmm, what else. Oh, Kennen and his talking are making me proud! Just now he came walking out of his room holding a toolbox full a tools and said, "I'm not tired anymore." Um, dude...I tucked you in for the night! This isn't catnap time, it's bedtime! Ah well, he is charming and I will let my let my kids get away with a lot as long as they are charming. I get away with a lot because I'm charming. I think it's a good trait to learn. I'm totally kidding. sort of.

Oh, and here is the bestest news of the New Year! I'm going to Disneyworld! Woo Hoo! Thank you in-laws! I know that my in laws really just want to take kids there but know that Kimberly and Kennens pesky parents are sticklers about shipping the kids off to a different state. I'm a B-list vacationee, but whatevs! I'm going to disneyworld!

I do love my in-laws dearly and they love me too, but c'mon. They don't fly out every 6 weeks to visit me. How do I know this? Oh, um...pictures like this pop up every once in awhile. Notice the body with the chopped off head? That's me. My body made it into this shot because it is the vessel that delivered the grandchildren to a wonderful set of newly retired grandparents. But my face? My eyes? The window to my soul? Not so much.

p.s. Isn't my son a stud?

Now my new goal is to make sure that Kimberly has plenty of princess dresses to wear to the magic kingdom.

Humble Pie...it's delicious!

Tonight I was walking with a neighbor to go get Kimberly from playing at her friends house. As we were walking she looked at Kennen and commented on how cute he is. This is when I gushed that he was really being a sweet little guy lately and how Kimberly was at a very easy stage too. Normally it seems like they are either both being awful at the same time, or one of the two is stressing me out. But right now, I am just really enjoying both of them.

Um, yeah these are not words I should have spoken. :D At least if there is no wood to knock on.

I sat and chatted with Patty while the kids played outside. Kim started crying her 'devastated because the world is so unfair' cry. I went outside and Kim was bawling because she and a boy both wanted the same truck. Ugh, normally they just figure these things out themselves but she was hysterical so I told her she was too tired to play and that it was time to go. Then I made the mistake of saying it was time for a shower (aka Mommy's new torture device...Kimmy prefers baths) and bed. She we completely batshit crazy! Crying 'I want to play with my friends', and 'It's not dark out, I can't go to sleep yet', and 'I don't want to take a shower'. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Lord please give me strength.

Didn't I just say to my neighbor two minutes ago how easy and pleasant my children were being? Yes humble pie is delicious. She just raised her eyebrow at me and I walked my screaming kindergartener to the door. Ugh, I hate that look. The one that says, "That child needs to be beaten!". Yes, it's okay to beat your kids in Texas apparently. Yee haw.

*I just wanted to add that during all of this chaos, I didn't feel like taking the 60 seconds to put Kennens shoes on. Kennen is all about being orderly and tidy, and when you go outside, you put on your goddamn shoes. Long story short is that I didn't put his shoes on for him and he also screamed the whole way home. Again...Lord give me strength.*

I got her home and showered without loosing my shit. I got her in her jammies and talked to her about the whole ordeal and she apologized for 'Not having dignity for myself and respect for others.' Hee hee ha ha. I love making little kids say big words. It is the small amusement that I had this evening. I got Kennen showered and jammied before I sent them downstairs to eat dinner with Daddy.

After the tag team Mommy to Daddy switch I had to get out of the house. I treated myself to something that nobody in the house is interested in eating...A greek salad, chocolate truffle cake and a bottle of red wine.

I'm calm now. I'm glad I kept my emotions in check. I'm just praying that it will rub off my my Kimmy-girl drama queen. Oh, want to know the best news? School starts in 2 more days! Woo hoo! Yay for structure and discipline that isn't administered by me!

Who loves her Wii?

Mii!

This thing is so much fun! The sports game that it comes with is really fun and my triceps are actually a little sore from playing baseball. Boxing just plain wears me out. Golf is more my game.

Jeff is really into the Harry Potter game. Meh...I think it's kind of boring after just a few hours. Yes hours. Time flies when you are playing Wii. It's fun to wave the controller like a wand and stuff but it's more of an adventure game and apparently I like more action.

I did look online for the reviews on the different Mario Bros games. Super Mario Galaxy seemed to be 'the' Mario game to have so I picked that up from my friendly neighborhood Walmart. :) Let me tell you...that game is super-cali-fragi-fucking-awesome! You are hurtled through space from planet to planet to collect jems, coins, pieces of broken stars and then at the end of each planet, you slay a monster. There are like 3 planets in each solar system, 3 or more solar systems in each galaxy, and then 8 galaxies. The first person to tell me how many planets/levels there are in that equation get...a pat on the back. :D

It's so fun because you have 2 controllers and you hold the nunchuck in the left hand and you use the thumb sized joystick on that to move, and the controller in your right hand is used to jump or spin and aims your lazer to collect jems. Its very interactive and so fun. Each planet is a big round ball (with very good gravity) and not flat and sometimes you are upsidedown shooting gems at your opponent...omg wicked awesome. The graphics excellent and they play mario music. Granted now it has grown up into an orchestra rendition, but you can still hear that old familiar song.

The good thing about Wii is that it entertains everybody in the family. The bad thing about Wii is that, um...I didnt get much done today. McDonalds, Walmart, Wii, dinner, Wii, blog...and probably Wii again if I can get the Wii controller out of Jeffs hands...Expelliarmus!

I did a very bad thing.

Or maybe a good thing. Or maybe a very very good thing. I went to Target today to exchange my meat thermometer. (Oh crap! Patty, have I given you back your meat thermometer?). Anyway, I had my mil pick one up for me at the store but she got one that I can't leave in the meat while it is cooking so I was going to exchange it.

I was standing in line at customer service and there was a little old lady RETURNING a Wii! I'm assuming that since she is a little old lady that she didn't know that she could sell it on ebay and make some money! I am a well programmed little consumer and I just could not NOT buy that Wii. At first I was thinking I could just sell it on ebay and make some money. Then I looked and I would only make $50-$70 if I turned around and sold it right now. And that would be worth it...except for one thing. I want it. I like it. I'm good at Wii golf. And I scored a 171 on Wii bowling at Kelly's house.

Reason number two is that I told Kim that we cant play Wii until she cleans the living room. Like really cleaned. Put things away. Sweep the floor. Shoes in the closet. Dishes in the dishwasher. And you know what? She did it. My living room is clean, she is sweeping as we speak and Kennen is at the ready with the dust pan.

This is just another lesson in never say never. I've alway hated video games since my brother traumatized me as a child by making me watch him play for hours on end...hoping his Mario would die so my Luigi would get a turn. Oh, and since it's Nintendo they have a Mario Brothers Game!

p.s. I forgot to buy a new meat thermometer.

Happy New Year Everybody!

What is it about January 1st that feels so shiny and clean? It's like we get this gift of a fresh start every year. I feel energized and excited about 2008! I am thinking it is going to be a really great year. My resolution? Hmmmm, that is a tough one. I have a lot of things I can change, but I almost am afraid to choose one because I don't want to fuck it up. New years resolutions are notorius for being thrown to the wayside a few weeks into the new year. This is probably the busy season for Gym memberships across the country. Ironically enough, Jeff is about to join the flippin gym. I personally think it is the biggest waste of money since he has a weight set and plenty of jogging trails right in our neighborhood, but whatever. He can make that decision himself.

Speaking of jogging, Jeff and I took advantage of my in-laws watching the kids and we went for a quick run/walk this morning. I now see the value in hiring a nanny. :) Ahhhh, in another life huh? We also went and saw I Am Legend this week, which was friggin awesome! I love my in-laws. There is nobody in the world that loves my kids the way they do. I was talking to them earlier today and I said that they are such a gift to us. I also told them that when Kimberly was little, I used to try to do everything and I didn't accept their help. I didn't want them to think I was a slacker or something. Now though, I jokingly told them that I am just getting in the way if I try and take over while they are enjoying the kids. They laughed because they know it's true...they prefer to watch the kids alone so that they don't have to adhere to Mommy's rules. :)

Last night was off the hook! We went to Patty's and she and Dr. N really outdid themselves. It was the most fun I had in a very long time and it was a great way to start the new year. :) Pictures were taken, but not by me so I will post some after I steal them from different peoples flickr accounts :).

Oh, I guess I need to officially choose my resolution, so I guess it will be...ummmm....Oh, I will get back on the flylady.com system. When I actually followed her steps my house was clean all the time, and my laundry was always done and folded. And I am going to do it right and start with the first step and work my way up so that I don't crash and burn by trying to do too much at once. So there it is. Boring but I feel like a much more peaceful person when I know that there isn't a laundry monster gnashing it's teeth at me.

So what are your resolutions y'all?