Excitement times 10.

view from the marina

the hotel's pool and beach access across the street!

YAY! In a little over 2 weeks, my husband and neglected best friend will finally be getting away for the honeymoon we never had. I can't even begin to describe how absolutely excited I am for this get-away as the ever so taxing (haha) dreadful, depressing, time known as tax season is looming in the not-so-distant future. How wonderful it will be to wake up to the sound of nothing. Oh, how I/We NEED this. This will be the first time since we got married that we have gone away for multiple nights in a row and a plane ride away. I know I am going to miss those little faces, but in the meantime I can drown my sadness away while laying in the sun on the sandy beaches of Treasure Island, Florida. Sorry if I am making you jealous!!

In other news, the hubs and I went to our first Eagles game in two years last night. Holy crap, it was freezing. It's hard to believe that 2 weeks ago, I was cursing the warm, humid weather for bringing back the ants in our kitchen. Ben and I played it safe and decided not to tailgate and lo and behold, I made it through the whole game without taking a nap, lol. Yeaaa, tailgating is not my best friend. I'm just happy the Eagles won, and I got to spend more uninterrupted time with my hubby... too much rushing around and missing each other reeks havoc on a relationship. Wow, and I just realized that Ben and I will be celebrating our "original" anniversary on November 25th... in sunny Florida, to boot. Lucky number 7 years together!

In the meantime, I just have to keep trekking along. Nathan was sick with croup last week, Ollie is getting sick currently, and I can only hope that Ben and I do not get sick next. The rest of the year is going to fly by now... Nathan is going to be 4 soon (omg) and Christmas is only 6 weeks and 5 days away... ahhh! I hope this year we can make it up to NYC to see the tree. OK, I'm rambling now. Off to go clean this mess of a house. Peace!

Drawing a blank.

It's amazing how fleeting my mind can be sometimes. It's been a week since my last post and I know I have had a lot of things on my mind since then, but absolutely nothing is coming to mind right now. That's what happens to me when I find a lull in my day. I am so used to the hustle bustle of everyday living, that when I actually find a moment of solitude and quiet, I have no idea what to do with it. I know I shouldn't be wasting precious time on the computer, and I know I have a million things that need to get done around the house... dishes, laundry, cleaning, blah, blah, blah. Sometimes it seems never ending. I'm not complaining by any means, I am blessed to be able to work at night and be able to stay home with my children, it just seems that life as a mother has infinite demands and a mother's work is literally... never done. It can be quite overwhelming at times, and even with all of the help I receive from family and friends, I still feel like I am not doing enough. What is with this mommy guilt and why is it so hard to shake? Is it just a woman thing? I wonder if Dads feel the same way, too. As mothers, why is it so hard to understand that sometimes we need help and can not do it all? Are we our own worst enemies? The weirdest thing about this whole day is that it hasn't even been a stressful day for me at all.... most days I am SO ready to go to work at night and punch out my mommy time card for the day, but today, for the first time in a while, hasn't been overly stressful, but yet I still feel a certain way and like I should be doing more. Maybe it's just me and my over-achieving attitude, when will I just learn to relax? I think I need a relaxing vacation where all I am allowed to do is lay there in the sun... I'd probably get bored, though, lol. Ben's right, I am never satisfied. ;)

Oy.

Today I was in the mood to torture myself so I did a few things that sane mothers do not normally do. I took the kids to Best Buy, (too obvious) the park after a rainfall, (mud city) and last but not least, flu shots around nap time. The power cord broke to the precious lifesaver known as a dual screen DVD player, so silly me thought I could run in and out of the "Blue Store" as Nathan calls it. Not only did they not sell the cord, the kids ran a muck amongst the children's DVDs and wanted everything from "100 Episodes of Sponge Bob"to the latest box series of Max and Ruby. You really can not rationalize anymore with an almost 4 year old, because instead of just believing everything I say, Nathan rationalizes right back at me and tells me that he knows the DVD player is broken, but that I'm going to fix it. "That's why we're here, Mom," he tells me. Duh, Mom. Anyway, I almost made it out of there without spending a small fortune, but the damn machines with the crappy plastic toys and sugar-filled candies beckoned right outside the doors, and of course the kids wanted in on that. Even Ollie started yelling at the top of his lungs, "Money, Mom! Money!" Hey, at least I can get away with only spending 50 cents and them being happy about it, right?

On to the next tortuous activity for the day... playing at the park after it rained last night! Yay! I should have just thrown them in a mud puddle and called it a day. After an hour of running around like little drunken maniacs, I finally lured them back in the car with promises of more candy and headed back home to get changes of clothes.

After I literally wrestled them into clean clothes (they love to be naked for some reason), we met Ben for lunch. We ate our weekly pizza fill at King of Pizza.... yum! The kids were hungry after rolling around in all that dirt. I guess I'll get used to it eventually, but I really need a clean ally in our house.... at least Blue (our fish) isn't too messy.

After lunch I took the kids to the Dr. for Ollie's 2 year check up. I can't think of anything more stressful than taking two rambunctious boys to the Dr. during nap time and having to wait a half an hour before being seen. It irritates me because I figured it would be slow at that time and it was, but yet it still took that long?! Don't they know I forgot to take my Xanax this morning and I'm feeling very edgy? Can't they hear my kids pummeling each other with those throat sticks? If I had to say, "Don't touch that" one more time I was going to lose the last marble I had held onto so far today. Ugh. Yes, they nearly tore the roof off that room while we waited. Ollie is in the 50% for both height and weight, 34.5 inches and 28 pounds. Nathan, in comparison, was 33.25 inches and 26 pounds when he was two, so not that much of a difference. Both the kids got their flu shots, but Nathan was the only one that cried. I hate shots, I can't even look when they are getting them! :( We have to go back in a month to get the booster shots, more fun awaits!

The gist of the rest of the day was.... kids refused to nap, Mommy had a slight breakdown, Ben comes home from work to the house looking like a hurricane went through it, and Ollie monster finally being defeated and falling asleep on the floor at 5:30. Guess who's waking up with the chickens tomorrow?

Oy.

Happy Birthday Oliver Francis

Oliver Francis Goldwasser

Ollie's 1st birthday

Ollie's 2nd Birthday (Ben hasn't changed a bit, lol)

Two years ago I had just pushed a 7 lb 7oz. bowling ball out of a ... well, you know the rest. I still can't believe I did it all without pain medicine, but I like to think the morphine drip that wore off right before my water broke did the trick. If you want to read about Ollie's crazy birth story you can find it here on Myspace. Remember Myspace? God, I feel like it's an old re-run that you come across every now and again, like TGIF from back in the day.

Anyway, back to what I was saying... yesterday was Oliver's birthday and what better way to celebrate than to press our luck and take the boys out to lunch, right smack dab in the middle of a lunch hour surrounded by businessmen in expensive looking suits. Sorry about that spaghetti sauce stain, buddy! Nah, the kids were actually on their best behavior for once, and I think I have found the secret to eating in "peace" and not having to scarf down a meal in three bites.... (drum roll, please) bringing them out to eat when they are actually hungry and having their meals come out the same time as ours! Seems easy enough, right?! How long have we been parents now? For the most part, we've only tried going out to dinner, the kids are usually tired and cranky and dinner has never been big for Nathan, he's still picky and since I usually don't get to feed the kids dinner since I'm at work, I'm sure he doesn't eat much at that time. Ollie has always been a great eater, but yesterday he didn't eat breakfast, so he was really hungry at lunch, which made him sit still for once, instead of climbing the booth. Plus, we have always made the mistake of ordering the kids food first, but I notice that whenever we do that, by the time our food comes, they have finished eating, and are on to more important things, like opening sugar packets all over the table, and smearing food on the floor. So, dinner at a restaurant for us usually ends up in cold leftovers reheated at home, and a buzz from the wine we consumed without any food in our stomachs. So, yay for us having an "ah-ha!" moment... only took us a few years.

I was lucky enough to get off of work at the last minute, so we took the kids to one of their favorite places, Bounce U around 6, worked up a sweat bouncing away there, then went to Peace-a Pizza for dinner. Peace-a Pizza is a really cute concept, and they have a play area for kids, which always helps parents, who like I said earlier, have a hard time eating in public with their kids. The only recommendation I have for them is: make better pizza! My kids love pizza and would eat it night and day, but they hardly touched their's last night. They have tons of gourmet pizza slices which look good, and believe me, I'm like a pizza connoisseur, I am not a fan of their pizza, it's too doughy and doesn't taste like much. Peace-a pizza, if you are reading... step it up a notch, I will bring you lots of pizza eating kiddie business if you do!

Oliver is not impressed with whatever WHYY program I just put on for him, and is instead climbing behind me on the computer chair and jumping off repeatedly while yelling toddler obscenities. I better go, maybe I will get another blog post in before the end of the year, at this rate. Have a great day, everyone!

Diaper Genie

This is a drive-by blogging. I haven't been able to blog in over a month, and that's because we were so busy in June, I think we crammed a year's worth of activities into one month. The gist of it was ... my birthday (for one week straight) girls' nights, wine, Phillies game, beer, NYC for the weekend, 2 of my best friends' kids' 1st birthday parties back to back, Father's Day, 2 nights of Phish, and then Sesame Place. Somewhere in there I slept ( I think it was in NYC).

Anyway, it's 8:40am and my boys are still asleep! I am going to attempt to drink my first ever HOT cup of coffee in it's entirety. I am too afraid to go into the kitchen, though, and make it for fear of disturbing the sleeping mini giant since his bedroom is right off the kitchen. Speaking of mini giant, I peeked under his door just now to make sure he wasn't asleep on the floor (we took his crib rail off because he was climbing out) and what do I spy on the floor next to his bed? (Has anyone seen Toy Story 3 yet? I felt like Mrs. Potato Head, taking her eye off and sticking it under the door to see) .... his diaper!! That little stinker has been taking off his diaper in the morning and SMEARING the contents all over the place. Yup, that makes for a good breakfast appetite. He now tells me "poopie" and "pee-pee" when he goes. Unbelievable! Nathan was almost 3 when he was ready to potty train, and I think this little guy at 22 months may be trying to tell me something, lol. Maybe he is telling me he would rather just join the nudist colony and pee where he wants to. Also, if it's not one thing it's another... Dr. wants me to try him on Lactaid milk because he has had diarrhea now for like 2 or 3 weeks, and I think it's because of his milk consumption, the kid pounds a milk like his mom pounds a margarita on a hot summer night.

Well, my daydream of a hot cup of coffee will have to be put on hold. Nathan just came out of his room and requested that we start painting... how many days till vacation??

Kids say the darndest things

wearing my hat that Nathan made

Last week Nathan's class had a Mother's Day party. It was so cute, they made us funny hats to wear, frosted sugar cookies, and planted seeds for us. To my horror, the next thing the kids were to do was to stand in front of the class and show us a picture that they had drawn of their mom and what she likes to do. My heart started pounding as soon as the first kid went. What was Nathan going to say his mommy liked to do?! Go on the computer?! Drink wine?! Play with knives???! The first boy said his mommy liked to draw, and the next girl said her mommy liked to drink soda. Another girl's mommy 'liked daddy' and another boy's mom liked to clean. Then, it was Nathan's turn. He shyly gets up in front of us all and points to a picture of me (all colored lines with two eyes) and says....

"My Mommy likes to vacuum!"

Whew!! I thought all my secrets were going to be divulged to his little preschool friends and their moms, but alas.... my one true enjoyable chore was let out of the bag. Yes, it was revealed that I love to vacuum, and I let out a relieved sigh and teared up right then and there. My little boy is growing up and is the most observant, honest little guy. Oh, how I love my Nathan.... and of course, my Dyson vacuum.

OCD .. I'm just O

Ok, now that my life has settled down as much as it could possibly could, I can try and focus on blogging once again. I have had a certain habit throughout my life and it has once again bit me in the ass. When I stumble on something new and exciting, I take the reigns and become obsessively passionate about it.... for about 5 minutes. After I exhaust the hell out of it and it starts to lose the initial appeal, I am on to the next obsession. I can't tell you how many times I have went to Michael's, dropped a small fortune on supposed crafty projects I was all gung-ho about and then find these unfinished crafts in plastic shopping bags months or years later. Even better, one of the boys will find them and either scatter the pieces all over the floor or start playing with them like toys. I think my friends can vouch for me when I say I literally have a new obsession as often as the season change. (which is every other day, with the crazy weather we've been having lately!)

As you all know, my latest passion has been getting fit, and now that I can finally check Broad Street Run off my bucket list, I need a new hobby.... not that getting fit is a hobby, it's become a lifestyle now, and it actually pains me to eat a damn french fry without a moment of guilt. Don't get me wrong, I still have dessert and an occasional (aka often) glass of wine, so I haven't completely lost my mind just yet. But, for me, I need something new to strive for. I've always been a busy kind of person, and if I don't have a new goal in mind, I start to go a little stir crazy. Maybe I need to take up something entirely different, like glass fusing! Yes, that's it... glass fusing! I'll Google it when I am done.

Now, onto more interesting things that have been happening. Yesterday, the Swanky Babblers (the playgroup I've been helping organize) were invited by the Food Network to dine in a restaurant that Chef Robert Irvine was trying to re-vamp. If you have watched Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay, it was something like that. A group of about 24 of us went to dinner at Villari's in Palmyra. Ben used to go to the restaurant as a kid and he remembers it being very dark inside. The inside was redone very nicely and was open and bright. Our waitress was pleasant and took our drink and dinner order right away. Our apps, salads, and drinks were delivered right away and were pretty delicious, especially the Crab soup. Then the chaos started to ensue... 2 hours later, we still hadn't gotten our dinner. The only thing we had going was a buzz after ordering like 5 rounds of drinks before dinner finally came! Ben's seared tuna was awful, but at least my seafood fra diavlo was good. I coerced Ben to send his tuna back and he ordered lasagna in it's place, which was pretty good, but come on.... who can mess up that?! Basically, the wait staff was totally overwhelmed (some of them had just been hired and it was their first night!) the kitchen was definitely not ready for a crowd of that caliber (they probably hadn't seen it that busy in a loooong time) but I will definitely go back and try it again when there isn't a major TV station filming a pilot.

The company we were with really made the food aspect seem less disastrous, and Ben and I really had a great time talking and laughing with new friends. Even though it seemed more like everyone was laughing at us (for the record, Ben was not sunbathing with a fanny pack on lmao) but I guess we can't help it if we're funny people, haha. Overall, it was a very memorable experience and I am so glad we were able to be a part of it. Now, we just have to wait till the fall to see if any of us even made the cut to be on TV! The show is going to be called Restaurant:Impossible and it is going to air sometime in the early fall!

Sick & Tired

Sickness has infected the Goldwasser household. I think it's impossible for family members not to pass their cooties to each other and even harder to get rid of it once it strikes. I mean, I can't stop obsessively kissing my boys and they can't help but to smother me with their own snotty kisses. Yummo! Yes, we have all been under the weather, and I haven't felt so unmotivated and sluggish since the 18 snow storms we had just 3 months ago. Of course, since the Broad Street Run has come and gone, I need something new to keep me motivated to keep running as much as I was. Being sick hasn't helped that cause, so I have to give myself another pep talk. I did check the results of the first 5K Ben and I ran in April and I placed 2nd in our age group and 39th out of 150, so I felt pretty happy about that. :) I will have to find a new goal for myself now.

I am going to go "watch" the Flyers game with the hubs and our friends now, and stop being anti-social on the computer!

Why hello there!

Nathan after his first roller coaster... so happy!

Wow, almost 1 whole month since I posted last! How I missed my adoring blog reader fans! :) Now that life has returned to as "normal" as it can get post tax season, I'll try to update more often, but I can't guarantee anything because as you all know, my day is filled with busy and sometimes random goings on, & I don't always have the energy or time to post, but maybe once I get my new phone next month, I will start blogging via that instead.

Where to start?! Well, I guess the number one thing on my mind recently is that BROAD STREET RUN!! I can't stop thinking about how absolutely amazing it was! There are few things in life I have experienced so far that have made me feel "invincible" and those have been:

• skydiving
• giving birth without pain medicine (!!)
• completing that 10 mile race in the sweltering 80 degree weather

What I mean by invincible is that after doing all the above mentioned, I literally feel like I could do anything, and by anything I mean just about anything. I'm not going to go all crazy on you and tell you I am going to run a marathon anytime soon, but I am feeling very confidant about a half marathon in the very least. After I sky-dived (is that even a word?) I remember that I instantly wanted to do it again. It was so exhilarating and such a random thing I did, that it made it that much more exciting for me. Nathan actually went on his first roller coaster this past weekend, and when the ride was over, he wanted to do it again, because he was so excited and I compare his experience to my skydiving one.

After I gave birth to Ollie without pain meds, I figured, hell, I can do anything, I just pushed a watermelon out of... well you know the rest. Again, there is so much adrenaline and emotion pumping through you when you are giving birth, it's amazing that babies don't come literally flying out from being pushed so hard. Or maybe they do... I will have to consult with Ben on that one.

Running for 1 hour and 46 minutes is something I honestly never thought I was going to be able to do. I'm not sure why, it was almost like a mental block. 12 weeks ago, when I blogged about wanting to get back into shape, I knew something had ignited inside of me, as well as on the outside of me, namely my muffin top and double chin. I felt sad and unhappy about myself, it didn't help that it was the beginning of tax season and we had about 458 inches of snow on the ground. Now, I feel back and better than ever, as cheesy and cliche as that sounds. I feel like I should be an after photo of a Jenny Craig for Moms commercial. Alright, maybe not that far, but soon enough! I feel confidant and happy about my body, which is something every mom wants to feel after pushing out a 7.7 lb bowling ball twice in 21 months!

Well, of course, I am out of time and I have to go get Nathan from school. I will update about my experience during the run, hopefully tonight. Till then...

I Want to Pump You Up

5.5 weeks back into the gym... w/ my future daughter-in-law

I can almost pass for a runner ;)

Today marked a little over 6 weeks back to the gym. I feel like a totally different person than I did when I started. It's amazing how much diet and exercise can change a person. I literally feel like I can conquer anything if I put my mind to it. Coincidentally, I almost have my husband back, so all around I am feeling much happier these days. Tax season has always put a damper on my outlook on life, so the end of it means I can be sane again. I really just want to burst out in song... "I can see clearly now, the rain is gone!"

Today I went to my usual Body Works plus Abs class at the gym. Today, the cougar of an instructor was perkier and more energetic than ever and WOW, did she work us out HARD. This woman sometimes works out with her hair down, makeup done, and she is just so kick ass it makes me want to be just like her when I grow up. I mean, she barely breaks a sweat and gets through these difficult moves like she is taking a leisurely Sunday stroll. Her music was so much fun today and I even worked up the nerve to ask her what the CD was (she makes me nervous lol).... it was Pump It, Remixed Volume 2. I downloaded it on my Ipod and am all excited to go running tomorrow bright and early to it.

Yay!! Ok, I just heard Ben get home, so I am going to go.... will post later on how my run went!

Hoppy Belated Easter

I honestly can not believe how much time is flying now. Tax season is almost over (YAY!!) and it's been a whole week since I last posted. It feels like so much has happened since then, why is life going by so quickly?! Someone, anyone... please make it slow down! My little baby Oliver is growing up way too fast, he's not a baby anymore... more like a little man, complete with little man facial hair. He cracks me up!

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. We took the kids to an egg hunt at Franklin Square Park in Philly and it was a bust, other than the beautiful weather. I am telling you, the parents of the kids in the egg hunt, you would think they were in the Amazing Race, the way they were running after these eggs! I think I should have brought my football helmet and started tackling parents and kids alike in order to get my kids some. Nathan only ended up with two and that's only because I noticed a woman with a shoulder bag, nonchalantly dropping eggs in the grass, and I damn near knocked her over to snag them. Of course, I felt guilty because Nathan kept asking me where all the eggs were, so I picked up some up on the way back home, stuffed them, and hid them in the backyard so Nathan could have his 18th egg hunt and fill up with even candy and add more money to his piggy bank. Ben told me I was obsessed with the eggs and that I needed to stop, but damn it, my Nathan was going to have his egg hunt and be happy on Easter if it killed me. Ollie, on the other hand really could care less about the egg hunt, and really just enjoyed spending the day with his daddy. The boys absolutely love spending time with their daddy and can not wait till he his home with them every night for dinner, baths, and bedtime. Not too much longer!!

Well, I'm tired... been working out almost everyday in anticipation of the Broad Street Run. Less than 4 weeks till the big day and I am feeling stronger and more confidant every day! I can't wait to tackle this!! Good night!!

Mommy, the Referee

The kids have been all over each other the past few days, more so than usual. I'm not sure if it's because of the rainy weather and them not being able to run around outside or if it's just part of the whole "brotherly love" thing, but man, they can't keep their hands (and feet) off one another. Oliver is the bigger bully of both of them, he has really turned into a little brute, pulling Nathan's hair repeatedly and throwing everything within his reach. Instead of fighting back, since that's not in Nathan's nature, he screams and yells and amps Ollie up even more and then they start rolling around on the floor like two little WWF stars. It happens so often during the day, I'm not sure if I should be breaking them up every 5 minutes or just let them go at it... I've even seen Ollie put his fingers in Nathan's mouth and try to pull the side of his mouth open. That little boy fights dirty! The funny thing is that even when I try to break them up and have them play by themselves for a little bit, they refuse to stay apart... Nathan always needs to know where Ollie went and then goes and messes with him and the whole things starts all over again.

On a side note, every morning Ollie wakes up hysterically crying in his crib and this morning was no different. One thing that was different was that he stopped after a couple of minutes even though I hadn't gone in there to get him yet. I sneak a glance from around the corner and I hear Nathan singing the ABC's and Ollie dancing in his crib holding on the bars... (that's his favorite song to dance to) Nathan then tells me, "Look, Mommy, Ollie's happy now!" Ahhhh... what a wonderful thing to wake up to!! Even though they fight all the time now, it just makes me so happy to see them interact like that!

Now if only they could be nice to each other during the other 11 hours and 55 minutes they are awake....

De Ja Vu

It's 1am (again) and I am up (again). It is unbelievably hard for me to go right to sleep after working and dealing with unruly people for 7 hours straight. Make that 14 hours straight because I dealt with my unruly children the entire day before I went in to work. Tonight's bar shift was anything but smooth and I needed to have a couple of beers in order to unwind. I am happy to report that my Netbook is back in action, therefore I don't have to freeze in my attic while I go online.

Today I took the kids to an egg hunt at Paws Farm in Mt. Laurel. It's really cute there and the kids had a blast hunting those little dinky plastic eggs, although Ollie was over it in about 3 seconds flat. As soon as I turned my attention to Nathan, that little linebacker was running full force over to a random playground. I swear his attention span is less than a gnat's... I'm sure I looked ever so graceful as I sprinted across the field in order to capture him, poor Nathan was left in the hay fending for himself and searching for the ever elusive "Big Peep", which held the key to a big chocolate bunny surprise. After the egg hunt was over, we went to visit the animals and I spent most of the time keeping Ollie from poking ducks' eyes, preventing him from putting his fingers in a scary Ostrich's beak, and blocking him from falling into the big open pond where the animals were bathing. Doesn't that sound like a nice, relaxing morning?! And I wonder why my stress level is always at a level twelve...

After my patience wore out at the farm, I took the kids to lunch at my old stomping grounds Hooters for lunch with my friend and her fiance and their 3 boys, ages 7, 6, and 16 months. Let me tell ya, 5 boys in Hooters was a riot... probably the most action these Hooters' girls have seen in a long time. Thankfully we were the only ones in there for a while and they didn't seem at all perturbed that our children were running around and actin a fool... ironically not knowing that their mothers were actually Hooters' girls themselves at one point in their life. Yup, little ol' A cup me was once a Hooter's girl at two different locations... I even waited on some nice Air Force guys that took me skydiving on July 4th, 2002. Yes, I'm Rainman when it comes to dates.

All in all, it was a very nice, though exhausting Saturday. Like I said, tonight's shift did not run smoothly at all, but I had some Stella waiting for me in the fridge at home to take the edge off. I still haven't gotten a chance to write my review of Tortilla Press, but the overall gist of it is.... horrible food, even more horrible service, and WAY overpriced. I definitely do not recommend eating there.... EVER... period. Let's just say I have been striking out recently on my eating out choices.

Must. go. to. bed. Good night!

Tired

It's 1am... do you know where your children are? I do. Mine are asleep and so is my husband. I, on the other hand, am sitting up in the attic freezing cold and wide awake. I can't wait to get my Netbook back, so I can return to my old obsessive ways of being able to check in online at the blink of an eye. Why do I do it to myself? I know I am going to have to wake up early and that I should get a good night's sleep, but I guess I am just a glutton for punishment. I think I was so busy with the kids and work today and tonight that I am just going to enjoy some alone time right now if it kills me.

Today I ran for 40 minutes which is the most I've been able to do so far. That brought me closer to 4 miles, but that still is a long way from 10. There are 5 weeks left until the big run and so far I am feeling pretty confidant that I won't have to cross the finish line with any medical assistance. I think what I really need to do is use the old carrot on a stick thing and instead of a carrot use my old stand-by, a slice of pizza. I'm happy to report that I have significantly decreased my pizza consumption, much to the dismay of my pizza loving Nathan. I swear it's the only substantial thing he eats other than waffles with peanut butter.

This week has been super busy for me. I'm helping to organize an area playgroup and I was all over the place meeting new people in the group. I brought the kids to a very kid-friendly coffee shop (genius!) Tree House Coffee Shop, Please Touch Museum in Philly (extremely stressful watching both of them at the same time w/o Ben), Kid Junction in Mt. Laurel, and finished it off with a Moms Night Out at The Tortilla Press in Collingswood. I will dedicate a whole post to a review on The Tortilla Press, as I was VERY disappointed and will never go back. It is so true that when you have a bad experience you tell many more people than if you had had a good one. I will post more on that tomorrow if I get a chance!!

Right now I need to go to bed.... Ollie boy has been waking up at 5am due to what I can only assume is teething, and I can never fall back asleep right away after he goes back to sleep.

Good night and sweet dreams!

Random Shmandom

trying to enjoy lunch

Ollie taking Daddy for a walk

having fun at the birthday party

Ollie bothering Nathan, as usual

Nathan running around the Pier at Penns Landing

boys pooped from walking around the city

For once, I don't have much to talk about. I mean, I don't have anything overly exciting to write about, and no one has gotten hurt yet today (knock on wood). It's still early, though, so I wouldn't get too excited for me. Yesterday I slept till 11:15pm! I couldn't believe it.... Ben was nice enough to let me sleep in, but I was all out of whack. I pulled the curtains all the way shut on Saturday and it made the room extra dark, and I was a living, breathing example of how those room darkening blinds, do in deed, work wonders. I thought they only worked for kids, but obviously the benefits extend over to parents, as well.

We spent a very nice family day over in the city yesterday. We went to Soho Pizza in Old City and had a couple beers and pizza sitting outside while the kids sat quietly by and let their parents have a conversation. (riiiiiight) I have to say, their pizza is pretty good! We also walked around the pier for a while. Afterwords, I took Nathan to a birthday party at the Little Gym near our house and he had tons of fun with his classmates, who he never really sees outside of school.

Ollie should be waking up from his nap soon, so I'll just post some new pics from my brand spankin new camera, which I love, aside from the shutter speed being a little slow. I can never be completely content with something, it just wouldn't be me!

Happy Monday, I'll try to post something more exciting after I go to the gym and wake up a little... this rain is killing my energy level!

Bad mommy

I'm alive, everyone. I know it's been a few days since I posted last, but this week has been so hectic I'm not even sure what time it is. Speaking of the time.... daylight savings time can kiss my tired arse! I am missing my "free" time when the boys were in bed by 6:30 and I could cozy up with my glass (bottle) of vino and spend some quiet, relaxing, totally worthless time stalking, I mean catching up, on Facebook. Now these little terrors are hittin the hay around 8pm and I'm wondering where the hell my day went. This is causing me to stay up later and they are not, contrary to popular belief, waking up later because they went to bed later. Nope, late to bed, earlier to rise is their motto! Ollie is teething for what seems like the 34th time and he's been up talking to himself and partying in the wee hours of the morning and although he's not crying, I of course get the infamous mommy guilt and can't fall back asleep until I hear him settle down. I then fall back into a restless slumber and get woken up by Nathan telling me he got him and Ollie some breakfast and can I take the cap of the OJ so he can pour himself a nice tall glass. I'm serious. I woke up today to find two bowls of Cheerios nicely laid out and a glass waiting to be filled with orange juice. Thank God I didn't find Ollie sitting at the table already waiting for a spoon, then I would have really lost it. Yup, Ben goes to work and I think I wake up in the morning, but really I fall back asleep while my Nathan watches his shows and gets himself ready like a little man. Cute you may think... but my God, I feel like a bad mom! Seriously.... he got himself breakfast, people!! There have been a plethora of things I have been experiencing this week including:

• I had my back turned, Nathan tried to climb the dresser and the whole damn thing fell down on him.... thank GOD I was in front of it to brace the fall. I do not even want to think about it... all I know is that I need to get furniture brackets to secure everything to the wall. I've been beating myself up all week about this accident.
• Nathan went potty in Kiki's litter box. Unbelievable, but true.
• Oliver fell down a few (carpeted) steps right before my eyes.
• The kids refuse to come inside after taking them to the park or out back... you would think I actually kept them locked in a cage the way they get.
• I ran with both of them in the stroller and made it a mile and half... that's an extra 80 lbs to the workout!! (proud Mommy moment)
• I went food shopping without a list and made it out alive, but spent twice as much.

Honestly, I'm so tired, I can't even remember half of the things I went though this week. Oh, the biggest bummer is the little laptop is broken, so I can't go on the computer whenever I feel like it. That's been the hardest thing because I have to run upstairs to go online, hence Ollie falling down the steps because they've been following me up here.... I have to take it somewhere, it just won't turn on anymore. I'll blame this one on the kids, too, what the hell.

I better go... I believe I heard Ben come home downstairs, but I can't really hear anything up here in the attic. Thank God it's Friday tomorrow!!

30 days to go

I only have a minute. Something's wrong with the Netbook, so I had to sneak upstairs to go online, and the kids are tearing up the attic right along side of me. I was so happy this morning to go on Facebook, and see that there are only 30 days till the end of tax season. Yay!! Plus, the rest of the week is supposed to be really nice weather, so I don't have to be stuck inside with the kids like I was all weekend!!

Since I had said before I was going to post before and after pics of my wonderful struggles with my post children body, here's a picture of me after 3 weeks at the gym. Hopefully by the time the Broad Street Run occurs in May I will feel comfortable wearing something other than a black moo-moo on the beach this summer. Speaking of the summer, I want to rent a big shore house.... anyone in? We can lock the kids in a spare bedroom and do it up Jersey Shore style... as long as I get to be Snookie.

Better go, toys are being launched through the air. Will post more later.

What's wrong with this picture?

The Goldwassers looking tanned and happy

The answer is.... absolutely NOTHING. The only thing wrong is that as of right now we don't have plans to go to Florida this year and I am sad! After our last experience with flying with both kids (something I highly recommend if you want to lose your sanity) we told ourselves we wouldn't subject ourselves to that kind of punishment again. For those that don't know, everything was so hectic at the airport, between the car seats, baggage, trying to keep track of all of Nathan's toys/crap, double stroller, etc. etc. etc. I lost mine and Ben's licenses, and the car rental wouldn't rent to us, so we had to cab it to the hotel and find a shady car rental place that would rent us a van without ripping us off. Thankfully we were able to have a friend mail us our passports so we were able to get home, although I wouldn't have minded being stranded there forever. After the car rental debacle, we checked in and then had to lug our baggage up 3 flights of steps because the elevator had conveniently stopped working right before we got there. It was one thing after another. I swear it took me 3 days before I finally relaxed and then half the vacation was over.

Yes, all of that I remember quite vividly... and now I've changed my mind and would like to subject ourselves to it... for the love of warmer, perfect, weather, sandy beaches, and Mickey Mouse. We've been going every year since 2003, I can't allow the tradition to be broken.

And so the vacation searching begins... maybe we will go for Thanksgiving, Ollie will be 2 and Nathan almost 4... that will give us plenty of time to prepare for the stress of air travel. Will keep ya posted.

Men Will Be Men

Last night I came home from work around midnight and Ben was on the couch drinking Midas Touch and Ollie was crying. He had been a little under the weather during the day, so I didn't think much of it. Ben said he gave him some milk, rocked him, and put him back in the crib, which usually does the trick. He didn't cave in right away, which is unusual, but I didn't want to go in and check on him, because that usually just makes him more upset since he hadn't seen me all night.

This morning I go in to get him from the crib and lo and behold, he has his PJ's on with no damn diaper on. The poor thing had woken up from wetting the bed. I understand that my hubby has been working tons of hours and he's distracted, but forgetting the diaper... really??! I guess I'll let this one slide, because I've definitely had my mommy flighty moments. I still crack up, though, when I think about Ben giving Ollie my weight control oatmeal when he was a baby, thinking that was what I meant when I said to give him oatmeal. Ahhh... men... I guess I can't trust the Midas Touch! (ABV 9%)

Rain, rain go away.

Nothing puts a damper on a perfectly good week like rain. I was so happy to be able to let my little caged in baby animals out of the house all week, so they could run around like free spirits. I've never seen someone so happy running up and down the driveway with their arms waving all around... it was better than Disney for them. When my boys are in a happy mood, I'm in a happy mood. I don't even need any afternoon wine to get there. Ah, I can't wait for full-blown, flower blooming Spring weather.

Today I took Nathan to the doctor for this lingering, nagging cough he has had since last weekend. It's been causing him to cough all night and wake him up at the butt crack of dawn, which is torture for me since I haven't been sleeping well. It turns out he has a double ear infection, which totally surprised the Dr. because I told her he hasn't been complaining about his ears at all. Now that I think about it, he has been calling my name a lot and not responding when I yell "WHAT?!" repeatedly from my bed at the wee hours of the morning, so maybe the poor kids' ears have been clogged and here I just thought he was being annoying. Just another thing to feel mommy guilt about, great!

Speaking of mommy guilt, I think it's impossible to not feel it every single day. I swear, all I have to do is drop Nathan off at school and see these impossibly perfect mothers with their blowouts, cute mommy outfits, and shiny BMW SUVs and feel like the biggest shlump on the block. I think one day I still had my PJ's on under my coat, I just changed my pants to something less conspicuous than flannel boxers. There is this one mother there though, that just really cracks me up. She comes to drop her daughter off with her boobs hanging out every day and looking like she is ready to hit the club. She even keeps her sunglasses on inside the building like she like is Angelina Jolie and avoiding the papparazzi. I am not over-exaggerating. I don't have any problem with fake breasts, but I just think it a tad inappropriate to have them hanging out at noon with 3 year olds and a 70 year old janitor running amuck. Just my opinion. Hmm.. on second thought, maybe me and her need to start hanging out, she's probably more fun than some of the supposedly too perfect moms I've met, but we will save that for a different post.

Gotta run and get ready for work. TGIF!

Hey, sweet cheeks.

I have to blog about this new blush that I got before it becomes yesterday's news (it's actually last week's news, but I haven't had a chance to write about it) I have been very loyal to Clinique's cream blush in a tube the past couple of years, but when I went to Sephora the other day, I had Ollie with me, which means I had all of 5 seconds to find something new before he escaped from the stroller and started "testing out" all the makeup. They make it so hard to even maneuver a stroller in there, so I don't think they would appreciate a little man running around and eating all the delicious looking products. The last time I brought Nathan in there, he let go of his precious balloon and cried so much until a disgruntled employee went and got a ladder and fished it out of the most awkward spot above the cash registers. The Goldwassers bring the fun!

Anyway, it was extremely slow in the store, so the makeup people were forced to come over and chat with the woman with the toddler who was throwing crackers everywhere. I know these women work in a makeup haven, but do all of them need to look like clowns? I was half afraid Ollie was either going to scream and hide under his blanket or ask for a balloon animal. The lighting isn't the friendliest either, which only overemphasized everyone looking like they were ready to hit an Oscar party. I was feeling kind of rushed and probably would have taken the first thing she threw in my hand, but she took the time to explain all the benefits of Tarte Cheek Stain. I can't remember anything of what she actually said, because again, Ollie looked like he was going to take a bite out of crime, but I liked the color and the fact that it was a gel (I used to use a gel prior to a cream), she also said it would last 2 years, so that sold me. There's no way I will develop bright rosy cheeks within 2 years on my own, unless my kids embarrass me, which very well may happen. (think Ollie hugging the cute dad at drop off repeatedly like he doesn't get enough love)

I've been lucky enough to like everything I've purchased in the past month or so. I love this blush! It goes on sticky feeling because it is gel like, but it literally stains your cheeks like someone just pinched them, or you just ran for a few minutes. The sticky feeling goes away after you rub it in and stays on for a long time. The result is natural, flushed, cheeks that makes this tired momma look a little more chipper during the day. Combine that with coffee or sugar free Redbull and I might even pass for a functioning member of society. Holla!

I can't get no satisfaction.

I have to start off by wishing Ben a very Happy 29th Birthday today!! Poor guy has to work all day and night and then come home "early" around 8:30 to do our own taxes which I've been pestering him about. I suppose I could do them myself online, but he is an accountant, so I'll let him do his job. :)

Well, our weekend didn't turn out quite the way I had anticipated, but what can ya do? We ended up going to Fogo de Chau in Center City and it was jammin at 9:30 at night. That would've been great if I was with a group of people, but it was definitely not the scene I desired for a romantic evening with my long lost hubby. We were sat right away, but they put us in the most trafficated, busy table right in the middle of the restaurant with hurried waitstaff rushing all around us. I swear I felt like I was in pinball video game. I felt tense immediately because I imagined myself at work like that, busy, rushed, stressed... not how I wanted to feel on my first Saturday night off in months. I asked to be moved to a quieter table (yes, I was that person) and they found one for us in the front of the restaurant, away from all the people running around like chickens with their heads cut off (who made up that expression, anyway?)

The salad bar was fantastic, it had all kinds of meats, cheeses, veggies, and salad (obviously), but I tried not to load up on that beforehand. This was definitely a different dining experience, we had these little circle cards with red on one side and green on the other, and when we were ready, we just flipped the card to green, and the 'gauchos' would rush right over and slice all these different kinds of meat for you. It was amazing! We tried Filet Mignon, sirloin, chicken, prime rib, and so many others I can't even remember. I think there were 15 options to try in all. It was served with three side dishes, mashed potatoes, polenta, and fried banana. There was also some kind of delicious bread that had cheese baked into it. The waiters were all very attentive and friendly, if it wasn't for the noise level and commotion I would have been very happy, but I just couldn't get over how loud it was there... maybe I'm just turning into a little old lady that likes everything quiet (my TV is always on the lowest level at all times lol) but I just was really hoping for something more intimate and romantic. I should have just stuck with my original plan, but I thought Ben would really like the food here (he did). It was also expensive. $50 a person (all you can eat) and with 4 martinis, it added another $45 for alcohol, yikes! But, it was a special occasion... Ben better have something good up his sleeve for my birthday! ;)

Nathan had a high fever overnight on Saturday, so I wanted to go up early to get him on Sunday, so we didn't get to hang out alone on Sunday at all. I did get to run a couple child and hubby free errands, which is always a plus. I got the mommy van washed because after taking out the carseats for my aunt I noticed the 6 months worth of crumbs and gook all over the seats. The boy that works behind the counter everytime I go tried to flirt with me by telling me to come in on Tuesdays for senior citizen day. I knew that age defying moisturizer was working. I then went to Wegman's and to my delight discovered that shopping at 9am on Sundays might actually be enjoyable since it was the calmest I had ever seen there. I didn't have to battle anyone at all for a spot and the shoppers were (gasp!) friendly and relaxed. I can't tell you how many times I have left that store aggravated due to the jerks who park in the 'cars with children' parking spots or cranky shoppers that try to run me over with their carts just to get to the best produce. Why is everyone in this area so cranky and in a hurry? I think we need to move down south.

On a random note, I am finally getting a new camera! I've been taking all my pics with my cell phone, since one of the boys beat up my other one. I did some research and ended up getting the Samsung SL620. I'm going to pick it up from Best Buy sometime today... I'm excited! Now I don't have to bring out my giant mommy camera that doesn't fit in anything except the huge shoulder camera bag that just screams "Tourist!" I'll post some new pics after I get it all set up and running.

I'm baaaack.

Wow, I didn't post for two days. My apologies for keeping you in such suspense, but I was held captive in the bathroom for most of the day on Thursday due to a lovely stomach bug, and then on Friday, I was just plain held captive by my children. They were so bad yesterday that I actually took them food shopping, which is usually more torture than anything, but I just had to get out of the house. I was obtaining all the usual items to keep them entertained such as; an obnoxiously large balloon that makes it hard to see to steer the Mini Cooper of a cart, a quarter pound of cheese for Nathan to snack on, Dum Dum lollipops, and a Ni Hao Kai-Lan book, when I noticed my little Ollie was beginning to snore right before my very eyes. Let me tell you, my boy has never fallen asleep like that! I see moms all the time dropping their pre-schoolers off with peacefully sleeping babies slung over their shoulders, and I always thought there is no way my baby would stay asleep like that. He proved me wrong yesterday! Yes, he was so tired from running ramped all morning, he feel asleep sitting up in the most uncomfortable position. He didn't wake up until I placed him in his car seat. He actually looked like me the night before when I feel asleep on the couch watching TV, which I never do. (fall asleep sitting up, that is) That horrible virus took such a toll on me that I slept for almost 12 hours that night. I wouldn't wish that bug on my worst enemy! Well, except for that tool of a bar customer I had last night, but that's another story.

Ollie checking out the selection of cheeses... or not.

I'm so excited, I am busting at the seams. I'm dropping the kids off at my aunt's house at 3pm for 24 hours of pure, unadulterated, child-free F U .... FUN (minds out of the gutters people!) Since I change my mind as often as I change diapers, I decided I want to take Ben to Chima Brazilian Steakhouse for his birthday. A customer recommended it to me last night, they offer all these different cuts of meat on skewers and have this phenomenal salad bar, and Ben is a meat loving man, so I think he is going to LOVE it. A review to follow!

Speaking of bar customers, here's a new one. A couple walks into a bar and sits down simultaneously as another man walks in and sits down. The bartender asks the single man what he wants to drink, being that he is alone, and the couple can exchange a few words while waiting their turn patiently. The man of the couple then proceeds to whine to his wife (very loudly so I can hear), "We were here first, what the HELL?!" The bartender then looks at the man like a small child and says, "I'm sorry for making you wait 2 seconds, I wasn't sure who was here first. What do you need??" I felt like putting that putz right on the naughty chair... his wife looked embarrassed to say the least, but hell, I wanted to put her on it, too, for letting her husband act like a baffoon. I understand it's Friday, and you're stressed from a long week of work, and you probably haven't gotten laid in 6 months, but I just got to work, and I don't need your piss poor attitude bringing me down at the very beginning of my shift. My goodness, are people that impatient that they can't wait ONE minute to get their beloved Miller Lite? Take it easy, buddy! Thank God the rest of my customers came in to have a fun time and enjoy themselves, unlike this man and a prior man who almost rolled his eyes right out of his head and huffed at me that we didn't have Peroni beer in bottles as opposed to draft. Men and their beer, I tell ya... it's like women and their Sephora make-up. (more on that later)

OK, I better go, Ollie is getting into the water cooler again and Nathan has escaped to the confines of his tent. Happy Saturday everyone!

No Turning Back

I figured it was due time for me to do something a little off kilter and random, so I registered for the Broad Street Run on May 2nd. It's a 10 mile long race and I figure it will take me about a month to cross the finish line, and that's with me running the whole time. I know, I know... I haven't run anywhere in the past 10 years except to the bathroom after a few too many beers or to save my kids from tumbling off the jungle gym, but I'm hoping this is the kick start to getting my ass in gear for good. I want to make a lifestyle change to become more active and a better eater, so that I can be the healthiest I can possibly be for my children. The more I think about it, the more emotional I become when I imagine what life would be like for my kids if I wasn't around. It's honestly my biggest fear right now. It's depressing to even fathom but it's real life to me. I lost both of my parents at a young age, and I never really considered the effects of that until I became a parent myself. I always just thought I was fine or a strong person for being able to overcome such tragedy, and I am... but now I just want to do everything I possibly can to be there for my kids in any way, shape, or form. They better appreciate all this when they get older! ;)

So, I feel like I am very blessed to have an opportunity to join this run, which is raising money for The American Cancer Society. How many of us have been affected by cancer? My dad fell victim to brain cancer, my Aunt is currently finishing up Chemo treatment for blood cancer, and my Uncle's brother just passed away a couple days ago from lung cancer. Those are reasons enough for wanting to participate, along with getting myself into shape and having a fitness goal. I feel very nervous about preparing for this event, like I'm unsure of even where to start. I've been back at the gym now for a week and I already feel stronger after 7 workouts, but I am hardly an avid cardio person. I googled training for a 10 mile race and found this training schedule which I am going to start on Monday. Ahhh... wish me luck!

Fountain of Youth

I don't think I can pull off the whole "It's my 21st Birthday!" thing again this year, like I have been doing every year since 2003. I have come to embrace my age (um, 24, duh) and know that the best thing I can do for my face is to take preventative measures. That being said, I decided to switch face moisturizers and try Oil of Olay Total Effects UV Moisturizer plus SPF 15, which claims to have 7 anti-aging therapies in 1 formula. I am always leery of products that claim to do anything besides make my face fell less dry, but I decided to give it a go because I think every grandmother today stands behind Oil of Olay products, so they have to be good. Well, survey says...

It works! The bottle is small (1.7oz), but has a little pump, which I always like because I feel like I can ration it out because it is by no means cheap at $18.99 a bottle. It goes on so smoothly and it feels like it dissolves almost instantly into your skin. My face looks brighter, but not oily. It leaves no greasy feeling behind and the one I use is fragrance free and has SPF 15, which is uber important if your skin attracts the sun like mine. The fine lines I have around my mouth from smiling like the Cheshire Cat are less noticeable as well as the lines on my forehead. My skin stays soft the whole day long. I am by no means saying that I look like a grandmother, but you know there are times when you stare at yourself in the mirror and pick apart every little wrinkle or age spot that may or may not be there, let's be honest! It's all about preventing these things from happening. There was a time in my distant past where I was a sun worshipper and put SPF negative 5 on so I could get nice and dark, but those days are long gone! Tell the truth ladies, y'all know that you have been on some girl's Facebook page that you used to know back in the day and think "OMG, She looks old!" Well chances are she either tans, smokes, or smokes while she tans. I used to do both, and I hope to God I am not on the receiving end of a statement like that. I have 2 young ones that drive me nuts and make me feel older every day, the last thing I want to do is look it, so if I have to have a face routine every day for the rest of my life, so be it. Rant be over, I HIGHLY recommend this face moisturizer, I have been using it in conjunction with St. Ives Apricot Scrub and was told by a bar customer the other day that I "looked like I was 12." Normally I would find that strangely offensive, but I'll take it as a compliment now, baby!

After one week of use, cheesin as usual

Monday Funday

I am a lucky duck right now, Ollie is taking a nap and Nathan is (reluctantly) watching Cars for the 608th time in his bedroom, giving me a nice little break to putz around on the computer. This morning we went and visited my friend, Cherise, who has twin girls who are almost 3 and a baby boy who is 14 months. She's also expecting baby number 4 in June! Whew, that was a handful just to type! If anyone can do it she can! I even find myself getting calmed down by her stern, yet calming Mommy discipline voice, lol. I was almost ready to put myself in time out again! Anyway, the boys had a great time playing with their friends and Ollie conked right out on the 5 minute ride home!

Yesterday was a very nice family Sunday. After having a talk (OK, argument) with Ben about how stressed out I have been recently about taking care of everything, he volunteered to take Nathan and go food shopping yesterday, which was WONDERFUL. It did take him a couple hours to finish, but I was so happy that he took the initiative and he even came back with a very pretty bouquet of flowers that Nathan had picked out for me. Flowers always perk a girl up instantly! It was my also Aunt's birthday, so we packed up the clan and headed over to Carrabbas for an early dinner with Ben's grandparents and brother, as well. The boys were really on their best behavior and we made it through dinner in one piece again! Maybe there is hope for eating out with the kids after all. Red Sangria always helps, too! =)

I am very excited for Saturday, I made reservations to a restaurant I have been wanting to eat at for years, Upstares at Sotto Varalli for Ben's 29th birthday. It's supposed to have a gorgeous view of Broad Street with floor to ceiling windows and be very romantic. We haven't been out on a Saturday night in months, and the boys are going to stay overnight with my Aunt and Uncle, so we even get to sleep in the next day, woo hoo! This is a great beginning to the week! I'm also looking forward to going to the Body Works class at the gym today at 4:30 to work off all the sangria and pasta I consumed last night. Even the weather is nice and sunny today! I just hope we don't get snow like they are calling for this week, blah.

Just one of those days.

If you're an old fogey like me, you will clearly remember Monica's hit "Just One of Those Days". Well, that is certainly the case for me today. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly sent me over the edge this morning, but since I'm a big emotional basket case during the wonderful months known to me as "Tax Season Hell" I can guarantee that it was probably something as minute as the holes in my friggin socks again. The plain truth of the matter is, I miss my pain in the arse husband and can't imagine how in the hell single mothers do it. (for those that don't know, Ben is an accountant and has been working from 7am-11pm six nights a week) It's so hard to balance taking care of my kids (aka making sure they make it thru the day in once piece), cleaning the house, doing all the required mundane things it takes to run a household, and working at night. Just when I think I have it under control, things seem to fall apart again. This is huge for me, being that I am so type A that everything needs to be in control and somewhat organized or else I fall off the deep end. Hell, it's even big for me to admit that I need help because I'm the type of person that never used to ask for it. It usually doesn't take me long to regain my composure, but when I am feeling down, I am doooooown. Like, I want to go sit in a dressing room, try on clothes, and eat a gallon of ice cream while someone plays the violin. Maybe I should take up knitting and knit myself some new socks. Even the Pilate's' instructor this morning had to force my shoulders to relax and told me I was "a little ball of stress". Of course, this caused the waterworks to flow right then and there, which was almost as embarrassing as the woman next to me who kept letting out farts.

Yes, today is just one of those days... thankfully I have my little man Nathan who told me he wants to "give me a hug and make me happy". And here I thought I was the one who was supposed to make the boo-boos feel better. My boys have a way of making me see the light at the end of the tunnel. My non-stop, non-snuggly Ollie even allowed me to rock him to sleep in my arms, something he hasn't done since he was an infant, which gave me some time to reflect. I am discovering each day that I am learning more and more from my children... I think the lesson of the day today is that I need a "time out"... hmm, maybe I can sneak a hot shower in while Ollie naps. Fingers crossed!!

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Then I went to the mall.

Hopefully you all weren't too worried that I didn't post yesterday. I know someone had to think the kids had me tied up and locked in a dark room, anything to keep me off "Mommy's puter" as Nathan calls it. I didn't get a chance to write because I was too busy enjoying a perfectly relaxing and uneventful day completed by a nice dinner waiting for me and a glass of wine by the fireplace. Wait a minute, I must still be in my dreams... I keep doing that! Nah, yesterday I was just caught up in the hustle and bustle of any given day, except that it actually was rather uneventful and I even got to sneak in a child-free one hour trip to the mall thanks to a surprise visit from Santa... I mean, my brother-in-law, Adam. Not that the trip boosted my morale at all since it involved trying on clothes for a bachelorette party I have next weekend. If I could get that hour back, I probably would have gone for a pedicure or tortured myself with a second hour at the gym. I hate trying on clothes, especially in the dead of winter and after picking up yet another obsession, Stella Artois. That beer has become a staple in our house and thanks to the nifty Stella beer glasses courtesy of Carrabbas, I can now enjoy 1, OK 3, nightly in what appears to be a wine glass. Hello, empty calories. Yes, nothing screams fun like trying on 25 dresses in the attempt to look somewhat cute compared to the 14 other young and (child-less) girls I'll be partying with. The party is for my BFF, Jenn's little sister, I'm just tagging along to chaperone and drive them all around in my mommy van so we look extra hip. Adding to my disdain for trying on clothes is the fact that I now have to make sure everything matches my brand new tattoo. That was one thing (oops) I didn't think of when getting it on my front shoulder. Now I can't wear lime green since it doesn't match it... damn.

While on a moms night out the other night, at Triumph Brewery in Philly, we talked about women and their insecurities about their bodies. I swear, whoever invented the review feature on a digital camera needs a good spanking. I don't know anyone that screams, "OMG! I just LOVE that picture of me!!" unless they're a couple (a few) drinks in and have their beer goggles on. No, instead it's usually "I look fat!" "My face looks fat!" "That's my bad angle! (that's my personal excuse) or "Delete it, delete it!!" In a twisted way, it's nice to know I am not the only mom that feels like pictures of herself are the new Chinese water torture. I know, I know, 'I'm a mom, I nurtured two children, I love my body,' blah blah blah, whatever that Facebook chain mail post said a few days ago. In reality, yes, I am a mother of two, in the past 4 years I have collectedly gained and lost a total of 75 pounds on a frame comparable to a gymnast or a freakin horse jockey. I have stretch marks and stretched skin and no one tells you the wonderful after effects of breastfeeding 2 kids... yeaaaa, let's just say I now have to set up a new savings fund, specifically for Victoria's Secret super whammo bammo push-up bras. Yes, I do love my children obsessively and am proud that I carried them in my big ol belly, but what mom doesn't long for her pre-children body, before the saggy boobs and saggy everything else? I probably sound like a big wambulance right now, but wah, wah, wah.

On the flip side, I had a bag of chips for breakfast and didn't feel one bit guilty about it. At least I got some veggies in for the day already.

That's Odd.

Sweet dreams, baby boy

Yesterday my good friend and favorite bartender, Couzin Ed, asked me what the weirdest thing was that Nathan has ever done. I had to really think about it all day and night and this morning I figured out what the answer is. Drum roll please..........(insert drum noise) absolutely NOTHING. Yup, you read right. Kids have a way of distorting your view of what "normal" used to be. Ever since Nathan was potty trained about a month ago, he's taken a liking to running around the house sans pants or underwear, and while it may seem weird to an outsider (especially the Meter Man and Ben's grandparents) it is totally normal to me. One might think it strange that Oliver climbs on everything he gets his chubby little legs on, especially if you're trying to enjoy a meal at the table and he's dancing on top of it to the beat of your fork hitting the plate, but that's an every day occurrence for me.

I'm not sure if my own ocd like tendencies have rubbed off on my boys already, but Nathan does have some rather "odd" quirks. For instance, he:

• likes to wash his hands incessantly and doesn't like anything on them (paint, food, etc)
• will not touch any condiments (thatta boy) and only eats specific kinds of food (think chicken fingers as opposed to nuggets)
• will not go to bed without all 10 of his "friends" (stuffed animals) and 5 blankets
• needs these friends lined up in a particular order above his head and next to him
• can watch the same TV episode over and over, no matter how many times he has seen it
• likes to wear his PJ's in public
• drinks coffee (just little sips, people)
• likes to sleep in a tent, pictured above.

Hmm.. on second glance, all of these things are normal for pre-schoolers. (minus the coffee. I know, I'm a bad mommy!) Maybe I'm the weirdo for not having fun and doing things his way. Just think how much fun it would be to go to work in your pajamas, watch TV to your heart's content, and have a sleepover in a tent with 10 of your friends! My boy has discovered the key to happiness at the tender age of three. I just knew he was going to be doing BIG things.

Goooood Morning!

The strangest thing happened to me this morning. I literally HOPPED out of bed. OK, not literally, but you know what I mean. Holy crap, I slept like a log last night!! I vaguely remember that exercising made me sleep better at night, what a pleasant feeling to awake to. Even the boys dumping a whole can of Pringles on the floor before my very eyes didn't put a damper on my morning spirits. So... back to the gym I go with boys in tow... my body doesn't ache nearly as much as the first time I went back to the gym last summer, which leads me to believe that I'm not as 'unfit' as I thought I was. Woot woot!

On a side note, I am trying to find a sitter for tomorrow night, so I can go see my friend from work, Liat Arochas, play in Old City at Triumph Brewery. Any takers? Bueller??

Skincare

My friend Jaime told me I should blog about different products that I like, so here it goes.

I am obsessed with skincare, but most importantly, face skin care. The past few weeks I have been feeling stressed due to Ben's new work schedule and darn it, I am starting to break out. I also explained to my girlfriends that one of the kids must have thrown my favorite skincare item of the moment, The Neutragena Wave into the bath because it crapped out on me and I need to get a new one. They were all sold out of them at Target today, so I decided to go back to my old favorite blemish fighter, St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub. I used it tonight in the shower and wow, what a difference even one use makes! And at $3.98 you can't beat it. My face felt tighter and smoother after just one use. I hardly ever switch face products and I can't remember why I ever stopped using this, but I am hooked on it once again. I should add that the exfoliating beads can be a little abrasive if you have extra sensitive skin, but they do offer a Gentle Apricot Scrub. If you want the professional reasons why you should exfoliate your skin, you can read about it HERE. St. Ives is perfect for washing away the mommy blues to reveal softer, brighter skin. This particular face wash has even won numerous awards, such as The Best Face Scrub in Glamour Magazine. (as if you read anything but Parents magazine!)

I need to post a picture of how much I am glowing right now! And, NO... I am not pregnant!