I have got to get some sleep

I wake up, or more appropriately - I am woken up, in the morning and I am usually always exhausted. I think to myself, I've GOT to get to bed earlier. At 6:00am, I'm already looking forward to bedtime, and planning out how I'm going to go to bed early that night. Then, the day goes on. I'm tired, but I get through just fine. The evening rolls around. Dinner. Dishes. Preparing for the next day. Then I jump on the computer to work some more, or blog, or read blogs or do a picture project... I get a second wind and next thing I know... it's freaking midnight again! What is my problem anyway?

My little Angelina Jolie

My youngest daughter, Milly loves loves loves babies. She can't get enough of them. She always has at least one baby in her hands when she's walking around the house, and usually sleeps with her entire collection of baby dolls in bed with her. When we had our teacher/parent conference at her Preschool last month, her teachers told us that Milly plays with the baby dolls almost exclusively.

She could spend hours changing all her baby's diapers. Then feeding them. Then putting them to sleep. Then waking them up to change their diapers again.

The girl is obsessed.

This is a picture of her current menagerie of babies. She personally named each and every one of them. All of them have a first name, for example "Roses", and all of them have the same last name, "Baby". With the exception of "Baby Abba", who is special because she's Milly's first baby (taken over from her big sister) and because she makes baby noises. That's where Baby Abba got her name actually. One of the noises she makes sounds like ahh baa, so Milly started calling her Baby Ahh Baa. There's also one not pictured, named "Raisin Baby", because it has a raisin stuck in it's mouth.

Some of them she calls by their full names, like "Binky Baby", named for the pacifier hung around her neck. Some of them she calls just by their first name, like "Toto". I don't even know where she came up with that one. Some of them even have nicknames. Often, she calls "Camper Baby", just "Camp".

Her favorite decoration this Christmas, was the baby Jesus in the ceramic nativity scene that my Mom made me. She constantly asked if she could "peese hold baby Jesus".

As you can see in this picture... she'd admire him, pet him, kiss him, hug him and then lovingly put him back in the manger "wif his Mommy and Daddy".


I actually feel bad not having a third child, because I know that my little Milly would adore a baby brother or sister. But, that's probably not a good reason to have another child. Plus, they grow up, and she won't be able to help me pay for the third kid's college education.

Thankful Thursday

In this installment of Thankful Thursday, I'm so thankful for... Thursdays!

I work from home on Thursdays, so it's my favorite work day of the week. Every other day, I have an hour drive each way from my house to downtown San Francisco and back. It's hard to complain about my commute - I drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, and the beauty of it really never gets old.
Still... I detest the two hours I'm stuck in my car, so not having to drive into SF is one of the best things about working from home. My kids still go to Preschool and I still work a full day, but I get more time with my kids on Thursdays, because I can drop them off and pick them up myself. Something I don't regularly get to do because of my commute.

Other things I'm thankful for being able to do on my work from home Thursdays...throw a load of laundry in the washer or unload the dishwasher while on conference calls, grab some groceries during lunch and make a meal that takes longer to prepare than my normal "30 minutes or less" weekday meals. On a really slow day, I might even sneak out for a pedicure. If you are someone that I work with, I'm just kidding. I never do that.

Wordless Wednesday

This is what happens when you don't check your daughter's jacket pockets before you wash her clothes.

Lint traps weren't made to handle this many leaves...

Letter to Disney re: "Fast Play"

Dear Disney Corp,

Come on. "Fast Play"? Do you really expect us to fall for this load of crap? I'm of course referring to the seemingly time saving "Fast Play" option on your DVDs, that does not take you directly to the damn movie - as the name would suggest, but instead takes you through 30 minutes of previews for other movies and commercials for Disney crap, I mean lovely merchandise.

I knew from the first - that "Fast Play" was a ploy. It's just that the voice sounds so excited when it says "This DVD is now equipped with Disney's Fast Play! Your movie, and a selection of bonus features, will play for you automatically!" Bonus features? Really? You are selling your previews and merchandise as bonus features? What's the bonus? I get to spend my hard earned bonus getting more Disney crap for my kids?

There is nothing fast about "Fast Play" Disney people! Seriously. How can you name it that, and sleep at night? Clearly, I am on to you, and immediately scroll over to the "Main Menu" function so that I can actually get to the menu of the DVD that will allow me to start the movie we are attempting to watch. However, if I don't stand there and monitor the screen so that I can proactively choose the Main Menu, it sends us through the "Fast Play" detour of hell, since you've cleverly designed the DVD to default to that option.

Usually, when we're putting a Disney movie in the DVD player, it's either because my kids are DYING to see whatever masterpiece involving the main character's parent dying, a princess's dreams being answered by a prince or some random animals overcoming adversity. Or, it's because I've got a pot about to boil over on the stove and I need to get the kids out of the kitchen NOW.

So the longer it takes me to get your Godforsaken movie started, the more curse words you are exposing my children to. Yes, I blame you. What? Like I'm supposed to be responsible for my own actions when you're putting me through your "Fast Play" hell? I don't think so.

Ok. I admit it. I love all that is Disney. I truly believe that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth. But your stupid "Fast Play" is really pissing me off!

Sincerely,
Your loyal Disney consumer

I'd like to thank the Academy...

...more appropriately, I'd like to thank the RaMbLeR for honoring me with my very first blogging award! I'm thrilled that you enjoy reading my blog. Thank you!

I'm supposed to pass this award on to what I consider to be my top 10 blogs, but I've never been one for following the rules, I like to mix things up by making up my own. So... I'm going to give some props to just a few people for the reasons below. Feel free to pass it on, or not. Mention it on your blog, or not. Just taking this opportunity to show some love. So, the rules are - there are no rules!

Sleepless in Sactown for keeping up not one, but two new blogs, and for imparting your expertise on living a Luscious Life.

HeatherDyan because to me, your words are like art - it feeds my soul.

To Keep It Real for helping me remember why I started blogging in the first place.

But Why Mommy and Inzaburbs for cracking me up on days when I could use a good laugh!

The Norwindians because you're my sister, and for inspiring me to start a blog!

Happy New Year!

I'm sort of superstitious, and I heard somewhere that whatever you are doing on the first day of the new year, is how you will spend that year.




We spent the eve of the new year and New Year's Day enjoying the company of family and friends with good food, even better wine, great conversation and happy kids, so I hope that's one superstition that holds true!