iSpent Too Much Money

It's Sunday night and I'm about to fall asleep before the nugget. That is how tired the last week made me. I was hoping for some relaxation in front of the TV this weekend but that never happened. All I got in was an episode of Once Upon A Time and one Chelsea Lately. I did read a lot of Fifty Shades Darker so I did have some me time.

Yesterday morning was a cleaning frenzy trying to get ahead so I wouldn't have to kill myself today. It's my mother's birthday this week so my brother and his family came out for the weekend. Last night we ate at one of our favorite restaurants Meson Ole. The food is delicious (I tried something new and it was yummy) and the sangria is top notch. Stuffed from dinner we headed back to my parents for dessert and gorged ourselves some more. We have a favorite local place for cheesecakes, pies and cakes and it never lets us down. I chose a toasted amaretto cheesecake, pear apple crumble pie and two individual lava cakes (dark chocolate and peanut butter). They were all so good but I hated taking the leftovers home. I need to get back on track with my weight loss.

Today we went to the local aquarium and had a great time with Nate. We had some lunch and headed to get Love's birthday present. It's next week and he went from wanting a Nook Glow to the Nook Tablet really quickly when we discussed it the other day. I decided it was best to take him and let him pick what he wanted. The outcome was quite unexpected. He went to the bathroom and I found the last Nook Tablet and grabbed it. He came back and I went to the bathroom and when I came back he was by the iPads. Uh oh. Yup, I caved and am typing this on an iPad 2 (get the title now?). He didn't push for the 3, he was excited that the iPad was only $50 more than the Nook. I couldn't argue. I love my Nook but I REALLY love my iPod Touch and iPhone. We decided it would be for both of our birthdays since mine is next month. Since I'm still trying to figure this out I am not posting any pictures. I will do that tomorrow from my PC which I don't have to struggle with.

One and Done?

I sure as shit hope not! Nate actually slept in his bed…all night last night!!! I am praying (and I am not a religious person but I will do whatever is necessary in this stressful situation) that this was night one of a continuing series of nights spent in his own bed…but as we know with Nate, nothing is ever a sure thing. I get my hopes up and I am usually disappointed very quickly.

 My boys looking adorable in my bed

My nugget looking adorable in his bed :)))) 

(I think we are supporting Disney at this point)

This whole week has been really looooooong and stressful so I was so thrilled to wake up this morning without a little boy in my bed, a back that actually felt okay and realized it was Friday! Yay! I was supposed to be off to have the dishwasher fixed since it is draining onto my kitchen floor (nothing like cleaning up gallons of water at night) but that got moved to Monday so I am working today but I’m okay with it. It’s quiet in the office so I can get a lot done and look forward to my weekend. I need to buckle down with my eating (I lost the .4lbs. I gained last week so that was okay) and track everything I put in my mouth (hehe). I started the day with Burger King hash browns courtesy of Aimee (probably not the best choice but delicious) so I need to be careful the rest of the day. Luckily I have 2 clementines and an apple for snacks so I can save points for lunch and dinner. I can do it!

You Wan Happy Ending?

Today is a special day…Administrative Assistant’s Day…you know that’s a holiday right? Well it is and I happen to be the big boss’ assistant so I was happy to find a lovely orchid in my office when I arrived this morning (so he broke into my office to put it there – big deal). I was also excited because I had already scheduled a massage for my lunch hour and I needed it bad. It was a very nice and relaxing hour and my back and leg feel so much better now.

My boss refuses to use the massage therapists at work…actually he refuses to get massages at all (or so he says, he he) so we tease him all the time because all of the ladies in my office take advantage of the employee discount. I started going once a week recently since my back flared up again. I’m hoping it’s a temporary thing and will subside after a few weeks of rest and massages. I love my therapist Marie and she knows exactly what she’s doing and it helps so much. I always go back to work rested and relaxed and ready to tackle the rest of the day.

I haven’t walked/jogged at all this week and I am feeling REALLY guilty about it. Tomorrow I am hoping it will not rain so I can get back out there. I wanted to wait until after my leg was a little better because I don’t want to risk a real injury. I honestly think I need to schedule an appointment with my neurologist so I can have some muscle relaxers and pain meds on hand for when this happens. OTC meds do nothing and I am in so much pain that it makes me so cranky (ask Love – he’s not happy when I’m cranky). I hate to take that stuff but the last time I did it was for 3 days and I was back to normal. I think I may have to suck it up and go to the doctor…wah!

Go the Fuck to Sleep

Yeah, I’ve read the book and laughed my ass off because it’s funny and true. We are lucky that Nate usually doesn’t give us too much trouble about going to bed at night. Nap time is another story but usually he’s tuckered out by bedtime so he goes without a fight. The problem we have is that he HAS to fall asleep in our bed, with me usually and he has to be touching me. Usually he just says in a sad voice, “I need mama!” and I throw my right arm his way while I try and operate my Nook or iPhone/iPod Touch with my left hand (you don’t expect me to stop reading in bed do you?). Eventually Love will wander into the room and scoop him up and take him to his own bed. At some point in the night he always finds his way back to our bed and I wake up with a small foot in my back or his head sharing my pillow. This was cute when he was small but at roughly 4 feet tall and 36 pounds it is not so cute anymore.

  

 

We have tried a variety of methods to get him out of our bed and none work. I take full responsibility for the creation of this monster (believe me I could never forget with the amount of times my mother reminds me) because I started taking him to bed with me when he was 11 weeks old and I went back to work. I desperately missed my Nate time and I was trying to relish in the few hours a day I had with him. As much as I hate having him in my bed all night long I still love the feeling of him falling asleep next to me. He is my only child and I miss him all day long and I only get 3 hours a night with him before bedtime. When he falls asleep at 8pm (on days he does not nap) it takes an hour away from me and I feel sad. Of course he is usually a maniac on those days so sometimes I am thrilled to have him fall asleep early.

Tonight we are once again trying the bribery method…this consists of Love picking up a Jake and the Neverland Pirates toddler bedding set this afternoon which I will wash and put on his bed tonight. I tried, in vain, last night to convince Nate that it was time for a twin bed and new bedding. We sat with the computer and looked and looked and he shot down every bed I showed him and only perked up when we found the Jake bedding…which is only sold at Walmart…and only comes in toddler size. He pleaded with me to get it and promised to sleep in his bed if I did. No, I’m not a dolt…he’s 3 and I know he knows how to play us. I promised him that if he does not stay in his bed tonight that it is being returned tomorrow. I am also throwing in that if he continues to sleep there every night through Saturday that I will buy him the matching wall decals. My back and I really hope this works.

Weekend Getaway

We headed Upstate Friday to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 65^th birthday and we were expecting a total washout so we were very surprised Saturday morning to wake up to a bright shining sun and not a cloud in the sky. We headed to a park in Catskill so we could explore the playground and enjoy the scenery. Nate was disappointed that there were no kids on the playground so we ran around with him for a bit. At one point he left Love stranded at the top of the playground and he ran over to me to go on a swing. Then he ran off to find Pop Pop and Love had no choice but to use the slide. It made me giggle.

The Rip Van Winkle Bridge 

Pop Pop led us to a walking trail and we headed off into the woods. Not too long after I realized that my rubber flip flops and this particular trail were not friends and I should turn back. After stubbing both of my big toes on large rocks I realized that even the flat part of this trail was no match for my clumsiness. The last stop on our tour of the park was a small floating dock that I was not a fan of. The water was choppy and this thing was moving all over. I may have felt better if I had seen some sort of weight limit sign posted in its vicinity.

 Choppy Waters

 Nate and Pop Pop checking out the beavers handiwork

 "Follow me!"

 The scary dock

 

We left the park and headed over to another area that had a concrete walking path and a large barn like building by the docks. The building is usually a small museum with local items but it is closed off season. It was nice and warm out and the breeze from the water felt amazing. Nate had a chance to get some energy out by running around like a maniac. We were all hoping it would help him fall asleep on the way home (which it did!). We all had an afternoon nap before we headed to the Bavarian Manor for dinner. The food was delicious and I was stuffed when we left.

 This was once a port of call for cruise ships

 All of these paintings are done on wood and are amazingly well preserved

 Rip Van Winkle

 Loved these chairs around the fire pit at the Bavarian Manor

 They had really cool ashtrays everywhere

 Nate loved the phone booth

 We sat by the cookoo clocks

 My dinner

 Even the crayons were in a cool cup

Sunday was a perfect stay-in-bed-all-day kinda Sunday. We got home at 1pm and headed to my bed to watch TV and read. I felt like I was hit by a car between the car ride and the weather. My back has been so bad since we travelled to NH a few weeks ago and I just wanted to stretch out and sleep. Around 4pm I finally fell asleep and woke up just in time to make dinner…and realize I had to get us all ready to go to work and school today. I’m tired just thinking about it. Tonight I think we will all go to bed early so we are much more refreshed tomorrow.

Kids Shows

Disney finally put together a channel for toddlers similar to Nick Junior and it is our new favorite channel. I have been so sick of The Fresh Beat Band, Dora, Diego, Dino Dan and especially Wow Wow Wubbzy. I like that Team UmiZoomi teaches math and I will miss Peppa Pig so maybe we’ll visit Nick Junior again but for now we are all about Disney Junior.

Nate’s favorite show is Jake and the Neverland Pirates and I really enjoy watching it with him. I like that they have shows on at night that are calming and they even have little shorts in between shows about going to bed. From 7:30pm to 9:00pm I let him come to bed with me and we watch Doc McStuffins (about a little girl who fixes broken toys), Gaspard and Lisa (two dogs who live in Paris) and Guess How Much I Love You (based on the book). Doc McStuffins I could do without but he prefers it to Phinneas and Ferb on the weekend which shocks me.

Guess How Much I Love You is very cute and calming which is perfect for bedtime. It is about Little Brown Nut Hare and his father Big Nut Brown Hare and the other animals they interact with like Little White Field Mouse. Love walked in on us watching an episode and after he heard one of the characters say Big Nut Brown Hare he couldn’t help but snicker under his breath “I’ll show you a big brown nut hair”. I of course burst out laughing because I love any inappropriate humor that gets thrown at me. Yesterday while out for my run the thought popped back in my head and I started giggling like a school girl. Nothing like turning a kid’s show into something perverted. I can’t wait to hear him comment on Doc McStuffins.

My favorite show is Charlie and Lola. It is about a British brother and sister and you never see their parents. Unlike Max and Ruby they actually have parents that are mentioned but the show revolves around them and their friends. It is voices by actual children and is different than most cartoons, but in a good way. Nate loves it because he has a cousin named Charlie so he thinks it’s funny. Charlie also reminds us of the YouTube video of the toddler shoving his finger in his baby brother’s mouth and yelling, “Charlie bit me!” in a British accent. If you have a toddler and haven’t already checked out Disney Junior you should. It will be a lot less painful to watch TV.

 Jake and the Neverland Pirates

 Doc McStuffins

 Nate and I thought they were bunnies but they are dogs...hmmmm

 Guess How Much I Love You

Charlie and Lola

P.S. Happy 4/20 which could also make watching kids shows a little better ;)

The Bro

I am on a quest to find the perfect sports bra. This is a huge (hehe) issue for a woman with a chest as large as mine. I am a 40DD and a large one at that. I now only buy bras in Lane Bryant because they carry pretty bras for big chested ladies, and I can even get matching panties (bonus!). I know there are plenty of women who would love to have this problem, but believe me when I say it is a burden. Don’t get me wrong I love having big boobs especially since I was once a member of the IBTC (Itty Bitty Titty Committee). I was teased mercilessly by my brother and his friends for “making the walls jealous”. I hit puberty and prayed that my chest would grow since I come from a long line of women with ample bosom. When I got to college and put on a little weight my boobs grew but I was still considered myself average even if the men in my life didn’t.

Having Nate changed everything including my bra size. I gained 40 pounds in the 18 months I was trying to get pregnant and then another 30 while pregnant. I recently threw away my tiny C cup bras from Victoria’s Secret. I can’t even remember being that little and I don’t think I will ever get back there. Women with small chests would probably cringe at that. The C cup is probably the most desired size and I agree. I hate that I have trouble buying any shirts because either the buttons are gaping apart, the fabric is stretched to the max or my boobs are hanging out. I used to live in v-neck tees and now I look like a porn star in most of them. Men of course love women who look like me but I want to be able to walk around my house without a bra and be comfortable. Or go for a jog and not risk getting smacked in the face.

Which brings us back full circle to my original point. I bought these wonderful compression tank tops from the Active line at Old Navy. They have a racer back and a shelf bra and a little padded cup that can be removed. I love them because they hold in my stomach and hold down my boobs while I run. Unfortunately they are made of polyester and spandex which makes them ride up with my new shorts. They were perfect with my cotton/spandex blend yoga pants (or Yoda pants as Nate affectionately calls them) but I had to buy new shorts and I found that shorts and a tank that are the same fabric do not mix well. I figure if I can wear sports bras and a cotton tank with the shorts that will work and I can still wear the better tanks with cotton shorts. Don't even get me started on the fire I almost started with my thighs in the cute jogging shorts I was so silly to think a woman my size could wear...ugh, too much to worry about for some FREE exercise.

Grey Day

Today has been a very off day for me. I had a scheduled massage at 10:30am which was great but threw me for a curve because by the time I had my coffee and yogurt and went through emails I didn’t have too much time to get to many other things. Now I have a 3:30pm meeting and I’m feeling rushed to finish what I’m working on.

I didn’t sleep well last night. I started reading Fifty Shades of Grey 2 nights ago and last night I couldn’t put it down. My Weight Watchers leader mentioned last week that she is reading it for her book club and since I was looking for a new book I thought I would check it out. I am glad that I did because it is engrossing but it was not what I was expecting. All of a sudden there is this media blitz about women and their sexuality and it was sparked by this book and the new HBO show Girls. I haven’t watched Girls yet but I plan to this week because the commercials piqued my interest.

They are calling the books “an erotic trilogy” and "mommy porn" and the first 100 pages of Fifty Shades of Grey fit that description perfectly. Obviously the books won’t be on everyone’s reading list but I think it is a wonderful way for women to get away from their everyday lives. I don’t know a damned thing about dominant-submissive relationships but the book is about more than that. It’s interesting to read about a relationship that is so one sided with the man always in charge. Our society today is not like that anymore. EL James is quoted as saying, “You're in charge of your job, your house, your children, getting food on the table, doing all of this all of the time," she says. "It's nice for someone to just be in charge for a bit." I think a lot of working moms would love for someone else to be in charge – even if only for a short time.

Very Busy Weekend

I am happy and sad to be at work on this Monday. Happy to have some quiet time and sad that my weekend is over. It was one of those weekends where I could use another day to finish cleaning and laundry. Instead of finishing my chores I decided to spend more time with the boys this weekend and it was lovely.

Saturday morning was a whirlwind…Love dropped the Civic off to get new tires (and an unexpected brake job) then Nate and I picked him up and we all headed out to Southampton. Love needed to have blood work done so we stopped by the lab before hitting the Princess Diner. I had the most delicious spinach and feta omelet and potatoes and I was stuffed. I could have laid down for a nap right there but we jumped back in the car and continued with our errands until we eventually ended up at Agawam Park so Nate could check out the playground.

We were going to my parent’s for dinner since we were sick on Easter so I decided to take the scenic route to their house since we had time to kill. I took the boys into Hampton Bays and over the Ponquogue Bridge. I didn’t realize it for a little while but we were actually on

Dune Road

so we just kept going until we hit Westhampton. Nate fell asleep just before we arrived at my parents so it gave us some time to chat before he woke up. I almost fell asleep myself before dinner but the smell of pot roast and mashed potatoes kept me going. Dinner was delicious.

Yesterday Love woke up and his hand was killing him and my back was still sore. I started laundry and we all had some breakfast and we seemed to be in slow motion. Suddenly 11am hit and we were all revved up. Love went out front to mow the lawn and Nate and I headed out onto the deck to play and blow bubbles. Okay who am I kidding? Nate was playing with his bubble gun and bubble lawn mower and I was washing the kitchen window and table and cleaning up the yard. I’m a neurotic mess and I admit it. I eventually convinced Nate to bring his car out front so I could clean out my garden beds and sweep the deck and driveway. Three hours later I was starving and exhausted but the front yard looked lovely J The rest of the day was a blur but it was nice to spend time with my 2 favorite people.

 Nate tried on glasses while Love had his eyes examined

 Checking out some grafitti at the park

 LOVE his smile

 This slide was huge!

Ponquogue Bridge