Love Bytes Tip #1: Take Off/Put on the Costume

Marriage is a marathon.
If you expect to finish the race, you have to pace yourself.
You have to replenish the body of matrimony.
Then you stand a good chance of going the distance.

Tip for the Men:
In our post-women's lib era, it's politically incorrect to see us as damsels in distress. Women bring home the bacon AND fry it up in the pan. In reality, the Superwoman costume can wear thin. Women juggle multiple roles...wife, mother, professional, housekeeper, social secretary, family mediator, caregiver to pets...the list is never-ending. Often, we are pulled in so many directions that it feels like we will be ripped apart. It's okay to swoop in and rescue us from ourselves on occasion. Pick-up dinner on your way home so we don't have to cook, take the kids to the park on a Saturday morning so we can sleep in, do a load of laundry! Taking something off of our plate shows that you understand that it can be overwhelming for use sometimes and that you appreciate all that we do for our families. So, go ahead and don the cape!

Tip for the Women:
Just like Superwoman, Superman has an alter ego - Clark Kent. While you see Superman fighting the evils of a demanding job, taking out the trash, cleaning poopy diapers and handling the "man work" around the house with little or no complaints - don't forget that Clark needs his ego stroked from time to time. When your hubby gets home from work, give him a kiss and ask him about his day (odds are, it was almost as demanding as yours). When your hubby (or you) leaves from work in the morning - kiss him like he is Superman (and not your kid brother). A little stroke of the ego goes a long way.

Baby Log: 1 Year and 24 Weeks Old

This week I realized how fast Marlie is growing up and it hit me like a tons of bricks.

For instance, she is showing the classic signs of readiness for potty learning. She was already telling me when she was ridin' dirty by patting her bottom and say "poop." But now she will sometimes got get her potty and sit on it. Mind you, she will have already done the deed, but it's a step in the right direction.

This week she has been repeating lots words including trash, apple, and night night. I must make a list of all the words she can say. She is going to be a chatterbox like her momma.

She showed her flare for comedy when she sniffed her daddy's socks and exclaimed, "ew!" She also did this to my bra. Is she trying to say that we have BO?!

Marlie also discovered the difference between mommy's and daddy's crotch. She walked up to me and smacked me right in my crotch then went and did the same thing to her daddy. She came back to me with a puzzled look like she wanted to ask why I was flat in front when her daddy has a bump. She's too inquisitive for her tender age.

Damon and I started Insanity yesterday and we survived day 1. I must be high on endorphins because I have been up since 4 am and have not crashed and burned (the day is still young though). I'm thinking of posting weekly updates versus daily ones.

We start co-blogging on marriage on Monday, so come back and check it out!

Let the Insanity Begin! The Fit Test

I, along with Damon, have embarked on the Insanity 60-day workout program.

If you are wondering where I got the crazy idea that I could do this, go visit Rhonda.

We got up at 5 am today to do our first workout, which was the Fit Test. I quickly learned what inspired the name of the program. You have to be more than a little insane to put your body through the intense exercises; your mind has to go to some deep, dark places to convince your body that it can do it.

The warm-up alone wore me out, but I did all the exercises:

75 switch kicks
44 power jacks
73 power knees
30 power jumps
7 globe jumps
10 suicide jumps
12 push-up jacks
33 low plank obliques

I am pretty proud of myself considering I've been sitting on my widening ass since the fall. I must still have some muscle memory under the layers of flab that have been forming over my abs, thighs, and butt. Here are my before shots so you can see what I am working with:



I didn't even remember to suck in my gut, sheesh. Oh, and can you say, there too much booty in the pants?!

When this is over I am going to be singing, girl, you're amazing just the way you are!

Meanwhile, I am going to be working my ass off...literally. If I go crazy, so be it. There is a method to my madness.

CLOSED...For Valentine's Day: SHMILY Coins Review and Giveaway

I have never been a girl who was impressed by flowers or teddy bears. When it comes to declarations of love, it's the effort and thought that counts in my book. That's why I am so moved by the story that inspired SHMILY coins.

SHMILY stands for See How Much I Love You and is the special message that Laura Hammond's grandparents would write to each other in some uncanny places over the course of their 50-year marriage. Talk about keeping the spark alive!

Scott and Jennifer Ertl were so inspired that they started a business to help couples and families nurture their relationships. They received permission to starting making wooden SHMILY coins so people could start their own fun tradition of hiding these treasured tokens for their loved one to find.

I have certainly enjoyed surprising my loved ones with SHMILY coins. I slipped one in my husband's coat pocket before he left for work. I hid one in his favorite coffee mug. I mailed one to my grandma tucked inside a greeting card.

The great thing about SHMILY coins is that they can be personalized by you and used for so many occasions. The back of the coin has plenty of space to write someone's name, a special date or just doodle. Some fun ways that people have enjoyed using SHMILY coins include:

• Showering newlyweds with SHMILY coins instead of rice, then everyone gets to keep one afterward as a token from the wedding and to keep renewing their love in their relationships.
• Soldiers overseas cherish holding the wooden SHMILY coins while away.
• Children going away to college, camp, and sleep-overs can easily hide the SHMILY in their pocket and touch it when feeling homesick to feel their family member's love.
• Spouses who travel appreciate finding the SHMILY in the suitcase when they arrive to their destination.
• Children enjoy finding places to hide the SHMILY coin to surprise their parents.

Shop: Order your SHMILY coins here for 99 cents each or $7.90 for a 10 pack

Win: One lucky Marlie and Me reader is going to win a 10 pack of SHMILY coins in time for Valentine's Day!

Mandatory first entry: Read the SHMILY Story and leave a comment with one place that Laura's grandparents hid the SHMILY message

All extra entries listed below are worth one (1) additional admission into this giveaway. Please leave a separate comments for each extra entry you complete)

Extra Entries for Supporting the Sponsor:

• Follow SHMILY Coins on Facebook (leave first name, last initial)

Standard Extra Entries:

• Be a current or new follower of Marlie and Me via Google Friend Connect
• Be a current or new subscriber of Marlie and Me via email (subscription must be activated)
• Grab my button (leave the URL in your comment)
• Add Marlie and Me to your blog roll, make sure it's the new domain name (leave your URL in the comment)
• Follow Marlie and Me at Networked Blogs on Facebook (leave your FB initials)
• Follow Marlie and Me on Twitter and tweet this message: #win a set of SHMILY Coins for your #Valentine from @Mommy2Marlie at www.marlieandme.com #giveaway. Can tweet once daily (leave the URL to the tweet in your comment)
• Vote for Marlie and Me at Picket Fence Blogs (click button above Google Friend Connect widget)

The rules:

• This giveaway will end on 2/5/11 at 11:59 pm CST
• Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments posted using a random number generator
• The winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond.
• Please make sure I can contact you either by having an email address visible on your blog profile or leave your email address in your comment(s). In the event the prize is not claimed in the allotted time another winner will be chosen.
• This giveaway is open to US residents only. Must be at least 18 years of age to participate. Void where prohibited.
• By accepting the prize, the winner is granting permission to be identified as such.The winner's mailing address will be forwarded to the sponsor for prize fulfillment.
• The winner has one (1) month from the date of claiming the prize to report any problems (lost shipment, broken product). I will not be responsible for resolving issues after this time.
• Entries that do not follow instructions or are falsified will be disqualified

I was provided the opportunity to participate in this campaign through Business2Blogger.

Things I'm Loving This Thursday

this week, I'm loving...

• The American Idol reboot. Sure, Steven Tyler's lechery is creepy (how much you wanna bet he gets involved in a sexual harassment scandal with a contestant?!) and Jennifer Lopez constantly playing with her hair extensions is annoying, but the new panel of judges works. Mainly, because J.Lo. is a perfect Simon/Paula combo. When she likes a candidate she piles on the sickeningly sweet praise, but when she is not impressed she can cut you off at the knees. It's going to be like the good, ole' days! (photo credit Kelly Walker)

• The new Secret to Success is Support blog! The ladies at SITS have outdone themselves by launching a total lifestyle site for women bloggers. There is a section to get inspired, a section for building a better blog, a section for style tips, and of course, a featured blogger everyday!

• Larabars! A nutritionist introduced me to these years ago as a way to combat hunger in between meals with a snack that was not over-processed and high in nutrition. I rediscovered them when Marlie became hungry while we were shopping at the grocery store. I was searching for something filling and good for her when I saw them on the shelf. She loves them! Now, I keep some handy for long days of running errands and trips. (photo credit Shoshanah)
  

What are you loving this Thursday? Link Up!

Wordful Wednesday: I Just Called to Say...

Marlie is hooked on the cell phone. As you can see she likes to pretend she is making a call. She'll snatch my phone, say hi and start carrying on a conversation. The weird thing is that she clams up if a real person is on the other end.

CLOSED...$35 CSN Stores Gift Certificate Giveaway

If you are a long-time follower of my blog, then you already know that I am addicted to shopping at CSN Stores where you can find anything from a rockin' swing set to cute cookware to chic lighting pieces!

Now you have a chance to win a gift certificate to CSN Stores and shop for some amazing deals. Then you'll be hooked like me!

Shop: There are 200+ CSN Stores to shop at online!

Win: One lucky Marlie and Me reader is going to win a $35 electronic gift certificate to spend at any of the CSN Stores

Mandatory first entry: Check out the swing sets at CSN at leave a comment with your favorite

All extra entries listed below are worth one (1) additional admission into this giveaway. Please leave a separate comments for each extra entry you complete)

Extra Entries for Supporting the Sponsor:

• Follow CSN Stores on Facebook (leave first name, last initial)
• Follow CSN Stores on Twitter (leave Twitter name)

Standard Extra Entries:

• Be a current or new follower of Marlie and Me via Google Friend Connect
• Be a current or new subscriber of Marlie and Me via email (subscription must be activated)
• Grab my button (leave the URL in your comment)
• Add Marlie and Me to your blog roll, make sure it's the new domain name (leave your URL in the comment)
• Follow Marlie and Me at Networked Blogs on Facebook (leave your FB initials)
• Follow Marlie and Me on Twitter and tweet this message: #win $35 to shop @CSNStrores from @Mommy2Marlie at www.marlieandme.com #giveaway. Can tweet once daily (leave the URL to the tweet in your comment)
• Vote for Marlie and Me at Picket Fence Blogs (click button above Google Friend Connect widget)

The rules:

• This giveaway will end on 2/6/11 at 11:59 pm CST
• Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments posted using a random number generator
• The winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond.
• Please make sure I can contact you either by having an email address visible on your blog profile or leave your email address in your comment(s). In the event the prize is not claimed in the allotted time another winner will be chosen.
• This giveaway is open to US/Canada. Must be at least 18 years of age to participate. Void where prohibited.
• By accepting the prize, the winner is granting permission to be identified as such.The winner's mailing address will be forwarded to the sponsor for prize fulfillment.
• The winner has one (1) month from the date of claiming the prize to report any problems (lost shipment, broken product). I will not be responsible for resolving issues after this time.
• Entries that do not follow instructions or are falsified will be disqualified

Baby Log: 1 Year and 23 Weeks Old

It's been a busy week for my little busybody. One surprising development is how girlie she has been acting lately such as putting on chapstick, carrying my purse and combing her hair. Of course, she sees me doing these things and she wants to emulate me, but I am far from girlie so I thought this was as far it would go. Then I caught her staring in the mirror admiring herself. I DON'T do this. Vanity, thy name is Marlie! What else this week?

• Marlie is such a bossypants. She has taken to shouting commands and ordering people around. In addition to "shut up, dog!" she now tells us to "sit," "move," and "go away." Where does she get this?! I am working on politeness with her, it's going to be tough because she is just naturally bossy.
• He new favorite word is "ow" which she uses in the correct context of falling and bumping her noggin, but she also uses it when things are being taken out of her hands or mouth, as in "give mommy back her keys" to which she replies, "owww!"
• The eczema has returned. I think I have pinpointed corn as the culprit. She has been eating quesadillas made with corn tortillas but she didn't have any in Phoenix and her skin cleared up considerably. She had some the day after we got back and it flared up again. So, no more corn.
• Katz Gluten Free sent me a $50 gift certificate to spend at my local health food store after they placed an order with the company at my recommendation. I can't wait to shop for their yummy, gluten-free products.
• Speaking of gluten-free, I read in Essence magazine that people with a gluten intolerance (like me) are at an increased risk of developing an auto immune disorder. I wonder if that's what caused my LP. I really need to stay away from the wheat products.
  
• Damon and I will be doing the Insanity workout program with Rhonda from Motivation Mama Drama as our coach. I am not looking forward to the muscle soreness that happens when you've not worked out in ages, but I am looking forward to getting shredded.
• This is just one of the projects that Damon and I will be doing together in the coming months. We are going to be co-blogging in February (the month of romance) and documenting how we are working toward nurturing and strengthening our marriage. There might be a giveaway or two thrown in there. On that note, go enter the Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate giveaway!
  

Things I'm Loving This Thursday

this week, I'm loving...

• Opening the lines of communication! After I opened my big mouth and let my husband (and the world wide web) know that I demand for attention, we had a good talk. We both agreed to work at some stuff, mainly not taking each other for granted and making quality time for just the two of us a priority. (photo credit: Rodney Burton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License)

• Peter Rabbit Organics new flavors! I did a review back in August of this 100% fruit puree snack and became an instant fan. So I was delighted when he company sent me a package of their three new fruit and veggie blends. Marlie's favorite? Sweet Potato, Corn and Apple. She also liked the Peas, Spinach and Apple, while I liked the Carrot, Squash and Apple.
  

  
  

• Miss America! Not the winner. The pageant. I have watched this show every year since I was 5 and was thrilled when it returned to network television after being lost in the wilderness that is basic cable for years. It looks like they've settled on a format and a new TV home just in time for the 90th anniversary. yay!

What are you loving this Thursday? Link Up!

Wordless Wednesday: Groovy, Baby!

CLOSED...Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate Review and Giveaway

Love the rich, sweet flavor of coconut? Then you are going to do back flips after you taste Tropical Traditions coconut cream concentrate. I know I did! (figuratively, of course)

The best way to describe coconut cream concentrate is to liken it to all natural peanut butter. The kind that comes with the oil floating on top and you have to blend it together with a spoon. Due to the cold weather, the coconut cream was pretty solid when it arrived. I warmed up the jar in a pan of simmering water. Even then, it was tough stir. I had to get Damon to mix it up. DO NOT put the jar in the refrigerator like we did, otherwise you will have to repeat the melt and mix process all over again.

This instructional video shows how to prepare coconut cream concentrate for use:


So far, I have only added the coconut cream concentrate to my smoothies and to my pancake batter with delightful results. I have yet to explore the height of possibilities in cooking and baking with coconut cream concentrate, but I have some direction thanks to the Coconut Cream Concentrate Recipes page on the Tropical Traditions website. There are soups, an cakes and entrees galore! Since coconut cream is a food, you can eat it straight out of the jar too! Spread some on crackers, bread or biscuits for a tasty snack!

Shop: Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate is on sale for a limited time! Get a pint for $10.99 (normally $16) or a quart for $19.50 (normally $30). You can also receive a complimentary copy of the Virgin Coconut Oil book with your first online order by typing in my User ID # 5632947 when selecting "Referred by a friend" under the "How did you hear of us?" drop down menu after you complete your account information. The book will be automatically added to your order. If you have problems, please contact customer service and someone will gladly help.

Win: One lucky Marlie and Me reader is going to win a 32 oz jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate!

Mandatory first entry: Check out the Coconut Cream Concentrate recipes page and leave a comment with one that you'd like to tryAll extra entries listed below are worth one (1) additional admission into this giveaway. Please leave a separate comments for each extra entry you complete)Extra Entries for Supporting the Sponsor:

• Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions sales newsletter
• Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter (leave Twitter name)

Standard Extra Entries:

• Be a current or new follower of Marlie and Me via Google Friend Connect
• Be a current or new subscriber of Marlie and Me via email (subscription must be activated)
• Grab my button (leave the URL in your comment)
• New! Add Marlie and Me to your blog roll, make sure it's the new domain name (leave your URL in the comment)
• New! Follow Marlie and Me at Networked Blogs on Facebook (leave your FB initials)
• New! Follow me on Twitter and tweet this message (can tweet once daily. leave the URL to the tweet in your comment): I just entered to win a jar of Tropical Traditions Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream @Mommy2Marlie #giveaway www.marlieandme.com
• New! Vote for Marlie and Me at Picket Fence Blogs (click button above Google Friend Connect widget)

The rules:

• This giveaway will end on 1/28/11 at 11:59 pm CST
• Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments posted using Random.org
• The winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond. Please make sure I can contact you either by having an email address visible on your blog profile or leave your email address in your comment(s).
• In the event the prize is not claimed in the allotted time another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to US/Canada. Must be at least 18 years of age to participate. Void where prohibited.
• By accepting the prize, the winner is granting permission to be identified as such.The winner's mailing address will be forwarded to the sponsor for prize fulfillment.
• The winner has one (1) month from the date of claiming the prize to report any problems (lost shipment, broken product). I will not be responsible for resolving issues after this time.
• Entries that do not follow instructions or are falsified will be disqualified

Monday Morning Parenting: What About Me Damnit?!

I wasn't sure how to write this post without sounding selfish. Then I realized that is exactly the approach I wanted to take.

You see dear readers, I am at standing at a crossroads. The road ahead of me is an empty, lonely place filled with broken down communications and other marital hazards. The other road forks to the left. It is a challenging road that curves up a mountain because successful marriage is an arduous uphill climb that requires blood, sweat, and tears.

Marriage is also give and take. Some people are naturally givers and some people are comfortable as takers. However, when you are married you have to be both. I am no stranger to sacrifice and compromise. What I need to work on is demanding more and taking what is rightfully mine. A big part of me feels that I shouldn't have to be so aggressive, that he should willingly give me what I deserve. I could wait passively for him to suddenly change or I can fight for my portion.

If you are wondering why on Earth am I discussing my relationship problems here instead of with the appropriate party, let me provide two simple answers:

#1: My husband reads this blog. There is nothing that I am about to reveal that he hasn't heard from my lips, that we haven't discussed, or that will be news to him. I have tried talking, but I am much better expressing myself with written words. This is my last resort attempt to get through to him. I hope he will wake up when he sees the evidence of my misery in black and white.

#2: Blogging is what a desperate woman does when she can't get to counseling for some reason...lack of time, money, will. This is my therapy.

So, here's my story. Damon is my husband. He is also Marlie's father. I am not sure he knows how to do both well. He has never been good at the juggling act. Something or another inevitably gets dropped when he tries to multitask. He also sucks at time management, so lots of tasks and relationships get kicked down the road to be dealt with later. Right now, it seems like he is focused on being an excellent father. I am incredibly grateful that he is such an involved dad so I am not complaining about that. My beef is that Damon is so attentively, lovingly, and completely engrossed in Marlie that I am often left feeling neglected. Why does he have to demote himself to the minors as a husband in order to step up to the plate and hit a grand slam as a daddy?

Case in point. On two occasions in Phoenix, I sat (at the breakfast and at the airport) totally ignored by him while he bounced Marlie on his lap and carried on a conversation with the person on his other side. In my head, I am screaming, WHAT ABOUT ME?!

This has been happening a lot lately. Other examples include him saying that he'd rather spend time with Marlie than do xyz, his argument that he devotes more time to parenting than most fathers he knows (I am still casting his gold medal for this feat), or the countless times that he grabs Marlie and goes off to play with her without including me. Again, I'll be thinking WHAT ABOUT ME?! What about spending time with me, devoting time to me, playing with me!

To give him the benefit of the doubt, I don't think he realizes that he is excluding me at the moment he is doing it. But I have brought this issue to his attention more than once. He will try to make a conscious effort to be more accessible and available. but it only lasts a short while.

Remember when I shared how he was taking off early on Thursdays so we could spend quality time together while Marlie was at school? That lasted about two weeks! Oh, and he always uses work as an excuse. It really irks me when he throws work up in my face as if it is a free pass to abandon me. Here's a news flash...thousands of husband work, parent, volunteer AND still find time to dote on their wives. It's called time management. It's called work/life balance. Sure, there are also thousands of husbands who constantly neglect their wives. They are called exes. ha ha.

I am not making light of my situation with jokes. Humor is just one of my coping mechanisms. Honestly, I am a very sensitive person prone to emotional breakdowns and depression. The last couple of years have been really hard on me...moving to a new city where I knew no one, being unemployed and not being able to contribute financially to the household, having my husband work long hours with a long commute, giving birth to my first child, dealing with a medical diagnosis after years of unexplained illness, having my brother locked up and facing serious prison time. With all of these struggles my self-image as a woman has taken a hit. There are nicks in my already-thin armor. I am extremely vulnerable right now. It doesn't help when my supposed ally and best friend, the one person who is supposed to understand me and have my back is too busy to notice me, to indulge me, to reassure me that I am still appealing and that he cares.

I'm not totally innocent though. I have been moody and short-tempered because I feel like sh!t, and I feel like a sh!t because I am moody and short-tempered. It's a viscous cycle. Instead of reaching out, however, he backs away leaving me to drown in the ripe tide of my emotional currents. The old vivacious me is buried somewhere under a pile of diapers, laundry, dishes, uncombed hair, untrimmed toenails, sweatpants, and a food-stained t-shirt.

I feel invisible, uninteresting, and lonely.

So what is a girl to do?! I am not using this space just to vent. I am trying to be proactive and come up with some real solutions before we get to the point of no return.

So have any of you mothers dealt with this? What helped get your relationship with your husband back on track?

Baby Log: 1 Year and 22 Weeks Old

This will be short and sweet. We are going through a period of readjustment with Marlie after the holidays and our trip out west. The disruption of her routine has manifested as clingy behavior and lots of night-waking. We are just riding it out. There have been some nice developments though:

• She is now interested in stacking her blocks as opposed to just knocking them over. Apparently, she has begun the order sensitive period in her development. It's amazing to watch her go about sorting, putting things in place, building, and doing what comes next.
• She has grown a funny bone! She likes to make "jokes." For example, she will move in for a kiss and pull away at the last second. Then she will start laughing to show you that she was kidding. She will also do funny moves and wait for you to laugh, but she will laugh too in case you missed the joke.
• Dancing has got to be her favorite activity. Damon taught her how to dance like a maniac like in the movie Flashdance. If you sing, she's a maniac, maniac on the floor she will start running in place really fast. It's to die for!
  

Laugh of the Week

I never liked the words doo-doo or poop, so I came up with some euphemisms for soiled diapers (Damon may have thought of one or two):

1. Ridin' dirty
2. Baked a chocolate muffin
3. Laid a brown egg
   
4. Funky in the bunky

Feel free to add yours!

Things I'm Loving This Thursday

this week, I'm loving...

• 4-star hotels. From the grandeur architecture and landscaping, to the amenities, to the staff who trip over themselves to cater to your every whim. It made me want to move in. Being treated like royalty has its pluses. (photo credit: by Brent Flanders)

• Redemptive behavior. Marlie was a devil on the plane ride to Phoenix. I actually started to worry that we might not be able to do much traveling with her. She did a complete 180 on the trip back. She was a total angel. Then again, she slept the whole way.

• Phoenix. I love any city that thinks 65 degrees is cold, but I was still wary of Phoenix due to it's political climate. It was nothing like I expected. The mountains are breath-taking and no one asked to see my papers.

(Photo Credit: by Vladimir Menkov (own photo) [http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html">GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

What are you loving this Thursday? Link Up!

A Very Wordy Wordful Wednesday: Our BCS National Championship Experience

This is a quickie post of snaps highlighting our trip to Phoenix:

We stayed at the JW Marriot Resort, which is also a Nickelodeon Getaway so there was a meet-and-greet with some of the characters from the kiddie shows. Marlie was not impressed or maybe she just prefers Disney.


Us girls enjoying ourselves in the resort hot tub.

Marlie and me hopped over to the next town to visit a replica of a frontier village. We ate at a Mexican restaurant that had a duck pond. Marlie loved feeding the ducks.

We met Rodney Peete at a brunch where he and other retired NFL players and coaches talked about playing football with the troops in Iraq in the Tositos Connect to Home Bowl

The family at the BCS National Championship game

Game On! The kick off. Auburn scores first. We had AWESOME seats.

Baby Log: 1 Year and 21 Weeks Old

Ya 'at' eeh (that's hello in Navajo) from Phoenix! It's been an wild week for Marlie and me...

• new foods: her.daddy.gave.her.Wasabi.peas. She must have not minded the heat because she ate quite a few even after I told him not to give her anymore. Her butt paid the price when the Wasabi passed in her poop. It scalded the delicate skin on her bottom. I'm mad at the both of them. Other new foods: hash browns, hot chocolate,


• new words: rice (she LOVES brown rice) and the dreaded mine


• I won a pair of UMI shoes from A Mom's Balancing Act


• the plane ride to Phoenix on Thursday was, um, hellish. Marlie didn't like sitting still, she wiggled and squirmed and flailed and pitched about. Then she was tired, but couldn't get comfortable to take a nap. So, she hollered. The plane was packed like a sardine can, so we couldn't even hope for an aisle with an empty seat for her to stretch out. All I could think to do was nurse her and that kept her content until we landed. I now have sore nipples and more grey hairs and my first wrinkle.


• Once we got settled in at the hotel and got some sleep, the fun began. Phoenix is my kind of city-the landscape, climate, mountains, cacti...it's gorgeous. We drove to the next town and visited a replica of a frontier village where ate some awesome barbeque. We tried to go hiking but there was no parking near the trail opening. We found up finding a small trail in a residential area. Marlie loved looking out over the ridge. She's my outdoorsy girl. The hotel/resort is really family-friendly. It is designated as a Nickelodean getaway and characters from the TV shows held a meet-and-greet. There is also a family escape room, a big pool, lazy river and a hot tub. Marlie really liked the hot tub. She also likes room service, just like her mama!

I'll be scarce around the blogosphere until we get back home. Look for pictures on Wednesday!

Laugh of the Week

Photograph by Christopher Peterson

Lauren Bush, the pretty niece of former President George W. Bush, became engaged to David Lauren, son of fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Her married name will be Lauren Lauren. Buhahahaha!

That tickles me.

Things I'm Loving This Thursday

this week, I'm loving...

• BACK TO SCHOOL! I love spending time with my baby girl and I am grateful that I can be a stay-at-home mommy, but being together 24/7 for the past two weeks has left me physically and mentally drained. It takes super-human strength to keep up with her. Now I can miss her again when she's gone for those three hours, two days a week.
  

• Packing. Why didn't anyone warn tell me that trying to pack with a toddler around would be so much fun?! I put something in the suitcase and she takes it out. At this rate we're going nowhere. Damon's company is flying us to Phoenix. He's working on the BCS Bowl Championship game and I'm going to the spa. I'll give updates on Sunday.
  

What are you loving this Thursday? Link Up!

Wordful Wednesday: I Ain't Sayin' She's a Gold Digger

Here's my sweetheart going for the gold. Someone needs to tell her that she's not a prospector.

The Overdue New Year's Post

I am late to 2011.

Most other bloggers have posted there new year's resolutions. But I am a non-conformist and I don't do resolutions, which is why I didn't post anything as the last decade came to a close (actually the decade ended in 2009, but 2010 has the number 10 in it and there are 10 years in a decade. plus it sounds right to say the decade ended in 2010). I'm off on tangents again. Back to what I was saying...

I still feel the need to offer something in the way of great expectations for this year. Something for me look forward to, something to light the fire under my ever-expanding bum, something to look back on and say, "I was right!" So, I present my predictions for 2011 (which are not the same as resolutions):

• I predict I will lose 10 pounds and get back to my ideal weight of 125 lbs before Spring. Maybe I might even shed more weight in less time.
• I predict I will have my blog redesigned
• I predict that I will get a Canon Rebel T2i, relearn photography and join a shutterbug club
  
• I predict I will return to the workforce doing a job that combines my former experience in community service with my new skills in social media
• I predict that I will have an awesome 35th birthday
• I predict that I will be a published literary author
  
• I predict that I Cory Monteith (play Finn on GLEE) will be cast as Clark Kent in the new Superman remake. He has that smoldering hunk hidden beneath an endearing, dorky exterior thing down pat. He could bring the right combo of cheesy and charm to the film.

What are your predictions for 2011?

Baby Log: 1 Year and 20 Weeks Old

Marlie has been whining, weeping and whimpering all week. Plus she has been up under me like a wart on a frog. She screams when I leave the room, she screams if someone else tries to hold her, she has just been screaming all week. She has had a fever off and on for the last three days, but she is playing and eating. I wish I knew why she's being so clingy. I'm at my wit's end. School resumes next week. Let's all pray that I make it until then. Oh, and since her upper molars have come in she has discovered how to grind her teeth. Nice. She has also learned the word bad, but not from me. Where has my sweet baby gone and when is she coming back?!

We took down our Christmas tree yesterday. Marlie helped and only broker one ornament...celebrate those small victories!

I have been wrestling with this new domain name business all week. My blog list widget disappeared, but that was easy to fix, not so easy was remembering who was listed. The major headache began when Google Apps would not let me set up my domain admin account with the Google login user name I already had. So I created a new one, but the new one wasn't associated with my blog. I had to set up a blogger account for this login, but there was no way to import my blog settings (profile, blog reading list, etc..). Instead, I had to add my new profile to my existing blog settings and grant author/admin privileges. What that means is that I now have two logins for my blog and it sucks. I spent some time on the Google and Blogger forums trying to find away to integrate the two. The closest solution proposed was to transfer all my info to the new profile (that would mean having to re-follow hundreds of blogs) and then deleting the old one. However, that would make it seem like I began blogging in December 2010 instead of June 2007. I really don't want to delete anything. I just want be able to login to my domain name account with my old Google login. If anyone has the answer or can at least explain in layman's terms why it can't be done, I'd love to hear it.