Mario Rocks!

Today is Kim's son's birthday and in celebration, she ordered this awesome cake that any boy would be thrilled to find on his birthday table! Ironically, this cake was created by our own Miss Becky of Mark It With a B cake designs and our first POK gal!
    I am jealous by the talent of Becky in this magnificent creation! As a mother of Mario lovers, the detail and authenticity of this cake is beyond words to me.  If you have a chance, look up Mark It With a B on Facebook and you can see all her amazing creations!
 

Is that the Easter Bunny Coming to Town? Or is it just Miss Natalie?

Today I must share the sweetest story ever. On Tuesday I had the opportunity to have lunch with Ali and Natalie. At the end of our get together, Natalie gave us both ziplock bags filled with Easter Goody Bags for the kids. Sidenote of importance: Natalie is our Gift Bag Queen, always a little something special for the kids at every Holiday. I for one, know that my kids always love these goodies and unfortunately have become a little accustomed and greedy about receiving them.
     Anyway, later that day I see this post on Facebook  from Alison and had to share:

"Upon entering the house the kids noticed the easter treat bags Nat made up. Jack~oh my goodness the Easter bunny was here! Me~no Miss Natalie made them. Jack~(sharp inhale of air) Miss Natalie is the Easter bunny...VAUGHN VAUGHN Miss Natalie is the Easter bunny!! Vaughn & Jack~ (screaming with excitement) Bella Miss Natalie is the Easter bunny. (i didnt do anything to stop this insanity so now my kids have expectations of Natalie :)"

I found myself giggling, a big smile on my face as I visualized my little "Sauer Patch Kids" as I dubbed them years ago dancing around their kitchen with glee! Oh the joy from this little act of kindness from our sweet treat gal! How magical and special the day was for many kids that day in our little city as they opened up pastel decorated celephane bags of chocolates and little candy surprises! Today when I doled out the surprise to my kids, I retold the story and we all howled at the sweet tale and how exciting this had been for little Jack and his siblings! My eldest, laughed as if she couldn't believe how silly a thought, but the next moment started pilaging through her bag to discover what was hidden inside. So much for the cool tween (though she did have the thought to thank Nat via facebook), she was once again transformed to an excited schoolgirl ooohing and ahhing over her loot!

So thank you Miss Natalie... for reminding me through your thoughfulness of the joy of the unexpected, the magic of innocence and the mystery of the infamous Easter Bunny!!!!

I used to be wild....really....

So eight hours, three boxes of bleach, four boxes of hair dye and I basically look exactly as I started! Yep, a weekend wasted to change equals pretty much the same ol me! LOL... but I am happy at announce that I did not fry my hair off, I did manage to reclaim my dignity after a orange Ronald McDonald detour and I'm back looking like me! Pheww.... I had a couple scarey moments there! I suppose it is a little lighter, hard to tell in the picture, but noticable in natural sunlight. My biggest dissappoinment is the stain from hair dye on my new shower curtain, but I guess the damage could have been worse, so I'll chalk it up to one for the lesson books. I used to be wild... really... but now find myself happier in the security of what I know to be true... including my hair...

Is it Spring or Is it a midlife crisis?

So I sit here with a pink shower cap on my head at my computer, relieved that Molly's friend's Dad picked her up for their overnight so I wouldn't have to leave the house in the forementioned appendage! I am in hour two of the "great hair lightening" experiment and I cross my fingers in hope that one: I don't fry my hair off completely, and two: that I don't end up looking like Ronald McDonald!
      As an Asian growing up in America, I have always dreamed of being a blonde, but realize that that just isn't in the cards for me, but perhaps a lighter brown will suffice my need for change. In the past, I have gone and gotten my hair cut and then usually ended up with cutter's remorse, so at least if this hair colour change doesn't work out as planned (and assuming that I still have my hair when it's done) I figure I can just dye it back black and no one will be the wiser.
     So I sit here and ask myself, "do I need a change because Spring is finally arriving, or am I having a midlife crisis?" I was informed by my eldest that my birthday is in 11 days and I will be 39 years old. I actually hadn't thought about it much, with the exception of getting together with some girlfriends for a margarita night. In the sense of how old I am, I stopped worrying about that or even caring when I hit 30! But now, it's got me thinking. Here I am, heading into my 39th year, single again and not really knowing what the future holds for me. Am I scared? a little. Am I excited? on a good day, yes. Am I where I thought I would be at 39? not at all! But perhaps that's the most exciting part, I find myself on unchartered ground and the future is mine for the taking. What will this year bring besides overly processed hair? I really don't know. All I know is that I'm ready for anything and while year 38 was full of growing experiences and reclaiming my independence, I feel like now I'm ready to hit my full stride as I prepare to hurdle the big 4-0 next year. So if this is a midlife crisis... at least I'm not out trying to reclaim my youth in a over the top way that always turns ugly and self-destructive in the end. But perhaps that's waiting around the corner for me and I just don't know it yet.
       As for today, I'm just trying to find a little happiness in a box of hair dye and I'll move on from there. The kids are playing "art studio" upstairs, I'm munching on a peice of triple chocolate cake and preparing to sit out the duration of my hair processing in a light coma on my couch watching a Jerseyliscious marathon... sure it's rediculous, but wouldn't we all look a little crazy if we had a camera crew in our lives. I sure as hell know I'd look like a loon today...

Safe Arrival

Been a busy week and just finding time today to come on and update. I am happy to announce that our package arrived safetly in Arizona and was a great surprise to Julie. Her sister had been in on the secret, so it was a fun that they both excited by the surprise! I find myself already thinking about next months gal who is already choosen and need to touch base with Ali about getting this prepped for delivery in the next three weeks. We fell a little behind as March (Julie) became April and now April will become May. As busy Moms, this is totally acceptable in my book... so we will just prod along...in my mind, kindness is all about timing sometimes, and life never is about perfect timing, at least not in my life.

Argh.... technology....

So I figured out today that my hotmail account I set up for POK does not work, so I opened a new account with yahoo. This would not be such a big deal with the exception that I had cards made with the hotmail address on them.  Those who know me and the Martha Stewart side of me, know that I was fit to be tied at this predicament and it took all my strength not to fall into a puddle of tears, after all the time and effort I put forth in designing these cards. However, the problem solving Mom part of me  thankfully took over and  I merely  printed out address labels to cover this mistake up and now I'm back in business. Of course, this took me about an hour out of my evening and now I'm an hour behind on everything else.... story of my life....

On the bright side, I did get four cards/letters mailed out today to four amazing women I know! Childhood friends that have now grown up and become Mommy's and it's so much fun for me to watch as their children grow along side mine, even if only via pictures on FaceBook! So, while I was cussing out technology for a good hour tonight, now I am reminded just how thankful I am for it as well....

Keeping it Real

Too sick to write much tonight, but I feel obligated to write something, so here it goes. I made it through a leaky, sneezy, coughy, achey day at work and am finally cozied into bed for the duration until I rise tomorrow to do it all over again.  
    I was too sick to worry about wearing make up to work. I was too sick to care that the kids got up at 5:30 to play Wii. I was to sick to cook them dinner tonight, so it was McDonalds to the rescue. I was too sick to care that Nic wore his new school tennis shoes out and got the entire muddy backyard on them and wore them back inside with half the yard still attached. I merely threw them in the soapy dish water as I rinsed both the dishes and the shoes and even contemplated throwing the shoes in the dish washer, but with my luck I'd ruin the blinking lights and have a tantrum on my hands come Monday morning. 
     However, I was not too sick to run by Walmart and get razors to shave my legs, the second time in about five months. Something about the sunny weather makes me hopeful for the day that I can throw shorts and flip flops on and leave the house. I was not too sick to pick up a pediatric enema kit to ease the dreaded constipation of my six year old. I insisted he poop when we were in the Dells for Spring Break a week and a half ago and I think he's poop once since! He sat on the toilet until he nearly fell off asleep last night! So, one little squeeze and he was back in working order. I was not too tired to take a long hot shower and rinse out my sinus once again, only to have my head fill back up with gunk by the time I toweled off.  I was not too tired to go by the movie store and pick up The Blind Side now that it's moved to the $1 rack and enjoy it in the background as I write this post and inevitably bounce around the internet until I'm ready to crash for the night, which will be sooner then later tonight.
    Perhaps I'll re-watch Annie later if the coughing keeps me from falling asleep... just waiting for the decongestant to kick in... I hope it does soon! Perhaps a grape popscicle to cool my sore throat will be in order and then I'm calling it a night. So for every thing you "didn't do today"... remember everything you did do... it's NOT about keeping tally... it's about keeping it real!
   

Margarita's Anyone?

It's 10:11 and I'm finally heading to bed. The kitchen is a mess of leftover dinner dishes, homework and a clay project the kids were working on earlier this evening before I shooed them off to bed to watch the new Disney movie Tangled. I know I will regret it in the morning, leaving the disaster downstairs... but my head is pounding and I feel the need to pop a couple Severe Cold caplets and climb into bed, seeing that I have to be up at 6:30 and out the door by 7:30 to get to work.

So I'm snuggled into bed with my laptop, Fried Green Tomatoes playing in the background on the Director's Commentary. Yes, I am a movie nerd! Ever since my childhood fascination with The Karate Kid (who I must admit my joy in watching him 27 years later on this season of Dancing with the Stars...) I have been swept away by movie magic! And so I end my day as a ritual, computer on my lap and a movie playing in the background as I re-live my day in my head.
       I made it through! I made some good choices, I made some bad choices. But overall, the day was a success. Starting with a long over do get together with my girls... ending with the beginning plans of a Girls Night Out, though it most likely will be a Girl's Night In at Jenny's house and that's even better. Better to bitch and moan, giggle and use dirty words if we're not in public... which we tend to do. I am the first to admit that I love a good swear word. Must be my rebellion from such a sheltered childhood. Or maybe I just like acting like a bad girl, when anyone who really knows me, knows that I'm a rule following good girl at heart!
      I am a pre Sex and the City woman. Meaning, I missed the original broadcast of this phenomenon because I was too cheap to pay for HBO and was too busy out drinking and kissing strangers in the dark. I am a mother of three beautiful children who can not fathom the idea of their mother partying the night away, mascara smudged around her glazed eyes. There was a time when I used to refer to these as “the good old days” and realize now, that while there were some good days, most of them were riddled with self-loathing, insecurity and plain bad judgment. Today at nearly forty, which to my delight I’m told is the new thirty, I have had the opportunity to have watched said iconic show and must admit to my chagrin that for better or for worse, I have been changed because of it.  I wonder to myself if I would have been as effected had I been voyeur to these snippets of metropolitan mayhem and sexual awakening the first time around in my twenties.
In hindsight, I believe that I may have, perhaps putting less pressure on myself to go out and find that husband and find that unique sense of self worth in myself earlier ala Samantha. I’m sure I would have a more polished wardrobe extending beyond my daily uniform of khaki pants and t-shirts, a matching cardigan sweater thrown on top when I need to “dress it up.” Maybe I would have set out to have a high powered career and find success and empowerment in the corporate world like Miranda.  If I am honest with myself, most likely I would be and am a pared down version of the doe eyed optimist Charlotte,  dreaming of the perfect existence in the suburbs.  In interviews they always claim that it was and is an ensemble show but who are we kidding, it was ultimately all about Carrie. Carrie’s wardrobe, Carries career as a writer, Carrie’s love affairs. Carrie’s friends.  Perhaps it’s because if you think about it, Carrie is the ultimate fantasy character.  Every woman who is a fan of the show wishes she was the Carrie in her group of friends, in reality we all have a part of Carrie in us by way of our distinct desire to be loved,  be accepted and feel whole in a world filled with chaos and despair.
I must admit here that while I am entertainment junkie and open minded enough to watch the sometimes downright vulgar mishaps of these made up characters, you need not have watched a single episode to understand the true desire and gift of sisterhood and unconditional love that was ultimately the basis of the show.

        And while there are five of us... not four, I have my own group of girls. There is something about a group of women gathering together over Margarita's that evokes a multitude of possibilities; laughter and tears, drunken professions of the deepest secrets held close to the heart. We've said it all, heard it all... in the best of times, the worst of times... we all know that "Margarita's Anyone?" is really code for: "I need to talk... I need to be heard..." and as always, we all come running!

Mommy Find of the Week

My new discovery!

Have I told you how in love I am with my new toilet seat? Is it insane that I am over the moon with happiness over my discovery at Fleet N Farm? Who knew that something so simple could bring such stabilizing joy into my life?

For anyone with small children, in particular small children that have an aversion toward sitting on the toilet for any length of time... this is a Godsend! My youngest, a tiny boy with a teeny bottom has been a bear to potty train over the years... pull-ups... enemas... miralax... you name it, he's done it! And while we have finally made it through from the dark side into the joy of pooping on the potty... I do believe that this wonderful discovery would have made the journey a little easier. Just saying... find joy in the small things in your life!

Warm fuzzies...

For Becky: who has started an amazing new bakery adventure!

We had an amazing breakfast this morning and I feel renewed. Kim, our school girl had to run in and out before heading off to Milwaukee, so she was missed. If I were not so in love with Cheesy potatoes, I might feel obligated to drop her off a container of left overs, but I am greedy when it comes to this particular dish! Jenny had to leave for work by ten, but for a glorious hour and a half we got to sit and eat and laugh and cry and be girlfriends, not Moms... not wives... just girls gorging on carbs and bacon, pastries and sweet fruits. For an hour and a half I forgot the isolation that I sometimes feel and felt the glee of warm fuzzies... like a soda that you shake before you open, gushing out the sweetness that cannot be contained! This is the feeling I get when I'm with my girls... uncontrollable joy and happiness!
         I got all the girls to sign our POK cards so that we could start our project once and for all. The package for Julie will be going out on Monday when it's complete and ready for shipping. So today I kicked it off by hand delivering a bag to Becky, the gal who initially posted the Invisible Mother that I read that started me on this mission.
         Of course, I had not really thought out what I would say to her when I delivered this surprise. So I found myself awkwardly saying, "Just take this... it will all make sense when you open it!" pushing the gift bag through the half opened screen door when she arrived at the door with her toddler son and dog in tow. "Wow... thanks!" she smiled with a half giggle, a look of surprise and confusion on her face. My first mission complete! I walked back to my car... her sweet little son standing in the doorway as I drove away. My day is complete! We made a difference in someone's day... I can feel it!