WWW Wednesday

Whine: You've probably noticed the stagnant book recommendation on my sidebar (right?  Yes, I'm sure you've noticed).  It's because I haven't really loved a book in (checking my Excel spreadsheet book log) over a month (it was My Name Is Memory).  I'm reading the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series right now and I like it but I hate to recommend something the whole world minus me has already read.  So if you guys have any superb books on your nightstand please clue me in!

Wish: I wholeheartedly wish Molly would not sneak real food into her kitchen in the basement.  We've been over this repeatedly, but every now and then I go down there and will find a few crackers in her "fridge" or (today) icky, sticky cider in her tea cups and all over her little table and chairs.  Gross.  If ever this results in rodents making their way into my house I will have to send her to live elsewhere.  Or better, I'll send myself to live elsewhere.

Woo-hoo:  I'm leaving tomorrow to go up north to one of my favorite places in the world.  I haven't been since the beginning of September and my spirit is aching for some Northern Michigan.  One of my most favorite and least favorite things about my visits up north is the lack of Internet.  In any event, I'll not be Ad Bitting for a couple days.  But hopefully when I get back I'll be refreshed and energized and rip roarin' ready to commentate on commercials!  A woo-hoo within the woo-hoo is that my mom is watching the girlies Friday so Jim and I can go hiking!  Yes, hiking in ultra-flat Michigan sounds a little silly, but I promise it's lovely and fun and did I mention we'll be without kids?!  Of course, there are bear in Northern Michigan.  Here is a picture of one my dad caught on his trail cam:

So, as long as I am not mauled by a black bear (I guess I could skip my morning honey and tuna bath) I'll be back to work spreading commercial joy on Monday.

Moms Can Be Cool Too!

Tonight I am hosting my book club at my house.  I adore book club.  It makes me feel like I'm a real person with my very own friends.  With one or two exceptions the women in my club do not have kids in Molly's class or at A's story time, their husbands are not snacky buddies* with Jim, their dogs don't run with mine.  They are my friends exclusively.  It is the one night a month I get drunk  have a glass or two of wine and then we have either intelligent conversation or fun, silly conversation, or both.  Every mom should have their equivalent of book club.

Last night I saw a Toyota commercial in which a kid notes, "Just because you're a mom doesn't mean you can't be cool".  Luckily, my kids still think I'm cool even when I'm singing off-key into a spatula or walking like an Egyptian to Poker Face.  I know these days are short-lived, but when the day comes that my kids are mortified by my each and every inhalation I'll be semi-prepared with my own interests and friends and non-mommyesque conversations! 
In lieu of the aforementioned commercial (not yet on YouTube) I've got a couple other cute Toyota commercials for you:




* Snacky buddy is a term I use for a good friend.  One day I will post about where this term originated, but it's a story in and of itself.

Halloween Candy Scene

Last night we went to a Halloween party at our church so the girls got to wear their costumes.  Here they are:

The party was huge!  (Amazing how $1 pizza will draw a crowd).  There were so many cute costumes: a sumo wrestler, an egg, little giraffes, baby dragons, the obligatory Scream masks, and me with my bunny ears.  No, not Playboy bunny ears, more like Easter bunny ears.  The whole thing was a big success except for:
1. Adi dumping an entire cup of cider over her head.  Anybody know how to clean one sticky butterfly costume?
2. Molly has weird taste in candy.  There were games for the kids to play to earn candy.  M sifted through each and every bowl for Smarties (which she thinks are miniature Tums), suckers, and what used to be candy cigarettes* but are now called "candy sticks" and don't have the red tip or the fake smoke.  I kept pointing out the good stuff: "Oo! Mols!  I.. er... YOU like Snickers!  How 'bout a yummy Butterfinger?  Why don't you pick something chocolatey for the love of PETE!?!"  Apparently she has established a foolproof plan for keeping me out of her candy.  I won't be troubling her for any of her chalky Bottlecaps anytime soon.  And Adrienne?  The only thing she was interested in was her free apple.  Puh-lease!

This commercial is just as scary as M's taste in candy.  And it may be the closest I get to a decent candy bar this Halloween:


* Do you remember these?  They were contraband in my house growing up and rightly so (in my opinion)!  My neighbor friend was allowed to have them and she still smokes a pack (of real cigarettes) a day... I'm just sayin'!

The End Of The World

A funny thing happened yesterday.  My friend asked me to email her my blog's web address.  Of course I was happy to do so, but typed in http://www.adbits.blogpsot.com/  instead of blogSPOT.com.  She just copied and pasted what I had typed into her browser and got a totally different site than she anticipated (I think her exact words were, "woah, this is not what I expected").  Luckily, she's a smart girl and knows me well enough to assume the former was not my website, but I was happy she brought it to my attention.  Go check it out if you have your druthers, but let me offer this little teaser: "Doomsday Countdown Clock".

No fire and brimstone here friends, but I was convinced my world was ending this morning when Molly refused to wear a matching outfit with Adrienne!  I wrestled her to the floor and crammed her head into the shirt (also wrestling with my [former] conviction that she should be allowed to make as many small decisions as possible) and threatened we would NOT get pumpkins today if she didn't match her sister! 

I know.  I know.  It was a bit much on my part, but I was totally unprepared for this!  She usually loves dressing like her sister and I live for their little matching dresses, capris, and in this case, stretchy pants and sweatshirts.  I mean, why even HAVE two little girls if you aren't going to dress them alike!?  Certainly not to get double the attitude.  On deck for church tomorrow are frilly brown dresses with pink hearts and tights.  Wish me luck.  Maybe today was just a fluke.  Or maybe there will be no tomorrow...  !!!!

Things I Hide From My Husband

I never take naps!  Unless I'm pregnant (and I'm not!) I try to sneak one in say... once a month.  But if I want Jim to come home earlier than expected, all I have to do is park M in front of the TV and lay down for a snooze.  Like yesterday for instance.  Then it's all:
Jim: "Hi girls!  I'm home!"
Me: (shooting up out of my luxury slumber) "I never nap!  I don't!"
Jim: "I know."
Me: "This is such a weird, fluke thing!  And M does not actually watch TV all day!"
Jim: "Yeah, I know."
Me: "Honestly, I had a little headache so I laid down for like, 20 minutes!"
Jim: "Jule!  I know!  You never nap!  M isn't in front of the TV all day! I know this!"
Me:  "Now I sound all defensive when really I wasn't doing anything wrong!  Do you want to know what I did today? (Jim is leaving the room now and I'm yelling up the stairs) I caught up on laundry, went to the Y, took the girls to the library, we played ball outside, made a menu for next week, cleaned the office, got my lesson ready for Sunday school... I've been PRODUCTIVE!"

There are other things I hide from Jim besides my monthly nap.  For instance, I've been known to slam my computer shut when I hear him coming so he doesn't know the depth of my Facebook addiction.  And I'm always hiding food related things from him.  Many times I want a food item (like chocolate covered pretzels) all to myself so I'll hide them in the filing cabinet in my office (under D for Delicious!).  Or, if a package of Oreos was full when he left, I'll be sure the empty package is replaced by the time he gets home. (Jim: "Noone opened the Oreos?"  Me: "Oh gosh, I forgot we even had them!")

I don't hide most purchases from him.  Quite the opposite actually, I love showing off my amazing finds ("Look how thrifty I am!  Matching bandanas for the girls AND dog for $3!").  With the exception of Girl Scout cookies.  If I never tell him about the cookie purchase he'll never wonder why he never ever sees a box cross our home's threshhold and I never ever have to explain how I could possibly finish off an entire box of Jubilees while driving home.

Do you hide anything from your husbands?  I promise not to tell them!

Wuh Wuh Wuh Wednesday

Let's get down to business!
Whine:  This is my very best whiney voice: I want a new phone!  Mine rings for all of half a second before going to voicemail, will randomly not ring at all, and has two letters to a button, really putting a damper on my text life. But I don't want to renew my contract.  Have you guys ever bought a phone online so you wouldn't have to renew?  How does that work out?  I feel like there's a catch that I just don't see right now... 
Wish:  I know you other mommies will give me a loud "Amen!" here.  I wish teething weren't so awful!  Poor little A is a droolie mess and her mouth area is all chapped and raw (which, let's face it- does not a cute baby make), her little behind is inexplicably blistery thanks to these mountainous teeth, and now her crib is taking a beating (or should I say biting).  Case in point:


Those are teeth marks!

Woo-hoo:  I'm finally finishing this post!  I've had it on my screen for almost 9 hours now, but I keep getting interrupted!  But the girls are in bed now and I'm finally going to wrap this baby up!  But my official woo-hoo is that J is coming home tomorrow!! (instead of Friday as originally planned)  Hooray!  And I'm going swimming tomorrow morning so I'm pumped about that- I haven't been in a couple months.  I guess that's a woo-hoo for tomorrow, but I trust you guys to cut me some woo-hooing slack.

Here's a woo-hooey type commercial.  Love this baby, love this commercial.

Goal Mine!

My tablecloth is finished!  For a girl who can't sew and usually sticks to making people crazy rather than making actual, useful things this is a big deal!  Here is the finished product:



Here's a close-up of the pattern.  Halloweeny, right?

 Making my tablecloth got me thinking about my list of goals (138 of them, 49 of which have been accomplished).  It's been a while since I checked any of them off, so I pulled out the list to see what I might tackle next (unfortunately tablecloth making does not make an appearance on my list).  Some things may never get checked off, like "Do monthly breast exams".  I mean, when would I stop doing that?  After my double mastectomy I guess.  But there are other things that are easy enough to check off, it's just a matter of getting off my hiney and making them happen.  Like getting CPR certified, taking a self-defense class, or hiking (part of) the Appalachian Trail.

I lovey love love lists of goals.  How much?  Ok, here it is.  I love lists of goals MORE than I love commercials.  Even more than I love commercials with talking animals.  I know!  Deep huh?  So I'm dying to know, what are your goals?  What ones are you actively pursuing?  Which ones have you completed that you're proudest of?

A lot of goals are all about getting more "know how" so I thought this would be an appropriate commercial for today.  Plus, I love the head bobs the NAPA employees have going on.  If ever I step foot into an automotive store* (I won't... unless it ends up on the Goal List for some reason) I'll be sure it's NAPA.



*That's what NAPA is, right?  Some kind of auto parts store?  I don't even know.  I can't imagine ever needing to go in there for anything.