Sometimes I hate trying to come up with a title everytime

We are settling back in at home after heading to Baltimore this past weekend with my family for the NCAA Men's Lac.rosse Ch.ampionship. It was a lot of fun, and the champion.ship game (D.uke vs. Joh.ns Hop.kins) was really good. We also saw a Baltmore Ori.oles game, took J to the children's museum (didn't make it to the aquarium as it was packed), hit Filen.e's Base.ment THREE times, and stayed at an awesome hotel right on the I.nner Harbor. We went with my parents and two brothers, as they are all huge lac.rosse fans. I really enjoy watching the games too, and played some back in high school, so it's fun to see a game every once in a while now that no one in my family is playing anymore.

It was crazy traveling with a 13-month old though! He didn't sleep in the plane on the way there and was wiggling all over the place. It was hard trying to fit in naps and meals on a regular schedule while trying to do things around town. J loved the hotel room though! We had a huge room with a wall of windows that looked right onto the harbor and all the boats and downtown area. He would just hang out at the window, bouncing up and down and making happy noises. He also loved the floor length mirrors in the room!

He did sleep on the flight home, but only after poo.ping all over his carseat in the middle of the flight. It was such a mess that Husband and I were just laughing at the absurdity of it. We got it cleaned up, with only one wet wipe to spare, and as soon as he was back in his car seat, he went right to sleep.

Husband is out of town the next two days, so J and I are on our own. I don't mind it too much, because it's kind of nice to just have my own routine. J also goes to daycare tomorrow so I can work, so I'll have some focused child-free time then to get stuff done.

I had hoped to go to the park this afternoon, but it's started raining. Maybe we'll go to the children's museum here; I've been wanting to do that for a while.

Is he doing this on purpose?

***Warning**** this is a really gross story.

J has had a bit of an "issue" lately that involves the following:

a highchair
poop
curious toddler hands and feet
a dog that's not afraid to eat anything

It pretty much goes in that order: We put him in the highchair for lunch or dinner, he's eating, everything is going along just fine. We step out of the room for whatever reason and come back to find poop on his hands & feet, all over the bottom of the highchair seat and on the footrest, and the dog standing there helping to clean it all up!

I don't know if it's the diapers we're using or the way he sits in the highchair, but the poop just tends to shoot straight out his shorts and onto everything. This has happened 4 times now! I guess out of all the meals he eats, that's a pretty small percentage of occurrence, but it's still gross!

And I hate cleaning it up - I'm actually procrastinating doing so right now. I got him bathed and cleaned up, and I sprayed down the highchair with clorox, but I need to go back up and wipe it down and wash the seat cover. Does anyone else's child do this or is is just mine?

lions, and tigers, and bears, OH MY!

Does anyone know what that line is from? The one I have as my title? It's been stuck in my head for days and I can't figure out what movie or story it's from. Help!

I could probably google it, but I figure one of you will know what it's from!

Work has been crazy busy lately, and even more so because I haven't had any childcare for J the past two weeks (I stopped trading babysitting with the other mom). I've been reading a few of your blogs here and there for a mental break from work, but I haven't the time to comment much or write here. Things will stay busy for the next two weeks until J starts parents da.y o.ut - and I've also decided to put him into daycare for a full day on Frid.ays., starting in June. So I will no longer be trying to do all my work late at night or during naps.

I'm also increasing his childcare time because it looks like I'm going to go back into the office at my old, pre-baby job to help out since the interim person that took my job there is leaving J.une 1 and they still haven't hired someone permanent to replace me. So I'll do that about 8-12 hours a week, and then keep up with my other job also. So I'm gearing up for a busy few weeks. I'm kind of looking forward to going back into the office - social interaction, uninterrupted computer time, coffee breaks, and the feeling that I'm actually accomplishing something instead of how I feel with my new job which I don't feel as competent at.

Actually, I've been thinking alot about my old job and wondering if I should go back. But I think I would only be happy for about two weeks, and then I'd remember everything I hated about the job, not to mention that I don't want to work 50-60 hours a week and have J at daycare all the time instead of us getting to go to the park, on walks, to the library, or just hanging out together at home.

And as much as I like social interaction, a good paying job, coffee breaks, and a sense of professional accomplishment, nothing can compete with this:

And he's a great help now that he's figured out how to use the copier:

Husband didn't understand/believe why I couldn't get any work done when J was awake until I showed him this picture:

J has also figured out how to climb up onto my desk, where he grabs the phone and holds it to his head/ear while saying "heya, heya, heya". Then he throws all my papers onto the floor, and attempts to grab the computer monitor. All while I'm trying to work! It's so funny and cute that I can't help but laugh, stop working, and play with him. Very efficient. :)

Happy Mother's Day

I'm a day late, but Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! I hope you had a wonderful day.

We had a great day here - Husband and J let me sleep in until 9:30, then woke me up with coffee, lilies, and a gift card to the spa I love. We went to mass and brunch with my in-laws, then came home and Husband worked in the yard while I read a book. He put together a new window box for me - it turned out really nice, with little red, white, and yellow flowers that go up and a few white flowers that come down over the front.

Oops, I thought J was asleep, but I hear him screaming now - I'd better go check on him.

The white J.eep

Husband called today to tell me that he heard from his family member that works at a local car dealership. They knew that my J.eep was getting up there in mileage and that we had been talking about looking for another one soon, and they had just gotten in a used 2007 J.eep Grand Cherok.ee with almost no miles on it, and they were willing to sell it to us for very, very cheap. The previous owner apparently had bought it for his wife, who decided after only a week or two that she hated the color. So he exchanged it for a new color. The color? It's white.

First, my apologies for what I'm about to say to anyone who drives a white vehicle.

I hate white cars (and SUVs and trucks). I didn't always - my first car was actually a white P.ontiac Sun.bird that I LOVED. But then I got a dark green car, and then a dark silver car, and then a dark blue J.eep (my current vehicle). And in between all that I dated a guy that drove a white truck, and another guy that drove a white car, and both relationships did not end up happy. And you see where this is going?

Something about white vehicles just doesn't feel right to me anymore. I can't explain it - I can't even put it into words. I just feel it in my gut that I don't like them and I don't want to drive one for the next 5+ years.

But it's cheap. Really, really cheap. And its practically new. With almost no miles on it. We wouldn't be able to afford a new SUV otherwise. And it has the new J.eep body style and LATCH for the carseat. And did I mention it's practically new? Oh, and cheap?

I'm supposed to go up there Monday and take it for the day to drive around. I think they know that will make me want it. So this weekend, I'm going to try and get over this hatred of white cars that I have. I really, really want to like this white J.eep.

Make me happy

It's pretty easy to make me happy - I may complain alot, but there are some very simple things that make me smile. This sign, for example:

and I'm sure you're thinking: "there's a Starbucks going on on every corner in every town, so what's the big deal?"

Well, this sign is WALKING distance to my house. I can now take J and our handy jogging stroller with cupholders for a jog and end up with my favorite thing in the world - a decaf grande nonfat sugar-free vanilla latte (if it's fall/winter) or a decaf grande nonfat iced latte (spring/summer). I don't know why I like the hot drink with vanilla flavoring and not the iced version, but that's just the way I do it.

And even better is that less than a mile from my house, in the other direction, we have been promised a drive-thru Starbucks! The sign's not up there yet, so I'm still hoping that this isn't just a rumor going around town, exciting all the the coffee fanatics who, like me, think it's ok to spend the cost of lunch on a drink.

I do limit my consumption to only once, sometimes twice, a week, which is easier now that I don't go into the office every day (when I did work at an office, I was easily getting 1-2 drinks EVERY day, since I had a Starbucks walking distance to my office). I also limit it by only allowing myself to pay with a gift card, which my wonderful mother often loads up for me for my birthday and Christmas.

However, I am now feeling a little guilty about my choice of drink - I had been planning on doing this post for a while (I took the picture about two weeks ago), but just didn't get around to finishing it until today. And then this morning, I saw this post. I am offended and surprised by this "cup message", but I don't know if it will keep me from my new Starbucks. I am thinking about writing a letter to Starbucks to indicate my displeasure with their choice of quote. Maybe they will send free drink vouchers to anyone that was offended to keep them as a customer. :)

Suck it in

Do other women walk around all day sucking in their stomach and abs?

I have been feeling really frustrated with the lack of progress in getting this area of my body in shape. Pre-baby, I always had a little bit of a "pooch", and it's only been worse since having J. It makes me really self-conscious in certain clothes, because I feel like my baby fat is rolling over the top of my pants. And I fit in all my pre-baby clothes, but I really am having a hard time feeling good about myself because of this. I told Husband that when I'm done having kids, I want lip.o-diss.olve, and I'm only kind of kidding when I say that.

I was looking around today and felt like every woman I noticed had a flat belly, even those with 3 or 4 kids running around with her! And I realized that if I stand up straight, throw my shoulders back, and suck in my gut, then I look like I have a flat stomach also! So is this what I have to do all the time - practically hold my breath to hide the baby fat? It's really uncomfortable.

that was my favorite part of being pregnant - not having to feel self-conscious about my stomach. But I guess I can't be pregnant for the rest of my life just to deal with it.