Oh Vanity

So, one of the numerous side effects of being pregnant besides having all your hair fall out, being an emotional basket case, and having a lot of extra skin to deal with is having skin like a teenager.

My skin is my thing. Its always been clear, and smooth. I've never had a problem with acne... until now! To take care of this new problem I decided to bypass my usual Oil of Olay face cremes and washes on the face care isle in Target and go straight for the Clearasil and Oxy10. I haven't even touched that stuff since I was 13 or so. I found some creme that said "Prescription strength without a prescription!" and thought "this is what I need. Just a few days of this stuff and I'll have my old skin back!"

The first two days of using it, I was fine. It seemed to be working too! Then the sun returned and we went out and had a blast all day. The next morning my eyes were swollen, my neck itched and I felt miserable. To top things off, I had a new zit!!! Well, as it turns out (and if I had read the label, I would have known) Retinol A and Benzoyl Peroxcide were not friends with the sun! Oh man, I'm still suffering.

I finally went to the pharmacy at Target today and they suggested some Aveno anti-itch creme to put on my face and neck and I bought some cetaphil. The things us women do for beauty!

Remember this?

Say what you want about Mili Vanilli, but you can not deny the catchy, late 80's beats in this hit! They may not have actually sung the song, but they made it look good! Oh come on, you know you wore out their cassette tape!

Youngest

Our not-so-littlest man is getting so big. My friend loaned me a bumbo seat yesterday and he looks so cute in it. I figured it was time to pay some homage to our smallest boy, since most of my posts recently have been about our big beast. This baby is something special. He's very content, and will smile at anyone that give him attention. The little old ladies in the grocery store love this the most. He'll happily play on his play mat, in the bouncer or wherever else I leave him, while I discipline his brother for God knows what. He also sleeps like a champ, never getting up more than once a night since we brought him home from the hospital. We were blessed with this one...now if only I could get a photo of him when he's not drooling!

Dennis the Menice

We had another great play date tonight with some friends. The weather here has gotten really nice, and this evening was perfect...except for "that kid." I love my son, and he is very loving and caring. He is funny and says the cutest things. However, whenever we get in a situation where there are other kids, it seems the lovely traits mentioned above disappear. Tonight I had the kid that wouldn't listen, ran away, and started a caravan down the alley to see the "big rock" at the end. I had the kid that wanted to play anywhere no one was, felt the need to bring every inside toy outside and threw toys.

Thankfully I have a friend that has been in the same situation and lived to tell the tales. I want to thank my friend Sarah most, because each time I'm ready to just give up and cry, she reminds me of how fun Eldest is because of his curiosity and also reminds me that he never does anything to hurt anyone else (well, not intentionally), he just likes to explore and try new things. Does it stink that I need to be reminded? Yes, I feel like sometimes all I do is complain about him. I want to make a new pledge to see the good in everything he does, even when he's sitting in time out screaming "I'm Not Happy With You, Mommy!"

So, today, on the way home, I thought about it and he really did have a good time tonight playing with his friends and trying to pedal the big wheel. He enjoyed trying to take the wheels off the garbage truck with the play tools from inside, and he LOVED the big rock (and the two piles of dirt on the way to the big rock). This morning he really loved climbing the hill, jumping off rocks and destroying the landscaping at the park (instead of playing on the park structure). He also stayed dry today again, and that is a huge accomplishment. Not to mention the fact that chasing him around is doing wonders for my weight loss program. I am proud of my little man, he's a good boy.

Thanks Mom!

There's an episode of Jakers that I've seen about a million times now about how Piggley wants to be grown up, because us grown ups have it so easy. We get to stay up late, eat what we want (when we want), and I'm sure a million other things kids think are "da bomb." Of course, he gets his wish and has to take care of the farm while his dad recovers from a sprained ankle. He quickly realizes that adults don't have it that easy.

I remember being a kid, in particular the trips we would take to Lake Willoughby in Vermont. Those carefree days of running through the lawn barefoot, digging trenches in the sand pit, and taking walks to the candy shop. Not to mention all the trips in the boat, water skiing, and hiking we would do in a day. I could go on for pages about how fun it was. But, now that I have my own kids, I can appreciate more why Happy Hour was an everyday occurrence at the lake. each day at 4:00PM they would bring out the gin and tonic while we had one last good run in the water, or on the swings. Our parents always looked the most relaxed at 4:00, probably because they knew we would have no trouble going to bed at 7:00!!

My mom and dad had five kids (including me), and to think of what a feat it must have been to plan and execute a week long trip to Vermont from NY (or VA!) makes me tired. They would pack for all of us, prepare the car, make lunches and snacks to eat on the way, get us up at the crack to start the drive (all of us whining and crying about it I'm sure), and referee who got to sit where throughout the whole trip (yeah, we drove!). I don't recall it being "that" bad, but i was 4-9 years old. NOTHING is that bad when you're that age.

So, thanks mom (and dad). I appreciate your hard work to make our vacations fun, especially now that I have my own kids (and only two at that), and I can barely get organized enough to walk to the park! You're "da bomb!"

No accidents

I'm sitting here at 9:00 PM watching Rob play Xbox and I am exhausted. I feel like I ran a marathon, but I didn't even step foot out of my house today until 2:30. It was a beautiful day, and I'm glad I got to enjoy some of it! As usual, Monday flew by with little time to get my week organized, and a busy week is what we have ahead of us. But I digress. Today was a monumental day for Eldest. he had NO accidents while potty training and he finally got "Rocky", the crane from the Thomas series. He was thrilled. Of course, this didn't stop him from being your typical 3 year old, but I'm proud of him nonetheless. Tomorrow we'll try the park again with our friends, which will be nice for all! The weather is supposed to be great, and maybe he'll get enough activity to actually take a nap!

Our little man is getting older

Eldest will turn 3 next Thursday, and today we held his official birthday party. As you can see, it was VERY fun for him, and for us as well. Its amazing how fast they grow.

It happened...

I found a gray hair today. It happened on a walk to Zeebies (a neighborhood toy store) to pick up some wooden train track for Eldest. Rob and I were laughing about something and enjoying our walk, when I looked down and saw it there gleaming within the dark brown hair that I love so much. I showed it to Rob to confirm what I was seeing and he put his arm around me and said "you'll be OK." I blame potty training. That's my scape goat for everything right now. So, not only is my hair falling out by the fist full as a result of having been pregnant, but its also turning gray. Getting older stinks!

Do you TiVO?

I do. I've had a TiVO or DVR in my home since around 2001. I remember before we got it people would tell us, "it will change the way you watch TV forever." Let me tell you, I can't even remember what watching TV was like before TiVO now. I think I could live without it if need be, but I see no reason to not have one in our house. Actually, we have three and two are dual tuners...but who's counting right?

Well, actually, I am! One might think that with all this available space for recording TV shows, I watch TV for hours on end. WRONG! This is precisely why I have these various recording devices (technically, two are cable DVRs, I only have one true TiVO unit...in my bedroom). I have no time between two kids and cleaning house to watch my shows at night. If I needed to be in a specific room, at a specific time to watch a specific show, well, I would always be watching re-runs of SVU on TNT because I don't really sit down until 11:30 PM. Believe me, if I had the time, I would watch 6 hours of TV a day without batting an eye (my mother is SO proud of this fact), but this just isn't the case anymore.

So, this brings me to my topic...do you TiVO? What shows can you not live without? Last year, my spreadsheet (yes, there is a spreadsheet) consisted of 49 shows. I've just updated my spreadsheet for the 2007/2008 season and I'm proud (?) to say that this year I have 55 shows! Want to find out what's new and returning this season? Go here to check it out!

September is fastly approaching...get ready ya'll!

You are what you eat

If the saying is true, I swear, today I was a garbage disposal. This actually started last night as I had two sausages, strawberries, a drumstick ice cream cone, wine and those awesome cream puffs from Costco all between 5:30 and 9:00. I woke up today thinking I would start the day with a good breakfast and continue to eat well from then on...this did not happen.

Breakfast was OK. A waffle with peanut butter. Then things just went down hill. Obviously the waffle wasn't enough, because when we got to the park, I was happy to finish off what was left of Eldest's gold fish when he handed them back to me to continue playing (sorry, bud! Mommy was hungry!). Then I ate the string cheese I brought for him because after I opened it, he didn't want it, and I couldn't let a perfectly good string cheese go to waste (he did eat the PB&J and the fruit cup!). Things didn't get better once we got back home. I had so many things to get done around the house, and I had to keep up with the potty training, so I didn't get to eat a proper lunch. Instead I ate what was available and easy. First, I opened a package that turned out to be gourmet Brownies (Thanks a bunch Erika)...don't mind if I do! I had three. Then I had a few strawberries after I cut some for Eldest. Then I decided to eat one of the left over sausages that I had put in the fridge. No bun, no plate, just eaten right out of the bag as I wiped down the counter and straightened up the desk in the kitchen. Then, each time Eldest used the potty, I would give him an MnM and myself about 4 or 5 for good measure. Finally the hubby came home and I was off to see a movie with my friend Liz. Of course we had dinner first, and it was so good. We ate at a Thai restaurant and I had spring rolls, Lard Nah, and a glass of wine. Finally, at the theater, I had a bag of twizzlers, and this ended my day of horrible eating. I looked in the mirror tonight after I got home, went over what I had eaten in my head, and thought, "really, Beth, you don't know why you haven't lost the baby weight??"

For now, I blame potty training for my poor eating habits. Eldest is not taking a nap much anymore, and I can't just let him watch a show while I take care of myself, because while he's awake, we're always 15 minutes away from going to the potty. This is not nearly enough time to make and enjoy a proper meal. Ah well, tomorrow is another day for eating right (or maybe just eating less).

100 visits!

Wow, I didn't think we would have that many visits within a weeks time. Then again, maybe this isn't a lot in the world of blogging. Nonetheless, its a lot to me! Thanks to everyone that has come by to read the postings. We hope you've enjoyed them!

Good day to you, my friend

Today was pretty awesome for so many reasons. I don't know where to start. OK, I'll start with Eldest using the potty!

Potty training is the absolute WORST part of being a parent (at least it is right now...). It is SO much work and I think up until now I was sure some magic fairy would come and grace my son with this ability overnight, if I waited long enough. Then came the letter. The dreaded letter from pre-school. "No, your child does not need to be potty trained, but if he poops, we will call you to come change it." I could have died on the spot when I read that. After thinking all was lost, I came to grips with the fact that sending him to school may actually get him trained faster than if he was with me (since I would still be waiting for this magic fairy...). After a lot of thinking, and after reading a worksheet on potty training from his pre-school teacher, I decided to jump head first into the experience and look at it as any good employee would. As a project that needed to be done and done well.

I put eldest in underwear this morning and didn't look back. Sure, I went through about 4 pair within an hours time at first. Believe me, after that I was tempted to throw that diaper back on, but I stuck to my guns and didn't give in. I watched Eldest like a hawk and made him use the potty every 15 minutes. It all paid off when around 12:00PM PT he pooped in the potty. I wanted to get a photo of it with my cell phone to send to Rob, but he flushed it too quickly. Who would have thought that I would have taken a picture of a crap in the toilet one day? After that, he managed to stay dry all afternoon. He didn't actually pee in the potty, but he didn't pee in his pants either, and I consider that a small victory. Once his buds came over, he did have an accident, but its the first day and who can blame him with all that playing going on. The little man is growing up.

Second good thing about today...I went shopping alone! My friend Amanda and I switch off watching each others kids so we can workout at the Gym. Today I told her I needed to run to Target instead to pick up more underwear for Eldest (since I was running out) and I can't tell you how liberating it was to just drive there without a 40 lb diaper bag and two kids in tow. I listened to the music as loud as I wanted, and I didn't obsess about what I would do when we arrived! While at Target I watched other mom's go school shopping with their kids, asking them to be quiet, to stop asking for items, or to just listen to them. I felt sorry for them, and was so happy I wasn't them all at the same time. I got to shop without bargaining for good behavior or hearing "I want a new car, mommy" over and over and over again. It was awesome. THANK YOU AMANDA!

Lastly, tonight I had some friends over for a night time dinner play date. This is a group of mom's I've been meeting with for almost 2 years now...jeez, I can't believe its been that long. In that time we've gone from the occasional get together with our kids, to scheduling mom's drink nights twice a month. These women have become my true friends out here and it was so nice to see them and all their kids tonight and watch everyone play, laugh, and gab. We got some great shots of our kids, and the one that it attached to this post reminds me so much of my own childhood, and having BBQ with friends and feeling so lucky to have them over or to be over at their house to play. I look forward to seeing these boys and girls grow up together.

Yes, I had wine tonight and life is good.

Jakers!

This is Eldest's new favorite show on PBS Sprout. The theme song is very catchy and it has been in my head all day. I thought I would share the love.

Apparently, "Jakers!" is an Irish expression and means "wow!" or "amazing!" I wonder if my dad heard it a lot growing up. I'll have to ask him.

Any show based in Ireland is a show I'll watch! One day I'll take my boys to the old country to visit the towns of our ancestors, but I'm sure they'll be more interested in knowing we're in the country that "Piggly" is from!

Taking stock on hump day

Wednesday is always a good day to pause and reflect upon the week. Review all the measurements and data points to see how things are going with the family.

Being at work puts an uncomfortable amount of distance between you and the action. And the action is where the kids are. I get my information through a combination of instant messages, e-mails, cell phone calls, cell phones messages, cell phone pictures, and voice mail. I swear Beth sent word via carrier pigeon once, but the poor fool ended smacked up against the office window, message undelivered.

Voice mail is the worse since it is a static communication from one party to the other. You cannot interact with the messenger, it is one way. And Beth has a way of setting a nasty tone in voice mail.

However being at work means there is very little I can do to influence or resolve a situation. If Harrison is acting out and driving mommy insane there is not much I can do. I can provide sympathy to Beth, an ear to bend and an outlet to vent. But that is about all.

I also have to choose my words carefully when there is an ongoing situation. Almost anything I say is considered judgment and means potential trouble for daddy.

So by Wednesday I tally up all those pieces of information and evaluate the situation.

Sunday was good, Monday a wreck but by Tuesday Harrison had mellowed out a bit. Harrison has sat on the potty a few times. Last night I gave him another demonstration and he was really excited to give it a go. Plus Beth told me he played very well with a little boy named Tommy during the day.

Logan has been a very calm and fun baby to have around. In fact Monday night I got him to put himself to sleep un-swaddled for a few hours.

I have high hopes for today; hopefully they will not be dashed.

So the week itself has been fairly good. But this is just my assessment. I am sure Beth might think otherwiseJ.

Check out the logo!

I just love it. My cousin Richard Gorey drew this up in a matter of days. I'm amazed. It captures just what Rob and I were looking for. I couldn't wait to get it up on the site! Don't you just love it?

Thanks Rich! You're the best!

Mulligan

In golf, a mulligan is a shot retaken. Some days I would like to take another shot at raising my kids from the beginning. Today was one of those days where I feel like I've failed my 3 year old. Sometimes I wonder if working full time was the culprit and there are MANY mom's out there that would say "YES" to this assessment. Thankfully my friends aren't those types of moms and tonight they convinced me that I was normal and so was my oldest son. I can't tell you how therapeutic it is to tell them how I feel like I've failed and to hear them say "we've been there". Some of my friends stay home, and some of them work, but they've all been there and their words on parenting comfort me more than any book or magazine could.

Tomorrow is another day and I'll begin the day with a bright outlook, and a new optimism on my ability to be consistent without feeling like I've punished my child all day long. Tomorrow we will play more together and I will forego cleaning bottles and sweeping the floor in order to set up a long train on the coffee table. Tomorrow, I will try to remember that my son is 3, not 30, which is evident in the picture above!

Sometimes I forget...

Sometimes I forget that I have a 3 year old boy. I don't know how this could slip my mind, because my home has plenty of reminders. However, I still try to venture out into the real world thinking he'll be "normal". Today it was pouring the rain out here, and I figured it was a great time to check out our new library.

Maybe I take for granted the amount of families/kids in this neighborhood. For some reason I thought the library would by "hoppin'" today because of the rain. Well, we walked in and it was as quiet as could be (well, it was a library I guess), and Eldest immediately sees the rows of bookshelves as a GREAT Place to race. I try my best to distract him with books about trucks, Sheep, lions, quantum physics, but nothing is as fun as screaming and running like a wild beast in a hall the echos. What was I thinking?!

I managed to stroll Youngest out of the library while holding a screaming and kicking 3 year old. I packed them back up in the car and took them down the block to the park...where we should have gone in the first place! Playing on a wet park structure is more up a 3 year old boys alley.

I should wear a pin that says "SAHM in Training".

You've Been Rick Roll'd!

Ever heard of it? It’s when a friend (or jerk, however you see it) sends a link to a Rick Astley video but without your knowing that's what it is. Here you are thinking you’re being directed to a video showing the latest celebrity tripping down some stairs and then BAM! "Never gonna give you up" starts and you hit your forehead and wonder how you fell for that AGAIN! Go ahead and try it! The sad part is, I usually watch the full video once I've hit play because I actually liked the guy when he first came out (and know all the words!). My husband can confirm this fact. He was with me when we saw the infamous episode of Family Guy with this song in it.

What do you think?

A lot of people keep telling me how much Eldest and Youngest look alike, and I thought it would be fun to post photos of them to see what you think. I think its pretty obvious who is who, based on the clothes. Nonetheless, tell me what you think! Personally, I think they're both adorable!

Remeber this - updated

God bless the 80s. Thank goodness for cocaine, or we wouldn't have gems like this!

Edited to add: My mom says that we should never thank anyone for cocaine (or drugs in general). Thanks for the tip mom. I won't thank anyone for drugs in the future...but I don't think 80's music would have been the awesomeness that it is without them!

For the Record..

This picture is pre-kids. Little did Rob and I know that I would be pregnant December of this year. Look at us, we're so...awake! Although life is different today, I feel like its even better than it was then (even if we don't get as much sleep!).

Today I finally got around to unpacking my boxes of stuff from my desk at Nintendo. I actually laughed out loud a few times when I found items that I had forgotten were in and on my desk! You see, I didn't actually pack my things up. This task was done by Alison as part of a joke. Little did she know that joke was on her when she found out just how much crap I had at my desk. One of these hilarious items is "The Record". This was a book of thoughts that Alison and I started about 4 years ago. When I flipped through it I was tempted to scan some of the entries and post them online...but she would have killed me. Instead, I will just tease you with the cover.

I went through the boxes a couple of times to really make the hard decisions on what I would keep and what I wouldn't. I kept the gifts from my buds at NCL, the badges/lanyards from E3 2006 and the Fall Out Boy concert at Nintendo, my copy of the 200th edition of Nintendo Power and the awesome statue my friends made for me when I left...oh, and of course the record. The rest I looked through with a smile on my face, then tossed.

Now its time to start my new collection of crap, at my new desk. I can't wait!

You can call me "BB" for short...

So, interestingly enough, my new found girl friends have nick named me "Boozer Beth". Don't worry mom, it's not because I drink all the time. I think the nick name came about because of my overwhelming excitement for each Mom's Night Out (MNO) and because it just sounds good. "Boozer Beth", it just roles off the tongue don't you think? Nonetheless, I'm just taking a look at my posts, and two out of three have something relating to alcohol in them. Maybe this name is appropriate!

To even the score, I'm posting this blog tonight with a cute photo of Eldest. That way you'll know that I also care very much about my children (and not JUST my new beer of choice!).

Have a good nights rest everyone! Oh, our new logo is coming soon! Be on the lookout!

Friday Cheers

Ahhhh, another Friday, another party. Good times! Hosting a party is one of my favorite things to do. Not everyone likes it, but I L-O-V-E it. However, sometimes it can be a delicate situation. Its hard to fight the urge to stay within your comfort "group" of friends and gab, while your new guests fend for themselves. I mean, they're adults right? They know how to mingle. I shouldn't have to hold their hands through it all right? Luckily, my guests were all very low maintenance and I enjoyed talking with all of them, even my "core" group (which showed up early! Thanks ladies!).

Tonight's party was great (as usual), and we met some awesome new friends and look forward to spending more time with them. The thing I like most about this group is our conversations. They do not revolve solely around our children. Sure, talking about kids is a good ice breaker, but you know you've found a good solid group of people when you can talk with the men about Jägermeister and the women about all the hot men on various TV shows.

The beauty of tonight (for me at least, not Rob) is that both of my kids were in bed for most of the party. Why was this not fun for Rob? Because he was putting them to bed. When all was said and done, he did have a few moments with a few of his new found guy pals, and just enough time to plan their next Dad's Night Out ("DNO"). Should be fun, especially after the entertaining discussions about jagermeister. Who knows, maybe if they're real wild men, they'll bring out the After Shock at the next DNO.

I wish Eldest was able to enjoy the fun tonight. The kids had a great time and they all left here filthy from head to toe. He would have loved it, but alas, the boy refuses to nap during the day, even though its painfully obvious that he still needs to. By the end of the day, he's done, and I'm sad to say, so are we. Putting him and Youngest to bed was the right thing to do. Its 9:00, and instead of putting an over tired toddler to bed, I'm updating my blog. Yep, definitely the better decision.

(Friday) Cheers everyone!

Those little achievements

With the release of the Xbox 360 we introduced the idea of achievements and gamer points. The idea is very simple: if you do something special in a game you unlock an achievement and gain points.

For example by reading this blog you have unlocked one such achievement:

Over time you collect a set of achievements and a heap of points. The main idea was to provide you with bragging rights to your buddies. Look at me, I unlocked this achievement. Admire me.

We tapped into something basic and primal that exists in the human mind. When you unlock an achievement there is a sound and then the little pop up that appears on your screen. Endorphins release, your heart rate picks up. You feel good. Like a rat that picked the right switch and was rewarded with a tasty morsel. Give me more please.

The feature has become bigger than anyone thought. There is a core group of gamers who are nuts about trying to get as many achievement and get the highest gamer score. Games are now ranked by how difficult it is a get the achievements (movie and sports titles are usually low hanging fruit, 1000 points in a few hours of effort). Entire web sites exist to provide walkthroughs and strategies to maximize your point potential.

Here at work we have a crazy site where our gamer tags (our identities in the world of Xbox) are all ranked and measured in over 2 dozen metrics. Our total points, games, times played, etc are all number crunched. We have a new way of setting the pecking order among the gamer geeks that lurk in the halls of the Millennium complex.

Anyways how does this fit into our lives? Youngest unlocked an achievement of his own this morning.

What a good boy! Now if only Eldest could unlock that potty achievement…

My new fav

I'm not much of a beer drinker, but I am lovin' this new Miller Chill. In the words of Marty the Zebra, it's "Crack-a-lakin".

Brewed with a hint of lime and salt, its the perfect refreshment after a long day of wrangling children and tackling the seemingly endless pile of laundry.

Tonight I enjoyed a few while soaking my weary feet and watching Rescue Me and Damages. Rescue Me has always been one of my favorite summer series, and not just because I'm Irish and love Dennis Leary. If you like action and lots a H-O-T guys, this is the show for you. Its wild.

Damages is an awesome show about a ruthless lawyer named Patty Hughes and her new protege Ellen Parsons. The show goes back and forth between past and present to tell the story on why Ellen is seen in the opening running through the streets of NYC with only s small trench coat on covered in blood. One of its draws is the fact that Glenn Close plays Patty Hughes and does an outstanding job. Her character is a conniving, backstabbing, bitch of a lawyer and no one could play it better. This is another example of another huge movie star gracing the small screen. This seems to be quite the trend in Hollywood right now...much to my delight!

Alright, I'm ready to enjoy my new favorite drink and watch the newest installment of Ice Road Truckers...man I can't wait for the new seasons to start!

*Sorry about there not being any breaks between paragraphs. For some reason that is not saving in this post...I'm still learning!

It Begins

So, I thought I would try my hand at this blogging stuff. It seems like a fun idea, and Lord knows I have some funny and interesting stories to share about being a mom, wife and friend. Rob will also be happy to share his insights on life as well. Together we hope to give you an interesting and entertaining view into our lives and the lives of parents all over the US (I would say the world, but that's pushing it).

So, let's begin. About a week and a half ago I quit my job at Nintendo. I've worked at Nintendo since moving to Washington and its my second home. But the time had come to leave, and start a new chapter in my life...that of being a Stay at Home Mom (or SAHM as we like to call it on the internets). A lot of people never saw me as a SAHM, and its possible the new friends I've made as a SAHM think I may not be cut out for it, but nonetheless, the decision has been made.

My days are now showerless, breakfastless, and sometimes brainless. I spend as much time as I can with my new found gang of Mom's to keep that adult interaction, and find that I'm not the only one that thinks this is a crazy transition. I also found out I'm not the only one that thinks their toddler is a little on the crazy side. Can I even call Eldest a toddler anymore? He does not toddle on his feet, and I don't think most toddlers know all the names of the trains that are included in the "Thomas the Tank Engine" line of toys. Especially since bringing Youngest home, Eldest is no longer a "baby" to us. He's a little man, and we expect a lot more from him...much to his dismay.

While working, I would have never wasted precious DVR space on shows like Nanny 911 and Super Nanny...now, I find myself willing to bump off House for Super Nanny, if nothing else, to feel better about my mothering because my son is not threatening to kill me...yet.

Speaking of DVR space, I haven't even begun to organize my spreadsheet of shows for the fall yet. Last year I had an impressive 49 shows that I taped regularly. Now, with the change in the DVR software and the cancelation of a lot of those 49 shows, I have my work cut out for me! I must find time to plan this out, or there will be one grumpy mama in this house!

So, what can you expect in the future? Funny stories about play dates, Moms/Dads night out, the kids, and of course the fun things Rob and I do together (and apart), as well as show updates and reviews. We hope to make you laugh and to keep you informed and most of all...to make you feel normal, for we all go through it when being married and raising a family.