TGIF

Ashley is excited - almost giddy - that tomorrow is Friday. So am I!

PS: Giddy is one of those words that if you say it over and over enough it sounds so silly. Which is what I am doing right now. Giddygiddygiddy. And how in the world does that fit with 'giddy up!'? Are you telling the horse to get excited? I am so Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handy.

Snoozer

We have GOT to start getting up earlier. This 'wait until the very last possible minute to roll out of bed and still leave on time with everything going smoothly' business ain't cutting it. Because, as chance would have it, things most certainly do not always go smooth in the morning. As a matter of fact, things always seem to be a bit bumpy. And most of it isn't through anyone in particular's fault, it just happens. Shit happens. Sometimes, literally. Or spit up happens. It just does.

We need to better prepare ourselves for the inevitable stumbling block in the road to getting out the door on time. Several mornings that requires getting Ella out of bed earlier, too, because boy can that girl be a grump! But very often all she needs is a little bit of time to adjust to the bright lights, the noise and the inconvenient necessity of movement. Rushing an ill little girl does not go well. Nor does rushing a baby. Actually, rushing a baby is an impossible task which generally leads to spit up happening. Not good.

Maybe if I would make my lunch at night. Wash my pump pieces at night. Choose my clothes and iron them at night. Maybe the morning routine would go much better. But right now it's nighttime, and what am I doing? None of those things, because I don't want to. Just like I don't want to get up when the alarm goes off.

And I will never get to work on time. Ha ha!

Have you met...

the little bald one that lives at my house...

and sleeps like a rock?

P.S.A.

Just a little Public Service Announcement:

Have y'all heard about the class action suit against De Beers for price fixing? The proposed settlement offers some cash for diamonds bought between 1994 and March 2006. Nice, right?!

If you bought any loose diamond, diamond jewelry or mixed stone jewelry between the specified dates, you are eligible for a refund. The refund will be a percentage of the purchase price (diamond jewelry is 32%) as long as there is enough money in relation to the number of claims. The total allotment for consumer claims is $135 million+ so there is hope of seeing some type of cash!

The website states that you have to have your receipt (so start digging through all of those papers you've been holding on to) but you might not be asked to provide it. That's good on one hand, but might tempt some people to lie and cut into the distribution on the other.

I know that several of you have got some big sparklies on your hand (*cough*Karen!*cough*) or other diamond jewelry so it's worth a shot. Even if you only get $50 back, it's $50 more than you had, right? Check out the website for more details and the claim form.

Now back to the After School Special, 'Diamonds are Still a Girl's Best Friend'.

Spiders on Drugs

Make sure you have your sound up and check this out. Hi-larious!

You didn't ask

but I'm going to share anyway:

* Last night we ate Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs. It was pretty good but the best part was when I realized that I was short one can of peeled, whole tomatoes and I was able to bust out one of the frozen bags of tomatoes from the garden. Homegrown tomatoes, deelish.

* David got me this vest for Christmas and I finally wore it Friday. I had no idea how to wear it, but I was too antsy to wait. David excels at gift giving but he's a little short on the fashion advice so I was shooting in the dark. What kind of shirt? Neckline? Leave it on or off? Zipped or open? Ugh! Fortunately I work with some pretty hip girls who said I got it right.

* Ella and I have matching toenails - Cranberry Cream. We eyed Ashley but decided she might be a touch too young... barely. We eyed David but got the eye in return and decided that he might be a touch too strong to fight... barely.

* I have made up my bed every day for the past two weeks. The rest of my house may look like the dumps but my bed will be made, by gosh! (One of my New Year's resolutions, I think.)

* Ashley slept all night last night. Yippee!

* Ella went on a play date today. Yes, that play date.

* I started our taxes today and found that Ashley is worth her sizeable weight in gold :)

* I am so excited about Marisa's baby!

* There should be some sort of cosmic law that if a woman wants to stay at home with her children she should be able to. Or even better, stay at home moms should get paid!

* We are becoming less and less enchanted with Ella's preschool as we hear more about the umpteen movies that they watch. (See above.)

* I'm really digging the bangs that I got at my haircut.

* It's just past 9 o'clock and I am ready to go. to. bed.

Inevitability

We knew it was bound to happen sometime, we just didn't think it would be this soon.

Passed out skunk drunk. Off Coors heavy, at that!

Newest Pics

McClure girls' highlights from the week:

Wide eyed Ashley Kate

and Ella, evermore the cowgirl (getting a comb out from her daddy)

New Coiff

I decided to mess around with the look of the blog a bit. Nothing too drastic, but much like my hair I thought it was looking a bit grown out. Here's to hoping that a fresh new 'do will pump up the volume on the blog as well as my head!

I Need Hairapy

I don't know just what in the world is going on. Is this some type of cruel joke? What have I done to anger the hair gods? Whatever it was, I'm sorry. Is there a sacrifice that I can offer up? Throw my brand new hair dryer into the fire? Pour out all of my volumizing shampoo? (Please say no!)

Either way, this limp as a dishrag hair that I am sporting has got to go.

One day it was poofy and cute and the next it was flat and soft. Soft = limp. I don't want soft hair! I want hair that is gunked up enough to hold up the 'do!

My situation has reached such a feverish pitch that I was desperate enough to fork over a lovely gift card to Target for some little trial size bottles of 4 products in the Big Sexy Hair line. Having used the hairspray before I knew that it works like no other. It also works on your wallet, so I was not a repeat customer. Until last week. If the hairspray gives me big, sexy hair, wouldn't the shampoo, conditioner and gel? It's called BIG SEXY HAIR for pete's sake! But no. Flat as a pancake, I tell you. I'm sure all those products are working their amping magic only to be deflated by my karma. Or poor styling techniques. Or grown out cut.

So what's a girl to do? Call up the salon as soon as they open tomorrow, that's what. Beg and plead to be squeezed in on a girl's day off. Hope that a new cut will remedy the situation. Use expensive volumizing products on said new hair. And style it up and away.

Watch out, y'all. Big Sexy Hair will be comin' through.

The 'Hood

When Andria was pregnant with Dellaina she made a comment to me about becoming a member of the secret Sisterhood of Mommies. I had never really thought about it before then but she was absolutely right. There is a secret club of the women who have experienced the ups and downs of pregnancy. A mutual appreciation for our comrades who have fought the fight of childbirth. And a hard-as-steel bond between women who have raised or are raising children.

I suppose you don't know about it (or care, really) until you are issued your invitation. A trip to the grocery store, to the well trained eye, will explain it all. Pregnant women and those with children in tow get looks from other mothers where a girl by herself, no kids or baby bump, wouldn't. Looks of excitement or pity (depending on your pregnant-ness or behavior of your children) and often looks reminiscence from the woman whose children are grown. Blink and you will miss the faint smile or slight head nod that one mother will give another in quiet understanding.

This Sisterhood doesn't exist to be exclusive, but that's just how it is. Nor does it exist to put down those who don't meet the criteria of membership. The Sisterhood is there to offer advice to the new mother, support to mother who loses a child (who else can understand the endless love of a mother but one?) and to honor the mothers who came before us.

As a card carrying member of the Sisterhood of Mommies, I would like to extend an invitation of membership to my own sister. She finally meets the criteria!

Congratulations!

A.P.B.

May I have your attention please:

Ashley slept from 10:30 last night to 7:00 this morning, awoke for a brief meal and then slept until 10:30.

This sort of behavior henceforth will be most appreciated, although it is not expected.

Thank you, that is all.

Quiz Me

My Grandaddy sent me this quiz, I'm sure because he knew it would be close to my heart. It has gone around for a while and I took it a few years ago and scored pure Dixie (as you would expect!). Since it has been a while and these Kansans have a way of wearing on a girl, I decided to take it again.

Don't you worry for one bit - I'm (used to be) in the heart of Dixie and Dixie's in the heart of me! My results: 92% Dixie - Is General Lee your father?

Give it a shot and let me know what kind of people I am friends with!

Yankee or Dixie Quiz

Bacio

Inside the Bacio chocolate that I was given today was this little piece of paper. It is akin to the fortune in a fortune cookie, but this is Italian chocolate, y'all, so of course they are all related to love and romance.

So heavy is the bond of marriage that it takes two, and often three, to bear it.

Umm, what?

The chocolate was rather tasty so I sure would hate to have some negative connotation with it. I'm going to assume that this is referring to childen... in which case we are set!

Addict

The scent of Baby Magic lotion is like crack to me.

Bath Time

How great are these?

************************************

Overheard from David giving Ella her bath last night:

David: "Sweetie! Get your hand out of your crotch! It's not a toy!"

I guess it's not just boys, huh?

Bappy Hirthday (a la Bill McG)

Today is my birthday, Happy Birthday to me! The big 2-9. Ugh. I'm on my way to denying my 30's, but I plan to make the most of the last year of my carefree, youthful 20's, by gosh. Mom sent me this card which I thought was so funny. If you really think about it, it is quite nice to be able to do whatever in the hell you want to. So no green beans for me, thankyouverymuch!

Since I know all y'all had my birthday right there on your calendar but oh boy it's so early in the year and really slips up on you :), I'm going to give you an out. I would like for you to please search the internet far and wide for something that you would like to buy me. (Note the 'would', not 'will'!) Money is no object, of course, so I expect some pretty far out stuff! Just find me the best present ever and put the link to it in the comments. If I can't actually have that two week cruise to the Virgin Islands that I know someone would buy me, at least I can dream about it.

Now get clickin'! I can boss you around like this because I'm an adult and can do whatever in the hell I want. And it's my birthday.

**It works best if you use the 'nickname' and 'URL' feature in the comment box. Just write me a little blurb, put your name in the nickname box and paste the web address in the URL box. Your name will become the link. **

Advertising Works

I am living proof that advertisers know what they're doing. I have forever been, and probably forever will be, a sucker for a new product. Unfortunately, most of the time I will plunk down my money for something that promises to be better working or better tasting only to be sadly disappointed.

Which brings me to Dove deoderant. I saw a commercial for Dove where all these women are running around in tank tops, raising their arms up high because ! Dove works! In addition to keeping us girls dry and fresh smelling, it also makes your underarms clear and beautiful! Beautiful enough to wear a tank top and wave to your friends, reach for stuff on a high shelf and kick back with your hands behind your head! That's what they tell me. And I want to be able to do all of those things with reckless abandon (since sometimes things aren't the most beautiful under there) so I rush right out to purchase some Dove deo. Even though I have a fairly full thing of Lady Speed Stick at home. Because that's what I do. And I'll be john brown, the stuff works! I am a dry, smelling of powder, clear and beautiful underarm girl.

Somebody get me a tank top, STAT!

(Anyone want to 'fess up on something that you purely bought because of the advertising? Even if you didn't need it or would have never realized that you wanted it? Don't leave me out here in Sucker World alone!)

PBF

If you recall, I was on the search for a good peanut butter fudge recipe. I had given two recipes a shot and wasn't happy with the outcome of either one. Until now!

May I present to you the fudge recipe that wins the award at my house (and keep in mind that David is a fudge connoisseur). I stole it from my favorite show on Food Network, Good Eats, and Alton Brown. You may even have all of the ingredients in your cupboards right now. Go take a peek and then see if you can stop yourself from trying this super easy recipe!

Lick Your Fingers Peanut Butter Fudge

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 lb. powdered sugar

Put peanut butter and butter in a microwaveable bowl and nuke on high for two minutes. Stir and cook for two minutes more. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix with a wooden spoon. Turn out into a 8 x 8 pan lined with wax paper. Press down until even then place a piece of wax paper on the surface of the fudge. Cool in refrigerator. Cut into pieces and store in an airtight container.

I think we will keep ours in the fridge but let it sit out for a few minutes before eating and the licking of fingers. Delish!

Pudge

I realize that the blog has turned into a shameless parade of pictures of and stories about my two beautiful girls. And I'm OK with that. What else can you expect from a new mother with a veritable gold mine of her own?

As the thigh photo displayed, Ashley Kate is a growing girl. (Growing at a great, speedy clip, she is.) In addition to the doughy goodness of her thighs, Ashley is pudging up everywhere else too. One of the cutest places to see baby fat, in my opinion, is at the writsts. Sweet baby girl does not disappoint her mama! Check out the wrist creases so far! (Since Ella was such a string bean, I am having all kinds of fun with Ashley and her squishy-ness. Poor girl gets hugged and kissed all the damn time!)

Wouldn't you want to hug and kiss Miss Pudgy McPudge?

That's what we thought!