Ask, and You Shall Receive (??!)

Like many moms I know, I spend a great deal of time in the car. We drive to preschool, church, friends' houses, and to run errands. When we are not listening to TalkRadio, I have a lot of time for deep, existential discussions with my kids. We chat about all sorts of things; the meaning of life, politics, fashion, and literature. (I don't think The Berenstain Bears series has been added to the canon yet). Or maybe we just talk about colors, the alphabet, whether the stoplight is red or green, and sing "Old MacDonald" over and over. I could be fuzzy on the details.

Sometimes, Natalie wants to know what her friends and their families are doing. I'm sure their lives are really much more interesting than my standard "they're at home taking their naps" reply. A few weeks ago, we were talking about who has girls and boys in their families as we drove to the bank.

"Why did Caroline get a boy?" Natalie wanted to know. She cut a sidelong glance at Michaela Byrd, who did not look very apologetic for being born a girl.

"Well, I guess Jesus knew she needed a brother, so He sent her a boy." I answered, turning onto the highway.

"How can we get a boy?" asked Natalie, as if we could just open a Babies 'R Us catalog, choose model #487, and request overnight shipping. "He can have my room, and I'll sleep in Michaela's room." (I'm sure he'd love the green, cream, and pink stripes on his new walls)

Not wanting to go into details of insurance premiums, hospital bills, and percaset prescriptions for post C-section pain, I just told her she'd have to ask Jesus about it.

A brief pause. "Jeeesus, can you send me a brudder?" she called loudly, looking at the ceiling of the car. Always the proactive one.

Intrigued, I peered at her in the rearview mirror. "Well, what did Jesus say?" I asked.

She sighed. "He didn't send one right down."

I guess that was a good lesson for her in the importance of prayer versus instant gratification.

I, personally, am glad He didn't send a brudder "right down."

Our Trailblazer only has room for two carseats in the back. That would have been a tricky ride home.

Kisses from Heaven?

{"SnOwFLakES ARe KiSsES fRoM HeAveN"}

I'm not sure that I completely agree with the quote from above, as I once mentioned in my LetItSnow post. To a stay-at-home mom, snow can be both blessing and bane. We finally had our "big snow" here in Virginia. So much for global warming, eh?

Normally, I would have been really excited to go out and play in the snow with Natalie, but I was just too tired yesterday. Not your normal, "I'm a mom of two kids and I chase them around all day while attempting to pick up my house and run errands and volunteer for some church groups and work from home" tired either. Sheesh. I need a nap after just reading that.

No, I was tired because of the late night we had. The power went out sometime around 1 am on Monday morning, and we knew the house would be coooooold. Michaela Byrd's room is already chilly, so she was dressed in about 64 layers, along with three or 4 blankets we added. Unfortunately, Natalie has some sort of inner nightlight alarm. When her nightlight went out, she woke up and freaked out. In a rare display of utter stupidity, we stuck her in our bed before she could wake up Michaela Byrd. This was the first, and last time she has ever *slept* in our bed.

She sniffled for a minute before T turned the lantern off. As the light dimmed, I saw a tiny smirk cross her face. She sighed a long fake sigh, the kind a cartoon character makes as he nods off to sleep. One of those.

Then I heard, "Heh Heh Heh," and I knew we were in for a long night.

She jammed her bony little knees into my back for awhile, then sighed and sat up. T told her to lay back down, so she did, draping her arm across my face; then she played with my hair for awhile. Her complaints about being hot sent T over the edge and he issued an edict that she return immediately to her room.

I led a very teary three year old through the darkness, back to her own bed. I pulled up her shade and showed her how the snow made the sky glow. She settled in bed and went to sleep with her music (if you have a baby or toddler or preschooler who likes to self-soothe, I can't say enough good things about this product!).


The power came back on around 5:30 or so in the morning. Thus the fatigue I felt Monday. Here are some pictures from our day in the snow!



















{Winter fairyland! Tree in our front yard}

{Took the girls out to T's parents' house in the "country." Natalie's very first sled ride!}























{T borrowed this hat from Anna Karenina. Not really. His dad made that hat. He's a real SurvivorMan. T forgot his hat, so Pop let him borrow one.}



















{Zoe belongs to T's parents, and she is wild! She had the best time chasing Natalie and Pop down the hill. She made a great game of ripping Natalie's hat off as the sled would go sailing past}























{First solo flight. Now I know how the Wright brothers felt!}




















{Trekking back up the hill}























{Michaela Byrd kept saying "Go-go, Go-go," so T took her on one ride. That is all. She wasn't thrilled.}

The Gourmet {2}

Tepid Review of Dining at La Maison en Désordre
by Michaela Byrd, age 13 1/2 months


When I'm in the area, I dine at La Maison en Désordre on L Avenue. This is more out of necessity than enjoyment. The fare is mediocre, at best. The establishment is tucked away on a busy street, and the noise of passing cars is frequently muffled by the dull roar going on inside the dining room. I always request the best seat in the house, and because of my status as a world renowned food critic, I always get that seat...in front of the window, the place to be seen and heard. It's cushy and, well, high. It affords the diner a superior view of the restaurant. A small, fluffy dog lends a European flair to a dining area otherwise devoid of any charm.
I'll start with the positive. La Maison features live entertainment. There. They have entertainment. I didn't say it was good entertainment. Miss Nollie provides song and dance routines during the first course. Her repertoire consists of bouncing dance moves and tunes like "Jingle Bells" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Riveting.


During my most recent dining experience, the chef (who is a lovely woman) tried to pass a mess of peas off as a gourmet meal. Imagine that! I politely let her know that the disgusting green concoction on my tray (this 'Burg hot spot has trays!) was not the lobster bisque I requested.


After a lengthy argument, she returned with a pleasing dish that I've never sampled before. Some sort of turkey rolled into a pocket with a real pop of flavor inside. The flavor was familiar somehow, but I just couldn't place it.


A glass of Sauvignon Blanc would have been the perfect pairing with this acceptable meal, but the chef presented me with whole milk instead. I was unimpressed.


Overall, I give La Maison en Désordre two stars for their creativity with the turkey dish. I would consider returning again if the chef would agree to prepare my meal in a timely manner and serve more than two courses. Really. Are we barbarians? The next thing you know, I'll be expected to resort to eating with my hands. Ahem.


{Editor's Note: When interviewed, the head chef claimed that the reviewer's screaming was distracting to the other diners. "Multiple attempts to satisfy Miss T were made, but her palate is obviously too sophisticated for our menu." she reported. "The turkey pockets were really just a slice of turkey wrapped around some peas. Miss T didn't seem to notice."}





















You expect me to eat this filth?

Stop the Presses!

I have exciting news, ya'll! I know I said I don't normally blog on Sundays, but some things must be blogged right away. ;)

If I didn't already have enough fabulous blogs to read, my sister Alison, just started her own blog in honor of her 26th birthday! I know what you're thinking...

"Amanda, how can your younger sister be turning twenty-six, when you are only twenty-faux?"

I know, I know. I've been twenty-faux for a few years now, and I'm not sure when I stopped having birthdays. I don't know where they went. We still celebrate, of course, and I get cake (always cake!) and presents, but I just am not getting older. It's wonderful, really.

But that's another blog post, entirely.

The main thing is, that even though my sister beat me up and bossed me and messed my stuff up and told on me that one time I came home drunk and annoyed me, she really turned out pretty well. I'm surprised. I thought she'd be a dictator of a small island country by now. Eh, I guess she got side-tracked. She is better than me at just about everything (except whining...one day I will blog about the Great Whine of 1995-it was my best one). So she is guaranteed to be better than me at blogging. See my logic? If you like what you're reading here, you'll love her blog. She's witty and honest and silly. I am also envious of her nice, smooth (unfrizzy!) hair. The title of her blog will make you smile...she is forever in search of the perfect stylist, and they always (so she claims!) let her down. I just hope she remembers to write!

Enjoy, and be sure to tell her I sent you! (Ya'll come back now, ya hear?)

Spend Less Saturday {3}

Good tips this week, L and Alison! I always enjoy reading everyone's comments, and Erin, I'm sorry you'll have to wait for your "all-al-ince" before you can discover the wonders of The Dollar Store.

Speaking of The Dollar Store, this week's edition of ThriftyThursday focused on cheap (and chic!) accessories for your home. I could (and probably will) do some more posts on this subject. I am feeling a little insecure because no one posted on whether or not they've ever set foot in TDS. Am I the only one? Oh, man, I feel like a loser. I hope ya'll don't think I'm one of those weird ladies with frizzy hair (shut up, Alison) who wears cat sweatshirts and paws through the clearance bin in the cat food section at TDS. I swear, I'm not. We don't even own a cat, but if we did I'm sure I'd spring for some quality PetsMart cat chow. If you have frizzy hair, wear cat sweatshirts, and shop for your cat's food in TDS's clearance bin, I'm sure you're very nice.

Here's Alison's tip for the week:
{I always wait for Bath and Body works to have the $5 sale on the Wallflowers plugins. They smell better and last longer than any air freshener I've ever used and are normally about around $12. Every few months there is a five dollar sale though and you can get the starter kits and refills for less than have the price!}

I have no sense of smell, so I'll take your word for it, Alison. I like to light candles, but I often forget to do it. Not having a sense of smell makes one forgetful about such things. I like the idea of just plugging something into the wall and not having to think about it.

L wrote:
{I love looking for lamps and frames at thrift stores. I also swear by Krylon's nondrip satin finish spray paint in black. So....I take those lamps, frames, and any furniture I find with good lines and spraypaint them. Voila!! "Matching" items, all very cheaply made.}


Loved that tip, L! When I go thrifting, it's usually for bigger items (like the *perfect* desk I've been combing the 'Burg for). I've neglected to notice the smaller home accessories like lamps and frames. I'm currently looking for apothecary jars in cool shapes. I'll have to be on the lookout for a neat frame to spray paint black and make a memo-board out of.

Boagie, I too am glad that I did not slice my finger off with the box cutter. I was extra careful, as I do not have a good track record with sharp cutting tools. I feel confident that my future box cutting endeavors will be successful as well.

Well, that's all I got! Have a beautiful weekend!

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

Can you see them? Late each winter, I have three little crocus buds that pop up out of nowhere in the middle of my front yard. I don't know who planted them or how they got there. That bright pop of gold always captures my attention the first time I catch a glimpse of them, swaying bravely back and forth in the chilly February winds.

Seeing those crocus buds out in the middle of the yard always reminds me of the song title in today's post. There's something about that old Hank Williams song that I love. Maybe it's the way he paints a picture with words and music. Whatever it is, those poor little crocuses must feel lonely out there in my barren yard, even if they are surrounded by weeds.

Sometimes I know how they feel. (That must be why they say children grow like weeds!) Motherhood can be isolating. With each of the C-sections I went through to have my girls, the doctor forgot to take the training manual out with the baby! I think if I had received my manual, I would have been prepared for that part of being someone's mommy. It truly was a real shock to me the first time around. I think many moms often have days or weeks where they experience feelings of solitary-confinement, even though they are surrounded by their children. Husbands are wonderful, but not always the best listeners..."how can I fix it, hon?" or "what do you want me to do?" are the comments I hear the most often, when I really just want someone to listen. Men always want to fix things, bless their hearts.

But I have to remember that those yellow crocuses are a sign that Spring is on its way! No season lasts forever. Perhaps next year I'll just plant a few bulbs so the crocuses don't have to sit all by themselves in the yard. Today, I'll leave you with Hank:

Hear the lonesome whiperwill,

He sounds too blue to fly.

The midnight train is whining low.

I'm so lonesome I could cry.

I've never seen a night so long,

When time goes crawling by.

The moon just went behind a cloud

To hide its face and cry.

Did you ever see a robin weep

When leaves begin to die?

That means he's lost the will to live.

I'm so lonesome I could cry.

The silence of a falling star

Lights up a purple sky.

And as I wonder where you are,

I'm so lonesome I could cry.

Thrifty Thursday: It's Chic to Be Cheap {3}

I don't watch Oprah very often anymore. If I want political commentary, I can watch Fox News. I do, however, tune in whenever she does the home makeover shows. I love watching the designers transform a home to reflect the homeowners' personalities. It doesn't hurt that Nate Berkus. is. a. hottie. Seriously.

If I can make it through an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition without shedding a tear, I'm in good shape. That's another show that I like because the designers really seem to take the homeowners' tastes and style into consideration, unlike Hildi from Trading Spaces, which I haven't seen in years. Wasn't she the one who decorated a family room by gluing hay on the walls??!

I wish my house looked like this:

Or this:

But it doesn't. At all. (photos from ABC.com) I am too chicken to try things. (L, I haven't forgotten about our decorating playdate. When you get back from The Wonderful of Disney, I'll call you to see when you and La-La can come over for a consultation.) I did some soul-searching once when I wasn't watching TiVo'd episodes of Grey's Anatomy or The Office, and I decided that one of the decorating elements that's important to me is displaying family photos, both current shots and "heirloom" portraits.

This is where the thrifty part comes in. I promise I'll get there, ya'll.

T's grandparents came to visit over Christmas break, and they brought a packet of old photos for me to go through. My plan is to do an entire wall of old black and white family photos in the "new room." I used our crappy old HP printer/copier/fax/scanner to scan the photos onto my laptop. Much cheaper than taking them to the camera store or copy shop for a scan. I stuck the photos on my zip drive, and printed them out at Target's Kodak machine...again, much less costly than Ritz Camera!

But frames are expensive, and Natalie took all my Scotch tape to play some weird make-believe game after being inspired by an episode of The Berenstain Bears, so I couldn't just tape them on the wall, now could I?

What's a girl to do?

Well, because I am a good listener, I headed over to The Dollar Store in the nearest shopping center. My friend, Kelly, swears by The Dollar Store. She has all sorts of beautiful, crafty creations that she's made with materials purchased at TDS.

Much like WalMart, the idea of shopping at The Dollar Store used to make me break out in hives... until I actually went in and found some cute stuff! Not only did TDS have a bunch of 5x7 frames, but they also had many different sizes of mats, in a variety of colors! I purchased a stack of black 5x7 frames and white mats and hurried home to start on my project before Natalie came home from preschool and asked to "help."

Like anything that is dirt cheap, the mats weren't exactly the right size for the frames, so I did a bit of "editing." I found T's box cutter, and managed to not slice a major artery while trimming off a little bit on one side of each mat. Like so:

I ended up with some beautifully framed family photos! I knew I had some extra 5x7 frames stuffed in a craft bin somewhere. They were brown wood, but a can of $0.97 black spray paint from WalMart fixed those, and voila! Matching frames.

Here's the finished product!

Now if I can just get the gumption to hang them....

What ways have you found to save in the home decor department? Have you ever snatched up a fabulous find at The Dollar Store? Please leave me a comment, and I'll feature you in this Saturday's post!