And Speaking of Speaking of Ugly Children....

I'm sooooooooo with Cristin on this topic! Aside from politics, there are subjects that are just taboo. More specifically, I believe there are way more ugly babies and children in this world than cute.

As you know, we've been working on potty training Q. She has become obsessed with the book Once Upon a Potty, and I was reading it about 4 times a day at least. I found the DVD at the library yesterday, and guess what we've been watching incessantly?

I wish I hadn't opened Pandora's box because the thing haunts my dreams. After the cartoon, there is a "Potty Song" which features several of THE UGLIEST children I've ever seen in my life. I hope none of those kids are readers of my blog-- they are probably like 20 or so by now, but I'm SORRY, their parents should be ashamed of themselves. It would be ok if they just let them roam the streets like most ugly kids, but the point that they actually put their children in a DVD to share their ugliness with the world is just wrong. It's like someone said, "This tastes bad, taste this."

Without further ado, Ugly kid #1:


What makes it worse is that's a boy, "Nicholas". I'll bet that kid gets his ass whooped on a daily basis if he still looks like that.

I forgot to take a pic of Ugly Kid #2, but he is homely as hell and has bright red hair and, even as an infant, he looks like he smells like B.O. His name is Kevin.

And la piece de resistance, Ugly Kid #3.



That's a GIRL, "Emily". I had a dream last night about those toddler fangs of hers. Yeesh!

Since I am on a meany roll, let me tell you about my quasi-bad experience with Alchemy. Just annoying more than anything I guess. I said I wanted these mushroom bookends made because I can't find them anywhere.

I accepted a bid, was told I'd get design sketches, never received them, then simply received a pic of the finished product after the fact (well, THIS was the finished product; the picture I received was entirely different/weird colors):


Yeah, they're cute, but not at all resembling the pic I had shown. And I was stuck. She wouldn't refund my money, only credit to her store which wasn't really my taste (to put it nicely). Oh well. Win some, lose some. I'll make do with the phallic bookends (poor me, right?).


Lastly, I'm so excited I found some cheap blocks so I can make something that's been floating around my head since I bought this cute LRRH puzzle last summer. Time to brainstorm!!!!


Happy Hump Day, All!!!

********EDIT: AWWWWWW, SNAP!!!!!!! I JUST FOUND THE POTTY SONG ON YOUTUBE!

Squeeeeeeeeze

I used to roll my eyes (on the inside) when women would say they cried when they had to leave their kids to go back to work. Now I only have 5 days left with my girls before my return to the daily grind after a 3 month maternity leave, and I am the sap feeling weepy.

I have been snuggling a little longer at bedtime with Quinn and stealing some kanoodle time during the day with both of them. I've been watching and studying them a little bit longer than usual. I think about how lucky we are, and I think of a quote from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly that REMINDS me how lucky we are...and then I sob like a crazy woman.

[For those of you who haven't seen the movie or read the book, it's a true story of a 42 year old man who has a stroke and is totally paralyzed except for one eyelid which he uses to dictate his memoirs by blinking the alphabet.] He speaks of his situation and of one of his sons:

"I, his father have lost the simple right to ruffle his bristly hair, clasp his downy neck, hug his small, lithe, warm body tight against me"

On a lighter note, another FABU Grosgrain contest. I think Viv needs this for sure. So go enter Kathleen's Popcorn Bloomer and Blouse Giveaway.

I'm going to go watch my kids sleeping and scare the poop out of them now...

Sick of Pee

Ugh. The smell is permanently in my nose. Between my kid, and my two RETARDED cats, I can't get away from it. I shouldn't say that-- Q is doing great...just a few dribbles here and there. My cats on the other hand. They've decided they like to piss on the part of the plastic cat pan liner that sticks out. So disgusting. This is one of THE ONLY times I wish I were pregnant again. So I don't have to clean the fargin' litter boxes. Bleh!

How was your weekend? Ours flew by, and I was too lazy to take any pics. Saturday was chock full of fun. My loverly friend, Katie, and her 3 super cute kids came all the way from Kalamazoo, and we ordered in pizza and went to the zoo. She's a great mom-- I need lessons from her. And the girl is sickeningly gorgeous. And what makes her more so is that she doesn't know it.

[Hi Kate! I need pics if you have any!] Don't you love it when your real-life friends read your blog??? It cracks me up for some reason (Danielle...and Shelly...and Amy...Ginny...).

Anywho, after the zoo, my couz came over to make Pancake Puffs for Quinn. Have you seen this pan? They were good, but I was challenged in the flipping department.

Then we were off to a swim party hosted by yours truly! I work for a local municipality, and I won a family swim party at the city pool at an employee appreciation lunch last year. The weather and turnout was great (38 people in all!), and my kids were SOOOOOOOO exhausted at day's end. This post is short on pics, so here's a Polaroid emulsion I did from a slide from 1960 that was labeled, "Rosamund". Very pool party-esque.

One more week of freedom before back to work! Where did the summer go???

Reversible Bird Seed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Here's another one! Let me try for the umpteenth time. But how can I not??? Enter the Reversible Bird Seed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Old School Supplies

Man, I did not like going back to school. However, there was a certain excitement surrounding back to school shopping. My favorite school supplies included:

1. My red Trapper Keeper that I cut open (my bro gave me the idea) and slid a pic of Prince into circa 1984.

2. My Hershey's Chocolate metal pencil case that I inadvertently scratched the paint off of while trying to remove the price tag with scissors. I cried. Where was Goo Gone when you needed it? I did the same thing to a Fred Savage poster. Now why would you put a price tag on paper? Stoopid.

3. Some Trapper folders that had pictures of 80s guy's blue jean-clad butts on them. Loverly. Wish I still had them.

4. My Worlds of Wonder locker answering machine. I never had the cajones to use it because I thought people would think I was dorky. Still think it was ahead of its time.

5. This ditty. Still in mint condition:

Didn't you have a love/hate relationship with school supply shopping? What were some of your favorites???

Quinn and I stocked up on few things while at Target the other day...retro, no? I thought the erasers would be cute to stick in my orders.

In the wrealm of potty training, thanks for all the supportive words. Any and all tips or pointers are welcome! Q's mastered both #1 and #2 as long as she is just hanging around the house. I don't even have to prompt her, she'll go by herself. Though I am not ambitious enough to try undies during sleeping or out of the house yet, so she is in Pull Ups then.

Happy Dance

.

I had to share the above. Makes ya all warm and fuzzy, eh? I'm doing a happy dance myself (whoop, whoop!) because I believe Q has the hang of this potty training thing. No accidents AT ALL today and #2 on the toilet TWICE. Awwwwwww, snap.

Sorry to the non-watchers who must be bored of my blathering, but did you SEE SYTYCD tonight??? So good, I thought. Loved the Twitch/Katee number to Mercy by Duffy (on Girl Land's 2008 Summer Soundtrack, btw, ha). Both Will and Courtney's dances were great too! Sticking by my prediction that Comfort and Mark will be gone tomorrow which sucks because I like them both.

Yummers

Dinner consisted of bruschetta topped with pecarino romano, hearts of palm salad, and a Traverse City semi dry riesling. My mom and I got kinda loopy. Made me almost forget the turd* on the floor of my craft room this afternoon...almost.

*We're potty training Q