Is Jesus a Bad Word?

We are very much into bad words these days.  As far as Greg and I can tell, the only bad word she is currently sure of is stupid,which she refers to as the "PS Word."  We have no clue why. We have thought about it over and over and over, and...we've got nothing.  PS Word?  What the hell?

But, she loves asking me if words are bad.  Just this morning she asked me if totally and buttitude are bad words.  The second one baffles me as much as it baffles you, but she claimed that Martha from "Martha Speaks" says buttitude.  I told her that both of those words were in fact not bad and then made a mental note to pay more attention to "Martha Speaks."

My favorite memory on the subject of bad words goes back a couple of years when she asked me if Jesus is a bad word.  We are not a religious household and I was taken back by the question, but I answered honestly, figuring she had heard of a guy named Jesus and thought, hey, I wonder if that's okay to say.  So, I told her, "No, Jesus is not a bad word."

A few minutes later, Ruby walked by and rubbed up against Leah, and I heard,

"JESUS Ruby!  Don't do that!"

And I thought, Oh, that's what she meant.  Ah, well, oops.

Parenting is obviously not my day job.

Random

My phone decided to download a newer version tonight and all of a sudden emails of pictures that I sent myself that had never come through came in.  And I'm not sure why I emailed myself these pictures in the first place, but I can only guess it was to put on this blog back when I updated daily and kept everyone in the loop on everything, no matter how mundane.

Bee-Bay-Doze

Seriously, this is ridiculous. We went to Barbados and got back on September 25^th and I am still playing catch up.

 

 

First-there will be no pictures of the trip at this time since they are on a camera that broke when Leah dropped it over the weekend and while I am sure there is a way to upload (download?) pics from the camera to the computer without actually using the camera, I do not know how nor do I feel like learning.

 

 

Barbados was GREAT! We saw turtles hatching and helped them reach the ocean. We went swimming in the ocean and the pool. We drank lots of beer and rum punch. (Leah especially--the lush.)  We explored the island and got lost over and over and over. I highly recommend Barbardos to families.

 

 

Now, I know I sing this song all the time, but I have laundry to do.

 

 

I’ll be in touch.



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Cousins

Our holiday weekend was low key, which, as I get older and more exhausted, is exactly how I prefer them.  On Monday, we went to an indoor BBQ at my dad's, due to the rain, and Leah got to play with two of her favorite people, Matthew and Bella.

Bella is getting so big--she's almost one--and I when I saw her and Leah playing this weekend I got a glimpse of what the future might be like when those two get together.

It included bail money.

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(Not Very Good) Ode To My Weekend

Took Leah to the museum, she was quite naughty,

Went into the gift shop, a keychain's what I boughty.

Who knew it would take a fossil, just to make you docile?



Hung out with friends from college, food and drink I did dole,

lots of kids jumping off the coffee table; thank god for birth control.

Now it's back to business, school, cleaning, and running,

As you can guess, it's not very fun..ning?

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A Rare Occasion

I'll just sit here quietly while you pay at Pathmark.

Really, do not worry about me.

I won't move, won't run, won't talk, won't try to leave with someone else.

Just sitting here, minding my own business. 

Won't try to take this chair home...or the one next to it, nope.

No need to worry about me.



Code Red

Do not be fooled.  This child is naughty.  Do not let her smile convince you that she really needs a doughnut.  She says that to everyone, several times a day.  Consider yourself warned.

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Friday Night Sights

Ah, it's that time of year again.  The time when the families of Sparta gather on the field on Friday nights to listen to music and frolic and dance the night away.

Or, more like the parents get to sit down and have a drink and allow their kids to run around like lunatics for a few hours with some music in the background.

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In Deep Sleep

Usually Leah is running at 115% all day long and there is not much that slows her down.  It's non-stop from 5:30 a.m. till 8:00 p.m. with a two hour nap in between.  However, every once in a while she goes balls to the wall for hours upon hours and crashes during the day on the couch.  It happens so infrequently, I've been able to catch all occurrences on film!  Here they are:

and fin.

That's it.  Just once.

OT: My Shoes

Before I had Leah I wore a size 6.5. I had amassed an enormous amount of shoes and most of them held a special place in my heart. I am not a shoe snob—meaning I don’t care what brand or store they come from—if they are attractive and don’t hurt (much), I’ll wear them. And love them.




Once the aftermath of what I call pregnancy and its related fallouts settled, my feet stopped shrinking at a size 7, which is where they are today. While most of my summer shoes still fit, thanks to the backless varieties, most of the winter boots and loafers had to be replaced.



Three weeks ago I went to my basement where I keep off-season clothes, found the bag of summer shoes, and brought it up to my room. As I opened the bag and peaked inside, I knew immediately that something was very wrong. The smell alone was my clue, but the shoes—covered in a green and black moss-like substance confirmed my biggest fear. The shoes had gotten moldy in the basement and it looked like it might be the end for them.



Not quite sure of what I should do, I quickly closed the bag and shoved it into my closet, as the best way to put something out of your mind is to hide it in the back of your closet. But every time I opened the closet door, despite the fact that I couldn’t see the bag since I had shoved it really far back, I was reminded of the memory of the bag of sad shoes and the idea that something had to be done.



I decided to wash the shoes. Like in the washing machine. And surprisingly only two pairs didn’t make it! Two of my most beloved pairs, but this gave me a reason to replace them. Which I did. At a half off sale at--and I am not embarrassed to admit this--KMART!



So, there’s really no point to this post today, other than to say that shoes are shoes and life goes on, and also as a reminder to my husband that there’s something wrong with the basement and I’d like for him to fix it immediately. And also to solidify the notion that my washing machine is the best appliance in the house. I’ve always believed it, and I think that this story proves it.

The Fairy Princess and The Wicked Witch

Lan and Baby Tai Yu came to visit over the weekend and, in addition to going to Costco and the parade and hanging in the back yard by the pool, we played a little dress up.

Leah and I got a kick out of this.  Baby Tai Yu--not so much.

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Going To The Mazoom

Today was Leah's last day of school and parents were invited to attend an end of year party.  Greg and I both took the day off.  The plan was to head into NY after school and have lunch, walk through Central Park, and maybe end up at the Museum of Natural History.

And then a monsoon hit NJ.

So, we headed to the Children's Museum in Paramus.  Not as cool as the AMNH, but fun nonetheless.

Thoughts

I think of my mom every day and probably will forever. Sometimes it stings and sometimes it doesn’t. I know that they say that if something doesn’t hurt then it no longer means something to you, but I don’t care. I’d rather be able to think of my mom and not have it hurt. I’d rather it just be a thought in my head, along the lines of “buy pull ups” and “dvr Glee.”




Marco, Adriana, and I took my dad out for brunch on Sunday. Afterwards everyone came over to my house to swim. Marco threw everyone in the pool. The family raft was a big hit. Bella fell asleep in the stroller. I made pastina and then ordered pizza. We sat in the shade. Greg kept changing the station. Leah screamed “god bless America” like a mad patriot.



And I didn’t really think of my mom. And it was such a good day.



Yesterday was a good friend’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Gabrielle. Sorry you missed out on your birthday party.

Wordless Wednesday

Le Weekend

Hmm, where shall I start?

Gymnasties on Saturday morning.

Followed by marshmallow roasting at night.  (Oh, it was just soo much fun not eating these since I had completed my daily points intake for my stupid diet.  Er, I mean lifestyle change.)

A little cuddle between Mommy and Baby...

Followed by Matthew's birthday party on Sunday.

Mmmm, cake.

And we rounded out the weekend checking out the swing set at Adriana's new condo complex. 

Two feet up!

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Eff the Recession

THE THIRD AND FINAL THIRD BIRTHDAY PARTY



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What Have I Created?

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Dance Fever

Over the weekend, we attended Grandpa Enzo's dance recital. 

Leah loves the stage so she had to jump on up during intermission and perform a little one-girl dance routine.

It was fun waiting for Grandpa to come and take his flowers. 

All in all, a great time was had.  We can't wait until both of them are dancing on stage together.

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Easter Recap

Sorry about my absence.  I was sick and had a busy week.  And, it didn't start out great. 

So, I'm back!  With an Easter update.

Surprisingly, it wasn't 30 degrees!!!  I mean, it still rained and all, of course,but we didn't need winter coats, only umbrellas.

We got to hang out with family and have egg hunts, go to dinner, see the Easter bunny, have a caricature made, and get our face painted.

And, in keeping with a theme, the target may be different, but the picture never changes.

Onyx The Penguin

Our library had a demo on penguins the other day. 

It was exciting waiting for it to start.

We met Onyx.  He was really cute.

Leah's a budding photographer so she grabbed my camera and took about 40 pictures of Onyx and another 40 of the trainer's feet and butt, so I have a surplus of pictures of this event.  You will thank me since I've decided to edit them down and only post a few.  Enjoy!

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