A Much Needed Weekend!!

 Oh, I am SO bad about blogging!!!!  Please don’t give up on me and my blog; I am not giving up on blogging just yet….

This past weekend was SO busy and awesome and I feel my son grew up in one weekend*!!  (Ok, perhaps a bit dramatic with the last one as he is technically only a couple days older, but still….exciting things occurred) 

It was so nice to have such a great weekend.

The past 6 months have sorta sucked between Henry and hisseizures and we have been sick and fighting sickness ALL. THE. TIME.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines Day….Henry was sick ALL those holidays.  There have been multiple ER visits from October thru December 31^st.  The sicknesses we ALL have had in between the holidays.  Henry’s seizures and the diagnosis and let’s not forget that this has been THE worst and longest winter I ever remember and we have been stuck inside.  To say we have been cranky and tired of being cooped up is a HUGE understatement.

So what does this have to do with being busy this past weekend, well my point is we got out of the house did stuff and we were NOT SICK.

Henry had been sick the weekend before when we celebrated my sister and my birthdays (and the weekend before that, of course) so I thought the odds were in my favor that he would NOT be sick this past weekend.  

Then I heard rumors that it was suppose to be gorgeous outside.  Like, PERFECT weather.

Challenge accepted.

So I took action and I planned. 

I didn’t get my hopes up too much and played all casual, “oh yeah, we “may” do a couple things this weekend”.  (Something you should know about me, I am VERY superstitious.  So I thought if I didn’t actually speak too much about the weekend the cosmos would not know what I had planned.  Yeah, I am weird like that.)

Anywho, the weekend was to go like this:

1. Friday Evening – Goodbye crib and hello new big boy car bed!

2. Saturday – Trip to the Zoo

3. Sunday – First Hockey Game

And folks…..it happened. 

IT ALL HAPPENED. 

You guys, it was such a great weekend.  For most, maybe this is a normal weekend, but not for us.  And definitely not for us the past 6 months.  Sure, there were some snags like Henry running away from me at the Zoo, and him falling asleep on the 25 minute car ride home and then NOT taking a nap and hitting me because I was trying to make him nap, or him waking up at 4am Sunday morning and not going back to sleep.  But hey, it could be worse…..it HAS been worse.

The Bed.

We tried the transition to a big boy bed before Henry was even two.  It did not work.  He was way too young for the independence and actually loved his crib too much.  But we knew it was time now as he is too big for such a small bed.  We have a convertible crib, but again…our child is big and ALL over the place when he sleeps.  So we decided that we should get him something special and that he can grow into.  So we opted for a toddler to twin car bed!!  HERE  We used his toddler mattress and when he gets older we will get a twin mattress.  We also hoped that having a fun bed would make him stay IN the bed.

Verdict: the boy LOVES it.  When we tucked him in the first night he looked at terry and said “Thank you”.  Terry asked him for what and he said “Thank you for putting together my car bed”.  Sigh.  You are welcome sweet boy.  And note, there are no stickers on it yet as he pulls stickers off everything he owns!

Of course he loves to jump!

Yes, he does sleep with all those stuffed animals.

Night one went off without a hitch, plus he actually slept in** Saturday morning until 7:45am!!  Nights 2 and 3 he got up really early and was crying.  But, perhaps just because things were a bit different.  But the past two nights have been great and he now just wants to go in his room and play in his bed.

Makes me so happy to see him so happy!

Zoo.

Terry was working, but I decided to take Henry to the Zoo.  He HAD to have a wagon and best $10 spent as I don’t want to fight a 39lb, 39” toddler who refuses to walk anymore.  Plus, he had a pretty awesome set-up!  Popcorn, drink, being pulled around.  Ahhhh, the toddler life.  The day was great and the weather really was perfect.  We went early, right after they opened and got  a couple good hours in.  And except for him seeing something and running off (stomach sinks) and then the fact that he napped on the way home and refused to nap when we got home, it was a perfect day.

Life. Is. Good.

Hockey.

We had tickets from the firm I work at for the Walleye Hockey game Sunday.  We were not sure if Henry was old enough, but he loves hockey and always talks about it so we gave it a try.  Overall he really loved it!  He kept saying “my turn now” and did get a little upset until we gave him some popcorn to distract and calm him.  (yes, more popcorn…we are not above using food to keep him calm)   I do think it got to be a little loud for him, it was loud for me!  I think he also started getting bored.  We stayed about 45 minutes and then headed off.  But he kept talking about it, which is how we know he loved it!  And now I think we are starting hockey next fall…..

That smile!!!!  Pure excitement

(I teared up seeing how excited he was.  no really.)

HUGS!  Though he said he met big bird, heehee :-)

(He got walleye stickers!!)

YAY for great weekends!  I think mentally we all needed a weekend like this. 

*On a side note: Henry takes showers now.  Yep, on top of an already exciting weekend Henry decided he wanted to take a shower with me, now it is his favorite thing.  Sigh….kids grow up so fast!! :-)

**Since when is sleeping until 7:45am considering “sleeping in”.  UGH.  LAME!!!

You Love Me, You Really Really Love Me

I have been nominated for the Beautiful Blogger award by the lovely Two Pretzels; why thank you very much!! Check out her totally awesome blog HERE. I love this stuff, so here we go!

Here are the rules.

The Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated me for this award. Of Course!
2. Copy the award & place it on my blog. Done.
3. Link to the person who nominated me for this award. Done.
4. Share 7 interesting things about myself. (See below).
5. Nominate 7 bloggers. (See below).

My 7 "Interesting" things:

1. When I was in middle school we competed individually with other schools to write a commercial for earth day and draw a picture with it. The winner would have their commercial played regularly on the radio and their picture made into a billboard for Earth Day. I was one of the 8 or so finalists and got to read my commercial on the radio so people could vote! I was at a Catholic school at the time and my stuff was entitled “And on the 8th day” and showed this forest and pond with trash everywhere and animals surrounded by trash and even had a duck with a six pack plastic ring around its neck and my commercial were these two animals talking about how we trashed this beautiful world God had made…pretty creative for a 6th grader, right?! I didn’t win, maybe a bit too religious, but it rocked and I got to hear myself on the radio and go to the station to record a commercial like the pros do!

2. My oh so lovely and considerate husband thinks it is HI-larious to grab my big toes or thumbs because when he does I seriously become virtually immobile and will start crying. I don’t know why, but when he grabs my big toe or thumbs I literally become unable to move and I hate that feeling of being trapped. Ok, maybe not so much interesting as weird.

3. During my summer internship at a resort in Florida, I got to dress up in a costume as a giant Toucan and walked through the resort meeting kids and guests. It was hot and stinky and I LOVED it. I think I want to be a mascot when I grow up.

4. Though maybe not really interesting: I slept with my stuffed animal named Kitty until I turned 29. I only stopped because I had gotten 2 eye infections in the last 4 years (one of which was on my 29th birthday last year) so I figured it may be time to retire my germ infested, bacteria laden stuffed animal for good. She still sleeps next to my bed and goes on trips with me though.

5. I am a 3 time hairy buffalo fruit bobbing champion. I have the pictures to prove it. My parents are so proud.

6. I hated avocado up until a couple of years ago. Now I cannot get enough of them, I seriously LOVE avocado.

7. I talk about my sister over at Skulls and Crossbones who is almost 22, but did you know I also have two younger brothers who live in FL. One is 20 and one is 17….boy that makes me feel old as I am almost 30 and my siblings are all so young!


Ok, I nominate: (Sorry, I just noticed there may be duplicates on other's blogs!)

1. My extremely witty and hilarious friend over at My Reality. (Though, like Two Pretzels said, I know you are rather busy with your beautiful new addition and do not expect any comments or blog posts, but we all think you are a Beautiful Blogger!!!!)

2. My new crafty friend who I will be stalking next year when T. is in Cinci., A Couple More Hours

3. My fun friend with great taste in music over at Write Here, Write Now

4. My lovely sister, Skulls And Crossbones, who when she does blog in between school and work is just HILARIOUS

5. To Athena’s Bees who is SO funny and sarcastic (which I love) and is always eager to help others out (which is a very unique & amazing characteristic).

6. To Aimless Oasis who, even though we do not know each other, I can tell is such a positive person!

7. To 2 Peas in My Pod (or now three peas!!) who I enjoy reading her blog because she is not afraid to put herself and religious beliefs out there and I truly admire that!

Movie Review – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

We went last night and saw the new Transformers movie and I must say, ignore the stupid reviews you read about it being a bad movie …..unless what they mean is BADASS!

Seriously, the movie was awesome!

It is not winning any awards for best acting or best screenplay, DUH, just take it for the big budget summer movie it is meant to be. Lots of action mixed with a good amount of humor, big explosions, great special effects and GIANT robots (in disguise)!

I have been asked if it is better than the first. I will say it is bigger and there are more robots and I think I liked it alot better then the first but I have only seen this once and I have seen the first over 50 times (seriously, whenever it is on TV I watch it). But I really did love it, a lot.

Go. See it. In a BIG theater. And don’t drink too much during the movie as it is 2 ½ hours but worth every minute.

You Like Me, You Really Like Me

So last week A Couple More Hours mentioned how she can monitor when people visit her blog. I didn’t realize you could do this and asked how. She told me about the website statcounter.com! So today I added it to my blog and have been monitoring how many people visit. Can I just say that this instant gratification of seeing that people actually are reading my blog makes me SO happy!

When you don’t get comments all the time you kind of wonder if people are reading what you write and if it is really worth writing blogs. But now that I SEE people are visiting my blog, I feel a lot better. Yes I am needy and feel self-importance when people like me….so.

I will say that I really don’t understand what all the links mean and don’t know who visits my blog…so stalkers you are safe for now and please keep reading, I just care that since this morning I got 25 page loads, 19 unique visitors (whatever the heck that means), and one returning visitor! Yessssssss. This might very well be the motivation I need to keep blogging and get out of my blogging slump!



Does anyone else track his or her blog stats? Does anyone else feel a sense of accomplishment or self-worth when people visit their blogs? (The answer should probably be "no" for the second question...but it is yes for me) ;)

Set Your DVR

So Friday I read that Jason Mraz will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live THIS weekend!

YAY!!!

Not only is it cool that he will be on the show to sing two songs but he is also on with an awesome host...a Mr. Steve Martin!

Don't miss this, I know I wont.



In honor of this I will be listening to Jason Mraz all week. Sorry Terry.

We Got Tickets!

So we got tickets to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland in April!!! HOLLA

After a day and a half of trying to get tickets and getting nothing more then a busy signal I finally got through!! This is the first year that the concert has been in Cleveland, it has always taken place in New York. So who are the inductees for this year: Metallica, Jeff Beck, & Run D.M.C. are a few!

I am excited to see Metallica, even if Lars is a complete tool. I also can’t wait to see who else will be there. They always bring in other musicians/celebrities to introduce the inductees and to play their music. I think this is going to be pretty darn cool!



On a side note, I have to say as much as I do love the R&R Hall of Fame I am not always happy with their selection process. There are MANY MANY other bands that SHOULD be in the hall of fame who are not. Why…well maybe they didn’t sell out or were not as “popular” among the critics (Rush, Iron Maiden!), and of course like all things the HOF has its own fair share of politics, which blows. Though I think it is complete bullshit that many bands are not in, I am happy to see this concert in Cleveland where it belongs and to be a part of something really cool! Even if we are in the nose bleed section!

Looking For Unique, Last Minute Gift Ideas....I Got You Covered!

I was looking around for last minute gift ideas and came accross a few I wanted to share. Go to http://www.gifts.com/ for other great ideas! I seriously LOVE this website.

Here are a few of my interesting recommendations for gifts, along with why it would be SUCH a great gift!! :)


1) Framed DNA Print - $550.00 (here)

Looking for a unique piece of art to hang on your wall, well what is more unique then you?! Nothing! So how about getting your DNA turned into a piece of art work?! It comes with easy directions on how to swab your own DNA or perhaps the DNA of the one you love. Then simply pick the color you want for the print and return your DNA sample to the company and 6-8 weeks later - art work! (or proof of something you don't want to talk about)

2) Star Wars Real Storm Trooper Hoodie By Marc Ecko - $98.00 (here)
Who doesn't want to stay warm in this hoodie? Zips all the way up to really impress your fellow geek friends! Seriously, you will be the center of attention at your next Rock Band or Worlds of Warcraft night.

3) Light-up Slippers/ Comfy slippers with built-in LEDs to light the way. - $39.95 (here)

Tired of not being able to find your way in the dark, no worries now! Just put on these fantastic (and SO fashionable) slippers that come with a built in LED light. Sexy, no?! Comfort and style isn't the message with these, it is all about moving at night without turning on a light. Now there will be no more stubbing your toes as you make your way to the kitchen for a late night snack.

4)Wireless Key Finder - $49.95 (here)

Always misplacng your keys? I know I am. Well you won't have to worry anymore with this wireless key finder. As long as your keys are in your home you just need to press a button and your keys will beep. Just remember, don't loose the key finder.

5) Fish Bubble Wall Mount Fish Tank - $21.95 (here)

Afraid that your kids or cats will go after your little goldfish? Well it isn't a problem anymore with this Wall Mounted fish tank! It not only decorates your wall but is out of the way of reaching hands or paws. Just remember it isn't art, it is real...you will still need to feed the fish!

6) Old-School Roller Skates - $69.99 (here)

Take it back to 1984 with these awesome roller skates. You can cruise around your neighborhood having fun and get a work out! Leg warmers and sweatbands sold seperatly.

7) Personalized Rubik's Cube - $29.95 (here)

You can put your picture on anything these days, so why not put it on a Rubik's Cube! You can add different pictures to the cube to create a cute stocking stuffer. Just remember how to get the cube back!

8) Peanut Butter of the Month Club - 3 months $59.85 (here)

Are you a peanut butter connoisseur? No, me neither but I do loves me some peanut butter and this is the perfect gift. Forget the traditional Wine of the Month Clubs or Chocolate of the Month Clubs, Peanut Butter is where it is at. Not a fan of Peanut Butter (as if) no worries because there is also available Olive Oil, Hot Sauce, Lobster, Necktie, or dog treat of the month clubs.

9) Stitch 'n Bitch Nation...Knitting Books - $10 (here)

Looking for something for that crafty person in your life, well then look no further. Enjoy this book that has attitude and great knitting patterns. I personally just really like the title.

10) Mickey Mouse Pop Art Toaster - $49.95 (here)

Kids won't eat there plain old boring toast in the morning as you rush around to get them to school on time, no more worries! How about sprucing up that toast with this Mickey Mouse Pop Art Toaster! Burns on pictures of your favorite Disney Characters...also available in the Princess series!

Totally Awesome Moment of The Day

Todays Totally Awesome Moment of The Day goes to ....

My Parents!!

Reason:
Today I got a voicemail from my dad informing me that they were the proud owners of a Nintendo Wii! Yep, my parents got their very own Wii - AWESOME.

Mom & Dad, I would like to say that there are a few rules you need to keep in mind:

1. All work must be done before you play Wii.
2. No Wii during dinner time. (sub rule: you must finish your dinner if you want to play Wii)
3. All chores must be done for the day before you play with your game.
4. You can take your Wii games to your friends house but do not let them borrow your games because if they brake it or lose it, it is gone forever.
5. This game is for fun and a privilege...do not abuse this and spend all your time on it.
6. Play nice with each other, no fighting....if you do NO Wii.
7. When playing Wii make sure you wear the remote tightly around your wrist. If it flys off and you brake that TV you are buying a new one - with your own money.
8. When it is time to put the Wii away - put it away. No "Just 5 more minutes" will be allowed.


This Totally Awesome Moment of The Day was brought to you by Nintendo Wii - A play system for people of ALL ages! :)

What Are You Doing November 15? It Is Probably Not As Cool As What I Am Doing.

I know, my title is a bit snooty - sorry, but next month T, the family and myself will be heading to Cleveland for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 13th annual American Music Masters® series tribute concert. We have gone in the past and seen a variety of performers. Muddy Waters, Lead Belly, and Sam Cooke.

This year they are honoring Les Paul!! AWESOME!

The event brings in stars to play music from the honoree and to talk about their life. It is actually pretty darn cool! (One year Morgan Freeman was there and said a few words…..he seriously walked right past us!)

Who, so far, is scheduled to play at this one….. James Burton, Billy Gibbons and the Ventures along with Jennifer Batten, Dennis Coffey, Lenny Kaye, Steve Lukather, Barbara Lynn, Alannah Myles, Richie Sambora and Slash. (For the people in the back, the last one was mother fuck'n Slash!) YAY!!!! They all sound great! I think this could be the most exciting one yet we have been too! I mean it is Les freak’n Paul.

"Les Paul (born Lester William Polsfuss on June 9, 1915) is an American jazz guitarist and inventor. He is a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which "made the sound of rock and roll possible."[1] His many recording innovations include overdubbing, delay effects such as "sound on sound" and tape delay, phasing effects and multitrack recording." (more info here at Wikipedia)

Yep, I am pretty darn excited.

.........

Want to go: Saturday, November 15, at 8 p.m. at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theater. Tickets are $30, $40 and $50 and can be purchased at playhousesquare.org and at the PlayhouseSquare box office (216) 241-6000 or by visiting http://www.rockhall.com.

A Letter to Sudafed.....

Dear Sudafed:

You are truly amazing. One of your little pills has given me the ability to breathe again while also decreasing the amount of nasal fluid I drip all over my keyboard and myself. Another tissue need not go to waste whilst you are inside me. You are truly a gift from God, sent to this earth in the form of a tiny little tablet containing the magical-ness that is pseudoephedrine. I now see why we have to use our license when purchasing these wonderful pills in restricted amounts each month from behind that plexiglass enclosed pharmaceutical area. And why also so many drug dealers chemical entrepreneurs are interested in purchasing these tiny tablets.

As this magnificent stimulant runs through my body producing a rather involuntary haze of productivity, I sit back for a moment and say a quiet thank you to the makers of Sudafed and their products. For it is with this product that I do not have to waste my remaining 1 ½ days of personal time to stay at home in bed with a sickness but rather can wait to use my vacation to stay at home in bed when I feel perfectly fine. Sure I may pass along this sickness to my fellow co-workers, but I will also pass along this knowledge of using Sudafed to not only cure their cold but also increase the amount of work they produce. I think in the end we will all be better for this and when the time comes around to say thank you, they will not look at me but instead they will look at your enticing blue box of 12-hour maximum strength Sudafed and give a friendly nod of approval and thanks.

So dear friend, I look forward to us meeting again tomorrow at 7 am after I awake from my Nyquil induced comma to once again share our 12-hour journey together.

Forever yours,

Jenn

Check Another One Off My List

So this last Sunday T, myself, my sister, her boyfriend, and my parents all went to go see Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers at Blossom! This was a pretty great concert! Tom Petty is just one of those individuals who may not always be in my CD player but I know so many of his songs and just love him. I think it is great to be able to say I saw him perform and to actually see someone like him perform was truly amazing. He sounded fantastic (better live I think), seemed truly thankful, and just had a nice vibe.

Overall the concert was great. T & I did have to cut out early b/c he had to get up at 6 am. We were actually surprised at how many people were leaving early – most likely people who had to work and/or had a long drive. Side note: I am not a fan of a Sunday concert. Especially one with someone like Tom Petty and one that is at an outdoor venue – why Sunday?!?! Anywho, we did at least get to hear some of our favorite songs, as well as a few odd ball songs we have never heard of. I appreciated the mix of songs he played, and it was fun hearing some more obscure stuff. I was sad I left before Runnin’ Down A Dream, oh well.

So I have a few things I noticed or wanted to comment about regarding the concert and decided to list them out. So here are some observations from the Concert:

- Tom Petty ROCKED!
- I loved his purple velvet jacket - no one else could pull that off!
- Not a fan of Steve Winwood but you can’t deny he is a great musician….just too mellow for me for a concert (sorry dad, but I am glad you enjoyed him!)
- The rock flute – think Anchorman!
- They were selling roses and Harley Davidson beads before the show – um, sure why not?!?!
- A lot of bright colored outfits and tons of stoned washed jeans
- You can buy 50 cent earplugs out of an old cigarette machine – awesome (and gross)
- The Beer Guy in the lawn area
- Wet & cool weather…FYI: If your significant other says he/she doesn’t not need a sweatshirt but you know it is going to be cool and wet – bring one anyways.
- We saw some guy sporting the rat tail hair style. Enough said.
- Middle-aged drunk white people should not dance…let me repeat that for you in the back…..Middle-aged drunk white people please DON’T DANCE!!! For your sake and mine.
- The dancing people sitting beside my parents. (please refer to above)
- The really drunk crazy lady dancing and singing non-stop (also refer to above)
- A man wearing a balloon flower hat. ok
- A TOTALLY different crowd then Iron Maiden…and I don't know if that is a good thing or not. This crowd was by far more rowdy then I. M. The people at Tom Petty wanted to drink, party, get stoned, dance, and go wild! And of course there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!
- The people at the gates almost didn’t let my sister in – yeah, they new she would be trouble.
- Pot, Pot, and more Pot. It was everywhere…including right next to Terry.
- Terry had two open seats next to him and people kept moving in and out of them. At one point he had two girls smoking pot and another time had a girl and her boyfriend who offered T. popcorn and kept dancing all over each other.
- Again – Preferred Parking is awesome. The feeling I get when I drive past all the people who didn’t get preferred parking and their faces when they see us drive by is almost an evil feeling.
-The security guard by our section was HOT! Great eye-candy.
- We sat in the last row of seats before the lawn. This is a GREAT place to be, especially just to people watch! I love to people watch
- There were SO many people there, it was nuts!
- I would see him again in a heartbeat.


Meet Eyecandy! Why hello!!









Not great pictures...but look at all these people!

Where Have You Been All My Life?!?!?!

(Sorry for the crap camera phone pics. Our camera’s batteries are dead)

I am happy to announce that T & I are now proud owners of a King Size Bed!!!

YIPPIE!!!!

I cannot even tell you how thrilled we are! (And so are the cats! Look at big boy up there, he loved it!) I don’t know how we slept all these years without this bed! It is amazing!! If I could sleep on a cloud, I imagine THIS is what it would feel like!!

This bed has a foam/pillow type top, we added a big fluffy mattress pad for extra cushion, it has individually wrapped coils to help reduce movement and it is just freak’n AWESOME! Oh and it is enormous! You practically need a step stool to get into the bed and the width…well Terry and I didn’t even touch last night – it was fantastic!!

Of course, we no longer have a bedroom…we have a bed that takes up our room! However, our feelings are you are in this bed at least a 1/3 of your day…it SHOULD take up a good chunk of your bedroom!!!

If you need to get ahold of me, I will be in my new bed!

This Looks AWESOME!

So I am typically not all about the latest technology or gadgets out there. Not that there are not cool things out there, but I do not get too excited about them. I feel it is just not something I need. My cell phone is as basic as they come & I don't own an I-Pod but instead a $25 MP3 player I got from Big Lots. With the way gadgets become outdated so quickly I just don't like to BUY into the hype. (Don't get me wrong though...I have MANY other vices, technology is just not one of them!)

However, I saw a commercial for the i-pod touch and let me tell you, I think I am in love! This thing looks freak'n awesome!!! I seriously want one of these and I don't know why other than it looks cool! I think they have finally got me, b/c I can't stop thinking about how cool this thing would be!!!

http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/