April 2010 Archives - hooey!critic

is this why mothers drink?

April 29, 2010 By Neena 6 Comments

Amelia has a loose tooth.

A LOOSE TOOTH!!!!!

She just turned six, people! Like a week ago!

She went to school this morning with everything tight and attached. She came home frantic to tell me that her tooth is loose.

Everyone else in her class has already lost a tooth. She’s been waiting for this.

Mommy, on the other hand, kind of forgot this part was coming.

Holy shit! When did she turn into a child!?

Where is my baby? Where’s the little girl that couldn’t sleep without a nightlight and would sleepwalk around the house only to end up crashing on the couch? I’m used to diapers and car seats and completely illiterate kids. Now, I have a child that wants her room dark, rides in a backless booster, and reads 50 words a minute.

And her body parts are falling off!!!

Hubby and I quickly debated the tooth fairy’s going rate only to come to the conclusion that we completely disagree. I say $5 for the first tooth and $1 after that. He’s talking quarters.

My kid’s body parts are not cheap, Hubby!! Five bucks is totally worth being able to steal that tooth from under her pillow only to hide it in my jewelry box and pull out on occasion so I can cry, remember the days, and sing my rendition of Streisand’s Memories.

I don’t think I’m handling this well.

Filed Under: amelia, childhood, teeth

miscellaneous thoughts while dealing with a house battling the stomach bug

April 27, 2010 By Neena 2 Comments

Last week I woke up feeling like death. After a trip to the doctor I discovered I had sinusitis, bronchitis, and strep throat – on my daughter’s birthday no less.

Good times.

Thanks to a massively strong antibiotic I felt less like death and more like what you find on the bottom of a shoe within a few days.

Then the stomach bug hit me.

Then it hit my son.

Then my beautiful baby girl managed to crap all over creation as she caught the bug.

My oldest caught it next and managed to miss her first day back from Spring Break and vomit during our family portrait this past Sunday.

More good times.

Hubby caught it next and spent the entire time we were at the hospital for Jacob’s surgery throwing up in the bathroom. He’s still sleeping it off on the couch as we speak.

My in-laws managed to catch the bug in our short, but enjoyable dinner at Red Lobster last night.

Considering I’m living with a bunch of outbreak monkeys I’ve come to a few conclusions about stomach bugs:

Never ever watch Bizarre Foods when folks around you are suffering intestinal trouble.
Watching others suffer from a stomach bug can cause some weird phantom nausea.
I lost 7 pounds during my ‘bug’ phase.
My nausea was so bad a one point that I thought I might be pregnant.
Weird considering I don’t have a uterus anymore.
This particular stomach bug comes with its own array of surprises – you’re not sure if it’s going to hit one end or the other. I find that refreshing.
Sorta keeps ya guessing.

I’m sorry. I’m done now.

Filed Under: a list...sorta, sickness, stomach bug

What is an adenoid, anyway?

April 26, 2010 By Neena 1 Comment

My little man is having surgery Monday morning.

It’s fairly minor, outpatient surgery.

Still scary…

He’s excited about the possibility of Popsicles, ice cream, and television for the next few days. He asked if he could bring his night-time snuggle animals with him to the hospital.

I said yes and he tried to pack them Sunday night just to be sure they’d be making the trip with us.

He went to bed wearing new pajamas and asked me as I tucked him in if both me and his Daddy would be there tomorrow in case he needed us.

I assured him we would.

He smiled.

I’ll see you tomorrow for my surgery, Mama.

Filed Under: jacob, photo, surgery

gas

April 22, 2010 By Neena 6 Comments

I called my husband on the way to class yesterday morning…

Me: Oh no!

Hubby: What’s the matter?

Me: I was on my way to class and I ran out of gas!

Hubby: What!? Where are you?

Me: I’m leaving the gas station.

Hubby: Oh, so you made it to the gas station?

Me: Yea. I didn’t actually run out of gas, but my light came on that says I’m about to so I had to to stop and get gas. But, I couldn’t find a gas station because I kept thinking there was one at at certain point and then there wasn’t one where I though there was and in the mean time I drove past like 3 stations. Finally I pulled over.

Hubby: So, you’re calling to tell me you stopped and got gas?

Me: Well, yes. But, it was more traumatic than that. I don’t like surprises.

Hubby: I have to get back to work, honey. I love you.

I swear I heard him whisper freak as we hung up.

Filed Under: conversation, marriage

The Family Photo

April 21, 2010 By Neena 3 Comments

This coming weekend we are having a family portrait done.

We have not had much luck in the past with formal portraits of any kind. They come out weird and posed and too much like a 7th grade picture. I end up looking like a dork, Hubby ends up looking like ‘angry guy’ and the only save comes from the fact that our kids are pretty cute.

The first family picture we had done was before we had kids. I was in my ‘kids are stupid and I’d much rather have furry children than those that cry and constantly have jam-hands’ phase.

Six months after that photo was taken I was pregnant. It’s been jam-hands ever since.

We tried to have a family portrait taken a several years later, but we still had one more baby yet to come. So this portrait is now void.

Plus the green overalls – um, I’m sorry kids.

So, this weekend we’re having a new one taken. And, I can’t wait! We’ve got a phenomenal photographer who has a real passion for taking unique pictures. Her name is Tessa and she recently went full time with her photography business, Light Love Laughter Photography. She and I have exchanged tons of email sharing ideas, locations, clothing options, and every other possibility. She wants to be sure that this photo really reflects our family and who we are – she even went so far as to take into account where we’ll hang the photos in our house.

Check out some of her awesome work here!

I’m hoping the experience will be fun for the kids and they’ll have the portrait to look back on someday. I can’t wait to share the portraits here and with our families.

I can’t wait to finally have a picture where I don’t look like a dork.

And, I can’t wait to finally have a picture of all my little jam-hands!

Filed Under: family photo

six

April 19, 2010 By Neena 3 Comments

My Beautiful Girl,

Today you turn six. Today you celebrate the birthday you’ve been counting down since before Christmas. You’re no long 5 3/4, but a full blown six year old.

I happen to believe you’re much older than your simple six years. You’re my child that aches to grow up. You enjoy dreaming and pretending what it will be like when you’re an adult. You constantly tell me about college, the husband you’ll have someday, and the golden retriever that will cuddle by your feet in the house you build.

As much as I can’t wait to see the woman you become, I love taking comfort in the little girl that you are. You’re my swimmer, my reader, my Daisy Scout. You love skirts and shoes that make you run fast. You color and draw and paint your own magical worlds. You love scrambled eggs, picking off your pepperoni, and sweet tea. You’re a champion bubble blower and a phenomenal student. You’re smart, beautiful, and kind and I’m lucky to be your mother.

Happy Birthday, sweet girl! You are so amazingly loved!

Filed Under: birthdays, mia

Calendar Girl

April 16, 2010 By Neena 6 Comments

I find there to be a comforting quality in using a pen and paper.

I like my to-do lists written on tablets where I get the pleasure of crossing things off. I keep all our bills and budgets written in a notebook instead of on a fancy computer program. And, I’ve always been a fond of my little, spiral calendar to keep track of the family’s appointments and commitments.

Until recently.

With my calendar ending in just over a month and my feeble attempts to locate another one that was the size and layout I like, I reluctantly decided I should trying something different.

Something digital.

I decided to give a digital calendar a try. I spent one evening transferring all my appointments over, marking special occasions, and learning how it all worked. I even managed to figure out how to configure it to my iPhone.

And, within one day I’m a complete and total digital convert.

I can’t believe I was ever without a digital calendar! It’s easy, convenient, and a simple way that our family can work toward going more green.

It sounds silly, but I like the idea of knowing that my calendar habits no longer seem wasteful. No trees, no paper, and no money! It’s a good habit for me and a better example for my children. My husband was already digital with his calendar – he pretty much just gave me the ‘it’s about time’ look and went about toying with his second wife, Blackberry.

I just rolled my eyes and entered ‘hubby sleeps on couch‘ into my fancy new schedule!

**With Earth Day just around the corner this is one simple way our family can recognize the importance of taking care of our planet. In honor of Earth Day and the Yahoo! Motherboard, how are you recognizing Earth Day?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

10 Random Pieces of Information About The Craziness That Is My Life

April 16, 2010 By Neena 4 Comments

10. I just made a butt-load of cupcakes to take to my daughter’s kindergarten classroom tomorrow.

9. I baked the leftover batter because I didn’t want to throw it out and waste it, but then I ran out of frosting and now just have an 8×8 pan of blue cake. With no frosting. Sad.

8. I have 47 blog topics floating around in my head, but have so little time to actually write them – hence the list. Isn’t that always how it happens!?

7. I ordered a new camera strap. It hasn’t arrived yet.

6. I finished my big, fat term paper today and have nothing left to do but edit and print.

5. I’m out of ink.

4. My beautiful new niece was born yesterday. Here she is with big sister Elizabeth. Hi, Eleanor! Auntie Neena sends smooches to those fat little cheeks. Hey Elizabeth – now is the time to ask for a puppy!

3. One of my classmates was arrested this week right outside my office. It was a big ordeal and caused one of our professors to take today as a mental health day and the rest of us to realize we may never see our friend again. I offered to foster his dog.

2. I sat in statistics today and instead of paying attention to the discussion of regression I thought about how funny it would be if some just ripped a random fart. Then I laughed enough for the others around me to ask what was going on. I didn’t share. Yes, I’m 12.

1. It just took me 6 minutes to realize I was watching the same episode on a DVD that I watched last night. I just kept think my, this sounds familiar.

Goodbye forever.

Filed Under: list

Saturday Nights for the Over 30 Crowd

April 14, 2010 By Neena 8 Comments

Saturday night I got to go out.

Out on the town.

No kids. No husband.

Just me. Showered, dressed in clean clothes, and makeup actually on. Some of my classmates were hosting a concert to benefit a local organization near campus and that was all the reason I needed to go out. I picked up my friend Raygan who may very well have needed a night out more than me. She also looked fabulous and we giggled our little mom hearts out the whole way there.

We stopped off and had dinner before the concert. A grown-up dinner complete with a table for two, drinks with alcohol in them, and conversation that were about as far away from children as they could be. It was glorious!

We got to the event before the crowd and found a table outside. We paid our cover charge/donation and quickly made our way to the bar where, much to our surprise, we could only order beer.

In a can.

We felt young.

We stayed for a few hours and listened to music, talked with folks we knew, rolled our eyes at the skinny girls, and commented on how much the college crowed looked like babies. We told stories of our past in an attempt to fit in a maybe even prove that at one time we were super cool party people. We finished our beers and decided to hit the bathroom before we left, only to spend the time commenting not on the ambiance or cute boys, but on the level of cleanliness of the bathroom and the appreciation for extra toilet paper and lotion on the counter.

We started to feel a little less young.

We left the event just as the crowd grew knowing we had about an hour drive back home. As we walked to my car I think we both longed to have one of those experiences where we could escape our inhibitions and see where the night would take us. But, it was after 10:00 and we had families waiting.

We drove home reminiscing about our big night out, wishing for more than a few moments that we were young again – full of hope, naive about the world, and poor enough to appreciate a can of beer.

I dropped her off and drove myself the rest of the way home partly wishing I didn’t have to go and partly anxious to get there. When I got home the house was quiet. Everyone was sleeping. I set up the coffee for morning, checked on the kids, and went to the bathroom where I washed the evening off my face. I changed into my yoga pants, crawled into the clean sheets and warmth of my bed, and cuddled down next to my husband.

He put his arm around me and I knew he was glad I was home.

And, suddenly I thought What’s so great about being young anyway?

I’d much rather be right where I am…

Filed Under: Uncategorized