PSA- Grocery Shopping

Public Service Announcement- Grocery Shopping with an 18 month old and 3 month old is a bitch! If at all possible don't do it. Usually I'm pretty good with figuring out how to logistically handle these two kiddies but I gotta tell you the shopping cart at the grocery store provides an interesting challenge for me. Today was my second attempt at grocery shopping with BOTH kiddies.

The first time I went I put Eva in the seat part of the cart that is closest to me. I hung my wristlet wallet off the cart. I put the list on the seat next to Eva. I had my pen and phone and keys in my pocket. I hung the reusable shopping bags off the pen that was sticking out of my pocket. Lastly I had Luke in the car seat in the actual wagon. Now's the part where you ask where I put the food. Well, I made do with what little square footage I had left over after all of the other non food items (kiddies and such) were secured in the cart. I got 1/3 as many paper towels as I actually needed, half the frozen dinners, a mini loaf of bread and a quart of milk instead of a gallon. I tucked all of that stuff around the car seat in the wagon. Then I wedged a box of cereal in the car seat under Lukes legs, I made Eva hold the plums and apples and hamburger buns on her lap, I balanced the eggs, cheese and yogurt on the top of the car seat and I carried 2 boxes of Skinny Cows up to the registered in one hand while pushing the wagon with the other. I had to take Eva out of the cart and move Lukey to the top part in order to get the bagged groceries back into the cart. At that point I threw the list out and the no longer had to hang the bags from the pen in my pocket but I had to hold Eva's hand through the parking lot while pushing the cart with my elbow and eating a Skinny Cow.

Today I figured I'd try a different approach. I put Luke in the car seat in the back of the cart with me and stood Eva beans in the cart. I hung the wallet again off the handle and hung the bags from the teething rings hooked onto Lukey's carseat. About halfway through the trip Eva started chucking things out of the cart and she had about 4 square inches to stand. In order to avoid her smashing everything when she inevitably fell over as I made the turn to the frozen food section I decided it'd be best to take her out of the cart and have her walk nicely with me throughout the rest of the store. Pfffffft! Yeah Right. This time I actually got everything I needed to get with only 1 kid in the wagon but it took me twice as long b/c I was chasing the girl child all over the store.

So unless anyone has some other magical configuration that they'd like to share I'll be doing the food shopping alone from now on.

Oh yeah and why do people hate kids so much?

Product Endorsement

It's time again for me to pimp out some yummy lo-cal, lo fat, lo - all of the good stuff foods yet again. I feel this is my duty since scrumptious treats that don't wrack you with guilt are hard to come by these days. When I find one I am oh so excited and love to spread the word. Look out for a delish chocolate surprise towards the bottom of the cone. Here it is:

Skinny Cow Ice Cream cones- They RAWK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



One word of caution is if you eat 3 or them in one sitting it defeats the purpose.

To cut or not to cut??

That is the question. So how much longer can he pull this off? He'll be 3 months old on the 23rd, which coincedentally is mine and Marc's 5 year anniversary (do I smell a diamond in the future?). On the one hand I think the hair do he's rocking now makes him look older than his tender 2+months. On the other hand its hella cute and he rocks it like no other. If Cool Hand Luke can't strut his stuff in a punked out spike do than honestly no one can. I'm torn. Should I cut it and take him back to looking like a 3 month old or should I let his locks flow and continue to make middle aged baldy men cringe when we stoll by. Weigh in here!

Fun in the sun- Team Lif style

Thursday 13 #6 Silly things that make me rage

Thirteen Things about Chrissy 1. The tip jar at the Dunkin Donuts drivethru 2. When people behind me honk after the light turns green for 1 one thousandth of a second 3. When the cashier hands you your change with the coins on top of the bills 4. People that throw cigarette butts out their car windows 5. The Boston Red Sox 6. Fans of the Boston Red Sox 7. White lint on a dark brown couch 8. People that chew with their mouths open 9. The term "ASAP" 10. Bloggers block 11. Guilt trips 12. When bottles leak 13. The price of stamps

BIIIIIIIIIIG Shout out

To my Mom!!! Today is her first day of tour guide school.

Mom- I know you're probably a little nervous b/c you haven't been to school in a blue billion years and last time you were there you were actually the teacher but don't sweat it. You're gonna do great. I bet you'll teach the class a thing or two. Good Luck!!!!!!!!!! Eva says you can do it Mammar!!! Please blog all about it as soon as you can. Your audience awaits your next entry!

Synchronized Crying

My kids have been practicing this all morning. Someone please tell them it has NOT been added to the 2008 Summer Olympics as an Event!

My very own Mommy pot of gold

Picture it (said in my best sophia petrillo voice) "The Moms" all set to go out for our first annual (or hopefully first monthly) "Mom's night out". The girls, seen below, ditched the kiddies (Daddys and/or Grandmas are "babysitting")...well the pregnant girls brought their buns obviously b/c they are still in the oven and leaving them home with daddy would have required more of a to do than the dinner actually merrited...although I bet they wish at this point they could leave their sidekicks home for a night...but I digress. So the 6 girls left the 10 kids (EEK) at home and went out for a night of dining and drinking. It started off rough. Thunder, lightning, torrential downpour, outdoor dining plans switched at the last second to indoor dining, puddles ankle deep, parking spot stalking, and Main street closures were all packed into the first 40 minutes of the night by some mommy hating, mysoginist weather god to try and deter us from enjoying a night out sans the kiddies AND the hubbies. I swear sometimes it feels like the whole world is plotting against us Mommies. Trying to keep a sista down. Paranoia? Maybe. Anyway, we would not be detered. As only a Mommy with mad mommy skills can do we managed to coordinate a very stealth last minute venue change with little more than eleventy 8 phones calls on the ride over. Upon arriving at the new restaurant of choice every single mom bragged about the fabulous parking spot each independantly procurred and the rainbow we all saw. It turns out the new restaurant was not only fab and fun and not crowded but it was at the bottom of not one but TWO rainbows!!!! It's not often that I see one rainbow these days since at the first sight of rain I pack the kids and head for the hills but 2?!?!? It almost feels like to me like the ShehHaterKeepAGoodWomanDownWeathergod was putting us through a little test and when he saw how victorious and efficient we were he rewarded us with two lovely rainbows and a perfect night out! I hate to say it b/c it feels like a dare but that weather god is going to have to try much harder next time if he wants to keep us from repeating this night!

Product Endorsement

Boars Head Lacey (lo fat) Swiss Cheese is the bomb!

Dear Hair Club for Men members

Don't hate.

Thursday Thirteen #5 Old Lady Names

Thirteen Things about Chrissy Here are my 13 favorite Old Lady Names that have come back in fashion (in no particular order): 1. Margaret 2. Clara 3. Lillian 4. Sadie 5. Violet/Viola 6. Grace 7. Betsy 8. Rosalie 9. Alice 10. Madeline 11. Caroline 12. Sophia 13. Stella Big ups to the Golden Girls for coming in twice on the list. And big ups to some of my elderly and/or deceased family members for also making the list.

Gratuitous Cuteness

For no other reason than just because he's cute.

How is an OCD anal cleaner mom supposed to reconcile all of this?

Yogurt day and spoon lessons all at once???????? I definately need a therapy session after this meal. By the end of it she had the spoon in her mouth. It's progress for her and one step closer to the loony bin for me.

Why

do carbohydrates have to come in the most delicous, irresistable forms? And why do they have to have the same effect on my waistline as HGH has on a batting average?

Happy Half Birthday Eva Beans

February 3rd, 2007


August 3rd, 2008


Where did it go?????? Eva Beans is 18 months old and full of piss and vinegar these days. Her absolute fave word is "No". On occasion she's been known to say "oily ass" (don't ask how she learned it) and some other unpleasant expletives. But old girl has the "NO" down so damn pat. Not only does she say the word but she has a way of shrugging you off while doing it that makes you want to bury yourself in a hole.

But don't worry, she's very well rounded. She gives hugs and kisses to just about everyone these days (on her terms). She'd kiss the checkout lady at King Kullen if I let her... I don't. Sometimes her hugs and kisses are genuine and you can totally feel the love. Other times she's just manipulating to get out of her chair, out of her crib, into my arms, out of the house, **insert whatever request she might have here**, etc. She thinks I don't know the difference. I do. Either way I can't resist them.

She's smart and happy and friendly and sweet and a joy to be around. So,I guess that's what she's been up to for the last 18 months...working on all of those attributes. The old addage is true...Time DOES fly when you're having fun.