Obsessing... Again.

By now, you all have probably figured out that I obsess. It could be about events or a meal or what I'm going to say to so-and-so or... The list goes on and on. It's a part of my personality that I just like to classify as "quirky."

Of course, "quirky," is really just code language for "annoying."

But I digress.

Anyway, this time around, I am obsessing about today's release of Sex and the City: The Movie.

Now I have to give you a bit of background here. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am pretty conservative about this, er...topic. I like a good joke about sex and can talk about it ad nauseam with my girlfriends, but promiscuity and casual sex are just not things I've ever been able to understand.

So it's a little surprising that I would like the show "Sex and the City" so much, but the truth is, I do.

Maybe it's because I have been blessed with some incredible girlfriends who have seen me through the toughest, roughest and loneliest times in my life. I have found friends in places I never knew I had them and have been disappointed and betrayed by women who I thought would never leave my side. During the highlights and the lowlights of my life, my girlfriends (even the ones to whom I no longer speak) have seen me through. I hope that they all feel the same way.

So "Sex and the City" is a good reminder of how powerful female relationships can be and it draws me in.

I'd be lying if I didn't say, though, that Carrie's relationship with Big, Charlotte's quest for a baby, Miranda's struggle between family and career and Samantha's all-around over-the-top personality don't draw me in. They do.

So the movie, a continuation of the show that ended four years ago, opens today and I am ecstatic to see it. I am going with my three best friends (think of us as the married, conservative, Catholic versions of the four women in the movie) and can't wait.

And when I say I can't wait, I mean I can't wait. I've been looking at spoilers all morning, trying to get a grasp on what happens. Does Carrie marry Big? Does Charlotte really get pregnant after adopting a baby? Are Samantha and Smith still together? Inquiring minds want to know!

As I was reading through speculation upon speculation, there was some talk of the ultimate loss: death. Apparently, there is a rumor that Big dies on he and Carrie's wedding day. Could it be? Holy smokes! That's terrible! He's smarmy and gross and self-centered, but what would SATC be without Mr. Big???

There's talk about Steve's mother dying, about infidelity and about Samantha moving to Los Angeles. Los Angeles? How could SATC take place in any city other than New York?

So here I sit, reading spoilers and speculations, wondering how I am ever going to make it to Sunday afternoon before I get to see this movie.

Is anyone else sitting in their living room, stewing over what may or may not happen? Drop me a comment if you are! Misery loves company!

And one last thing

I don't have HBO. I have never had HBO, so the SATC episodes that I watch are the very watered-down versions on TBS. I've never seen an un-edited episode of SATC and I have to wonder how I am going to react to what I am sure will be pretty explicit scenes. Who knows? I may end up hating it!

Where In The World is Erin Pruetz?

I am such a slacker. I wish I could say that I'd been on some fabulous cruise around the world, or that I have been hanging out in a luxury spa every day for the past three weeks, but believe me when I tell you that this is not the case.

In fact, nothing is the case. Life around here has been status quo and every day little things have happened that have made me say, "I should blog about this!" But, invariably, I would become distracted and not write a word.

Then something else would happen. And I wouldn't write. And again, and again, and again.

After awhile, my thoughts and desires to blog just overwhelmed me and I reacted in the classic Erin manner: I just ignored it all and now, here I sit, with a huge gap between posts. Hopefully, I can play catch-up in this entry.

Todd
Todd shaved his head completely bald in support of his best friend Tim's wife, Ivy, who is going through chemo to treat a cancerous lymphoma. I took quite a few pictures, but a symptom of my avoidance has been that I haven't downloaded pictures in quite a long time, so I don't have any to post at the moment.

Happily, though, Ivy's tumor has shrunk 60% after only two rounds of chemo. Woo hoo!

Mother's Day
I had a great Mother's Day, during which I got to sleep in and dine on my very favorite breakfast: Eggs Benedict. I got a day of not having to clean the house or cook and even received a new Dust Buster! I know...quite a gift for Mother's Day, huh? Well, I asked for it. Literally...I asked for a Dust Buster for my special day.

March for Babies
Our whole family, my sister and her twins, along with some very good friends of ours all participated in the March of Dimes March for Babies. It was an amazing experience to meet so many people whose children were born premature, but who had survived their ordeals due to the miracles of modern medicine. I can't wait to do it again next year!

The Last Day of School
Devin's last day of Pre-K was last Thursday and we said a sad goodbye to Crown of Life Lutheran Preschool as we graduated to Kindergarten. I can't believe how fast this past year went and now I'm in the, "What the heck am I going to do with these kids all summer?" mode.

Okay, not fabulous, but truthfully, that's about as good as it gets! I promise to get back on track with blogging a few times a week. Thanks for bearing with me and my "issues." :)

Me

Devin's Doozie

This Doozie is less of word and more of deed.

I just found my son grooming the dog with one of our forks. Fabulous.

*Side note: I know I need to update. I promise to soon -- I've just been lazy.

The Angel and the Devil

My girls change personalities weekly. One week, Faith will be the aggressive biter while Grace is the unwitting recipient of her sister's personality quirks.

Seven, ten...maybe 14 days later, though, they will switch personalities and Faith will be the withering rose while Grace creates a reign of terror over her identical twin.

This week, Grace is the antagonist while Faith is the protagonist. Actually, now that I think about it, it's been this way for a few weeks.

A few minutes ago, Grace hit Faith a couple of times and then threw a toy at her. It was an immediate time out for Gracie, so had to sit on the bottom step of the stairs for two minutes.

These girls know what time out is and Grace was none-too-happy to be alienated from her mommy and sister. She cried and wailed, but knew better than to get up. She just sat there, looking very pathetic.

Well Faith, being this week's sweet twin, saw that Gracie was very unhappy and decided to make it "all better." She picked up Grace's paci and blanket (we call them "minkies") and took them over to her sister. Knowing, though, that Grace's foul mood could rear its ugly head in the form of a slap, Faith gingerly set the pacifier and blanket down on the step about six inches from Grace. Then she backed away carefully, keeping both eyes on the tiny tyrant. She's no dummy.

After time out was over, Grace and I had a hug and a little bit of snuggle time, to assure her that mommy still loves her very much. During this time, Faith found her cup of orange juice. Most incredibly, though, after she found her own, she went on a search for Gracie's, just trying to make sure that her sister knew she was loved and cared for by many.

I have to admit, it made my heart melt. They do love each other, despite the fighting.

On a different note...

Yesterday afternoon, as I was on the phone with my good friend, Sheena, I had my back turned toward the kitchen. I should know by now to never turn my back on the twins, but I guess I just wasn't thinking.

As I turned around, though, I saw what I had been missing. Both girls had managed to climb up on the kitchen table and help themselves to the apples in the bowl that sat upon the dining apparatus.

Every apple in the bowl had a bite out of it.

The whole scene reminded me of the time Devin did a similar thing.

Anyway, despite plucking the girls off the table as quickly as I could, the damage was done. It is now their favorite past time to get up on the table and make a mockery of me. We've done time outs and even light spankings to let them know that this is not acceptable. So far, nothing's worked. They're still climbing on the table, laughing in my face as I try to keep from smiling. Despite the obvious defiance and testing-of-limits, they look simply adorable, perched up there like that.

I don't really know how to stop this latest phenomenon. I tried pulling the chairs away from the table, but our entire downstairs is either tile or hardwood, so wherever the chairs go, they just scoot them over to the table and start climbing.

This is my reality.

You Asked...I'll Answer

I really didn't know if anyone was going to ask any questions on my blog, but apparently this is a pretty popular trend in blogging! Some of you (Tina Z...) were smart-aleks about it and I plan to answer each of your questions -- So there!.

Q. Good friend, sorority sister and mommy-of-two, Tara, asked, Where exactly did you learn the words to the Aardvark song and what are they?

A. I learned the words of the Aardvark song from college best friend, Heather Moore. It was a camp song that she sang when she was a counselor. The words go like this: "Aardvarks are my friends, Aardvarks are my friends, Aardvarks are my friends..."

For those of you who don't know this lovely little ditty, it's just those same four words over and over again, sang to the tune of "Yankee Doodle." If you sing it correctly (some words and syllables will be broken up strangely), you'll end it in perfect timing with the music. If I have counted correctly, you actually say, "Aardvarks are my friends," 11 times.

When you're done with verse one, you yell, "FASTER!" and move onto verse two which is -- you guessed it -- the same as verse one...only faster.

Q. High school buddy, Christi asked, "Do you believe in ghosts?"

A. We don't have enough time for the answer I'd like to give, so I'll try to keep it as short as possible.

I most definitely, 100% believe in ghosts. I don't know why they hang around or why they're not in Heaven with God. I don't know if they are "stuck" here or if they have unfinished business or what. I wish I had the answers to those questions, but those are truly two of the biggest mysteries I'd like to have solved.

Everyone has special talents -- artistic, athletic, creative, etc. God gives us those talents and abilities to use for His glory. I truly believe that one of my abilities is to see ghosts (yes...I see dead people). I see them daily, in my house, around my house, etc. They don't scare me and they don't bother me, though they do perplex me. Why are they here? What can I do to help them? Devin sees them, too, but the girls don't seem to have picked up on their presence.

I'm also haunted. Not my house, not my car...me. I have had the same ghosts following me around my entire life. I can tell the new ones (they come and go) from the old ones (of whom I've been aware since I was about three). Sometimes I go months without seeing them and other times they won't leave me alone. Last week, in particular, I think they were playing games with me. I just couldn't get rid of them.

My sister is the same way. She, too, is haunted and when I'm at her house, I see her ghosts.

So there. Now you all think I'm a lunatic.

Angie, from whom I got this idea, asked a series of questions:
Q. Did you really think my question/answer thing was dumb at first? j/k

A. Hah! And you thought I wouldn't answer! I didn't think it was a dumb idea. I just didn't "get it" at first. Now I'm totally into it!

Q. Do you prefer dark or light chocolate?

A. Milk chocolate, any day of the week, any time of the day, under any circumstance.

Q. If you could meet one momo mom, who would it be? (totally just kidding here)

A. Hah! Another one you thought I wouldn't answer! I'd love to meet Angie! Of course, I'd like to meet all of my Mo/Mo friends -- just to share the experience with another person would be amazing.

Q. Do you ever read gossip magazines?

A. Nope -- don't really like magazines.

Q. Who is your favorite author?

A. I don't have a particular author, rather a type of book that lends itself to some pretty big names. Murder mysteries are always a hit with me, so people like James Patterson top my list. I also like true crime, so Ann Rule ranks up there, too. My favorite book is, "To Kill a Mockingbird," so Harper Lee (a Chi Omega!) is a definite favorite by default.

Q. If you could have been named something else (first name), what would the name be?

A. My parents almost named me Ivy. I've always loved that name and secretly wished it were mine.

Q. What traits do you admire most in others?

A. Honesty. Humor. Faith (in something -- you don't have to believe in my God...just believe in something). Hardworking.

Q. Annie asked me, "Are you still obsessed with Robert "what's his name" from The Cure???"

A. Obsessed...no. I've definitely grown out of that stage in life (you know -- the stage I was in when I was 13!). But I do still really like The Cure and listen to their music often. I even have my kids listening to it! I think they are talented guys and their work still speaks to me after all these years.

Robert Smith, the lead singer of The Cure, known for his wild hair and white makeup, is still good looking to me. Obviously, my tastes have changed a little and marrying a guy who looks like he just crawled out of a grave isn't high on my priority list like it was back then. But the core of who he is still a handsome man in my eyes.

All the way from New Zealand, Mo/Mo mom, Jocasta asked three questions:

Q. Where would you go on holiday if you could go anywhere in the world?

A. Italy, particularly Tuscany, Venice, Rome and The Vatican. I will go there some day before I die!

Q. What song is guaranteed to lift your mood?

A. "All Just to Get To You," by Joe Ely. It was Todd and my first dance at our wedding and it reminds me of a life that was simpler and easier, but also how far Todd and I have come together and how I could never have this life without him.

Q. If you could choose 1 thing to be the best at what would it be?

A. Being a mommy. I think I'm a pretty good mom -- we take fun trips to parks and zoos and even places like Disney World. We dance and sing and talk and do all of the normal stuff. But I wish I were one of those moms who does art projects with her kids and orders cocoons so they can watch them hatch into butterflies and who teaches them to read when they are three... You know those mommies. I've always wished I could be the mom who does stuff like that.

Casey asked me a few questions as well:

Q. What was your first car and what sone reminds you of driving it?

A. That's a tough one, since I had a lot of cars at varying stages of my learning to drive. I learned to drive on my mom's 1968 Willys Jeep which didn't have a radio. The first car that was mine after I got my license was a 1982 Datsun 280 ZX. I didn't drive it much, as my dad didn't trust it. So instead, I drove his Toyota Cressida while he drove my sports car. Wait a second...

Anyway, the car I drove the most was the Cressida, so I think anything by REM would be what reminds me most of that car. The album, "Automatic for the People," takes me back to cruising around my hometown of Kingwood, being as cool as cool can be. Or so I thought...

Q. Favorite ice cream

A. It depends. Usually something chocolately, with a crunch to it. But every once in awhile, I have to get a Daquiri Ice from Baskin Robbins. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!

Q. What was the last GOOD movie you saw that you would recommend to others?

A. Wanna hear the saddest thing you've ever heard? I don't recall the last movie I saw (aside from reruns on TBS). Give me a month or two and I'll come back to this question.

I suck.

And finally, my friend and favorite smart-alek, Tina, asked, "Do these pants make my butt look big?"

A. Yes.

So there you have it! This was fun -- at least for me! If you have more question (I have a distinct feeling I'll be fielding a few about the ghosts), let 'em rip! I'm up for (just about) anything!

First Haircuts -- Goodbye Mullets!

Today I took the twins for their very first haircuts. Since they were as bald as eggs until after they turned one, I've been waiting for this for a long time. Over the last 12 months, their wispy, fine hair has grown little by little, but I've resisted the urge to cut it, knowing that the longer I waited, the better off they would be.

Well this week, I just couldn't take it any longer. The girls had both developed major mullets and I could no longer stand looking at my daughters, picturing them driving El Caminos and drinking Nattie Light. Something had to be done.

So Devin and I took the girls to Cool Cuts 4 Kids, one of those salons that caters to toddlers and young kids, keeping them busy with TVs at each station, toys, movies and video games.

After a short wait, Faith was up. She sat right in the chair, didn't make any sort of fuss as the cloth was draped around her shoulders and sat perfectly still as her hair was straightened up and styled in a cute little bob. She was topped off with a little red bow to match her dress and I was given a lock of her hair and a photograph of her sitting in the chair (well...the fire truck, as it were), all in a handy-dandy little folder.

Knowing that I would never get this lucky again, I plucked Grace away from all of the toys and sat her in the fire truck. Sure enough, the tears began to flow. I dug a lollipop out of my purse (placed there just for this occasion), and while she held onto the confection for dear life, she didn't actually suck on it until after she was out of the chair.

My poor little girl just sat and cried the whole time. Oddly enough, though, she didn't squirm. She literally just sat and cried. It was as if she knew that she needed to sit still or was going to be getting a lot of funny looks for the next few weeks. So, despite the wailing, she really did just as well as Faith had done.

Soon enough, Gracie was done, too, sporting a white bow and I got a little folder with her picture and a lock of her hair as well. Devin got his first haircut at the same place (at eight months old!), so now we have a matched set of these little keepsakes.

Afterwards, we went next door to Target where the girls were obviously very happy with their cuts. They were strutting their stuff like two little proud peacocks. Mommy was pretty happy, too. :)

Here are some pictures from our first salon adventure.

The before: Mullet city


Faith patiently waits as she gets a new 'do


Grace managed to scream and sit still at the same time


Afterwards - Faith is in red, Grace is in green


And here is a bonus shot of Faith throwing a fit at lunch today. The best part is how Grace is reacting

Interactive Blogging

Friend, fellow blogger and Mo/Mo mom, Angie has been doing something intermittently on her blog that I'm really starting to get into.

At first I didn't get it...why is she inviting people to ask her personal questions on her blog? I mean, isn't this her blog? Shouldn't she get to write about what she wants to write about, versus writing about what others want her to write about? It didn't make sense.

But then, as the progression of questions went forward, I started to see the fun in all of this -- accepting all sorts of questions from her readers made Angie's blog interactive. It gave her readers a way to direct the subject matter of some of her postings, while allowing Angie to still give updates on the day-to-day life in her household with her five children. Cute!

So will this work with my blog? Maybe. I don't know -- I have different readers from Angie and maybe no one is interested in shooting random, silly or thought-provoking questions out at me. Truly, it matters not to me.

But if there is a burning question on your mind, drop me a comment and ask it. I'll answer just about anything, though I won't promise that I'll answer it all, because there may be a question out there upon which I refuse to comment.

And questions don't have to be about me, my family or my kids. Truth be told, I'm not really that interesting. Queries can be something that you'd ask any ol' guy on the street -- Why is the sky blue? Is glass really made with sand? I can't guarantee I'll know the answer, but it will give me something to research. And I love to research!

So go ahead -- shoot! Or not. Whatever. :)