I have been trying to write this post for 2 days now.  Talk about ridiculous.

Well, well, well... Look who is back from a mini hiatus and not in rare form?  Angel's may be singing, or it's possibly the ridiculous headache I have.

Never the less -  Life is getting back to normal around these parts.

Genevieve and I got our flu shots today.  She, naturally, opted for the nasal spray - I was forced to get the shot.

Everyday she is amazing me more and more with what she says and does.
- This year she is so much more interactive than last years holiday and loves Christmas lights.
- We say goodnight to the moon every night.
- If she hears a noise and doesn't know what it is she meditatively asks if it is Swiper from Dora.
- She points out things she recognizing while we're driving.  This morning she was very surprised to see pumpkins still out.
- She can sing Twinkle Twinkle completely and it is hilarious
- The only word she recognizes in print is 'Adventure'.  No idea.
- She also is starting to love The Land Before Time. :)
- Every time someone says Ow, she says sorry, are you ok?  It's precious.

That's about it.  I have been very busy at work this past week.  Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things.

Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome... What?

Dear Lord, I am so happy last week is over with.  I spent the beginning of my week
crying - a lot.
Thursday I almost burnt down my house.
Friday Genevieve & I went to a parade, and I took zero pictures - fail.
I definitely was excited to get back to work today.
I haven't really had a lot to blog about.  This year the holidays are a bit different than past ones, so I am basically just trying to survive and get through the rest of 2012.

This post has no point.  I'm still trying to collect my thoughts from this past week.  I also could not sleep last night so I am basically a walking zombie.

So sorry this is not of its normal entertaining nature.  I need a nap.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm a day late - no surprise! I hope everyone had a lovely thanksgiving!

Time to give thanks? I think so.

I said I would post a little number I had been writing last night - which will have to wait.

Being the day before Thanksgiving - Big props Pilgrim's for making a holiday about devouring mass quantities of meat and other fattening foods - you claim that rock.  By the way has anyone else seen it?  If not you aren't missing anything.

I don't kid, this is said "Plymouth Rock"

Being a staple field trip for anyone growing up in southern New England I thought I would share what all the hype is about.  One of the biggest disappointments of my childhood.

So what am I thankful for?  

Genevieve - This little girl has changed my life in a way I could never fathom until she was here.  She is the most amazing gift from God I could have ever been given.  She is most certainly my best friend and my entire world.  If we could just get over those hormonal teenager terrible two meltdowns, it would be smooth sailing.

My Family & Friends - Without my family I have no idea where I would be right now.  They have been the strength and my rock to lean on  when I was dealing with some massive stuff.  I have been lucky enough to surround Genevieve & I with some of the most amazing people I could ever meet.  I may not have family living near me, but I certainly have friends that should be family around me.

My Other Half - My sista from another motha. 

Awful picture of us but I couldn't find a good one and really didn't feel like searching.

Meet Liz - My other half & my soul mate, otherwise known as my BFF.  We have been best friends for over 10 years.  This girl knows everything about me, everything.  We joke we are each other's other half of our brain, she understands me more than I do most times.  If I could find a man, just like her that would be my soul mate - but that probably isn't going to happen.

Diet Coke - No explanation needed, it speaks for itself.

Boxed Wine - Get's you through those days.  We've all had them, some more than others.  The days you just need a glass or 3 of some vino to help you out.

Pinterest, for the love of recipes

I actual have a post I am writing as you read this but I have not finished it yet.  It will jump us a little deeper into my life, but I'm drinking a tinsy bit of chard tonight so I will have to reread it in morning.  

I love Pinterest, I seriously get all my recipes from there.  This week already I have made two new AMAZING dishes from the site.

Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese

This was seriously heaven on earth - but Genevieve did not agree.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

I made this tonight and both Genevieve and I LOVED it.  She kept saying mmmm & yumm throughout the whole meal.  I really think the tell tale sign was when we walked in the door this evening and she said "Oooh Mama, it smells so good."

I would love to hear about any recipes ya'll find amazingly delish - food heaven that I should try!

Keep a look out for tomorrow's post too.  It may not be the ideal time being the holidays and all but if I don't do it now, it may never get posted.

Random Things I Adore.

You know those things you just have to have, can't live without or the world might stop spinning.  Well I lost one of those things today, my planner.  I'm the most scatterbrained adult I know.  I seriously don't know which way is up the majority of the time.  While I was making an appointment for my office this morning, I went to pull out my planner, well low and behold the thing grew legs and had walked away.  I still have yet to locate the runaway, but I am searching high and low for it.  With that being said, it made me start thinking about the things in my life I absolutely love and would prefer not to live without.  Here are mine - in no particular order, sans said runaway planner.

Victoria Secret Pink Fresh & Clean.  I recently found my bottle and now remember why I was slightly overly obsessed with it.  I seriously could not stop smelling myself yesterday, I even spritzed some before bed, no lie.

 

Be it no surprise I am a diet coke addict.  One every morning, one for lunch, and one as an afternoon pick me up.  I was more than delighted they were buy 2-12pks get 2 free this week at Safeway.  I have 48 cans of diet coke, 24 in my fridge as we speak.

Lets talk toothpaste for a minute.  I may be one of the few who has serious issues with the taste of the stuff.  For years I would only use one kind, no matter what.  Everything else made me gag to the high heavens.  While having a little sleep over at someones house, I was not prepared with my own and had to use some of this stuff.  A picture of the look on my face prior to it even going in my mouth should have been taken but one was not.  My face probably looked like this

Well too my taste buds surprise, this stuff is AMAZING.  I loved it.  I should have ran right out and got some that same day, but I kindly used the stuff I had until I ran out.  Thankfully said person was nice enough to help me find the correct one while I was at Walmart, and also thinks I am a complete weirdo.

Who doesn't love buffalo sauce?  Seriously I could put this stuff on everything, I kid, but a lot of things IMHO could use more buffalo.

Yoga pants.  One of the first things I do when I get home is put on yoga pants, no matter the day.   I own enough to wear a new pair every day of the week and find them they most comfortable items of clothing EVER created.

Revlon Lipgloss in Pink Whisper

It happens to be the perfect shade of pink for my skin tone, last for a good amount of time, and keeps it's glossy look.  Plus if I lose it, I don't have that I just lost $20 feeling.  

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Monday.  I promise an actual post soon, none of these pictures shenanigans.

T-GI-friggin-F

What is the deal with Fridays? Ever since I started working a normal job, ya know that 9:30-5:30 with an hour lunch shebang, Fridays are a love hate relationship.  By the way I LOVE my job, so lets not even start rumbling our little brains that I am once again complaining - I am not.

Let's put the "F" day into perspective

When I wake up late because I am exhausted from work, look in the mirror

I have shown up everyday for the past 4 days.  On the 5th day you expect me to work...

You Crazy

Oh, you're serious...

Shit... there isn't a little bit of joke in that...

Breath in.....Breath out...Repeat

When a coworker asks if I am excited that it is Friday

Fridays are also spent doing this

When 5:30pm rolls around I'm all

around my office

When Gigi & I are on the way home in the car

What I plan on doing Friday after work

What I really come home and do.

Happy Friday ya'll!

Wordless Wednesdays

Random thoughts

I really have a ton of things I want to do this week.  I can already see that most are just not going to happen.  We had a little morning hiccup - what I thought was a flat tire.  Now let me start by saying I am pretty self sufficient, meaning I can do most manly things, without the man.  Tires are not one of those things and I don't even have a spare, not even one of those donuts thingys.   After air was put in the tire - I was on my merry way to work, arriving fashionably late by an hour.  Thank goodness my boss loves me or I can guarantee I would be without a job.  After discussing this mornings woes with a coworker I was told, tires loose a lot of air the first time it gets chilly outside.  So being the last time I put air in my tires being a looonng looongg time ago, I probably needed air anyway and the temperature drop last night just pushed them over the edge.  

Why isn't this common knowledge?

I really want to paint my nails and give myself a little manicure.

I have so many chores around the house I want need to get done - like wash my kitchen floor.

This post has absolutely no point.  I'm ok with that,  I have been a bit under the weather today.  I don't know if I am getting a cold or the drastic weather change but I have been freezing all.day.long.

Have a great evening ladies.

Weekend Recap.

My weekends tend to be pretty lame.  I normally don't plan anything, since I'm ballin' on a massive budget lately, so this may not be that entertaining.

Friday:

My work day could not have gone any slower.  We were joking in my office, on Friday's we just wait for the day to end, which like watching water boil.  That night Genevieve and I stayed home, watched Tangled and took it easy.  

Saturday:

I had promised this cool kid

For the record he lost to a 10 year old

I would bring him to the airport at 6:30am.

I was rudely awoken by my insanely loud ringtone.  In a haze I answered, I was greeted with "WHERE ARE YOU?"  I quickly glanced at my phone realizing it was 6:19am, and replied "Getting ready to walk out the door."  

Epic friend fail.  I did manage to get me and G out of the house in a record time of 10 minutes, minus the fact we went in our PJ's, and Blake did not miss his 8:30am flight.  

G usually goes to her Dad's on Sundays for a few hours but this week she went on Saturday.  

Normally I run at the chance to get everything done that is much easier to do without a child.  Instead I laid in bed, watched half a season of Friends with Benefits (which is pretty funny), and took a nap.  So much for that pristine opportunity to get all my errands done.  Wait, I did make Cuban black beans and rice that afternoon too.  How could I forget?  It was so good!

Around 4pm, I picked up G and we vegged devouring all of my wonderful black bean masterpiece.

Sunday:

Sunday Funday? Uh no.  Sunday=Laundry day in this house.  

I did a countless amount of laundry, more than usual, I'm not sure why either? hmm.

I played Betty Crocker again and made an amazing chicken noodle soup.

It was a gorgeous day outside and I really wanted to take G to the park, so I made her a deal after lunch.  You take a nap and than we'll go to the park.  Stubborn just like her mother she refused a nap until 4pm.  I was cursing myself saying next time we go to the park thannnn she takes a nap.  

While she leisurely napped in the late afternoon(I'm still bitter about that) I watched one of the saddest movies known to man, A little bit of heaven.  This little number had be crying 25 minutes in.  I did not stop until 5 minutes after the movie credits were done.  It was a great movie but I will never be watching it again, my eyes are hurting bad and puffy today from all those tears shed.

Sunday night, we mosey'd over to G's babysitters and had dinner.

I believe I over did this weekend recap, such is life my friends.  I am either overly vague or way too informative.

Parental Fail

The other day in the car this conversation took place

Me: Shit

Genevieve: Shit

Me: No shhhh, mommy said shhhh

Genevieve: I don't think so!

The fact my daughter already calls me out on things only makes more afraid of what is to come.

For your information, my daughter has not repeated the word since.  

Friday Favorites

Favorite Show

Why didn't anyone tell me this show was HYSTERICAL?  Oh that's right they did, and I snobbishly would reply "Oh, I don't like musicals, it's stupid."  Lesson learned - don't knock a TV show until you have watched it.  The past seasons are on Instant Netflix if anyone is interested.

Favorite Public Moment

I may or may not have started a massive election debate on Facebook but I am more excited about not seeing another presidential commercial for 4 years.

Favorite Mommy/Daughter Moment

When Genevieve and I were watching The Little Engine That Could, and she just snuggled up next to me and fell asleep, snoring, drooling, and all.

A little getaway

A few weeks ago Genevieve and I flew up to Boston to visit my family for the weekend.  For me it was much needed, considering being a single mother and living a good 500 miles away from any of your family can be a bit difficult at times.

The whole trip was wonderful, we all had so much fun, yet getting there was trying to say the least.  It was my first time flying alone with Genevieve were she needed her own seat and thought this is just going to be a disaster.  How do you get a two year old to stay in their seat through not one but two plane rides?  I had this genius idea I would take her car seat on the plane with me.  What better way to have a toddler sit still than strapping them down to the point they can't wiggle themselves away.  So I loaded my phone with Mickey Mouse Club House and Super Why episodes and went to the airport relatively confident I could do this. Two suitcases, a diaper bag, my work laptop, and my purse are enough to carry alone for one person - now add in a 35 pound child, a massive car seat and a stroller.  I should have gone into the circus instead of office management for my career, seriously.  So I schlepped my way through the airport performing a balancing act of stuff that could probably been my easy in to Ringling Bros. I decided to get to the airport a little bit ahead of schedule so Genevieve and I could have dinner there and run around a bit.  A tired and full baby makes everyone happy.  Except our flight got delayed 2 hours. So we spent lots of time hours finding the airplanes.

"It's so awesome, mama"

I'm not going to lie and say I didn't knock a few people while going down the aisle of the airplane, it's narrow, I wasn't able to be one of the first people to board, and that car seat is pretty wide.  I was super thankful this would be a short flight to JFK, until we got up in the air and they say oh sorry we're going to take the long way there, we will land in about an hour and 45 minutes.  Sayyy whaaaa?  A flight that is supposed to take 45 minutes will take an extra hour?  Are you kidding me people?? By now I was exhausted and really just wanted a nap.  Thankfully my flight from JFK to Boston was also delayed so I did not have to endure an evening at that awful airport with Genevieve.

"I'm in the airplane!

Spending the hour and a half at JFK airport on a Friday night, was like going to a Walmart.  Maybe it was exhaustion but I was overly terrified.  It was 11PM I was tired, my daughter was one meltdown past exhaustion, and I really wasn't trying to make friends with strangers.  We finally arrived in Boston at about 1:30AM and got to my families house around 2AM.  

So this is where the fun comes in.  Every year my family goes to Lake Champlain in Vermont to spend a week at a resort there.  I had yet to go so I was overly excited.  I love Vermont - the air is different, the scenery is breathtaking and the people are great, much different from where I live currently.  So we got up at 6AM Saturday morning, packed the cars and kids, I downed a few redbulls, and started driving.  I miss living in New England, you are so close to the ocean and the mountains.  People say the same about living in Metro DC but I think it is completely different.  Genevieve loved spending time with her Uncle and our family. 

 Picture overload.  They are so out of order.

Genevieve at breakfast Sunday morning

The kids on the deck running around after being in the car for 7 hours

The main entrance, I just LOVED the doors.

We came just in time for the festival

Getting her 2nd balloon animal.  (The first one we popped, it was a horrible sight.)

I just love her expressions, so much like her Mama.

Genevieve and I sitting on the gigantic adirondack chair.

Halfway done with the animal.

Genevieve & her Papa

The next morning after breakfast, she had to bring that balloon everywhere.

Eskimo baby & the bonfire

Lake Champlain

Me, Genevieve and my brother Freddy

Leaves!

Uncle & Niece (They are too cute.)

Christmas card picture? I think so

The kids outside the cottage

We even got to visit the Vermont Teddy Bear factory and make our own bears!

She named her bear Mickey Mouse - really she did.

A little pre-gaming Saturday afternoon before the Bacon & Beer Festival.

Rocktoberfest!  We arrived just in time.

We drove home Sunday afternoon.  Which I really didn't mind.  I was able to see some of my friends which was great!  Jackie & her daughter Skyler came over for dinner on Monday night.  I have known her since my senior year of high school so it's always a tradition for her to come for dinner when I am home. 

Jackie & I

Meghan, me & Jackie 

We were exhausted.

Our flight left Boston Tuesday morning at 6:30AM, since I had to be back at by 11AM.  After going out the night before with Jackie, I was a tad out of sorts at work that day.

We are now back into a routine? HA do we even have one and getting ready for the holidays.  I hope everyone is excited for Thanksgiving - I sure am!