Super Hero in the Bakery Department

I thought you would all like to see the camera phone picture of Robbie in his "SSSSuper RRRobbie" cape at Target. So, here you go. Proof that he is a bit on the strange side!

I also included a picture of Elise in the cart....she is SO big. I can't beleive she is almost a year old. In a way its really exciting because that means she can feed herself as entertainment, which comes in really handy. And also that she is about to be able to drink milk instead of formula (CHA CHING). But it's sad, because she's really growing out of that baby phase and into the toddler. Although she isn't "toddling" at all, or even crawling for that matter, so maybe she'll hang onto the baby-ness for a while longer!

Strange

My child is strange. He just is. I think it's cute...mostly. And kind of funny...mostly. He gets these ideas in his head and there is no changing it! Today he wore his Superman cape over his clothes into the Super Target (only it's not even Superman, it's actually a superhero cape with an "R" on the back that Rob's grandma special ordered for him.). If you're my facebook friend you've probably already seen the picture of him in the bakery department dressed as "SSSuper Robbie!".

Later on this afternoon we ran out to Sam's Club just for one thing. He decided to wear Spiderman elbow, knee, and wrist pads along with some Toy Story socks, a soccer jersey, red basketball shorts, and orange flip flops...a partridge in a pear tree. I talked him down from the socks and forced him to leave the Cars rollerskates at home so I guess I have some sort of "standard" left.

I AM "that mom" whose child is strange and dirty and wearing bizarre and unmatching clothing in public places. I don't even get how I have become that, and why that seems completely acceptable to me...but it does--and it is. I actually said, "that's fine" when Robbie said he wanted to be Batman for Halloween. I've lost all sense of reality and have fallen into a surreal life.

I feel like just around the corner is Elise in a Little Mermaid costume at Sprouts. Probably speaking prohetically there! I think this is where the phrase, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" comes from.

Chillin'

Robbie LOVES to watch TV, so on the weekends Rob will sit and watch a movie with him. The other day all three of them were sitting together on the couch silently watching Ice Age 2...again. Photo opp strikes!

A Real Pain in the Neck

You know that saying, "he's a real pain in the neck!"? Well...this week I am beginning to understand why someone saying that about you could be so offensive. I've had a stiff neck here and there over the years along with the occasional sore neck that you had to turn your entire body to see something or someone. But never actual neck "pain". I didn't even know neck pain could hurt like this. Last week I started to feel stiff and thought I was getting sick. Then by last weekend my neck was a little sore. On Tuesday night I think I slept a total of 45 minutes because I was in so much pain, and I barely functioned on Wednesday. Sweet Rob felt sorry for me and called the chiropractor right down the street...turns out they take our insurance and my neighbor was free to keep the kids. Two adjustments down--still a lot of pain but feeling a bit better. Now we'll see how this weekends camping trip helps. I'm pretty sure textbook treatment for neck pain is to sleep on the ground a few days.

Also, Just so you know, if you have chiropractic insurance, a "coupon" would be a better description of what it is.

Horticultural Homicide

Before the serial killer messed with it.

After the serial killer.

For the second time I decided I should grow my own herbs. It can't be that hard afterall...."everyone" says they grow like weeds. So I got some advice on what to do from my friend Terah who grows her own herbs in her desert backyard. Then I came home from Trader Joe's with my own very alive and thriving basil plant. Well...mostly thriving. Elise got ahold of it somehow from her carseat and was munching on several leaves when we got home.

I plucked all the leaves off just like Terah showed me and made a delicious homemade pesto sauce with the basil. Then I watered it and set it on the kitchen table where lots of light comes in. I learned last time that when they say "full sun" on the tag...they don't mean: throw this plant out in the middle of the blazing sun in hell...err Phoenix in the summer.

WELL I tried, I failed. It seemed to be getting wilty after a week or so and I asked my friend and she said maybe I was watering it too much. So I backed off on the watering...then it got really dry so I watered it more. Then it started dying a slow and painful death. Then it was pretty much dead. I give up. I will just continue buying expensive basil and other herbs at the store all the while hoping that some scout from HGTV reads my blog and decides to come make-over my backyard and plant a thriving herb garden that will somehow magically self-sustain. Just add gardening on the list of things I can't do...right below sewing, yoga, electronic repair......the list goes on.

Organs

Today I stopped into Fry's Marketplace to grab one thing and a coffee. There was an organ player in the produce department loudly playing Five O'Clock Rock and Take Me Out to the Ballgame. I can't even begin to imagine what the purpose of that was. I had seen my friend's car in the parking lot so I was going to go find her so Robbie could say hi to Jack, but I was so frazzled by the obnoxious music I just left. Organs do not belong in the produce department, or even anywhere in the grocery store as far as I'm concerned.

That's all I have to say about that.

Cute Kids

I think my kids are cute. That may be debatable to you....but just let me think that. The kids were all ready for church the other day and we had a few miraculous minutes to spare so I took their picture. It's cute.

In other news, Elise and I got in a fight yesterday. Our first one ever. She is spitting her food out in a fine mist all over the place lately. I really think it's her way of showing us she has control....and that she is NOT into baby food anymore. I firmly said, "No spitting Elise." She started crying. Then she proceded to spit every bite I gave her, so I continued to tell her "no spitting" and tap/spank her hand. Then she would cry. Then we would do the previous steps over again. It was kind of sad for me becacuse she has been so laid back and I thought for a second that she would be a compliant child...but maybe not.

Today I actually gave her a corn dog cut into tiny pieces, which I can't actually beleive: A)I did in the first place, and B) I'm admitting to you. She liked it. Yes, I feed my children nitrites. Please feel free to keep your comments and opinions about nitrites to yourself. Elise and I did not have a fight over the corn dog. She scarfed it down like a homeless person.