Monday, August 31, 2009

Today's Perk of Being a Mama - A Cat's Best Friend

Poor Cici & Gracie...

10 years ago, my college roommie brought home these 2 tiny kitty cats. They were bitty little orange and gray fluff balls and I wanted nothing to do with them. "OK Katie, you can keep them - but you are doing ALL the work. I want nothing to do with them."

That night they slept in my room.

Some time later, when Katie and I parted ways, she took my house plant, I took her cats (fair trade, right?)

I adored, spoiled, loved, snuggled them.

They were suspicious of Lil Bucky when I first brought him home, but he was tiny and surely he would go away soon, right? Suddenly all my adoration, spoiling, loving and snuggling was going to this new little creature - and this little creature was slowly growing up AND growing more interested in them (AND in pulling their tails). Hey, at least they are finally getting some attention again!

Christopher trying to tackle Gracie...














Hey Gracie, PLEASE come back downstairs, I'll be nice!!!















Hi!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Today's Perk of Being A Mama - Park Trip

My dad is visiting from Ohio, so my dad, brother, hubby, Lil Bucky and I went to Forest Park. The weather was absolutely perfect - bright sun, 75 degrees, no wind... We took a couple of long walks, played on the playground, rode the carosuel, ate SNO CONES, watched a baseball game. Lil Bucky squealed with delight as his Uncle Paul ran down the path while pulling his wagon. He happily found a sea of dirty rocks to play with and I had to let go of my OCD (ah - dirty hands!) and let him just play. Watching him laugh and play with the sun shining on his face was definitely Today's Perk.

Park shots:















Saturday, August 29, 2009

Today's Perk of Being A Mama - I Love You

Christopher takes after his mama and has a LOT to say. Bubble, hi, bye, night-night, shoes and NO are among his favorite things to babble about. As I mentioned before, he has also taken to repeating after me.

Well, every Saturday and Sunday morning we have a little dance party in the living room (who would have thought that Kidz Bop would be in my music collection?!). Today we were dancing around the living room and I said "Hey Christopher, can you say "I love you?"" He smiled sweetly back at me and said "Dada." Nuts, Daddy gets all the glory!

Friday, August 28, 2009

Today's Perk of Being a Mama - Parking Lots

Trouble reading the sign? That is because it is POUR-ING rain...

So while there are many, many perks of being a mama (the first smile, the first "mama," laughter, first steps, the first time rolling over, chubby arms reaching out to you, big chocolate brown eyes, chubby cheeks, should I continue?) - Today's Perk of Being a Mama is Parking Lots. After work I headed to Marsh for a little grocery shopping... Well it was POURING down rain when we arrived. I happily parked in a "Reserved for expectant mothers & mothers with toddlers or infants" spot and saved myself & Lil Bucky from the rain.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Lake Getaway List

Johnny and I recently decided to buy a little lake getaway (make no mistake, this is a teeny, tiny trailer - nothing fancy). In our excitement he asked that I make a list of what we need for the lake getaway (lake getaway sounds WAY better than trailer) and he would also make a list of what we need. Then we would compare lists and fill in with what we forgot.

My list:

Life jackets
Sunscreen
Water shoes
Pots & pans
Dishes
Cups
Shower curtain
Cleaning supplies
Paint
A futon frame & new cover for the futon mattress we already have
A couch with a pull out bed
Sheets & blankets
Towels
Table & chairs for the porch

His list:
Boat
Grill
TV

HA, men.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Hilarious

I usually hate email forwards. I always check them out in hopes that it is a good one, and today I was not disappointed. I actually found myself loudly cracking up in my office and therefore I had to share this with you all. I hope you enjoy!

Random Thoughts of the Day:

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

More often than not, whern someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

That's enough, Nickelback.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all
know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

There is a great need for sarcasm font.

**Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the hell was going on when I first saw it.

I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

Was learning cursive really necessary?

Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories

Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if
I do!

If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Aghh!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Lake Trip, Part 2

Well, as I previously mentioned, every year my family spends a weekend on the lake with another family. They also have a son, Easton, who is 5 months older than Christopher. Last year was their first trip up to the lake and we decided right then we would take a picture of them on the boat with the same towel every year and watch them grow - same weekend, same towel, same shot (and hopefully the same boat). It is amazing to see how much change happens in 1 year.

Here are the 2 photos, Easton is on the left, Lil Bucky is on the right:

2008:




2009:

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Dear 1980's

Dear 1980's,

Thank you for your music.

Sincerely,

Sarah Buckner


P/S: My brother in law made a cd for my husband titled "Unbelievable 80's." My husband left it in my car a LONG time ago, and I have never paid much attention to it. The other day I grabbed it as I was heading into my office and decided to import it to my I-Tunes. See below for the amazing selection of 80's songs.



I quickly dried the tears of joy I shed over my new selection of songs & began to (quietly) sing along to EACH song. Thanks again 80's, thanks again...

Regular Clothes

Maybe I should change the name of this blog to "As I get older" because lately all the posts have revolved around that topic.

Anyway, with each passing day I struggle with wearing "real" clothes. It used to be I would come home from work/school/the day and just wear whatever outfit I had on until it was bed time. Well, over the years I race home, rip off my work attire and immediately get into my comfy t-shirts and sweatshirts. It's the first thing I do each day. If I can't change right away, it is torture. :)

Today I had a meeting after work, so I knew I was in for it. I wore my comfiest "real" outfit, so I made it through, but as I type I am sitting in my best sleepy pants and a over sized t-shirt from a work event. Bury me in this outfit - THIS is what I hope to wear in Heaven! Ah......

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Lake Trip, Part 1

Every year we (the Buckners & the Smiths) take a long weekend and head up to Lake Chapman in Warsaw. We spend an entire weekend eating, talking, relaxing & splashing around in the water. It is Heaven. We have gone 5 years in a row. The first year we went no one was even married, but in the 5 years that has passed, our little group has had 2 weddings, 2 babies and another on the way (and hopes for another one for us).

Here are some of my favorite photos from this years getaway:

On the way to the lake (even 15 & 20 month old boys think nose picking is funny):
















The boys on the boat - those little bitty life jackets are too cute:















Lil Bucky needs a helping hand from his mama:




















The whole family:

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Teenagers

I am not proud to say that I have a general dislike for teenagers. I know, I know - in the (semi) recent past I myself was a teenager, so how can I judge? But as I get older, my tolerance of 14-18 year olds gets smaller. My office is close to the high school and so they park in my valuable parking spot. Even the dudes wear skinny jeans. Their music booms so loudly it hurts my eardrums (to be fair to current teenagers, my eardrums hurt NOW because of the damage I did as a teenager with my own music). And most of all - I seem OLD to teenagers (which makes me dislike them beyond recognition).

My hubby had a late meeting and he does all the good cooking, so what was I to do but go out to eat? So Lil Bucky & I arrive at Noodles & Company ready to eat when we discover teenagers sitting in our usual spot (back corner- it makes it easier to hide my face when Bucky screams with joy at the top of his lungs). These teenagers had random piercings, crazy spiked hair, skinny jeans. I knew I was in for misery, but I sat next to them anyway.

Well, they were really nice. And sweet. Lil Bucky loves to say "HI!" and wave at every human being, so when he started with them I thought they'd be annoyed. But NO - Skinny Jeans Guy was all normal smiles and waves. Girl with the 80's outfit was saying "HI!" right back. I even heard a few "aw, he's so cute" comments. And they stopped to say "Bye!" to my little guy.

It melted my heart to see Lil Bucky smile so brightly... So I am now announcing on my blog that I don't hate teenagers, well at least not all of them.

Monday, August 17, 2009

You SO Husky!

I can't believe it has been over 10 years since our fun, carefree trip to Panama City. That trip was what really changed a lot of our lives - we had our first taste of freedom (not to mention our first attempts at a beer bong). We learned that fashion can go beyond sweatshirts. Some of us regretably got silly tattoos to never forget the week. I love you girls!

10 years later...

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Oops, my bad!

I have a fondness for the F word. I know, I know - what kind of lady uses the F word?! I just feel like it can really emphasize a point. Today (or was it yesterday? My life resembles Groundhog Day, so it all blurs together) I was on the way to drop my sweet, perfect 15 month old off at daycare. I realized I forgot his blanket AGAIN (or was it that I realized I forgot my materials for a conference?!) - anyway, I forgot something vital for the day but I was too far out to head back home (anyone else that deals with I-69 traffic in Fishers feels me). In a situation like this, what else could I say but "F---!"

Well, it was then that I heard a sweet little voice say "uck! uck!" Oops, my bad. thankfully he didn't say the F before the word, so I could easily explain that we are working on different animals (duck!) or maybe his foot was "stuck?" Hmm... OK, time to find a new favorite word - any suggestions?

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Reading and Dancing

I love cell phones. I love that you can take a quick video with one, email it to yourself and have it on youtube in a matter of seconds! I mean I love my real video camera, but that camera has 15 1/2 months worth of Christopher videos on it (including one 10 minute long video of him sleeping as a 1 week old... I would never do that now for fear of waking him up!). Anyway - here are a couple of the recent videos that I captured of the little guy.

Dancing to Lady Gaga:



Reading aloud to Uncle Kevin:



Enjoy!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Facebook

SO... Christopher has decided to get his own Facebook page. I have decided that at 15 months he can totally handle the responsibility of managing his own page, so I gave my permission to start up the page.

Here is the link to become his friend: CJ Buckner Facebook

(thank you Uncle Kevin for being so cute and secretly making this page)

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Walking the Monon Trail



This past Monday I took Christopher for a stroll along the Monon Trail... Halfway into the walk, I could tell he wanted OUT of his wagon, so I thought I would give him a little freedom (surely he would get tired after a few steps). Well, Christopher walked... and walked... and walked... When I finally put him back into his wagon (kicking and screaming), we were almost done walking. I can happily report he then crashed on the car ride home.