The Armadillo Tales

Row Row Row

My armadillo loves to sing, yes he really loves to sing.    Granted he doesn't know any full songs yet, but he can sing the first three words from "Row row row your boat ...".   B-Dad asked the armadillo to sing his song for me this morning.   It took a few minutes but the armadillo got past his bashfulness to sing his "Row row row your boat ..." song. I absolutely adored it!  The armadillo was proudly strutting his stuff singing to the sumo baby and the dogs.   We all loved it.

The armadillo carries his own brand of melody and lyrics, and it is delicious to the ear.    Sometimes the armadillo will add his own touch of a musical beat by shaking his maracas or tapping his tambourine.   The sumo baby gets a big kick out of watching his big brother sing and play with the musical instruments.    I admit that I too get a bit delighted when watching the armadillo perform.  This afternoon he was singing for about 15 minutes.   His audience was myself, the sumo baby, and the cats.   We were all intrigued.     American Idol Taylor "Soul Patrol" Hicks, watch your back!   

It Smells of B.O.

We normally have our house cleaned every Friday.   I know ... spoiled, but with 2 little boys, hell I need help.   The people that come were referred by a couple of friends so B-Dad and I thought if our friends have good things to say they can't be bad.   But lately I don't know what to say.   It's not that the cleaners do a horrible job, it's more of an incomplete job.   Certain things are overlooked.   For example, our bathroom counter will be cleaned one week, but ignored another week.   This goes for our tub, the stairs, etc ...     Our instructions were basically to clean EVERYTHING once a week.  Not hard right?   I understand that the woman in charge has several women working for her but it can't be hard to tell everyone to clean EVERYTHING.    Right? 

Well on the days that they come to clean I like to take the boys out so that we are not in the house.   It would be too difficult to try to keep the armadillo out of their way when they clean.   We agreed for the cleaners to come aroun 10:30 and they would take a couple of hours.   It's a good thing that the boys and I were running late coming home.   I was about a block away from the house at around 1:20pm and there they were.    I see their car driving away from our house.  WTH?   I would have been upset to see that they were still there if we had come home around 12:45pm, our usual time.   It would majorly screw up with my schedule with the boys if I had to work around the cleaning.   

Upon entering the house I am greeted with this musty smell.   You know like when you have a wet towel that has sat in a bucket for a few days without the chance to dry?  Well that's what it smelled like.   Stinky!   Then my bedroom smells like someone's stank body odor.  Just gross!   I thought when you clean there's supposed to be a fresh scent, you know, like pine sol or something.   But not some whiff of foul body odor.   How unappetizing.   

Looks like I'm going to have another talk with them.  Ugh I hate complaining but for the money we're spending if I don't speak up, it's my fault for keeping quiet. 

VOX: QOTD

Here's VOX's Question of the Day that I thought I'd share here ...

If you could open any sort of restaurant, what would it be like?

Strange you may think but since I'm a mama, my restaurant would be the ultimate in kid-friendly, not to mention a bit parent-friendly as well.   In fact I wouldn't call it a restaurant of sorts, more like a cafe.   You know, something that serves sandwiches, kid-friendly meals, homestyle meals, coffee, soft drinks, pastries, etc ...   Sorry no PB&J ... have to think about our peanut-allergy affected little ones.  My cafe would be a very casual place that offers a comfy environment.    I'd place a few sofas here and there as well.   Mainly for the parents that want just a cup of coffee and a sweet pastry.     I think rather than have servers, I'll just have a counter where people could come up and order.   Sometimes I find that easier as a parent because then I don't have to wait for my server to come back so I can get my refill of diet coke, etc ...   

Of course I'd have the mandatory kid play area.   This would be a fenced off area where I'd set up a fun and SAFE compact kids play structure.   Maybe some play/pretend tables as well.   There will be toys spread out here and there.    This way the parents have someplace to take their youngsters in case they catch a bout of the fussiness blues.   Rarely happens right?   Yeah, right (in a sarcastic tone).   

If I ever happen to come across at least $250,000 of disposable income I would love to open up a cafe like this.   You know, hire a couple of people to help me plan and set this up.  Now that would be a dream!

Can I Get More Whine With That?

The armadillo has many voices.   He has a happy voice, an angry voice, an excited voice, and a sad voice.   But the choice of voice for the armadillo these days is his whiny voice and is it whiny.   There is not one hour that goes by where the armadillo is not whining about something.   If it's not about wanting something he can't have, it's about wanting something to eat or to drink or to be picked up or to read a book.  Granted most times his requests are not entirely unreasonable, it's just that he picks the worst moment to ask, or 'em whine for it.   For example at Target today, we were standing in line at their Food Cafe.   I was desperately thirsty and neede by daily fix of Diet Coke.   The armadillo, sitting in the stroller started his rant.   First he wanted apple juice, then bananas, then apple juice again, now it was water, but not water from his sippy cup, water in a cup with a lid and straw.   Everytime he asked for something it wasn't really askng.   It was a most annoying whine.   He would drag out each word and hold it for a couple seconds.    "aaaaaapel jooooooooooooooose" ... "naaaaaaanaaaaaas" ... "waaaaaaaaaaaater" ... over and over again.   Well of course I didn't have any of those things.   I was waiting in line so that I could get the cup for him.   Finally I got my soda and the armadillo got his cup of water.

Lucky me that the whining didn't end there.   He managed to bring it home and had a fresh new load of whine for me.   Oh lordy.   Sometimes I'd rather he just get upset and throw a tantrum rather than constantly whine all day.   I think I could handle anger better than a fresh serving of all-day whining.   

I'm amazed that my son has to be taught to say his ABC's but he's already born with the ability to whine.   He's a natural ... lucky mama.

Happy 6th Month B-day Sumo Baby

My sumo baby is 6 months old ... wah!    He's growing so fast, too fast for this mama.   I remember when he was first born and they put him on my tummy right after he made his entrance.  He was crying and I was so happy, and just a little surprised.   You know it's not like the movies where the baby comes out sparkling clean.   He was covered with blood and some sticky goop, but I thought he was beautiful.   He still is and always will be.    

Now he's 6 months old and can almost sit up by himself.   Sigh.  I wished in hindsight that I had a video camera stuck to my head so that it constantly recorded our days together.   Then when my babies are grown and don't need me so much, I could just hole up in a room watching those videos all day.    Probably crying the whole time I bet.   

Even though I do get stressed from time to time, hell, I'm a SAHM to two little boys, I'm entitled, I truly love my children.   They are my pride and joy.  Now I didn't grow up with a strong religious background.   But I feel blessed ... blessed that someone or something decided to put two purely charming and delightful beings in my life.

Happy 6th month birthday my sumo baby ... mama loves you!

 

Hottie on a Hot Day

Can this day get any hotter?    This hapa (half caucasian/half asian) hottie is Daniel Henney.   He is a South Korean actor born to a British father and Korean-American mother.       Daniel Henney has modeled for numerous ads, including one for Bean Pole International with Gwyneth Paltrow.   He has also co-starred in the Korean drama, My Name is Kim Sam Soon.     Too bad we don't have access to Korean dramas here in the Bay Area, or at least I think we don't.     I would definitely have watched it.

Protection ... Why?

Well apparently San Quentin inmate Richard Allen Davis was found in his cell, unconscious of an apparent drug overdose.   Sorry to disappoint but he is still alive.   If the name doesn't ring a bell, Mr. Davis is on death row in San Quentin prison for the 1993 kidnapping and murder of 12-year old Polly Klaas.    He has been living in an area called the Adjustment Center.   This is a high security cell block where is receiving "protection" from inmates in general population.   The plain fact of his crime violates an unwritten moral code where the offender should be killed.    According to this article Mr. Davis has been assaulted at least three times and that any prisoner that gets ahold of him will kill him.   

So what's the problem?  I'm speaking as a mother of 2 little boys and I'm always horrified when these sexual predators who have preyed on children are "protected" as they serve their prison sentence.    What about the victims?   Excuse my honesty but why should their lives be safeguarded?   Why does the state spend money to shelter these criminals?    It just blows my mind.    

Willis Carrier Thank You Thank You

Oh gawd, I'm so tired of the heat.   It's been triple digits here this whole weekend.   Absolutely no fun at all.   Thank goodness for Willis Carrier, then inventor of air conditioning.    Thank you ... thank you ... thank you!

Disclosure

"Tommy, you've seen more a$$ than a rental car." ~ Mark Lewyn

Love that quote ...

This One's For You ...

and you know who you are, you people that still harbor ugly thoughts about me.

(Image from Yahoo)