The Armadillo Tales

Designer Diaper Bags

Lately I have had this obsession with designer diaper bags.  I don't know if it's the intoxicating smell of leather, but I've pushed aside canvas, stain-resistant fabrics, ... in place of super soft leather.      Maybe it's because of this current message board that I visit that is a major enabler of all things relating to diaper bags, but these women buy nothing but the best.    My first leather diaper bag purchase is the Ramalama's.   Ooooh, yummy soft leather is how to best describe these bags.   Ramalama is an Australian company and I ADORE their bags.   I won't tell how many of them I have but let's just say that I can barely count them on one hand.      My next purchase went to the Mia Bossi bags.  I haven't used the Reese bag I bought yet, but I am definitely looking foward to it.     My current obsession is the Not Rational bags.   Gorgeous!  I am currently coveting either the Gretel or Hansel styles (shown above).   I am scouring Ebay and the message boards looking for one at a reasonable price.      

The good thing about these bags is the fact they look so unlike typical diaper bags that I can use them even after my little one is no longer in diapers.    That way I can keep them longer and get more use out of it.   Oh hell.   Yes that's right.  I am secretly trying to justiy my spending ... can't blame me for that.

Pretty Pink Please

It's been awhile yes ... I've been lazy ... very lazy.  Okay.  That's done with.

I want pink hair.  Not all over, just some strands here and there.  I saw a girl yesterday with pink highlights and I thought how pretty that looked.  It didn't look like she was a month and a half late for Halloween.  It was very well presented.   Not too much ... not too little.   Don't say I'm too old for pink hair.  Who cares?  I don't.   I think I'll give my hair stylist a call and see if she does pink.   How cool would that be?    Pretty damn cool.

Pretty Nails

Today I went to a baby shower for a friend that was held in a local nail salon.   I had a fabulous time as I got both a manicure and a pedicure. Since the sumo baby started school I have been fortunate enough to get pedicures on a pretty regular basis, about once every 1-2 weeks.   I love it!   It may sound weird but I love anything having to do with someone massaging my feet.   Even if it's for just 5 minutes, anything is appreciated.   I should take photos of my pretty nails.    My feet is adorned with a dark rich blue shade called Russian Navy and I got a sweet french manicure on my hands.   It seemed that all of the women at the shower had fun.   Who wouldn't?   I don't think anyone would complain with having their feet or hands worked on.   

Even though the weather is getting colder, myself and the other women laughed about the fact that we refuse to wear covered shoes.   Who wants to hide our pretty toe nails?  Not me!   Call me a slave to fashion and beauty, but pass me my slippers!

Lake Tahoe

This past weekend the family took a road trip to Lake Tahoe.    B-Dad and I needed to get our gambling fix and Harrah's really wanted us to visit, as evident in the amount of special offers and coupons we've been receiving.    The temperatures dipped into the high 40's while we were there, so we spent most of our time inside.   Fortunately the hotel has an arcade and an indoor pool so that is where we took the boys during their waking hours for most of the trip.   I don't think there were any complaints on their side, as what little child would complain about playing in water, getting wet, flashing lights and beeping sounds for entertainment.   

Of course us grown ups played our games too.   Unfortunately I don't think we had as much fun as the boys did.   Sure it was good to gamble but it would have been better if we won some money.  Ah such is life.   The last time we were all there was in August, I think.   Or was it July?  I know it was sometime during the summer.    You know you gamble a good number of hours when you return after being away for several months and the staff recognizes you.   I had a couple of pit bosses and dealers recognize me from an earlier visit.   I wasn't sure whether or not to be embarrassed or flattered.   Well whatever, as long as they get my comps right and track my play accurately.   

The hubby and I have player's cards for Harrah's.   If you love gambling as much as we do, I would highly suggest getting a card.   They track your play and give you points based on how much you gamble.   You work your way up to certain tiers (Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Seven Stars).    Then the offers and comps come your way.   I love it.   This past trip our rooms and food was all comp'd.   All we ended up paying for was for our gambling and miscellaneous stuff (tips, etc ...).    That definitely makes losing money much more bearable.   We figure we lost what we would have spent on our rooms and food.   So no harm done.   

Now we're back and I'm exhausted.  I'm not sure why but I'm fatigued and still carrying that headache from Sunday.   Ugh.   I always found it strange how you need a vacation to recover from a vacation.   But this definitely applies here.    Time to end this post as my eyelids are heavy and threatening to close.

Dinner's Ready!

Get ready for this ... I made dinner.  Yessirre, I did.   The other night I made sloppy joes and sweet potato fries.   Last night we had turkey meatloaf with red skinned/garlic mash potatoes.   Tonight, are you sitting down?  Tonight we are having Tandoori Chicken.   Yes you read right, Tandoori Chicken.    You may be asking, how do I do it?    How is it that I can raise two young boys and cook yummy meals at the same time?   It's easy ... I'm gifted.   Well, no not really.   I'm catching the latest wave of home cooked meals by going to one of these places that takes the stress out of cooking fab meals.   

This past Sunday I went with a couple of friends to The Full Plate.   The Full Plate provides you an opportunity to take home ready to cook dishes for the whole family.    They do all of the planning, shopping, chopping and cleanup for us.    You just schedule a time when you can go in, choose your meals and start assembling.    Each of us chose 8 meals to prepare and there were stations for each dish.  There you found all of the prepared ingredients chopped, cut, materials to store laid out, etc ... easy for everyone.      If you don't have time to assemble you can pop in and pick up meals already put together and frozen/refrigerated for you to take home.   

I think this is a terrific option as there is less food to waste, less stress of deciding what's for dinner, cheaper than eating out, and the food so far is delicious.   We all had a lot of fun assembling the meals that we'd love to go back next month.   This could definitely be the start of something new!

Delivery Confirmed

What is the definition of "delivery confirmation"?    The USPS (United States Post Office Service) offers a delivery confirmation service to those people who send out packages.    That way you as the sender knows that your package has been delivered.   So you think ... but I just found out, that's not always the case.   Delivery confirmation is not confirming that the package was delivered to the shipping address ... nope.  It is confirmation that your package made it from the post office from which you sent from to the post office of the closest to the recipient.   WTH?    

I placed an order for some goods this past Tuesday.    The items were shipped on Wednesday.   When I looked up the shipping information from the shipper on the USPS website the delivery confirmation indicated that the item was delivered on Friday morning.    Therefore I call my UPS store where my mailbox is and they have not received the package yet.   I went on Friday afternoon ... nope no package.    I went again this morning and no package ... again.   The post office delivery person was there and I asked her what's going on.   She told me that the information on the website indicates that the package was received at my local post office, NOT the shipping address.   What is that?   Why would someone pay extra for that?    I do not think that is the true definition of delivery confirmation.     What if the package never shows up?   I can't go back to the shipper.   They'll say, well the package was delivered.    It's out of their hands.   I'm up sh1t creek ... no items that I paid for.    Personally I think this whole idea of delivery confirmation is bullsh1t.   It's just a way to collect money to offer a service that screws over recipients like me.    Well sigh, all I know is that I better get my package or I'll seriously b1tch someone out. 

Be Prepared, No Really

I don't know why I do this.   I think I'm being prepared for the impending rains and cold weather so I buy certain items in advance.   My favorite store, Target, started selling rain gear months, months ago.    Being a good mommy I bought a Cars poncho for the armadillo, a couple pairs of rain boots for the armadillo and the sumo baby, socks, hats, jackets, ... the whole nine yards.   Well today's the day.   It's raining.  Has been since the morning.   What has this good mommy done to prepare for this?   Nothing, nada.   I totally forgot all about the cool rain gear I bought for the boys and sent them to school somewhat covered.    They both had their shoes, no rain boots.   They had their jackets, but no rain jackets and no poncho.   Poor sumo baby, his jacket hood couldn't even stay on his head.    There were all of these other children at the school that had their rain jackets and fancy rain boots on.     Ah, oh well.   I'm grateful that they at least were dressed warmly enough and covered so that they wouldn't get wet, somewhat.      

I'll have to have the armadillo and the sumo baby try on their rain boots at home so that they get used to walking in them.   It's a double edge sword with the boots though.   Once they get it on, I know it will be a b1tch to get it off.  The boys are going to want to wear it everywhere.    Everywhere.    Fun fun fun!   (sarcastic tone)   

Some Nerve

I can't believe a school that charges roughly $30K a year for tuition is frequently asking for donations.    One night we received a call from the school and B-Dad smartly let it go to voice mail.   When I checked the message it was one of the parents, in charge of some random committee taking about some fund raising project.   We do not personally know who this woman is nor are we very active in the school, but that didn't stop the presumptuous closure of her voice mail.    The "parent/give-me-money-moocher" informed us that she would be calling B-Dad at another number so that she could take his pledge.  Um, what?    As if we would give money to a school that charges an arm and a leg for tuition and spent roughly $50 million on an athletic field that the football team is scheduled to play maybe four home games.    Seriously ...  What do you people do with all that money?    

Maternity Fashion

Lately when I walk into Old Navy, Target or Macy's taking note of the women's fashions I'm a bit surprised.   There are a number of pieces that take their styling and cuts from maternity clothing.  The large billowy fabric pieces are disappointing for me.   The empire line waists are only meant to be worn by women who are very thin.   If someone like me was to wear clothing like this I would be afraid that people would think I was pregnant again.   

How cruelly ironic is it to have clothing that is fashionable and hides my cushy torso, but only to have it make me look like I'm having baby #3.

Dragging His Feet

Mornings are difficult.   Yes tell me something I don't know.   But mornings are hard, especially for the armadillo.   I have learned over the past few months that he is not a morning person.     To get the armadillo to go to the bathroom and dressed in the mornings when he has school is a pain in the you-know-where.   Dragging his feet every morning, it takes about 15 minutes for a 3 year old boy to do his duty in the bathroom, take off his pj's and put on his clothes for the day.    Granted he can do all of these things himself, but to get him to actually do it is like pulling teeth ... excruciating.   If we tell him that we are going to help him with getting dressed, he throws a fit.   The armadillo wants to do it by himself, whenever he gets around to doing it.   

Is it considered cruel to use a smelling salt on a sleepy 3 year old?  ... I'm kidding.    Plus I don't think it would work anyway.   It would just make the armadillo an angry armadillo, rather than a sleepy armadillo.