Last post of the year. Last post of the decade. Welcome 2010!

Spending the last day of 2009 cleaning up barf. Logan was sick yesterday with a stomach bug. I had hoped that it was just his stomach retaliating against the antibiotics he needed last week for his ear infection, but tonight Hunter-Pooh-McGoo started throwing up 8 hour old milk. Uh, yuck? I hope we are leaving this junk in 2009. Where it belongs.

Happy New Year all!

TV or not TV. That is the question.

Have I mentioned that I like TV a little more than I should?

Well I do.

I TiVo things.

Soap Operas.

Game shows.

Planet of the Apes marathons.

Oprah.

I got my darling 3 year old on the stuff too.

McJunior is his favorite show.

Nevermind that it is a channel called Nick Junior.

TV sucks me in.

It is such a good friend to me, but it seems to take more than it gives.

It was taking up to $100 a month.

It tells me:

my house isn't pretty enough,

that I don't eat right, but then entices me promises of hot pizza,

I need a beauty product,

that I can't miss this sale,

I need a new couch,

that Oprah knows all the answers.

It also entertains me.

I'm seriously thinking about taking a break from my 52 in bestie.

I have already started by down-grading my satellite service.

We now have the "family" programming.

Thank gawd I still get BYU TV.

The problem is that we are 6 months into a 3 year contract, so we still pay even if we cancel.

Bummer.

I may "hold" the service for a month or 2.

I don't know.

TV or not TV?

Just when you think you are getting somewhere...

You find yourself out of gas.

Not a good day.

My guide to anti-consumerism - Part 1 - Grunge Helped

I am more than sick of stuff. And by stuff, I mean STUFF. All of it: television, ad after ad telling us what a great deal it is to buy more and more of it.

I have always had an anti-consumerism spirit about me. My junior and senior years of high school had me exclusively shopping at thrift and vintage clothing stores. But, I mean, it was the mid '90's. It's not like grunge wasn't in full force and I didn't complete the look with a full sea-green head of ManicPanic dyed hair. It was during that time that I stopped listening to commercial radio, going to see anthing other than "art house" movies, and the only label you could see on my clothing hinted that I was an "All Star". Those were the days of my $8 prom dresses and before original clothing was mass produced. When I was as freeded from the contraints of tapered jeans, as the women of the '60's were freed from the shackles of bras. I owned a first generation Victoria's Secret Miracle Bra. And it felt great.

I boycotted Shell for over 10 years due to the atrocities committed against the indiginous people of someplace, somewhere that Shell obtained oil from. And to think of the uproar against drilling in Alaska. I later found out that the Pepsi Corporation was somehow involved, but since google didn't exist yet, it was too difficult to find out in what way. So I continued to drink Pepsi. I know. I'm such a hypocrite.
I eventually ventured back into the mall and that's when I discovered Express was willing to give me a credit card. Suddenly I found myself grabbing a sweet outfit there before the band I was in had a show. It was the year of the pencil skirt and snappy sweater sets. I was hooked. And it helped that the pieces looked great with my actual vintage duds. I had a credit card, soon four of them, and I started buying into the idea that I "deserved" or "needed" to buy something. At least I did it with style, right?

Wordless Wednesday: Santa is coming on a Jet!

I am pleased to list this post at 5 Minutes For Mom's "Wordless Wednesday".

Hotslings Baby Carrier Give Away from 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven

11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven is giving away a gorgeous Hotslings baby carrier!

To enter click HERE.

Birth in the 21st Century

 It is nice to have options for birthing in this modern age.

Some women love the medical intervention they are offered,

but others,

like

my lovely

Bradley

instructor

D.A.,

go for as

little

as possible.

D.A.

gave birth

to

baby number

5

yesterday.

She was at home.

In a birthing pool.

Surrounded by

her

4

young

boys.

(All

7

years old 

and 

under.)

Her husband

was 

deployed 

"over seas"

less than

a 

month

ago.

This was the

FIRST

birth

he could not

coach

his wife through.

A

simple,

natural,

brith of a

child,

with the

aid

of some 

VERY,

modern, 

technology.

Daddy got to

support

his

wife

with the

aid of

SKYPE.

I know!

All the way from

IRAQiSTAN

(or where ever the heck he is)

It was

especially

exciting

because it

was the

birth

of their

FIRST

daughter!!!!!!!

Congratulations

to you all!

Welcome

Victory

!!!!

don't you all think that's an amazing name?

music, why are you being such a jerk?

I am displeased with music at the moment.

I generally love music.

In fact,

I live for it's

melodic pleasures.

But a switch has been

flipped.

I hear songs

and feel

annoyed.

I give a new band a try

(read that aweful WILCO)

and

could whip

out the Bic

and

dissect my wrists.

I see Tim McGraw on

Oprah

(I know! My life will improve when she retires. I wonder if she's going to get Tyra to replace her?)

and think

who

encourages

his mediocre singing?

And not so much the music,

but the personal

and

prfessional endeavors

of my

ABSOLUTE

favorite band

of

all.

freaking.

time.

PEARL JAM

YOU. ARE. MESSING. WITH. MY.

MIND.

It is coming guys.

I will give you a big ole

slice

of it soon.

Untill then.

I will relax to the sounds of

my

Bluegrass Baby-Daddies

at least I'm

pretty

sure one of them is the

cause of my

swelling womb

It was either them

or

the guy I'm

married

to.

Authentic Christmas

I get all my advise from Oprah.

Don't you?

She recently had Alicia Keys as a guest and asked her if her family exchanged gifts at Christmas.

Alicia replied, "Only if it feels authentic."

Oprah was just delighted that Alicia was so enlightened.

My thought?

Wait just one hot little minute.

In your family, you only get someone a gift if it feels AUTHENTIC?

So in your enlightened universe
you visit with friends and family?

You have a beautiful dinner.

You sing in front of the fire.

Have a little egg nog.

And then you exchange gifts.

One for you.

And one for you.

And....

I didn't get you anything thing

because I couldn't find anything that felt

AUTHENTIC

There was nothing online,

in stores,

or on this

PLANET

that made ME 

feel good enough to give

YOU

But thank you for this beautiful picture frame,

So thoughtful of you!

Now.

Would you ever have the nerve to abandon 

gift giving

 because it didn't feel

AUTHENTIC?

Neither would I.

This concept is more

LAME

than

enlightened.

Sarcasm ever?

I like to think I have a way with words.

I am so gifted in the art

that few people are at my ADVANCED level.

Some times this causes a few

misunderstandings.

See,

I forget.

I forget, that regular folk

are just happy to be going about

their business.

Then I come along.

Example:

Folks:

(referring to my pregnant belly

and the 1 and 3 year old I'm dragging behind me)

So, uh, ya gonna have any more?

Me:

Not with this husband!

Folks:

(silence)

Death. Actually.

Logan: Mom, do panda bears die too.

Mom: Yes, buddy, they do.

Logan: But why, mom?

Mom: Every animal will die sometime.

Logan: Every animal?

Mom: Eventually.

Logan: No mom, ACTUALLY. Not eventually. All animals will ACTUALLY die.