A Good Day

Today was a good day. The boys slept in until 8:45, just in time to catch Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I love anything affiliated with Fred Rogers, people, even if those dadgum songs get stuck in my head for days ("if you feel so mad that you want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four").

After the boys had their morning bottles and watched Daniel Tiger, it was time for their oatmeal. We listened to Christmas tunes and watched it snow.

Around 11, family arrived! Uncle Glenn and Aunt Anita brought Brittany back to Covington and hung out with us for a while. It was a fun time. I love when family comes to town.

Guess what!  We never got out of our pajamas all day!!

After dinner, the boys gnawed on some clementines and we listened to some jazz.

Bath time came, and then it was time for fresh pajamas.

Kissy kissy and off to bed. I love my little dudes.

Brothers

Two modern day Robin Hoods.

I think that if the justice system or the military is looking for new ways to torture bad guys, they should recruit some babies. Those suckers have the deadliest fingernails/claws/talons on the face of the planet (people, I'm here to tell you, I've got the marks to prove it). Just sic the baby on the bad guy, and he will soon regret his ways. The art of the clawing not only lies within the tool, but also the mechanics. The masterful mind of the baby tormentor knows that added pain is brought by repeatedly mauling the same poor spot of flesh.

While we are on the subject of these wild men of mine and their brutality, here's a picture of the little dudes fighting their Build-A-Bears, Tony Delk Leopard (he wears a 00 Kentucky Wildcats uniform) and Rufus Ruff. At least they were fighting their stuffed animals instead of each other.

Julian vs. Rufus Ruff and Jonas vs. Tony Delk Leopard

And I'll never get tired of pictures like this. I love these little brothers.

Aren't they the sweetest things?

I Need a New Head

Over the weekend, I had another series of days with a headache. The headache started on Thursday at work and continued into Friday. The Wildcats played on Friday, and I was excited (ugh) to watch the game. Too bad my head was throbbing. The boys went to bed at 8, and so did I! I thought I'd wake up on Saturday and get to watch my beloved Cats in another SEC tournament game, but no, that was not the case. They got beat. By Vandy. By Vandy! Ugh, I feel nauseated just thinking about it. Just thinking about Kevin Stallings smiling and gloating. Makes me want to puke. But, not as much as those sick nasty Cardinals being the #1 overall for the NCAA tournament, and my Wildcats heading to the NIT. Good grief! Just do yourself a favor and avoid
talking with me about basketball until next season! (I'm telling you, UK basketball is not good for my health. Just look at how angry it makes me. No wonder I have had so many headaches after a season like this!)

What about those Reds!? Alright, now we're talking! Secured myself some tickets to the Brandon Phillips bobblehead night. Beetle will be so ecstatic to get a bobblehead of her favorite player!

In other news...

My poor phone fell into the toilet (I had nothing to do with this). I was jamming to some music via bluetooth speakers and a killer playlist on my phone, when BOOM, my phone jumped from atop the speakers (located on the toilet tank) to the toilet bowl. Why, God, why? My phone was innocent! The good news is: putting a water-soaked cell phone into a container of rice to dry it out works! Well, something works. Maybe it would've dried out had it not been in the container of rice, but it was in there, so, I conclude that the rice trick works. Thanks, Doug!

When I lay in bed at night and my foot dangles off the bed, I get scared that some nightmarish, gnarly, evil creature is going to reach up from under the bed and grab it. So, I move my foot back onto the bed and to be super safe, I slide it under the covers. Monsters can't get to you when you're under the covers.

Awesome Saturday

Saturday was totally awesome. After watching a terrible season of basketball, I was on the fence about driving down to Lexington on Saturday for the Wildcats' final game. I thought I might have more fun hanging out with my babies and watching the game from my couch. I don't have a big connection to the seniors on the team either (Saturday was senior day). I mean, sure, I like Julius Mays, he is a pretty cool dude, but it wasn't like I was going to cry like a baby like I have done on previous senior nights. I'm just not attached to these dudes. Anyhow, I was debating on whether or not to go to the game.

Well, I went, and I sure am glad I did! That was one of my all time favorite Rupp experiences. It started when Doug said, "Hey, Derek Anderson is over there signing books and there's not a long line." WHAT? Derek Anderson!!! Oh, how I was suddenly back in 6th grade! My heart was going pitter-patter as a DA highlight reel played in my mind. I loved him! I still love him. I definitely went and got in line, bought his book (remember when I bought Ritchie Farmer's book when he came to our grade school back in, God, I must've been in 4th grade or so), and waited for my chance to give him a hug. It was awesome. I told him that I had loved him since 6th grade, and he told me, "Thanks for reminding me how old I am." He was such a nice guy. He thanked me and Doogie for being fans and said there's nothing like UK basketball. Word.

After HUGGING DEREK ANDERSON, we went on in to Rupp and found our seats. We got there right as the senior day activities began. Though I didn't have an emotional attachment to either Twany or Julius, I did get goosebumps--24,000 blue-to-the-bone die hards singing My Old Kentucky Home, that'll make anyone get chills. It was incredible. 

And then there was the game and the crowd. Dadgum! That was an unbelievable crowd. I've been to some doozies, but never has Rupp ever been that loud! At half-time, Doug had to go secure us a beverage because I had done tore my throat screaming. It was wild! I found out later that Cal had tweeted for the Rupp crowd to stand and cheer as loud as their little lungs could cheer as soon as the 8 minute mark hit. Well, Rupp was rocking the whole game, and even moreso those last 8 minutes. And, I learned later, too, that Florida didn't score for those last 7 minutes or so. I think that is awesome. Have I ever told you that I love UK basketball?

So happy I went to that game!

Got home Saturday evening and went to Skyline with my boys. Perfect ending to a nice day. But don't you know, those boys of mine are getting so big that they are now sitting in high chairs at restaurants! Pretty soon, they'll be eating coneys. 

It's Such a Good Feeling

Jonas eating a strawberry.

When I type Dacian's name in a text message, the phone auto-corrects it to "fascism"  or "dachshund."

Last weekend when we were in Dwarf, the boys got a visit from some of their cousins, and they brought the little guys a few presents. One of these gifts was a fresh food feeder--they look like pacifiers but the end is mesh and you're supposed to put fruit or ice cubes or whatever in there and the babies can gnaw on it without the fear of choking. Well, when the babysitter (who is around 70) saw these contraptions, she said, "I remember these. My Mommy gave us something like this when we were kids. She called them sugar tits."

I think my children are destined to be warped or confused or maybe I am just training them to be stellar at trivia. Tonight, after I fed the boys, I reflected back to everything we had discussed over dinner (read: what I said to them while I tried to shove food in their little mouths). References included:

The Godfather: I know it was you, Jonas, and you broke my heart!

Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (to Jules aka Hogwarts aka the good eater, who at the time was refusing to eat): Et tu, Jules? Then fall Mommy.

Jules being awesome.

Bruno Mars: His eyes, his eyes, make the stars look like they're not shinin'!

Nickelodeon's Catdog + Si Robertson: Hey, Jack. Did you boys know that one fine day with a woof and a purr a baby was born that caused a little stir. Hey, look here! Weren't no blue bug, no 3-eyed frog, just a feline canine little catdog.

I even tried to speak some espanol: Open your mouth! Abrir!

Then I wondered if abrir actually means "to open."

And we ended dinner as we always do, "I like you just the way you are!"

Stop Being A Grouch, Alli G

Doug always hates when I start a conversation with the following, "This morning I was listening to NPR and..."

So, work has been a little stressful lately. Sometimes, I want to punch something. Lately, I have noted myself doing the following: talking to myself aloud (to the point where my cube neighbors ask if I am talking to them), replying to emails aloud instead of via a responding email, flipping the bird to my computer, making stabbing motions with my pen, doing my Ace Ventura mock laugh in meetings and not realizing it until after the meeting and wondering if anyone saw me, listening to gangster rap and pretending I'm hardcore, listening to European Spa music and pretending I'm calm, and being a general grouch bag. 

But, this morning I was listening to NPR and I heard another story about government land grabs in China. A village chief sold his community's farmland right out from under them. The government sent in thugs to chase the little dudes off their farm and the village fought back (probably to no avail). Anyhow, so NPR was interviewing this sad little guy and he said, "Without fields to grow sweet potatoes [and other crap I can't remember], we have to do odd jobs for only $10 a day."

So, boys and girls, the moral of the story is this: be thankful for your job and your country even if some days you think both are run by a bunch of yahoos that make your blood pressure go through the roof because, in the grand scheme of things, most of us have got it made. Step back and get some perspective, dude.