Back...by popular demand

Kind of. My friend Amy e-mailed to say she missed the blog. Only then did I realize another month had passed without a post. I am constantly blogging in my head. Too bad I didn't get it on here, y'all have missed some great stuff!

Indulge me a little while I catch you up with all the latest Southern Fried Family happenings.

I traveled out of state alone with the boys for the first time the 4th of July. My Baby's Daddy had some previous work commitments that kept him from being able to attend a great holiday weekend at my aunt's house on the lake. The road trip was pretty smooth, but being the only parent on hand with Fat Baby loose on an open body of water...not so much fun. I did get some great photos & memories...which I've been scrapbooking in my head. (I've accomplished a lot in my head, if not in real life!)

My Baby's Daddy & I enjoyed mindless appointment television by watching The Bachelorette this season. As long as creepy, stalker Jeremy didn't win I was okay with any other choice she made in the final three. I was relieved when she sent Graham home, too. She was so trying to make him be something he wasn't just because he was smokin' hot-a-licious. Eye candy does not a relationship make. I was rooting for Jason, but I'm okay with Jesse, especially since they did a little something with his hair.

In light of the recent sucky economy, I've been really paying attention to our spending and wasteful or unnecessary habits this summer. I sacrificed monthly pedicures in the name of economizing, and My Baby's Daddy gave up our lawn treatment service. I know I watch way too much Jon & Kate Plus 8, but I think that anything that works for a family of 10 could also benefit my family of 5. She feeds her family organic foods as much as possible, and takes a little time & effort to not just give them cheap crap.

One thing that really makes things easier for me is planning menus. I found a template on this website for simple menu planning. It makes shopping more efficient & helps my week flow more smoothly. I write any scheduled events on that day's grid (baseball 6:00 p.m., picnic lunch at pool, etc.) So I can look over the week & see that dinner should be easy & early on Tuesday, and I need to have sandwich ingredients on hand for Monday and Wednesday. Since I usually work on Tuesdays, I try to plan a dinner with left-overs Monday night to take for lunch. I've also been concentrating on using the perishable items I purchase each week. I actually made banana bread on Sunday rather than letting some fruit go bad & throwing it away.

I really feel good about making things fresh for my family instead of buying the quickest (and almost always less healthy) alternatives. It did occur to me in thinking about this lifestyle make-over....Kate is kind of forced to be at home all the darn time. Not the Southern Fried boys & me...if we get the house clean, we've gotta hit the door before somebody (or two somebodies) trashes it again. We like to get out & do things together. It's very do-able to participate in lots of fun activities with only two boys. If it took half the day to load my brood of kids in the car, I'd probably find more fun things to do with them at home. (They'd probably get more hot breakfasts & home-made treats, too....Monkey Munch anyone?)

Finally, we just celebrated The President's 8th birthday. We hosted a sleep-over with 6 boys. It was great! Even though my outdoor activities were rained out, they still had a blast. There was a karaoke talent show, movies, and lots of video games. I had the cutest red & white striped popcorn boxes for movie time...and the biggest hit of the evening was the make-your-own trail mix. I labeled red plastic cups with each boy's name & they could fill it with their choice of cereal, marshmallows, goldfish, raisins, gummy worms, milk duds, m&ms, etc. We all had so much fun. After a pancake breakfast, all the boys were picked up by 10:00 a.m.

On his actual birthday, The Pres wanted to make a new Build-a-Bear for his gift from us. So, we did that & had lunch at a Japanese steakhouse (also his choice). We were seated with a couple of older ladies who were less than thrilled to be sharing our festivities. One of them said, "Cute kids." Just like that. That was the extent of their enthusiasm. Even after Fat Baby walked in & said, "Excuse me wadies....it's the President's birthday!" How could they resist?

This is how my mind works...

I am so tired of that trick-or-treat post, I can't even tell you. I wish I had time to post every day. This time last year, I was doing NaBloPoMo (national blog posting month). Great fun, got a lot of new traffic, can't commit this time. Too bad for me. I seriously wish I could clone myself, as I really don't have time to be sitting here right now.

Because I know all 6 of you who read this blog are on the edge of your seats...here's the news around here:

*We've all been in bed by 8:30 every night this week. Thank you, Jesus for the time change!

*I can't believe that Sabrina was voted off Dancing With The Stars. She was seriously the best dancer.

*Recently overheard, The President to Fat Baby: "I've got three words for you, Fat Baby---SHUT YOUR PIEHOLE!!!! Actually, that's two words and a compound word." I'm so glad he's learning something in school this year.

*For the first time in my life, I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner at my own house this year. I feel like such a grown-up, I'm totally excited! My Martha-genes are working overtime. The only other time we've not traveled to visit relatives for Thanksgiving was the first year we were married. We lived about 4 hours away, and My Baby's Daddy (who was just known as My Hubby then) worked as the director of dining services on a college campus. Their football team was in the playoffs, and consequently he had to be there to supervise their holiday meal. I spent the day alone in a town I hated, and when he got home (late) we had turkey subs from Subway. That's love, people. We did have a family thing later in the week-end, so you don't have to feel too sorry for me. I felt plenty sorry for myself! Anyway, I am going to rock the house with my first ever Turkey Day meal!

*I've kind of started a little borderline holiday shopping. No lists yet, though.

*I have two ideas for our Christmas card picture. Coming soon.

*I'm considering a pre-lit artifical tree. Where's the best place to go? We usually have a live Frasier fir, but I've heard there's a tree shortage, and since they're going to be $$$$, I might as well invest in something permanent and convenient. I'm willing to entertain arguments for and against. Offer up your opinions!

Shameless Plug, Potty Training Woes, and Google

In keeping with the theme of Extreme Home Makeover, Southern Fried Family edition, I have decided that I need to re-decorate my existing home, and plan the decorating of my upcoming new home. Because I basically want 90% of the stuff in the catalog, I decided to do this. I became a consultant to re-coup the money I spent on the starter kit, and to earn some more fabulous stuff for my own home. If you want to have a virtual home show...let me know! I'll be more than happy to get you the info.
You, too can become an honorary Southerner--the merchandise can be shipped anywhere, so even my Yankee friends can participate! Check it out, and place an order! Seriously. You know it's calling you.

Secondly, this so-called potty training business...I shamelessly admit that The President was trained by the daycare & I backed it up at home. Easy-peasy. He was also the over-acheiving, compliant first born. So, here I am with #2 (who is my "challenging" child) sitting day in & day out in the bathroom every time he says, "I'm pooping!" (This means any number of things: "Hey, I pooped--now clean it up!" or "I need to poop, and have a skid mark, but when you sit me on the throne, I'll squeeze my cheeks back together and force it back up" or maybe, "I'm about to mess with your head, mom! You are my puppet!") He seems to have no concept of tee-tee. He doesn't tell you he's done it (even when he's half naked & does it on the floor in the kitchen; in fact, I don't think know he does it. I have spent more time camping out in the potty than I ever did with the Pres & he still doesn't seem to know or care what it's all about. Whatever. I never met a grown-up who wasn't potty trained.

I've been meaning to post some of the "interesting" Google searches that led people to this blog:

tonsil cheese pictures--ewwwwwwww! That's just dis-gust-ing! Yuck.

get my swell on at the gym--and you ended up here?!?!

Hannah Montana boobies--shout out to my 11 year old readers!

naked Southern moms--uh, yeah....hate to disappoint you. Just for fun, I'd almost do it. I guarantee the perv would be careful what wished for next time!

A blog about nothing

I'm sitting here procrastinating, because I don't feel the heat of my grant-writing deadline just yet. I should totally be taking this opportunity to work. I've got the house to myself. Both kids are in school. Pop took my van to get new tires & pick up some grocery items. I've got the desk & computer area set up like I like it. And yet, I'm just wasting these rare moments of silence and uninterrupted work time. I'll be cranking out this grant with two kids underfoot, dinner cooking, Pop folding laundry (which makes me feel guilty, like I should be helping), My Baby's Daddy reading over my shoulder humming , "Bow Chicka Wow Wow." It would be so much easier to get ahead, but I almost think I function better in the midst of chaos. That makes no sense at all. I'll chalk it up to my creative, free-spirited side. Whatever.

In other news, I am finally sitting in my new office. (Again, another good reason I should be working). We had an office with a desk and the whole nine yards...then we had Fat Baby. The office became the nursery, where he lived happily for nearly three years. Then, about the time The President decided he wanted to re-do his room and get bunk beds, Fat Baby started climbing out of the crib every. freaking. night. We were in the process of renovating The Pres's room, so for a while we ended up with both kids in our bed. every. freaking. night.

We got the bunk beds, put them in a room together, and I got my office back. I'm still "decorating" it, but it's oh, so much better than the cramped little corner of my bedroom where the computer was stashed. I feel like I can spread out, and I can also leave something I'm working on & come back later to find it still there. It rocks.

This could be the most boring post I've ever written....somebody, send me a meme or something! And let me know when and how you procrastinate! I'm going to work now, I promise!

Addictive Personality? And some cute stuff from the Southern Fried Brothers

Some people just have that gene for addictive personality disorder. My substance of choice is food. Love it. Love everything about it, cooking it, smelling it, thinking about it, tasting it, reading cookbooks, watching food network. But, as I've well-documented...I lost about 100 pounds of lardass after Fat Baby was born, so I can't indulge my addiction as much as I'd like. I want to stay as healthy as I can, so I've decided to pick up some new vices. Thought I'd share....because it's my blog, and I can.

With the start of a new school year, I decided to go all out in the organizing department (my type-A-ness has been well documented, here). I didn't post about the total extreme makeover of the boys' living space, because I was too damn busy cleaning out, painting, constructing, ordering, purchasing, and working my ass off to talk about it. I moved them into a room together (The President wanted bunk beds, so we gave him a roommate!) and am re-claiming Fat Baby's room as the office it once was. I thought our chances of keeping everyone in his own bed might increase, if they had each other for company. Plus, I really needed a work space.

In my attempt to get on the organizational bandwagon, I finally purchased one of those fancy-schmancy labelmakers. Totally addicted. Anything that would usually get a name slapped on it with Sharpie is now neatly marked with a clear adhesive label. Anything that can't be labeled gets monogrammed, and vice-versa. Yeah, I have a real thing with the monogramming. (I seriously have the monogrammer on speed-dial in my cell phone). Is the whole monogramming thing limited to the South? If so, I am totally in the right place.

As if the monogramming and labeling frenzy weren't enough, I was cleaning out my pantry yesterday when I discovered that I apparently have some sort of vinegar obsession. Seriously. I had like 8 different kinds of vinegar in the pantry. And I use them! I guess that kind of goes along with my cooking/eating addiction...

Since I've been growing my hair out, I can't seem to step out of the house without purchasing some kind of hair product. Clips, barrettes, pony tail holders, headbands, flat irons....just trying to keep things interesting. I also seem to be stockpiling body wash and pajamas lately. Maybe I'm getting ready to hibernate for winter.

And of course, there's the internet, blogging, and reality tv. Yeah, I think it's safe to say that I'm a likely candidate for several multi-step programs.

In other news, here's some funny stuff my kids said today.

From The President, "Oooooooooh, yuck!!! Mama, my breath smells like Fat Baby!"

"You mean your breath smells like his breath?"

"No, I mean my breath smells funky, like the smell of him!"


My poor baby grabbed my excruciatingly hot flat iron the other day. There's nothing like learning a lesson the hard way, after you've been told a bajillion times. (Around here, we call that The Law of Natural Consequences). This morning, he noticed it on the counter and we had this conversation:


(Imagine a gravelly tough-guy baby voice, just like you'd think a 48-pound-just-turned-three-year-old would have).

"That's hawt, mama."

"Yes, it is...you burned your fingers on it the other day."


"Yeah, that's hawt. That alligator is hawt."

I love their imagination! Who would've thought that the flat iron looked like an alligator?

The kid who nearly got his little "pingers" burned off by the sonofabitch, that's who!

Scattered, Smothered, and Covered...

Stuff I've been doing:

• Cramming as much fun into the last days of summer as I possibly can...




• Coordinating schedules and hauling The President to all his essential summer activities like wrestling camp, swimming lessons, and Bruster's for milkshakes




• Having my (extremely high energy) nephew visit for a week




• Doctor's visits with Pop




• Extreme Makeover: Boys' Bedroom Edition (This is a post unto itself...)




• Dreading the start of school




• Family time (but not as much as I'd like...)




• Trying new recipes...my Creamy Tomato Basil soup is fab-u-lous




• Thinking about taking a fall mini-vacation




• Flat-ironing my hair for a new look




• Hoping to get to the bookstore soon for some new reading material




• Watching The Singing Bee with my sweetie, Joey Fatone...we love this show, and you can't stop yourself from singing along!


• Also watching Scott Baio is 45 and Single. If you are a child of the 80s...you have to see it just for the reality show/train wreck/Chachi/Charles in Charge mindless entertainment! Again, we're hooked!

Stuff I need to do:

• Shop for school supplies
• Finish converting the room formerly occupied by Fat Baby into an office
• Make myself doctor's appointments (annual gyn, therapy, dentist...)
• Get a pedicure
• Sign Fat Baby up for a preschool program
• Chill out

So, what's new with you?

Some Things I'm Pondering...

Does the clutter in this house mate & multiply during the night?

Why do I have to lock my children out of my room to be able to take a shower by myself?

Did My Baby's Daddy really not think there were enough dishes in the dishwasher to run it? There was only room for like 2 or 3 more items. Is that a man thing, or what?

What are we going to have for dinner...oh, that reminds me, I need to feed the kids lunch!

Why has my almost 3-year-old abandoned his lifelong perfect sleep patterns? He went from a 2-3 hour a day nap, and sleeping 8:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. to total chaos!!!! He climbs out of his bed constantly, and cries when we put him down...why?!?!! Being a good sleeper was his redeeming quality! (That, and the unbearable cuteness!)

What have I forgotten to do today? It feels like I've forgotten something...