This give me secret joy.

Shhhhhhhhhh!

I don't call myself mediocre for no reason.

I look out at the snow melting in my backyard and down at the extra pounds on my backside and I feel the slight squiggle of Spring in my belly. It tells me, "Do something! Create! Move! Think!"

And I say, "Eh. Maybe."

I'm a creative person with no specific skill set and not a lot of personal time to fully execute my ideas. I guess I'm a perfectionist in that if I can't do it just the way I like, then forget it. I'm not going to put forth the effort to create crap.

Though in my house with three boys and two cats, I deal with a lot of poop on a daily basis. I am pretty good in dealing with the mundane. That's not saying that my house is not a complete wreck (see statement above about finding time and doing things right). Niecy Nash - can I send you my number?

I puzzle at working mom's and SAHM's who have yoga, enrichment classes, side businesses, and amazing hobbies. Granted, I am an epic fail with time management. There is only so much I can get done between 9:30 and 3:15 each day and after 8:00 each night.

So, I've resolved to take tiny steps to the 2009 Mediocre Muse self-improvement project.

1. Take the Wii Fit out of the box.
2. Use the aforementioned Wii Fit for it's intended purpose.
3. Write something down each day.
3. Get a move on outside of the house.
4. Create something fun on personal time (I've taken up cross-stitch. First project ).
5. Be brave. Make new friends and actually follow-up on the friendship. I'm a scaredy cat.

Five is a lot, right? But I think they are obtainable if not my own special brand of under-achievement.

So...I'm going to take on the first item on my list tonight. Woah. Hold on....perhaps it's too much for the first day! Let's not get crazy.

Cross your fingers for me and let's see what happens.

A Certain Grocery

Neither Rant nor Rave...just Read.

Okay. Everyone in the RVA blogiverse seems to have a very passionate opinion about our locally owned and operated medium-sized grocery. Either you hate it or love it. Me? Well, I am very much in the middle. This is why -

I believe the company is run to the best of the abilities of the people who run the show. It is a business that tries to remain competitive in a world of Costco's and Walmarts and hell, even Target, 'cause I love me some Super Target.

I worked above store level for a few years, I can assure you that the company is neither nefarious nor overly zealous in business practices. And no, I did not drink the proverbial kool-aide. People who work for this company swear, drink and screw just like everyone else outside of work (and sometimes in but that is another story).

Sure, you may have heard about this or that in the past about blocking such and such a store from coming to Richmond or being closed on Sundays or the refusal to sell alcohol. Seriously? The company is not the largest retailer or even the most affluent in the area.

If competitive business wants to open a business in Richmond - it happens regardless. There are billions of legal, financial and strategic reasons for a business to open or not to open.

Closed on Sundays and not selling alcohol? It is in deference to the patriarch of the family who started the business in the 30's. Sure money is grand but isn't respecting your father/grandfather's wishes?

Also, product and customer service, if it sucks, complain loud and proud. There are people who's sole responsibility is to respond to phone calls and letters with customer "concerns." For a short time, I was one of those people. Everyone who had a legitimate complaint or defective product received an apology, phone call or letter, and compensation either in product replacement or refund. Location managers will fall over themselves to help you out. There is a "meat guy" and a "produce guy" and so on and so forth responsible for the category company wide. If you call and ask for that person - you will get a person on the phone. Would this happen at another national retailer? Maybe.

And the family? They are quirky and, to me, seemed a bit isolated from what I consider the nitty gritty real world but they are nice enough people.

Am I a fan? Even though I worked there I am an equal opportunity shopper. We shop at pretty much all of the groceries for different items and for different reasons. But we have a choice. And so do you.

Job Opening: President of United States

Job Opening: President of United States
No experience necessary but enthusiasm to succeed a must.

The qualifications below are required but not limited to the following:

· Work to provide access to affordable healthcare for everyone (a family should not have to choose between rent, food and treating illness).
· Support medical research for prevention and curing illness and disease (incl. HIV/AIDS) via research including stem cell.
· Educate children to prevent pregnancy and disease with many possible options (Teaching abstinence isn’t the only option and doesn’t seem to be overly effective).
· Advocate and protect a woman’s right to privacy and choice (pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion).
· Reduce domestic violence and strengthen laws to protect those harmed by partners and caregivers (young women are not the only victims – protect everyone who needs it).
· Protect Social Security AND provide fair pay and benefits for everyone so that children and the elderly can have the support they need as vulnerable citizens.
· Ending the current war(s) and providing extended support and care to its veterans (one can support the military without supporting the war – they are doing an honorable job).
· Provide early, quality education to all children extending to before and aftercare.
· Educate our educators and provide incentive for them to continue to educate with passion and not going through the motions perpetuating the overall failure of our educational system.
· Develop an ethical and environmentally friendly plan to wean the U.S. off of foreign oil.
· Supporting alternate fuels and energy resources and making them affordable and accessible to the general public.
· Strengthen our place in the global economy by revitalizing domestic industry and manufacturing.
· Recognize and attend to the “third world” situation in the United States. Turn our eyes back to Rural America and help those without basic utilities, food, healthcare, transportation, jobs, clothing, and education (think about never using the bathroom inside your own home).
· Farming! The original foundation business of our nation. Support our growers by providing knowledge, education, technology and our money as consumers. Let’s foster a new environment of young farmers who grow organic and sustainable crops to feed our country (check those labels of origin on your fruit and veggies).
· Securing our borders and entry points with a stronger, more finite system without vigilantism.
· Remove incentive to enter country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented / falsely documented immigrants.
· Protect our country from domestic and foreign terrorism by tightly securing, monitoring and guarding our chemical and nuclear plants and repositories.
· Realize that abundant, clean water and air is a rare commodity that we need to conserve and protect for quality of life as well as for National Security.
· Devise a fool-proof (because our nation is full of fools) plan in case of catastrophic natural events and potential attacks on the population (Remember the elderly, special needs individuals, hospitals – include everyone).
· It is not necessary to be perfect – no one is and not one of our nation’s former leaders can lay claim to that title – but regardless of your personal life you should do your job. My boss has no right to know what I did last night but if it impacts my job performance I might possibly get fired despite any excuse I might offer. Get it? Just do your job.

I don’t normally post politics, aside from the occasional YouTube video, but the past several years and the current political maelstrom causes me to worry about my family and our future. It causes me to worry about our country domestically, its international reputation and reaction to that reputation. The above list is what I find important as a woman, a wife, a mother and a U.S. citizen. My opinion is not up for debate and is not necessarily partisan. I want a candidate that can accomplish my requirements for the job. If you can do that – then you have my vote.

Hurricanes, War, Politics...and I can't get a 3.5yo to pee in the potty.

I feel as if I missed my window of opportunity when I was pregnant almost 2 years ago. When the latest boy entered our world, I had little time to sit, and sit and sit with another to pee. Good lord knows I tried breastfeeding on the bathroom floor while my second son sat for what seemed like hours on the red little Bjorn potty.

My pediatrician took some of the pressure off of me when he told me to take a break for everyone's welfare until things calmed down a bit. I took it to heart and laid off the 3yo for a bit. I didn't quite understand then but know now that even though our eldest decided the day he turned 3 to never need trainers again, that my middle child is a different animal alltogether.

Now he's going to turn 4 in little over a month! I've tried bribes of candy and toys. I've tried tender understanding and soothing over accidents. I've even tried guilt and shame to my own embarrassment. You know what he tells me when I admonish him?

"Well, Mommy, I just can't make a sad face."

The pediatrician tells me that I'm still well within "window" of potty training my stubborn child. I'm almost ready to jump out of it!!!

Wholacious Foods

Avoid it at all costs until they get parking under control and the general public stops losing their minds!

Otherwise, nice and chichi grocery.

Crazy Eight Wedding Anniversary...

Something magical was in the air those wonderful 8 years ago....

Happy Anniversary, my dearest and most wonderful husband.

Summertime Goodness - Corny cupcake.

Someone make these for me now! Please?

This is Sunnydale - how bad an evil can there be?

Buffy movie, Buffy Televison Series, Buffy comics, Buffy Action Figures - What? No Animated Series? Apparently not.

It would be worth it for Willow....right?

Pudgy, Middle-Aged, Haggard Mom Goes to the Beach

The Trip - The big girls (my mom and I) against - I mean with - the little boys (my three sons 17mos, 3.75yrs, 7.5yrs.)

The Location - VA Beach, Atlantic and Upper 30's

The Set-Up - Annual mid-week getaway courtesy of Mom and transportation via Me and the rad mini van.

The Suit - Since last year, graduated to full-on matron swim dress though kind of retro-ish. Bonus: no defoliation has to occur!

Me - At my oldest and my heaviest non-pregnancy weight EVER. Not to mention a wee bit exhausted from three gleefully incorrigible boys.

The Results - Not too bad. I had a lot of reconciling to do. Reconciliation with myself. Once I realized that I was no longer this girl:

Or this one...

I was okay with it. I am not the highly insecure, naive, eager to please little girl (20yrs) in the first and I definitely am not the newly divorced, transitional bf break-up, bitter woman (29yrs) in the second. What am I?

I am a woman who no longer needs to look around on the beach to see who is looking. I am a mother who keeps an eagle eye out for her boys. I am a woman who sits in the sand and loves digging the hole to China that her 3yo can sit in - the sludgy sand much more preferable over the surf over his toes. I am the woman who loves taking the camera and capturing really cool memories for her kids to revisit. I am the woman who takes the chairs, the umbrella, the snacks, the towels, the cooler, the toys, and the boogie board down to the beach in the morning and the one who brings it all back at night. I am the smoother of sun block and the wiper of salt water out of eyes.

Am I the sun bather with the loosened straps and the flat stomach? OMGoodness no. Would I want to be? Well no effin duh. Of course. But that is not me today. I've achieved something much better.

Mad About Mad Men

Finally something worth my time this long, hot summer. I can't wait to see what happened/happens to Peggy.




AMC tonight at 10, hep cats.

Calorie Free Photo Grazing

OMGoodness Gracious...does this ever make me hungry.

Photograzing at Serious Eats.

Cake Wrecks - OMG

I love cake. I love eating cake. Offering cake to friends and love ones to celebrate and enjoy...but having worked in a retail bakery myself, I know cakes can go wrong.

This web site is perfect. Check out this cake.

Oooh, and this one...you have to visit the blog just to get the story behind it. Hilarious!

Finally! Family Fun Friday: Virginia Living Museum

On a recent Tuesday afternoon Husband calls me on the cell and asks, "Do you have plans for Friday?" This question is a rarity so I immediately answer there were a couple tentative events on the calendar but nothing definite. "Well, let's do something with the kids." Well, sure.

Anytime Husband wants to do something as a family (besides grocery shopping - UGH), I am all for it. Granted I would be even more for it if he actually would take the kids for the day but I'm not (really) complaining.

The problem was this - not too far, not too expensive AND nothing we've done before. We considered the area theme parks and decided no, no and more no. We both would love something historic/educational but don't think our three are ready to appreciate Williamsburg quite yet - though they kinda thought Jamestown/Yorktown rocked last summer just for the Susan Constant, Discovery and Godspeed. They were so tiny!

So no theme parks, no historical, nothing too far, nothing too expensive, and nothing we've done before. Thank goodness for the magical internet. This site had a lot of solutions.

We both decided with snacks and assorted amusements in the van, we could make it down 64 to Newport News to the Virginia Living Museum.

After a mildly rough start - bickering, whining and barfing - we finally made it to the museum in pretty good time. The the driveway to and the facade of the building are a little unassuming and there was plenty of parking. Stoller, blanket, binky, sippees, water bottles, wipes, camera, cell phone, etc...and we were off!

What a cool place. Really.

First and foremost - the employees, volunteers, and docents were above and beyond polite and pleasant. The young man at the front desk /cash wrap was gracious and helpful (having worked at a museum, I know that this doesn't always occur). Plus the desk had a really cool aquarium that had a crazy pirahna-like fish centrifuge aquarium - a tornado of silver fish!

We ventured outside first to the boardwalk where we saw beavers, river otters, bald eagles, bobcat, deer, wild turkeys, skunk, opossum, gray fox, red fox, coyotes and red wolves. Later when I asked Husband what his favorite part was....he said, "Beavers. I like a good beaver..." Thus kicking off the random mention of the beloved beaver thoughout the day. Bad man.

The indoor exhibits were pretty awesome too. My favorite by far was the Chesapeake Bay aquarium with its crystal waters containing a charming loggerhead sea turtle. He had a "lucky fin" (Nemo reference) according to my older two boys. I should say so...sweet digs though a companion certainly would have been nice I guess.

We even ate at the on-site cafe. Nothing gourmet. Requisite kids food and sandwiches for us - on par with a nice hospital cafeteria or similar.

The special visiting exhibit was something called Dino-mania. Kind of a rubbery animatronic dinosaur display. Husband and I were less than impressed but man...the kids went nuts. I guess that is all that mattered because when I asked them what they liked best at the end of the day they all said the dinosaurs were the highlight. Huh.

I totally recommend making the trip and grumbling through some mild traffic to Newport News to the Virginia Living Museum. Your kids will like the dinosaurs and your husband will like the beaver.

And remember that, in a world of ordinary mortals, you are a Wonder Woman.

I think if I just had this...

.


I would for sure feel like this...