Motherboy in the Kitchen

So we had another date night last night (thank you, Ilse!!!) & saw Sherlock Holmes: the New One. I have no idea what its subtitle actually is but when did people stop just calling things Crap 2 or whatever? 

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw of it. To be fair I saw most of it before I fell asleep. It's a long movie - 2 hours & 4 minutes apparently. 

And also to be fair, the Erina Hoyts theatre now has an Xtreme Screen theatre. I don't know what that means - there were no snowboarders or BMX bikers jumping around so I'm not sure what was so Xtreme about it. What I do know is that there were extremely comfortable brand new leather seats, still stinky new. I settled in a little too comfortably & ended up drifting off several times throughout the last hour of the movie - every time I came back to consciousness I thought "Oh, that's okay it's just more fighting/action" but those are probably just the scenes that woke me up - I'm sure I snoozed through the witty repartee & the scene where Holmes & Watson finally just get it over with & make out. Will have to watch it again one day. 

Today was a new day as they often are. Ilse is in Sydney & Marcel is back to work so this is my first day alone with my sons in a few weeks. Scary stuff. They have been incredibly kind, I must admit. Evan has gone so far as to take TWO actual naps of about an hour each instead of his usual catnaps on me, which come to an abrupt end when I have to get up or, ya know, move a muscle. 

Ben has joined me in my new love of cooking. Yes, it's been slowly sneaking up on me for 32 years but I'm finally really enjoying being in the kitchen. Now that Ben has joined me, I'm pretty sure we're only another 32 years away from a creepy Motherboy cooking show together. (If you don't know what Motherboy is, you best borrow someone's Arrested Development DVDs before I smack you.) Ben's audition tape is okay but I'm afraid Evan interrupted:

Yes, it's always that chaotic in our kitchen. And yes, lots of Depeche Mode gets listened to while we cook so there are frequent dance breaks.

Possible future cookbook cover?

AFTER

Notice Ben is doing the dishes.

I think we all know that by the time he figures out what he's doing, he won't be interested anymore.

We have a professional photographer visiting us & this is the only family picture we have to show for it. Apologies for exposing my bosom but Evan is very impatient if he doesn't eat on demand. And no, the car was not in motion - I'm not THAT bad of a mom.

Anyhoo, have a happy day wherever you are.

Disco lady

If you didn't know, I have a split personality. 

Nothing serious. 

Just talking about my taste in decorating.

One one hand I want heavy, dark & rustic.

On the other hand I crave anything shiny, spangly & garish.

I never thought the two worlds could meet.

I AM SPEECHLESS.

We don't currently have any stairs, unfortunately.

Marcel is attempting a pre-emptive veto for any future homes.

He has another thing coming.

I shall have disco ball stairs one day.

 I'm pretty sure putting it in writing (typing) makes it so.

Good day to you!

Hello Ghostbusters

Happy New Year!!

Yes, 2012 has snuck in the back door without any of us really being ready for it but it's been kind so far. Well, except for when I slammed my finger in a drawer on New Year's Day. Technically it was still 2011 when I got the same finger & two others mangled in our hand mixer the day before so I guess I can't blame that on the new year. If all the fingers on my right hand survive 2012 I will consider the year a success.

This will be brief because I'm supposed to be getting dressed & ready for the day but I just wanted to check in to let you know that I still love you like crazy & wish you all the very very best in 2012. Hope you'll stick around for more of my nonsense because one of my resolutions - if I have to call them that - is to blog more regularly & make this thing into a more sensible place instead of the current ramshackle home for my ramblings. My other resolution is to drink more water & I'm doing pretty well with that so far so raise the roof, etc!

Marcel's amazing sister Ilse is here at the moment so I'm a bit distracted these days - they are running around like only Eisele's can (seriously, they have so much energy they make me feel elderly!) but when I'm not trailing after them I am thoroughly enjoying being able to clean the house & keep up on laundry because they take Ben with them pretty much everywhere they go (he may look like a Moore but he is in constant motion like an Eisele). It sounds sad but I really enjoying being a housewife when I have time to do it properly - a little cooking here & there, changing sheets, entertaining the baby.  Oh that baby. He's lucky he's so cute because he's woken up around 2.30am the past two nights & I'm terrified it's his new thing. After weeks & weeks of sleeping through the night, how dare he try this crap now! Ha ha - we know we've been EXTREMELY lucky to have had it this good this long so I'm really not complaining. But I am hoping he's just pulling himself back together after a raucous New Year's Eve out on the town. When I get my brain back in order I'll share a video from that night with the gorgeous & amazing Bobongie family who were kind enough to let us celebrate with them, crashing with a baby & a toddler. I can't actually get the video off of my camera at the moment - must not be on the SD card, so I'm trying to find the cord that goes with the camera. Blah blah boring blah. I should have made not being boring a resolution but I didn't so you're stuck with me.

Ya know, as I was drifting off to sleep last night I found myself thinking about one of my original dreams in life - to be the Ghostbusters receptionist. Not an actual Ghostbuster but their receptionist. Annie Potts rocked the hell out of that role & I wanted her quirky hair, big glasses & an even bigger accent. One day, one day ... yep, still my dream.

Okay, I'm seriously going to go get dressed so I don't get scolded. 

Enjoy your day & drink lots of water.

Christmas Wishes

I fear my last post was too sentimental because I am still get teary thinking about my friends here, there & everywhere. I apparently opened the flood gates so if you ladies don't mind doing nothing this year, I would greatly appreciate it. 

So today I shall focus on myself & share with you my selfish Christmas wishes. I have some absolutely sincere wishes as well but those are boring.

1.

I wish

I could have one day of Ben's toddlerhood that didn't involve him spilling something on something else.

It's usually whatever drink I'm attempting to enjoy.

And since the most decadent drink I have most days is a caffeine free Diet Coke, "enjoy" is stretching it.
But it's better in my mouth than all over the table or couch or floor ... or me.

2.

I wish

I could figure out how to make a fortune on all the fine cheese I clean out of Evan's neck rolls every day after he drips as much milk as he drinks.

3.

I wish 

Brownies & celery would trade nutritional content.

4. 

I wish

Kids couldn't hear curse words.

Some days, cursing is my only outlet.

5.
I wish
For a million more wishes!
See, I'm smart.

Where my girls at?

As we're approaching Christmas, I'm finding myself feeling very sentimental. I guess we all do that a bit around the holidays, don't we? I'm usually more of a Thanksgiving gal myself but now that Ben is old enough to enjoy Christmas & the joy of Santa (or "Sansa" as he tends to pronounce it) I'm coming around to the pure bliss that is Christmas. I thought I'd never get used to the concept of a warm Christmas over here but I've even gotten over that & can appreciate the warm glow from all the spray tans lighting up the holiday.

I've been catching up with friends, old & new, recently & it reminds me how lucky I am to have them ALL in my life. There has been so much going on with everyone - new babies, weddings, divorces, moving house, falling in & out of love, you name it someone has done it this year. I wish I had the ability to jet around the world quickly to give all my buddies a big hug & tell them how much they mean to me. Wait, if I'm really wishing let's skip the jet with all its accompanying bloody jetlag & go straight to magically appearing wherever my friends are all over the world. That would scare the bejeezus out of them!!

If I was a better friend I would sit down tonight & write each of them an email telling them how special they are & what I appreciate about them. But I know me & I'd get halfway through one email, feel embarrassed so start over about 70 times then get distracted by a crying baby or a nutty toddler then it would be all over.

Chances are if you're reading this then you're a good friend (or my mom or my Uncle Paul who I'm pretty sure owes me a boat) so please know that I love you, adore you & admire you so much. Your new baby is beautiful & special, I'm so happy you found the right guy & best wishes for a lifetime of happiness together, I'm devastated that your marriage didn't work out but you deserve the best so I'm proud of you for knowing it wasn't right, your new (or very old) house is awesome - I love what you've done with it & can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve & don't you worry about finding the right guy, he's out there & he's going to be worth the wait.

If anyone can think of a nice halfway point in the world for us all to meet (Hawaii??) let's just go & throw ourselves the biggest Ladies Night ever - watch a bunch of TV, bitch our hearts out, eat whatever we want (Ladies Night calories don't count)(it's true) & just appreciate the hell out of each other.

Okay, enough of this. I'll be back with more of my usual blather sometime soon.

Friday I'm in love

Ben's Christmas concert was the other night & it was glorious. It was very casual, which was good - they weren't up on a stage or in lines or anything, just all the kids & their teachers & helpers sitting around on the floor with their Christmas jingle bells (which Ben chose to drive around like a car) singing away while we family members ooh'ed & ahh'ed from the sidelines. There was about a million people there so we didn't get any good pictures but I'll post them anyway ... uhhhh, not today because I just realized I don't know where the camera is.

Christmas shopping is almost done. I got four of my internet orders this week so I'm only waiting on three more. One is actually kinda for myself so no hearts will be broken if it doesn't get here in time & one is for Evan who is oblivious to the festivities anyway so no drama. Oh! For those of you not on Facebook, below is Evan's first Santa photo. Ben wanted no part of it so it's just Evan plopped on old St. Nick's lap. Santa offered to keep Evan because he was such a cute lump of sweetness. No go, you big elf - I like having my boys even when they drive me bananas.

For some odd reason I did manage to get a picture from his concert's after party - Marcel must have snapped it on his phone & emailed it. The boy has inherited my love of popcorn & like any child he adores anything sweet so the multi-color candy-coated popcorn is his kryptonite.

And while I'm sharing pictures, I'll give you these doozies from a particularly late night after Ben took a late nap. Marcel was still at work & Evan was asleep like the angel sleeper that he is so Ben & I partied hard.

I'm still trying to master the snarly face but it ain't working.

This one's not so hot either.

A subtle hint that it was time to cut it out with the photos.

No, I don't have a moustache. I have teeny tiny freckles that catch shadows in a terribly flattering manner. Well, I do have a moustache but luckily it's super pale - now you've got me all paranoid & I need to make a waxing appointment.

And I just remembered that I got on the computer to check some finance stuff so I should actually go do that & stop farting around. BORING!

nothing new

I am currently in the midst of writing a very comprehensive shopping list that should hopefully finish out my Christmas shopping tomorrow. It's one of those doozies that has it broken up by store at the top but then broken down by person at the bottom so when I'm in hour 78 & wondering why I'm looking for "orange post-it notes shaped like a snowman" or something really random & overly specific I can remember why.

There are also six things out there in the world that I've ordered online & am patiently waiting their arrival. One I ordered only an hour ago & I'm already trying to track it. WHY ISN'T IT HERE?? I do have concerns over some of the things I've ordered from Australian companies because somehow they take forever to arrive - I imagine it's because they're much smaller businesses but I still shake my head. Folks, it's worth tricking friends & relatives to help you out 'round the holidays if you're a one-man operation - nothing worse than packages not arriving in time for Christmas.

In non-materialistic news, I've got nothing else going on these days. I'm eating well, getting back to the gym tonight after a few days off while our entire household suffered from a cold. Luckily, it disappeared very quickly with only a few lingering sniffles remaining. Evan is still breathing a bit rough at night but sleeping soundly & nothing serious so we're all happy campers. But yes, taking care of myself.

Tomorrow night is Ben's first Christmas concert!! I'm so tickled I can hardly stand it. He's been singing around the house & putting his hands in the shape of a star & we can understand the word star a few times in his singing but can't understand much else (speech classes start next month) so we're trying to figure out exactly what a bunch of 0-3 year olds will be singing for us! It's going to be classic whatever it ends up being! We'll be filming it so I'll post it as soon as possible.

Okay, #2 is suddenly wailing at me & Ben is burping up chocolate milk so I need to go teach some manners while feeding the baby. Life is good, life is good.