March Madness: CONAN!

OMG! I am so excited! I'm going to see Conan!!!

Those of you who know and love me can appreciate my over-the-top enthusiasm for this news. I L.O.V.E. Conan. In fact, he made my Someday List. I have always wanted to see him live, but I honestly never thought it would happen.

When he was in New York I thought, dang! I'll never get to NY. When he was in L.A. I thought, dang! I'll never get to L.A. And when he went off the air I thought, dang! Now all hopes are dashed of ever seeing him in person.

But because he is going on this fabulous tour to a city near me (Minneapolis on May 18) I will get to check that one off my Someday List: I will get to see him live, on stage, in all his orange bouffant glory.

I saw it on Twitter this morning and nearly peed my pants. I quickly texted Grant ("Conan is coming to Mpls May 18, can we go? Pleeeeease?") Not that I really needed to ask because HELLO of course we are going! But he responded with an enthusiastic YES (after some discussion about our budget). So GAME ON!

His website says it will be "A night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence." Awesome.

Entertainment Weekly had it so right when they said Conan is funnier in 140 characters on Twitter than Jay Leno is for an entire hour on his show. Go Team Coco! (@ConanOBrien)

March Madness: Discontent

dis·con·tent
a. Absence of contentment; dissatisfaction.

b. A restless longing for better circumstances.


"A restless longing for better circumstances" <--- That's putting it mildly.

I am the definition of this word today. I am utterly shocked that my discontent mugshot is not next to this dictionary entry. Because it should be.

I have written before on this blog about the fact that I am not at a happy place in my career (and I use the word career lightly). It's sort of a joke, really, how underpaid and unfulfilled I am.

Pity party, table for one. I know, I know.

I am not someone who fits in a neat little box of career choices. I can't classify myself as any one thing because, as I pointed out in yesterday's post, I have done many things. I have spent 10 years trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up and I have yet to figure it out.

Here's a huge clue that you are not in the right job: You have people saying things like, "Aren't you a little, ummm, overqualified for your job?" I get that one A LOT. And the answer is YES.

But it's my fault. I don't put myself into positions where I can either, a) be truly successful, b) be truly fulfilled, or c) live up to my potential. I am a self-saboteur. WHY do I do that to myself? Why am I constantly undercutting my own abilities and aspirations??

Maybe it's a fear of failure?

Makes me think of that great Spiderman quote: "With great power comes great responsibility." I fear the long fall down if I do dive into a career that might be more challenging, more risky, harder ... with a greater chance of failure.

I often wonder if I will ever find that magic bullet, or if it even exists.

This is what keeps me up at night. This AND the very bizarre Lindsey Lohan/E-Trade lawsuit. Have you heard about that crap? She is seriously disturbed.

March Madness: Beautiful Blogger Award

I have been given the Beautiful Blogger Award by the very sweet Kelli. She is mama to the always adorable Aiden, and her blog is certainly beautiful. Therefore I am honored to have been chosen by her for this award. I wish I could make a Sandra Bullock-like acceptance speech but I'm just not that articulate and luminous. So instead I will just say THANK YOU Kelli, and pass it along!

First, I believe I am supposed to say 7 things about me. I am going to try and come up with some obscure facts that my friends might not even know about me. Maybe.

1. I've had something like 15 different job titles in the 10 years since I have graduated from college. I didn't say 15 different jobs, I said 15 different job titles. I tend to morph into other things once I get into a job, and my title inevitably changes. Am I proud that that? Not particularly. But VistaPrint has made a fortune from me in business cards.

2. I hate horror movies. Like, HATE them. I will even turn the channel if there is a commercial for one on. They are a waste of time.

3. I was originally going to be a psychology major but then failed Stats for Psych miserably so that was the end of that. There were no statistics requirements for a B.A. in writing, so I decided that sounded like a good choice.

4. Did I mention I am bad at math? That's why I married an accountant.

5. I have never been in a car accident and I have never received a speeding ticket. True story. But now that I have written this I will certainly do both. Today, probably.

6. I have been to Bourbon Street in New Orleans and I received beads while I was there. That's all I'm going to say about that.

7. I love my friends, family and life so fiercely that sometimes it scares me. But life is all about passion, right?


Passing on awards is a hard thing to do for so many reasons, but I am going to do my best. So many of you that I would have chosen have already gotten this award, and for good reason!!

I have decided to give this award to a bunch of blogs who make me smile every day with their beautiful pictures. I love me some good photography. And as a bonus these wonderful picture-takers just happen to be awesome mamas, too!

Bliss Photography (other blog at Little Baby Bliss)

Olive Avenue Photography (other blog at Our Golden Girl)

Songbird Photography (other blog at Stoll My Heart)

3 Continent Family

Love is Spoken Here

March Madness: Vegetable Relocation Program

I vaguely remember a Jon & Kate Plus 8 episode (yes, I watched it religiously before all the drama, before her ugly hair extensions) where Kate says something like, "The kids eat what I put in front of them or they don't eat at all." Something to that effect. [In her really bitchy, holier-than-thou kind of way.] I actually really admired that about her. She stuck to her guns when it came to nutrition. Their family tried to eat locally and organically (which I think was all a bit staged for the show, but whatever). But I just remember thinking, OMG, she actually gets her kids to eat veggies. How does she do it???

Miles is like any other toddler, or at least many that I know: PICKY. And getting pickier. I wish I had the strength to stick to my guns and not give in when he whines and cries for something. But I am weak. And at the end of the day when I am tired and crabby already he can wear me down REALLY fast.

But it's not like we are feeding him crap and he is making his own decisions about food. Oh no, no, no. To the contrary. If nothing else I am a product of my mother, the dietitian, who always had balanced and healthy meals on the table for us. So I am forever trying to get in more fruits and veggies when I can with him. Our "snack drawer" is stocked with raisins, applesauce and granola bars. That does not make me Mother of the Year. But it does give me some hope that I can establish some good eating habits. Even if we do go to McDonald's once in a while. Mama likes fries, what can I say?

Lately Miles has decided to try a new and fabulous trick to avoid eating veggies that I have dubbed the "Vegetable Relocation Program". You know, kinda like the Witness Relocation Program without all the cops and mob hits and such. He starts by transferring all of the veggies from one side of his plate to the other. When he can see that has, in fact, not deterred me from trying to coax some in his mouth he then tries to relocate them to the table. And when that doesn't work he tries to put them on MY plate. Or else, and this is a brilliant reverse-psychology move on his part, he tries to take all the veggies off my plate and put them onto his. Smart move, but I'm not buying it, mister.

It is really funny to watch him relocating his veggies around everywhere. Such a silly one, that kid.

So, I have resorted to buying baby food (because I am frankly just too lazy to make my own purees) and plotting to hide it in his food. I plan to mix squash into his mac n cheese. I plan to mix carrots into his spaghetti sauce. Etc... I got the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld as a gift recently (thanks, Jess!) and I plan on making many things in there, too. Whatever it takes. I have my own form of the Veggie Relocation Program up my sleeve, buddy, and I will succeed! Like I often say to Miles when he is refusing to put on his shirt or his coat, "Mama will win eventually. You might as well just give in now."

How do you get your kiddos to eat veggies???

March Madness: The Birth of Blogs

Nothin' like squeaking in a post just under the wire, eh? Thought I wouldn't get 'er in today, didn't you??? Yeah, I didn't either. But here I am, watching the Oscars (what's up with George Clooney looking all pissy tonight?) while I hear my bed calling my name. So, a quick post before I heed that call! I really want to respond to a bloggy award that I was given but that will have to wait until tomorrow!

This is a crazy busy week for me and I have no clue how I will get everything done, but I am going to take a deep breath and dive right into the deep end. Hope I will keep my head above water.

One quick thought for the day: Grant pulled up our first blog (4 blogs ago. really.) last night and we had so.much.fun. going back and reading those first posts. Windows Live Spaces. That was our first blogging platform. January 11, 2007. That was our first post date. We birthed our blog after starting the adoption process as a way to communicate our progress with friends and family, and as a way to connect with other adoptive families or PAPs (prospective adoptive parents). And then, 3 blogs later...here we are!

After that little walk down memory lane, and when I think back on our life pre-Miles I have two thoughts: 1) I used to have more brain cells and be way more interesting...what happened??, and 2) What the hell did I do with all of that free time???

I love having these blogs to reference to how life used to be. It's a history book, a postcard, a networking tool, a time machine and a scrapbook all rolled into one. How cool is that? I know those of you who have blogs will agree with that. I guess tonight I am just feeling grateful for the ability to look back .. and look forward ... all at the same time.

What was your first blog, and when/why did you start it? Do you ever go back and read your old posts?

March Madness: Saturday Smatterings

First of all, thank you and welcome to some new followers from MBC and FGF. I think I have gotten around to the vast majority of your blogs but if not I will get there soon! I love this crazy, fun blogging community. It's like one big party that we're all invited to. I dig it.

[Oh, and if you are a newbie to All of the Above, please note that March Madness is my answer to writer's block. I am attempting to blog every day for a month, and because of that I might go mad. I was about to throw in the ol' bloggy towel but instead decided to kick myself in the ass and do March Madness. Maybe I've already gone mad... :-) ]

Second of all, it seems that I need to start some sort of drinking club for mamas of 2 year olds. Let me work on that and see what I can come up with... ;)

Lastly, my baby boy is going to officially be in the Terrible Twos Club a week from today. I was just thinking about the fact that exactly two years ago we still weren't matched with Miles' birthmother and we actually had only just been accepted to our adoption agency. Crazy how life can change in just one short week, because a mere 7 days later our son was born. AWESOME (as he says).

And now I am planning his 2nd birthday party which will be on his actual birth date, next Saturday. Lots of toddlers. Oh the fun. It is a little different twist on the traditional birthday party and I will fill you all in on the "juicy" details after it's all said and done!

My son is napping. My husband isn't home. The house is quiet. What the hell am I doing on the computer?!? NAPTIME for mama. Nighty night!

March Madness: Feel Good Friday

My bloggy pal over at The Girl Next Door Grows Up has been doing this fabulous thing called "Feel Good Friday" for quite some time now, and I have yet to partake--until now! She has given us several things to consider when writing our "Feel Good Friday" posts and I am going to take suggestion numero uno:

• Just make a list. List 5 things that made you really happy this week. No matter how bad or boring you think your week was, I bet you can find 5 things.

So, here's my list!

1. I had a hysterical email conversation with three of my favorite people (you know who you are) that made me literally laugh out loud. LOL. It's one of those "you had to be there" moments but believe me, it was classic. It had to do with conspiracy theories, collating for Jesus and the company that makes Cheetos.

2. My cousin-in-law posted something very flattering about me and my blog on Facebook yesterday, and it has puffed me up so much that I am now asking everyone to please address me as Her Royal Highness. And add in comments from her sister, another awesome cousin-in-law, and you have me at a full-on blush. I don't deserve a word of it, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful. So grateful.

3. I have found a blog (courtesy of Girl Next Door) that makes me happy. It's called Mommy Wants Vodka. I can relate. Aunt Becky (the author) is someone who hits the nail on the head every.single.time. She uses words like "cooter" and it makes me laugh so hard I nearly pee. Check it out. You will NOT be disappointed.

4. I have actually enjoyed March Madness, thus far. I have yet to go mad. So, that feels good.

5. Despite being in the throws of the TERRIBLE TWOs (did I mention the vodka???), my incredibly clever and handsome son makes me feel good...every week.


Hope your Friday feels as good as mine!!!