Stylish Blog Award...

I have been awarded the

Stylish Blog Award!

I was given this illustrious award from my Ash... aka, Louie, so thank you, sweet one, and here I go!

The Rules:

1. Thank the person who tagged you.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself.

3. Award 7 blogging buddies this "Stylish Blogger Award."

7 Facts about Me...

1. I love me a good nap. Got one on Sunday with the boys and I was in Heaven all afternoon long. I don't even suffer from the dreaded nap hangover like some.

2. I hate to iron. HATE. I would clean 5 toilets before I ironed one shirt.

3. I like chocolate milk but only if you make it with syrup. I think the powdered stuff is BS.

4. I love my home town. I love the way it smells, the way the sun shines on the little valley and all my memories of life there. It is kind of a little slice of Heaven.

5. I make lists every day of my life. I am capable of getting a little spontaneous too, but a list - oh there is something so wonderful and centering about having a list of stuff to do. Even now when the list is comprised of feeding the ducks and buying frozen yogurt - I still write it down, baby.

6. I do not enjoy watching soccer on TV - one of the few sports I just don't get that well and dang if my husband doesn't love it.

7. I would have a slurpee every day of my life if I could. Pina Colada slurpees - try one - you'll feel a little bit more summery with your first swig - promise. :)

And I choose to kind of be the "breaker of the chain" here.

I'll just say that if you'd like to be tagged and you're needing a little flava-flav, an award for your blog,

or an idea for a blog entry - here you go....

You've been tagged!

Ryan's Rants...

I am going to write in to some Electronics Guru and pose a very important question. But first, I'm asking all of you because one of you geniuses is bound to know the answer...

Here's the dealio - RyGar insists that we have to "train" our new phone system. Let me expand, he feels it necessary to leave the cordless phones off their bases until they are nearly dead because, and I quote, "We have to train the phone batteries to last longer."

Really?

Could this be true? OR is this one of his strange little OCD beliefs OR is he just purposefully trying to drive me insane? I think yes... on all counts but number one.

This means that there are literally SIX phones lying NEXT TO their bases all throughout the house and I am slowly going nuts. I really just want to walk through and follow the little crumb trail and place them all on their BASES because, oh yeah, that is what BASES are for - for phones to sit upon. No?!

Please tell me your Brother's Uncle runs a Best Buy and told you that there is absolutely no truth to this idea and that it is a common misnomer. Please point me in the direction of some great article from Tech Daily that laughs at such follies.

Please. Help Me. Please.

:)

Ducks - Take Two...

If you are unfamiliar with our last go to feed the ducks let me sum it up in a few short sentences:

Kael charges into icy water to catch a duck.

Ducks make horrendous, unnatural sounds & flee the scene.

Freezing, wet toddler grins ear-to-ear as Mama pulls him from the frigid waters.

Baby soaks it all in & takes copious notes for his turn to freak out a mama in the future.

Needless to say I was scared shitless (Sorry, Mom, but that is one of THE funniest swear word sayings) to try this little outing again sans Daddy-O, but duty calls and he was at work. What's a girl to do? Wait in the safety of her own fenced yard for the man of the house to accompany her and the boys to see the ducks later and miss out on the freakin' fabulous 60 degree weather? I don't think so. We were due a dose of Vitamin D.

Anyway, I am happy to report that WE DID IT! No children or ducks were harmed during our visit to the duck pond today and mercy, I almost thought it was too good to be true.

So this is me, just taking a little victory lap in the blog-o-sphere.

(Roaring Applause)

Funny what constitutes a victory these days, eh?

Post-It Notes...

I totally wish I had invented the Post-It Note.

Reason One - Because I use them like an addict and,

Reason Two - Because I would love the monetary reward for such a silly yet profound invention.

My Post-It addiction started at a young age. My Mom and Dad both worked and being a "Key Latch Kid", Post-It Notes were left daily on the counter top to communicate "To-Dos" and "Don't Forgets" and "I Love Yous". And I loved it. If you're important enough for a Post-It Love Note in your sack lunch, you're pretty dang important.

Anyway, the Post-It addiction has grown and morphed and I will admit, that I have already created a growing summer "Must Do" list that spans pages and includes little things like, "Blow Bubbles in the Park" and "Make Kool-Aid Popsicles" and big things like "Camping on the Henry Mountains". The languid days of summer are calling my name and I am going to soak them all in with my little brood and probably some water balloons and kites.

Besides, you know your little ones are getting cabin fever

when two suckers just simply won't do...

And they begin to lie restlessly amongst a pile of their toys.

Mmmmm....

So, lemme have it. As you stare out your window today at the frosted landscape, what summer activity promises to make it on your list?

I'll probably jot it down on a Post-It note and then add it to the "Master List"...

:)

Promises, Promises...

I am going to make a promise right now, "I, Amber, will never ever in a million years own a Kirby vacuum." You're probably rolling your eyes right now, and I get that, I mean, Geez, another post about vacuums? What's with this girl? Well, I'll tell you.

A Kirby in-home demonstrator stopped by the other day and I let him in to do his little show. You know why? Because he promised to shampoo one room for free in exchange for my time. And I REALLY wanted the living room carpet cleaned and figured with my steely resolve against all sales shenanigans I was golden. And I am. Rest assured, no Kirby was purchased. (Just setting the stage). AND, as a side note, RyGar came through in a huge way and got Mama the Dyson Animal for her B-Day.

I think I'm in love. With Ryno AND the Animal.

But let me tell you why I still hold a little grudge. I said to the infamous Kirby guy, "Yep, just vacuumed this morning." And he proceeded to pull out his sparkly clean filter thingies and re-vacuum my living room and about thirteen filters later, he nods and says, "Yep, this vacuum sure did pull a lot of dirt out of your newly cleaned carpet."

Punk.

He did the baking soda test to show how my vacuum left piles of the powdered stuff and his didn't, and he dusted my curtains with one of his "superior" attachments. Then he cleaned a section of my tile and grout after rudely pointing out some "stains and spills". Really? Wow, there's nothing like buttering up your potential customer by making them feel like a gem of a housekeeper. Maybe you should try to clean up after two toddlers eat their lunch after a trip to the freakin' DMV and we'll see how your tile looks. I mean, really, re-evaluate your sales strategy. Just sayin'.

Bottom line, an hour and a half later my carpets WERE clean and shampooed and still damp (despite all carpet cleaners' claims that they will leave no residual moisture.... let's all agree that is the most commonly told lie amongst all carpet cleaning companies.) And I had said, "No Thanks" to Mr. Kirby at least 29 times.

Sigh. Was it worth it? Not sure, but complaining about it online (as lame and pitiful as it may be) sure has made me feel better.

And a few more weekend highlights...

1. Got this amazing little charm necklace for my big day from my boys. It has my little guys' fingerprints and their names etched in silver. I kinda bawled.

You can see the whole collection at:

www.tinasteinberg.com

2. Got a date with RyGar and actually saw a funny movie (we were currently in a crappy movie slump). "Just Go With It" gets two thumbs up from us and so do Caramel Apple Sugar Babies - Yum.

3. Saw Wyoming get "Jimmered" at the Y's last home game and the student section did one of those flash mob dances all choreographed and awesome. It was fantastic.

You can see it on YouTube.

4. Went to nursery with Kaelster. That boy loved it week one, but he is still deciding if it's his bag of chips. I helped my neighbor out by being her assistant today and he did awesomely. He particularly enjoyed steam-rolling this poor little guy.

5. Watched Dax Man almost entirely abandon the "Army Crawl" for all fours and flights of stairs. Houston, we are GO for launch 'round here.

Well, sorta... we have no clean clothes since I abandoned all other motherly duties... but that's what Mondays are for...

:)

Today...

Today, I turn 31 Years Old.

But I'm not freakin' - I feel pretty good about it.

Mostly because I have a hot date with my RyGar, who also happens to be my Romance Novel Hero... can't you tell by this GQ photo?

But really, how often in life is your husband the stuff they make romantic literature out of? Lucky, I know.

And also because I will be spending the day with these two.

Who are little live wires, full of passion and life and giggles.

And wrestling, of late.

*As a side-note, Kaelster's PJs are size 2T... I can't keep up... so just enjoy his little linebacker butt hanging out of them. It is delish.

And while yes, I swear, I do see a few lines around my eyes... get this, they all slant upward. Just the way I've always wanted them to. I mean, really, who can resist people with smile lines?

Just Sayin'...

:)

Boyfriend...

Do NOT tell Ryno what I am about to divulge on the Internet.

I have a boyfriend.

He lives in Arizona and he sends me fresh lemons from his tree every year. And I heart him. Because he and his lemons brighten my February/March and make my table look scrumptious.

I should probably do something useful with them like juice them and make lemonade or create a wonderful low-cal salad dressing. But instead, I simply place them in a cute bowl and adore them throughout the day and think summery thoughts.

It's probably a slight waste of my thoughtful one's gift. But he doesn't mind. Because before you get too worried, you should know that my AZ Boy resembles Doc Brown from Back to the Future in appearance and energy and overall wackadoo-ness and he is actually Ryan's Uncle Ray, whom I unabashedly adore.

So, here's to Ray, the guy that rescued me on multiple occasions during my time in the desert, and the guy that rescues me from the last LONG days of winter with his citrus cheer.

Smooches!