Food and Travel, What a Combo!

A picture of your favorite food, and a short story or memory involving it (example: the first time you ate it, a memory cooking it--the conversation involved, etc). If you can, provide the recipe.

Well,  I don't actually have a specific favorite food.  I used to luuuuurve tacos, and while I still do, they aren't my favorite anymore.  I also like chocolate, but not all chocolate.  I don't like dark chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, or chocolate pudding.  Actually, I don't like pudding at all.  I have newly discovered that I really like pudding when it is mixed with whipped cream (as long as the pudding isn't chocolate). 
My favorite TYPE of food, at the moment, is anything sweet.  Mmmmmmm, sweet.  Ice cream, cookies, pie, cake, candy, doughnuts.  I've turned into a total sugar whore since having Baby Cakes. 

I also like Mexican food.  If we are going out to eat, I will always pick a Mexican place.  Los Hermanos is divine.  There used to be a place, Taco Reindo, or something like that, that was soooooooo goooooooood.  It's gone now though.  So sad. 

And, since this one is so short, I'll treat you to.......

Everything About Me That You Never Wanted To Know :
(hopefully this one will be easier than the food thing)

 Where do you dream of going someday?

Ooooo, so many places.  France comes to mind first.  I love the french language, I think it is gorgeous.  I wish I had the motivation to learn it.  Or the money to take a class to learn it.  I'd also like to go to Italy and Ireland.  I want to go to Japan because The Man says they are crazy, and I want to see for myself.  But if I do ever get the chance to go anywhere other than the US or Canada (sorry Canada), I don't want to do all the tourist trap things (okay, I do, really, but not at the same time).  I want to immerse myself in the culture and see how people there really live.  Because the tourist places are going to be so different than the places no one goes to. 

Uniquely Normal Mom: Breast Milk Baby Doll- Hypersexualizing our daughters?

It makes me sad to think that so many people in our culture think breastfeeding=sex. Because it involves breasts.

Uniquely Normal Mom: Breast Milk Baby Doll- Hypersexualizing our daughters?

A Thing

So a friend on Facebook invited me to do this thing.  It's uuuuuuuuh......I don't really know what to call it.  She is taking a creative non-fiction writing class, and it either got her nosy, or it's an assignment.  Either way, I'm nosy too, so I'll gladly let someone else be nosy.

Word of warning, it might get depressing, because my life has been good, and it's been really bad, and depending on my mood, you just might get bad memories.  Also, there won't be any of the requested pictures, because, well, I just don't do that.  So, here's the first question: 

(oh yeah, when I do this, I won't be doing the Extra Things You Never Wanted to Know About Me.  Because these could end up even longer than my usual novels.)


1. A picture of yourself as a baby or kid.











Write about your birth, what you know of it, random details of that event that you are aware of.

Let's see.....I was born 2 weeks early, and my mom says it was the easiest of her 4 births.  She said I came out smiling; I never cried.  She said that the doctor told her to push, then told her to stop pushing, but I came out anyway.  I was the only one of us born in a birthing room at the hospital, which my parents really liked.  I had a lot of hair.  I was 6 pounds.  The doctor said that I would have skin problems (of course they don't show up until NOW).  

If you can, call your Mom and ask about it. What was her experience? What was your Dad's?

I don't know, and I already talked to my parents today.  I have to ration my love, or they gorge themselves and get sick.  Can't have that.

How did they choose your name? Middle name?

Seeing as how my dad is a (retired) Methodist minister, my parents chose my name from the Bible.  Quick, which story?

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Good job!  You get a cookie!

For those of you who didn't get it, my name comes from the Old Testament story of Ruth and Naomi.  I did get named after the old lady, but that's okay, because I really like her.  She's a strong woman, and I've always imagined her as quite an opinionated one (she would totally ride a motorcycle).  She knows what she wants, and what she needs, and she goes out and gets it.  She also doesn't push her religion on people who she knows doesn't believe the same as her, but she shows her love for them, and accepts them as her friends and family.  She tells Ruth to go back home to her people after her (Naomi's) son dies, but Ruth says that Naomi's god is now her god and she will stay with her and go where ever she goes.  She is very faithful and has a strong testimony, something I hope to also achieve someday. 

My middle name, I'm not sure about.  I think I was named after some great aunt or something.  No, I was not named after Magdalena in the Bible (my middle name is Dalene) though I'm sure it is a derivative of that name.  I really like it, and I've debated naming a daughter that.  We shall see.  Not many people ever picked up on the fact that my middle name is similar to the name of the woman who has the reputation of being a prostitute in the Bible.  Do you realize that there is no where in the Bible stating she was one, or even hints at that?  I think it was the Catholic church that came up with that one.  Not sure why. 

So there you go.  Now I'll have lots to blog about.  You may even get to come here once a week!  Yay!

Squish, Squish, Squish

Sometimes I am amazed at people.

I decided to do some grocery shopping today with Baby Cakes, which means she was in her wrap on my front.  I had one girl offer to help me load my cart after checking out, though I turned her down.  Then when I was loading my trunk, a lady came running over and just started helping the weird lady who didn't put her baby in the car seat before loading the car.  They were so nice, and I really appreciated the help. 

Then, our wonderful home teachers came over to help fix our clogged pipe running from our washer.  We kept putting it off until Jesse would have time to work on it, but when you are doing laundry 3+ days a week, all that water NOT draining down the pipe will decide to rot the wall instead.  When a big piece of it was laying on the floor today, instead of standing up with all the rest of it's dry wall friends, I decided that it was time to get some help.  That water is just a bad seed.  That and I had to wash diapers and Baby Cakes laundry and just didn't want to deal with all the water again.  (Thankfully we have a drain in our laundry room floor, so at least the water WENT somewhere.) 

I really love being on the receiving end of service.  It makes me feel like people out there really care about us, that we aren't invisible and alone.  What a lovely squishy feeling. 

Things I Will Not Feel Guilty For

1.  I will not feel guilty for nursing and/or rocking my 4 month old baby to sleep at nap time, and at night time.  I will only get a couple of years where she will let me, let alone be small enough.  Most of her life will be spent out of my arms, so I will take all the cuddling I can. 
2.  I will not feel guilty for not being "political".  I have very little to no interest in following politics.  I hate how emotional and stubborn people get over the "issues".  It seems to me that people forget that everyone is a child of God, and forget to be charitable to everyone, even those who disagree with you over what that means.  I will listen to what people have to say, I may even ask questions or venture to give a very uninformed opinion on something; but mostly, I don't actually care.  I don't vote, and I probably won't except at very local levels.  And even that is iffy.
3.  I will not feel guilty for skipping church if it clashes with the Baby Cakes nap time.  I prefer a happy baby, thank you.
4.  I will not feel guilty for not eating as healthily as I know I should.  I'm sorry, but my eating disorder just doesn't let me think about that stuff very much, no matter how much I try, or want to.  I start out all the time with all sorts of good intentions, but that good old anorexic voice soon pops up and starts twisting everything.  Last time, if it wasn't a leafy green, it was bad for me.  And bad for me means it will fill my heart with artery clogging cholesterol, and cholesterol only comes from fat, and fat makes you, well, fat.  Don't eat that carrot!  Yeah, it's strange.
5.  I will not feel guilty for being confused by all the advise out there for new mothers on the best way to mother my baby. 
6.  I will not feel guilty for ignoring said advise and following my instincts, even if they turn out to be wrong.  I can pay for therapy later.
7.  I will not feel guilty for not doing chores or keeping my house picked up or even vacuumed.  There are 5 animals living here (6 if you count The Man, and I DO).  That's a lot of hair.  And dirt.  I'll do it when it's super visible.  Or when Baby Cakes decides to sleep all day and I have time to.
8.  I will not feel guilty for choosing to watch tv over reading a book.  Sometimes, I just like to turn my brain off and watch Buffy.
9.  I will not feel guilty for not making it to 10.


Extra thing about me that you never wanted to know!  
What is something you miss?

Warm weather.
Being a lot more imaginative with my decorating.
The ability to not be afraid to wear whatever I want.
Louisiana. 
Staying up late.
Being assistant freight manager.
Chocolate.
Broccoli too (yes, I like broccoli).
Being able to sit still long enough to read a book for hours.
The time to take a long bath without having to stay up really late.
My long hair.
My smaller boobs.
My baby.

Things Going Through My Mind While Eating "Lunch"

To paraphrase: as for me and my house, we will contribute to the obesity epidemic.  Bring on the bowl of strawberries and cream for lunch!  Tomato soup will have to come after.

Since becoming a mother, I have EVEN LESS interesting things to write about.  Wooo!  She rolled over!  Wooo!  She's yelling at her toys!  Wooo......She pooped....again......bother.

Genetically modified food.  I support it.  But why?  I must research this. 

Oooo!  I have time to play Lego Harry Potter today!  I lurve lego games!

Is it bad that Baby Cakes likes Buffy?

I should blog something......

Man makes plans, and God laughs.  Why must he be laughing right now?

Maybe I should eat that tomato soup.  Man, I need someone to make me a grilled cheese samich.  I suck at that.

Do I eat too much?  Am I getting fat? 

Baby Cakes needs a swing.  She would love that.

I'm busting out of this bra.  I don't want to buy another one.  This boobage growth needs to stop.  I said stop!  STOP!  Bother.

Oh, crying baby.  Must go mother.