If the shoe fits...

I have weird feet. Like, really odd and funny feet. You know those Bear Claw pastries? That's kind of what my feet look like. They are wide with short, stubby little toes. Growing up, my family used to tease me about my feet. I remember on several occasions having the entire family, my parents included, just sit and laugh while staring at my feet. They really are that amusing. Rather than go to therapy to uncover what kind of emotional scars I will carry with me to the grave because of the merciless foot mocking of my youth, how about I just write a blog post about them and then move on? Sounds like a plan.

In college, I had to see a podiatrist about some issues I was having with my feet. When he first looked at them, he snickered. I'm not kidding. A man who examines feet for a living laughed at mine. When he started to remark on the unusual webbing between my second and third toes, I nearly lost it. And so, six weeks before my wedding, I had a minor surgical procedure on both feet. Have you ever had a shot in the bottom of your foot? If not, I can tell you that it is just about the most painful experience I've ever endured. I would rather get an epidural in my spine than another shot in my foot.

I am no Imelda Marcos. Finding shoes that fit comfortably is a real chore which means that I own very few pairs of shoes, and when one pair wears out, I mourn the loss of it. Summer is my least favorite season because sandals are my nemesis. Any shoe that is designed to show off your foot is not a shoe for me. My goal is always to find a sandal that covers the greatest possible area of my foot while still passing as a sandal.

So, you know if you've read my previous posts that I reacquainted myself with my treadmill about a year ago. Turns out that when you exercise regularly, you need shoes that will hold up well. Naturally, I pulled out a pair of old shoes that my mother had worn for her daily walks before giving them to me. She is also blessed with wide feet, you see. Thus, I started my daily exercise routine in a pair of hand-me-down, already worn out shoes. After several months, those shoes were hurting my feet and so I replaced them with a second pair of my mom's cast-offs. Then, about a month ago, I jumped off the treadmill after a workout to discover that I had blood on my sock. Yup, my crappy, ill-fitting, hand-me-down shoes had abused my feet so badly that they were actually bleeding. When Scott saw the pathetic state of my blistered, callused, bloody feet, he begged me -- begged me -- to go buy myself some decent exercise shoes. As much as I hate shoe shopping, after a year of exercising in cruddy shoes, I had to admit that Scott was right (it happens so rarely) and it was time to get some real shoes.

It was with no small amount of trepidation that I entered a shoe store designed for runners/exercisers. I couldn't help feeling like a fraud, despite the friendly salesperson who was eager to help. He asked me a bunch of questions about my exercise regimen, and I slowly began to feel like maybe I belonged there in that store.

Eager-to-please salesguy: "How many miles do you log each week?"

Me: "Hmmm. Well, I hit the treadmill about 4-5 times a week and do about 5 miles each time, so..."

Eager-to-please salesguy: "Alright, so about 20-25 miles a week."

Me: (thinking) Huh. I never thought about that before. Go me!

He explained their three-step system for determining what shoe will fit you best. First, he asked me to remove my sandals so he could measure my feet. Ugh. I suppose I could have predicted that I would have to expose my feet, but it didn't make it any easier when the time came to actually do it. Eager-to-please sales guy managed to maintain his composure after my shoes came off. I placed each foot into a measuring device that he had to tweak and adjust in order to accommodate my mammoth bear claws. At one point he touched my foot and it took all I had not to shout, "Ewww. Don't touch! Don't Touch!"

Eager-to-please salesguy: "What shoe size do you normally wear?"

Me: "7 1/2"

Eager-to-please salesguy: "Yeah, your feet measure at 6 1/2"

Me: "Hmmm. That explains a lot."

Basically, I'd spent the last year exercising in old, worn-out, too-big shoes. Nice. Step two of the three-step shoe fitting process required me to stand on a scanner for a full foot scan, the results of which appeared on a giant monitor in the middle of the store. How fortunate that I was able to examine the thermal patterns and pressure points of my feet in full-color and in plain view of everyone in the store! The salesguy was telling me all about what each shade of color represented, but all I could think was Get my feet off the screen! Get my feet off the screen! I should mention that I brought socks with me for when it was time to try on shoes, and after each step I would ask the salesguy if it was time for me to put on my socks -- so desperate was I to cover my feet. Finally he just had to reply with "No, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay barefoot a little longer." Because there was still one more step... and it was my worst nightmare, but it was no dream.

Step 3: Run, barefoot, on a treadmill while being recorded by a video camera so it can be watched in slow-motion on a giant monitor.

And so I ran, on a treadmill, in bare feet, while being recorded so that we could later watch it on a giant screen in slow-motion and evaluate my foot weaknesses. What happened next is kind-of a blur. I remember the salesguy using big fancy foot words like "pronation" but to be honest, I didn't hear most of what he was saying about arch support, etc. because I was completely transfixed and mortified by the giant image being broadcast across the store of my feet slowly thump thump thumping along on the treadmill.

Eager-to-please salesguy: "It's time to start trying on some shoes."

Me: (relieved) "Great! I'll just put on the socks I brought."

Eager-to-please salesguy: "Actually, I noticed that you have cotton socks. We don't allow cotton socks in our store."

Me: (dumbfounded and slightly amused) "You don't allow cotton socks in your store?"

Eager-to-please salesguy: "Nope, I'm afraid not. You can wear some of our specially designed moisture wicking running socks to try on our shoes."

Me: "Um, okay."

I overcame the sense of shame that had befallen me for bringing unwelcome cotton socks into the store because I was too curious and had to know why they are shunned. Apparently, according to eager-to-please salesguy, cotton socks are pretty much the worst kind of sock you can wear for exercise. So, not only had I been running in old, worn out, too big shoes, but I'd been wearing the wrong kind of socks to boot!

Anyway, I started to try on shoes (they had wide sizes -- yay!) and discovered something remarkable: if they are the right size and well designed, running shoes can actually feel really good on your feet. Go figure! I tried on several pairs, hopped around in them, declined an offer to jump back on the treadmill to try them out, and in no time at all, found a pair that fit like a glove. $150 later, I left the store with a spiffy pair of brand-new shoes, arch-supporting insoles, and several pairs of moisture wicking super fancy socks!

I was really excited to jump on the treadmill that evening and try them out. The store has a 90-day return-for-any-reason policy, so I was determined to see if these shoes were really that much better than what I'd been using... and they totally are! Holy cow! Now, when I exercise, it feels great! My feet don't ache, my legs don't hurt, I feel like I'm just bouncing along. It's awesome! I'm not generally a proponent of idolatry, but I worship these shoes. Aren't they pretty?

So, to all of you who are currently exercising in a pair of your mom's old sneakers (I can't be the only one, can I? Can I?) may I recommend that you follow my ground-breaking example and invest in a pair of new shoes that fit well? You won't be sorry. And your feet will no longer bleed. What more reason do you need, really?

p.s. One benefit of writing this post is that I'll soon be able to tell who all of my blog lurkers are. You'll reveal yourself when, next we meet, you are stifling giggles or recoiling in horror as you stare at my feet.

On Motherhood

It's lunchtime around here, which today went something like this:

Make kids lunch: The latest request from my kids is a bread, butter and jelly sandwich. I don't know what peanut butter did to deserve such a profound rejection, but for my kids at least, PB isn't invited to J's party. Add to the plate some cheetos (because I'm a 'fun mom!' who does things like that), and give the boy a yogurt, as he has a massive addiction to dairy products. Take drink orders by stating "water or milk?" and then wait the 0.3 seconds it takes for child #1 to ask for lemonade. Get everyone settled at the table, have kid #2 say a prayer to bless the food, during which kid #3 shouts out what should be included, "bless the water!"

Make myself lunch: Return to the counter to fix myself a sandwich--not jelly & butter. Barely finish putting the last piece of homegrown lettuce (so good!) on my perfect looking sandwich when the boy calls out "uh-oh, spill!" Abandon my untouched sandwich to marvel at how a boy with a bib on managed to get half his yogurt on his shirt. Start walking towards my sandwich when child #2 asks for more milk. Get her more milk, eye my sandwich lovingly as I approach it, and hear child #1 asking for more cheetos. Spend the next minute or so explaining how one serving of cheetos is enough, while my sandwich grows impatient and threatens to eat itself. Finally sit down to take a bite of my amazing sandwich, when the boy decides he's done and begins to leave the table with cheeto fingers. Leap up to wet-paper-towel the fingers, notice child #2 is finished, ask her to carry her plate over to the sink, realize I wasn't specific enough when only her plate, not her cup or napkin, makes it's way off the table. Sit down to eat another bite while fending off more pleas for cheetos from child #1 who at this moment is clearly dying of starvation. Convince her the begging is futile, get her to clear her dishes, and finally manage to snarf down my sandwich before wrangling the boy into his crib for a much needed nap:

"Time for a nap."

"Why?" (his new favorite question)

"Because you're cranky and mommy's cranky and we'll both be less cranky if you have a nap."

"Okay."

If I were a "mommy blogger" this would be the part where I say I'm so blessed to be a mom and I love every minute of it! While that first part is absolutely true, the last part is a lie every mother tells herself. You love your kids. You love being a mom. But you don't love, you can't love, some of the unpleasant, inconvenient parts of motherhood. There's no love for the puddle of mystery pee in the powder room that all of your kids deny any knowledge of. There's no love for vomit on the carpet or bruises inflicted by a hard toddler skull cracking against mommy's face (remind me to tell you about that sometime).

I love my kids. I am so grateful that they're mine and that they appear to have fewer faults than I do. I wish I could be one of those perpetually perky parents who finds joy in mundane mothering tasks. But, I don't know... maybe we'd all be better off if we admitted to each other that occasionally, from time to time, every once in awhile, parenting isn't fun. So, here I am, putting it out there:

Motherhood is a blessing. Motherhood teaches you how to be unselfish (it forces you to be unselfish, if we're being completely honest). Motherhood has so many rewards, like the daily hugs, and smiles, and "I love you's". But it is HARD. And sometimes, when you run out of patience or make a bad parenting decision, you really do feel like a failure.

It helps to realize that even though I had to meet everyone's needs before my own, that sandwich still tasted great. (Can you tell how much I liked my sandwich?) Maybe that's the lesson I needed to learn today.

2 weeks, 2 concerts

After a decade of deprivation, my concert-going drought ended a few weeks ago when I attended not one, but TWO amazing concerts. The artists (and the shows) could not have been more different, but I loved them both—and, in an effort not to forget the good times that were had, I will now devote the rest of this post to describing the highlights of each night.

First up... Michael Bublé!

The thing about buying tickets to a show in an arena that you've never been to before is that you really can't tell from a seating chart what your seats will be like. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that our seats weren't awful. Seated next to me were four 40-something Canadian ladies who had come to Chicago for the weekend just to see the show. They were actually really nice and considerate, talked hockey with us (I fudged my way through that conversation), and weren't even obnoxious after their fourth or fifth beer. That's one thing I'd forgotten about at concerts—holy crud there's a lot of booze. And when people drink they soon after have to pee, which explains why there was a constant stream (pun intended) of folks headed up and down the aisle all evening. But we didn't care!


Some highlights:

• The opening act, Naturally 7, was a really incredible a cappella group. The way they could manipulate their voices to mimic instruments like harmonicas and drums was impressive. Even Scott, who sang with an a cappella group in college, approved.




• Bublé mentioned Team Canada's gold medal , and when members of the crowd began to "boo" he yelled "Suck it, Chicago!" He then went on to joke about how Americans must get so bored following the medal count during the Olympics, since we always lead it. :)


• Half way through the show some random woman in the audience interrupted Michael while he was talking by shouting at him. He ripped into her and it was hilarious. "I don't come down to the 7-11 where you work and interrupt you!" So funny!


• He opened with "Cry Me a River" and at the end of the song there were some pyrotechnics. Later he said something like, "Did you like the fireworks? Good. That stuff (only he didn't say stuff) was expensive!"


• He mentioned how he got engaged recently and indicated that the ring he's wearing on his left ring finger is something men do in his fiance's Argentinian culture, "At least, that's what she tells me."


• He sang a few of my favorites, like "Everything," "Home," and "Feeling Good." When he sang "Me and Mrs. Jones" the cute woman next to me who was celebrating her birthday, was so excited. Her last name is Jones, and that song, she felt, was meant for her. :)

At one point he came off the stage and walked through the audience, mounted a "b-stage" directly in front of us, and sang a song or two there. He started to sing Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" and then deadpanned "I wish I wrote that song."

He closed the show with "Song for You," which is a beautiful song that he makes amazing by lowering the microphone for the last part and just belting it out. So incredible!


(Our seats were not nearly this good. I just poached this video from youtube.)

We had a wonderful time. The crowd was really diverse, a mixture of young and old. People watching was a joy. We hit the jackpot when we spotted a Kim Kardashian wannabe, wearing what I can only describe as a slutty prom dress, accompanied by a man twice her age who was definitely not her father. Wish I'd snuck a picture. We have vowed to go back the next time he swings through town, so it seems I won't have to wait another decade to attend my next concert.

And now... John Mayer:

To say that the John Mayer concert and the Michael Bublé concert were like night and day would be an understatement. The crowd was younger, the music was louder, the venue was bigger, and the vibe was hip-er. I loved every minute of it! Scott was really not interested in seeing John Mayer live. Though he likes his music, Scott really isn't much of a concert-goer in general. Thankfully, I got four tickets and we brought friends along!

Karin and Joe made the night super fun! We wandered through the United Center before the show began, then took our seats and listened to the earsplitting opening act, Michael Franti and Spearhead. At one point, Michael Franti came singing through the audience, stopped directly in front of us, noticed that we weren't screaming like idiots, then turned around and went the other direction. I would've taken a picture but I didn't want to bother turning on my camera. Besides, he was really sweaty and I was more concerned with not getting wet.

At some point during the evening, we invented a game called “slut bug”—our own version of “slug bug” where every time a really scantily clad girl walked by we punched each other. There was a lot of punching going on—girls seem to really like getting dressed up for John Mayer. It's fun to imagine what they are thinking when they're getting ready for the concert: "Maybe if I wear this sequined halter top and flail around like a lunatic, John Mayer will notice me!"

Other highlights:

• Some fool proposed to his girlfriend onstage during the opening act. If Scott had done that, I would have said no.


• During Michael Franti's final song, he invited pretty much whoever felt like it to come up onstage. In addition to hordes of skanky girls, there were these guys running around the stage in masks and capes looking ridiculous. A few days later I found out that it was actually John Mayer and some of his bandmates dressed in disguise. It wouldn't have induced me to go up onstage, but still...


• John Mayer and his band were amazing. So fantastic! He played many of my favorite songs, like Assassin, Free Fallin', Good Love is on the Way, and Stop this Train. There was no "Your Body is a Wonderland," which was FINE with me. It was the last night of the tour, and everyone on stage seemed to want to end strong. The concert was delightfully long, with John Mayer coming on at 9:30 and ending close to midnight.


• During "Half of My Heart," after Mayer sang the lyrics "Made a plan to stay the man who could only love himself" he added "And how's that working out for you, man? Crappy! (only he didn't say crappy)" which, from what little I know about his personal life, seems to be true.


• Mayer talked about how much he was looking forward to returning home to LA, which prompted the audience to "boo!" He went on to have this little exchange with the crowd: "You're booing me because I'm going home? I can't wait to be home! It's gonna be awesome. [More booing] What just happened here? This is great. Actually, this is essential to a passionate relationship... A little bit of grit... How am I going to bring you back? How can I possibly get back what we had about 35 seconds ago?"


• In addition to Free Fallin', he covered parts of Homeward Bound and Don't Stop Believin', which I'm fairly certain were the songs Scott recognized the most all night.


• We tried not to mock the teenage girls sitting next to us who spent the entire time inadvertently blocking our view and/or texting.

I remember going to a Dave Matthews Band concert once where he essentially ignored the audience and jammed incessantly after each song. I must admit I had feared that John Mayer might do the same. I was grateful he didn't ignore the 17,000 of us who came to hear him play. His interactions with his band and the crowd were perfect.

So, a big thanks to Michael Bublé and John Mayer for bringing me out of retirement—I’m a born-again concert-goer because of them. And thanks to my sweetie for allowing me to drag him along. I think our next big night out will be one of his choosing. Maybe a night at the Lyric Opera? I'll keep you posted!

The Candidates

I know you've been eagerly awaiting the announcement of my new celebrity boyfriend. I broke up with my last one because it turns out he's a lying, cheating sleazebag. Now, I will freely admit that there are times when I find arrogance attractive, but not from someone who claims to be a family man but is really just a massive idiot.

So I need a new celebrity crush. Why, you ask, don't I just promote one of the other men from my original list to the #1 slot? Frankly, because I don't want to. I like them where they are. Plus, I'm fickle, and whoever becomes the new #1 might not stay there forever, but my adoration for Josh and Zac is unwavering (for now).

Here are some of the men I've been considering for the title of Rebecca's New Celebrity Boyfriend:

Jude Law - His qualifications include the fact that he is British and completely dashing. He's definitely had some of his own struggles with fidelity in the past, but I have to admit that I like him in that "reformed bad boy" kind of way. Plus, have you seen The Holiday? I dare you to watch that movie and not come away from it with a crush on him.

Joel McHale - I like guys who are funny, and this guy is really funny. Not like Jim Carrey "hey-everybody-look-at-me-'cuz-I'm-so-funny" funny, but sarcastic, witty, observational humor funny. He's also really handsome. Add to that the fact that he is a devoted husband and father, and that's enough to make him a celebrity boyfriend candidate.

Ian Somerhalder - I could never watch anything beyond the pilot episode of Lost because I'm a total wimp and it was kind-of scary, but apparently Ian was once a cast member on that show. I love him because he plays "sexy brooding vampire guy" (also known as Damon) on The Vampire Diaries, my new favorite guilty pleasure TV show. He's like a younger version of Rob Lowe. It totally works for me.

Hugh Dancy - Another suave Brit to consider. Loved him in Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Jane Austen Book Club, and the fantastic period drama, Daniel Deronda. He seems like a nice guy, is married to the super classy Claire Daines, and did I mention he has a sexy accent? Definitely a contender.

David Anders - Have you heard of him? If you used to watch Alias, you know him as Julian Sark, the most appealing villain ever. If you've never seen Alias, I insist you Netflix season 1 immediately. You won't regret it. To be honest, I don't know much about David Anders. I know that despite his flawless British accent (there I go again) on Alias, he's actually from Oregon. I know he's going to be guest starring on Vampire Diaries soon. The truth is, sometimes the less I know about a celebrity, the more I like him. Does that make sense? It's easier not to get disappointed by a celebrity crush who isn't super famous and hounded by gossip. Like this next guy...

John Mayer - Ugh. I know I shouldn't like him... I know he's wrong for me... I know at some point he'll let me down... But I can't help it. I really like John Mayer. I like his musical talent and his insane guitar skills. I like his songs. I like to avoid reading interviews he's given so as not to tarnish my own idea of who he is and what he's about. I'm not sure he could ever really be my celebrity boyfriend, though. As much as I'd like to think that I could be the imaginary girl who could hypothetically change him, he is probably destined to forever be one of those famous people who has it all but really has nothing.

So, those are the options. Do you have an opinion? Tell me what you think. Oh, and if you're ever looking for a way to waste an entire afternoon, go ahead and do google image searches of all your favorite celebrities. Guaranteed to kill hours on end.

**a note: I know all I ever do is post about useless stuff like famous people who are hot. Sorry. I guess you'll just have to have a real conversation with me sometime if you'd like proof that I'm not a total lunatic.

2010: My (self-declared) year of fun!!!

So, the past few years have been... challenging. Challenging because I somehow managed to fade into the background of my own life, consumed with duties, responsibilities, obligations – all those things which, if you know me at all, you know are the core of my existence. Rules, boundaries, control, responsibility – who would I be without them?

[An aside: my mom asked me the other day why these traits weren't evident while I was in high school. I wish I knew the answer. Sorry I was a rebellious teenager, Mom. I think I've made up for it, though.]

Anyhoo, while I am not prepared to entirely abandon my sense of duty, I have decided that this year will be decidedly more fun. I'm going to do some things I haven't done in a long time, and I'm going to give up some things that aren't enjoyable or necessary.

Here's what I've got planned...

Laugh more
Sing and dance
Avoid chaos
Live vicariously
Get fit


This very weekend I begin my quest to laugh more. Ever heard of Jim Gaffigan? He makes me laugh. A lot. Which is why Santa conveniently put two tickets to a Jim Gaffigan show in Scott's stocking. Friday night we'll be laughing our bums off as we listen to Gaffigan's musings about ordinary things. Here's some of what he does best:



To top it off, we've hired capable people to stay with our kids so we can spend the night in the city. You know what that means right? I GET TO SLEEP IN!!! Bliss. I'm practically giddy already.

Pretty much the only way you'll see me sing and dance in public is if I am accompanied by thousands of other people doing the same thing. If you've read this post then you know that I was at one time a frequent concert-goer. But sadly, it has been over 10 years since the last concert I attended. But this year, that's gonna change! Because, you see, I am going to not one, but TWO concerts!!! First I'll sing and swing with this guy:



And two weeks later, I get to jam with this guy:



Michael Buble and John Mayer, you will be contributing to my fun this year. I am sooooo excited!!! There is nothing quite like seeing an artist you love perform live.

In an effort to avoid chaos and simplify my life, I have decided to abandon the kids' friend birthday parties this year. They cost too much, are a pain to plan, gifts received are just more junk to clutter up my house, and I just don't want to deal with it during my year o' fun. That sounded a little whiny, didn't it? Sorry about that. Anyway, my girls have been prepared and I'll make their birthdays super special regardless, but a year without invitations and party favors sounds heavenly.

One of my favorite aspects of parenting is the chance I get to live vicariously through my children when they experience something for the first time. Which is why it will be fun when my Mom comes to visit at the end of February and we take the girls to the American Girl store. Or when, at the end of March, my sister and niece come to visit and we take them all to see Beauty and the Beast. The look on my girls faces when we took them to see Wicked was priceless. So much wonder, so much fun!



You know what else is fun? Buying a new pair of jeans in a smaller size. That mild obsession with exercise I was telling you about the last time I felt inclined to blog... well, it's still going. Reality set in about 6 months ago when it occurred to me that my toddler was 2 years old and "baby weight" was sounding more and more like a lame excuse. So now in an effort to get fit I exercise, track what I eat, and watch as my clothes slowly get baggier. I feel great, though I'd love to know why my bra is now the loosest article of clothing I own. Losing boob weight is a side effect I could do without. ;-)

So, that's what my "year of fun" looks like so far. I think I'll be a better wife and mother if I can regain some of what I feel like I lost along the way these past few years. Honestly, I just like having some things to look forward to.

What are you looking forward to in 2010?

my current obsessions

Wow.

I'm a lousy blogger. I guess I've taken that "I'll blog when I feel like it" approach a bit too literally. Oh well.

So, care to hear about my latest obsessions? I should preface this by saying that I am genetically predisposed to obsess. My mom, whom I adore, is the master at taking an innocent interest in something and then allowing it to take over her life. Just ask her about Harry Potter. Or Twilight. Then prepare to be amazed.

Anyway, I've got a bit of the obsessive gene myself, though not nearly as pronounced. So here's all the frivolous stuff that has interested me recently:

Hush, Hush

by Becca Fitzpatrick

I picked up this book at Costco (love Costco!) before a recent trip to San Francisco. I read the entire book on my flight there and loved it! Instead of starting a different book that I'd brought for the flight home, I just re-read this one. Because I liked it that much. I should warn you - it's YA and very Twilight-esque. But if, while you read it, you spend the whole time comparing it to Twilight, you'll be doing yourself a huge disservice. Given the image on the cover of the book, I don't think I'm giving anything away by telling you that it's about a fallen angel and a "mortal" girl. There's a sequel coming out next year and I can't wait to read it.

The Vampire Diaries

Have you been watching this new show? I was hesitant to watch it at first, thinking it would just be a lame Twilight knockoff, but it's not. Sure there are the inevitable similarities that you would expect from a story about teenagers and the vampires living among them, but The Vampire Diaries has definitely set itself apart with different mythology and some awesome characters. Like Damon, the sexy bad-boy vampire who is seriously evil and also extremely attractive. This is sooo my type of show. A real guilty pleasure.

Finding Cool Music

Every afternoon when the toddler goes down for a nap, I turn on some tunes as white noise for him and a little indulgence for me. Listening to the same thing over and over again gets dull, so I've been on a quest recently to find new pleasant music to listen to. I should tell you that my taste in music is very broad. I like stuff from almost every genre (okay, maybe not polka). The artists that get the most play on my ipod include John Mayer, Alison Krauss, Michael Buble, Taylor Swift, and Kelly Clarkson. But I also love OneRepublic, Kings of Leon, Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears, Coldplay... like I said, my taste in music, while fairly mainstream, is pretty broad. I'm always searching for new music - here's what I've been listening to recently:

I highly recommend Meese, Matt Hires, Owl City, Greg Laswell, and Crosby Loggins. Check them out and tell me what you think.

Brace yourself, because this last obsession is just plain crazy...

Exercise

While I'm not nearly as perky about it as the lady in the above image, I have recently found joy - yes, you read that right - joy in exercise. After a 2 year stand-off, I finally made peace with my treadmill. I've made a rule for myself that I can only watch my DVR'd shows while I'm walking on the treadmill. Since Scott can't stand most of the shows I like to watch, this is a mutually benficial arrangement. The only time I can exercise is at night after the kids are in bed. Since I'm a night owl, this is the time of day when I have the most energy anyway. I find that I'm exercising about 5 times a week. On days that I don't do the treadmill, I either do yoga or Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred dvd, which is 25 minutes of high-intensity aerobic hell - but I'm always glad I did it once I'm done. I'm hoping that this new habit will stick and I can make it through the next couple of months without gaining any of those dreaded holiday pounds.

So, that's it for now. Clearly blogging has not become an obsession of mine.

Now I want to know - What are your current obsessions? I'm always looking for a new time waster.

:)

Toddler Woes

Each morning when I come downstairs, there is a ritual I go through before I can officially start my day. It goes something like this:

place toddler in high chair for containment purposes and give him a sippy cup of orange juice

check all cabinet locks to ensure toddler cannot open any doors, especially under the sink where he likes to scavenge through the trash

remove all items that toddler can reach from the table and counter

move kitchen chairs and barstools from their proper place and relocate to laundry room so toddler cannot push them around and climb up to access countertops, light switches, drawer contents, and, as he discovered yesterday, sharp knives

enable the lock on the fridge's water dispenser

push ottoman in front of entertainment center so toddler cannot open doors to push buttons or empty drawers

sweep family room for remotes, books, breakables - relocate to higher area like the mantle

check piano and move any music books to the top of the bookcase

shut and lock all doors upstairs and down, especially bathrooms and office

Once all this is done - and I've gotten quite good at doing it quickly - I can feed toddler and big sisters breakfast, then stand (chairs are gone, you see) and possibly eat a bowl of cereal. What I cannot do, though I want to, is crawl back in bed.