Craptasticly Awesome

[Craptastic]
1. in a good sense, the quality of being so crappy that the object is humorous or desireable

2. in a bad sense, extremely crappy

Here's some completely random craptastic thoughts for you.  I'm considering instituting Craptastic Thursdays for all the world to have the chance to read my craptastic thoughts.  I promise to stop using the word craptastic every other syllable after today.

• I've never seen it, but the movie Boondock Saints must have been something else for those brilliant writers to even consider making a sequel that is this freaking craptastic.  Hubby is sitting here watching it while I type and is giggling like an idiotic 7th grader, and all I can do is shake my head at the absolute idiocy that is creeping through the airwaves toward my brain.  Not since Speed 2 has there been such a sphinctacular display of sequel genius.

• Happy Hour Bar Food falls into the craptastic category {see definition #1 above} for a few reasons.  It is indeed so crappy it's good.  Grease + Grease + a sudsy beer = a few trips to the bathroom.  Note to self: visit happy hour after a 14 hour road trip to cure whatever ails ya.
  
• A brief disruption in high speed wireless internet (for a couple of days!) is completely craptastic.  Those silly neighbors that don't secure their wireless connection are a godsend.  No silly, I'm not admitting on the world wide web that I'm stealing bandwidth. I'm just sayin'... those guys are silly.

Okay, I think I'm done.  This craptastic flu I've been fighting seems to have shut down all of my "funny vibes" at around 10:15.  I must need to go to bed.

Nekkid is Always Good.

My kids may as well have been raised by nudists. I swear if they have a choice, they'll go naked. Or should I say "nekkid" as Jordan so aptly puts it. Elle is pushing seven years old and she's still okay with nekkid. If it's just us around the house, she's usually sporting a tank top and some undies. Jordan is a big fan of undies or maybe, just maybe, boxers.

It was FREEZING in our house this morning, and in a last minute dash I had to take Sis to school because she decided to watch cartoons instead of eat breakfast. This is a whole other story. At any rate, I told Jordan to get on some clothes because "Nekkid in the freezing cold is not so good." He quickly responded with a look of disgust... "MOM, nekkid is always good!"

Uh, DUH. Gah.

Here are some precious little tid-bits that were spoken to me today.  (All by people under the age of 4 and less than 4 feet tall.)

"Uh... I just told you that.  DUH. "

"Gah, what is YOUR problem?"

"The baby is spitting his food back at you because you are being so bossy to me.  I'm bigger than you so I am the boss."

"You need to figure it out, Mom.  It's really not that hard.  Just make a good dishishum." (that's decision.  and that sounds just like his dad.)

The list goes on and on.  The important thing is I did not lose my cool and I did not kill anyone today.  That alone should earn me a cookie.  Or a glass of wine.  I'm gonna go with the glass of wine.  

I should have said this earlier; but I didn't, so I'll say it now.  I do like these kids.  And I love watching them everyday.  I just can't believe the things children will say- not just these children- all children.  What the heck is wrong with me as a mom that my kid thinks it's okay to tell me to "figure it out".   Furthermore, what kinds of things is he hearing me say that gives him these kinds of ideas?  Oh right, I forgot... he sounds just like his dad.  Looks like I'm off the hook.  Teeheehee.

Look out folks, Spring has Sprung!

Spring is slowly becoming my favorite time of the year. I adore fall.  It's my personal happy place, the busyness of the summer dies down, sweaters and slippers take the place of {the dreaded swimsuit} and a general comfy-cozy feeling takes over our house.

But for my family, spring and summer are slowly winning out as my favorite time of the year.  This weekend marked the official start of spring for the Budinich's... softball season began with our Tri-Cities tournament.  No, I don't play.  Come on, seriously?  But Jimmie is a heck of a pitcher, Jordan is an awesome dig in the dirt on the sidelines enthusiast and Elle rocks as a cheerleader for her dad!*

Uncle Joe Joe Dancer drove all the way from WSU to play and was awesome. He even slammed into the outfield fence catching a deep fly ball.  He is a rock-star outfielder!

Here's a few pics from the weekend.**

The Brothers: Scouting the Competition

Practice Makes Perfect.

 Cheering the Day Away.  (*Not the pom-poms and short skirt kind of cheering, thank God!)

Hangin' with his hero, Joe-Joe Dancer.

Enjoying some down time in between games.

He's so awesome!

**I won't even talk about how badly my camera sucks.  Did you hear that Easter Bunny?  Oh wait, you're broke?  Crap.

A thought...

I am absolutely in love with my life.  I have the most fabulous husband and kids in the world.  I get to stay home and play with my kids all day.  And I get paid for it.  Hubby doesn't have one of those smokin' hot neck tatoos.  What more could a girl ask for?

Welp, what more needs to be said?

A Valuable Lesson

I learned an incredibly valuable lesson as a mom today.  If you're not a mom, this might not be totally interesting to you, but hang on to it.  Someday it might come in handy.

As a parent, it's easy to become focused on the negative/less desirable qualities or things our children do that we hope to one day steer in the right direction.  As moms, it's sometimes even easier for us to blab our frustrations, insecurities, even negative attitudes about these things to those that share an interest in our children (i.e. teachers, caregivers, fellow-parents of friends, relatives, etc.)  We have our reasons for this: we need to vent, we're feeling a little insecure about it, and we want the other people to know "oh yes, I realize this is a problem!" or we're just so fixated on the issue, it leeches out of us in every situation.

Here's the lesson I learned: SHUT YOUR MOUTH!  You have no idea how you are affecting your child and what you are setting them up for by doing this.  Since I've started my daycare, people feel a certain connection or something with me that makes them want to share all of these types of things.  I realized today, that when I meet their children for the first time, or really have a chance to be around them, I already have an idea of what they are going to be.  If I've heard negative, somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind, a place I wish wasn't there... I've decided I don't like the kid.  This is not normal for me!  I like almost all kids!

Please oh please moms... remember this.  Hopefully there are people in your inner sanctum, circle of trust that you can vent to and get advice from.  For all of the rest of us, speak about your child like they are God's gift to the universe (because they are!) and expect that the people that are helping care for them or spend time with them will see them as perfect angels*.  You'll be amazed at how we actually believe they are!  They might even start acting like it for you.

*Before you get on your high-horse, please realize I know there are legitimate issues that need to be shared with teachers, etc.  I would just urge you to really evaluate if your situation truly is one of those issues and what the most supportive and positive way of communicating about it is.  Really people, you'll be amazed.  I'm learning this the hard way myself.  

Adorable Oldie. An Elle Feature.

I think my child is a relatively normal three-year old.  She is very bright, creative, curious, energetic, and sassy.  She is the typical 'princess' child.  There is one small thing that I am a bit worried about, especially looking ahead to her teen years. 
She loves boys.  I am not exaggerating here, she loves them.  Actually, she loves the idea of dancing with them.  I'm not exactly sure where she got this, maybe her favorite princesses always dance with their handsome prince.  Maybe she has gotten a glimpse at a Teen Disney movie while I was busy doing something and forgot to change the channel after her favorite cartoon.  Whatever it is, when she sees a boy she has a liking for she exclaims, "I want to take him to the royal ball!"  Or, "When I grow up I am going to the dance with him!" 
She's had what I used to refer to as "toddler crushes" on many people.  Her teenage uncle's friend Alex has been a favorite for years now. (Seriously, since she was about a year old!)  Then there was Riley, a family friend about 20 years old.  And then it started getting worse; we would go through the drive-thru somewhere and the dorky looking, braces wearing (this is a BIG plus on the toddler scene) floppy dark-haired drive-thru "hunk" was added to the dance card.  I have really gotten over being worried about this since I've repeatedly heard that it's normal for a lot of little girls, and NO, it does not mean we are in for trouble in the teen years so I don't need to start looking into convents and chastity belts!  Then along came Superman...
We rented the new Superman movie a while ago and after much begging and pleading her Daddy let her watch it with him.  She is really into the Incredibles and other super-heroes so we just thought she wanted to check out a "real" one- not a cartoon.  Keep in mind this was weeks ago.  Then when it was time to return the DVD she cried, I mean sobbed!  She just kept saying, "But I LOVE him!  Please can we keep him?"  I thought she just meant the movie, so I promised we would rent it again another time.  For the past few weeks she keeps asking me, "Is it time to rent Superman again?"  "Not yet dear, maybe soon," is my standard Mommy reply. 
Then she started saying things like, "If there are Ickies (monsters) out my window Superman will save me."  I noticed that she replaced Daddy's name with Superman's in this reassurance to herself but I didn't think anything of it, he IS Superman after all.  Then when we went to buy Valentines to give to her friends this week she had to have the Superman ones.  I tried to coax her into getting her usual pick- Princesses, Dora, even Barbie for crying out loud- but, "NO WAY!  I NEED SUPERMAN!" was her only response.  Fine!  Once we got home all she wanted to do was open the cards and look at him in the six assorted poses as well as on the poster that came in the box- Good Lord!  "This is starting to get a little much," I start thinking.  Then yesterday it really came to a head.
"I need Daddy to fix the TV so Superman can come out!" she says emphatically.  I try to explain it to her, but it's like trying to reason with me- it just doesn't work!  So we let it go.  We had a really busy day and she didn't mention it again so I forget about it.  Then this morning I'm giving Jordan a bath and she comes in to ask me if Daddy fixed the TV yet?  I don't know Elle- you'll have to talk to Daddy about that one (hoping to get a little help from the big guy explaining the electronics to our now love-struck girl!)  She goes in to wake up Dad and ask him her question and a few minutes later returned beaming! 

"Daddy said he will fix it and then Superman will come out and be with me! Oh Mommy, I love him!!!" 

"That's nice," I say- thinking she means her Daddy and wondering why the hell he would tell her that!

"And he loves me, Mommy.  Superman and I are in love just like you and Daddy!"

"WHAT????"  I thought you were talking about Daddy!  Honey, you can't be in love with Superman.  He is pretend.  He's only on TV and you are JUST TOO YOUNG!!!"

"Well, I TOLD YOU Daddy is going to fix the TV so he can come out and be with me!"

"Oh honey, we need to talk to Daddy about this!"

So we go in and really wake Daddy up to hear that he has no idea what she's talking about and he must have been talking in his sleep.  He hears all about her plans to be in love with Superman or whatever and not so gently tells her he's just pretend and can't come out of the TV for Christ's sake!
Heartbreak!  I quickly whisper that he needs to be gentle on this one she's "in love" and so he tries to reason with her... "But Daddy, I love him!"  And for the rest of the morning and now that I look back, she keeps repeating how much she loves Superman and that he loves her!  Oh, Good Lord!  Is this what we have to look forward to?  I'm back to worrying about the teen years!