Please tell me that...

my four-year-old did not just beat me in a game of chess!

(And yes, I was trying to win. Humble pie anyone? Plenty here to go around.)

Best. Show. Ever.

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Menu Plan Monday

My blog averages 40 unique visitors per day. (Double that in page loads, thanks to Grandmai refreshing hourly.) So imagine my surprise when I logged into my Statcounter summary last Wednesday and learned that several hundred people had checked out my last Menu Plan Monday!

Turns out my post was linked by several bigger parenting blogs:
Strollerderby
Quick Serve Kids

Now the pressure's on for a pithy post! Sorry to disappoint, but this week will be an easy menu planning week. Daddy, in addition to his regular daytime gig, will be performing nightly this week. Then Friday at o'dark hundred he heads out of town for a weekend jazz festival so it's just me and the Little Heroes chowing down at dinner time.

My menu is all about Bittyman's favorite meals (that don't come with a toy):

Tater Beef Bake
Veggie Quesadillas
English Muffin Pizzas
French Toast & Sausages

(Ittyboy will eat anything that's put in front of him. Seriously. Just call the kid 'Hoover'. He did not inherit his big brother's picky eating habits. His taste du jour? Homemade guacamole!)

And of course what Daddy's-out-of-town weekend would not be complete without a trip to our favorite take-out restaurant, Pei Wei. (Daddy loathes Asian food. When he's gone we feast on crab wontons and honey seared crispy chicken.)

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for a multitude of Menu Planning Moms.

Seven Random Facts Meme

Thanks to Sharon for this meme!

Here’s how it works:
~Link to the person that tagged you and leave a comment on their blog, so that their readers can visit yours.
~Post the rules on your blog.
~Share 7 random facts about yourself on your blog.
~Tag 7 random people at the bottom of your post, linking to their blog.
~Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog.

My Seven Random Facts:
1) I was named after my Great-Grandmother, Vittoria. She and my Great-Grandfather were married for 75 years!
2) I broke the ball of my left foot while performing on a cruise ship. The bone did not heal correctly and there is now a joint in the bone - an arthritic joint.
3) I'm allergic to Ampicillin and rabbit fur.
4) I made my TV debut at the age of 8 on the The Channel 20 Club, a children's show which aired in the Washington DC area.
5) On my wedding day my parents presented me with my Great-Grandmother's cross. I wear it almost every day.
6) I played trombone in the 6th grade.
7) I was a singing Doorwoman at a major resort. My Doorwoman career ended when my foot was run over by a taxi cab - yep, my left foot.

I tag Tracy, Marie, Jen, Kristen, Esther and anyone else who wants to play!

Please tell me I did not just hear Bittyman say...

"Mom! Come quick! I think Itty just ate a SPIDER!"

Preach the Gospel Always - If Necessary, Use Pictures

Bittyman's 10 Week Ultrasound:

Ittyboy's 12 Week Ultrasound:

Bitty & Itty Today:

January 22 - A Day of Prayer and Penance for Life

Feminists for Life - Women Deserve Better than Abortion

For Daddy

The Packers' dream season comes to a bitter end in the bitter cold with their 23-20 loss in overtime to the Giants in tonight's NFC Championship game.

So Daddy, this one's for you:

Friday Fun - Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Alive and Young: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

These brought a smile to my exhausted face. (Both little Heroes have colds so nighttime has been anything but restful this week.) Make sure to follow the links (and read the comments) for more entertaining answers!

Spread The Love Award

Tracy's Simple Life has bestowed upon me my first blog award! I recently discovered her blog and really enjoy the daily meditations mixed with her Catholic Mom musings.

Now it's my turn to bestow this award to some of my friends in the blogosphere:
Colleen at The Culture Club
Sharon at The Bird's Nest
K at K&the3ds (My Maid of Honor and smartest liberal on the planet.)
Lindsay at My Splatter Painted Life (She's the gal who created my blog's design when I won her contest!)

Here's a Quarter - Call Someone Who Cares

Guess who called me last night?!? Bubba! He invited me to a rally tonight to meet him personally and discuss his wife's plan for my future!

Note to self: Update voter registration from 'Independent' to 'Republican' pronto.

Did Someone Say Free?

I've posted about this website in the past but if your short-term memory is anything like mine you've also forgotten about all the great sterling silver and real gemstone jewelry available for just $5.99 shipping.

I purchased a necklace and a pair of earrings and the quality was surprisingly fantastic.

If you go through the link above, I earn $$$ for jewelry too. So do yourself a favor and treat us both to some new baubles, bangles and beads!

Menu Plan Monday

One of my resolutions for 2008 is to simplify my life. And while meal planning does simplify my life, the attach-a-meal-to-a-specific-day part doesn't.

"Let's see. I'm sure that at 6:45pm on Tuesday Itty will happily sit in his high chair so I can chop green peppers and mince garlic for that evening's pasta recipe."

NOT.

And although most of the meal-planning Moms at I'm an Organizing Junkie don't cook on the weekends, I like to take advantage of Daddy's ability to entertain our heros and make more complex recipes then. (Especially now that Itty's favorite pastime is opening the broiler drawer.)

So my solution is to plan four specific meals a week so I won't run into the dreaded staring into the pantry hoping to be inspired with a dinner idea at 6:30pm panic attack. But which meal gets made will depend on our schedule, the boy's temperaments and the Mommy fatigue factor. The other three nights will consist of one leftover night, one pizza/take-out night and Thursdays are something simple for the boys because Daddy works late night.

Dan and I also resolved in 2008 to return to meatless Fridays. As Sister Mary Martha so entertainingly explains, Ask Sister Mary Martha: Meat or No Meat, the 'no meat on Fridays' rule was lifted with the understanding that we do another penance in it's place. And since I'm not ready to give up the computer or coffee on Fridays I'm doing the no meat thing. (And Lent is a mere 3 weeks away so might as well get back into the habit now!)


This Week's Meals:
Hawaiian Chicken Bake
Spaghetti Pie
Italian Sausage Subs
Alton Brown's Grilled Cheese & Soup

Foto Friday

Itty's favorite song is:

Looks about Right... and Left, Part Two

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Diva Mom's Results:

87% Mitt Romney
85% Fred Thompson
82% John McCain
80% Mike Huckabee
76% Tom Tancredo
71% Ron Paul
60% Rudy Giuliani
39% Bill Richardson
31% Hillary Clinton
30% Barack Obama
29% John Edwards
24% Chris Dodd
20% Mike Gravel
16% Joe Biden
15% Dennis Kucinich

Dan's Results:

87% Fred Thompson
83% Mitt Romney
83% Mike Huckabee
81% Tom Tancredo
77% John McCain
63% Ron Paul
59% Rudy Giuliani
34% Bill Richardson
26% Barack Obama
25% Hillary Clinton
24% John Edwards
21% Chris Dodd
18% Joe Biden
17% Mike Gravel
12% Dennis Kucinich

Dan is a staunch FredHead. Me, I'll take Thompson's platform, Huckabee's age and enthusiasm and McCain's elect-ability for the Republican presidential candidate, Alex. It'll come down to who is left in the race after Super Tuesday.

Mitt, you're not foolin' us you old flip-flopper. No votes for you!

Looks About Right... and Left

You Are 55% Left Brained, 45% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Listen to the Music

It's amazing what a multi-tasking Diva Mom can accomplish while nursing at the keyboard. For your enjoyment I've added a playlist - a fitting theme song and some family favorites.

Care to guess which song sends Itty into head-banging mode? (Must upload video of Itty rockin' out to tunes! It's HILARIOUS!) Or Bitty's two favorites? Turtle Wax and Rice-A-Roni for the winner! (The playlist is located in the sidebar under 'Cool Stuff'.)

Itty, at 8 1/2 months, is officially crawling as of this past weekend. This means two things:

1. Notice to our guests, no shoes in the house as I can only vacuum and Swiffer Wet so many times in a day. The floor is Itty's personal all-you-can-find buffet.
   
2. Blogging may be light as my computer time is limited to NAK sessions and late at night when I really should be sleeping but instead seize some Diva Mom time when all three Heroes are asleep!

No Name Meme

Orthometer tagged "everyone who loves Jesus" for the No Name Meme so I tagged Bittyman for these answers. (Not that I don't love Jesus too - but Bitty is more entertaining.)

1. Do you wear a name tag at work? No.
2. What kind of car do you drive? I don't drive any cars.
3. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell? Maybe a cheeseburger?
4. Have you ever had a garage sale? No.
5. What color is your iPod? I don't have an iPod.
6. What kind of dog do you have? I don't have a dog.
7. What's for dinner tonight? Pizza.
8. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had? I don't know what that is.
9. Stupidest thing you ever did with your cell phone? You shouldn't say that word... but I didn't do anything stupid... I don't have a cell phone.
10. Last time you were sick? Long, long, time ago when I had a sick night.
11. How long is your hair? Medium.
12. Are you happy right now? Yes. And I'm happy later.
13. What did you say last? What other questions are there?
14. Who came over last? Grandpa and Grandma.
15. Do you drink beer? NO! That's a silly question.
16. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? What's adopted mean?
17. What is your favorite key chain on your keys? My Transformer puzzle key ring!
18. What did you get for graduation? Nothing?
19. Whats in your pocket? NOTHING!
20. Who introduced you to Dane Cook? No one.
21. Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear? Yes but it was an Elmo!
22. What DVD is in your DVD player? Spiderman, starring me!
23. What's something fun you did today? Open presents from Grandma and Grandma!
24. Who is/was the principal of your high school? Nobody - that's goofy.
25. Has your house ever been TP'd? Uh-uh.
26.What do you think of when you hear the word "meow"? It's a cat!
27. What are you listening to right now? Listening to Mom doing these questions.
28. Drinking? Mom's water.
29. What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart? The toy aisle!
30. When is your mom's birthday? A couple days. (June 17 actually.)
31. When is your birthday? May 13!
32. What's the area code for your cell phone? What cell phone? I already told you I didn't have a cell phone!
33. Where did you buy the shirt you're wearing now? Got it from Aunt Cristie for Christmas.
34. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? No... I don't have a view mirror... what'a a view mirror?
35. How many states in the US have you been to? Idaho... Green Bay...
36. What kind of milk do you drink? Regular milk and chocolate.
37. What are you going to do after this? Go to bed.
38. Who was the last person you went shopping with? Mom.
39. What is your favorite fruit? Oranges.
40. What about your favorite dessert? Cake! I love cake and brownies!
41. What is something you need to go shopping for? Nothing - I have a bunch of junk already.
42. Do you have the same name as one of your relatives? No. But there's one in school!
43. What kind of car does one of your siblings drive? What's a sibling?
44. Do you like pickles? Yes! Love pickles.
45. How about olives? Yes. I love olives. These are great questions.
46. What is your favorite kind of gum? I can't have gum.
47. What is your favorite kind of juice? Orange juice and apple juice.
48. Do you have any tan lines? What's a tan line?.
49. What hospital were you born in? Um, I don't know.

I tag Sharon and anyone who loves Bitty & Itty!

Hail to the Redskins

Redskins Tumble Out of Playoffs - Washington Post

Even though the 'Skins season came to a close with today's 35-14 playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, I'm still so proud to sport the Burgundy and Gold. The Redskins won their last 4 games after the death of teammate Sean Taylor to reach the wild-card round.

Next week I'll be sporting a Cheesehead, as I'm a Packer fan by marriage. I'm looking forward to watching Brett Favre skin the seachickens in sweet revenge for ending my team's season.

Please tell me I did not just say...

"Bitty, stop licking your brother!"

Top 7 of 2007

Products that were new (or at least new to me) in 2007 that I can not live without in 2008!

1) Boppy. How the heck did I get through Bitty's first year without one of these? Oh, yeah, I remember - with an aching back.
2) McDonald's Vanilla Iced Coffee. Cut my drive-thru-coffee-habit cost in half.
3) Clairol Nice 'n Easy Root Touch-Up. Not that I need to color my hair to cover the gray, but if I did this product would make the pricey salon color last an extra month... or three.
4) Vera Bradley Clip Zip ID in Java Blue. My Buddy, Sally, went to the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Atlanta and scored me a Villager handbag at 75% off the retail price. I bought the Clip Zip ID to match and it comes in really handy since I have to show a photo ID when picking Bittyman up from preschool.
5) C.O. Bigelo Mentha Cinnamint Lip Shine. I have these stashed everywhere - my purse, nightstand and minivan.
6) Simple & Delicious Magazine. Imagine me, the chick who took Shop instead of Home Ec, looking forward to trying out new recipes each month.
7) iPod. The best baby present EVER! Thanks again, Little Bro and SIL Cristie!