Update: The Snorer in Action

Several of you have asked about the current situation with our Snorer next door. I can truthfully say that he has taken things to the next level.

The other night at about 6:30pm I went into my bedroom to grab something when I heard loud grunting. It's too early for our neighbors to be in bed, right? It was too early for our neighbors to be in bed 'sleeping'... That's right. I had the delight of listening to Mr. and Mrs. Snorer being intimate. These noises are now seared into my brain, never to be erased.

That's not all. In addition to enjoying the Snorer's the nightly melodies, in recent weeks his whole family has decided to have a 4AM party. His snorey toddlers like to jump around shaking my bedroom with giant thuds while yelling at the top of their lungs. Last week the Snorer and his wife also decided to have a shouting match at the godforsaken hour of 4AM.

I still have not officially met the Snorer and his brood, but I feel privileged that they choose to share with us their most private moments. I did catch a glimpse of him sitting behind the wheel of his white Lexus, pulling up to his home after a long day of snorey work.

 I feel blessed to be in our home but  I also sneak onto real estate sites to drool over single family homes. One day my Snorer you will find yourself with new neighbors who are not so sympathetic towards your plight.

Tuesday Yammering

"Whatever I don't like in somebody else is something I don't like in myself. I'll go to the bank on that every time." O'Donnell Day 

While scanning facebook updates I recently came across this quote from a friend's status. After a few weeks of mulling it over I still can't get it out of my head.

I tend to be an upbeat yet highly critical person- not sure how the two can go hand in hand, but that is me in a nutshell. My critical nature has been switched on to hyper-sensitive mode while our family has been meeting all kinds of new people (potential friends?) and trying out new churches for the last couple months. 'Did he really just say that?', 'Did she actually wear that out in public?', 'Wow, is my kid bratty as theirs?' Exhausting. 

I guess it is time for a little introspection. I am learning that I need to be more gracious with people and extend to them the sensitivity that I would want for them to use with me. More than often the things about other people that make my skin crawl are just reflections of what I don't like about myself. I guess that the perfect example of this would be my driving skills. I know that I can be a lousy driver (you know just once in a while...) but I still suffer a moment of road rage when another driver is not on their A-game. Unless we want to live a miserable existence in this world it is about time that we accept people for their imperfections and start being more concerned about our own words and actions.

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own." Matthew 7:3 (The Message)

 

Wild at Heart

This month was paved with good intentions. One such intention was sending out Lil's yearly Valentine to everyone that she loves. Valentines Day has come and gone and you probably noticed that you did not receive any love notes or photos from a wily little toddler. This is why....

This kid never stops moving! I tried to have a pre-Valentine's photo shoot at a local shopping center and the results were less than pleasing. Asking a 21-month-old to sit still, pose and say 'cheese' for the camera is likened to pulling your own teeth. Not something I recommend. So I just nixed the whole Valentine's thing altogether. If you are one of Lil's loves that missed out on your Valentine, I will make sure that she gives you a big slobbery kiss to express her undying affection.

 Oh, and in case you were wondering about the gorgeous backdrop from Lil's Valentine's photo shoot, this is in my front yard (well at least a block away). Not too shabby.

Where Have We Been?

Um, we were kidnapped by aliens, brought to a tropical island and forced to listen to Barry Manilow for hours on end. Nope. That is not true. To be honest my creative zest has been completely absent for the month of February. I guess it is a case of Bloggers Block? I promise to at least post a few pics of our toddler to satisfy the masses. Check back soon....

Thread Away

Today the weather was vacillating between downpour and sunshine so I decided to play it safe and do what every good hairy Mother does with her daughter- go to the local thread bar.

I am obsessed with the perfect arch. I was that girl in high school with the bizarrely over-plucked brows that looked like a pair of sperm squatting on my forehead. After some life experience I took a good look at myself in the mirror and realized that I needed serious professional help. Since then I have been on a constant quest to tame and style my brows. I have had them professionally plucked, waxed, trimmed and recently discovered the world of threading.

Threading is an ancient method of hair removal thought to have originated in Turkey. Threading involves rolling twisted cotton threads over untidy hairlines and plucking out the unwanted hair. Lucky for me there is a fantastic threading bar minutes away from my home.

Lily has probably inherited some of my hairier genes especially since she looks like my midget twin these days. I figured I might as well get her acclimated to the world of hair removal during her formative years. Don't worry I didn't let any of the threads touch her sweet little face. What kind of parent do you think I am? She has to be at least 3 before that happens.