Picture perfect

Yes, BBZ continues to have an obsession with my shoes. Yes, he has no pants on. And yes, he is walking around with a firefighter's helmet on. Maybe he thinks my shoes are his boots and he just forgot to put his pants on before he went to fight the fire.

Cheese!

BBZ has finally learned how to say "Cheese!!" for the camera. Considering this is all I do nowadays is take pictures of my boys, it's about time. Although I haven't been playing with my SLR, or at least had it handy, my trusty iPod is also on standby.

It won't be the last time he hears it

The word of the day is FRUSTRATION.

Yeah, I know. I'm totally doing this to myself. I've opted to stay on course with this breastfeeding plan, but BBZ is not making it easy. Not sure if it has to do with the milk not coming out at jet speed, his gas issues, or what. But he wants nothing to do with me sometimes. During the night, which was actually a good one last night only waking up to feed at 1:30am and 5am, he nurses perfectly fine. And I know it's not me because he has milk spilling out his cheeks when he stops and smiles at me. Other times, he even wants nothing to do with the bottle, spitting out milk left and right. Ugh.

I finally found myself saying outloud,


"WHY CAN'T YOU BE MORE LIKE YOUR BROTHER AND JUST EAT!"


I'm sure it's just the way he is, or at least I hope there is nothing anatomically or physically wrong with him. Unfortunately though it won't be the last time he hears that phrase.

A good secret keeper?

Are you a good secret keeper?

If you had some really exciting news, but was hesitant to share it - would you??

Who would you share your exciting news with first?

To see how good you are at keeping secrets, take this little quiz.

Let me know if you're a good secret keeper. I may just tell you my secret.

Changing gears

I'm a planner. I like to make sure everything is planned to the "T" so nothing goes wrong. Sometimes, hubby will get in the same groove. Sometimes, he'll plan WAY too much, much more than I would plan (which is a lot if you know me).

However, I married a military man. That doesn't leave much room in the way for planning. Especially when the military has a "wait and see" or a "hurry up and wait" program that they like to follow. So, I've learned to relax a little and try to go with the flow. "Try" being the key word, but I have to admit I've been really good at times about letting things just happen (at least I hope those closest to me would agree).

I'm still determined to plan at least something every once in awhile. So I decided to tackle the finances since the holiday season is officially over now. Dear Lord, help us.

Apparently, now that hubby has his direct commission packet in, he's changed over to the "wait and see" mentality as well. When I asked him where he thinks the "extra" money should go in March, his reply, "Let's just wait and see what's going on that month." Well, according to him, as of this morning anyway, he won't find out until April if his packet has been accepted. From there, it's definitely a "wait and see" scenario.

Ah, roller coaster ride called "My life".

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Genetically Linked

**This is in no way a true and accurate study done by the scientific community. This is just what we have experienced.**


In a recent study conducted by A's Mom and Big Daddy, they have confirmed that Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, OCPD, is genetically passed onto offspring. It was a long and tedious study involving many hours of observation (approximately 16,560 hours or 23 months), but it is without a doubt linked.

Until recent clarification, A's Mom was thought to have had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a chronic anxiety disorder most commonly characterized by obsessive, distressing, intrusive thoughts and related compulsions. The phrase "obsessive-compulsive" has become a mockery in the English language, and is often used in an informal or caricatured manner to describe someone who is meticulous, perfectionistic, absorbed in a cause, or otherwise fixated on something or someone. Although these signs are often present in OCD, a person who exhibits them does not necessarily have OCD, and may instead have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) or some other condition. However, Wikipedia cleared things up.

Big Daddy recently caught A's Mom exhibiting her own signs of OCPD by arranging her trail mix to include the same proportion of raisins, peanuts, and butterscotch pieces into individual piles prior to consuming them.



Little Man A was thought to have exhibited OCPD when he would place the step stool in front of the toilet just so. Or when he would line up his trucks side by side in perfect alignment. They could not be certain that these signs were significant evidence. However, today's observations confirmed Little Man A did have OCPD.

While at IKEA during their morning brunch (the small breakfast was free again this weekend for Veteran's Day. If you're not signed up to receive their emails you really should.), Little Man was engaged in his normal behavior of playing with the train set (even though he has his own at home now) when A's Mom and Big Daddy announced it was time to proceed to the check-out area downstairs. When Little Man A passed by a shelf of piggy banks, he noticed they were rather "haphazard". Little Man A proceeded to place all the piggy banks upright and position them facing forward. (I shit you not.)

More observations will be occurring over the next several months to years, but A's Mom and Big Daddy are pretty sure they have a perfectionist on their hands. Please cross your fingers for them that they will be able to make it safely through the next 16 years.

For more, true information regarding Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, visit www.oh-my-god-this-is-my-life.com/


**Like Wikipedia previously stated, this was indeed a "mockery" of the true meaning of OCD/OCPD.**

I'm a Marilyn

Wenderina posted her results from a recent "test" she took online, Are you a Jackie or a Marilyn?. It's only two questions, but so far from the results of her test and mine, it's fairly accurate.

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Marilyn!

You are a Marilyn -- "I am affectionate and skeptical."

Marilyns are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.

How to Get Along with Me

* Be direct and clear (True!)
* Listen to me carefully
* Don't judge me for my anxiety
* Work things through with me
* Reassure me that everything is OK between us (Too Ture!!)
* Laugh and make jokes with me
* Gently push me toward new experiences
* Try not to overreact to my overreacting. (especially in an argument)

What I Like About Being a Marilyn

* being committed and faithful to family and friends
* being responsible and hardworking
* being compassionate toward others
* having intellect and wit
* being a nonconformist
* confronting danger bravely
* being direct and assertive

What's Hard About Being a Marilyn

* the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind (I hate this!)
* procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself (True- how long did it take me to start my business?)
* fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of (Hello! I'm a military wife!)
* exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger
* wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right (Amen!!)
* being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations (Can you say OCD?)

Marilyns as Children Often

* are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn
* are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger
* form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent
* look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel
* are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent (I hope this isn't ture!)

Marilyns as Parents

* are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty
* are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence (Aren't all parents?)
* worry more than most that their children will get hurt
* sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

Try it for yourself.

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program....

Last month, Wenderina posted an entry with some intriguing questions regarding your personality. I decided to tag along, although the answers are not mind-blowing at all and I'm late posting them (Sorry, Wenderina!) but here are my answers to the questions:


What historical figure do you most identify with and why?
I'm not a history buff so I'll have to pass on this one.


Which word or phrase do you think is overused right now?
I'm a little out of the loop on current events to really know the answer to this question. I'm sure there are tons that are still being used that are past their expiration date.


How would you explain your profession to a child?
Obviously, my current profession as a stay-at-home-mom is nurturing our future to be the best that they can be. As a vet technician it was helping family pets feel better and stay healthy. As a zoo keeper, preserving the animals for our future generations.


What did you have to learn the hard way?
I have to completely take this one from Wenderina.... Patience. And I too am still learning this everyday. Especially with a child.


What do you sing or hum when you're alone?
More than likely it's a child's song like "Elmo's Song", "Momma don't you tickle my toes", and "We are the Dinosaurs".


What talent would you most like to have?
The only thing I can think of I'm not sure it's actually a talent, more of a skill. I would love to have the ability and knowledge of training horses dressage and be able to compete with them in a national level.


What movie character would you like to portray and why?
I'm totally stumped on this one... sorry. Not sure I watch movies enough apparently.


Is there a book that changed your perspective on life?
One More Day by Mitch Album. I've really tried lately, especially now that I have this little being playing monkey-see, monkey-do everyday, watching what I say and how I say things. I don't want to take things, especially people, for granted.


What's the best reward for a job well done?
A sincere thank you with a smile. Or a little kiss from my 15 month old does it every time.


What is your personal motto?
When I was working in the zoo field is was "It's just a job... It doesn't define me... It's not who I am." Now, as a SAHM I think I can rephrase that: "This is a job, it defines who my son will be, this is who I am."