Clean all the things!

I woke up this morning in full-fledged "Clean ALL the things!" mode around six this morning.  It's one in the afternoon now and it still hasn't passed.  The kids have been involved on and off, in between school and making more messes.  I've scrubbed and decluttered a few rooms.  Decluttering is my big problem.

I'll be going through and getting rid of stuff like it's my job or something and everything is fine.  Toss, toss, donate, give away, yay! Then I see that pair of pajamas.  The old man pajamas I bought 13 years ago and have worn constantly ever since.  They're baggy blue flannel and covered in penguins.  Every time I put them, on, I think I'm stealthy like a penguin.  They're the two most perfect pieces of clothing I've ever owned.  They've been the one constant in my life through all these years.  They're not without their problems, though.  They're full of holes, the elastic is shot, and after all these years of wear, they're pretty stained and beyond fixing.  The buttons have had so much stress put on them, they've ripped holes in the fabric.  For some reason, I can't get rid of them.  I walk them to the trash can and freak.  I've put them in the trash a few times, but they hop right back out and into my drawer. 

I used to wear these things all the time.  I'd come home from work and put them on immediately.  I'd leave shows and events and wear my penguin pajama shirt on the subway ride home.  They went with me to the birth of my first child.  I still wear them on a regular basis.  I'm wearing the top right now. 

Somebody needs to come over here and burn them or say they're taking them to a new home where they'll be loved.  Somebody else needs to find another pair of baggy old man pajamas that are covered in penguins.

The original "Clean all the things" post.

Kaiya thinks it's hilarious when I reenact memes.  She got photographic evidence this time.

Bat Milk

After over 8 continuous years of being pregnant and/or nursing, it's over.  I'm done.  It's kind of a relief, but at the same time, it's a bit of a drag.

1. Breastfeeding helped to regulate my blood sugar because I was eating more often.  I'm not doing that now, so my hypoglycemia has reared its ugly head once again, causing me to crash on a regular basis.  
2. I no longer have boobs.  They're almost completely gone.  The only reason for wearing a bra is to conceal my nipples.  I don't really mind because I've always been a bit flat and never cared too much about them.  I don't need two large fatty, potentially cancerous masses attached to my chest to remind people I'm a female.   I have a marvelous ass, so who needs tits?
3. Now that she's no longer nursing, Tanith must ask to nurse on a regular basis, even though she cared very little about nursing toward the end.
4. I've never been a calorie counter, but since I'm no longer burning an extra 500 calories a day, the brownies, cupcakes, jelly beans, candy bars, and dairy free ice cream sandwiches I down on a regular basis might take their toll.
5. Is there a link between breastfeeding and giving mothers a healthy immune system?  I haven't found one in writing, but I've been sick pretty much the entire time we've been weaned.
6.  I don't have a magical plug to make Tanith quiet.  Nipples have always been her mute button.  They're fantastic.

 All in all, I can't really say I regret weaning.  She's over two years old, so I fulfilled the minimum requirements for the WHO.  At least I won't be asked if I'm STILL nursing anymore.

Tanith now wants milk in a sippy cup.  Not just any sippy cup.  It has to be a Batman sippy cup.  No one may reveal that it's cow's milk unless they want to face the Wrath of Tahn.  A recent conversation with my darling youngest child.
Tanith: I'm firsty.  Want bat milk in my Batman cup.
Me: We have cow's milk.  We have almond milk.  We have coconut milk.  We don't have bat milk.
T: Bat milk is right there. (points to quart of cow's milk)
M: That's cow's milk.
T: Nope.  Bat milk.  (points to letters) See.  It says BAAAAAAT MIIIIILLLLLLLK.
M: Okay, here's your BAAAAAAT MIIIIILLLLLLLK.
T: Thank you.
M: You're welcome.
Later that night, Tanith is drinking milk from her Batman cup.
T: This is not bat milk!  This is cow milk.  Want bat milk.
Robby takes the Batman cup, pretends to refill it with the same exact milk he had used before, and hands it back.
T: That's good bat milk.  Thank you Daddy.

Snowpocalypse 2.0

The south has been hit with another round of winter weather.  This time, I've been trapped inside the house since Tuesday.  It's Friday now, and I'm going batty.  Against better judgement, I let the children watch The Snowmen episode of Doctor Who, so they haven't been interested in playing in the snow.  When I say it's bad down here, it's bad.  It's not just that Southerners aren't prepared for driving in the snow or that the roads weren't salted. 

The mail trucks didn't come around here yesterday, and I've got a lot of angry eBay buyers because the postal planes have been grounded.  When I called eBay customer service this morning with my laundry list of questions, the person I spoke with was very understanding and asked how the weather was in my area and how we were holding up.  I asked if he had seen The Shining. 

I'm starting to feel like Jack Torrance.  After last year's ice accident where I slid and sideswiped some dumbass who had decided to park on a busy city street without using emergency flashers or brake lights, I don't drive if there's a hint of ice, so we've been here since Tuesday.  When we got home from gymnastics on Tuesday, I still got stuck in the 2 inches of snow that had accumulated on the grass in our yard.

Lloyd the Bartender needs to show up soon if I'm going to keep hearing the Angry Birds song.  I've been waiting for him, but he must be up in Wake County partying with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and this guy.

 
At least we homeschool and won't have any Saturday make up days.