While browsing some blogs today, I came across a Saint Name Generator. You go to the site, click a button and BAM…you have a saint picked out for you. Thinking it would be fun and possibly provide me with someone new to learn about, I clicked it.

Saint Eugene de Mazoned where have you been my whole life?

All week long we’ve been preparing for snow and ice. Today was the day and what a bust. No Snow. My poor kids have been talking about building a snowman all week. Now their play date has been cancelled because mom doesn’t drive on ice and they are stuck inside. Oh, to be like the mom next door who threw her kids outside by 8:30 this morning so they could check out the ice.

I often find Baby Z with toys surrounding her from the boys. The boys were really worried about Squirt and thought their animals would help him feel better.

We didn’t make it to Mass on Wednesday to have our candles blessed so Lance did a blessing at home for us. No David LOVES his new candle. We, and by we I mean Lance and I, made candles over the weekend and I bought the cheesy ones at HEB for the kids. They were so excited about them!

And because I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t just get this off my tongue…but I am over everyone asking if I notice the difference between boys and girls. The answer is yes: she cries ALL. THE. TIME.

Everyone who has both boys and girls kept talking about how much easier a girl would be than my boys. So far, I’m just not feeling that. I have a daughter who refuses to sleep in her bassinet and won’t go more than four minutes without crying if you aren’t holding her. Where is the sweetness? My mom reminded me that No David cried quite a bit, but this girl has him beat by a long shot. I feel bad because there are times that I just can’t hold her or sling her, and she literally cries nonstop. Then you hold her, and she immediately stops.

There has been one difference: she doesn’t spit up like the others. That’s a positive.

Today is the perfect example of how regimented and cheap I am. I have been working on flexibility for years. You would think with children flexibility is a must. You would think I would have learned this lesson at this point in my life. But here I am stewing because my plans for the day are not going to happen.

And as I am sitting here, I am thinking of things I won’t be able to do tomorrow either. The first week of February is so rich with things to do for the kids. In the Church, we have the Feast of St. Brigid, Candlemass, and the Feast of St. Blase. Then there is Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year and the start of a new month. And I want to do it ALL.

And not in just a checklist kind of way.

I had plans for yesterday, today and tomorrow. Not to mention swim lessons that I’ve already paid for the month. Do you know how hard it was for me to cancel today? I admit, I can be cheap. But Lance reminded me exactly how cold it is today and that swimming isn’t really a good idea. So out went our plans for taking our candles to the church to be blessed, swim lessons, the library and Chinese New Year at Goose’s school. (Thankfully, my plans for the gym were intact, I don’t think I could have handled today otherwise.)

Instead, we’re baking cookies for Squirt who is in surgery right now, we’ll light his special candle for the year tonight and Lance will bless our candles, we’ll have soup and be together. I know in my heart that that will be better than anything I had planned. It only took me four hours to get over not having the day go exactly as I planned.

I received the bill for having Baby Z less than two weeks ago and the hospital has called twice asking where the payment is. Seriously, don’t these people have anything better to do? And while today is the day I pay bills, (yes, I actually still write checks) I am tempted to set this bill aside just because they pissed me off. I am paying the entire amount at once in cash so they can back off until the actual due date stated on the bill.

The nominations for the Oscars were announced Tuesday morning, and I can rest easy knowing that nobody as bad as Sandra Bullock will win an Oscar this year. It still drives me crazy knowing that she won last year. And while I’m sure she’s nice, and I admit to liking her in Crash and While You Were Sleeping, she so didn’t deserve an Oscar for that POS she did last year. It was almost as bad as Julia Roberts beating Ellen Burstyn years ago.

Happy Birthday, Jessica! As I took this picture, I reminded you that last year you were holding No David in your arms. And just like last year and the year before that, you spent a good deal of your party holding a baby in your arms. Not worried what other people might think, not letting any of the kids bother you on your special night. Your dad kept thanking us, but we were the ones honored to be with you tonight. You’re a member of this family too and all of us love you so much. Happy Birthday, may all your dreams come true!

A few months ago, I wrote about XM Radio and how they steal your money. I was really frustrated, but not too worried about the 305$ that they charged to our credit card without my consent. I had faith that our credit card company would deal with them, and I’d have my money back soon enough.

Isn’t there something about only having faith in God? Well, I’m not sure even God could get money back from the POS known as XM Radio. Today, I received a letter from our credit card company informing me that while they will still fight for us, they have yet to resolve this matter. XM has sent in information stating that we never cancelled service in the MANY calls we made. What liars. How do they train these people. Never once did I tell them I wanted to continue service. It didn’t even work in my car! In fact, I was more than clear that if using their service would save my life, I would rather die. Lance was clear. But it doesn’t matter because we are still effed. (Do I really have to start curbing my cussing just because Squirt has finally figured out that I have a blog? Shouldn’t he be learning in school rather than reading my blog there?!)

With Lance gone, I was sure Baby Z’s constant need to be held or No David’s constant need for food would do me in. Nope, it’s a letter that has taken me over the edge. I have to rethink strategy. They will not get my money. And while I am at it, I will try and get anyone I can to cancel their service too.

Heard in my house: “I brang a bag to school.”

There wouldn’t “Life in the Men’s Room” without the head of this household. And today, January 21, we celebrate the man that made it possible for me. Happy Birthday, Baby! I wish I had something as awesome as last year, minus me stumbling drunk, planned for you, but I don’t. I’m sick, getting worse by the minute, and tired. The sick will pass and so will the tired, soon I hope. And while we still won’t party like rock stars, for which I am sure you are grateful, I promise a great celebration. Until then, I offer you my love, my devotion, a three day trip to the Senior Bowl, a clean house and gaggle of kids. You are the love of my life, and I am so grateful you were born today.