The Fuzzball Chronicles: the Life and Times of Curly Mommy

Smiley Boy is one year old! We are still praying and thanking God for him. Check out this miracle baby's story on his parents' blogs: Drason's Hat (Smiley Boy's Dad) The Big Adventure (Smiley Boy's Mom)

I'm still here, just really busy. Today is Yardboy's birthday. He is 34 years old. Happy birthday, my love!

Long ago (well not terribly long ago) my parents lived a charmed life. They had each other and me, their perfect, beautiful, kind daughter. Five and a half wonderful years later everything changed. Cabbagehead was born. Before he was born, adults thought it was amusing to ask me what I would do if the baby inside my mama's belly was male. I told them that I would put him on a leash and attach it to a post just outside my bedroom. I also added that I would only speak to him once a day. My opinion changed when I saw him through the newborn nursery window. Well, I think I was looking at the right baby. They all looked the same to me. He was so cute and so sweet. He was MY baby brother and I loved him. Being so much older afforded me the "opportunity" to help with Cabbagehead's care. I fed him. Once I tried to sneak a piece of tomato into his scrambled eggs. He screamed when I gave him a bite. I thought he was just being picky about the tomato. I didn't hear Mom tel...

I remove all doubt! This is the wrap I wear during belly dancing class! We joined the YMCA on January 2 and I went to my first belly dancing class that week. I am hooked. Now I spend two hours a week belly dancing at the Y. I purchased the wrap two weeks ago for $35. Ouch! It was handmade in Egypt. I figured, if I'm going to do it, then I need to do it right. The next day I learned that the coins and beads are attached by one continuous thread. How did I learn? Little Man yanked some of them off! I was so mad! I guess all of those jingle jingle coins are just too much for a 2o month-old to resist. It took me about an hour to find the place where the thread broke and repair it. Somehow I ended up with an extra coin and missing some beads. Now my wrap only comes out of the bag for pictures and class. I considered taking a picture of the wrap while wearing it. I decided that I'll post a picture of me wearing the wrap when there is a little less of me. Oh, I'm also taking Yoga ...

My dad has a friend named John. Sadly, John's wife was murdered last week. I was taking a nap this afternoon and this is what I dreamed. My dad and John were going over a bunch of photos on the computer. The pictures were of John and his late wife, their family... Dad and John were trying to decide which photo to put in the newspaper. The purpose of the photo was to show the impact of her death on John's life. John stopped on a photo of the bed he shared with his wife. It was an ornate wrought iron bed with fluffy, feminine linens. I woke up. I stayed there in my bed, with a pillow covering my face, thinking about the empty bed in my dream. I don't know John, but I hurt for him anyway. This woman had friends, neighbors, a son, grandchildren... but all I could think about was her husband and that empty bed. I pictured him coming home to a quiet, dark house, all alone, saddened, and fatigued. He would desire warmth, comfort, and rest. However, the very sight of this beauti...

Today I had a friend over to visit. I had to clean feverishly before she arrived. The house was so flithy. I enlisted Tater in the clean up effort. I asked her to pick up the toys, fold her pajamas and put them neatly on her bed, wash her face, brush her teeth... The last thing I asked her to do was wipe the coffee table with a damp cloth. She obliged without a complaint. A few minutes later I walked by and heard her singing as she wiped: Sing sweet nightingale. Sing sweet nightingale. Ah ah ah ah ah. In the Disney movie, this is the song Cinderella sings as she scrubs the floors. Tater said that yes, she was pretending to be Cinderella. Does that make me the evil stepmother?

Last night I got a RED CHIP and another BLUE CHIP ! At Celebrate Recovery , I received a Red Chip to mark 30 days of abstaining from over-eating! Now, this is a really, really big thing. I have never intentionally lost weight. I have never been even slightly successful on a diet. I have tried South Beach, The Zone, Dr. Phil, Weight Watchers... The problem was this: I was relying on my own will power, which stinks (I wanted to say "sucks" but it really makes my dad cringe when I use that word, so I won't). Anyway, now I am seeking and relying on God's will. Cool concept, huh? God's will is so much better than mine. My will is fragile, fickle, selfish, impatient. God's will is perfect. I'm not saying that I have eaten perfectly in the last month. I am saying that I didn't go on any all-out binges. I did stop eating when I realized that I was eating too much. I am learning to analyze my thoughts when I head to the pantry and keep my behavior in check. ...