Not Me, Monday! (Perfect, Mother's Day!)

You know the drill.  My Monday posts, I get to tell you all about the things that I did didn't do.  

If you want more (and who doesn't ever want more?)  head over to MckMama's blog and feast on all the Not Me, Mondays.  Drool over her many mckchildren and say hi.  

WAIT!

Don't forget to read my post first silly and leave me a comment, THEN head over to MckMama's blog.  

I absolutely did not have the most perfect Mother's Day a girl could ask for.  I am being serious here.  I didn't wake up to both my boys making me a nice southern hot breakfast, that included eggs, crispy bacon, biscuts, gravy and home fries.  (Mmmmm....... Oh wait, yea that didn't happen.)

It also was not me that got greeted with smiles from all my favorite people, along with some beautiful flowers, a poem, a song, four cards and a gift Visa card, so that I could go shopping for Mother's Day.  (Sweet!.....wait, that didn't happen either.)

Of course I surely did not witness my Butterfly take more and more steps without help today. She is no way close to walking.  (Whoo-hoo!..... you got it, that didn't happen either.)

Wouldn't that be nice and a pretty good day alone, if any of that actually happened?  Too bad it didn't happen or it would have been a pretty darn good Mother's Day.

But wait.  

It totally was not me and my family of four, that then, full belly's and all, at nine something in the morning, still in pj's, that was jamming out on Rock Band.  In which I totally rocked!  (Nah!....It was not me!)

Oh and by the way, it so was NOT ME that got a back massage just before getting left alone to take a THREE HOUR NAP.  (JACK POT!..... yea, if that actually happened in which is so didn't.)

I mean seriously, could you imagined what a perfect day that would have been?  

Think about this.  

After that THREE HOUR NAP (had I really taken one, that is).  I woke to Butterfly sitting in her playpen, in the middle of the garage, jamming out to some Pearl Jam with daddy, while he washed MY car???  (AAAHHHH.... wake me up, because we know that didn't happen.)

Pinch me please.  

Because, I also patted myself on the back for my one day of cleaning up pee after pee on my floors, got rid of my daughters pesky diaper rash in one day.  

And it so was not me who then found out, that after sitting in the heat and a unknown 3rd poopy diaper with daddy today in the garage,  that pesky diaper rash came back (and 3x worse).

And truthfully it was NOT ME, that discovered her poopy diaper by accidentally putting my figure inside of um...the mess, while trying to pull out her diaper wedge, she almost always seems to get if daddy puts on her diaper.  (GROSS!... yes, it would be. Im so glad that was not me.)

It also wasn't me that cleaned out a stinky litter box, because my two old boys are getting lazy at covering up their, um.... 'mess'. While it was not me cleaning up poop from cats, and both poop and pee from a toddler with a diaper rash etc.  I am just thankful that I also didn't have to walk into the house to see cat puke on my kitchen floor and a little girl standing in the living area on my nice shaggy rug, looking down at the pee running down her legs.  (Wiping Forehead.... so thankful that was not me!) 

After all it's Mother's Day, I don't have to do "mothering" things today, right? (Not Me!)

To end such a perfect Mother's Day.  My family DID go to church, and with out any planning at all, everyone (but me) came out wearing pink tops.  I know, pretty cute right? I thought so anyways.  

After hearing a rock'in message at church, baby girl didn't come out of her daycare class with a missing hair bow.  (Darn it!..... I mean that would really stink if that had happened.)

But we did decide to eat at Carrabba's for dinner.  In which baby girl did learn to color for the first time, instead of eating the crayons.  Also, while it being her first time to have her own real dinner plate ordered for her to eat from.  It was so cute watching her color and eat her own dish.  She is getting to be such a big girl.

While my big boy, was being such a BIG boy....sneaking off now and then to go sit at the bar to sneak in Vodka drinks the score of the Bruins game on the TV.  (Oh and peppermints too!)

Getting to enjoy a nice italian meal with my family on Mother's Day, it however, was NOT ME that took my daughter into the bathroom to change her diaper and check on her rash; only to discover that her diaper was on backwards.  I mean who would do that?  Or, what kind of church do I attend here?  (Thats pretty funny!..... to think that could have happened, but didn't.)

Getting home a little after nine, honey goes out to clean the windows on the car (again) because on the way home the windows looked as though you were looking through a kaleidoscope.  (Oh wait,.....yea, that didn't happen because as I already said, honey so did not wash my car. You are finally catching on here.)

Finally, getting baby girl down for the night.  It was NOT ME, that dressed her bed up in layers, while laying a towel across my lap, to have fed her a bedtime bottle with a bare bottom, so she could sleep naked, to fight that pesky diaper rash.  (Right! Right! ....you are quick and smart.  Of course that didn't happen, I got rid of that rash in one day last week, remember?) 

Just making sure you are keeping track of all the things that DID or DIDN'T happen, and all the so "NOT ME's!!!"

Do you agree that because of all those things that could have happened, (but, obviously didn't) made a PERFECT MOTHER'S DAY???

However, I am VERY disappointed to say, actually I am not disappointed because it so was NOT ME that didn't take one-single-photo today of my kids, my family or me with my family, on this PERFECT MOTHER'S DAY.  Ugh!!! It was not me! (Sigh!.....Banging head on table, wall and anything hard I can find.)

Not to worry, I would not do that to YOU.  I would not think about writing such a picture-less post.  

So instead, because I needed a reason to post these anyways.  I am giving you some adorable bare naked bottom shots of Morgan, being ever so cute with her chunky and delicious thunder thighs baby rolls, that I took the other day, trying to get rid of this pesky diaper rash she has had. 

Okay, I'm busted.  Anything I said so didn't happen, SO DID.  And even so, it still was absolutely the most PERFECT MOTHER'S DAY....EV--RRRRHHH!!!!

{Morgan LOVES to go into her bubba's room when he is at school, to play with his cars, baseballs and books.  So, while I was hoping and praying she didn't pee on his carpet, after being so fortunate all day that the two times she did pee, she peed on the hard floor that was easy to clean up. I decided to take some photos of her bare bum. Its not often I get to actually see it all exposed and so cute, other than giving her a bath or changing her diaper. I had so many cute ones, but chose the PG-rated 'safe' ones to share with all of you. If that's even fair to say, after all I am exposing my precious little girls naked bum.}

Hope all you moms had your own Perfect Mother's Day! 

A rock, a flower and a trophy.

So it's Mother's Day, eh? 

No, I am not Canadian and after reading the rest of this post or any other post on here, I make that very clear.  Not that there is anything wrong with being Canadian, but being a Texas girl, there is no way around the fact that pretending to be a Canadian is anything but possible.  Ha!

Okay, so I have seriously thought of a few different types of post to post today on Mother's Day.  However, I can't seem to get away or find enough time to let my mind think them through fully.  

I thought about writing a letter to my mom, as my post.  

I thought about writing about Mother's Day, being a mom. (any excuse to post pictures of my kiddos, eh?)

I thought about posting a cute little email I received talking about what it means to be a mother.  

I thought about writing a letter to all of YOU mother's I have come to know via the blog world.  

But....

I just can't seem to get all my thoughts organized enough for any aforementioned.  

In truth.  

I could sit here and tell you what an amazing mother, my mom is.  

I could tell you how she is one of the strongest people I know.  

I could tell you how she cracks me up that she mispronounces just about every other word, but I still love her dearly.  

I could tell you how she is my best friend.  She really is.  

I could tell you how she is one of those moms, that all your friends want to come over to talk with or get advice from.  

I can tell you how she is a women of many sacrifices.  

I can tell you how she pretty much became a mom the year she dropped out of the 9th grade to help her own mother with her 7 siblings.  Talk about sacrifice.

I could tell you how she has dedicated her life to my sister, brother and me. And continues to even to our own kids. 

I could tell you how she is one amazing person......

But then again, didn't I just do that?  

I love my mom with all my heart.  I wish she lived closer by. 

She is a rock, a flower, and a trophy.  

Most of all SHE IS MY MOTHER! 

Happy Mothers Day, Mom!

Happy Mother's Day to ALL you beautiful mother's out there. 
 I know some are on cloud 9 today celebrating your first mothers day with your first born. 
 Happy Mother's Day. 
I know some are having one of the hardest and saddest days of their lives, because they have lost either a child or their only child.  
Happy Mother's Day. 
I know some are hoping, wishing and trying to be a first time mom.  
Happy Mother's Day.  
I know some that will never be able to give birth to their own.
Happy Mother's Day.
I know some that have and are adopting their children.
Happy Mother's Day. 
If you have in anyway loved a child.... YOU ARE A MOTHER.
Happy Mother's Day.
GOD BLESS.

wee hours of the night

As I mentioned before in my post sent from my cool iPhone on Friday.  I posted a snap shot taken with my iPhone camera, giving you a little sneak peak of behind the scenes of Hunter and I shooting our first infomercial together.  

For copy right protection I am not allowed to talk about the Smart Thaw product until it airs.  So instead I am going to talk about our day and experience shooting an infomercial (info + commercial = infomercial).  Or better known as those long obnoxious commercials that come on late at night or early in the mornings.  Well, okay, so maybe not all obnoxious, but I tend to get a kick out of them.  I know they are full of interesting things to buy.  

Remember, I am not trying to step on any one's toes here, I am simply speaking about my own thoughts on these types of commercials and also my experience shooting them.  If you are an infomercial kind of person, that enjoys them and also purchases things from them.  Great!  No punt intended here.  

First of all, back in the day when I was just starting out as a model, I would shoot infomercials any time.  I was young and anything I could shoot being in front of the camera seemed like a great gig to me.  I would be thrilled to be working.  As I grew in age and in my modeling/acting career, I quickly learned that shooting infomercials was not really going to help my acting career or make the cut for the acting reel.  I then started to refuse them, telling myself they would 'hurt' my career.  

Fast forward....

My acting career stayed pretty busy shooting little appearances here and there on this or that film.  Shooting this or that music video and or regular commercials left and right.  My modeling stayed busy.  Then when Get Out came along, everything sort of just fell to the back burner because I was always on the road traveling and hosting.  

While hosting Get Out, life continues to move forward as well and before I know it,  I meet the man who would be the future Mr. Rice.  HA! HA!  He hates that, but its a funny joke around here because our dry cleaners know him as and call him, Mr. Rice.  I have to admit I get a pretty good kick out of it.  After I married "Mr. Rice", then along came the pregnancy and then Butterfly.  Before you know it, time and years passed by.  

I thought I would get going full swing this season of modeling and acting now that I had my figure back  lost the baby weight I had put on.  Only to find myself struggling super hard to get back into the swing of driving around in my car all day to auditions and castings.  Try doing this with a baby in tow, can make for one awful and un-enjoyable experience.  

My thinking process is that I would be super picky with the jobs I chose to do.  Taking on jobs only that were worth my time and or paid enough that covered the agencies fee and sitter fees.  The next problem I would then run into is trying to find a sitter at the last minute.  That's not an easy task.  Then with the economy, modeling took a hit just like everything else has, causing work to be less available.  So, with less work, and a picky choosing here, there hasn't been much to do. Not because I am not being hired or wanted, but between the two (less work and picky choosing) there just isn't much to work with. 

Well, the other day I decided to send the kid talent agent some recent photos of Morgan and Hunter.  That's just part of the deal with kids.  You must always send recent photos of them because they grow and change so quickly.  I then get a call from (we will call her Agent C.) saying how handsome Hunter is, and would he be interested in shooting a infomercial.  Of course I replied.  Then she continued to say that they need a mom also, would I be interested in shooting as well.  My first thought was "um, noooo." But then the smart brain cell I do have kicks in and I think to myself, "if I am going to be there with Hunter anyways, may as well shoot with him so that we both work together and get paid for having to be there anyways." 

I know I am a genius if I must say so myself.  

Then after my genius thinking, I hang up the phone.  By that evening I am kicking myself in the butt.  Genius???  

Quite the opposite in fact.

Now, I found myself taking on a job with Hunter.  Here is the catch......

1.  My call time for the "mom" is 9:00 AM.  

2.  Hunter's call time isn't until at 1:00 PM.

3.  I now need to find a sitter for Morgan for the entire day.  

4.  How am I going to get Hunter from school to get him to his job by 1:00 PM, if I am already there working and his dad is out of town? 

Not only that its one of those jobs that do not pay very much at all, while also having you do your own hair and makeup, bring half your wardrobe etc.  By the time night rolled around I was miserable.  

Having talked daddy into doing work from home Friday,  packing up all that was needed for our job, and making out Morgan's schedule for daddy and so on.  Luckily, Hunters school was going on a field trip, so I let him skip school and just go spend the day with me at the job until his time.  

Friday came, we arrived at the job, and we really lucked out.  We shot at a home that had children of their own, including a playroom.  And get this, the boy that lived in that home had BAKUGANS.  Imagine that? Can you picture the smile and look on Hunter's face when he realizes that he was in the home of a Bakugan Brother? 

The day ended up being an easy shoot day. The client and production crew were all super cool people to have met and worked with.  The day went by fast actually, because I worked most of the time, while also getting to hang out with my boy all to myself in between break periods.  Once his time came around and his pretend sister Madison arrived. The kids started to shoot their parts of the scene, while I took pictures.  

Hunter did a great job.  Such a natural.  The director coached the kids on what to do in their few scenes while I got to watch Hunter on the monitor and or take pictures from a far, and he really stepped up to the plate and did his thing.  

I seem so surprised only because in truth, Hunter hasn't done anything related to modeling and acting of his own sense his movie with Dylan and Cole (Disney's Suite Life Twins - Zac and Cody).  He was 5 years old when he shot that.  He hated the modeling stuff as a young child so I quit getting him jobs.  Now about 5 years later, realizing that he actually gets paid for such a job and that I agreed he would get to take $20.00 out of his paycheck to do with as he pleases, while the rest goes into his saving.  Also, that I would advance him such money once the job was wrapped and he did a good job.

He now gets it!! Modeling = $$, which = Spending on what ever he wants. 

Getting to skip school, make some money and then go spend it on anything he wanted was like hitting the lottery for a boy of his age.  He was so excited to be able to go to the store and purchase himself like 5 Bakugans.  And what perfect timing that was, because my friend Susan was coming over Friday evening with her son Tristan, so that he and Hunter could trade and have some Bakugan brawls.  

At the end of the day it ALL WORKED OUT. Morgan survived the whole day with daddy, or should that be 'daddy survived the whole day with Morgan?'.  Hunter and I had a great experience shooting our first commercial together, while getting to spend some one on one time with each other.  I love that boy.  

After all said and done...... I felt great getting out of the house, stepping away from only being a mommy for the day, while getting to work again and feel a little like my old self.  

Even if it was a silly old infomercial, that paid very little, provided no wardrobe, provided no makeup or hair stylist and will only air in the wee hours of the night.  

(notice what is holding the product up? two packs of cigarettes -ha!)

(finding stuff to keep himself entertained)

(he was a little short so he had some help)

(getting coached by the director to look like that)

***Quick Note***
I have been asked to do a guest post for someone in the near future regarding living and being a model/actress for 13 years.  This is YOUR chance.  I have never done this before.  If you have any thing you would like to know about modeling, acting, agencies etc.  Please leave a comment to this post and ask away.  I can't promise I will answer every question in that post, but I do promise to try.  And whatever I don't get to in that guest post I write, I will then surely do another post later on so I can answer all your questions.
So here is your chance.
Do you have any questions about modeling or acting?  
Ask away!!!

Shooting a commercial.

>

> Hunter and I are on set shooting an infomercial (sp?) for Smart
> Thaw. You know those commercials that air at 2 AM. I'm very much a
> mom in this commercial. It's pretty funny. I'll try to get better
> shots with my actual camera later today.
>
>
>
> Sent from iPhone
>

The Six Dollar Shoe.

Yesterday, was one of those days for me. I honestly do not know where they come from sometimes. Do they come from the dream(s) I had the night before, making me very irritable? Or what?

There was no reason for me to really be so cranky yesterday, but as the day went, I found myself growing more and more annoyed at anything and everything.

Does the never ending laundry really set this mood off in me?

Or was it the never ending dirty diapers I had my hands in for the first half of my day?

Was it the fact that my house looks like a daycare center and I am tired of kicking, stepping and picking up toys every time I turn around?

Maybe its the back ache I have all day long from constantly bending over picking up a 22 pound baby, getting her out of this and getting her out of that, and picking up this and picking up that?

Or, could it really be a choice?  

The other day I said to Mark, "I feel cranky." 

Then he asked why, and I didn't have an answer.  I just felt cranky.  Although, now looking back on my thoughts during this conversation I think I know why.  

However, with my answer being short with "I don't know."  He simply responds, "you can choose to not be cranky then." 

Oh boy, hasn't he learned yet that sometimes when I a girl is venting, whining or simply just being an emotional moody girl, there are times that you need to choose your words wisely? 

Let's just say that those words are not what I cared or wanted to hear from him, and I rolled over, ended the conversation and went to sleep. 

I ended up having a horrible, awful, devastating dream that Hunter died.  I know, awful, right?  Don't ask me why because I couldn't tell you that.  Maybe its from all the sad blogs?  I don't know.  

Anyways, I woke up from that dream with a massive headache because I had been crying so hard in my nightmare at the loss of Hunter, and needing to take deep breaths of air to fill my lungs up with the air they were lacking, as I must have not been breathing that well during my dream cycle, or nightmare should I say. 

Not only that, and I have never mentioned this before, but I have a very crooked deviated spectrum.  It has been suggested to me by doctors to considered having it surgically straightened up, but I never have 'got around to it.' 

What it does for me, or doesn't do I should say.  It doesn't allow for me to breath out of both of my nostrils at the same time.  If you take a deep breath you get a full amount of air in both nostrils probably. Go ahead try it, you know you want to.  If you close one nostril, you can still breath just fine out of the other one, and so on. 

I can't. 

I can only fully breath through one nostril at all times.  Its not one particular nostril.  I think it depends on which way the spectrum lies that determines which nostril will be most opened at that time.  I can breath out of both nostrils, but one of them if I closed off the one most opened, then the other one has to breath harder to still only get in a very small amount of air.  I would eventually have to breath through my mouth because I wouldn't get enough oxygen in through that one nostril alone.

Is this too much info by they way? Sorry! 

Where was I?

Oh, so anyway, I think this could be the cause of my active induced asthma that I had growing up.  I don't really have asthma now, but if I run or swim or really active in sports or a gym workout class.  I struggle to breath more than most.  I get tired fast, which then frustrates me because it makes me look as though I quit and can't keep up, but in truth, I just can't breath.  

Although, this post has nothing to do with any of that I just shared.  That was random and sort of just came out of no where.  I think I may call up the doctor and see about getting this issues corrected.  Besides, although this wouldn't be plastic surgery on my nose, I have been accused of having had a nose job before.  LOL!  Now I may have to get a nose job done after all, on the inside that is.  

I really wonder how it would feel to be able to breath fully and equally out of both nostrils ALL the time?  I wonder if it would make a difference in how I feel, when I work out and play sports? Maybe, I will be able to sing if I could breath out of both nostrils? Nah, thats just wishful thinking, I know.  But it sure would be nice to just be able to get in a full amount of air every time I inhale. 

Back to my moody day yesterday.  

I was getting so frustrated at having to repeat, repeat, repeat (you get the idea)... repeat, myself to Morgan.  

No eating the cat food Morgan.

Give that to mommy.

Morgan, mommy said no.

Morgan, don't pull on the power cord.

Morgan, no biting mommy.

Morgan, gentle with the kitty. 

She is still pretty darn cute though!

Then in the middle of my cranky day.  I heard Marks words "you can choose to not be cranky." 

Really?  

Could I make this all go away by 'choosing'? 

Um, sort of, maybe, well almost.......nope not today, because then something else happens and it just sends me over the edge.  

My neighbor stopped by yesterday.  I had forgotten to call her back the day before to give her a phone number of my friend.  She has a guy she wants to set my friend up with.  We had talked before about going on a bike ride together but never had.  I had mentioned before she left that we still need to go on a bike ride sometime.  She said "how about later today around 5:30 PM?" Of course all smiles putting on that pretend happy face, I say "absolutely."  Not a pretend happy face to my neighbor, just that pretend happy face, that I wasn't going to let her know how my day was going so far.  

She left and I didn't feel any better. 

Then 4 o'clock came around and I knew it was getting time to get Morgan down for a nap, try to get the house cleaned up before Mark got home and get my own self dressed, fed and teeth brushed.  I have to be honest, I almost picked up my phone to send her a text message that I wasn't going.  I rather sit home and sulk in my moody, cranky pity party instead.  But I didn't.  Instead, I just pulled myself together and was actually walking out to the garage when my neighbor arrived on her bike.  

She says to me "want to go to my daughters house? Its all the way down at the south gate." I am game and said "sure, lets do it." 

We began! 

I'll fast forward.

It was a great bike ride.  It was nice to be out side and getting in some fresh air, even if only getting in half the air I should be getting in. The weather was beautiful. Morgan loves her bike rides and the company was wonderful. 

We made it to her daughters house and stayed for almost an hour.  I met her daughters beautiful family and toured her beautiful home.  These are just nice people all around and I was honored to have met them.

We took the bike ride back home as the sun was setting.  Half way there baby girl fell asleep.  I can't blame her.  What a nice soothing ride that is for anyone to enjoy and fall asleep on.  I wish I could ride back in her seat and have someone bike me around too.  

Got home and called daddy out to get her while I put the bike away, only to have learned that some where along the way she lost one of her brand new shoes I just bought her. Sigh!!! 

Daddy gets baby girl out, and of course I am torn between forgetting about it and looking for it another time, then to thinking that I can't leave it out there. It would get ruined by the sprinklers.  

So, I of course do as most mothers would, and I hop back on my bike and start heading back in the direction we came from.  Let me just say that I am not talking about around the block.  This was miles I had just finished on my bike between going there and coming back.  So, this meant going miles BACK out to look for a shoe.  I am guessing here, and will go out and measure later today in my car.  I think its about 3 to 5 miles from A to B.  So that would be about 6 to 10 miles from A to B and back to A (once).  

I am hoping the shoe fell off closer to the 'back to A' leg of the ride.  

And nope.... of course it was lost coming out of her daughters neighborhood.  I rode all those miles there and back, in the dark, bugs in my eyes and mouth.  Certain other body parts are starting to hurt now because those bikes seats aren't the greatest of things to be sitting on for miles and hours. 

I make it home with a shoe in my hand, exhausted, sweaty, sore body parts and hungry. 

While laying in bed and before getting ready to fall asleep, it hit me and I say out loud "I just biked miles in the dark, with bugs in my eyes and in my mouth for $6.00. 

A six dollar shoe.  

Am I crazy? 

It isn't like these were the Puma shoes I recently got her that cost x-amount. These were shoes I found randomly shopping at Target the other day for $12.00.  I thought they were cute, saw how cheap they were, they fit her, and so I got them.  

It goes to show how we as moms will do ANYTHING for our babies, no matter how ruff the day was.  No matter how badly on our nerves the kids may be.  We will do things for our kids without even thinking about it.  It wasn't just A SHOE.  It wasn't just a SIX DOLLAR SHOE.  

It was MORGAN'S shoe.  

Not that she was attached to it or missed it or cared or thought twice about it.  Heck, she didn't even tell me she tossed it off.  

All I know is that if it be a shoe, a teddy, a blanket...... mom will do whatever it takes to rescue it back. 

It reminds me of all the effort my mom went through to find me my one favorite cabbage patch doll for Christmas one year.  

Aren't moms wonderful? 

Here is baby girl knocked out and the SIX DOLLAR SHOE.  

Isn't she worth it?

Aren't all children worth it? 

Yes, they are! 

And baby girl has her first ever diaper rash.  But have no fear.... AIR is here.  This is how we attack those pesky diaper rashes around here.