Happy 5 yr Anniversary!

I think I'll keep him around for another 5.

Ode to Eric the Great

a brief history...

the note that started it all given to me during lunch across a picnic table at Clearwater High School (in the top right corner, upside down, is his version asking me out for Valentines Day, men are such great communicators) ...

Senior Prom, a night of teenage shenanigans ...

the college era, which involved lots of keg parties, road trips and some heart break ...

a decade plus later our reunion and an adventure in Evergreen Colorado began ...

back in Florida followed by a marriage and a baby carriage...

In conclusion I'd like to say to my high school sweetie and soulmatie, thank you for 19 years of love. You are Great for so many reasons!

"If loving a new car this much is wrong, I don't want to be right!"

I have been the proud owner of 2 cars my entire driving history. I loved them both very much and drove the last vehicle to death, literally. So with the "not so clean house" in need of transport I found myself getting to purchase my very first brand spanking new car (an experience I highly recommend to anyone presented with the opportunity.) After Kelly Blue Book-ing, Consumer Report-ing, Car and Driver-ing, and yes Facebook-ing, the 2011 Honda Pilot sung to me and I answered her call. The aroma of her new car smell has me intoxicated, her hauling capacity has me dreaming of Costco Sprees and I have named her "Babe" the big blue mom mobile. Not to be left out, Eric the Great has been happily pressing buttons and studying the owners manual with delight.

Spring Cleaning

Recently my father sent me a New York Times article written by a self professed Chinese/Tiger mother about the different perspectives and parenting practices between an atypical stringent eastern household versus a general idle western family. Surprisingly I found myself nodding in agreement with the Tiger mom's theme of not giving up on your children and instilling self esteem through hard work and accomplishment. Though some of her more extreme ideas about, no sports or sleep-overs made me cringe, I wondered how Chinese/Tiger kids spend there free time since extracurricular activities are so frowned upon....

And then I found this brilliant answer in the above pamphlet, "Baby Mops!" There is no need for batteries so it's economical, it combines cleaning with exercising so it's efficient and is reusable so therefore leaves a low carbon foot print.

So I'm thinking I might try it on the cats if they are so obliged (who are we kidding) or John if he is feeling compliant, heck it might even make for an interesting Halloween costume. While "baby mops" may seem slightly crazy and admittedly very creative, I believe there is more than one way to clean a "not so clean house!" Eric the Great (my husband's self professed titled) would like to point out that crazy and creative is very much my style for preforming most acts of cooking and cleaning.

Signed, the Margarita/Dust Bunny Mother