Don't penguins have knees?

Often when I send out emails or do comments I do a little diddy with "re:" Here's an example.........

re: Penguins - Arun is a wee bit obsessed with All Things Animals these days. We've got the full complement of animal books thanks to DK publishing. We've got the puzzles. We've got a variety of videos and as a bonus, the incredible Planet Earth series has been airing, which he loves to watch with me - a show for the both of us. We've also got a variety of the animal toobs. The kid is crazy about his animals - kangaroos, elephants and pandas are his current faves (subject to change, I am sure). And I am relieved because I did not relish reading book after book about cars. I'm extremely selfish like that. But still - what's up with the penguins?? They creep me out. What? Are they trying to be kewl and uneek with all that waddling shit?? Happy feet, my ass.

re: Arun's day school - Um, we were there for nearly 45 minutes and he CRIED when we left. He also did his Noodle Move - this thing where his body goes lax to prevent me from picking him up. FUN. So, I am not exactly worried about HIM. Actually, I am excited for him because I do think he will love it. I am sad for me because I will miss him and selfishly won't be there to witness his enjoyment. One thing I love about our Tuesday playgroup is that I get to watch him having fun with other kids. However, the obvious benefit to his school thingie is that I will get alone time with NewKid.

re: the Online Book Club - Reminder, we are reading Tripping the Prom Queen by - I will throw out a post on April 30th with starter thoughts/questions and we will discuss amongst the comments. I will update my sidebar later today with deets for the Online Book Club - I wish I could come up with something more creative for a moniker. Suggestions are welcome because I tried to think of something but drew a blank.

re: Books in General - Also, I signed up for Goodreads (thanks Eek! for the link). I will probably drop off doing many book reviews here on Rancid Raves directly - I don't really like writing reviews and am not particularly good at it. I just like keeping track of what I read. Therefore, I am going to use the Goodreads site for awhile to test it out. For me, I can see that having a defined list to read is a great way to keep me on track and Goodreads provides a cool tool for that. If you sign up for Goodreads, add me as a friend (I'm "cagey" - original, I know). I'd love to check out your bookshelf as well!

re: Babyclothes - My stiff resolve that my baby girl will wear dinosaurs is rapidly dissolving (insert your own double entendre here). I'm even relaxing my strict standards against the color pink (although, I still prefer red, coral or yellow). However, I still am not a fan of the "dresses in winter coupled with tights" costume..... ACK..... I have so many painful, stressful memories associated with wearing tights as a little girl, that I am still quite scarred by the experience. They were either too tight, too loose, too holey, or the feet would get dirty....bah.... I just don't see myself forcing my baby's chubby little thighs into a pair which just leads me to WAY too many stark memories of stuffing MY chubby thighs into hose years down the road. While it's tempting to knit up some of those baby legs thingies, I'd rather just have her wear pants. While we're on the baby clothes front and you are still my captive (Wait. You haven't run away yet?) - check out the Robeez my sister and mom gave me for a gift. I remember feeling so guilty for getting Arun's first pair of Robeez, but by the time I purchased his 2nd pair, I was totally sold. Robeez totally ROCK. They are durable, soft, easy to care for (throw 'em in the wash), easy to put on, and difficult for the baby to pull off. They are an excellent, perfect shoe at that stage when your baby is going back and forth between crawling and walking. So, all of NewKid's Robeez will be purchased without guilt this time around. I did look into alternatives - Circo (Target brand) and Shoo Shoos, but I liked the styles at Robeez better. Circo is obviously the best priced but I didn't see a big savings in getting Shoo Shoos (some of the styles only had a $3 price differential). Besides, you can save on shipping on Robeez by purchasing them at a brick 'n mortar location. Anyway - that's my 2 cents. I should note, that I am not a big shoe person, so Arun usually only had 1-2 pairs of shoes per size anyway which helped justify the cost - I've seen some folks go crazy with the shoes. Yikes.

re: My Happiness - You know you wanna know. Things are going better. BETTER. I am still wont to crying for NO reason, but still. See the "better"? X goes out of town again later and is gone for a long time. I am trying to fill my dance card with fun things (zoo, Deanna Rose, outings with friends). I am also doing "little" things to try and boost my lagging spirits. An adorable baby outfit purchased from Carter's with a coupon for all of $3.49? Helps tremendously. I've discovered that a $5 bunch of tulips also goes a long, long way. A Cadbury's Fruit and Nut chocolate bar? Even further.