Weinermobile crashes into house.

Just last week Oscar Mayer and the Weinermobile scored major points in the blogosphere from their scheduled appearance with Matt and Maddy.


I didn't expect to see them in the news again so quickly. The article: Wienermobile crashes into southern Wisconsin home.

The spokeswoman apologized and said Oscar Meyer's insurance would pay for the damage to the house. But a picture speaks a thousand words, and I don't think I'll forget this one anytime soon. My favorite quote, "Police had not been able to speak to the homeowner as of Friday evening and were not whether he or she would first hear about the incident from news reports."

Can you imagine being on vacation and seeing this picture of your house on the news?!

On blogging and comments (ROLL CALL)

I think it's a fair assumption that bloggers who have staying power enjoy writing, as opposed to those who abandon their blogs after a few short weeks or months. I think I'll finally admit that I enjoy writing as much as I enjoy talking. One of my favorite things to do is sit in a coffee shop or restaurant (sans children) and chat it up for hours.

That's why I love getting comments when I post something. I've never met a blogger who didn't like comments. Comments let me know someone out there is listening. Someone cares. Someone learned something. Someone can teach me something. I have a stats counter that tells me how many visitors show up on this blog and where they came from. There are plenty of days when I have lots and lots of visitors and only one or two comments. What's up with that? I recently joined a fun blog networking site Secret is in the Sauce (SITS). It features new bloggers daily and encourages you to leave comments when you visit other members. I've had a lot of fun with it and it's only been a few days.

If you like my blog enough to keep coming back, please say something every once in awhile. I know that not all of you are bloggers. Some of you are random people who found my blog searching google for cool baby products or food allergies and keep coming back for more. My personal friends and family, my high school and college friends, my Twelve-Step friends, my cousins, my coworkers. You say to me in person, "Hey I loved that post on your blog .... " and I think "Why didn't you comment?" Let me know you are here. Speak up! :)

As a visitor to other blogs, I do my best to comment on every post I like or love. If it's not relevant to me or I was offended in some way, I probably won't read the whole thing and won't comment. If you leave a comment here and I've never seen you here before, chances are great I'll write you back or visit your blog if you have one to check you out, too.

Shy? Nervous? Comment virgin? You don't need to have your own blog, or even a web site. You don't need to register for an account. At the end of each post, there is a link that says "Click here to comment." Click on it! Then type your comment into the big, white, empty box. Then click on the button that says "Name/URL" and simply type in your first name. If you have a blog or web site you want to share, type it in the URL space. Then hit "Publish Your Comment."

Thanks for listening. Have I inspired you to comment? Can I get a ROLL CALL people - say hey!

Wordless Wednesday - on film

I do this about 10 times a day just to hear their glorious giggles. I hope the funny-factor doesn't wear off too soon!

Summer pasta salad

Last summer I shared this fabulous Greek Isles Pasta Salad recipe and thought it deserved a repeat post for any new readers. This is an easy salad for entertaining friends at a barbecue or a more sophisticated affair, such as a baptism or anniversary party.

I recently made this salad for our Fourth of July celebration with friends, with a few minor changes to accommodate Avery's food allergies. I left out the cheese and swapped the salad dressing with a soy and dairy-free alternative. It was still very tasty, but I think next time I'll add some sliced black olives to give it a little kick.
Here is the original recipe - enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 15 min
Makes: 8 servings, 1 cup each

3 cups farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup KRAFT Natural Mediterranean Style Cheese Crumbles
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup drained canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed
1/2 cup KRAFT Greek Vinaigrette Dressing

COOK pasta as directed on package; drain. Place in large bowl.
ADD remaining ingredients; mix lightly.
SERVE immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fourth birthday - Help plan the party

Alex's fourth birthday is coming up in a few weeks and we are busy trying to plan for a party. Last year I took the easy way out and let Chuck E. Cheese do everything. This year I'm back to my party-planning ways and I'd love your help.

The theme is Superhero Costume Party.

Alex will be Spiderman. Of course. He is obsessed with Spiderman. Even though he hasn't seen any Spiderman movies (yet). I blame the kids at daycare. One of our friends gave him a Spiderman car and costume for Christmas and there's been no stopping him. We've even been known to let him wear the full costume on random trips to the bank or Target, etc - only three year olds can really get away with this. Alex shoots webs at me when he's upset and has recently started talking about black gooey venom. Hmph. There will be NO venom at the party.

Most of the kids he's inviting already have Superhero costumes, but we are encouraging them to wear any costume at all. Halloween costumes should still fit from last year, right?

I also have a super-secret surprise planned. In fact, it's so super-secret and super-cool I will be the mother-of-the-year that I'm not even going to tell you. You'll have to wait until after the party to find out.

In the meantime, I need your help with two things:

1. What types of games do you think preschool superheroes play? I need to have a couple to pull out of my sleeve. What about Superhero hula hoops? hmmmm. help. please.

2. Anyone a fancy-cake decorator? Alex has requested a Spiderman cake. And it can't be store-bought because he has specifically requested a cake that is safe for his sister (she has food allergies). Love, love, love his request. It might even make me tear up a little when I think about how darn sweet it is. But really? A cake decorator I am not. Until now - with an audience. oy.

I found a picture of a Spiderman cake I think I can pull off. All I need to draw is the web, use 2 different colors of frosting, and buy a Spiderman cake topper figurine who will "climb" the web... but I need some advice on frosting consistency for drawing and the right kind of frosting tip thingies to draw with. Anyone? Bueller?

Thanks Peeps.

Out for a walk

I was walking with a friend in a residential neighborhod. We were clipping along and chatting away when I noticed two boys on bicycles. They must have been 10 or 11 and were slowly riding down the block in front of us when a man exited a house across the street from them. I watched this smiling man skip down the steps and wave excitedly as he yelled "hi boys!" He got into his car (parked on the street in front of the house) and sat there for a few moments.

My friend started to turn the corner, but I asked her to pause, I wanted to keep an eye on this situation. My women's intuition kicked into gear and my protective mother-instincts were screaming "Danger! Predator!"

About a minute later, the man pulled away, waving at the boys again (?!?!). As he turned onto the next block I saw him stick his hand out the window and wave a third time - this time it looked like he was waving to me. Freak. I still didn't feel safe heading another direction. What if he drives around the block and then comes back to offer these boys free pizza or puppies or something?

We started walking past the boys and without thinking much about it, I asked the boys, "Hey, do you know that guy?" And before I could start lecturing them on pedophiles and stranger danger, one of them responded, "Yeah, he's the mayor!"


Okayyyyy. Maybe I've been watching the evening news too much, or Law & Order. Then again, just because he's the mayor, doesn't mean he's not a freak. Right?