Father's Day is Coming!

Is it mean to say that I kind of dread Father's Day? I mean, yeah, I want to tell my Daddy how much I love him and how much he means to me, but I always feel obligated to get him some big fancy gift. To make it worse, his birthday is in May, so I have to double up the excruciatingly difficult task of  shopping for Dad.... again.

He gets to wear jean to work everyday, so a tie is out. Gift cards feel like a cop out. He's had the same watch my entire life and I don't think he'd like to get a new one since that one's so "broken in." I also really hate asking what he wants. I feel like by me asking, I'm pretty much saying, I've known you for 26 years and still have no idea what you like.

I know what he likes. He likes things that aren't tangible. Like saving money, grilling meats, and... well... that's all he really does...I'm thinking of getting him some good craft beers. Something he'll enjoy, but won't have to keep laying around the house until the end of time.

This is what I plan to get my hubby: The Gator Grip - He does a lot with his hands at work and never has the right size socket. Hopefully this one tool will save him some frustration!

And because I'm obsessed with the Food Network Challenge cakes show, here's a nice display of some necktie cakes for the man in your life.

New Addition: Welcome Mad Mom Cali!

Aren’t We ALL a Little Mad?

I think the definition of being a mother includes some madness!  Where to begin about my own?  My name is Cali, I am 26… That’s the boring stuff. I have two munchkins, my wonderful, rambunctious four year old boy Gabriel “the Goblin” Goobs, and Cordelia Bunny “Fluffy Butt” who is a whole eight weeks old.  I am a cloth diapering mama, aka I do a LOT of laundry. I also proudly wear my baby, yes I wear her, I couldn’t think of a cuter, bolder fashion statement and she goes with almost anything!  I plan on sharing all about my decent into madness, including those things, so be ready to hear about some great baby carriers, diapers, and a few other “green” products along the way, and who knows, maybe even a giveaway…

I love my kids, but in this house, nap time is sacred.  When else do you do the dishes, throw in a load of laundry and fold what was in the dryer; and now get some quick thoughts down into the blogosphere?  I have a severe chocolate addiction, and as soon as they come up with chocoholics anonymous I am there!  I don’t want to give everything away so you'll have to stay tuned to keep learning more about this new addition to The Mad Mom Blog!

I'm No Photographer

So my little man is 18 months now... Well, actually he's almost 19 months. Time is flying so fast! He's a very active boy, constantly on the go! This age is so much fun. He's learning something new, it seems like everyday. As he's growing out of his baby looks and beginning to look more like a little boy, I try to take so many pictures.

Looking back, I probably have hundreds of pictures from birth through about 11 months. After 11 months, he got really good at running. Therefore, I have very few photos of him actually looking at the camera. Something always grabs his attention. Such a little explorer. We've tried fun noises, toys, and practically everything we could think of to get our guy to smile for the camera. Nothing has worked. He holds a smile for a millisecond, then by the time the camera snaps the shot, he's looked away. This results in many, many photos like this one:

While of course I still love the pictures, it sure would be nice to capture one with him looking at the camera. I want to see his smile with those big blue eyes all lit up. The only pictures I have of him at my desk are from when he was 11 months and younger. I see the side of his head all the time. I want to see that smiling face when I'm at work.

This same problem holds true for my video camera.  While I'm not trying to capture him in a still position, he's quite intrigued with the camera itself. He did the cutest thing today, so I whipped out the video camera. He realized this right away and stopped talking on the phone (well, he thought he was) saying "hi, Daddy!" But of course he stopped right away and I have nothing to show my husband when he gets home from work :(

Hopefully he'll grow out of this soon so I can take lots and lots of pictures of that adorable smiling face!