The Nipple Talk

Photo Credit: -bast-

As Drew gets older I have noticed that he is getting more and more inquisitive. The unfortunate outcome to this inquisitiveness is that he asks a lot of strange questions about things for which I don't have answers. I was putting lotion on Drew after his bath when we had this kind of conversation. The conversation for which you can never really prepare. The nipple talk.

"Mommy, what will happen if you put lotion on these?" He asked, pointing to his nipples.

"Nothing, honey. It's like your skin."

"What are they?"

"Nipples."

"What are they for?"

I thought for a moment. "Boys don't use their nipples for anything." Please don't ask me what girls use them for... I chanted silently in my head.

"What?!?" Drew exclaimed in his cute incredulous tone. "Why?"

"I don't know."

"We have to use them for something."

"Umm...." I thought. Seriously, what do men use their nipples for? I remember I had a trivia book with this name- God forbid I actually remember anything from it? "They are used to make sure you know which side is your front and which side is your back."

"Oh." Drew was deep in thought for a minute, then he looked up at me. "Okay!"

A little fabrication doesn't hurt now and then right? Mother of the year is right here!

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Woot to Michigan State for making it the Final Four! They played their hearts out on Sunday. I couldn't be prouder to be a fan. If you have read this post, you will really know how excited I am!

Thanks to Dan River Mama @ A Kiss and a Peck for the Honest Scrap Award. My 10 honest answers can be found here. Also, I made an "awards" page where I link to all those that have given me awards. Thanks bloggy buds!



I am having serious issues with feedburner not working. If you use reader to read my blog the new posts won't show up. So if I haven't posted in a while then please check the actual website, until I get this resolved. Also, I will definitely be posting Friday Favorites this week, so if it's not updating in your Reader, please check the actual Blog for updates. Thanks for being such great readers!

Please- Send thoughts, love, support Mckmama's way. We are all pulling and praying for you, Stellan.

Sad, sad, day...

So if you follow my on twitter or facebook you probably know about Nina. Nina is a dog that our office/executive director are fostering right now. The ED's dog doesn't get along with Nina, so she needed a new foster home. We agreed to try out fostering her.

Nina is so sweet and fun. Drew loved feeding her, giving her treats, throwing the ball for her, even telling me that he loved Nina "too much". However....

...Jacob was scared to death of her. He cried when she got within 10 feet of him and wanted to be held the entire time. We thought maybe he just needed to sleep on it. In the morning he felt the same, even telling her to "go". So unfortunately we are unable to foster her, and apparently medium sized dogs (she's 40 pounds) are out of the question for now.

I was very sad. She cannot go back to the shelter because if she does she will be put down, because she is a mutt that is part pitbull. She is very sweet though, and would be great with a family with older children (I am thinking 3 and up). She is in excellent health, 6 years old, sweet, gentle but also tons of fun. I cried when we had to give her back. I want to see her go to a loving home. If you live in the Michigan area and are interested please email me or comment on this post with an email address. If you know someone who is interested please direct them to this post.

Thanks!

Friday Favorites #7 Short and Sweet

It's Friday Favorites time! Oh yes it's time to pay homage to all the things that got us through the week, and give credit where credit is due! Here are my Friday Favorites this week....

Mr. Calamity:

"Now is the time on Sprockets vhen ve dance."

My Love,

My little ham.
Jacob is coming into his own personality lately, and I can tell he is going to be quite a handful. But even with all the temper tantrums this week (and they were drag 'em out, out-of-control sobfests. If you heard it you wouldn't believe I hadn't done anything heinous to him), I am so lucky to have this little crazy man in my life. I know how blessed I am to have a healthy little boy and with all that has transpired this week with little baby Stellan, it makes me want to hold him close and never let go. (Of course, every time I try this tactic he just squirms out of my arms.) I know that he is part of what gets me through each day, and when my work is frustrating, stressful or difficult, I remember why I trudge through every week, even when I want to quit. I do it for him. I do it for THEM.

There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself. -Henry David Thoreau

Oh, okay you want the funny? Check out More bad pick up lines by Jenners. Thanks Jenners for being my comic relief this week. (And seriously, if you are not following Jenners yet, start now. She is one seriously funny lady!)

What are your Friday Favorites? Share below or link to Mr. Linky! As always, please link back to me so others can find other Friday Favorites- linking back will create more traffic for everyone.

Wordless Wednesday: For Stellan

Praying for you.

For more of Stellan's gallery and/or to Participate in Stellan's Gallery click here.

To Visit MckMama's blog for updates, click here.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, head on over to Five Minutes for Mom, Three Peas in a Pod, and The Not So Blog

The Little Boy Bias

What are little boys made of?

Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails

That's what little boys are made of!

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice and all things nice

That's what little girls are made of!

I was never meant to have a son. Well let me rephrase that, I shouldn't say I was never meant to have a son, of course I was meant to have a son, God and science (and the fact that I eat a crapload of cereal) determined this for me. I just never expected to have a son. I have no idea what to do with little boys. Everywhere in my life girls have been the dominant gender-in my family, in my classes, and even (actually especially) in my work. I have lived a very girl-centric life. Not only that but I have always been a girly- girl. I mean sure, I fish, play cards and drink beer, I hate wearing jewelery and I love men's college basketball, but overall I like things more equated with the fairer sex, like chick lit, manicures, being CLEAN, frilly dresses, makeup, and looking at jewelery (I just hate wearing it- there is no rhyme or reason to being me!). I know nothing about little boys. I babysat one little boy when I was a teenager (yes, just one, I wasn't into little kids and I still feel uncomfortable around any but my own and a few others), and he was a little shit, just horrible. He was mean and pushy and violent and well, just a yucky little boy. I did not like him at all. He reminded me of all the teasing I received at the hands of the little boys I grew up with, and as a chubby little girl with buck teeth and a perm, I received teasing aplenty (thank you Mom and Dad for the braces)!

However, when I was pregnant the first time and I thought about having a little boy, I was very excited. I imagined a little cherub-like boy with chubby cheeks as red as apples and fat thighs on a roly poly baby. I did not imagine that he would grow up one day to be a real boy running around, splashing in puddles and collecting live worms in his pockets (yes that DID happen). I did not imagine birthing a boy who yells and runs and karate chops things with his legs. I would never have conceived in my mind being the mother to a boy whose favorite DVD is Truck Tunes and who collects tools the way I used to collect Barbies. I didn't expect it because it is not what I am used to, was out of my range of familiarity. I knew that having a boy would be different from what I was used to, but I didn't know exactly WHAT to expect, and that worried me.

For a while, though, I had nothing to be concerned about. Drew has been little, smaller than many of his classmates, not very athletic or rambunctious and still seemed, thankfully, like a baby boy (the worm incident withstanding), until this weekend that is. This weekend Drew went to a birthday party for an older friend. That is when I saw my four year old son Drew become my future no-longer-a-cherub-like-roly-poly-baby but-rough-and tumble-big-boy Drew with his friends, yelling and jumping, wearing Batman masks, crawling on the disgusting bowling alley floor (and yes I made him get up) and it hit me. He is a capital B-O-Y boy, and BOY am I in over my head. I look at Drew and I don't know what to do with him. I can't relate to a boy the same way I would to a girl and it scares me. I just worry that he will turn into that little boy I babysat or that bully that terrorized my fifth grade self.

And yet, he's not just any little rugrat, he's my Drew. That boy exudes kindness and gentleness along with his rambunctiousness. No one ever told me that little boys could be so loving and sweet as well as dirty and crazy. Until now I never thought to consider that maybe boys are different from girls in a positive way, a way that challenges who I am, and who I thought I would be. I mean, granted, I am probably never going to get to play "princess" with Drew (or maybe I will, I am okay with that!) but I realize now that is not a bad thing. The truth is I am blessed with my two boys. Now I can finally get the dirt under my nails and learn to let go, and to go against my grain.

PS- I know that most of what I am saying is reaffirming gender stereotypes, I realize that there are many girls and boys that go against those stereotypes, however I am speaking from the experiences that I have had. Yes I am calling everyone girls and boys because when we become adults we are men and women and adults definitely blur those gender defined roles. Wow, I think I am officially talking out of my ass now!
Photo Credit: Space.boy

Ms. Positive and Moldy Food Edition of Not Me Monday!

Well I am back for more Not Me! Monday!

This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
Update: Please check out MckMama's blog. Her son Stellan is the hospital right now. Please go and give some words of support.

I am NOT starting to feel guilty in the slightest bit about only doing memes, giveaways and parties the last couple of weeks. I am NOT promising to have a virtually meme/giveaway free week (except for NMM and Friday Favorites). I am NOT secretly freaking out about writing an actual post because it has NOT been so freakishly long since I wrote something with content.

I am NOT freaked out about my new nickname in (my small little corner) of the blogosphere, "Ms. Positive". I didn't think that my Friday Favorites idea would inspire so much positive thinking, especially since in real life I am NOT considered Ms. Negative. (And a side note, I did NOT just use the word blogosphere? Yech.)

I am totally NOT grossed out by the new toy I bought Drew. I would NEVER say something is ugly as sin. I totally did NOT tell Drew that his two headed dragon is freakishly ugly. In turn he so did NOT beam and say "I know" and laugh maniacally (it sounded like "bwahaha").

I did NOT rush out and buy Twilight on Blu ray. Mr. Bee and I totally did NOT already watch it, and I did NOT explain behind the scenes (reader) information about Twilight. That would totally be dorky and that would NOT be my style, because I am NOT a Twilight freak.

I did NOT spend a good portion of my sick day on Friday on the computer making fun of people from High School to one of my oldest friends who lives in Minnesota. We did NOT Facebook IM all Thursday night and Friday afternoon. I have not seen her since September 08 and I am NOT totally missing her, nope NOT at all :(

I would like to tell you that I always keep a clean house and clean refrigerator. That is why I will tell you that the weird substance in a Tupperware container was left in someone else's fridge (NOT mine). I would NEVER be a freak and turn something like this into a contest and say that the first person who correctly guesses the contents of this container wins having their link (and name) at the top of my page for a week. I would NEVER ask people to guess something that is so gross (it is a food item, and it was only left in the fridge for 7 days-those are the hints). Oh yeah and that is NOT my Mom's Holiday Tupperware that she wanted back ages ago. I am NEVER a Tupperware thief. No way, nu-uh, NOT me!
Hmm... this has been harder than I thought for people to guess, so I am going to give a hint, and if this hint isn't good enough than I will give an easier one! This substance is Mr. Bee's favorite food item to make (hence why it sat in the fridge for so long) I allude to this in a post in December '08. See look how I am making you work for this!

I do NOT have the freakiest collection of pictures in my "March 09" pictures folder now. It is totally NOT filled with pictures of ugly two headed rubber dragons and moldy food because I had to take 4 or 5 pictures to get the flash out of the shot.

I totally did NOT use the word "freak" in some form in each paragraph. That would just be weird and weird is totally NOT me!

So what do you think is in the container? And are you so proud of me for NOT promoting Friday Favorites? Oh wait... too late!

and the award goes to....

Ahhhh.... I am so grateful. I have been awarded some wonderful awards, and I get to pass them on! Lucky me!

Jineen @ i come to the garden- The Hottie Award

Lucy @ Lucy's Life in Suburb world- The Sisterhood Award

Sandy @ A Groovy Kind of Life- The Lemonade Award

This is what I love about blogging.... there are no awards for all the crappy stuff I have to do in life. I have never received an award for wiping Jacob's butt and singing "Gimme, Gimme, Jake" to the tune of "Gimme More" to keep him happy and holding his hands and legs so he doesn't get poop on himself, however, I can (and do)receive awards for doing something I love. Thank you ladies!

I am awarding these to:

Carma @ Carma Sez- Because her blog is great even if some smelly pirate hookers giveaway crazed followers aren't paying attention!

CDB @ Fingers and Paws- Because she is a talented blogger and I haven't had a chance to give her an award.

Mesa @ Mesa's Musings- Because she has had a hard blogging week, and she needs some happiness.

Debra @ Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History- Because she is as sweet as Apple pie!

Sandy @ A Groovy Kind of Life- (The Hottie Award and The Sisterhood Award)

Lucy @ Lucy's Life in Suburb world- (The Hottie Award and The Lemonade Award)

Jineen @ i come to the garden- (The Lemonade Award and the Sisterhood Award)

Thanks to all of you! You make Blogging fun.

PS- All those that have visited me in the blog party- I will be visiting you on Monday! Thanks!

The Ultimate Blog Party

You know I couldn't resist getting involved with the BLOG PARTY! 5 Minutes for Mom is Hosting the Ultimate Blog Party.



WARNING this is a little cut and paste from other posts.
Welcome to my blog. I am kind of weird, I swear a little (I will try to stay away from the F bomb, I swear), I use CAPS and bold and italic and large sized fonts way too often to spice up text and I will put ridiculous amounts of pictures of my children up in order to keep you coming back.

About the blog title Janana Bee, it is a play on my name. So while my real name is Janna my blog is called Janana. I know it's confusing, I dove into blogging headfirst without thinking about the possible confusion. Feel free to call me Janana or Janna. Bee is not my real last name, but rather a combination of my maiden name and married name and also a nickname.

A little bit about me: I honestly thought I was never cut out to be a Mom and Wife. Then I met Mr. Bee when I was 20. Somehow, even though I never saw marriage in my future, I became a wife two weeks after I turned 23, and a mother when I was 25. Drew was born in January of 2005 and Jacob in October of 2007.

My Boys!

We call Jacob Mr. Calamity and Drew The Drama King or Mr. Drama. The origins of the name Mr. Calamity are here and The Drama King are here.

So here I am, trudging through Mommyhood, working full-time and trying to be the best I can be everywhere, including bloggy land. I love and hate it all. (Don't we all? If you say you don't, you are lying!) This is my journey, told through my warped mind. You probably will think I'm funny or stupid. Or both, not sure on that one.

I also am running a blog carnival (is that what they are calling them these days?) for something called Friday Favorites. Friday Favorites are the things that got us through the week, big and small. I put up Mr. Linky every Friday so that you can link to your blog if you decide to do a Friday Favorites post. Last time it was really enjoyable for everyone who did it (either that or they lied to be nice). You can check out the Friday Favorites here and decide if you want to participate!

Friday Favorites
Friday Favorites #2
Friday Favorites #3
Friday Favorites #4
I have also lived in Mid-Michigan my whole life. If you are a Michigan blogger, please contact me!

Check out my Blogroll for some great people to read and Favorite Post for my Favorite posts on top if you are interested!

Thanks for coming to visit!

Oh yeah the prizes! How did I forget about the PRIZES?!?

Here are the ones that look good to me!:

19, 21, 22, 26, 43, 50, 88, 103, 118, USC15, USC47, USC56, USC57

Friday Favorites #6

It's Friday Favorites time! Oh yes it's time to pay homage to all the things that got us through the week, and give credit where credit is due! Here are my Friday Favorites this week....

Hoo boy- I won't deny it- this has been a ROUGH week. Between feeling nauseous for no good reason and PMSing being a general grouch and fighting with Mr. Bee- oh yeah, we fight- and working a lot of hours, I have had a hard time thinking of what GOT me through this week. But I struggled through, and obviously you did too. Hey we all made it! Here are the things, big and small that got me to the end of the week:

Fridays! On rough weeks like this one, I am glad to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.

Tax Refunds! Thank goodness. We needed this to take a vacation, buy fun things, go out to dinner buy new brakes, eyeglasses and sensible shoes for Mr. Bee.

The number 4. So far 4 (as in 4 years) has been a lovely age for Drew and Drew has been an angel. He's still my affectionate little boy- but he can wipe his own butt, brush his teeth and get a glass of water by himself. Yay for 4! Age 4- you (and Drew) are rocking so far.

The NCAA Tournament- The one time of year Mr. Bee turns on sports and I get really excited. Must cherish these few and far between moments.

My Stomach Bug- Hey I haven't wanted to eat at all! This might be a good thing.

This Post:
If I Go-Go, this is a No-No

Giveaways! Today I received a beautiful necklace in the mail- Thank you Debra! I love it!

These dead flowers. Because they were a gift from my little sweetie- Drew. They are pretty ugly-and it's the thought that counts! ----->

Posting my Friday Favorites. It really brightens my mood! I feel better already!


What are your Friday Favorites for this week? Write a post and link to Mr. Linky! And PLEASE link back to this page so people can read about Friday favorites.

Working

Working on my Friday Favorites- but having trouble this week. I hope everyone else is having an easier time with them!

Little Green Bites

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I don't have the finger strength to type something long, so here's some little "green" word bites to hold you over for the next 3 days while I am busy.

Here's hoping that if you run into a leprachaun it's the one on the left and not on the right!




Just rented Blackout from the library. Seriously why are all Britney Spears CD's so embarrassing looking? Each cover looks like a badly made porno. I feel I may need to brown bag this one just to transport it.








And for that matter why do "Circus" and "Gimme More" sound so much alike?




This morning I was getting Jacob out of his highchair and he was acting grumpy about it. I look at him and blurted out of frustration, "you are not the king of the house Jacob. Be patient!" Drew looked at me and said, rather matter of factly, "yes he is."

Last night the boys were playing in their sandbox. I asked them what they were building. Drew told me "I'm making compost." I asked him what compost was, and he said "it's made of old food and you spread over the dirt of other plants and it becomes food for the plants."

Mr. Bee looked at me and said "I just found out what compost was two years ago, and he knows this already?"

"Well, you can thank our friend, Curious George for that one," I replied.


From Twitter:

My husband always says that if Jessica Alba is in a movie, you know it's going to suck.

Some of the people following me? @yourboyfriend and @getyourloveback! What are you trying to say to me, Twitter?!?

Don't you think it would be cool if you knew someone named "Mylady"? I'm sure someone out there is named this.

I can't believe I have such bad heartburn from Milk. I am old, for reals.

There's nothing like the smell of BO permeating every room in your office. And, no it's not me.

My 17 month old son is going gaga over NASCAR. I guess it's just ingrained in certain people.

Okay, now why am I suddenly Zitty McZitterson today? I am almost 30, I am too old to be going through puberty.

I know I might be losing it... because I called a woman at the deli a smelly pirate hooker.... in my head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a good day everyone! See you on Friday for Friday Favorites!

Not Me Monday! Anal Retentive Edition

Well I am back for more Not Me! Monday! It's been a while, and I have really NOT missed it!

This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I am so NOT totally sick of all the toys that have a million pieces! I totally did NOT go through my house and hide all blocks, bags of balls and anything that could be dumped out on the floor and thrown around. I would NOT do that because I would recognize that little boys need to be messy!

I also did NOT almost have a heart attack and become the Duchess of Drama when Drew clomped his big muddy galoshes all over the floor which did NOT prompt Drew to turn into Mr. Drama and run and hide in a corner for 10 minutes.

I so did NOT feel like Kate Gosselin and I so did NOT want to make both kids wear bibs 24/7 and banish them to the basement to save on mess!

I so did NOT get all cheesy and call Jacob "Cool Dude" for the entire three minutes he wore Drew's sunglasses. I would NOT do that because it is not 1989!

I am NOT totally devastated that MSU did SO poorly against Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament. I would NEVER get all worked up about a basketball game. I am NOT completely worried about their chances of doing well in the NCAA tournament, because I know that that game against Ohio State was a fluke and totally NOT a sign of weakness! {Bites nails.}

I will NOT take this time to tell people coming over from MckMama's blog that if they love blog carnivals they should come back on Friday for my Friday Favorites blog carnival. I would NOT also direct them to this link to check out last week's FF's to find out what Friday Favorites is all about! I would NOT do this because I am NOT the type of person to constantly hype something and drive all my weekly readers insane. (Seriously....do NOT go check them out!)

Thanks for playing along and do NOT have a good Monday everyone {wink wink}!

Giveaway Winners!

The winner of the 25$ Giftcard to The Cheesecake Factory is.....


Lisa M!



The winner of the Mixed CD is....


The Rambler!


Thank you to all that participated, and thanks to all of my new followers! I am still playing catchup with everyone!

Now I am going to have to make this short, as I just got shooting stabby pains in my right index finer which went down to my wrist. I think this is a sign that I need to step away from the computer and maybe enjoy the beautiful day outside! See you tommorrow!

Friday Favorites #5

It's Friday Favorites! Oh yes it's time to pay homage to all the things that got us through the week, and give credit where credit is due! Here are my Friday Favorites this week....

McDonalds: I know, weird right? Like they need any more product placement. Well they have the best deal (at least at my McDonalds) A snack wrap and a bowl of Campells Soup for $1.99. Yeah you heard me. It's just the right amount of food and the right price. Dude, if I won Carma Sez's Giveway, that would be OVER 7 lunches! Outstanding! (Do you like "outstanding"? Is it the new "awesome"? Only time shall tell!)


This phrase: "Mommy, I am going to cuddle with you now." Uttered by Drew about 5x this week. I guess I had no say. It' a good thing I LOVE cuddling with him.

The Lunch Studio, Flint, MI Some co-workers and I were at a meeting in Flint and had to stop and eat lunch somewhere. There are not a lot of places to eat, and after about 15 minutes of driving we happened upon the Lunch Studio. Awesome, electic place. The old brick walls combined with very interesting art and the most eclectic chairs and tables made for a really cool vibe. The food was cheap and pretty good too. It was definitely a find.

My Fabulous Friends. I got a chance to go out to dinner with my friends this week for my friend Sarah's 30th birthday. We had such a good time (as always). I even got the pleasure of the nicest tweet ever from Sarah later that night, which I loved even if it was alcohol induced. It's saved under favorites in my twitter profile. Oh yeah did I also mention that one of my friends, M is moving into my neck of town? And she is moving into her parent's house, their house that is huge and fun and has a pool? Can you say I am almost more excited than she is?

I made them wear matching red dresses and they STILL talk to me. They must be pretty amazing.

My Mom and Dad. They watched my kiddos so Mr. Bee and I could go out for my friend's birthday even though they had gotten home from Las Vegas at 3am the night before, AND they agreed to watch the kids while Mr. Bee and I go to Lollapalooza! Hopefully Mr. Bee gets some comp time by then!

Seriously... they are ridiculously cute. This I know.

Dear Internet, I am placing you on Notice by The Redneck Mommy

All my Readers. You make my day a little brighter with each comment. It's cheesy and true. You are -wait for it- AWE.SOME.

Now your turn.... what are your Friday Favorites? Play along and link to Mr. Linky! Please link back to my website if you decide to do it, and please visit other Friday Favorites! I can't wait to read all of your posts! Oh yeah- and what do you think about my button? Is it better than last week's button?

Welcome and TMI

Okay, I guess I must address my 50 (!) new followers. Welcome to my blog. Warning: I am kind of weird, I swear a little (I will try to stay away from the F bomb, I swear), I use CAPS and bold and italic and large sized fonts way too often to spice up text and I will put ridiculous amounts of pictures of my children up in order to keep you coming back.

Drew as baby. He will lure you back with his hypnotic blue eyes!

Also more random facts you should know you probably don't need to know but I am telling you anyway:

I am very liberal. That being said, I will always listen to opposing arguments. I don't talk about politics often on my blog because my knowledge is limited and I don't want a verbal beat down.

There are many words I do not like, that I cannot tolerate that are still in many people's vernacular. Specifically the F word, N word or R word.

I believe in God, but I never talk about him on my blog. In fact this is the first and last time. The Bee Family doesn't have a set religion, but we are trying some out. I was confirmed Catholic, but am no longer a practicing Catholic because I do not agree with their views on many things. Those of you that are Catholic, that's awesome. One of my best friends is Catholic.

I say awesome too much. Awesome either means wonderful or amazingly bad.

I think my kids are near perfect and I love them more than I thought I could love anyone (sorry Mr. Bee). There is just something so heart wrenching amazing about watching your children grow up. That being said, I could use a babysitter. Anyone, anyone?

I love my husband. Without him I would be incomplete. Okay, I know it's corny, but it's true.

I have the best friends on Earth, you know the kind that let you write about them passing out on the toilet and laugh about it. (By the way S, I had no idea you had passed out on the POTTY when I wrote it, I swear. I didn't make that connection until after the fact.)

My Mom and Sister are great friends. I confide in them all my overwrought worries and silly ticks and they still talk to me.

I work hard to make my Dad proud of me every day.

I hate working full time, but am pretty much stuck in a decent paying job with great benefits [yes I am trying to be sarcastic here]. (Note to boss: I write all of my posts at home and schedule post times for them, I promise.)

Oh, and this is a BIGGIE- in case you hadn't noticed, I am a huge sap.

Oh yeah... when a post is getting too wordy, I like to put pictures of cute fuzzy bunnies in them. So for your perusal:

I am pretty damn happy, but I promise not to sugarcoat it all of the time. Oops already swore- you see what I mean?

Here is a Primer to get you up to speed:

Mr. Bee= darling hubby
Calamity= 17 month old son, Jacob
Drama King or Mr. Drama= 4 year old son, Drew
Janana or Janna Bee= Me

Read the "About/Contact Me" Tab and "My Favorite Posts" Tab to learn more.

I also am running a blog carnival (is that what they are calling them these days?) for something called Friday Favorites. Friday Favorites are the things that got us through the week, big and small. I put up Mr. Linky every Friday so that you can link to your blog if you decide to do a Friday Favorites post. Last time it was really enjoyable for everyone who did it (either that or they lied to be nice). You can check out the Friday Favorites here and decide if you want to participate!

Friday Favorites
Friday Favorites #2
Friday Favorites #3
Friday Favorites #4

And now I have done my spiel!

So in short Welcome. Feel free to drop me a line about anything!

Wordless Wednesday: Best Friends

Did you hear we are going to college together?

Drew and I, taken July 07: Was 6 months preggo here. Just sayin'.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, head on over to Five Minutes for Mom.

Spring Fling Giveaway

What- another Giveaway? YES! The SITS Girls are hosting a spring fling, and as luck would have it, I still have a giftcard to the Cheesecake Factory left! So the Giveaway winners will win:

First Prize-25$ Giftcard to the Cheesecake Factory
Second Prize- the coveted Mixed CD!

Heres how you play:

Leave me a comment telling me your favorite dessert. (First and qualifying entry.)

Then you can earn additional entries:

2 entries for following my blog

2 entries for blogging this giveaway on your blog AND linking back to me

1 entry: favoriting me on technorati (must register with them first)

1 entry: StumbleUpon, Kirtsy or Digg any blog post that you've particularly enjoyed

1 entry: following me on Twitter

Please recomment for each entry. Even if you are already following me, go ahead and recomment with that information. I will be using random.org to pick the winners based on comment numbers. Thanks!

**Contest ends March 15th @ 12 am.**

PS- My favorite Dessert? Key Lime Pie on a stick dipped in Dark Chocolate. I can usually only eat half because it's so rich. Okay that was a lie. I eat the whole thing and then want another one.

PSS Come back to play the blog carnival Friday Favorites. I will have Mr. Linky up! Details here.

Bloggy Maintenance

Thank you to all who participated in Friday Favorites- I had so much fun reading them, and I was so happy about the turnout- it was about 5 more people than I expected! I will put up Mr. Linky this Friday, so if you want to participate you might want to start thinking of some now!

If you haven't visited these Friday Favorites, you should. They all had a different take on the Friday Favorites!

Also I wanted to thank Carma @ Carma Sez and Tina @ Talking with Teenie for the great awards! You guys rock!

The first award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day.The rules to follow are:
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person that has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award to another 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment. Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I wanted to choose some of my new friends... so here they are in no particular order....

1. Dipaola Momma @ Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom

2. Rachel (not Rachael) @ Life After the Party

3. Mama Krit @ My Simply Savvy Life

4. The Bookkitten

5. Delswife @ Love ya, Mean it!

6. Gemma @ GEMMERZZ

7. Kalei @ Bloggedy Blog Blog

8. Lora @ Jakezilla

9. Lolli @ Life is Sweet

10. Dan River Mama @ A Kiss and a Peck

11. Blueviolet @ A Nut in a Nutshell

12. Lindsay @ New York Words

13. Mary Anne @ The Stiletto Mom

14. C @ The Scattered Mind of A Tattooed Minivan Mom

15. Tooj @ Circling The Square Table

The Second Award is the Friendship award... I am awarding this to everyone mentioned above as well. Thanks my bloggy friends!

Also, I am working on my links this week... hopefully the blogroll will be completely updated by the end of this week.

I worked on the mixed CDs this weekend and it was so fun! I will be sending out those and the gift card hopefully by Wednesday! Thanks for your patience guys!

Friday Favorites #4

It's Friday Favorites! Oh yes it's time to pay homage to all the things that got us through the week, and give credit where credit is due! Here are my Friday Favorites this week.... And yes that is my sad attempt at a button using the paint application....

My Children's school Pictures. I mean seriously, how can these not melt your heart? The best part is that I do not have to take them to get professional pictures taken, these will do for Drew's 4 year/Easter Pictures. So what if they were ridiculously overpriced? Can you put a price on Memories? I think not!

How can you NOT want to pinch those little cheeks. This pouty face just melted me!


The Ditty Bops, Moon over the Freeway. Drew picked out this CD at the library, and on a whim we rented it. It turned out to be a great collection of silly yet serious Children/Adult music. There is nothing better than the three Bees (Drew, Jacob and I) swinging our heads and tapping our toes like the Butabi brothers in the car while racing toward school at 7:30 AM.

Drew. The boy is trying to win child of the year lately. From cleaning up when I haven't even asked him to clean up, to eating all his food, to calling me his favorite person, and only wanting me to give him a bath, put him to bed and cuddle with me while we watch TV. I'm sad for Mr. Bee, but hey those are the breaks. And lets face it, I am pretty awesome. He told me the other day he knows I love him because I sing "You are My Sunshine" to him. He stopped wanting me to sing to him about 2 years ago, and I don't think I have sang it since then. It just melted this Mommy's heart to hear that he not only remembered it, but that then he wanted me to sing it to him again!

Lean Pockets. No, they aren't super yummy, but they taste okay, are low in fat, and actually quite filling for the reluctant dieter. Bonus: they were on sale. My favorites are the new "chef- inspired" kinds- especially garlic chicken white pizza. I know I have quite the palate. Okay, I'm going to be honest, I ate these for lunch all week. It was much better than the week I ate soup for lunch every day because it was on sale. OMG can you say digestive problems for that week?

MSU Men's Basketball. Congrats guys, for being Big Ten champions this year. You totally deserve it! You are THE Michigan State University. Heh. Read my post about this (and my secret love) here.

Favorite Post:
I Can't Believe You Are Returning The Kilt I Gave You

Jenny, The Bloggess- When I opened up my email to see that The Bloggess had left me a comment, The Bloggess(!) I was so psyched. And then she was thanking me for linking to her in my Giveaway Results post. It made me like her even more. I am such the fangirl!

My Willpower. As in, I have made it a whole DAY without cheating on my diet! Woot! Of course, I am posting this early, there is still time to cheat, but I'm sure I won't... right?

Okay, now here is your chance to play along.... go ahead and post your Friday Favorites, anything that you loved and got you through this week. Link up with wonderful Mr. Linky down there. Make sure you link back to me please, and leave a comment below, so I know to come check out your post!

The Madness of March

It is March.

Many of you are excited, thinking that March means spring.

You are mistaken.

To me, March means something different.

It means the Madness has begun.

The March Madness.

Hello, my name is Janna and I have been keeping a secret from you. I am a MSU Men's Basketball Fanatic.

I went to Michigan State University from 1997-2001, during the era of the Flintstones, and the Golden Years of MSU Basketball. Back when Coach Tom Izzo had a baby boy and gave the boy a the name of Steven Mateen Izzo, named after Mateen Cleaves, Flintstone and amazing point guard for the Spartans. I cried along with Mateen when he kissed the floor of the Breslin Center on Senior day. What can I say? I am nerdy cool like that. I was also overwhelmed with beer emotion the day they won the NCAA championship. It is a little blurred, but I remember feeling as if I had won as well. It was a magical moment, one of my favorites in College. Oh yeah, and I had a big crush on this guy:

Ahh... my love for Morris Peterson (Mo Pete, as many only I affectionately refer to him) will never flicker out. Mr. Bee was a little jealous, but the way he shot his free throws...

Ahem. Getting a little hot in here?

Anywho...there have been a lot of great seasons since 2000, but none with quite the magic of that season. This year, however, the team did the unthinkable. They won the Big Ten Title, the first time since 1999. It's a good sign right? I'm a little unsure of the team this year, I mean their free throw record is horrible and they don't have a very good offense, but I want to believe. I want to be excited at the the possibility of a Big Ten Championship win, and a possible number one seed. I think I am regaining my madness. I can see what will happen now....

There will be many beers drank.

There will be many swear words uttered.

There will be many nails bitten.

There will be many tweets.

There will be Mr. Bee throwing the remote in protest.

There will be at least one day where I lose my voice.

It will be great.

Or, at least it will be fun.

Do they have the team to do it again? Who knows? The road to the final four has many twists and turns. I'd like to believe they have a shot, I'd also like to believe it will be above 50 degrees before May in Michigan. We shall see....

PS I know you guys have not forgotten about Friday Favorites. Tomorrow! Oops, wrote tomorrow, really meant Friday. Mr. Linky! Supah dupah fun! Get going!

Q & A: Part 2

Here is the continuation of all the questions from my Giveaway.... Enjoy!

Q: I will ask a question if you could blog anything or interview anyone who or what would it be? -Shopannies @ Annie's Home.

A: Hmmm.... interview anyone? I am assuming living people.... I would say Barack Obama. Is this a boring answer? Obviously I find him to be very fascinating.
If I could blog anything- not sure what this means, but I would love be able to have beautiful photographs to show you on my blog. Not there yet.

Q: What are 5 things in your house that mean the WORLD to you(non-living)/you treasure above many things not because of actual monetary Value.....and why? -Kalei @ Bloggedy Blog Blog

A: 1. My Wedding Photo Album- This goes without saying.
2. Videos of the Children - Same here.
3. My yellow blankie. I still sleep with my yellow baby blankie and I love it.
4. Ian, My Ipod- Ian, my love. I would never want to part with you. You hold all of my music, my photos, games AND you have Internet access!
5. My memories box (includes my journals). Because how do you know where to go if you don't remember where you have been? Plus it holds my notes from M-Dawg.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a mom to 2 boys??? -Melissa @ My Busy Life

A: They are the sweetest little guys. I watch how Mr. Bee is with his Mom and I hope my boys are as sweet as he is, and I think they will be. Plus they keep me on my toes.

Q: My hubby makes faces, stomps around and makes rude comments about how much time I spend blogging. Do you have that problem too? If not can your hubby come and give mine lessons? -Dipaola Momma @ Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom

A: I'm having the opposite problem lately. Mr. Bee actually was on my case about NOT blogging last night. "So have you worked on another post yet?" I was like "No, I am PLAYING on facebook!" My suggestion to you is this: have him guest post and then read him all the complimentary comments about his posts- then he will be more invested. Oh, and show him that one day, maybe, just maybe you will get money from this blog. Worked for me.

Q: Do you have a secret about yourself you've never told anyone? -Reeni @ Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

A: My whole family reads my blog so I am not going to get too crazy with this answer. Plus, I really don't have any deep dark secrets. I will tell you all that I LOVE to anonymously submit my favorite blog posts somewhere. Not saying where. I love to be anonymous, and now I am losing my cover. Geez, thanks Reeni!

Q: Do you like to read fiction? Scratch that, do you like to read PERIOD? If so, what are some of your favorite books/genres? Do you like to write/ have you ever in your whole entire life written a piece of fiction? -Bryce @ A Twin for God

A: I love to read. Love it, and I will read any genre, although lately I can only read fluff, because my mind is like swiss cheese.

The longest story I have written is 20 pages long. I have written many short stories though, and when I was in third grade my best friend and I co-wrote a story that was 100 pages long (written). I don't have it though, I wonder if she does?

Q: Did you ever (or do you now) keep a journal? I'm wondering if folks who like to blog are also prone to keep a journal or diary. -Tiffany @ Poetry & Hums

A: You guys are reading my journal. For years I kept a journal, on and off. It's some funny reading now.

Q: What's your favorite movie? And What advice would you give to a High School Senior who was going off to college next year? -Vic @ Vicupdates

A: My Favorite Movie? I have so MANY, I can't pick just one. Um... About a Boy. The Princess Bride. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Knocked Up. The Illusionist. Just to name a few....

My Advice to a High School Senior? Challenge yourself. Don't be afraid to try new things (obviously not drugs though). Don't get obsessed with finding a boyfriend/girlfriend. Above all else: Don't room with someone you know! That was my biggest mistake. Also, stick with a major you love, even if it means you have to take some classes you hate.

Q: If you had to relocate somewhere else in the US for any reason, where would you choose and why? -Suzanne @ So You Don't Get any Phone Calls from Me...

A: Probably North Carolina. Still fairly close to family and friends, yet so much nicer. If Hawaii or Lake Tahoe were closer, I would want to move there. That being said, if Mr. Bee was offered a good job opportunity outside of the Auto industry and I wouldn't have to work, we would probably move. I know that's not the answer my family and friends reading this want to hear, but it's true.

Q: Can you tell me how to do that mark-out thing on my blog? Where you strike through the words? i can't for the life of my figure it out. :) -Sturgmom @ Sturgmom, In General

A: Here is the link I used. Also, if you use blogger in draft, it has a strikeout function. Oh, but I just went to your blog, and you figured it out already!

Thanks for listening, I had a lot of fun with this. Whew, now I am tired again.

I hope you are all thinking about what is getting you through this week, because I am putting up Mr. Linky for Friday Favorites. Mr. Linky! Friday Favorites! It's going to be fun! Rah rah rah! Check out last week's Friday Favorites to see if you want to participate. There are no limits on what your Friday Favorites could be, it could be a person, a quote, a book, CD, Movie, Picture, Blog, Comment on your blog.... etc.... now is the time to honor them!

I've started my post already! It's going to be a good one!

Giveaway Results!

Hello Everyone! First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who participated. The response (165 comments) was overwhelming. 69 participants entered for 232 entries. I used Random.org to generate 3 random numbers (each entry was assigned a number) and these are the results:

First Place- 87 Kalei @ Bloggedy Blog Blog
Second Place- 142 LeLand's Mama @ Mama Makes Money
Third Place- 230 Mama Krit @ My Simply Savvy Life

I find it really funny that the Random.org place picked first place is the person who I just won a giveaway from. Honest coincidence, I swear! Congratulations to all of them! I will contact all three of you to get your addresses and for Kalei and Leland's Mama, I will get their choices.

Next: Here are the Top Ten posts you voted for! (Some of them tied with the number of votes, in which case my favorite got moved to the front.)

The Top Ten Favorite Posts were:
1. The No Return Policy
2. A Note from Mr. Bee (Guest Post)
3. My Interview with Boodle, My Elf on the Shelf
4. Words that I want removed from my Lexicon
5. Make Your Own Meme Monday: Then vs. Now
6. Drink, blog, Hiccup
7. Not Me! Monday: Law and Order Edition
8. I Know I am a Mom because...
9. 1461: A Letter
10. Calamity Jake

Honorable Mentions:
Our Running Tally, Now Here is Where I get Sappy, My 15 Year Old Self is So Excited....,
Don't Forget!, The Drama King, 8 things I hearted in 2008, Mr. Bee, My Valentine (Guest Post)

I got so many questions that I am breaking up the answers to my favorite questions into two posts. Here is the first Batch (in no particular order):

Q: Why do you blog, and what do you love most about it? ~Jen Weinman@ Jewel of the Prairie

A: I blog because I love to write. It's very therapeutic for me to put myself out there in writing. I love getting positive responses from my blog. When something I write touches someone or brightens their day, that makes me feel happy. It's really a win-win. I'm pretty sure I am addicted too!

Q: Are you gonna have a 3rd and try for a girl? ~The Dreamer @ Hey a Mom can Dream, Right?

A: Oh dear. Honestly... I go back and forth about this. I even wrote a post about it. Right now, I am leaning towards no, only because I am ready to get on with our life, and do fun things with my non-babies. Ask me again in two months, I might change my mind.

Q: I'd like to know what inspired you to start blogging? ~Angie @ Seven Clown Circus

A: I have been blogging since 2006, and I'm still not sure why I am. I just like to write and if people like to read what I write it's a huge bonus. I would say Amalah was my first inspiration. My friend Sarah introduced me to her and the now defunct Miss Doxie when I was bored at work. You can read more about my start under my About/Contact Me tab.

Q: 1) What one thing do you as a family do you most hope will happen in the next 10 years?
2) Balance (work, home, kids, spouse, etc.) How do you achieve it and maintain it? ~Dan @ The Art of Panic

A: 1. I hope we are doing the same thing in terms of being happy and healthy. That being said, I hope that Drew is a nice teenager (gulp) and we are living in a much bigger house so we aren't driving each other crazy. I would like more financial stability. Who wouldn't? Oh, and to be a weight I am happy with. Even with the recession and instability I am not daft and I realize these are golden years for my family. We really are blessed. Even when I pitch a fit about something I realize this.

2. I have never achieved balance. I usually wait until one part of my life is on the verge of collapsing and then pay more attention to it, with the exception of the kids. They are always #1.

Q: 1. Who helped you set up your blog or are you just a super web genius? 2. Are there any days that writing your blog is a total and utter chore?? ~Karen L (no blog)

A: 1. I am a super web genius. Ha ha, no, my website is actually the work of another super web genius, it would be the Blogger Buster. They have great free layouts for blogger. I LOVE this one, with the exception of my header, I want something cuter. But all of the extras that this layout came with I LOVE.
2. YES! It was a chore some of the days the month that I did Nablopomo and had to blog every day. When I am stressed out it can also be too much to blog. But I always let you guys know that.

Q: I was reading your blog on your weight loss attempt so I'll ask my question regarding that - how much weight would you like to lose? ~Brooke @ Smart + Strong = Sexy

A: Oh geez. Realistically 15-20 pounds. In my dreams 30 pounds. This is a major battle for me.

Q: So, I have a question.. music seems very important to you (as I). What was the very first live concert you ever attended, and with whom? ~CDB @ Fingers and Paws

Now this is embarrassing. NKOTB (New Kids on the Block) with my parents and my sister in 1989. My Dad got tickets through his work. I had never heard of them before and after the concert I was HOOKED. I went to two more concerts after that. I also saw Milli Vanilli. I know, I am ashamed.

My Favorite Concert ever was Lollapalooza. You can read about it here. I am going again this year and I can't wait!

Q: What's your favorite color? ~Sarah @ A Glimpse Into My Life

A: It changes often- right now it is eggplant purple, the color I painted my office.

Q: Have you done any drinking and blogging lately? ;o) ~Joy @ Joy to the Blog

A: No, sadly... But I am a horrible drunken Twitterer! Some of you, sigh, already know this....

Q: What is your or Mr. Bee's favorite children's book and which would you love to hide so you'll NEVER have to read it again?? ~MJ (no blog)

A: Mr. Bee and I came to an agreement on this one:
Favorite: Goodnight Moon. Mr. Bee picked it because he made up a song to sing it to the children, I like it because it's relaxing and seems to put the children in a trance. I have it memorized.
Least Favorite: 10 Minutes Till Bedtime: No words! Annoying.

Q: Why did you start this blog and have you accomplished what you set out to accomplish by having this great blog? ~Auntrene @ Auntrene

A: Ahh... Auntrene, you butter me up, I answer your question. It's a win-win! I don't think I will ever completely accomplish what I want from having my blog, because what I want is world domination a perfect blog with the best posts ever. As far as readership goes, I think I am right where I want to be.

Q: I'm new to your blog, so here it goes...what is your favorite hobby? ~Rachel Ann @ Rachel Ann's Place

A: You are looking at it. Okay, well, besides blogging I love to power walk with Ian (pronounced eye-ann, like Ian Ziering), My Ipod ALONE. So relaxing. Unfortunately it is impossible 3 months out of the year in Michigan. Le sigh. I also like to read.

Q: What do you think is the one material item that Mr. Bee cannot do without; and what does Mr. Bee think is the one material item you could not do without. ~Carma @ Carma Sez

A: Mr. Bee is refusing to play nice on this one. He said that for both of us we cannot do without our cars- so we can get to work. Then I asked him to answer something else and he said our refrigerator, because without it we would get scurvy. Then again, our toilets, because we would freeze our butts off outside trying to go the bathroom... I will answer this instead and say the toilet for Mr. Bee, because where else would he hide/relax? He spends hours in there to get away! For me: My bath/My Ipod because both are my stress relaxers. I use the bath more in the winter- and Ian the Ipod while walking more in the summer.

Q: What advice do you have for a novice/new blogger? And what is this Techn thingy??? ~Laurie (no blog)

A: Before you start your blog decide what you want out of your blog. Do you want your blog to have lots of readers or just a select few? What topics will your blog cover? What blog platform do you want to use? Test out blogging platforms. There is Blogger, Wordpress, Tumbler and Typepad that I know of. Make a practice blog and practice designing it.

Next, figure out a catchy name for your blog and make sure your url matches that catchy name (I know, mine doesn't, it's a point of contention for me still!). Join a blogging social network. I suggest SITS or Nablopomo. That's how I met most of my blogging friends. Join Twitter. Link your blog posts up to Twitterfeed. Comment on and follow other bloggers, and also big bloggers to get your name out there. Sign up for an advertiser. Set up sitemeter on your blog. If you don't know the answer to something, google it, or look on The Blog Doctor or if you use blogger, Blogger Buster. Don't be afraid to submit a post you think is good somewhere. Oh and above all else, write interesting stuff. Does that help?

Technorati is a blog ranking system/blog directory. You can find out who links to you through this and you can also create blogrolls through them. It's actually pretty cool, as long as they recognize your blog isn't spam. (I had to contact them so they knew my blog was NOT spam.)

Q: I'm picking this question cause someone asked me this question and I thought it was a good one. Not because I think you're going to say me. What is your favorite blog to visit that you can't wait til they do another post so you can see what they say. Seriously, I don't think it's me. I'm just curious. ~C @ The Scattered Mind of a Tattooed Minivan Mom

A: This is a hard one. I read 93 blogs (ish) so I look forward to so many of them! Of course first and foremost my IRL Blogs- blogs from those people I know in real life. Then next would be blogs from people I have become to think of as bloggy friends (including the Scattered Mind of a Tattooed Minivan Mom!). Those of you that have been there from the beginning, I especially feel invested in your blogs. (This is you, Mesa, Lucy, Juliet, Tina, Cammie, The Rambler, etc.) I really enjoy anything by the MamaPop Crowd (Amalah, Jodifur, The Wind in Your Vagina, Pet Cobra, to name a few favorites although I check in with all of them from time to time). I am SUCH their fangirl! Oh and when I am in a silly mood (read always) I love to read The Bloggess, Citizen of the Month, and Attack of the Redneck Mommy. When I am in a more serious mood, I enjoy Her Bad Mother, Pacing the Panic Room, when I am in the mood for a photo blog, I enjoy The Fresh Mommy, and Dooce. (I know, name dropping Dooce is like thanking God for inspiration- it's overdone, but I can't deny the Woman knows how to take a Photograph!) Oh geez, now I have to link all these don't I? Let me just say I love to read all different blogs all for different reasons, and anyone I read holds a special place in my heart.

No wonder my sister calls me a Techno-nerd.

I hope Google Ads doesn't suspend my account for excessive linking. They sure are on a suspension roll! @sshats!

This is it for today. I am linked typed OUT. I will have the rest of my favorite questions in a post later this week. I hope you have enjoyed it my little Q & A section.

Again, thanks to all of you that participated. I wish you could all win. Of course then I would be broke.

PS- Because of stupid Bloggers new blogger connect BS, I am completely lost and disorganized. I am still trying to visit everyone and sort through everything. I will try to be over to your blog soon, I am still sorting it out. Please let me know if you are linking to me and I will include you in my blogroll! (There are some updates already, check them out!)