Cheapo Wino Wednesday! A Spanish Red Blend

I’m back, baby! No, my bronchitis isn’t totally gone, but I think I’m at the point where you can trust my palate again…well, in a general ballpark kinda way. So let’s get to it!

 
P.S.- I’m a sucker for a cute label.

2011 Mad Dogs and Englishmen– $12.99

A red blend: 60% Carignan 20% Shiraz 20% Tempranillo 100% YUM

 

Wine Maker’s Notes: Crimson in color, the bright raspberry nose offers hints of clove and pepper. Rich flavors of ripe black fruits are followed by notes of vanilla and cinnamon leading to a long, smooth finish.

Is that description a little BLAH or what? I like this guy’s better:

Dave at www.cheapwinefinder.com: The color is a dark, intense, but see-thru crimson red. The nose is muted, some raspberry, a slight whiff of barnyard, a touch of brewing tea, a little oak spice. This is a full bodied, dark and very dry wine. It tastes of blackberry, dried strawberry, herbal tea, a dry sensation from the oak (not too much, but it is there), dark bitter chocolate. The mid palate brings a little jammy raspberry, vanilla and cedar plank. The tannins are stiff, but subded and the acidity is balanced. The finish is full and long.

Back up a second…did Dave just say “a slight whiff of barnyard”? Barnyard? Is that even a descripty thing? Well, shit, if Dave can do it…

Kim’s Notes: The color is a nice iron-rich shade of blood, bordering just on the edge of coagulation. When inhaling, I found my nose to need blowing. Once it was clear, I detected a hint of spicy Elmer’s glue, a shitload of rasp/straw/blue/cran/berry, spackled drywall, and an earthiness found only in the eastern region of my basement. The mid palate, like my front and back palate, tasted the wine too. This is a complex wine which will mellow considerably after breathing and receiving 7-10 therapy sessions. I really enjoyed this wine and recommend drinking it now because waiting is stupid.

 

The Weekend in Crappy Pics!

Helllllo! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we certainly did!

On Wednesday, we received our first ever shitload of firewood from a nearby company, which the delivery guy said would burn “…long, hot, strong, and clean.” I thought he was flirting with me until he used the adjective ‘clean’.

This was my first time stacking wood, but judging by my “can-do” attitude, suede wedge boots, faux leopard gloves, and trusty Lil’ Red Wagon, you’d never know it.

On Thursday, we went to Brian’s parents’ house for Thanksgiving, and we had a fabulous time- the food was great, the company was great, Ana didn’t break anything that couldn’t be fixed. What more could we ask for?

It was a perfect night…until we were leaving the neighborhood and passed this:

First of all, CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON THANKSGIVING??? Nothing pisses me off more! Unless, of course, that sonofabitch has Easter eggs stashed under his shrubs.

And secondly, those lights are on the inside of the home- the inside, people! Find me in twenty years when the authorities are looking for the “Christmas Light Strangler”, I’ll direct them to the poor kid that grew up in this house.

Then, as we turned the corner, things went from nauseating to utterly disturbing:

Umm, WTF is happening here?

Let’s take a closer, creepier look:

I’m praying it’s a Halloween costume. If so, I bet I know which house he lives in.

 

Every Black Friday is the same for us: we wake up around 8am, search the internet for the Walmart death toll, shake our heads, then put up our Christmas decorations while thanking our lucky stars that we have zero interest in getting off our lazy asses in an attempt to save a buck.

I know, for most families, the lighting of the Christmas tree signifies the beginning of the Christmas season, but we, at the One Classy Motha household, have our own way of kicking things off:

The Pull My Finger Santa

It’s a very sacred tradition.

Once the family gathers around, I gently lift Santa from his custom made, satin lined box, as each child secretly hopes they’ll be the one chosen to flip the ON switch buried in the deep recesses of his ass. This year it was Ana, and she handled the responsibility with all the grace and maturity of a 4 year old “Hey Collin, my finger’s in his buuuuttttt!”

Then, taking a cue from The Lion King, I hold a gassy St. Nick high above my head and proclaim, “And I say unto ye, let there be Christmas Farts!” My family erupts into a frenzy of cheering and fabricated fart sounds as tears of joy roll down their plump little cheeks, cutting through the pizza grease.

Then I do it. I pull Santa’s finger. AND. IT. IS. MAGICAL. “FAAART…ho ho ho, now that’s a stocking stuffer!”

Christmas has officially begun!

Occasionally, after all the hoopla dies down, Brian tries to pretend he’s above us. After watching Ana & I laugh at Santa for over 15 minutes straight on Friday night:

Brian: This whole family is disgusting! You think Pam Anderson is walking around with a Farting Santa? No! She’s busy finding ways to make her husband happy.

Me: Pam Anderson is divorced.

Brian: You think Carmen Electra is walking around with a Farting Santa? No! She’s busy finding ways to make her husband happy.

Me:…

Brian: …divorced too?

Me: Yup.

Me: Hey, maybe if they had focused more on Farting Santa and less on their husband’s happiness, they’d still be married? I think we’re doing something right.

Saturday evening, we decorated the tree. I was supposed to visit my friend afterwards but…

In case you think I’m exaggerating…

On Sunday morning, Mr. Bojangles tumbled down our steep ass stairs for the second time in a week.

Our children have been falling down the stairs for years, with my response being nothing more than a yawn and a “We should probably do something about that” But when the dog fell, I was like “Oh, hell no!” I ran right out, bought all the supplies, and laid the runner myself.

Aww, does my little Bozie Wozie feel safey wafey now?

Oh, and guess what I bought this weekend?

Scissors, you sicko.

I have a ton more pics from this week but I’m sure you have a life you need to get back to, so I’ll just leave you with this:

(Excuse my Bronchitis laugh)

[embedit snippet=”pull-my-finger-santa”]

How was your week?

It’s getting super close to Christmas! You can find the perfect PERSONALIZED holiday gifts from my sponsor GiftsForYou.com. I swear they have something in every price range!

Weekend in Crappy Pics!

 

One word: SNUGGLES

Friday afternoon, Ana’s classroom bear, Snuggles, came home with her.

Apparently, it was our responsibility to show Snuggles a good time AND to return him in one piece on Monday morning. I had my concerns…

I was beyond stressed. Honestly, I’d rather her bring home a newborn baby as they seem to leave a bad taste in Bo’s mouth.
 
Friday night, we took Snuggles to a dive restaurant that I was dying to try because “You shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, Brian.”

But when the waitress escorted us to a room reeking of bleach and registering a frosty 50 degrees, I thought to myself, “Oh shit, this ain’t no Pulitzer Prize.”

Luckily, our meal had some “Huh, this isn’t bad.” along with a few “Try these, they’re kinda good.” moments.

On Saturday, Collin went to a 6 hour birthday party. Yes, 6 hours. And the rest of us did nothing, nada, zip, zilch, except sit around and snuggle with Snuggles.

On Saturday night, we invited Brian’s mom over for dinner (pizza). After dinner, we were sitting around the family room, enjoying a roaring fire, drinking some wine, and someone pointed out this game…

It had to be Brian’s mom because it’s been sitting there since Christmas 2012 and we’ve yet to acknowledge its existence. Even Mr. Bojangles walks around it.

So we played the game,

then put it back in the corner until next year.

On Sunday, it was 10 degrees with the wind chill. TEN DEGREES, PEOPLE! And Ana informed me that we had to take Snuggles to Smith Park because her teacher said that’s his favorite thing to do. Well, I explained to Ana that, as a bear, Snuggles was meant to eat and hibernate this time of year, and that maybe her teacher is trying to push her own agenda onto Snuggles.

“Shouldn’t we honor Snuggles’ natural instincts by eating leftover pizza and napping instead?”

“No.”

So I did what any good mother would do…I took her and that damn bear to the park. I also did what any selfish mother would do…I underdressed her so she’d freeze within minutes of arriving.

“Mommy, I can’t feel my hands. Can we go home now?”

Yes, it’s hard to hold the monkey bars when your fingers won’t bend. Mwahahahahaha!

Oh, and check out the static electricity generated by a cold, dry, plastic slide…

I still think Snuggles would have rather hibernated.

How was your weekend?

Free Advice Friday! Sucking at Motherhood? I doubt it.

Dear Kim,

I feel like I’m sucking at this motherhood thing.  Everyone around me seems to have their act together and I’m such a mess. My kids are always late for the bus, I forgot about my daughter’s Show and Tell day, my kids refuse to eat a healthy meal, and I can’t remember the last time I dusted.  All these screw ups, and I don’t even work outside of the house!  How does everyone else make it look so easy?

Sucking at Motherhood,

Sally

 

 

My dear, dear Sally,

Honestly, I don’t believe there’s a mother out there that has her shit together.  And if you think you know one, I guarantee she’s faking it.  She probably fakes those over-the-top orgasms too…

But if she’s not faking it, it’s possible that she’s just not sharing her problems with you.

Take me for instance, I’m sure everyone thinks I’m pretty much perfect. And why wouldn’t they? Just look at the way my underwear always matches my Lulu Lemon yoga pants to disguise the hole in my crotch, how I shave my legs almost every third Monday without fail (excluding Columbus Day), the fact that I never ever entertain guests without wearing pants or a bra. Yes, I imagine, on the surface, I can be quite intimidating. But once you get to know me, you realize that I’m just like every other mother out there, forgetting her kids at the gym daycare and hiding empty wine bottles under discarded boxes of organic cereal stolen from the neighbor’s recycling bin.

Sure, my life might appear to be all roses but it’s more like “all carnations”- you know, not without some emotional strife.

I worry that my daughter’s steady diet of turkey hotdogs will deprive her of essential nutrients causing her to grow crooked like a tree sapling planted in partial shade. But I serve her hotdogs anyway.  Every time we buy our son a video game simply because he wants it, I worry that we’re not teaching him the value of hard, honest work. But I’ve yet to create a chore chart because it’s quicker and easier for me to do a job myself. And when my daughter says “A” is her favorite number…ugh…I worry that she’ll be behind when she enters Kindergarten next year.  But have I made those multi-sensory flash cards that I found on Pinterest? No. No I haven’t.

Speaking of Pinterest, I saw this great quote:

So true.

But I think it needs a little rewording…for us…

 

 

Let me ask you this, Sally: Do your children love you? Do they feel safe? Do they know how much you love them? If so, then you’re rocking this Motherhood thing! Trust me, that’s all anyone will truly remember, and in my opinion, it’s the only thing worth remembering.

 

Give your kids a hug & make Pop Tarts for dinner,

Kim

 

 

 

 

 

 

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