It's been TWO YEARS?!

It's been TWO YEARS!!

Holy cow! Who starts a blog and then... does nothing on said blog...for TWO YEARS?! Apparently me. SIGH.

What can you do? START OVER!

Hello, fellow bloggers! I'm baaaa-aaaack! *giggle* A lot has happened over the last two years, for sure. Some I can talk about, some I can't...more on that in the future, maybe. Anyhoo, my random ramblings will be posted here for your perusal, should you care to peruse.

I will just say, before I go, how happy I am that fall is here. I am seriously sick of sweating. And to get you into that "YAY FALL!!!" mood, (if you aren't already) then here are a couple of pics to get you going for all recipes pumpkin, sweaters, boots, jeans, hot cocoa/cider, and the HOLIDAYS!

Wooo hoooo!

Say it with me: YAY FALL!!!

Passions

I have many passions. Who doesn't? Family, music, art, travel...those are big ones for me. Oh, and cake. hahahahaha! Did you know I used to want to go to nursing school? I started with my CNA, did my clinicals, passed the class. Then I decided..NAAAH! I have heard MANY times, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. " Wellllll, nursing, though a rewarding career, is LOTS of work. Especially on holidays. And any other day that you don't want to work. Ha! So, since its not in me to be a curator in an art gallery, or a record exec (though, I have to say, that one could be REALLLLLLY fun! LOL!), that leaves travel.

Drum-roll please............

My next career of choice (after full-time Mommy, of course) is gonna have to be Travel Agent. Yessiree....the day is coming soon where back to school I shall go. Or at least to online classes. :) Could it BE more fun to help plan vacations?! People come in all a-twitter, excited for their options, and there I shall wait (opinions at the ready, natch!) to help them in their quest. Yup...travel agent. Thats the life for me.

I have a small base of travel experience from which to build. Though cash flow of late is TIGHT,  I will find a way to continue this passion. I will admit, however, when it comes to travel, I am quick with the plastic. LOL!!! For this proof, one just needs to turn to my sweet, understanding husband, whom, on a very sleepy night, approved (though he might argue this!) our upcoming anniversary cruise. As he dozed in front of a football-blaring television, I happily cruised (no pun intended! HA!) the cruise websites.

What?! There is only SO MUCH football a woman can take, after all!

"I found it!" I yelled excitedly.

"Wha-?" he said, extremely confused. (He was sleeping, remember?)

"Our anniversary trip."

"Oh, cool. Where?"

"The Exotic Caribbean." I said, quickly following with "Its a CRUISE."

I am not ashamed to say that, when it comes to trips, I know all I have to say to my husband is: "Its a cruise" and he is ready. He comes from a cruising family. But first,

"How much?" he said.

Ok, so, I led you on. Its not THAT easy to get my way. My hubby is thrifty, ya'll!

But much to my pleasure, I had found a REALLY great deal. He was impressed, and said it sounded perfect. And went back to sleep. Hehehe. Just picture the Grinch smile on my face. Without the green...and the hair...I digress...

So after about 20 more minutes of cruising (*ahem*! *giggle*!) to make sure that was really THE ONE, I casually said,

"I'm gonna book it, k? There's a card right here on the desk."

He mumbled something.

Now, its not my fault that it sounded like, "Honey its perfect for our anniversary and the itinerary is great and somewhere we have never been and you sooooo deserve it and its just the right price and just use the mastercard thats right there."

He should've spoken more clearly! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

So, after printing my reciept, I bounded down the stairs, BEYOND all-a-twitter with excitement, and said, "OK!!! We are all set. We leave a couple days before our anniversary!!!!"

He really woke up then. And after the initial shock, he was cool with it. He really was.

Did I mention the initial shock didnt wear off for a few days?

*giggle*GASP*snort*!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

The moral of the story is? Nichole WILL travel. So...everyone just be aware.

And guard your plastic.

Especially YOU, Clay.  (love you! :)

It Is What It Is

You've heard that phrase, right? I say it a lot, especially to other people who fret about something they can't change.

I am trying, sometimes in vain, to actually live that phrase. You see, my brain gets all in a tizzy when things don't go the way I planned. When control is lost, my churning stomach joins my crazed brain and they have a little party, without permission. No amount of Coca-Cola will help, no amount of chocolate will subdue. So, I repeat my little mantra: "It is what it is." As you can imagine, I say this a lot during the day. LOL!

Can't pay that bill?
It is what it is.
I can't make money magically appear.

The house is FILTHY, smells like dog, AND unannounced visitors are at the door?
It is what it is.
Well, THIS will keep me humble, for sure!

Think of something that is bugging you, right now. Instead of doing my 10-plus loads of laundry, (which is actually something I do have control over, but that is neither here nor there) I am sitting here preaching to you my mantra. HA!!!! So lets whisper together, with a shrug of our shoulders:

"It is what it is!"

See, dontcha feel a little better?

Why "Mush-Brain Madness" ?

Bizarre name for a blog, right? LOL! Well, seriously, that title is the first thing that popped into my head.

Hello, my name is Nichole, and I suffer from Mommy Mush-Brain.

MMB happens after having children, ask any Mom. I haven't met ONE Mother yet who hasn't said "I feel dumb since having a baby. What happened to my brain?!" Maybe I am summarizing, but you get the gist.

Its worse if you are a stay-at-home Mom, as I am. Gone are the intellectually-stimulating conversations with your peers. You are lucky if you even have the energy to have a conversation with your husband when he gets home in the evening.  I swear at one point in my life I was funny, witty, sharp-as-a-tack, well-rested, and much more friendly. Not to mention a LOT less stressed! What happened to that person? Well, I will tell you. How much time do you have? Ha! I'll give you the short list, though not for your benefit. Dora the Explorer will be over in a minute and  my three year old will be yammering at me and...anyhoo, back to the list:

Sleep deprivation for about a year (times 2 children). Diapers, non-stop. Getting barfed on, equally as non-stop. Lost binkys. Can I just say, I would like to KISS the feet of the binky inventors?!?!?! Immunizations. I think I cried more than my babies did! Then, as they get older, Mac-n-Cheese. Sponge-Bob. Whining. A LOT of whining. Night-time crying, because I have taken away the binky I used to love, in order to prevent my sweet toddlers perfect Chic-let teeth from turning into hideous Bucky Beaver teeth. Then, when their sibling starts playing with their toys, FIGHTING. A LOT of fighting. It starts at o'dark thirty, before my eyeballs can even open, and does NOT end until bedtime, when they part ways to their own rooms.

I will just stop there. I think you understand why my blog is called Mush-Brain Madness, now, don't you?

So, in closing, on this my first blog, I would just like to say: I am here in the blogosphere to get my brain back. To write about this, that, and the other; to read all of your interesting blogs; and to discuss -at length and in detail- said blogs with my peers. Who are not under the age of 7.