main players -- human

Four humans, two canines and two felines live in our house. And various houseplants in varying stages of the life cycle. I thought you should know more about all of us (except the houseplants -- I'm kind of embarrassed to elaborate):

First, the humans:

There’s me, Mrs. Dartt. I’m a 20-something (almost 30!) wife, mother, writer and optimist who likes pretty much everybody but also has quite a list of pet peeves.

Then there’s Mr. Dartt. He’s a 30-something husband, dad, hard worker and pessimist who is surprised when things turn out well and is grudgingly accepting optimism as a good lifestyle.

Our two children, Big Boy and Little Boy, are 2.5 years old and seven months old, respectively.

Big Boy is a rambunctious, ever-moving firecracker who enjoys going down slides, singing and running on the treadmill (he only got to do it once under Mr. Dartt’s supervision before Mrs. Dartt found out about it and laid down the law – what a party pooper, right?). He loves Curious George books. He talks nonstop and has only recently discovered that he likes to sing.

Little Boy is relaxed, smiley and cuddly (all unlike his big brother). He spits up constantly but seems to enjoy it. He also bursts into tears when certain friends and family members speak to him. I'm hoping this is just a phase and that he will not continue to do this throughout his life. I hope he outgrows it before a girl he is dating when he's a teenager brings him home to meet her parents. "Hello, Little Boy, nice to meet you." (Eyes squint shut, mouth opens and screams ensue.)

Check in later for introductions to the canines and felines.

Hope everybody is having a wonderful day -- and looking forward to a relaxing weekend!

Introductions

Welcome to my blog, DarttBoard. Thanks for stopping by! I hope that you will find something you can relate to, or at least something you can enjoy, in reading snippets from my life, my experiences and my thoughts …

Here are just a few things I think you should know about me before we get started:

One. I love being a mother. Love it. Even when my two year old asks for blue milk and then refuses to drink it because it’s blue. And then throws his sippy cup on the floor because he wants regular milk, and blue milk is not his favorite any more. And then cries when I put the blue milk in the refrigerator because he wants blue milk and he is so thirsty.

Two. I love my husband so much … and I know I don't express it often enough or well enough. I rely on him more than he probably knows.

Three. I am addicted to saving money.

Four. I almost always smell like spit up.

Five. My forehead is so wrinkly that I had to cut bangs. Every time I cut bangs, I hate them, because they never look right. But vanity won out. Bad bangs beat wrinkles, I guess.

Six. I am not a very good housekeeper. I avoid hand-washing dishes, and I don’t iron. I do pick up toys and wash and fold laundry.

Seven. I kill houseplants. I don’t sneak up on them in the dark with a weapon, but I slowly overwater or underlight them to death, or expose them to a toddler’s deadly whims. It's a wonder I've kept two human children alive.

Eight. I drive a Volvo. This has many implications, I know. But the worst is that I am a hypocrite. Throughout my young driving years, I constantly made fun of Volvo drivers for driving the speed limit. And now I’ve joined them, driving the speed limit. Most of the time.

Nine. My sophomore year in high school, my graduating class' homecoming theme was Peter Pan, and our float was a pirate ship. During halftime at the homecoming game, as I rode in our float around the football field, I mooned the oppsoing team's spectators through a porthole.

Ten. Last night I ate two (yes, TWO) pieces of chocolate cake.



That's it for now. I hope you will check back often and share your own thoughts, feelings, advice, pet peeves and secrets!