I get a lot of spam here on ye olde bloggity blog. I would take it as a sign that I was somehow hitting the big time in the internet world but the truth is I’ve ALWAYS gotten a ton of spam, even when I had exactly three readers. I think I just look like an easy target: no comment verification, no captcha, the ability to post with a fake email address. Luckily, WordPress has a handy-dandy feature called Akismet that catches 99.9% of the spammy comments without any effort on my part. But that’s not to say the spammers aren’t TRYING to get published. Today I thought we could examine some of the valiant spam attempts to get their links and keywords published instead of banished to the spam folder (current count: 3,682 comments)…

Flattery:
What I dont comprehend is how youre not even a lot more popular than you might be now. Youre just so intelligent. You know so significantly about this topic, created me consider it from so many diverse angles. Its like men and women arent interested unless it has some thing to accomplish with Lady Gaga! Your stuffs great. Continue to keep it up! (I’m the next Lady Gaga! Says the guy who’s allergic to apostrophes!)

Dang i thought your blog was killer, gave me a car load of information, i never knew, thanks blogger.

Never thought blogging could be soo fun and interesting. Man you know how to do it brother. (Thanks…brother)

You are such an amazing writer. Wishing you a strength and peace that surpasses all understanding as you continue to walk the high road … you are amazing, and I honor you for being YOU! You represent grace and dignity … with a smile that melts anyone blessed to be on the receiving end of it. God Bless you Always, Carrie!!!! (oh, well, that was going really well until the end there)

Sympathy:
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say excellent blog! (Oh noes, penis enlargement medication website, I am SO SORRY we’ll never know what you had to say!)

Randomly Political:
Thanks to the Glen Beck wannabees this stuff is occasionally taken at face value. (on a post about breastfeeding)

I think this president #needs to# go and let’s #get back# on path. I Worship this country! (on a post about my wedding)(and left by someone called “lake havasu city tourist sites”)

“In a recent study, the United States was ranked the 114th happiest country in the world. Then Sarah Palin stepped down. Now we’re at 17.” –Conan O’Brien (that was all part of the comment – I really doubt it was actually left by Conan)

Perhaps English is not their first language. Or their second:
This is my prime indication i here. I pioneer so umpteen exciting congest in your especially its communication. From the loads of comments on your articles, I conjecture I am not the one having all the here! fastness up the better job.

Actually collection of perform & wonderful websites!

Your webpage is really instructive … retain up the great operate!!!!?!

A stardom situated situation is a accommodation video of kind-hearted procreant behavior, as performed alongside means of a notable and his or her partner(s), which finds internet and/or bootleg.

you are my inhalation , I own few web logs and rarely run out from to post : (.

A powerful share, I simply given this onto a colleague who was doing just a little analysis on this. And he in actual fact purchased me breakfast because I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! However yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love reading extra on this topic. If potential, as you change into expertise, would you mind updating your blog with extra particulars? It’s extremely useful for me. Massive thumb up for this blog post!

(Don’t those all sound like that episode of Friends where Joey uses the thesaurus to write the recommendation letter? “Large aortic pumps!”)

Helpful and Important (and Fake) Tech Information:
Hey, just reckoned Iwould let you know that your blog page isn’t displaying proper on internet explorer 4. Anyways, carry on the great job !

Doing some browsing and observed your internet site seems a fraction messed up in my AOL cyberspace browser. But fortuitously scarcely anyone practices it any more but you may want to look into it (maybe your problem is you’re still using AOL?)

And my favorite, Honesty:
howdy, I’m havin a tough time attempting to rank well for the term “kokomo dentist”… Please approve my comment!!

This will probably be the last What’s for Dinner post for a while because this week I’ve found myself repeating stuff I’ve made during the last 4 installments. So if none of this week’s meals look good, go back and check out volumes 1, 2, 3, or 4 to get some home-cooked inspiration.

1. Angel Sugar Cookies – The Pioneer Woman (DANGER: IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP EATING)
2. Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich – The Pioneer Woman
3. Lemony Crispy Chicken Cutlets and Roasted Tomato Salad – Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats
4. Penne a la Betsy – The Pioneer Woman

5. Spicy Shrimp & Noodle Soup – Soup or Salad Blog
6. Pan-Roasted Garlic and Herb Chicken Breasts with Chopped Salad and Creamy Caper Dressing – Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats (This salad is so delicious I eat practically the whole 4 servings myself every time. I am extremely sorry Rachael doesn’t have it on her website.)
7. Couple-of-Minute Steaks and Potato Ragout – Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats
8. Chef Salad Bar – Inspired by Soup or Salad Blog

My favorites from the week were definitely the cookies, the spicy soup and the salad bar. I ate way too much those days, especially the salad bar – I should NOT have bought three different kinds of cheese plus my favorite Caesar dressing. It makes salad so delicious and soooooo not really salad anymore. Also, while I was writing this post my craving for more sugar cookies has gotten entirely out of control. I’ll be making those again soon. Or now.

I didn’t miss Little Evan’s monthday on Saturday, I was just too busy enjoying spending time with him this weekend to bother to sit down and write an update. He’s turning into a little person more and more every single day and it’s an amazing transition to watch. Just this week he found two of my vintage doll house people – the father and the little boy – and he’s been carrying them around making up pretend stories and adventures. They rode on cars and rode on the dog and sat in chairs and ate stuff and talked to each other. I named the father Joe and after Joe told Little Evan to be nice to his mommy Little Evan gave me a kiss. I think maybe next time Joe is going to tell him to pick up his toys, eat his vegetables, and take more naps.

Although really, naps aren’t our problem. Anytime between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm that he starts looking tired he’s more than happy to head upstairs for some shut-eye. A sippy cup of milk and a blankie are his only requests, although if I let him take a book to bed he’ll “read” it before he zonks out. Bedtimes are almost the same, but Daddy does bath and pj’s first. It’s nice to have at least one consistently easy toddler thing – and for it to be such a BIG thing – especially on days when everything else feels like a battle.

Speaking of battles, we’re currently in the middle of one involving food and how it is prepared/served. It all changes daily, which is beyond frustrating. The whole apple he loved yesterday gets thrown across the room today or the yogurt he was eating from the container 30 seconds ago is suddenly not good enough unless it’s in a BOWL. I have to let him choose his own utensils or nothing gets eaten at all. If I put the plate on the desk and he wanted to eat at the counter the meal is ruined. I try to be accommodating because I know he’s just trying to control one of the few things he can in his great big world but food isn’t optional. He HAS to eat. The worst part is I doubt “picky eating” is a phase that ends anytime soon.

Little Evan’s favorite things this month include the dog, the cats, his vintage wooden desk, his alphabet flashcards, sitting on the couch with mama or daddy, coloring with chalk, reaching things he’s not supposed to touch, and getting anyone who comes into the house to pick him up. His least favorite things include leaving anywhere he’s having fun, being told “no”, and sitting in the shopping cart. All those least favorites makes taking him on errands all sorts of challenging, so my evenings and weekends are now busy with those sorts of things.

I’m excited about Little Evan’s upcoming birthday but of course sad that his days of being 1 are numbered. 2 is going to be a whole new adventure!!

23 Month Milestones (from BabyCenter as usual)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
• Names simple picture in a book – Yes! He’s very good at this now, especially the books with animals. Maybe exclusively books with animals. I’m not actually sure we own any books that don’t contain animals.
• Uses 50 to 70 words – I never did get around to making a list of words but I would say we’re up to about 60 or 70 on a regular basis. Plus he’ll repeat almost anything and picks up new words on a daily basis.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
• Opens doors – Yes, including our back door which is going to be a problem.
• Sings simple tunes – If by “simple tunes” you mean “the theme song to How I Met Your Mother or Battlestar Galactica”, then yes. In case you think I’m a horrible mother, he can also sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”. And several Ke$ha songs. Maybe I am a horrible mother.
• Takes more of an interest in playing with other kids – He has ALWAYS liked playing with other kids. He’s very good at sharing too, which always makes me a proud mama.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
• Talks about self (likes, dislikes) – No. I’m not sure he even knows what he likes or dislikes. It changes on a minute by minute basis.
• Asks “why?” – Not yet. Can I add “thank god”?

Sunday:

Giant Toddler towers over the tiny dog

Like two peas in a pod. Or two popcorn kernels in a, uh, Popsecret bag.

Monday:

His hockey stick is now a horse, and he gallops around going "NEY NEY NEY!!"

Playdoh playtime! I get the strongest urge to eat it. But I don't. Usually.

Putting his feet up while he gets a little work done on the laptop.

Tuesday:

Eating yogurt with the antique silver. He insists on the best.

Poor Caroline's bald spot is getting out of control. Good thing her face is so cute.

He's like some sort of crazy toddler superhero with those infant sunglasses strapped to his face.

Wednesday:

He reads "That's not my dinosaur!" as "No...no...no...ESSSSS!!"

Brutus enjoyed a break from the rainy weather

BEBEH GIRL SHOES. I want to buy them all. And, uh, maybe that white pair in my size?

Thursday:

Shhh, don't tell her her polka dot camouflage isn't working!

Apparently we needed to play with ALL the toys that morning.

Little Evan recently started loving on the bear I knit for him. And by "loving on" I mean "carrying around to hit people with and/or throw in air while laughing maniacally."

Friday:

We finally - FINALLY - left the house and made it to knit-a-long at Mothers of Purl.

We all watched Toy Story 3, some of us from the couch, some from our desks

Saturday:

Whoa, so many colors. It's like a baby acid trip.

We didn’t actually do much at all this week (because of sickness)(and a little laziness) but I’d say we still had more good days than bad ones. Although we had some really really bad MOMENTS – like when the toddler fell off the couch onto the sleeping infant in her bouncy seat (everyone was ok) or when the toddler hit the infant in the head with a hockey stick, got a time out, was released from time out, hit her in the head AGAIN and then asked joyfully, “TIME OUT?! TIME OUT!?” (everyone was ok again…except for my patience).

Today we went on a hunt for a twin-sized bed to start the transition from nursery to little boy room but didn’t end up buying anything. I don’t know who designs kid’s room furniture but dude, most of that stuff is hideous. Or HUGE. Or is so style-specific it only goes with other pieces from that collection…and I already have a perfectly good dresser and bookcases thankyouverymuch. Don’t furniture retailers realize that by the time a kid is 2 or 3 their parents have already gotten WAAAAY past the “everything in this nursery must match! nothing but the best for my snuggy-wuggums!!” stage? Nursery furniture is where your market is folks. Just make me a nice neutral not-too-high wooden twin bed. Sorry, furniture sales people make me ranty. I think we’re going to end up at Ikea.

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s. It’s really fun!