Good morning friends.
We've run into a bit of a dilemma with my 200th post. You see, this one that you're reading is 199. 200 would end up being a quickie I put together tonight (and I won't have anything for a giveaway ye) or it'll land while I'm vacationing OR it'll land when I return in 6 days.
So, help me out. Tell me what you think. I could just announce on a simple 200th post that there will be a giveaway but wait.....I've already done that. Twice.
I could let you know that a giveaway will occur in HONOR of my 200th post and the prize will come from my vacation destination.
Or I could do the post quickly tonight and give away something that's in my home already. I have broken crayons, scribbled on paper, dirty diapers, a plastic flute, unused pencils.....just LOOK at those possibilities! :)
What I really want to do is a Comment Consideration post...it's due and there are some comments I really want to comment on. Any way this goes down, I want you to know ONE thing:
I am so excited for my vacation!!!!!!!!!
(And so worried about Wee One and Hubs all at the same time. I hate that conscience.)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
"Gotcha"
My girlfriend and I attended the wedding of a fellow co-worker a few years ago. The last name was Swanson, and they "cutely" decided that the parting gift for their guests (a weird little tradition I think, but that's for another post) was a little dish with a lid of two SWANS sitting pretty. The gift looked like it belonged in a garage sale my grandmother was having. I get the swan idea (albeit cheesy)....but I didn't get the ceramic grandma dish. Neither did my friend.
The wedding was in October. In December, my friend and a few other co-worker friends (NOT the guy who got married) had a gift exchange. It was a "nice" exchange, although I can't recall what our nice gift was. After we opened it, my friend announced that it had a surprise attachment gift. Yup. The swan dish. Now I was the lucky owner of TWO swan dishes.
Ever since then, we've gone back and forth with her swan dish. I took my second dish home, but the next time I returned to her house, I hid the dish behind a picture frame and called her about it when we left.
At T.O.'s birthday party one year, it was left in his gift bag. Another time she threw it back in my car when we were leaving her house. One time, she sent me a message that insinuated she left the swan at my house when she had been visiting. I tore the house UP looking for it, and come to find out she hadn't really left it at all. It's been back and forth going on three years, I believe.
Today, she received TWO swans on her desk at work. :)
I requested the aide of a mutual friend who still works with her. He and I met for lunch, completing Operation Drop Off. He then proceeded to take the gift bag (she's expecting, and it was a baby gift bag) to her desk and watched her open it. Both swan dishes were wrapped in a swaddling blanket. It had a note inside that read:
She sent me an email and called me a bitch. I love it. What a great Thursday.
The wedding was in October. In December, my friend and a few other co-worker friends (NOT the guy who got married) had a gift exchange. It was a "nice" exchange, although I can't recall what our nice gift was. After we opened it, my friend announced that it had a surprise attachment gift. Yup. The swan dish. Now I was the lucky owner of TWO swan dishes.
Ever since then, we've gone back and forth with her swan dish. I took my second dish home, but the next time I returned to her house, I hid the dish behind a picture frame and called her about it when we left.
At T.O.'s birthday party one year, it was left in his gift bag. Another time she threw it back in my car when we were leaving her house. One time, she sent me a message that insinuated she left the swan at my house when she had been visiting. I tore the house UP looking for it, and come to find out she hadn't really left it at all. It's been back and forth going on three years, I believe.
Today, she received TWO swans on her desk at work. :)
I requested the aide of a mutual friend who still works with her. He and I met for lunch, completing Operation Drop Off. He then proceeded to take the gift bag (she's expecting, and it was a baby gift bag) to her desk and watched her open it. Both swan dishes were wrapped in a swaddling blanket. It had a note inside that read:
The Art of Swandling
There once was a baby who was growing.
His mom thought he'd be as big as a Boeing.
But her friend knew better,
And sent her a letter,
Two swans wrapped up as his mom was DOH!!-ing.
Gotcha.
She sent me an email and called me a bitch. I love it. What a great Thursday.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Weak on Wednesday
Good morning.
I think all posts should start out with a greeting, don't you? It's simple, but personal. And I mean it, too, which is the great thing. Good morning. I hope you're having one, I hope you will have one...I hope it gets better if it needs a boost.
I know many of you participate in the Blogland traditions like Wordless Wednesday, Not Me Mondays....and now there is a Random Thought Tuesday. I think someone plucked my random Mumbles idea and stuck it on Tuesday. :) I tend to not participate in these traditions not because I don't like them. I do. Very much. However, I also tend to stink at following through things that are optional. If I start the trend and feel it's expected, I can follow through. But if I'm just jumping into something because it's there...I find it easier to slip back out of the stream.
Today I felt compelled to mention a few things that make me weak in the heart. Since it's Wednesday, I went ahead and tagged it as Weak on Wednesday. It may or may not be a keeper like the Mumbles, we'll see. Today I'll give you three weaknesses.
1. Honest tears. T.O. had them this morning. As I was chatting with a daycare director outside the door to his "drop off a.m. room", he ran up to me and hugged my leg. As I looked down at him, I saw tears in his eyes and he looked so innocently upset. I took him aside and just sat with him on my lap for a few minutes. He was genuinely crying and upset, which gets to me more than any tantrum tear or tired tear or hurt tear, even. Simple, emotional tears are gut-wrenching and I just want to FIX them.
(FYI - I'm not sure what brought the tears...he just hugged me and said he missed me but two very important things had just occurred - a kid puked in the room which might have bothered him AND he couldn't open his bags of cereal we brought for him. When I asked if there was anything I could fix, he said I could open his bags.)
2. Sweet apologies. I honestly dislike hearing I'm sorry. Especially if I have to hear it for the same thing, multiple times. I find that you can't be truly sorry unless you try and correct yourself from hurting me again. Hurting me can range from a kick in the leg or not rinsing your dinner plates, depending on the day. But when Hubs makes a genuine effort to apologize for something that bothers me or hurts me or makes me frustrated, I find it hard to stay mad at him. And trust me, it's very easy to be mad at him, I'm good at it.
3. A wave in traffic. If I let you into the flow of traffic (which I don't have to do because I'm very good at bumper riding if necessary - and I deem it necessary when people sneak all the way to the end of the "blocked" road and try and cut in), and you wave at me to say "thanks"....I'm more likely to let someone else in, as well. It's just NICE to wave. I wave thanks all the time (and no, not with my middle finger). One time? I was able to wave thanks to my girlfriend who was leaving her work the same time I did mine and we merged onto the highway together. That was an extra thrilling "thanks" wave. So next time you get "let in", think about waving. And do it with a smile. It goes a long way.
I think all posts should start out with a greeting, don't you? It's simple, but personal. And I mean it, too, which is the great thing. Good morning. I hope you're having one, I hope you will have one...I hope it gets better if it needs a boost.
I know many of you participate in the Blogland traditions like Wordless Wednesday, Not Me Mondays....and now there is a Random Thought Tuesday. I think someone plucked my random Mumbles idea and stuck it on Tuesday. :) I tend to not participate in these traditions not because I don't like them. I do. Very much. However, I also tend to stink at following through things that are optional. If I start the trend and feel it's expected, I can follow through. But if I'm just jumping into something because it's there...I find it easier to slip back out of the stream.
Today I felt compelled to mention a few things that make me weak in the heart. Since it's Wednesday, I went ahead and tagged it as Weak on Wednesday. It may or may not be a keeper like the Mumbles, we'll see. Today I'll give you three weaknesses.
1. Honest tears. T.O. had them this morning. As I was chatting with a daycare director outside the door to his "drop off a.m. room", he ran up to me and hugged my leg. As I looked down at him, I saw tears in his eyes and he looked so innocently upset. I took him aside and just sat with him on my lap for a few minutes. He was genuinely crying and upset, which gets to me more than any tantrum tear or tired tear or hurt tear, even. Simple, emotional tears are gut-wrenching and I just want to FIX them.
(FYI - I'm not sure what brought the tears...he just hugged me and said he missed me but two very important things had just occurred - a kid puked in the room which might have bothered him AND he couldn't open his bags of cereal we brought for him. When I asked if there was anything I could fix, he said I could open his bags.)
2. Sweet apologies. I honestly dislike hearing I'm sorry. Especially if I have to hear it for the same thing, multiple times. I find that you can't be truly sorry unless you try and correct yourself from hurting me again. Hurting me can range from a kick in the leg or not rinsing your dinner plates, depending on the day. But when Hubs makes a genuine effort to apologize for something that bothers me or hurts me or makes me frustrated, I find it hard to stay mad at him. And trust me, it's very easy to be mad at him, I'm good at it.
3. A wave in traffic. If I let you into the flow of traffic (which I don't have to do because I'm very good at bumper riding if necessary - and I deem it necessary when people sneak all the way to the end of the "blocked" road and try and cut in), and you wave at me to say "thanks"....I'm more likely to let someone else in, as well. It's just NICE to wave. I wave thanks all the time (and no, not with my middle finger). One time? I was able to wave thanks to my girlfriend who was leaving her work the same time I did mine and we merged onto the highway together. That was an extra thrilling "thanks" wave. So next time you get "let in", think about waving. And do it with a smile. It goes a long way.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Shot to H . E . Double Hockey Sticks
That was my night.
I apologize for getting nowhere in Blogland.
I was excited to sit down, play with FB, look you guys up....and then "family" happened.
I went straight to the grocery store from work, did a quick $75 zoom around the store, and of course forgetting the most important item on the list (which was left at home that morning, conveniently) - Toilet paper. I get home and start up the oven since I decided at the store that cooking wasn't happening unless it was in the form of a frozen pizza. As the oven warmed, I halfway changed my clothes, played with Wee One for a minute, Hubs left the house to go to some store for a minute. I got a pizza out and ready to be put in, the oven beeped its preheated goodness, I opened the door and realized I'd left a baking stone in there so I grabbed a pot holder and pulled it out...with the left hand....and decided to switch it to the right hand so I could lay it up on right side of the stove. Yeah. My right hand didn't have a pot holder. I dropped it and cursed and kicked something, slid the pizza in, cursed at Hubs for not being there. I had to get crying Wee One's leftover spaghetti warmed up, and with burnt fingertips, that didn't feel good. But I did it, and I fed him, all before Hubs returned. Grasping a sippy cup to unscrew it and pour milk isn't easy with burnt fingertips either. But I did it.
Hubs returned but went straight to the backyard to help 11 year old with his chore, so I was left inside trying to ice my fingers and pull out a hot pizza for T.O., ice them again, look at the computer longingly but knowing I would not be getting on tonight.
T.O. had a doc appointment since he'd been complaining about his ear and I assumed he might have what Wee One did....but no. He had strep instead. EVEN BETTER. But the appointment wasn't until 8:30 (evening hours, yea for them...boo for them..all at the same time). I accidentally fell asleep feeling sorry for myself as T.O. and I watched cartoons (by this time I'd put Wee One to bed) before his appointment. Hubs found us in there and took T.O. and 11 year old to the doctor's office. I stayed asleep until they returned after 10pm. Ends up that BOTH of them had strep. Yippee! We've got amoxicillin running out our rears.
SO....short evening told long....I could not stalk any of you on FB, I didn't get to read any blogs....but I will. My fingertips are raw and we have no appointments tonight. I will, however, have to share your time with laundry and dishes. Hubs claimed he had no underwear for this morning. I handed him the least dirty pair and said I'll get to it tonight. He loves me.
I apologize for getting nowhere in Blogland.
I was excited to sit down, play with FB, look you guys up....and then "family" happened.
I went straight to the grocery store from work, did a quick $75 zoom around the store, and of course forgetting the most important item on the list (which was left at home that morning, conveniently) - Toilet paper. I get home and start up the oven since I decided at the store that cooking wasn't happening unless it was in the form of a frozen pizza. As the oven warmed, I halfway changed my clothes, played with Wee One for a minute, Hubs left the house to go to some store for a minute. I got a pizza out and ready to be put in, the oven beeped its preheated goodness, I opened the door and realized I'd left a baking stone in there so I grabbed a pot holder and pulled it out...with the left hand....and decided to switch it to the right hand so I could lay it up on right side of the stove. Yeah. My right hand didn't have a pot holder. I dropped it and cursed and kicked something, slid the pizza in, cursed at Hubs for not being there. I had to get crying Wee One's leftover spaghetti warmed up, and with burnt fingertips, that didn't feel good. But I did it, and I fed him, all before Hubs returned. Grasping a sippy cup to unscrew it and pour milk isn't easy with burnt fingertips either. But I did it.
Hubs returned but went straight to the backyard to help 11 year old with his chore, so I was left inside trying to ice my fingers and pull out a hot pizza for T.O., ice them again, look at the computer longingly but knowing I would not be getting on tonight.
T.O. had a doc appointment since he'd been complaining about his ear and I assumed he might have what Wee One did....but no. He had strep instead. EVEN BETTER. But the appointment wasn't until 8:30 (evening hours, yea for them...boo for them..all at the same time). I accidentally fell asleep feeling sorry for myself as T.O. and I watched cartoons (by this time I'd put Wee One to bed) before his appointment. Hubs found us in there and took T.O. and 11 year old to the doctor's office. I stayed asleep until they returned after 10pm. Ends up that BOTH of them had strep. Yippee! We've got amoxicillin running out our rears.
SO....short evening told long....I could not stalk any of you on FB, I didn't get to read any blogs....but I will. My fingertips are raw and we have no appointments tonight. I will, however, have to share your time with laundry and dishes. Hubs claimed he had no underwear for this morning. I handed him the least dirty pair and said I'll get to it tonight. He loves me.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Finger Tapping
That's what I am doing. My eyes are getting droopy while I wait for a report to complete, and the workday is taking forever to come to an end. And you know what's worse? None of you have blogged anything that I haven't already read. Where are you? What are you doing? Why aren't you helping me?
Head's up - I have about 5 posts before I hit 200. It seems like just yesterday....I hit 100. But, the head's up is because I want to give something away. I have no idea what and it might end up being something I buy at the grocery store....but I will mail somebody something! Twix, anyone? Will that hold up in a padded envelope? Do those mail trucks get hot? Hmmm. I don't know. But like I said...I'll be giving away something. So stay tuned. It'll happen sometime this week, I'm sure.
Does anyone have a simple dinner recipe they feel like sharing? Please do so within the hour, if so! It's 3:35 Central time/4:35 Eastern/1:35 Pacific-Cali time right now. I am going to the grocery store when I leave work so I'd love to hear your suggestions. I got NOTHIN' for tonight.
Head's up - I have about 5 posts before I hit 200. It seems like just yesterday....I hit 100. But, the head's up is because I want to give something away. I have no idea what and it might end up being something I buy at the grocery store....but I will mail somebody something! Twix, anyone? Will that hold up in a padded envelope? Do those mail trucks get hot? Hmmm. I don't know. But like I said...I'll be giving away something. So stay tuned. It'll happen sometime this week, I'm sure.
Does anyone have a simple dinner recipe they feel like sharing? Please do so within the hour, if so! It's 3:35 Central time/4:35 Eastern/1:35 Pacific-Cali time right now. I am going to the grocery store when I leave work so I'd love to hear your suggestions. I got NOTHIN' for tonight.
Monday Mumbles
Here are the ten random things I'm thinking about today. And yes, I am ONLY thinking of ten.
1. Seven Pounds. Hubs and I watched this Will Smith movie last night. I liked it. I am not a movie critic or buff, I tend to enjoy almost all the movies that I watch. I take them for what they are. This movie was touching, and thoughtful. And disturbing. But somehow I related. I might need to talk this out with someone.
2. T.O. asked me this morning, in the car, how we were going faster than the truck next to us. Because obviously cars should NOT go faster than trucks, right? So I explained that although the truck might be able to go the FASTEST of the two cars, at that time they weren't going their fastest and Mama was just pushing her pedal harder than the truck driver. I then went on to point to the speedometer and explain that the orange stick was pointing to only part of the semi-circle and the car could go as fast as the right side of the semi-circle. My speedometer only shows the numbers 20, 40, 60, 80, etc. He then says, "The big line between the 40 and the 60, not the little lines, the big line, means 50." He can't count in fives or tens....how did he deduce that the line would represent 50? Smart little bugger.
3. I'll tell you who I DON'T think is smart. People with vehicle adornments like the following:
"GOOBER" sticker across the entire front windshield of a pick-up truck
"Suckin' Gas......Haulin' Ass" across the entire back windshield of a pick-up truck
(picture of a restroom sign man without his noggin) "Wanted: Head"
Pick-up trucks with bulls' balls dangling from the rear end
**There was a theme with pick-up trucks and you may go ahead and deduce how I feel about them.**
4. For show-and-tell last Friday, T.O. took Wee One's new book he received for his birthday. T.O.'s been reading it, and he decided to read a few pages to his class for S-A-T. He said his teacher told him "good job!" but he said his classmates just stared at him with their heads cocked sideways. Apparently non-reading 4 year olds don't see the beauty in knowing how to read yet.
5. I keep saying I won't cut T.O.'s hair anymore (in case it goes terribly wrong), but it's so curly that you really can't tell I'm doing it with home scissors. And you can't tell if/where the length is screwed up. It's really the ideal hair to cut for cheap mamas like myself. And I think his cut is cute. I'll try and remember to snap a pic for you tonight.
6. Five more working days and then....I'm headed on my vacation. I. AM. EXCITED. I might miss Wee One, and I might miss Hubs and 11 year old...but you can be sure T.O. and I will be having a blast.
7. Hubs just called on his work break. We're chatting. He said he was excited to go to work today because he knows that some people aren't. THAT'S the attitude we want to hear! (sorry - old cheerleader sneaking back into me for a minute. I'm done.)
8. None of us at the house have been able to completely shake this sickness we have. I'm not even sure what it is except a viral infection, most likely. Well, that's per Hubs' doctor because he's the only adultwimpy smart enough to go to the doctor and get it checked. Now, I have a cough that is TRYING to get stuff loose down in my chest, but it's not working. So I'm trying the old fashioned way: guzzling water and tonight I will go sprint around the block and see if I can't get it loose by breathing really hard and squeezing my lungs.
9. I just realized how long this Mumbles is today. I apologize.
10. I am admittedly starting to enjoy FB. I like the chat aspect. I also like that I am friends with my grandmother's brother's wife. How cool is that? And now I have five or so cousins on there, and since we don't see each other terribly often, I can keep up or send them a quick message there if I like. So far, the FB experiment hasn't gone all bad.....but stay tuned.
1. Seven Pounds. Hubs and I watched this Will Smith movie last night. I liked it. I am not a movie critic or buff, I tend to enjoy almost all the movies that I watch. I take them for what they are. This movie was touching, and thoughtful. And disturbing. But somehow I related. I might need to talk this out with someone.
2. T.O. asked me this morning, in the car, how we were going faster than the truck next to us. Because obviously cars should NOT go faster than trucks, right? So I explained that although the truck might be able to go the FASTEST of the two cars, at that time they weren't going their fastest and Mama was just pushing her pedal harder than the truck driver. I then went on to point to the speedometer and explain that the orange stick was pointing to only part of the semi-circle and the car could go as fast as the right side of the semi-circle. My speedometer only shows the numbers 20, 40, 60, 80, etc. He then says, "The big line between the 40 and the 60, not the little lines, the big line, means 50." He can't count in fives or tens....how did he deduce that the line would represent 50? Smart little bugger.
3. I'll tell you who I DON'T think is smart. People with vehicle adornments like the following:
"GOOBER" sticker across the entire front windshield of a pick-up truck
"Suckin' Gas......Haulin' Ass" across the entire back windshield of a pick-up truck
(picture of a restroom sign man without his noggin) "Wanted: Head"
Pick-up trucks with bulls' balls dangling from the rear end
**There was a theme with pick-up trucks and you may go ahead and deduce how I feel about them.**
4. For show-and-tell last Friday, T.O. took Wee One's new book he received for his birthday. T.O.'s been reading it, and he decided to read a few pages to his class for S-A-T. He said his teacher told him "good job!" but he said his classmates just stared at him with their heads cocked sideways. Apparently non-reading 4 year olds don't see the beauty in knowing how to read yet.
5. I keep saying I won't cut T.O.'s hair anymore (in case it goes terribly wrong), but it's so curly that you really can't tell I'm doing it with home scissors. And you can't tell if/where the length is screwed up. It's really the ideal hair to cut for cheap mamas like myself. And I think his cut is cute. I'll try and remember to snap a pic for you tonight.
6. Five more working days and then....I'm headed on my vacation. I. AM. EXCITED. I might miss Wee One, and I might miss Hubs and 11 year old...but you can be sure T.O. and I will be having a blast.
7. Hubs just called on his work break. We're chatting. He said he was excited to go to work today because he knows that some people aren't. THAT'S the attitude we want to hear! (sorry - old cheerleader sneaking back into me for a minute. I'm done.)
8. None of us at the house have been able to completely shake this sickness we have. I'm not even sure what it is except a viral infection, most likely. Well, that's per Hubs' doctor because he's the only adult
9. I just realized how long this Mumbles is today. I apologize.
10. I am admittedly starting to enjoy FB. I like the chat aspect. I also like that I am friends with my grandmother's brother's wife. How cool is that? And now I have five or so cousins on there, and since we don't see each other terribly often, I can keep up or send them a quick message there if I like. So far, the FB experiment hasn't gone all bad.....but stay tuned.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Weekend Report
Good evening. Today has been a dreary, cloudy downer of a day but as the nineteenth hour approaches and I prepare the children for bed, the sun finally decides to make an appearance. Thankfully, we are supposed to get frequent visits from Mr. Sun this week, so I'm not too upset.
We had a bunch of nothing to report for this weekend. We stayed home Saturday morning and then in the middle of the afternoon, we decided to take the children to my dad's house so we could steal a few more hours alone. Since we never got a real evening away for anything in the last year or two, we're stealing a few hours here and there. The kids stayed with Grandpa and made cupcakes. Wee One apparently conked out at 6pm, which my dad sounded shocked at. His usual bedtime is 7, so it wasn't altogether a shock for me. He probably played hard the three hours before he went to sleep.
We did our usual favorite Mexican restaurant joint Border Bandido and then we stopped by to see his cousin for a bit. After that, we did our other usual which was.....(exciting news here...!!!)....driving around town and talking in the car.
We contemplated leaving the kids at his place to sleep over and we'd come back for them in the morning, but we weren't sure we wanted to drive back for them. So what did we do? We packed them up in the car, listened to Wee One, who was sleeping SO soundly at Grandpa's, cry all.the.way.home. An hour. I was steaming mad. At Wee One. And then what did we do? That's right. We woke up Sunday morning and decided we should have left the kids with Grandpa, and the rainy day made me NOT want to stay at home and clean as originally planned, and so we jumped in the car and headed to Grandpa's.
We took hot dogs and hamburger and buns with us, and we had my dad grill out for us. We're so generous, huh? But I secretly think he likes doing these things for all of us. My sisters and brother were there as well, so he was able to cook for his kids. We all played Sorry! and got into multiple arguments. Fun times.
We're back home. I need to go downstairs and switch out the laundry loads. Wee One is in bed, T.O.'s teeth are brushed. 11 year old is back from his mother's and Hubs is getting fed. He cooked for himself. I wussed and only cooked for the kids tonight. Lazy me.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Rain or shine, busy or lazy. Happy Sunday.
We had a bunch of nothing to report for this weekend. We stayed home Saturday morning and then in the middle of the afternoon, we decided to take the children to my dad's house so we could steal a few more hours alone. Since we never got a real evening away for anything in the last year or two, we're stealing a few hours here and there. The kids stayed with Grandpa and made cupcakes. Wee One apparently conked out at 6pm, which my dad sounded shocked at. His usual bedtime is 7, so it wasn't altogether a shock for me. He probably played hard the three hours before he went to sleep.
We did our usual favorite Mexican restaurant joint Border Bandido and then we stopped by to see his cousin for a bit. After that, we did our other usual which was.....(exciting news here...!!!)....driving around town and talking in the car.
We contemplated leaving the kids at his place to sleep over and we'd come back for them in the morning, but we weren't sure we wanted to drive back for them. So what did we do? We packed them up in the car, listened to Wee One, who was sleeping SO soundly at Grandpa's, cry all.the.way.home. An hour. I was steaming mad. At Wee One. And then what did we do? That's right. We woke up Sunday morning and decided we should have left the kids with Grandpa, and the rainy day made me NOT want to stay at home and clean as originally planned, and so we jumped in the car and headed to Grandpa's.
We took hot dogs and hamburger and buns with us, and we had my dad grill out for us. We're so generous, huh? But I secretly think he likes doing these things for all of us. My sisters and brother were there as well, so he was able to cook for his kids. We all played Sorry! and got into multiple arguments. Fun times.
We're back home. I need to go downstairs and switch out the laundry loads. Wee One is in bed, T.O.'s teeth are brushed. 11 year old is back from his mother's and Hubs is getting fed. He cooked for himself. I wussed and only cooked for the kids tonight. Lazy me.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Rain or shine, busy or lazy. Happy Sunday.
Friday, April 17, 2009
New Purchase
I bought a new swim suit!! And I even tried it on for you. I am excited for two reasons. First, the little skirt on the bottom is flattering since I haven't started running again yet. Second, the top isn't a bikini or a midriff, it's a longer tank. You can see that in the picture where I'm trying it on. Oh, and I guess there is a third reason - it's sporty mom style. No longer are the days of my favorite red bikini. But that's okay...if I had that on, my kids would accidentally grab it and expose me anyhow. This is tight fitting and MUCH better for wrestling with little grabby hands.
Here's my Boy
Just wanted to share a link to show some of the Easter fun that T.O. was able to have while I was in the next town over preparing for Wee One's birthday. One of these years, I'll get to go to the hunt with him. In the meantime, it's something he and Grandpa can enjoy.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The ABCs of a Career
"A" Jobs
("A" meaning pull your head out of your A$$, you'll never get THIS job)
1. Get 'wifed' by Heath Ledger.
2. Get 'wifed' by Barack Obama.
3. Get 'wifed' by Mike Tomlin.
**Reality Check / Optimism Levels: Since one of these men is deceased, another became the flipping president, and the third lives in Pittsburgh (seriously, who wants to move to Pittsburgh, no matter how cute he might be?), these are A-lister jobs. Optimism level = yeah. right.
"B" Jobs
("B" meaning dream on, B!tch, you'll more than likely never get THIS job)
1. Win the lottery.
2. Be a stay at home mama/wife.
3. Get hit by a bus, sue the city, essentially combining one AND two.
**Reality Check / Optimism Levels: I should really buy a ticket more than twice a year to get job number one. If I wanted job number two, I should push harder for Hubs to get another job or six. And three is actually pretty darn likely considering I have to walk in the street to get to my work building each day. Pray for me, will you? Bus 74, I'm waiting for you!!! Optimism level = extremely doubtful.
"C" Jobs
("C" meaning I'd have to take classes to get these jobs secured legally)
1. Psychologist
2. Teacher
3. Masseuse
**Reality Check / Optimism Levels: I've seriously been pondering the first. Several times, I have successfully talked friends off ledges (okay, not really, but some have said I give decent advice). And I like to think I listen with an open mind, and I tend to see and understand where both sides of a discussion or argument are coming from, which I deem essential in a good listener. What good are they if they just constantly agree with you? You can't be right all of the time, can you? No. Unless you're the psychologist. Which really fits my personality best. As for the teacher, I actually started a program to get certified and my masters all in one, but it fizzled when the economy and Wee One struck our lives. And frankly, the stories I am hearing about the corporate crap in schools these days has me worried, since that's what I'm trying to run from. Finally, a massage therapist lends itself to a possible small business prospect. Just an idea....if I can get past the pimples on fat guys' backs. And the hair. Ewww, the back hair. I'd have to really consider this job's unperks. Optimism Level = better than A or B.
All of this just jumps around my head during the day, especially as the economy remains slow and our work volumes remain low. I worry. But sometimes I wonder...do I worry that I'll get laid off, or do I worry that I'll have to stay there? Hmmmm.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Japan: Short Stories
Hubs and I started dating back in 2002. In 2003, my mother decided to take a trip to Tokyo to visit my older brother and my sister-in-law. He was discharged (honorably) from the Navy after serving his time, but had fallen in love with Japan (and my Sister-in-law) while over there, so he was living as a civilian. He found a job teaching English at a pre-school, which is really an entirely different story, my brother working with children. Took me for a loop back then, and I still shake my head in confusion. But anyhow....back to my story. We went to Japan for two weeks, and I thought I'd share a few blurbs about the trip with you.
1. My mother was either really fatigued from the travelling, or really bored. We chronicled her sleep habits throughout the two weeks. Flipping through my album/scrapbook, we have photos of her sleeping (with her mouth open) on the flight there, on my brother's living area floor (while we were all talking, she fell asleep nearly mid-sentence), on the express train to the mountains, on the bus ride down the mountain as we were leaving, on the express train BACK to Tokyo, on the couch when the earthquake hit, lying in the grass in the Imperial Palace Garden, on the plane headed home.
2. Speaking of earthquake, we really did get to experience one. I was lounged on the floor reading, and at first I thought I was getting tired and my eyes were blurring, but then I realized the entire apartment was quivering. I know most don't think it's "neat" to experience natural disasters, but it really was.
3. My brother did a very decent job translating for us while we were there. He wasn't fluent, by any means, but he got us where we needed to be. However, there was this ONE time....he thought he translated that we'd be ordering pasta, as in spaghetti. Instead, we are served this flat little cheese pizza thing. It's safe to say it wasn't my favorite, and I survived on sticky rice for much of the trip. (no, I don't do fish or sushi, so please don't ask)
4. Rice paddies were one of my favorite things to see when we were there. I know that sounds silly, but it was. It was PART of their culture, not a touristy twist on it. We saw them when we took the express train out of Tokyo to the mountains.
5. At Nikko, we visited the "hot bath", a sulfur "hot tub". A naked place to be. With my mother and my sister-in-law. And my boyfriend had to be with my brother, a man he'd just met. Talk about fun! But the baths were so relaxing, I ended up going to our room and taking a nap. For the entire night.
6. Admittedly, my mother, Hubs, and I had a difficult time eating in Japan, but being at the mountain resort with limited options posed the most difficult of them all. We landed at a place called Asian Garden that served fried potato wedges and fried chicken pieces. We ate there a couple of times each day.
7. Up on the mountain, we were able to witness a "monkey lock down". Well apparently the monkeys in the mountain like to come visit the village we were staying in, and all of the tourist vendors have little pellet guns for such a visit. They even have a designated monkey chasing car. I guess the monkeys like to raid the stores. I found this amusing, the store vendors did not.
8. We visited shrines, a famous suicidal waterfall Kegon Falls, and tourist shopping districts. Rode a giant ferris wheel, went to an arcade, got lost on the subway and had a Nigerian man help us get turned back the right direction. Visited the nightlife district, ate at KFC, McDonalds, Starbucks, and BubbaGump, went to a theater and caught an American movie in English. Ate at the Hard Rock.
1. My mother was either really fatigued from the travelling, or really bored. We chronicled her sleep habits throughout the two weeks. Flipping through my album/scrapbook, we have photos of her sleeping (with her mouth open) on the flight there, on my brother's living area floor (while we were all talking, she fell asleep nearly mid-sentence), on the express train to the mountains, on the bus ride down the mountain as we were leaving, on the express train BACK to Tokyo, on the couch when the earthquake hit, lying in the grass in the Imperial Palace Garden, on the plane headed home.
2. Speaking of earthquake, we really did get to experience one. I was lounged on the floor reading, and at first I thought I was getting tired and my eyes were blurring, but then I realized the entire apartment was quivering. I know most don't think it's "neat" to experience natural disasters, but it really was.
3. My brother did a very decent job translating for us while we were there. He wasn't fluent, by any means, but he got us where we needed to be. However, there was this ONE time....he thought he translated that we'd be ordering pasta, as in spaghetti. Instead, we are served this flat little cheese pizza thing. It's safe to say it wasn't my favorite, and I survived on sticky rice for much of the trip. (no, I don't do fish or sushi, so please don't ask)
4. Rice paddies were one of my favorite things to see when we were there. I know that sounds silly, but it was. It was PART of their culture, not a touristy twist on it. We saw them when we took the express train out of Tokyo to the mountains.
5. At Nikko, we visited the "hot bath", a sulfur "hot tub". A naked place to be. With my mother and my sister-in-law. And my boyfriend had to be with my brother, a man he'd just met. Talk about fun! But the baths were so relaxing, I ended up going to our room and taking a nap. For the entire night.
6. Admittedly, my mother, Hubs, and I had a difficult time eating in Japan, but being at the mountain resort with limited options posed the most difficult of them all. We landed at a place called Asian Garden that served fried potato wedges and fried chicken pieces. We ate there a couple of times each day.
7. Up on the mountain, we were able to witness a "monkey lock down". Well apparently the monkeys in the mountain like to come visit the village we were staying in, and all of the tourist vendors have little pellet guns for such a visit. They even have a designated monkey chasing car. I guess the monkeys like to raid the stores. I found this amusing, the store vendors did not.
8. We visited shrines, a famous suicidal waterfall Kegon Falls, and tourist shopping districts. Rode a giant ferris wheel, went to an arcade, got lost on the subway and had a Nigerian man help us get turned back the right direction. Visited the nightlife district, ate at KFC, McDonalds, Starbucks, and BubbaGump, went to a theater and caught an American movie in English. Ate at the Hard Rock.
Stay At Home
This morning, I get to pretend that I am a stay at home mama. Well, at least for an extra hour or so.
Wee One decided to produce a double ear infection between his "sick" visit last Wednesday and his "wellness" visit on Tuesday. We also decided to try and treat his skin for scabies (sounds so disgusting) even though the rashes and bumps could very well be chalked up to eczema and allergic reactions. Doc said that getting into a dermatologist to have them confirm it's scabies would take way too long and the treatment of it is fairly simple and without side effects, sooooo.....he gets a lotion applied from head to toe once a week for three weeks. It goes on while he sleeps and then we bathe it off in the morning. Hopefully this will HELP. His eczema will still be a bothersome, itchy little problem, but maybe this will help the rest....if not, off to a dermatologist we'll go.
So...as I was saying, I'm staying at home to observe his attitude and demeanor for a bit this a.m. If he's going to be grumpy and continue the fever and feel like crud, there's no point in subjecting him to daycare where he can't get loved on all day. I really hate using my vacation days for this, but oh well. I'd rather take a vacation day to hang with him while he's 100% and fun.
Do you want to see what he looked like when he woke up? :) It's really, really cute. All of you thinking you want babies...take a look at this monster. You might have to click on it to enlarge and see all the beautiful grossness of Wee One.
Wee One decided to produce a double ear infection between his "sick" visit last Wednesday and his "wellness" visit on Tuesday. We also decided to try and treat his skin for scabies (sounds so disgusting) even though the rashes and bumps could very well be chalked up to eczema and allergic reactions. Doc said that getting into a dermatologist to have them confirm it's scabies would take way too long and the treatment of it is fairly simple and without side effects, sooooo.....he gets a lotion applied from head to toe once a week for three weeks. It goes on while he sleeps and then we bathe it off in the morning. Hopefully this will HELP. His eczema will still be a bothersome, itchy little problem, but maybe this will help the rest....if not, off to a dermatologist we'll go.
So...as I was saying, I'm staying at home to observe his attitude and demeanor for a bit this a.m. If he's going to be grumpy and continue the fever and feel like crud, there's no point in subjecting him to daycare where he can't get loved on all day. I really hate using my vacation days for this, but oh well. I'd rather take a vacation day to hang with him while he's 100% and fun.
Do you want to see what he looked like when he woke up? :) It's really, really cute. All of you thinking you want babies...take a look at this monster. You might have to click on it to enlarge and see all the beautiful grossness of Wee One.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
When and When Not
I am typically a low-key work person. I wasn't, before I had T.O. I tended to get riled up, get excited in a good way if I really enjoyed or felt successful in my work, excited in a bad way if things were too stressful. But one thing remained - I always wanted to do the best I could do at my job, and learn as much about it so that I could have it perfected. I don't like leaving any of my work for others, and I tend to over-prepare for my vacations.
But now, I tend to be low-key. I don't get excitable often. I try to be peace-maker, mediator, rational voice in a hectic atmosphere. In an office full of women, this can be a very TRYING way to be. Somedays, like yesterday, I don't succeed.
But I try. I want to not be bothered by work, by attitudes, by tones of voices. I want to do my job, get along, enjoy the hours I spend here, and go home. But when people believe they can speak to me in certain manners, I draw the line. I had to draw the line yesterday. The only problem is I don't think she completely understands that I will not tolerate a tone of voice like that. Ever again.
She's older, she tends to speak off the top of her head, and many times I've seen others just brush it aside. And I have a couple of times, but only a couple. I knew that if she did it on a day where it wasn't a good idea, I'd have a problem. And I did. I spoke very pointedly, and probably harshly, and told her that she doesn't need to speak to me like that, and she won't speak to me that way. I simply asked a question to gain a better understanding, and if she doesn't want to explain it, then be done and hang up. We don't need to speak.
The rest of the day she spoke pleasantly to me. The only problem is I couldn't bring myself to speak to her at all. I didn't ignore her. The seating arrangement works itself nicely in my favor where I can not be bothered by nearly all of the women I work with, if I so choose.
But tell me, when do you think is the right time to bite your tongue, and when do you think is the time NOT to? I'm speaking generally about how others speak to you, not any other drama. Simply tone of voice. Are you able to block it and move on? Do you get offended? Do you not care? I wouldn't say I was offended. I think that term is used too loosely. It didn't offend me where I felt degraded or hurt for my children or that I was being abused in some way. I think being angry and being offended are different reactions. Tell me...what do you do?
But now, I tend to be low-key. I don't get excitable often. I try to be peace-maker, mediator, rational voice in a hectic atmosphere. In an office full of women, this can be a very TRYING way to be. Somedays, like yesterday, I don't succeed.
But I try. I want to not be bothered by work, by attitudes, by tones of voices. I want to do my job, get along, enjoy the hours I spend here, and go home. But when people believe they can speak to me in certain manners, I draw the line. I had to draw the line yesterday. The only problem is I don't think she completely understands that I will not tolerate a tone of voice like that. Ever again.
She's older, she tends to speak off the top of her head, and many times I've seen others just brush it aside. And I have a couple of times, but only a couple. I knew that if she did it on a day where it wasn't a good idea, I'd have a problem. And I did. I spoke very pointedly, and probably harshly, and told her that she doesn't need to speak to me like that, and she won't speak to me that way. I simply asked a question to gain a better understanding, and if she doesn't want to explain it, then be done and hang up. We don't need to speak.
The rest of the day she spoke pleasantly to me. The only problem is I couldn't bring myself to speak to her at all. I didn't ignore her. The seating arrangement works itself nicely in my favor where I can not be bothered by nearly all of the women I work with, if I so choose.
But tell me, when do you think is the right time to bite your tongue, and when do you think is the time NOT to? I'm speaking generally about how others speak to you, not any other drama. Simply tone of voice. Are you able to block it and move on? Do you get offended? Do you not care? I wouldn't say I was offended. I think that term is used too loosely. It didn't offend me where I felt degraded or hurt for my children or that I was being abused in some way. I think being angry and being offended are different reactions. Tell me...what do you do?
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday Mumbles
Ten random thoughts, in no particular order. Happy Monday.
1. This weekend, I found myself over at my grandparents' house. My mom was there as well, and she was cleaning up, loading the dishwasher. She inquired to the room in general, "Who put the paper plates in here?" Yup, that'd be my grandpa. Bless his Great Depression, save everything heart, he simply said, "Well, I wasn't SURE...."
2. After the laughter died down from the paper plates, my aunt proceeded to tell us how he also was doing as he was instructed, watering the flowers, and also included the artificial ones. Now some of you might be saying - well, that's a man for you - but here's the thing that confused me. He's got a bit of a green thumb, growing flowers in his garden, so I'm not sure how the artificial ones tripped him up?
3. My little brother used to sing. A lot. When he was young. Needless to say, it drove me batty, especially in the car having to listen to Jingle Bells in July. I must be under punishment for this dislike because now I have a husband AND a 4 year old who go around singing. All.Day.Long.
4. Speaking of my little brother, we met his girlfriend this weekend at Wee One's party. She seems lovely, polite, friendly, and I think she fit in well. I think (hope) she had a good time as well. I tried very hard not to be "big sister" who grills her.
5. T.O. did an egg hunt at my Granny's house yesterday and in some of the eggs was a nickel. He was told that he could redeem each nickel for a Scooby fruit snack. This morning he found a nickel around the house and said to me, "You know what THIS meeeeaaaaannnnsss....." I was honestly thinking he would say he could put it in his piggy bank since the egg hunt was done. Nope. He said "I get to turn it in for fruit snacks!"
6. Don't you just hate it when people pass you to go....NOWHERE? Seriously. Your exit is next, so you're passing me because you can't wait the literally extra TWO seconds it'd take if you were behind me? Yeah, I stared you down, stupid lady, especially since your passing me made me tap my brakes when I was cruising along nicely.
7. A gentleman here at work asked if I got a haircut. I said yes. Two weeks ago. I do sincerely love the general sameness of men, everywhere. It's predictable and dependable.
8. Wee One got some really, really great stuff for his birthday. A few of the shirts he got?
"I'm the little brother."
"I've got your pot of gold right here."
"Daddy's little rock star."
"I am crabby."
9. I typically sit near the Catholic lady at work and another girl (whose desk I'll be doing when she goes on maternity leave) has been sitting at my desk for the past week. The Catholic lady has the day off, and the other girl called in because her son is sick. I'm here on this side of the wall by myself today. Twiddle dee.
10. I did NO blog reading over the busy weekend. I plan on doing lots of catching up tonight. If I haven't been by for a few days, I will!!!! Today. Promise. Well, tonight. I don't know if I'll be able to get there during the daytime hours...work and all, you know. Happy Monday!
1. This weekend, I found myself over at my grandparents' house. My mom was there as well, and she was cleaning up, loading the dishwasher. She inquired to the room in general, "Who put the paper plates in here?" Yup, that'd be my grandpa. Bless his Great Depression, save everything heart, he simply said, "Well, I wasn't SURE...."
2. After the laughter died down from the paper plates, my aunt proceeded to tell us how he also was doing as he was instructed, watering the flowers, and also included the artificial ones. Now some of you might be saying - well, that's a man for you - but here's the thing that confused me. He's got a bit of a green thumb, growing flowers in his garden, so I'm not sure how the artificial ones tripped him up?
3. My little brother used to sing. A lot. When he was young. Needless to say, it drove me batty, especially in the car having to listen to Jingle Bells in July. I must be under punishment for this dislike because now I have a husband AND a 4 year old who go around singing. All.Day.Long.
4. Speaking of my little brother, we met his girlfriend this weekend at Wee One's party. She seems lovely, polite, friendly, and I think she fit in well. I think (hope) she had a good time as well. I tried very hard not to be "big sister" who grills her.
5. T.O. did an egg hunt at my Granny's house yesterday and in some of the eggs was a nickel. He was told that he could redeem each nickel for a Scooby fruit snack. This morning he found a nickel around the house and said to me, "You know what THIS meeeeaaaaannnnsss....." I was honestly thinking he would say he could put it in his piggy bank since the egg hunt was done. Nope. He said "I get to turn it in for fruit snacks!"
6. Don't you just hate it when people pass you to go....NOWHERE? Seriously. Your exit is next, so you're passing me because you can't wait the literally extra TWO seconds it'd take if you were behind me? Yeah, I stared you down, stupid lady, especially since your passing me made me tap my brakes when I was cruising along nicely.
7. A gentleman here at work asked if I got a haircut. I said yes. Two weeks ago. I do sincerely love the general sameness of men, everywhere. It's predictable and dependable.
8. Wee One got some really, really great stuff for his birthday. A few of the shirts he got?
"I'm the little brother."
"I've got your pot of gold right here."
"Daddy's little rock star."
"I am crabby."
9. I typically sit near the Catholic lady at work and another girl (whose desk I'll be doing when she goes on maternity leave) has been sitting at my desk for the past week. The Catholic lady has the day off, and the other girl called in because her son is sick. I'm here on this side of the wall by myself today. Twiddle dee.
10. I did NO blog reading over the busy weekend. I plan on doing lots of catching up tonight. If I haven't been by for a few days, I will!!!! Today. Promise. Well, tonight. I don't know if I'll be able to get there during the daytime hours...work and all, you know. Happy Monday!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Birthday Party Wrap-Up
And this is why we did a bowling party. Wee One does not like to be bothered with people he doesn't see very often, and he is prone to crying. This picture was taken at the beginning of the party, and I think he was hungry. But first.... 
....he had to pick out a bowling ball. For his grandpa, of course.
And then grandma got to feed him. I am happy to report that he ate some, and then did the "stick out the tongue and allow the food to fall out of his mouth" trick for her as well. Isn't he FUN, grandma?
I decided on a traditional kid cake with Sesame Street. I wanted the bakery to put a bowling ball on the cake and then place his picture on top of it. They no longer do custom orders like that, however. 
Here is his own special cake. Know what he did with it when it came time to sing and eat? Stuck out his tongue and let the cake and icing fall out of his mouth. Guess who took the cake to her grandmother's house and ate it? Yup. Me. And I loved it.
T.O. was able to show off his bowling skills. He bowled with three of his cousins and his friend (son of my friend) who attended. They apparently had a great time. I had some lovely cousins who helped keep things rolling smoothly on lane number 9.
Inside the party room, a dance dance revolution video game kept some of the kids occupied. Wee One thought he ruled the game.
Until his "older" cousin came by!! "Buddy" is 8 weeks older than Wee One. They shared the game nicely, taking turns crawling up and down and through the bars. Stories about Buddy and his family are chronicled here by my lovely cousin, "Mommy". You might have seen her commenting around these parts.
Happy Birthday sweet boy.The End.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Remembering....
.....a year ago, today. I was fat. I was sitting at work, knowing that I wouldn't be back the next day. Do you know that wonderful feeling? We've all had it, right? That day before you know you're going to call in sick before a vacation. Or the day before you pop a kid out of your woo-ha.
Yes. That day is wonderful. It's the night at home that freaks you out. The panic that sets in, the "did I" questions that swirl around.
Wee One will be one year old tomorrow. He and I have already lived a lifetime together, it seems....ups and downs. I really did NOT like him much when he was 0-9 months. I loved him, but like....eh. The last three months have shown me that it wasn't him, so much. Well, it sort of was. He has THE most demanding attitude I've ever seen on a baby. Granted, he makes me appear a fool when people see him in person, but please. Just trust me on this one.
So I didn't like him, but in fairness, he didn't like me. It's okay. Like I said, we already lived a lifetime between our little spats. But he's too cute to give away now. I did try, half-heartedly, to pawn him off a few times. I always inquired to those who I knew would say no, though. I secretly knew he and I would click at some point.
We're getting there, we're closer. He high fives me while he's curled up on Hubs' shoulder. It's alright. I will learn to live with it if he's a daddy's boy. But for today and tomorrow, the memories (and him) are all mine.
Yes. That day is wonderful. It's the night at home that freaks you out. The panic that sets in, the "did I" questions that swirl around.
Wee One will be one year old tomorrow. He and I have already lived a lifetime together, it seems....ups and downs. I really did NOT like him much when he was 0-9 months. I loved him, but like....eh. The last three months have shown me that it wasn't him, so much. Well, it sort of was. He has THE most demanding attitude I've ever seen on a baby. Granted, he makes me appear a fool when people see him in person, but please. Just trust me on this one.
So I didn't like him, but in fairness, he didn't like me. It's okay. Like I said, we already lived a lifetime between our little spats. But he's too cute to give away now. I did try, half-heartedly, to pawn him off a few times. I always inquired to those who I knew would say no, though. I secretly knew he and I would click at some point.
We're getting there, we're closer. He high fives me while he's curled up on Hubs' shoulder. It's alright. I will learn to live with it if he's a daddy's boy. But for today and tomorrow, the memories (and him) are all mine.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Changes Have Arrived
Let's see. Changes. There have been some. One thing that hasn't changed is the fact that we haven't hit 70 degrees for two consecutive days. That's all I will do in the way of complaining about the weather. Promise. Here are some changes in the Tooj-run household.
1. Soy milk. We are going to limit/remove dairy from Wee One's diet to settle my mind that it IS or ISN'T a milk issue with his skin (and attitude) problems. A lady at work mentioned her daughter kept getting yeast infections in the creases of her skin and when they removed lactose formula and went to soy, she cleared right up. She is now three years old and drinks it fine...SO. I am at the last straw, and I want to try SOMEthing because all "sick" visits produce nothing. No illness to treat, no fix-it remedies. He did receive some yeast infection cream yesterday, so we'll use that for his little armpit that is now gross beyond image confirmation. I will NOT do that to you.
2. T.O. will get to participate in "show and tell" tomorrow at school. He's been there two months (to the day, actually) and I never knew they had it. He told me that he could bring "things" to school, but I just finally asked if they actually HAVE S&T. They do. It might help if I read all of the paperwork that comes home with him....although I really don't think that it was on there. He wants to take his McDonald's toy to show, and I am battling this. It would just confirm that I feed my kids CRAP. Hmm. I'll update you on the outcome of S&T.
3. We had a few "bouts" with 11 year old and his lack of homework discipline. It took some emails from the teachers for the full picture to surface, and he was NOT on the receiving end of our good moods. BUT...changes...I think he's back on track. I don't know (for certain) what derailed him except maybe me bragging that he was doing well. I need to just keep my mouth shut.
4. Peanut butter. T.O. has a peanut allergy so we keep no PB in the house. This makes me sad. I love PB. BUT....I was also refraining from eating any PB products (which included candy bars, etc) while I was pregnant and then nursing Wee One. Well, blogfriends, that period of my life is over and I have a PB&J stuffed in my mouth as I type. :) Don't worry, I keep it in my drawer here at work and make sandwiches each day. Heaven. PB is Heaven. I feel so sorry for T.O. But at least he doesn't even know what he's missing. That makes it easier than having to give up something you knew you already liked.
5. The illness that I had for that entire week last week has moved to Hubs. Except he became dramatic about how much discomfort he has been experiencing. Even went to the doctor, claimed he couldn't focus his eyes and things were blurry. Maybe because I wear glasses/contacts and always feel a bit fuzzy, I didn't notice such a dramatic change. I do think, however, that he thought he was dying. I'm not gonna lie...I was curious yesterday if he had a life insurance plan that would benefit ME and not the children.
Happy Thursday, all.
1. Soy milk. We are going to limit/remove dairy from Wee One's diet to settle my mind that it IS or ISN'T a milk issue with his skin (and attitude) problems. A lady at work mentioned her daughter kept getting yeast infections in the creases of her skin and when they removed lactose formula and went to soy, she cleared right up. She is now three years old and drinks it fine...SO. I am at the last straw, and I want to try SOMEthing because all "sick" visits produce nothing. No illness to treat, no fix-it remedies. He did receive some yeast infection cream yesterday, so we'll use that for his little armpit that is now gross beyond image confirmation. I will NOT do that to you.
2. T.O. will get to participate in "show and tell" tomorrow at school. He's been there two months (to the day, actually) and I never knew they had it. He told me that he could bring "things" to school, but I just finally asked if they actually HAVE S&T. They do. It might help if I read all of the paperwork that comes home with him....although I really don't think that it was on there. He wants to take his McDonald's toy to show, and I am battling this. It would just confirm that I feed my kids CRAP. Hmm. I'll update you on the outcome of S&T.
3. We had a few "bouts" with 11 year old and his lack of homework discipline. It took some emails from the teachers for the full picture to surface, and he was NOT on the receiving end of our good moods. BUT...changes...I think he's back on track. I don't know (for certain) what derailed him except maybe me bragging that he was doing well. I need to just keep my mouth shut.
4. Peanut butter. T.O. has a peanut allergy so we keep no PB in the house. This makes me sad. I love PB. BUT....I was also refraining from eating any PB products (which included candy bars, etc) while I was pregnant and then nursing Wee One. Well, blogfriends, that period of my life is over and I have a PB&J stuffed in my mouth as I type. :) Don't worry, I keep it in my drawer here at work and make sandwiches each day. Heaven. PB is Heaven. I feel so sorry for T.O. But at least he doesn't even know what he's missing. That makes it easier than having to give up something you knew you already liked.
5. The illness that I had for that entire week last week has moved to Hubs. Except he became dramatic about how much discomfort he has been experiencing. Even went to the doctor, claimed he couldn't focus his eyes and things were blurry. Maybe because I wear glasses/contacts and always feel a bit fuzzy, I didn't notice such a dramatic change. I do think, however, that he thought he was dying. I'm not gonna lie...I was curious yesterday if he had a life insurance plan that would benefit ME and not the children.
Happy Thursday, all.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Make Believe Parenting
On the way into work this morning, I was listening to a radio station that always highlights a minute or two of a comedian's stand-up act. Usually the comedians are NOT the ones you always hear about, they're lesser known, but I generally find myself laughing along.
Today, I didn't laugh so much as I did the open-mouthed, dull stare....HUH? His stuff was funny, don't get me wrong, and his delivery was fine. But it was the topic. It hit me. He was talking about how he feels like he's just "playing dad" as opposed to really feeling like he's the one in charge. I've had this feeling wash over me so many times and I always ask myself...did my parents feel this way too?
He talked about saying the same phrases that his dad did, but it was more out of parental obligation to reprimand and correct a child. Inside, he felt like laughing at what his son said. Now I know there are times when the kids say funny things and we want to laugh but know we can't. I get that. But it was the "make believe" feeling he spoke of....do you ever feel like you're just "playing" grown-up? When you're at work? When you're commuting? When you're parenting?
I do.
A lot.
I always sit and ask myself - Did my parents feel like they were on a really extended baby-sitting job when they were raising us? It just seemed so...RIGHT, them being parents. But did they experience the same thoughts as I am right now? I always feel as if I'm trying to ACT as a parent, SPEAK as a parent, CONDUCT business as a professional...but shouldn't there be a difference between trying to act, be, speak like...versus BEING?
I do know that when I stop and think "I'm a parent. I'm a MOM. Somebody looks at me like I look at my mother"....I get a weird feeling. Like I am somehow not up to par for this challenge. I do not feel that I behave in a way toward my sons as my mother did, nor do I feel like my parenting skills and techniques are nearly as natural. But as I type this, I realize that the things that are holding me back, I think, are simply my thoughts. The selfish thoughts that creep into my mind..."I'd rather be doing....I'd like to go here alone....". I guess I should just ask my mom if she had thoughts like this, too. Maybe then I would begin to feel like I was just "being" a mom as opposed to just filling a role.
Kids only see their parents as PARENTS, but as a parent, we knew an entirely different person and personality before these little people came around. Maybe that's where the hang-up lies. It becomes hard to mold the two into one....and on the flip side, I often hear how difficult it is to separate one from the other. I wonder when or if that middle ground will show itself and allow me to feel like I'm doing what I was meant to be doing. Or does that middle ground not appear until hindsight is fully developed? I wonder.
Today, I didn't laugh so much as I did the open-mouthed, dull stare....HUH? His stuff was funny, don't get me wrong, and his delivery was fine. But it was the topic. It hit me. He was talking about how he feels like he's just "playing dad" as opposed to really feeling like he's the one in charge. I've had this feeling wash over me so many times and I always ask myself...did my parents feel this way too?
He talked about saying the same phrases that his dad did, but it was more out of parental obligation to reprimand and correct a child. Inside, he felt like laughing at what his son said. Now I know there are times when the kids say funny things and we want to laugh but know we can't. I get that. But it was the "make believe" feeling he spoke of....do you ever feel like you're just "playing" grown-up? When you're at work? When you're commuting? When you're parenting?
I do.
A lot.
I always sit and ask myself - Did my parents feel like they were on a really extended baby-sitting job when they were raising us? It just seemed so...RIGHT, them being parents. But did they experience the same thoughts as I am right now? I always feel as if I'm trying to ACT as a parent, SPEAK as a parent, CONDUCT business as a professional...but shouldn't there be a difference between trying to act, be, speak like...versus BEING?
I do know that when I stop and think "I'm a parent. I'm a MOM. Somebody looks at me like I look at my mother"....I get a weird feeling. Like I am somehow not up to par for this challenge. I do not feel that I behave in a way toward my sons as my mother did, nor do I feel like my parenting skills and techniques are nearly as natural. But as I type this, I realize that the things that are holding me back, I think, are simply my thoughts. The selfish thoughts that creep into my mind..."I'd rather be doing....I'd like to go here alone....". I guess I should just ask my mom if she had thoughts like this, too. Maybe then I would begin to feel like I was just "being" a mom as opposed to just filling a role.
Kids only see their parents as PARENTS, but as a parent, we knew an entirely different person and personality before these little people came around. Maybe that's where the hang-up lies. It becomes hard to mold the two into one....and on the flip side, I often hear how difficult it is to separate one from the other. I wonder when or if that middle ground will show itself and allow me to feel like I'm doing what I was meant to be doing. Or does that middle ground not appear until hindsight is fully developed? I wonder.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Frustrated Feeder: A Story
Okay, I said serious post and this is NOT it. If you are feeling serious and introspective, don't read any further.
I'm about to tell you a story of a mother. We'll call her Frustrated Feeder. She drags herself in the house between 5:30 and 6:00 in the evening after working a full day. There are four males milling around....two are generally playing together either in a bedroom or the backyard, a third is toddling or crawling around eating the carpet or spitting milk out of his mouth, and the fourth is propped in front of the television watching the news, one eye occasionally scanning for the crawler.
Frustrated Feeder glances about and slips into the kitchen, opening the fridge but knowing that its offerings will be slim. As she looks inside, the offerings are non-existent. She goes back out the door and behind the wheel of the car, and finds herself inside the grocery store with a cart. Sighing...she starts thinking of two or three quick meals and the grocery items necessary to complete them. After she gathers the necessaries for the next three days, she sighs again and scoots up into a line.
Bags half-full and loaded in the trunk of the car, Frustrated Feeder kicks herself for forgetting the "go green" cloth bags. AGAIN. Next time, she tells herself. Next time she'll remember and be a good grocery shopper and planet saver. In the meantime...she needs bathroom trash liners anyhow.
Back in the kitchen, the fourth male makes an attempt to help empty the bags and place things where they go. Because Frustrated Feeder received a phone call as she entered the house, she's stuck on the phone with her mother as male number four tries to ask her where this goes....where that goes. She waves him away and sighs once more.
With the groceries put away, she decides on the easiest, kid-friendly meal she bought - Mac and Cheese and hot dogs. Frustrated Feeder finishes the meal, serves males one and three, two serves himself, and the fourth is instructed to dish himself and help the third male get the food inside of his mouth. She takes a quick moment to make extra hot dogs that will be up for grabs, dishes herself a small amount so that she can snack before males one and three are done and need to be prepped for bed. She sneaks in a few bites and half a hot dog.
Male three gets changed, lubricated (eczema is a real itch of a problem), and a dose of milk before he's shipped off to bed. Male number one is doomed to an early bed time due to a bout of crying over an obstacle course in the backyard. It apparently wasn't up to his standards of "make it easy so I can do it well", so fit throwing commenced. Punishment was dished. After the meal was consumed, teeth were brushed, pills dispensed, off to bed went male number one.
Finally. Frustrated Feeder is ready to sit down, breathe, and finish her lukewarm hot dog. Finally.
She slips back to the kitchen only to find......male number four popping the final bite of her hot dog into his mouth. He didn't have mustard on his hot dog. How do you overlook that fact, she thought? How do you not realize you already finished your own hot dog, she thought? Your macaroni wasn't in that dish.....it was in a plain white one, she thought.
Frustrated Feeder yelled. She whined. She pouted. She won't speak to male number four right now. She just wants to cry, but is too hungry to produce tears. Instead, she watches the final 25 minutes of American Idol. And it helped her a bit...but what would be even better is if male number four would just.stop.talking. She needs space and time to feel sorry for herself.
I'm about to tell you a story of a mother. We'll call her Frustrated Feeder. She drags herself in the house between 5:30 and 6:00 in the evening after working a full day. There are four males milling around....two are generally playing together either in a bedroom or the backyard, a third is toddling or crawling around eating the carpet or spitting milk out of his mouth, and the fourth is propped in front of the television watching the news, one eye occasionally scanning for the crawler.
Frustrated Feeder glances about and slips into the kitchen, opening the fridge but knowing that its offerings will be slim. As she looks inside, the offerings are non-existent. She goes back out the door and behind the wheel of the car, and finds herself inside the grocery store with a cart. Sighing...she starts thinking of two or three quick meals and the grocery items necessary to complete them. After she gathers the necessaries for the next three days, she sighs again and scoots up into a line.
Bags half-full and loaded in the trunk of the car, Frustrated Feeder kicks herself for forgetting the "go green" cloth bags. AGAIN. Next time, she tells herself. Next time she'll remember and be a good grocery shopper and planet saver. In the meantime...she needs bathroom trash liners anyhow.
Back in the kitchen, the fourth male makes an attempt to help empty the bags and place things where they go. Because Frustrated Feeder received a phone call as she entered the house, she's stuck on the phone with her mother as male number four tries to ask her where this goes....where that goes. She waves him away and sighs once more.
With the groceries put away, she decides on the easiest, kid-friendly meal she bought - Mac and Cheese and hot dogs. Frustrated Feeder finishes the meal, serves males one and three, two serves himself, and the fourth is instructed to dish himself and help the third male get the food inside of his mouth. She takes a quick moment to make extra hot dogs that will be up for grabs, dishes herself a small amount so that she can snack before males one and three are done and need to be prepped for bed. She sneaks in a few bites and half a hot dog.
Male three gets changed, lubricated (eczema is a real itch of a problem), and a dose of milk before he's shipped off to bed. Male number one is doomed to an early bed time due to a bout of crying over an obstacle course in the backyard. It apparently wasn't up to his standards of "make it easy so I can do it well", so fit throwing commenced. Punishment was dished. After the meal was consumed, teeth were brushed, pills dispensed, off to bed went male number one.
Finally. Frustrated Feeder is ready to sit down, breathe, and finish her lukewarm hot dog. Finally.
She slips back to the kitchen only to find......male number four popping the final bite of her hot dog into his mouth. He didn't have mustard on his hot dog. How do you overlook that fact, she thought? How do you not realize you already finished your own hot dog, she thought? Your macaroni wasn't in that dish.....it was in a plain white one, she thought.
Frustrated Feeder yelled. She whined. She pouted. She won't speak to male number four right now. She just wants to cry, but is too hungry to produce tears. Instead, she watches the final 25 minutes of American Idol. And it helped her a bit...but what would be even better is if male number four would just.stop.talking. She needs space and time to feel sorry for herself.
Mean Mommy!
She touched T.O.'s head and affectionately played with his curls!! What has this world come to??? Maybe she was just a "get to know you first" person? Who knows. I'm beginning to feel as if this world is really, really wacky.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday Mumbles
Here are ten random things that I am thinking about this morning. They are in no particular order, as always, so enjoy and share your mumbling thoughts with me.
1. Daycare drop off was GREAT today. Wee One barely fussed and he's actually transitioning to the toddler room! He sat at the cute, little toddler table and played "cups" (banging them loudly) on the table with his two friends and the teacher.
2. Too bad for Wee One that his elbow creases are clearing up and now his armpit crease is rashed up. Seriously. Poor thing. It's almost getting comical, except I'm sure he's irritated.
3. DR is in trouble for using the T word. She might get her commenting privileges revoked for a day. You better watch it missy....(and have a great Monday as well).
4. I didn't think I'd be talking about toilet paper so often in my blog, but here goes another. Well, I don't know if I can blame it on the paper and the males, or if it's just..."one of those things". We have a drain in our garage and our laundry room which is located in the basement. The first year we moved into the house, when T.O. was a babe/toddler, the drains backed up. It was my fault, we'll leave it at that. 3-4 years later, they backed up a bit again. Apparently the pipes just get clogged and need to be snaked occasionally. I can live with that I guess...except we all slept with just a wee bit of bleach wafting into our nostrils. Blech. Home ownership STINKS.
5. Oh, the plumber snaker guy didn't get the privilege of snaking our pooh pipe until 10pm and he left after 11pm. Fun Sunday night!
6. I have officially reclaimed my boobs. I'm sure you're happy to know this. But it's a feat, as any breastfeeding mom knows. And even though I weaned Wee One a few weeks ago, I think I had a clogged duct or something because my left ta-ta Hurt.Like.Hell. But it's feeling good. Less perky, but good. It's sad, really, how a great thing for baby equals a not great thing for mama and daddy. Anyone ever see The Sweetest Thing? The dressing room scene with Cameron Diaz? Arm above her head? "22....28....22...28"....at least those are the ages my memory is recalling her saying.
7. I love homemade mashed potatoes. I used to buy the box stuff, but it's the one thing I'll take my time on during dinner prep. I wash, peel, cube, boil, mash. Love them.
8. T.O. blew me kisses this morning as I pumped gas. It was freezing outside, but the kisses help just a bit.
9. I realized that I don't kiss Hubs good-bye like a good wife, so today I made a point to leave the bathroom and go give him a kiss good-bye. We need to get into that habit, otherwise we'll never kiss again. At least not without a child hanging on our legs.
10. I need someone to walk me through setting up scheduled posts. Someone kindly showed me the post options at the bottom, but unfortunately I changed the date time and stamp, but it didn't publish it when it should have. All it did was put that time stamp on the post...so it appeared I posted it 20 minutes earlier than I actually did. So, help. :) Email. Whateva. Happy Monday!
1. Daycare drop off was GREAT today. Wee One barely fussed and he's actually transitioning to the toddler room! He sat at the cute, little toddler table and played "cups" (banging them loudly) on the table with his two friends and the teacher.
2. Too bad for Wee One that his elbow creases are clearing up and now his armpit crease is rashed up. Seriously. Poor thing. It's almost getting comical, except I'm sure he's irritated.
3. DR is in trouble for using the T word. She might get her commenting privileges revoked for a day. You better watch it missy....(and have a great Monday as well).
4. I didn't think I'd be talking about toilet paper so often in my blog, but here goes another. Well, I don't know if I can blame it on the paper and the males, or if it's just..."one of those things". We have a drain in our garage and our laundry room which is located in the basement. The first year we moved into the house, when T.O. was a babe/toddler, the drains backed up. It was my fault, we'll leave it at that. 3-4 years later, they backed up a bit again. Apparently the pipes just get clogged and need to be snaked occasionally. I can live with that I guess...except we all slept with just a wee bit of bleach wafting into our nostrils. Blech. Home ownership STINKS.
5. Oh, the plumber snaker guy didn't get the privilege of snaking our pooh pipe until 10pm and he left after 11pm. Fun Sunday night!
6. I have officially reclaimed my boobs. I'm sure you're happy to know this. But it's a feat, as any breastfeeding mom knows. And even though I weaned Wee One a few weeks ago, I think I had a clogged duct or something because my left ta-ta Hurt.Like.Hell. But it's feeling good. Less perky, but good. It's sad, really, how a great thing for baby equals a not great thing for mama and daddy. Anyone ever see The Sweetest Thing? The dressing room scene with Cameron Diaz? Arm above her head? "22....28....22...28"....at least those are the ages my memory is recalling her saying.
7. I love homemade mashed potatoes. I used to buy the box stuff, but it's the one thing I'll take my time on during dinner prep. I wash, peel, cube, boil, mash. Love them.
8. T.O. blew me kisses this morning as I pumped gas. It was freezing outside, but the kisses help just a bit.
9. I realized that I don't kiss Hubs good-bye like a good wife, so today I made a point to leave the bathroom and go give him a kiss good-bye. We need to get into that habit, otherwise we'll never kiss again. At least not without a child hanging on our legs.
10. I need someone to walk me through setting up scheduled posts. Someone kindly showed me the post options at the bottom, but unfortunately I changed the date time and stamp, but it didn't publish it when it should have. All it did was put that time stamp on the post...so it appeared I posted it 20 minutes earlier than I actually did. So, help. :) Email. Whateva. Happy Monday!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Comment Consideration
I love responding to the comments, you know that. I haven't figured out how to just "email a response" to you directly and frankly....I would rather respond to some of your comments here, on the blog. Some of you need to be called out (for being Spartan fans or cheering for UNC) and some of you are just too darn funny to be overlooked. Thank you for commenting, I love it. Keep it up.
joanofalltrades said...
Cute pics. I love watching live basketball! Go Tarheels! Okay, they really aren't my team, but I really like their guard, Lawson. He's only had 2 turnovers in the whole tourney! Now that's impressive!
Let's get started right here. Joan, blogfriend, don't ever come here and say the "T" word anymore. I think you're fab, but the "T"s? Not so much. I hate rooting for the Big 10, but GO SPARTANS. (it's a Jayhawk thing, Joan....don't be offended)
mo.stoneskin said...
Nothing is comparable to toilet paper not being on the roll...
I know you said more stuff after this, but this is all I needed to hear. Thank you, male blogfriend. Thank you.
Mommy said...
I think there is something here...What if your "males" had to pay you when they left dishes out or didn't put more TP on the roll?
Cousin Mommy, this would be my get-rich scheme. If only the males in the house had any money....
Whitney said...
I think it IS going to be sunny today! HORRAY!!!! Stupid daycare girl. I bet he only likes her because she has to bribe all the babies/children with candy. . . like that witch in the Hansel and Gretel story.
If daycare gal is giving my baby candy, there will be more anger from me than they've ever seen. I'm such a sugar nazi (I don't necessarily like the word nazi, but I do find it pertinent to some of my mommy techniques...such as my children's deprivation of sugar). Their teeth WILL be healthy if it's the last thing I do.
Dorkys Ramos said...
Or maybe he's allergic to daycare? Just a thought.
My husband suggested this JUST today. He asked if he broke out more when he was there or here...I think it's about equal. I was thinking he's allergic to air and water??
Heather of the EO said...
And then the runny poop baby walked. :)
There is always a silver lining, huh? :)
bernthis said...
you know they always say that those who make too much of a deal about their wedding, their anniversaries, are usually those that are the most unhappy. It's clear there is a a lot love here for the simple reason that you felt you could keep it simple. Happy anniversary my friend
JBern, thanks. Your comment made me feel "marriage-smart" and I know that I am not. LOL I appreciate your words...makes me feel a lot better on days when I know I'm being a bad partner. I'll be keeping this in my "back blog pocket".
ChicagoLady said...
Cool! You can just run right out and get your hubby a cotton farm! Or maybe a sheep? LMAO
I laughed. Really hard, picturing a sheep in our backyard. Do you think he'd accept it as a father's day gift?
mo.stoneskin said...
I reckon you could simply employ Wee One as a full-time spy, that may give him enough to do to prevent grouchiness...
Is it horrible to say that I worry he'd spy on me and rat me out for something? T.O. is totally on my side, but Wee One....nah. He'd sell me out I think. If only for a bottle of milk...he'd sell out his own mama.
Aubrey said...
What's up with the snow?!?! Before we went to bed last night, the weather man said a possible RAIN shower before 5 a.m. We woke up to blowing SNOW. WTF?!
It IS spring, right? This rain/snow/rain/sunshine peek/rain/snow/sleet crud has GOT to stop.
Erin said...
I hope you feel better. I think the flu bug came through the computer and bit me. :) Rock Chalk!
I really hope it didn't come through and get you. It was with me for a full week but I am finally feeling 100%. And you know what? Rock Chalk anyhow, despite the loss! (They just showed the championship game from last year on ESPN Classic....gotta love it.)
joanofalltrades said...
Cute pics. I love watching live basketball! Go Tarheels! Okay, they really aren't my team, but I really like their guard, Lawson. He's only had 2 turnovers in the whole tourney! Now that's impressive!
Let's get started right here. Joan, blogfriend, don't ever come here and say the "T" word anymore. I think you're fab, but the "T"s? Not so much. I hate rooting for the Big 10, but GO SPARTANS. (it's a Jayhawk thing, Joan....don't be offended)
mo.stoneskin said...
Nothing is comparable to toilet paper not being on the roll...
I know you said more stuff after this, but this is all I needed to hear. Thank you, male blogfriend. Thank you.
Mommy said...
I think there is something here...What if your "males" had to pay you when they left dishes out or didn't put more TP on the roll?
Cousin Mommy, this would be my get-rich scheme. If only the males in the house had any money....
Whitney said...
I think it IS going to be sunny today! HORRAY!!!! Stupid daycare girl. I bet he only likes her because she has to bribe all the babies/children with candy. . . like that witch in the Hansel and Gretel story.
If daycare gal is giving my baby candy, there will be more anger from me than they've ever seen. I'm such a sugar nazi (I don't necessarily like the word nazi, but I do find it pertinent to some of my mommy techniques...such as my children's deprivation of sugar). Their teeth WILL be healthy if it's the last thing I do.
Dorkys Ramos said...
Or maybe he's allergic to daycare? Just a thought.
My husband suggested this JUST today. He asked if he broke out more when he was there or here...I think it's about equal. I was thinking he's allergic to air and water??
Heather of the EO said...
And then the runny poop baby walked. :)
There is always a silver lining, huh? :)
bernthis said...
you know they always say that those who make too much of a deal about their wedding, their anniversaries, are usually those that are the most unhappy. It's clear there is a a lot love here for the simple reason that you felt you could keep it simple. Happy anniversary my friend
JBern, thanks. Your comment made me feel "marriage-smart" and I know that I am not. LOL I appreciate your words...makes me feel a lot better on days when I know I'm being a bad partner. I'll be keeping this in my "back blog pocket".
ChicagoLady said...
Cool! You can just run right out and get your hubby a cotton farm! Or maybe a sheep? LMAO
I laughed. Really hard, picturing a sheep in our backyard. Do you think he'd accept it as a father's day gift?
mo.stoneskin said...
I reckon you could simply employ Wee One as a full-time spy, that may give him enough to do to prevent grouchiness...
Is it horrible to say that I worry he'd spy on me and rat me out for something? T.O. is totally on my side, but Wee One....nah. He'd sell me out I think. If only for a bottle of milk...he'd sell out his own mama.
Aubrey said...
What's up with the snow?!?! Before we went to bed last night, the weather man said a possible RAIN shower before 5 a.m. We woke up to blowing SNOW. WTF?!
It IS spring, right? This rain/snow/rain/sunshine peek/rain/snow/sleet crud has GOT to stop.
Erin said...
I hope you feel better. I think the flu bug came through the computer and bit me. :) Rock Chalk!
I really hope it didn't come through and get you. It was with me for a full week but I am finally feeling 100%. And you know what? Rock Chalk anyhow, despite the loss! (They just showed the championship game from last year on ESPN Classic....gotta love it.)
Weekend Report
I feel the need for a serious post, and it will come later today. Maybe when the munchkins are all in bed. For now, I will present you with our weekend report. A story in pictures, I suppose. We didn't do much (translation: nothing) Friday evening, but Saturday was our "out and about" day. Today the weather will be crummy and there are chores to be done. Little do they know.....they will be employed very, very soon. Hee hee hee.
Saturday was my Dad's birthday and we traditionally go and eat breakfast. But apparently we set the time "too late" for him and he ordered a burger. It was 10am. Here, Wee One (contrary to the frown) was enjoying his milk and hanging with Grandpa.
T.O. ordered the "create a face" with strawberries, whipped cream, and bananas. On any other day, this may not have been a "mama approved" choice, but today.....
11 year old, true to form, ordered his usual pancakes and eggs, over easy. He's soooo excited about being photographed.
We went to the KU Women's NIT championship game. On the way, we called Hubs' cousin to see if he wanted to go with us, but he was already up at the Fieldhouse. We caught up with him and hung out during the game. T.O. loves hangin' with the big boys. And no, "cousin" didn't wear his shades during the game, it was for the photo-op only.
Wee One and 11 year old were able to join in the pizza fun. During the game, the cheerleaders find people in the crowd and hand out free pizzas. Someone near us got it and passed the box around. These two eating pizza is NOT surprising. Not because it's pizza but because it's eating.
Wee One couldn't hack it..at the beginning. This picture is out of order...it actually falls BEFORE the pizza eating. He fell asleep at the beginning, around tip-off. He only napped for maybe 20-30 minutes. I was totally surprised he slept at all in there. The arena was nearly packed with 16,000 fans. That foot is his uncle's. I don't like New Balance. I'm a Nike runner shoe gal. Speaking of shoes, in between breakfast and the game, my sisters and I went shopping at the shoe store where my sis works in accounting. I got a cute pair of heels for $14. Thanks for the discount!!
Saturday was my Dad's birthday and we traditionally go and eat breakfast. But apparently we set the time "too late" for him and he ordered a burger. It was 10am. Here, Wee One (contrary to the frown) was enjoying his milk and hanging with Grandpa.
T.O. ordered the "create a face" with strawberries, whipped cream, and bananas. On any other day, this may not have been a "mama approved" choice, but today.....
11 year old, true to form, ordered his usual pancakes and eggs, over easy. He's soooo excited about being photographed.
We went to the KU Women's NIT championship game. On the way, we called Hubs' cousin to see if he wanted to go with us, but he was already up at the Fieldhouse. We caught up with him and hung out during the game. T.O. loves hangin' with the big boys. And no, "cousin" didn't wear his shades during the game, it was for the photo-op only.
Wee One and 11 year old were able to join in the pizza fun. During the game, the cheerleaders find people in the crowd and hand out free pizzas. Someone near us got it and passed the box around. These two eating pizza is NOT surprising. Not because it's pizza but because it's eating.
Wee One couldn't hack it..at the beginning. This picture is out of order...it actually falls BEFORE the pizza eating. He fell asleep at the beginning, around tip-off. He only napped for maybe 20-30 minutes. I was totally surprised he slept at all in there. The arena was nearly packed with 16,000 fans. That foot is his uncle's. I don't like New Balance. I'm a Nike runner shoe gal. Speaking of shoes, in between breakfast and the game, my sisters and I went shopping at the shoe store where my sis works in accounting. I got a cute pair of heels for $14. Thanks for the discount!!Thursday, April 2, 2009
Perspective: Putting a Wrap On It
At home I tend to blow things out of proportion. At work, I tend to downplay anything that comes my way. Why am I so drastically different in my approaches? At work, I constantly remind myself that it's "just a job" and it simply "pays the bills". It helps me put whatever happens there into perspective. I can compare these things to my personal life and realize how insignificant I find them. I realize if I no longer had the job tomorrow, I would only miss the paycheck, not the duties.
But what about home? This is the place that I compare everything else to, the bar I set in which I gauge how I should FEEL about all other experiences. So why would I go HOME and blow my top? Why do I get so upset over the little things at home, instead of putting them into perspective?
I think, in part, I want the people at home to gauge their actions based on how I would feel. I think I want to be the focus of their attention like I make them mine. And when this doesn't happen, perspective is lost. But this isn't appropriate, nor is it feasible when we're talking about:
1. Males
2. Children
3. Males
So I ask you - how can I stop blowing up at home and put things into perspective? What can I compare the toilet paper NOT put on the roll to? What can I compare the dishes being left for me to? What can I compare the crying and whining and fit-throwing to? I suppose the only answer is the investment that's being made. The smiles that I see. The kisses that I get.
Sometimes, though....I wish it were simply a paycheck like work. At least then I'd have some extra cash to go get some new shoes.
But what about home? This is the place that I compare everything else to, the bar I set in which I gauge how I should FEEL about all other experiences. So why would I go HOME and blow my top? Why do I get so upset over the little things at home, instead of putting them into perspective?
I think, in part, I want the people at home to gauge their actions based on how I would feel. I think I want to be the focus of their attention like I make them mine. And when this doesn't happen, perspective is lost. But this isn't appropriate, nor is it feasible when we're talking about:
1. Males
2. Children
3. Males
So I ask you - how can I stop blowing up at home and put things into perspective? What can I compare the toilet paper NOT put on the roll to? What can I compare the dishes being left for me to? What can I compare the crying and whining and fit-throwing to? I suppose the only answer is the investment that's being made. The smiles that I see. The kisses that I get.
Sometimes, though....I wish it were simply a paycheck like work. At least then I'd have some extra cash to go get some new shoes.
Update Update Update
I see that all of my blogfriends have been updating their blogs and I seem to get more and more bogged down.
I must find time.
I will find time.
I will be by to visit you all - tonight! I will sit at my computer and faithfully read. And watch basketball. The Big 12 is still alive in the NIT tourney - Baylor men are up tonight and the Jayhawk women (yea KU!) are up on Saturday - both for the NIT championships. That's exciting. It keeps March going for those of us who have been booted out of the "big dance".
With that business outta the way, how are you? Feeling good? Is it sunshiny where you are?
If it's sunshiny, don't answer. I don't want to hear it. Not yet.
Wee One was delightful yesterday when we stayed at home. He didn't feel crummy a bit, so we enjoyed our visit. And then today when he went to school he reached out QUICK for his teacher. He loves her. Very much. Stupid girl. But then he reached back for me, gave me kisses. Fine. She's not STUPID. *grumble*
Speaking of yesterday, I don't like being cramped in the house. SO....I decided after talking to my brother, to go pick up T.O. at school and take the hour's drive to my college/hometown. We went with some other family to watch the Jayhawk women in their NIT game. I'll be posting a few pics of our evening when I get home and upload the photos.
Can you tell this post was about nothing in particular? I really need to get on a serious post...it's been awhile, right? I just felt like reaching out to you all, saying hello, telling you that you're updating too much for me to keep up!! But I will....tonight, I will. That's about all I really wanted to say. Time for lunch!
(p.s. I really think that Blogger needs to update their spellcheck to include "Jayhawk". For goodness sake, as much as I type about it, I'd like for it NOT to show up in the spellcheck.)
I must find time.
I will find time.
I will be by to visit you all - tonight! I will sit at my computer and faithfully read. And watch basketball. The Big 12 is still alive in the NIT tourney - Baylor men are up tonight and the Jayhawk women (yea KU!) are up on Saturday - both for the NIT championships. That's exciting. It keeps March going for those of us who have been booted out of the "big dance".
With that business outta the way, how are you? Feeling good? Is it sunshiny where you are?
If it's sunshiny, don't answer. I don't want to hear it. Not yet.
Wee One was delightful yesterday when we stayed at home. He didn't feel crummy a bit, so we enjoyed our visit. And then today when he went to school he reached out QUICK for his teacher. He loves her. Very much. Stupid girl. But then he reached back for me, gave me kisses. Fine. She's not STUPID. *grumble*
Speaking of yesterday, I don't like being cramped in the house. SO....I decided after talking to my brother, to go pick up T.O. at school and take the hour's drive to my college/hometown. We went with some other family to watch the Jayhawk women in their NIT game. I'll be posting a few pics of our evening when I get home and upload the photos.
Can you tell this post was about nothing in particular? I really need to get on a serious post...it's been awhile, right? I just felt like reaching out to you all, saying hello, telling you that you're updating too much for me to keep up!! But I will....tonight, I will. That's about all I really wanted to say. Time for lunch!
(p.s. I really think that Blogger needs to update their spellcheck to include "Jayhawk". For goodness sake, as much as I type about it, I'd like for it NOT to show up in the spellcheck.)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Shout Out
I'm at home today, folks. Wee One decided to get the shits poopy runs at school yesterday and the rule is:
2 runny poohs = 24 hour stay away with no symptoms
So here I am. Stuck at home. In my pjs. On the computer while he naps. But guess what?
He doesn't feel bad. It's not a stomach bug, I think it was just teething or some weird food reaction. He's been happier and more playful all last night and this morning than he was all of last week combined! Silly rules.
To the shout-out: I wanted to point you all in one direction if you've got a moment. My brother started a blog and frankly, he's not very good at keeping it up. And it hasn't really found "a voice" yet....the posts are a bit random (it might run in the family). BUT.....he is a journalist who combos as the small town newspaper photographer for many events, mainly sports. He's getting pretty good with his camera too, and I wanted to point you all to THIS post where he took a few pictures of the weather we experienced over the past weekend. I am going to encourage him to continue posting some of his photos....he's getting good. :)
2 runny poohs = 24 hour stay away with no symptoms
So here I am. Stuck at home. In my pjs. On the computer while he naps. But guess what?
He doesn't feel bad. It's not a stomach bug, I think it was just teething or some weird food reaction. He's been happier and more playful all last night and this morning than he was all of last week combined! Silly rules.
To the shout-out: I wanted to point you all in one direction if you've got a moment. My brother started a blog and frankly, he's not very good at keeping it up. And it hasn't really found "a voice" yet....the posts are a bit random (it might run in the family). BUT.....he is a journalist who combos as the small town newspaper photographer for many events, mainly sports. He's getting pretty good with his camera too, and I wanted to point you all to THIS post where he took a few pictures of the weather we experienced over the past weekend. I am going to encourage him to continue posting some of his photos....he's getting good. :)
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