Fa La La La La

I have been sick as a dog - going into week #3 with bronchitis and a pain in the back of my head that makes me nauseous.  I went back to the dr. and he said the pain is most likely muscular and stress-related.  I guess so when I'm so freakin' busy at work - behind the veritable 8-Ball, have Christmas and houseguests looming, Jackson's birthday which I want to make special even though it's in the midst of holiday preparations, kitchen floor running behind schedule, granite installation having to be pushed back, new kitchen table coming next Friday but chairs some time in Jan.  And the house if a filthy mess with dust from the tiling everywhere you turn.  I can't wait to have my kitchen and family room furniture back where it belongs so that my bedroom is no longer the breakfast nook and romper room all rolled into one....The bronchitis is just about cleared up although I had a coughing fit today and I'm taking some high test cough medicine with codiene in it and two different painkillers - one for day time and one for at night.  The daytime one barely took the edge off the pain today.  How am I supposed to recruit when I'm in this state?  I'm in really good shape as far as Christmas shopping some how.  My packages to send to Aunt Dee & Uncle Ed, my mom, and Julie are ready to go to the post office and since Annette & Jeff are coming here there is no need to mail their gifts - but they're wrapped and ready just the same.  I'd still love to get something for Billy & Stephen and mail it off to my Mom's for them but that's a separate shopping trip.  I did the official toy buying today at Target.  Jackson doesn't know yet to ask for everything under the sun and of course Kate doesn't.  Alex's list consisted of primarily movies.  I got her quite a few nice gifts - mainly three outfits, several books, a necklace, pj's, etc.  and one game. 

I may hit the Godiva store to buy gifts for the special folks around the office who make my life so much easier.  I know I'm not baking several batches of cookies to give away this year.  I'll be lucky if I get the pierogis made but maybe the Friday or Saturday before Christmas.  I'm not in the mood to write Christmas cards, partially because I don't have a really cool pic of the kids to send this year.  We'll see what happens, I still have time. 

Remodeling Woes

 Our new kitchen tile is positively gorgeous and so is the granite for the countertop.  There are 3-4 days of work left to do on the floor and that part of the downstairs is a wreck.  We are upstairs with the kids thinking about all of the things we need to do before Christmas.  I'm thinking a list is in order at this time.  The kitchen table we picked out is out of stock until January so we're going to hunt for an alternate today.  I'd love to have the floor, counters, and the new table before Jeff & Annette come in two weeks but it's looking doubtful on the table part. 

I had the brilliant idea of taking Jackson and a few buddies from school to see Disney on Ice for his birthday...and it's definitely running now.  It's not running in Washington at the moment though.  Oops, back to the drawing board to find an activity that will be cool for a birthday celebration.  We don't do the Chuck E. Cheese's deal.  He is scared of the mouse and the mayhem makes me nutso. 

I'm hoping that now that I'm on the antibiotic my bronchitis will clear up quickly.  I haven't been so sick in a long time and with so much to do - work and home and then there's preparing for Christmas.  I'm wondering when we'll make the pierogi - we have to make them again - they're fabulous, and despite my intentions to make them at least twice per year we only manage to make them for Christmas and freeze several dozen to enjoy for a few months after. 

Must get to the list.

First Sunday of Advent

Having children definitely makes a difference.  I'm thinking that's why I've got Christmas spirit already and I know it's also because I've been to Mass three weeks in a row now.  I'm not sure how long this hiatus has been but I broke it by going to the new parish right up the street.  Mass is held at the high school but the actual church is scheduled to be ready by Christmas.  How exciting - it's a beauty from the outside.  Jackson has gone with me the last two weeks and I am really into having him attend with me.  Today we brought home the advent wreath I'd ordered a few weeks ago and installed it on the dining room table.  Must go look up the Advent prayers to say when we light it.  Growing up we never did this in the home but I really like the idea. 

Thanksgiving was a blast - the meal turned out to be excellent with the exception of my mashed potatoes.  Having the Russin's, their kids, and the Levy's here felt right - just like family.  The topper of the evening was Kate warming up to Stacey's dad and us teaching her to call him Poppa Don.  So very cute. 

In addition to Jackson's birthday in a couple of weeks we have Annette & Jeff's visit to look forward to the weekend before Christmas.  My plan is to have their gifts wrapped and ready when they get here and also have the tree up - either decorated already or with lights only so we can all do it together over the weekend.

For Jackson's birthday, with the help of an idea from a friend, I suggested that rather than a house party we take him and invite a few friendsto see Disney on Ice.  I'm going to ask the mom's this week, buy the tickets now, and hopefully go shortly after the New Year.  Jackson is definitely not a Chuck E. Cheese's kid and neither am I!!  So rather than being slighted by having a birthday close to Christmas, Jackson will have the cupcakes at school, a cake and gifts at home with family, and a special outing with friends to look forward to. 

Both kids are so much fun right now.  Jackson being potty trained has made life easier and so has Kate walking and feeding herself fairly well.  She's starting to really parrot every word she hears and can follow simple directions like "please put this in Alex's room".  Very exciting and rewarding to watch them grow and learn new things.  Jackson's "big" gift this Christmas is a RoboRaptor - remote control dinosaur skeleton looking thing.  I hope he's as pleased with it as he is excited to get it.  It's already bought and safely tucked away in the garage until I start with my gift wrapping - which will happen shortly - possibly even this week.  Which reminds me, I need to locate the Christmas cards I stashed away last year.

I think the big key to the holiday excitement for me this year is Jackson being old enough to start teaching about the fact that Christmas is really fundamentally about Jesus' birthday and taking him to Mass with me.  Knowing Kate is old enough now to really get excited when she opensher gifts, having a houseful of people here for Thanksgiving, the pre-Christmas visit with Annette & Jeff - and maybe the underlying new level of peace I've achieved about the rift with my sister and the fact that my family loves both of us and is stuck in the middle - It's all adding up to make me feel that this is and will continue to be a very meaningful holiday season.

And I thank God for that!! 

Oh Dear...Where Has the Time Gone???

It's November 6th already!  I last blogged in July?  How can that be?  I didn't blog about vacation?  What have I missed?  What have I done?  What can I do to catch up?  How about a list of what comes to mind about what's happened since then?

Family vacation to the Outer Banks - A week in Corolla, NC  including mother in law and the pets - good time had by all.   Katherine loves the ocean.  The summer in general was pretty nice.  Kate learned to walk just before we went away which was very cool because last year I'd started picturing her as a toddler this year walking along the edge of the surf and my dream of her became a reality.  It was great fun to see all 3 of the kids enjoying the beach so much! 

I've been to Atlanta for work 4 times...or has it been five?  I've lost count but it's been all good. 

Jeff bought a motorcycle.

Jackson tried soccer - likes the idea of it, likes to kick the ball around - not keen on listening to the coach and running around with the other kids.  Better luck next year maybe - we'll see what he wants to do.

 

It's been so long

It's been a while so I thought I'd just drop in vs. having pics to write about or an event, etc.  Want to memorialize Jackson's calling McDonald's Old McDonald's for one thing.  Also the kids are getting so cute and maturing to the next level and I'm just not capturing it...Katherine, aka Kate, aka Piggers, aka Chiggen Nugget, is walking finally.  She has had the capability but two weeks ago Jeff and I worked on her confidence and she's doing it!  I am so excited to see her walking on water's edge when we're in Corolla this summer.  Hopefully we can lure Grandma to the beach more than last year.  I am planning on virtually living on the beach this year and getting tanned as a leather book (ha!  thank you to my new southern friends for that phrase, bless their hearts!). 

I was in Atlanta this past week for two days and it was a good time both professionally and personally in that I bonded with friends, ate some good food, and learned some things regarding work that will help going forward.  I'm grooming myself to be a Steel Magnolia vs. the Yankee tough girl that I've been and it's all good. 

I have pics to upload of the kids in their wading pool and in the sprinkler, and pics of us at the zoo.  We went to the zoo the day the new panda was born so there was much excitement in the air. 

I just want to record the fact that although I haven't been a blogging maniac I am enjoying my kids like I could never have imagined.  These have been the best years of my life, bar none, and although I had them over 40 and don't know any better about having kids in high school or college already - I am still having a great time with them.  I still prefer spending time with my son to most other folk...he's getting to be so much fun!!!  We have settled into a routine where he goes grocery shopping with me on the weekend and it's all good.  He is showing an afinity for gardening and tending to the plants like I have and which I feel is in my blood from my Granny's, etc. so it makes me feel so connected to them to be showing him how to pick off dead leaves and water slowly, etc.  What a special time in my life!!

 

Quiet Holiday Weekend

I cannot recall a Memorial Day weekend with three beautiful days.  This one came out of nowhere.  We stuck close to home as Jackson is still recovering from the cold that turned into an asthma attack that became pneumonia.  I am still sick also and so we passed up a fun sounding picnic at a winery yesterday in favor of staying home and having burgers on our own grill.  Jeff and I actually washed the windows in the kitchen and family room which were a streaky mess.  That made a huge difference.  Today Jeff went to see a friend about some car parts and took Jackson with him.  They'll be gone several hours as Bill lives on the other side of Alexandria from here.  Kate and I took a walk around the block and now she is napping and the house is quiet.  The roses have been sprayed, the laundry is caught up, the family room (aka romper room) has been picked up and I have some time on my hands.  Rather than finishing a baby blanket that is nearly done or cropping some photos I think I will rest as well.  When she wakes up we're off to the grocery store to buy steaks for dinner.  I hope I start feeling better soon as I don't want to spend my whole week of vacation time recuperating.  I'd like to get some home projects done and prepare for my wine tasting party on Friday and have fun doing it rather than having it feel like chores.

How I Do It

I learned with Jackson that things go in phases.  You learn to cope with one and then poof! you're on to the next thing.  With the onset of nice weather we no longer have to bundle the kids up in heavy winter coats to take them in and out.  Kate is in a big baby car seat vs. the carrier/car seat that got to be so heavy as she neared 20 lbs.  Now that she's weaned I no longer have to get bottles ready to take for daycare, wash bottles, carry the breastpump to and from work, make time to pump, etc.  It seems like it all went by so fast.  By next Fall she'll be big enough to walk herself to the car and maybe even climb in.  I'm looking forward to seeing her walking and running along the beach this summer.  I've been looking forward to that since last vacation when she was a newborn.

There are other things that slide and I've learned to cope with that too.  Having a glass of wine after work to help me cope with the stress of coming home to dogs and cats and kids that all wanted attention was relaxing for me but that led to the 2nd and 3rd glass and I lost "me" time in the evenings because I was pooped by the time the kids went to bed and more often than not, I'd follow.  When I didn't follow I certainly didn't feel like doing more laundry, working, or doing a hobby.  That's the sacrifice I made. 

Another benefit of the nice weather is that gardening is there to be done.  From walking around the property (aka the Estate, Ha!), to watering, to pulling weeds, it keeps me moving and off my duff.  In years past I'd be out past sundown still puttering around and thinking that the neighbors must consider me to be the crazy garden lady.  Once again, as in the past several years, I'm vowing to stay on top of things this year.  The fact of the matter is that I really don't like being really hot.  Last summer I was still recovering from having the surgery and could really not take the heat.  Hopefully Kate will be walking soon and another phase will be reached and things will be easier once again.  

So, the garden:  The iris (aka blue flags) are brilliant this year; the ground cover with purple flowers has sprung, and the clematis seems to really have taken off.  It's blooming already and I'm thinking there are almost a dozen magnificent purple blooms.  All different shades of purple.  As the iris are fading the peonies will be popping to add some pale and bright pink to the palette.  I almost missed the lilacs on the side yard but stopped to admire and smell them a couple of times while they were blooming.  They're all done now and there are buds on the pink climbing rose over there.  I wish I had planted things differently over there as the maple tree shades the rose, and now the lilac is hemming it in, denying it even more light.  I haven't been the best at planning these things, partially because I didn't have a good sense of how fast they would grow.  If I remember correctly though, the lilac can be cut back each year.  Ideally, I'd find a better spot for the rose but I'm afraid I'll kill it if I move it again. 

So the kids are asleep and I'm off to do some more catching up with work. 

More on Today

A little gardening a little relaxing.  Virginia at its finest... Our yard looks its very best this time of year.  This year we had the landscaper clear a two foot band across the wild area in back.  This is not our property but obviously the wild area would encroach, etc.  I am so pleased with the way it turned out and it looks so neat and clean with the mulching in the back.  The dogs are sitting under a wild cherry tree which is flowering right now and shedding its petals like crazy.  At the top left is the bottom of my lilac bush.  I had gotten 10 very tiny baby seedlings of trees when I donated to the Arbor Day Foundation a few years ago.  The French Lilac is one of the things that really took off.  I have 2 or 3 other trees, from the original 10 that are still going strong.  I think that's a pretty good ratio.  I'm thinking of getting another dogwood because they are my favorite and can't decide whether to get another pink or go with a white one.  The one in the pic opens out to a deep shrimpy pink color which pales to the pink you see in the picture.  The white azaelas in the background were getting boxed out by our boxwoods in front.  When Jeff took them out I suggested planting them in front of the wild area just to see what they did.  I'm so glad I did.  I just love how they brighten up that spot right now.  Jackson will be exhausted as he's been out with his dad going on 5 hours now....no nap.  Princess has had one nap, two tries at lunch, a stint outside with the boys and then another to blow bubbles.  Now we're playing quietly while Mommy blogs.  Time to go start dinner.  

A Boy and his Dad

Spring has sprung in northern VA and Jeff has cut the grass a few times already.  Just as when Jeff gets out the vacuum, Jackson is also vacuuming  Jackson cuts grass when Jeff is mowing.  Capturing them together at this time of year is awesome because the trees are blooming, the mulch is fresh and the grass is coming up as green as can be. 

The dogs are in their element as well - moving around the yard to follow the sun so they're always basking...

I finally got the rosebushes and the butterfly bush pruned.  Better late than never I hope.  Several of my new rosebushes passed on over the winter and I'm a little disappointed but not a bit surprised.  Now to start battling the black spot....I'm thinking that if I don't turn things around in the rose bed this year I may take them all out and plant something that will thrive against the house.  We'll just have to see....

So Kate has had her first taste of gardening.  Somehow, I think by crawling off the patio and into the grass, she got her knees wet and a little dirty.  She was out for quite a while investigating the sandbox and whatever else she could see from the patio.  It's just a gorgeous wondrous day.  In a month or so, possibly a few weeks, she'll be walking and it'll be much easier to be out with her as she won't have to be held the whole time.  We're ready with the new doll stroller and ride on toy for her as well as the sandbox in the back.  She did really well just sitting on the bench of the little picnic table.....she's such a princess.....Why didn't I get a pic of that???

So Monday begins a very busy week for me that is not over until the following Tuesday.  Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting.  With the nicer weather it will be easier though to be nice to myself and take time for myself to enjoy the outdoors and all of my flowers and plants.

For Mother's Day I think that I would like a gardening themed kind of celebration so that I can go to a nursery and buy some annuals to fill all of my hanging baskets, maybe some new gardening gloves, maybe a nice relaxing bubble bath, andbring dinner in???  We're going out the night before with friends to a Japanese steak house, taking the kids with the thought that they will find the at the table food prep very entertaining and most of the kids involved are really into their food so it's hopefully a win-win kind of thing..

 

Kate's Birthday Party

Kate was 1 on Tuesday.  Today is the big first birthday party to include a princess castle cake.  She had her 1 year check up yesterday and the doctor proclaimed her "perfect".  Like everything else she does she's advanced from 50% weaned to probably 75% this week.  Mommy is glad we're past that stage.  Her favorite foods are chicken fingers and broccoli and we are having both for the party.  Kate is standing up and trying to maintain her balance "no hands".  Could that first step be far behind?  She says mom, da, hi, bye and some other stuff that only she can understand.  She shakes her head no both when she means no and when we tell her no.  She'll be wearing a new pink dress for the festivities.  Pictures to follow.

Daddy's Comin' Home

We had a lovely day at the park yesterday.  The weather is still picture perfect.  Today we'll be going to a birthday party and when we get home Daddy will be back from California!!! Just in time for Kate's first birthday on Tuesday.

So much for that

My Scrapbook that is.  Was supposed to go to a crop tonight and the babysitter called while I was picking the kids up from daycare.  Now when Jeff is home I feel bad going out on a Friday night but tonight I felt ready for a night with the girls, eating chocolate and getting caught up on my books....but it was not to be.  By the time Jackson fell asleep it was after nine and although I wasn't tired from too much wine tonight I didn't feel like dragging out the stuff and setting up.  I have no good book to dig into and hate this feeling of being bored when there is usually so much I'm dying to do.  Funny how I have such a hard time just being.  I did logoff from my laptop and put work away for the time being. 

So the dogs are home and they smelled so nice when I picked them up.  They were fresh from a bath.  Rascal rode home in Kate's car seat - the little freak....They were tired out from their week at camp.  I am glad they went and got some attention.  They deserve it.  Chloe looks beautiful.  I think she lost a pound or two.  Woof.  I wish Club Pet was closer.  They'd be there a lot more especially for the grooming.  They come back perfect.

Inmates Running the Asylum

I feel like such a fraud.  I grew up being a dog lover and always had the pets with me wherever I was in the house.  Geez until Kate was born both dogs slept with us.  Now that they've been confined to our kitchen/family room area of the house behind the baby gates and are no longer permitted upstairs at night (Rascal ruined that privilege for both of them) and I see how much cleaner the house stays, I don't know if I could ever have a pet running loose in the house again.  I've been trying to give them extra love and attention (such as it is given I don't exercise so theirs comes from being outside in the yard) but the part of me that's left to give after work and the kids ain't much... Jeff is in California through the 17th and I'm here with the little ones right now.  The weather here is picture perfect and the doggies spent most of the day yesterday outdoors.  The boxer likes to move  around as the sun shifts so she's always basking.  Today while the kids and I were having lunch my neighbor rang the doorbell to let me know that Chloe (boxer) was apparently outside the boundaries of the electric fence and hanging out in his yard - not bothering anyone but clearly out of her element...I knew the new batteries for the collars had come so I brought her in and changed her battery leaving her inside and Rascal outside.  I came up to put the kids for their naps shortly afterward (sidebar:  How nice is it to have one kid that I can rock for a bit, give a big kiss to, and put in the crib and she'll go to sleep for me?).  Kate fell asleep and finally Jackson did too and so did I.  Chloe was just barking her head off so I went downstairs to see what's up....my neighbor rang the doorbell again.  This time to report that Rascal was frolicking about with him, his wife, daughter, and their dog as they were outside doing yardwork...Hmmmm.  Both batteries gone bad at the same time.  Granted it's time to change them but they shouldn't go DEAD in a month.  I check the unit in the garage and the light is off.  I check the one in the basement and it's on.  Back to the garage.  Flip the switch back and forth and Voila!  it's back on again.  This is my omen that it's a good think I made arrangements for the pe(s)ts to have a week away at "camp" this week.  So Rascal is now in and I come upstairs to finish my rest and Chloe is barking in the basement...down I go to find Rascal asleep on the back of one of our chairs....he, who is not allowed on the furniture and he KNOWS it....I've been giving them inches and they've been taking miles.  I can't wait to get them out of my hair and to Club Pet in the morning.  It would be such a disaster if they got into one of their horrendous fights, ran away, or even made one of their huge messes in the house while Jeff is away and I'm trying to hold it together by myself.  I don't know what it is with my dogs but they are like having another two small children who have to be monitored constantly.  They have changed my whole outlook on pets.  

Milestones

I know it's way past due but Jeff dropped the crib mattress down so that Kate can't lean over and fall out of her crib.  Sort of drives the point home that she's capable of sitting up, then standing up by herself, and she wants to get where she wants to go, with or without me.  He's leaving for Cali tomorrow morning and will be gone for 10 days.  Let's just hope that the rocket goes up and the satellite gets launched and all is right with this project that's he's been working on for the past two years or so.  I'm sure we'll be fine.  Last time I just hunkered down and made taking care of the kids my primary and just about only focus since I didn't have him here to share that with me....it just leaves me less time to myself and less time to play around.  The big thing is taking care of the pets AND the kids given that of the four of them only one is capable of getting his own food and even at that he still needs help opening the top of the yogurt, etc....so for all intents it's four little beings dependent on only me...oops!  I forgot that damn cat again...so make it five.  And then I still have to make it to the office at a very busy time...yes, it's still busy and will remain busy.  We've taken the season out of busy season and we're just always busy.  This is a good thing as it means (relative) job security.  Of course if I screw up, all bets are off!  The kids had their pics taken today - the photographer came to daycare.  Jax went first by himself, then the two of them on a bench with his arm around her...she, with the sour puss....then she freaked out when he got up so they could take her alone...don't know if they ever tried it again.  At least the bow stayed in her hair for the pics, such as they are.  They're all on notice that Kate only likes certain people there and the others are pushing it if they so much as look at her, nevermind actually speak to her.  Moving to the older infant room and cutting her two top front teeth has been exhausting for my dear baby girl!

It's hot here already and I've turned the air conditioning on just to cool things off.  I hate that walking to the 2nd floor and feeling the stuffiness thing.  So I'm about to go lay things out for tomorrow.  Both kids need a fresh set of clean/spare clothes for school as both needed a clothing change this week.  Both also need sunscreen.  I love getting the notice in the middle of the week so that it makes me feel like I have to schedule a trip to the store vs. waiting until the weekend.  This is classic Monday afternoon:  Jackson needs wipes....why couldn't you tell me Friday afternoon so I could pick them up over the weekend?  Or better yet, so that the nice Peapod delivery man could have brought them?  God forbid I should have time to have an eyebrow wax or a manicure!

Ok, so I am off to get Kate's bottles ready, clean the coffee maker and set it up for tomorrow, throw in a load of wash, let the mutts in, all the while ignoring the huge basket or laundry that needs sorting and folding....I have to be at a meeting in the a.m. by 7:30...this would be funny if I didin't really want to go...I got to work at 10:15 today, late for a weekly team meeting where our new Director of HR was in attendance.  When I push the envelope, I really go all out.  The kids are still on Standard Time, what can I say?

 

 

Easter is here

Having missed out on the spiritual aspects of Lent by burying myself in work over the past couple of months I surface this weekend to feel guilty that I'm not observing the most sacred time in the year for a Catholic.  And I'm tempted to just write this one off and say that I "missed" it but I'm thinking that I can salvage the whole thing for myself by just working toward going to Mass tomorrow.  I don't like to be an Easter Catholic and I feel as though I'm missing something if I don't take the whole season to reflect on where I am spiritually and what the holiday means to me this year but realize that it's a cop out if I am thinking all this today and don't go tomorrow.  I'm ashamed of myself I guess and feel like I have to hide from God and not go for all the flowers and the celebration because I wasn't around for all the reflecting, repenting and sacrificing.  Good dose of the guilt and I'm feeling almost prodigal...not that I'm looking for excuses but it's more work when your mate isn't of the same faith and you go it alone.  Plus, at times, it the choice of going to Mass when I like to go and missing out of the family breakfast time vs. going later.  Now that last part is just an excuse.  So I'm going tomorrow.

Around here I'm trying to get the house in order as the clutter has been winning over the past few weeks.  I snuck up on the laundry and finished putting last week's away and will now tackle this weeks'.  The groceries have been bought and the eggs are hardboiled and waiting to be dyed.  The Easter basket stuff is hidden away for the time being and the dining room table, after a quick dusting, will be ready to receive them tomorrow. 

I'd like to take the kids to the circus tomorrow after getting all the chores done today but Alex is here today and not tomorrow and Jeff would want her to go too so rather than drop everything today to go and leave it for Sunday I guess we're not going.  I'm annoyed about that.  I don't like this if Alex isn't here to go then nobody goes but it's on me to rearrange what I want to do to accommodate it.  I don't feel that great today and the house is in need of attention so I will be stressed and won't enjoy myself if we go today.  But if we get tickets for tomorrow and I know that I'm working toward getting things done before we go (and going to Mass) then I'll enjoy it.  I don't like that if Alex can't go we all won't go.  There are things she does when she's with her mom that my kids don't get to do so why should everything they do have to include her or they don't get to do it at all?  I really want to go tomorrow, maybe I'll push the issue. 

 

 

You've never seen a man...

move so fast...I just put Jackson down for a nap and told Jeff that if he did me a "favor" and changed Kate's diaper I'd take her shopping with me....ahhh, what he won't do for some alone time.  Kate, the holy terror, just crawled up the two steps between family room and kitchen for the first time by herself....she's on the move in a big way these days.  Putting her in a shopping cart for a bit may contain her and amuse her at the same time, I'm hoping!

She's Here, She's There, She's Everywhere

Katherine has discovered forward motion in a big way.  She goes from flat on her stomach to sitting to standing in two blinks of an eye.  While standing in the crib last weekend leaned way over and did a Cirque de Soliel-worthy tumble right out.  She's been in the dog's dish and at the stereo.  I predict she's walking by the time she turns one, which is one month from today.  She is still the sweetest of sweet babies but her little temper is starting to emerge.  Jeff commented that she reminds him more of Jackson (me) each day.  I keep picturing her running along the beach this summer when we go on vacation.  I remember seeing a little girl, about one or so, just running up to the waves at waters edge and thinking that next year it would be Kate doing that.  How quickly the year has gone.  I relinquished the keys to my BMW in exchange for a minivan just under a year ago, sigh....Life is busy, the kids are fun!  It's time to get outside and do the spring garden clean-up in preparation for all the bulbs to come up and bloom. 

Where Have I Been?

Yoiu wanna know where I've been?  I've been engaged in a battle of sorts and have emerged from a depression about work that I did not know I was in.  I am now more energized and enthusiastic about what I am doing.  What has changed?  Several things have changed but a key factor has been the arrival of a consultant who was hired to "fix things".  I laugh at that for two reasons because I think of Mr. Wolf in Pulp Fiction who introduces himself by saying "I fix things" and because I went to work at my company, originally as a consultant, to not so much fix things but maybe stem the bleeding until some reinforcement could be brought in.  Anyhow, Ms. Wolf (LOL not her real name) has swooped in and made some dramatic, though common sense, impacts on my work.  It's been like a breath of fresh air but I've been working harder than ever, traveling to one of our other offices, and strangely enough, getting promoted. 

On a personal note, I took the kids up to Philly to visit family and friends over Martin Luther King holiday weekend.

Child's Play

Kate thinks it's cool to stand up now to play.  Don't let the pics fool you, she needs close supervision while doing it because she can't get up there by herself yet and sort of rolls down when's she's had enough (or loses her balance).  In the exersaucer she likes to stand forward then hurl herself backward into the seat, over and over and over.  How she can do this and not give herself a headache???  But she's working those thighs and abs while she's at it.

Jackson decided his grocery store/cash registers toy is now a television.  He set it up with a video where the produce basket goes and put Kate's Cabbage Patch doll Kathie Marcia, in front of it to watch the movie.  I told him that tv is no replacement for quality time with his niece...too funny!  He's also been pretending to help Kathie Marcia walk.  He's a nurturer!

The Fight for Alpha Male

Jeff and Jax are locked into a battle to determine alpha male position at our house.  Jeff has commented on the fact that when Jackson and I go at it we are a force to be reckoned with however I am seeing the same thing at work here.  Subject of today's controversy?  Taking excess toyage upstairs to Mr. Boy's room....at the end of the evening Jax was yelling at Jeff "Don't....touch.....my .....TOYS!"  That, of course, went over really well with Dad...yet, somehow they worked it out and the bath was had and the stories read and all is quiet down the hall. 

Me and E-Commerce

Remember when e-commerce was somewhat of a novelty and people still went to stores for everything?  Ok, so they ordered from catalogs, sometimes even being so radical as to do it over the phone....

I have had many positive e-commerce experience and swear by it in fact, even ordering my groceries online via Peapod...however, I am so ticked off -

I decided not to be outdone by my friend at work who recently bought herself a cocktail ring....so late Sunday afternoon (when I should have been getting dinner started) I bought one on ebay that I love and damn if I don't get screwed just like I do every time...I'm salivating at the thought of it arriving in the mail (big honkin' aquamarine) and the seller emails me - after I emailed first to inquire *annoying* and says they are having problems on their end with paypal...I want to scream...why can't this be easy for me???   I am like an e-commerce, ebay, mail order disaster...Ok so I've had some good experiences but unlike pregnancy and childbirth I only remember the BAD SHIT!  I ordered a kids' CD player for Jax back while I was still on maternity leave.  It arrived but I didn't even open the outer packaging because I didn't want him to see it and it was meant to be for when he was going potty regularly....I relented and gave for Christmas and the goddamned thing didn't work from the start - too bad the window to return to smartbargains had run out 4 months prior and so more aggravation for me......ugh!  after several calls including one to the UK I got them to agree to take it back and they're no longer selling it so I'm off to find a replacement somehow because darned if that 3 year old doesn't realize his stereo is gone! sorry for the rant and now the little brat is up and singing and it's nearly 10...I should copy this into a blog, huh?  

 

 

Miss Congeniality - NOT

Miss Piggers has her first major cold and she is the crabbiest she's ever been, ever, ever.  Crabby is Daddy's word.  She fell asleep in my arms and after a bit I put her down in her crib where she proceeded to wake and raise a fuss.  Just then the phone rang and by the time I got off she'd pulled her blankie up around her face and fallen asleep.   The diva likes to have the covers all around her head, just as I do.  Makes me a bit nervous but it's usually the lacy afghan so there are plenty of holes for her to breathe.  Now I know what my Granny meant when she said I was a really good girl, when I was sleeping! 

Another Year and...

Another year and I have not seen one movie.  I think I at least maybe saw one movie in a theater last year?  Maybe not.  This year I recognize not one film that is up for a Golden Globe award.  That's a lie, I recognize Ray but I didn't see it. 

Hubby was sick all day today so no cart racing for him.  I'm still up to my eyeballs in laundry but feel like I've got the upper hand for a change.  Tomorrow is a holiday for me and one of my bestest friends is having a baby.  I will be in attendance as I am one of her designated birth coaches.  I was there when her daughter was born and it was a wonderful experience.  Wonder why no one asks to be there when I have my C-sections?  Hmmmm. 

This should be an interesting week on the work front.  Lots of possibilities out there for a change. 

Kate Has a Tooth

Miss Girlie Girl has cut her first tooth~note:  her teething crabby is about a 3 on the scale that Jackson's every day crabby is an 8.  What a difference in their temperaments and it may sound like I am complaining about him but I am not.  It's an observation because he is as precious to me as my right hand, my own soul for that matter.  Anywho, I bought Kate her 3rd pair of shoes and these actually stay on her feet.  She's not the mary jane/t-strap type as her feet are still in sort of an arched state and those strap on puppies just slide right off.  I bought her some white high tops that tie and they remain intact.  I can't believe she'll be walking soon.  We've been talking about our summer vacation and I can remember sitting on the beach last year watching a little girl, as cute as can be with curly hair in a bubble suit/sunsuit outfit running along the shoreline and thinking that this year when we go to North Carolina my Katherine will be walking.  The tooth has not really surfaced but it's cut through the gum.  I will start the picture taking once the white shows from a distance.

Raising procrastination to an art form

It is 2:30 p.m. I just finished showering.  Neither kid wants to nap.  Hubby is on the sofa watching football and hoping Jax nods off.  Piggers is playing with her new toys and I am doing everything I can think of to stay away from taking the ornaments off the Christmas tree.....I will dry my hair, put in a load of wash and take to the living room and get the tree undecorated.  My reward will be a glass of the new reisling I picked up on Friday. 

Rant: mornings are complicated

Think about waking up on a Saturday morning.  What does it entail?  Rub your eyes, have a pee, get back in bed?  Here's what it's like over here:  Jax with wet diaper calling Mommyyyyyy, shuffle down the hall before he wakes up Kate.  Take off diaper and put him on the potty (a little closing the barn door after the horse is out, I know), new diaper and if we're lucky wet diaper didn't leak so no need to change p.j.s immediately.  Shuffle downstairs to let stinky brown dog out & release wussy pee pee dog from his crate where he's been wailing, let him out.  Feed cat who's been following me around meowling for her breakfast.  Pour milk into sippy cup for #1 child.  Wipe dog paws and let them in; distribute biscuits & fill water bowl.  Pour coffee and crawl back upstairs to retrieve #2 child and administer milk.  Maybe take that pee now.  Lather rinse repeat....

Today's rave:  Jackson moved from the 2's room to the 3's room at daycare resulting in a $40/week reduction in tuition.  $40 a WEEK and Kate will be moving to older infants within the next 3 months so we'll have another reduction shortly.  Found money to pay off Christmas????

 

Another rant:  What is with Brad and Jennifer??  He knows I'm married, he might as well stick with her!

 

I've met my Beryl

Are you a person who believes two souls can bond together so very tightly at first meeting, like they were destined to be soulmates, share a brain, understand one another, be another's shoulder, etc?  That is my La F.  We met when I returned to work from maternity leave; bonded instantly.  She understands what I'm trying to say when I can't sputter it out and she understands what I'm not saying.  Of course she's not perfect - who is?  Not me!!!  Just had to memorialize the fact that I've met a friend like my mom's friend Beryl...I'm so lucky to have so many good friends, no seriously, REALLY good friends.  I'm talking about seriously beautiful human beings who GET ME.  Some of them are from years ago, some of them are newer, some are brand new, some are cyber friends I've never met....how lucky am I?  How lucky am I that on my short journey I've met my perfect partner, worked in a job I only dreamed about, gave birth to two children who I consider gifts from God entrusted to my care, and on top of all that have a support system that self-help books are written about?  Ok, I am my own worst critic, I've been accused of being a perfectionist (whatever), but I have succeeded in drawing to myself some of the most amazing, intelligent, talented, beautiful inside and out, awesome women....I am rich beyond my wildest imaginings.  But I'm off topic - finding my Beryl in La F & what this means to me - this means that all the stupid nonsense that comes out of my mouth, she knows what to take seriously and how to take as nonsense stuff that sounds serious.  She knows I speak from my heart about things I care about, that I care about the right things, that my ego is not wrapped up in it.  What a gift it has been to still be finding friends as awesome as my La F to add to the other wonderful women in my life AT MY AGE!!!...Take heart everybody - genuine people really do exist out there!!!  God Bless You La F, you are truly amazing.  Thank you for your understanding & support and for being you.  xo

Don't Make Me Go

What color is anxious anyway?  I try to match the font color to my mood...oh well, it's not exactly gray but I really dread going in to work tomorrow for some reason.  Nothing major is going on but it's facing the same old crap.  Sounds like big time burn out, no?  I felt horrible all day, sort of migraine coming on feeling and nauseous.  Feeling much better now but rather that going to bed early here I sit playing mah jong solitaire like a lunatic and getting more butterflies in my stomach the longer I sit.  I'm going to have to break down and listen to my voicemail in a second and then hit the sack.  My second interview for new job has not yet been confirmed which I find somewhat strange considering the recruiter's sense of urgency up until last week, and I think that I've made up my mind to switch to a different area for recruiting should it be offered to me.  Most of what's making me feel sick is the thought of facing the same two faced lying antileaders but I must do what my momma taught me and put on my happy face so I can get in there and do the job they're paying me to do.  No one ever knows for sure what the next day will bring and sometimes it's a pleasant surprise.  Hope springs eternal...the anxious comes from knowing that I have to make a change but not yet knowing what the right move will be.  I get this way whenever I make a decision to make a decision vs. maintaining the status quo.  Time to do some serious praying here along the "ask and it shall be answered lines..."  Just looking for a little direction here.  Off I go...

Cuppa Joe?

My Mr. Big Shot who wanted coffee this morning and drank the few drips I gave him, pronouncing it "good coffee huh?" was shy about going into his new room today.  Yes that's right, he drank some Illy brand espresso coffee sweetened with a little liquid sugar that I got for Christmas, and went off to school wanting to be carried.  That boy knows how to tug at my heartstrings from all sides, doesn't he?  How is it possible that I find a way to love him more each day?  His tantrums have drastically lessened and he's communicating at a higher level now - very entertaining to talk to these days.  He loves to play with Katherine and her new toys and has shown a willingness to share his things with her.  One of the things he started doing over the holiday break was helping to feed her and he's quite good at it when he concentrates on being gentle with her.  He's eating a lot better now and has cut back on his milk consumption as he's gotten more interested in different foods.  Some of his favorites are:  corndogs, quesidillas, spaghetti-o's, real spaghetti, chicken nuggets, french fries, and he's still a big fan of most fruits.  Right now he's diggin' clementines.  He's actually been eating his veggies including salad with tomatoes and has even tried cauliflower. 

Put It In Reverse

Miss Pink & Fluffy Katherine is getting mobile.  She has taken to moving herself in reverse, the backward squirm which, as I recall is the precursor to the commando crawl forward, leading to the full out crawl, leading to asking for the keys to the car...  

I took both kids to Mass this morning, ran a little late but pushed on anyhow - better late than not at all.  We'll work on the timing.  I didn't wake up intending to take them but forgot Jeff has cart racing every other Sunday.  I was thrilled to see Jackson saying The Lord's Prayer along with the rest of the congregation!  Time to teach another prayer I suppose and get started on a hymn or two.  Almost as cute as Jax knowing the words to Our Father was Jax getting his mouse, Squeak E. to stand up beside him when everyone else was standing up.  Got to love that boy!  And there is nothing better than napping with the kids than waking to find that hubby has started the dinner.  Yum!

What Kind of Cat Am I?

You are a Siamese! You are fun-loving, playful, energetic, talkative, and exotic. You are the center of attention and you love every minute of it.

Feeling pretty good despite polishing off a bottle of shiraz last night with my pork roast dinner.  I feel the good luck just flowing over here.  Between having the bayberry candles burn all the way down without going out on Christmas Eve to the yummy pork & sauerkraut good luck New Year's Day dinner this should be a damn good year. 

Or maybe it was the walk I took with neighborhood buddy MarciaMarciaMarcia (hereafter referred to as MMM) who is also my WW buddy...as in "going to WW with MMM"....or maybe it's the fact that I've decided to take charge of things with my life again rather than just going with the flow as I have been over the past five years.  Things will continue to get more organized around the house as we continue with the decluttering vs. letting it overwhelm us right out of the house.  Whether this job opportunity works out this week or not I am now officially on the hunt for a better situation.  Better professionally for me and financially for the family.  I thought my risk switch had been permanently pushed to the OFF position and I would try to hang on to my current role forever and ever but I keep landing in the same state of discontent and now that the childbearing has been accomplished it's time to take my own best advice about the griping - do something about it or STFU.  So I've made the decision to get back in the game and take advantage of the fact that I am in control instead of letting opportunities pass me by.  My resolutions for this year are the same as last - to keep going to Mass, keep saving a little more money, and keep exercising.