Sunday, September 21, 2008
The little mommy
Skadi loves her babydoll. She hauls her nearly everywhere and "carefully" puts her to bed every night. She always offers her a pacifier. And makes sure baby eats often too.
My mommy is so mean
NM: "This would be a cute picture... except for that binky. Just a quick swipe should do it. Snap the pictures fast... And yes, Skadi picked out her socks and shoes."
NM: "No sweety, you don't need the binky. Just smile ok?"
NM: "No sweety, you don't need the binky. Just smile ok?"
NM: *Sigh* "Drama Queen."
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wrapping up my week!
It has been a busy week here. I had a project review this morning that went really well. I biffed it big on a teleconference I was supposed to phone into today though. Must pay attention to details like "EDT"! Duh. Missed the teleconference by three hours. Oh well. It isn't one where I was expected to do anything but sit at my desk with my phone on my ear and listen to them recite everything on the "Teleconference Itinerary" that they sent out.
Won't make that mistake again.
Leif is thrilled that he only has one sleep until we head to the water park! We decided we didn't have time this fall to drive to the coast and spend 4-7 days at the cabin unfortunately since AB is doing this engineering rotation. So we decided instead to take one of AB's normal weekends (since he works four 10 hour days, I had to take a day off however) and head to one of the indoor water parks. I picked the newest one that looked like it might have fun things to do outside of the water too (like the longest gondola in the world).
Leif has been counting down to the trip since we spontaneously decided to book it about 10 days ago. (Yes, welcome to my world of being spontaneous...) Ideally, it would have been better to go after October 1. Taking time off before Sept 30th is always a risky maneuver. But I could afford a Friday since most of my projects (for the first time ever) are not fiscal year projects. Waiting to go until after October 1 meant skyrocketing rates and the end of "summer deals".
Leif has watched the video of the place on the computer a few times and is so excited to do the waverider and the slides. I told him I was looking forward to going down the slides with him.
He replies, "well no, I don't think that will work because it might be dangerous".
I told him no, these slides you can go down together.
He said, "I know, I saw it on the movie, but it might be dangerous for you and so I need to go with daddy. And then after that you can go with daddy."
So is he trying to protect me from danger? Or is it like AB says and I am the nurturer, he is the protector.
Later in the evening Leif told me he wanted to just stay at the water park for more than 5 minutes. I told him we would stay for two nights. He would have almost two days there.
He said, "how about always?"
I told him that would be expensive.
His reply was, "but you have 10 monies!"
Later I had put $40 on the counter for AB. Leif picked it up, jumped up and down and said, "oooh, two monies, we can almost stay forever at the water park!"
(In my own head I was thinking, "well you just bought us 6 hours there...")
...
Another Leif funny...
I fixed Hamburger Helper Lasagna the other night. I know, sucky dinner, but when you have very little time to cook, you go with what you can. Leif, however, hates this. Part of it is the ground beef in there and his insistence that he won't eat ground beef. I have to say, I kind of understand the ground meat aversion... I am not a big ground beef person either - unless it is in V's tortierre. But hey, it's what I put in front of him and it was easy.
Since he was polite in his whining (is there such thing as polite whining?) and had eaten all of his carrots I gave on my stance that you will eat what I put in front of you.
AB asked him, "would you like chicken nuggets or a hot dog?"
"Chicken nuggets," Leif replies and then pauses. "And lobster too."
"Yeah Leif," AB replies, "I would rather have lobster than Hamburger Helper too!"
Won't make that mistake again.
Leif is thrilled that he only has one sleep until we head to the water park! We decided we didn't have time this fall to drive to the coast and spend 4-7 days at the cabin unfortunately since AB is doing this engineering rotation. So we decided instead to take one of AB's normal weekends (since he works four 10 hour days, I had to take a day off however) and head to one of the indoor water parks. I picked the newest one that looked like it might have fun things to do outside of the water too (like the longest gondola in the world).
Leif has been counting down to the trip since we spontaneously decided to book it about 10 days ago. (Yes, welcome to my world of being spontaneous...) Ideally, it would have been better to go after October 1. Taking time off before Sept 30th is always a risky maneuver. But I could afford a Friday since most of my projects (for the first time ever) are not fiscal year projects. Waiting to go until after October 1 meant skyrocketing rates and the end of "summer deals".
Leif has watched the video of the place on the computer a few times and is so excited to do the waverider and the slides. I told him I was looking forward to going down the slides with him.
He replies, "well no, I don't think that will work because it might be dangerous".
I told him no, these slides you can go down together.
He said, "I know, I saw it on the movie, but it might be dangerous for you and so I need to go with daddy. And then after that you can go with daddy."
So is he trying to protect me from danger? Or is it like AB says and I am the nurturer, he is the protector.
Later in the evening Leif told me he wanted to just stay at the water park for more than 5 minutes. I told him we would stay for two nights. He would have almost two days there.
He said, "how about always?"
I told him that would be expensive.
His reply was, "but you have 10 monies!"
Later I had put $40 on the counter for AB. Leif picked it up, jumped up and down and said, "oooh, two monies, we can almost stay forever at the water park!"
(In my own head I was thinking, "well you just bought us 6 hours there...")
...
Another Leif funny...
I fixed Hamburger Helper Lasagna the other night. I know, sucky dinner, but when you have very little time to cook, you go with what you can. Leif, however, hates this. Part of it is the ground beef in there and his insistence that he won't eat ground beef. I have to say, I kind of understand the ground meat aversion... I am not a big ground beef person either - unless it is in V's tortierre. But hey, it's what I put in front of him and it was easy.
Since he was polite in his whining (is there such thing as polite whining?) and had eaten all of his carrots I gave on my stance that you will eat what I put in front of you.
AB asked him, "would you like chicken nuggets or a hot dog?"
"Chicken nuggets," Leif replies and then pauses. "And lobster too."
"Yeah Leif," AB replies, "I would rather have lobster than Hamburger Helper too!"
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Holding steady with the goals
I would like to say that the Master bathroom is finished. But we haven't gotten around to the touch-up painting. Of course this is mostly because my attempts at spray painting the cheap shelves I had hanging up in the bathroom failed. AB suggested I just buy new shelves - which is fine. Fine except that I have anchors and screws in the walls to hang these ones.
Anyways, what that means is that I need to yank out the anchors, patch the walls and paint over them. Not really a big deal, but time consuming enough that I haven't gotten to it yet. Might as well do all the touch up painting at once.
I had intended to be done with the Master Bath by the end of Labor Day, but I keep finding little things in the bathroom to work on. I need to recaulk the shower, work on one of the light switches and AB needs to reattach the trim.
So switching gears to my September goal - the Master Bedroom.
Our Master Bedroom needs serious attention. It is just a sorely neglected room as far as decorating and furniture. We don't like our dressers, but don't want to spend the money on a new bedroom set now.
What I did do was to buy new nightstands. We have never had nightstands and instead have some random small tables next to each of our sides of the bed. So I have ordered new nightstands and they should arrive next week!
They were inexpensive (though solid wood - AB might have strung me up by my toes if I bought anymore laminate particle board stuff) - Overstock.com stuff. But they should match the dressers reasonably well - at least in color if not hardware. They will work for now to help organize our bedside areas. Then after we buy a house, move and buy a new bedroom set (with a king sized bed), we can relegate these nightstands to the guest bedroom.
The things I still need for the Master bedroom are a new hamper system. Badly need this. Anyone see any nice, inexpensive hampers out there? And we could also use two matching bedside lamps or sconces. Probably lamps to put on our new nightstands since I have mounted shelves where sconces would go. AB hates the shelves for some reason... truly not sure why. He would trash them and put up lamps. But my shelves hold my huge stack of books to be read.
Since I am so good at plowing through books lately.
Not.
The last thing that needs to be done in the Master bedroom is a coat of paint. It isn't a must, but it would be really nice (and AB agrees in theory) to have the paint color in the bathroom extend into the bedroom.
No way am I finishing all this in September. My summer turned September goals have now become my October goals. Oh well. I am making progress!
I am really looking forward to the kitchen in November. Probably good I am procrastinating that though... because it is going to get pricey. (New floor, pull outs...)
Anyways, what that means is that I need to yank out the anchors, patch the walls and paint over them. Not really a big deal, but time consuming enough that I haven't gotten to it yet. Might as well do all the touch up painting at once.
I had intended to be done with the Master Bath by the end of Labor Day, but I keep finding little things in the bathroom to work on. I need to recaulk the shower, work on one of the light switches and AB needs to reattach the trim.
So switching gears to my September goal - the Master Bedroom.
Our Master Bedroom needs serious attention. It is just a sorely neglected room as far as decorating and furniture. We don't like our dressers, but don't want to spend the money on a new bedroom set now.
What I did do was to buy new nightstands. We have never had nightstands and instead have some random small tables next to each of our sides of the bed. So I have ordered new nightstands and they should arrive next week!
They were inexpensive (though solid wood - AB might have strung me up by my toes if I bought anymore laminate particle board stuff) - Overstock.com stuff. But they should match the dressers reasonably well - at least in color if not hardware. They will work for now to help organize our bedside areas. Then after we buy a house, move and buy a new bedroom set (with a king sized bed), we can relegate these nightstands to the guest bedroom.
The things I still need for the Master bedroom are a new hamper system. Badly need this. Anyone see any nice, inexpensive hampers out there? And we could also use two matching bedside lamps or sconces. Probably lamps to put on our new nightstands since I have mounted shelves where sconces would go. AB hates the shelves for some reason... truly not sure why. He would trash them and put up lamps. But my shelves hold my huge stack of books to be read.
Since I am so good at plowing through books lately.
Not.
The last thing that needs to be done in the Master bedroom is a coat of paint. It isn't a must, but it would be really nice (and AB agrees in theory) to have the paint color in the bathroom extend into the bedroom.
No way am I finishing all this in September. My summer turned September goals have now become my October goals. Oh well. I am making progress!
I am really looking forward to the kitchen in November. Probably good I am procrastinating that though... because it is going to get pricey. (New floor, pull outs...)
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Cupcakes flashback
Tonight as I was reading to Leif before bed I recalled back to elementary school. One of my favorite activities that was held a few times a year was "Cupcake Sale Day".
I should ask my mom more about it. But this was long before cupcakes were haute cuisine. Before shops opened carrying only cupcakes. This was kid stuff and so very much fun.
Everyone made and decorated cupcakes and brought their batch in. They were all decorated differently and the parents split the cupcakes out among many tables in the hallways. A cupcake cost a dime. And we saved styrofoam meat trays (washed, but still now I wonder about how wise that was) for us all to carry them home on covered with a big produce baggie that I worked so hard to keep from mucking up my frosting.
I usually bought six - exactly how many would fit on a styrofoam tray - the maximum we were allowed to buy. Though since my mom was a room mother every year for either my sister or I we always ended up with more cupcakes than that - the leftovers. Leftovers were the ones that were an obviously obscure flavor or weren't usually decorated nicely.
Because as elementary school aged kids, we were ALL about the decorations.
Ours were always so nicely decorated that I had to resist buying our own cupcakes. And then there were the boys that you watched when they walked in with their cupcakes (providing their cupcakes made it in one piece), which were theirs. Because some boys had cooties and you wouldn't dare want to buy one of their cupcakes.
Cupcake sale day was great. So the fundraiser only raised 60 cents per child at most - won't go too far in today's schools. But there wasn't any of the door to door sales stuff. I admit though, I am a sucker for the neighborhood kids selling stuff. I will buy anything that comes to my door because they are most often for a good cause - the kids are in sports or working towards something for their school.
So far this school year I have bought a case of water for to help support a soccer team, a bucket of chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough - that not only do I not need, but can't possibly taste as good as my own - to support a gymnastics team. And I am waiting for the annual gift wrap drives to make their way here. Oh and exactly how many car washes do I really need? This is an anomaly here... I have never lived in a place that had so many charity car washes. And I really hope my children aren't involved in any organization that does this because it really reeks of something unpleasant seeing the preteen girls on the sidewalks begging cars to follow them.
Anyways. Bake sales don't always bring in a lot of business. But our cupcake sales were truly fun... and yummy.
I should ask my mom more about it. But this was long before cupcakes were haute cuisine. Before shops opened carrying only cupcakes. This was kid stuff and so very much fun.
Everyone made and decorated cupcakes and brought their batch in. They were all decorated differently and the parents split the cupcakes out among many tables in the hallways. A cupcake cost a dime. And we saved styrofoam meat trays (washed, but still now I wonder about how wise that was) for us all to carry them home on covered with a big produce baggie that I worked so hard to keep from mucking up my frosting.
I usually bought six - exactly how many would fit on a styrofoam tray - the maximum we were allowed to buy. Though since my mom was a room mother every year for either my sister or I we always ended up with more cupcakes than that - the leftovers. Leftovers were the ones that were an obviously obscure flavor or weren't usually decorated nicely.
Because as elementary school aged kids, we were ALL about the decorations.
Ours were always so nicely decorated that I had to resist buying our own cupcakes. And then there were the boys that you watched when they walked in with their cupcakes (providing their cupcakes made it in one piece), which were theirs. Because some boys had cooties and you wouldn't dare want to buy one of their cupcakes.
Cupcake sale day was great. So the fundraiser only raised 60 cents per child at most - won't go too far in today's schools. But there wasn't any of the door to door sales stuff. I admit though, I am a sucker for the neighborhood kids selling stuff. I will buy anything that comes to my door because they are most often for a good cause - the kids are in sports or working towards something for their school.
So far this school year I have bought a case of water for to help support a soccer team, a bucket of chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough - that not only do I not need, but can't possibly taste as good as my own - to support a gymnastics team. And I am waiting for the annual gift wrap drives to make their way here. Oh and exactly how many car washes do I really need? This is an anomaly here... I have never lived in a place that had so many charity car washes. And I really hope my children aren't involved in any organization that does this because it really reeks of something unpleasant seeing the preteen girls on the sidewalks begging cars to follow them.
Anyways. Bake sales don't always bring in a lot of business. But our cupcake sales were truly fun... and yummy.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Samblich Pie
"Time for bed honey pie!" I called to Leif.
"Why did you call me that?" he asked.
"I always call you that, I like it," I said.
"Well I think you should call me 'samblich pie' instead, okay!" he tells me.
....
Leif lived in his cape the entire weekend. Seriously I am not sure it was off of him for more than an hour for a bike ride. On Saturday Leif went to answer the door as one of his friends was visiting. We opened the door to see the other little boy standing there... also wearing a cape. The caped crusaders played hard.
It was a busy weekend. Skadi and I went to swimming, then we all hit some Parade Homes. We went home for nap and I cooked dinner in preparation for guests.
Sunday our doorbell rang at 9am while we were finishing up breakfast (pumpkin waffles) and it was our babysitter. Only three hours early for her babysitting stint.
"NOON, not NINE!"
AB pointed her towards home and asked her to be back in a few hours.
AB and I had nine homes to finish up on the Parade of Homes route and we decided to tackle that last day sans children. They would rather stay home and play anyways.
Our sitter came back at noon and we chit chatted while AB finished showering. I asked how her trip to the cabin was and she told me she confused the weekends and she is going next weekend.
"Next weekend?" I asked her.
"Mmm hmmm!" she nodded with a mouthful of macaroni and cheese.
"So you aren't going to be able to housesit for me then?" I asked her.
She had that characterizeable blank look on her face for about 20 seconds. Then the bell dinged and she stammered trying to figure it out.
I made her promise that she get back to me asap. In the meantime AB has put plans in motion to just bring Winny along to the condo, which is probably a better option anyways.
I think she has the ding dong, ditzy teenager thing going on. It has been something with every single of the last three scheduled sitting jobs. Her mom is super and I am trying to be uber understanding. But this flightiness has me concerned and unimpressed.
Not to mention the fact that when we got home four hours later she was on the couch with Leif (while Skadi played on the floor) and he exclaimed, "we watched Tarzan, Mulan 2 [which I had put aside unopened in reserve as a reward] AND the Spiderman movie?"
"Spiderman movie?" I inquired with my eyebrow raised.
"Yeah," he wanted to watch it she said.
"It's rated PG I think," I told her.
She looked at me.
"He's four," I reminded her.
Ok, so I remember a babysitter letting my sister and I watch Friday the 13th all the while we declared, "it won't scare me". (HA HA HA HA HA.)
Yeah... our neighbor girl has been put on hold for babysitting pending a little growing up, or something.
So anyways... Parade of Homes. Mediocre. It's a Parade. I want to be wow'd. I wasn't wow'd very often. Only a few houses wow'd me. One we want to buy. Though there are enough little things I would change that I have trouble pulling the trigger. AB a little less so. I am thinking building the same house with a few modifications is more likely.
There were too many homes that were seriously just "open houses" with no decor. That's just a waste of my time.
So anyways. Weekend was good. Busy, but good. I cleaned out my dresser and threw away clothes, made another stack for keep (but not here) and a bigger stack for Goodwill. It was my effort to at least *try* and get started on my September goal before the end of the month. AB rolled his eyes at me when I mentioned the word "paint" this afternoon.
SO maybe my kitchen will be in November...
"Why did you call me that?" he asked.
"I always call you that, I like it," I said.
"Well I think you should call me 'samblich pie' instead, okay!" he tells me.
....
Leif lived in his cape the entire weekend. Seriously I am not sure it was off of him for more than an hour for a bike ride. On Saturday Leif went to answer the door as one of his friends was visiting. We opened the door to see the other little boy standing there... also wearing a cape. The caped crusaders played hard.
It was a busy weekend. Skadi and I went to swimming, then we all hit some Parade Homes. We went home for nap and I cooked dinner in preparation for guests.
Sunday our doorbell rang at 9am while we were finishing up breakfast (pumpkin waffles) and it was our babysitter. Only three hours early for her babysitting stint.
"NOON, not NINE!"
AB pointed her towards home and asked her to be back in a few hours.
AB and I had nine homes to finish up on the Parade of Homes route and we decided to tackle that last day sans children. They would rather stay home and play anyways.
Our sitter came back at noon and we chit chatted while AB finished showering. I asked how her trip to the cabin was and she told me she confused the weekends and she is going next weekend.
"Next weekend?" I asked her.
"Mmm hmmm!" she nodded with a mouthful of macaroni and cheese.
"So you aren't going to be able to housesit for me then?" I asked her.
She had that characterizeable blank look on her face for about 20 seconds. Then the bell dinged and she stammered trying to figure it out.
I made her promise that she get back to me asap. In the meantime AB has put plans in motion to just bring Winny along to the condo, which is probably a better option anyways.
I think she has the ding dong, ditzy teenager thing going on. It has been something with every single of the last three scheduled sitting jobs. Her mom is super and I am trying to be uber understanding. But this flightiness has me concerned and unimpressed.
Not to mention the fact that when we got home four hours later she was on the couch with Leif (while Skadi played on the floor) and he exclaimed, "we watched Tarzan, Mulan 2 [which I had put aside unopened in reserve as a reward] AND the Spiderman movie?"
"Spiderman movie?" I inquired with my eyebrow raised.
"Yeah," he wanted to watch it she said.
"It's rated PG I think," I told her.
She looked at me.
"He's four," I reminded her.
Ok, so I remember a babysitter letting my sister and I watch Friday the 13th all the while we declared, "it won't scare me". (HA HA HA HA HA.)
Yeah... our neighbor girl has been put on hold for babysitting pending a little growing up, or something.
So anyways... Parade of Homes. Mediocre. It's a Parade. I want to be wow'd. I wasn't wow'd very often. Only a few houses wow'd me. One we want to buy. Though there are enough little things I would change that I have trouble pulling the trigger. AB a little less so. I am thinking building the same house with a few modifications is more likely.
There were too many homes that were seriously just "open houses" with no decor. That's just a waste of my time.
So anyways. Weekend was good. Busy, but good. I cleaned out my dresser and threw away clothes, made another stack for keep (but not here) and a bigger stack for Goodwill. It was my effort to at least *try* and get started on my September goal before the end of the month. AB rolled his eyes at me when I mentioned the word "paint" this afternoon.
SO maybe my kitchen will be in November...
Work Wrap Up - (warning, boring post ahead)
It is 9:40pm and I am exhausted. Just plain tired. I had a long, busy week at work. One of those that left me gasping for air by Friday.
It's fiscal year end and for the first time ever I am not going to be scrambling for work at the beginning of October. I am not going to be whining about continuing resolution. I am not going to be hating work. I am going to be enjoying my fall, like fall should be for me. (I love fall. Everything about it.) I am going to be scrambling to get things done and just like in September parsing my hours out over a wide number of charge codes.
My big project is healthy as ever and we are spinning up and off a new team in the next few weeks to look at a new problem that the client has. Three seperate projects under my umbrella and counting. Oh and I love my client. Love her. My sector manager is retiring in two months, which makes me horribly sad as he is one of the greatest people I have had occasion to work with. Sector management is still being "figured out" as a few people are retiring. I am chomping at the bit to see how things shake down.
I have a couple small proof of concept projects that ended this FY and may be picked up by the client this fall. Am I a bad person to hope that they don't? It is work I don't particularly care about doing. Sad when I come home from work and my husband knows and understands more about the project then I do. The proof of concept projects were small peanuts, which in my directorate is more annoying than anything. I am trying not to be the spoiled brat that says, "I don't need what you are offering, so I am not going to do it. Take your toys and go play somewhere else." Yeah, well. Mean and I would get in trouble for doing that. So instead I will smile. And do the work.
I have funded work through a major "work for others" government entity and I think the client might like me to actually do something. The project has been idle pending my "having more time after the first of the fiscal year". I am sitting tight with the project, however, have mentioned to a few key engineers that I may be looking for help after October 1.
Then I have a moderately sized internally funded project that will be going into its second year. I am teamed with a group of people I didn't know before this year, who I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and work with this year. I am looking forward to bringing this project to fruition.
Oh and then my meal ticket client for the last six years - the one that defines the pain of "continuing resolution" - my first funded project right after Leif was born, was renewed for another year. Color me shocked. Anyways, nice to have the meal ticket, but I am excited to be weaning myself off the meal ticket... I think.
It's fiscal year end and for the first time ever I am not going to be scrambling for work at the beginning of October. I am not going to be whining about continuing resolution. I am not going to be hating work. I am going to be enjoying my fall, like fall should be for me. (I love fall. Everything about it.) I am going to be scrambling to get things done and just like in September parsing my hours out over a wide number of charge codes.
My big project is healthy as ever and we are spinning up and off a new team in the next few weeks to look at a new problem that the client has. Three seperate projects under my umbrella and counting. Oh and I love my client. Love her. My sector manager is retiring in two months, which makes me horribly sad as he is one of the greatest people I have had occasion to work with. Sector management is still being "figured out" as a few people are retiring. I am chomping at the bit to see how things shake down.
I have a couple small proof of concept projects that ended this FY and may be picked up by the client this fall. Am I a bad person to hope that they don't? It is work I don't particularly care about doing. Sad when I come home from work and my husband knows and understands more about the project then I do. The proof of concept projects were small peanuts, which in my directorate is more annoying than anything. I am trying not to be the spoiled brat that says, "I don't need what you are offering, so I am not going to do it. Take your toys and go play somewhere else." Yeah, well. Mean and I would get in trouble for doing that. So instead I will smile. And do the work.
I have funded work through a major "work for others" government entity and I think the client might like me to actually do something. The project has been idle pending my "having more time after the first of the fiscal year". I am sitting tight with the project, however, have mentioned to a few key engineers that I may be looking for help after October 1.
Then I have a moderately sized internally funded project that will be going into its second year. I am teamed with a group of people I didn't know before this year, who I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and work with this year. I am looking forward to bringing this project to fruition.
Oh and then my meal ticket client for the last six years - the one that defines the pain of "continuing resolution" - my first funded project right after Leif was born, was renewed for another year. Color me shocked. Anyways, nice to have the meal ticket, but I am excited to be weaning myself off the meal ticket... I think.
1000 Posts
What a milestone! I logged on to post a weekend wrap up, but I couldn't let that be the 1000th post.
I should say something profound.
Or neat.
But I feel like last week sucked my brain out of my head. And the weekend has not returned it. And I am fresh out of blog ideas at the moment.
So instead how about my favorite quote?
"May you always have wine and a friend to drink it with." French proverb.
I should say something profound.
Or neat.
But I feel like last week sucked my brain out of my head. And the weekend has not returned it. And I am fresh out of blog ideas at the moment.
So instead how about my favorite quote?
"May you always have wine and a friend to drink it with." French proverb.
When you don't have much to say...
Blog with photos.
Skadi loves her "nay-nay".
Ok, so it is really Leif's horsey - and he reminds us of this fact regularly. But you can imagine how often he rides it...
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
For my mom
NM: "Leif put your glasses on."
Leif: "No mommy, my glasses have a problem."
NM: "What kind of problem?"
Leif: "They weren't washed today."
Leif: "No mommy, my glasses have a problem."
NM: "What kind of problem?"
Leif: "They weren't washed today."
He gets it from me.
Leif: "Mommy I am going to tell you a joke ok?"
NM: "Ok Leif."
Leif: "What did the car on top of the house say?"
NM: "I don't know Leif what did the car on top of the house say?"
Leif: (Silence.)
NM: "What did the car say honey?"
Leif: "That was the joke mommy. The car on top of the house is funny!"
NM: "Ok Leif."
Leif: "What did the car on top of the house say?"
NM: "I don't know Leif what did the car on top of the house say?"
Leif: (Silence.)
NM: "What did the car say honey?"
Leif: "That was the joke mommy. The car on top of the house is funny!"
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
He won't smile for me...
But he couldn't resist smiling at getting to ride the train - up front - and ring the bell. The.entire.time.
Thanks Andy!
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Happy girl, cranky boy
I could have had hundreds of pictures of my girl today. She had a spectacular nap and was all smiles, all day long. When she has a good day, it is great, when she has a bad day... well let's just say we all know it.
Then there was cranky pot boy. He was unhappy with me that we left the train at the park (after two rides, one where he got to ring the bell and ride up front) and nothing was right with the world after that.
Here he was telling me no pictures. I listen really well, don't I?
Then there was cranky pot boy. He was unhappy with me that we left the train at the park (after two rides, one where he got to ring the bell and ride up front) and nothing was right with the world after that.
Here he was telling me no pictures. I listen really well, don't I?
When he figured out I wasn't listening, it became a game. You can almost see the grin here...
Leif's glasses
I really have been trying to get a picture of him with his glasses on. He is in a no picture taking mood lately. I did finally snap this really poorly lit picture of him today.
Skadi-ism
The hat. She loves her hat.
Ok, so this one is mine. She can't tell the difference between the two - they are different only really in size, and that mind has a fold up brim. But she found my hat this afternoon and played in the yard all afternoon with it on and after dinner went for a walk with it on.
Yes, her little halter sun suit (it was like 85 degrees today) and a knit beanie.
*Click*
My mom used to always say my sister and I did it on purpose, we liked opposite things just to annoy her. If my sister liked pickles, I didn't (and still don't). If I like mushrooms, she did not. The list goes on... and on and on.
Evidence that this was not purposeful (beyond just saying it) can be seen with my kids. My kids aren't old enough to make decisions to be different from the other. And in fact, the are at that age where they more often strive to be the same. However, Leif (my once self declared vegetarian who now eats a little meat and chicken in addition to his beloved salami that he never surrendered) since he started on solids loved fruits, vegetables and carbs. Skadi, on the other hand, is a protein girl. The one thing they agree on though is rice. Rice, rice and more rice for my kids.
Leif still loves his fruit and vegetables. I am not bragging that he asks for fruit for every snack. Because he also asks for it at every meal. We plow through a lot of fruit and have had no problems getting rid of fruit from our fruit trees and raspberry canes this year.
Skadi makes awful faces and refuses fruit in all forms except for bananas and canned peaches. All summer I have worked to get a fresh raspberry into her mouth to no avail.
We went on a walk this afternoon and AB stuck a few plums in his pocket from the tree. He handed Leif and I each one on the walk and we immediately started into them. Skadi looked at us like she was completely left out.
AB handed her one and I waited for her to scream, "BALL!" and throw it. She didn't. She bit it.
And she kept biting it. She ate it!
And we rejoiced.
For dinner? We had salmon, fingerling potatoes and broccolini. We could count on Leif to eat the potatoes and broccolini while making up excuses not to eat the fish.
But we were really in awe of Skadi as she plowed through four stalks of broccolini and her potatoes as well as the one vegetable she normally eats (canned carrots).
It was like the produce button clicked in her head this evening and we are so very thrilled!
Now if the fruit snacks button will just click off. We are horribly tired of 20 minute tantrums when we decline her request for "more" while pointing at the fruit snacks.
Evidence that this was not purposeful (beyond just saying it) can be seen with my kids. My kids aren't old enough to make decisions to be different from the other. And in fact, the are at that age where they more often strive to be the same. However, Leif (my once self declared vegetarian who now eats a little meat and chicken in addition to his beloved salami that he never surrendered) since he started on solids loved fruits, vegetables and carbs. Skadi, on the other hand, is a protein girl. The one thing they agree on though is rice. Rice, rice and more rice for my kids.
Leif still loves his fruit and vegetables. I am not bragging that he asks for fruit for every snack. Because he also asks for it at every meal. We plow through a lot of fruit and have had no problems getting rid of fruit from our fruit trees and raspberry canes this year.
Skadi makes awful faces and refuses fruit in all forms except for bananas and canned peaches. All summer I have worked to get a fresh raspberry into her mouth to no avail.
We went on a walk this afternoon and AB stuck a few plums in his pocket from the tree. He handed Leif and I each one on the walk and we immediately started into them. Skadi looked at us like she was completely left out.
AB handed her one and I waited for her to scream, "BALL!" and throw it. She didn't. She bit it.
And she kept biting it. She ate it!
And we rejoiced.
For dinner? We had salmon, fingerling potatoes and broccolini. We could count on Leif to eat the potatoes and broccolini while making up excuses not to eat the fish.
But we were really in awe of Skadi as she plowed through four stalks of broccolini and her potatoes as well as the one vegetable she normally eats (canned carrots).
It was like the produce button clicked in her head this evening and we are so very thrilled!
Now if the fruit snacks button will just click off. We are horribly tired of 20 minute tantrums when we decline her request for "more" while pointing at the fruit snacks.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Where have I gone wrong?
Thankfully I have been having a conversation on my discussion board recently with other moms of boys that makes me believe that I haven't messed up THAT bad.
One thing with raising kids that AB had to compromise on, that I stood strong was that our kids would never have toy guns. The line has to be drawn somewhere and so I chose to draw the line in between toy guns and water guns. Water guns are fine, toy guns are not.
As Leif has gotten more into Star Wars I had another decision to face. That Princess Leia action figure? The one with the gun? Is that ok? I gave on those too. They are an inch long and usually lost within a week. I could deal.
Gun talk at school is strictly forbidden and so I felt like I had backup there. AB all along has said, "boys will play guns no matter what, you aren't going to change that". My retort has always been, "then they can do it with their imaginations and invent their own". Which Leif has done.
I don't mind swords or lightsabers so much - except when they are used on his unarmed sister. The lightsabers have been in time out for awhile now. Maybe even months. Leif will have to do something pretty extraordinary to release them from their confines in the top of my closet. Until then the foam swords (that frequently also land in time out) he picked out with his gift card from grandpa are just fine.
Today on the way home from work I handed Leif a costume catalog turned open to the Star Wars page. I have dreams of little Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi walking down the street together. We have Yoda and it will fit Skadi and is just too perfect for her. Leif would make a perfect Obi Wan. Or Anakin. Ok, I will even pay for the Darth Vadar costume to make this work.
"Oooooh!" Leif swooned. "Look at that costume with the gun, that is SO cool!"
I cringed.
"Guns are not cool," I said.
Leif swooned some more. And some more. Then he started turning the pages and pointing out every costume with a gun.
Okay okay... if I want my Star Wars dream Halloween it may end up being Bobba Fet and Yoda. (Rolling my eyes.) Though in the next few weeks while there is still time, I am going to push as hard as possible, reminding him that if he is Anakin, Obi Wan or Darth he gets his lightsabers out of time out.
One thing with raising kids that AB had to compromise on, that I stood strong was that our kids would never have toy guns. The line has to be drawn somewhere and so I chose to draw the line in between toy guns and water guns. Water guns are fine, toy guns are not.
As Leif has gotten more into Star Wars I had another decision to face. That Princess Leia action figure? The one with the gun? Is that ok? I gave on those too. They are an inch long and usually lost within a week. I could deal.
Gun talk at school is strictly forbidden and so I felt like I had backup there. AB all along has said, "boys will play guns no matter what, you aren't going to change that". My retort has always been, "then they can do it with their imaginations and invent their own". Which Leif has done.
I don't mind swords or lightsabers so much - except when they are used on his unarmed sister. The lightsabers have been in time out for awhile now. Maybe even months. Leif will have to do something pretty extraordinary to release them from their confines in the top of my closet. Until then the foam swords (that frequently also land in time out) he picked out with his gift card from grandpa are just fine.
Today on the way home from work I handed Leif a costume catalog turned open to the Star Wars page. I have dreams of little Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi walking down the street together. We have Yoda and it will fit Skadi and is just too perfect for her. Leif would make a perfect Obi Wan. Or Anakin. Ok, I will even pay for the Darth Vadar costume to make this work.
"Oooooh!" Leif swooned. "Look at that costume with the gun, that is SO cool!"
I cringed.
"Guns are not cool," I said.
Leif swooned some more. And some more. Then he started turning the pages and pointing out every costume with a gun.
Okay okay... if I want my Star Wars dream Halloween it may end up being Bobba Fet and Yoda. (Rolling my eyes.) Though in the next few weeks while there is still time, I am going to push as hard as possible, reminding him that if he is Anakin, Obi Wan or Darth he gets his lightsabers out of time out.
A new dinner option
I am always looking for new dinner ideas. For me it is good if it is reasonably healthy, quick to make and my kids eat it. Here is one from last night that the kids and AB gave a thumbs up to:
Chicken Sausage Lettuce Wraps
(Time to table 25 minutes.)
Aidell's Teriyaki and Pineapple Chicken Meatballs (available at our Costco - I bought them for the first time after the kids chowed them at one of their demo stations.)
Cooked Rice Noodles (also called MaiFun and available in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
Red and yellow bell pepper strips
Carrots, julienned
Romaine Lettuce
Dipping Sauce:
1 part soy sauce
1 part water
1 part rice vinegar
Scoop of chili garlic sauce (Sambal Oleek) to taste
Diced fresh cayenne (if you are like AB and like to sweat while eating)
Assemble as lettuce wraps.
My kids don't do lettuce yet, so they got the meatballs, the vegie strips and rice. My kids have a serious thing going on with rice lately and I am loving the Uncle Bens Ready Rice (90 second microwave packets) in different varieties for them. Leftovers go in lunches the next day.
Chicken Sausage Lettuce Wraps
(Time to table 25 minutes.)
Aidell's Teriyaki and Pineapple Chicken Meatballs (available at our Costco - I bought them for the first time after the kids chowed them at one of their demo stations.)
Cooked Rice Noodles (also called MaiFun and available in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
Red and yellow bell pepper strips
Carrots, julienned
Romaine Lettuce
Dipping Sauce:
1 part soy sauce
1 part water
1 part rice vinegar
Scoop of chili garlic sauce (Sambal Oleek) to taste
Diced fresh cayenne (if you are like AB and like to sweat while eating)
Assemble as lettuce wraps.
My kids don't do lettuce yet, so they got the meatballs, the vegie strips and rice. My kids have a serious thing going on with rice lately and I am loving the Uncle Bens Ready Rice (90 second microwave packets) in different varieties for them. Leftovers go in lunches the next day.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Weekend Wrap Up
AB and I enjoyed four full days off. The poor kids only got three days off, but both were ready to get back by last night. I asked Skadi if she wanted to go to school this morning and she nodded her head wildly. Let's just hope her teacher isn't about ready to boot her by the end of the day - she is trying to push through her last two teeth (as opposed to molars - she still has four of those left to go for a full mouthful) and is a little bear. Her nights have been misery and AB and I have resigned ourselves to one of us just jumping in the extra queen sized bed (currently residing in her nursery) with her to get her back to bed. Sucky habit I know, but we all (including Leif) get more sleep that way. Oh and she IS a cuddler.
After four days off, AB and I were both ready to get back to work. AB started a new position within his same company today. He passed his EIT/FE exam awhile back, his manager braggardly opened his mouth to some of the other managers and shortly after AB was invited to float around a few other groups and find a place where he is happy (not that he isn't) and feels like he will fit long, long term. His manager is the meantime left regretting having bragged about him passing his exam.
Me? I am ready to have a day at work where I don't have 24 lbs hanging around my neck that screams wildly when put down. It's no wonder when I jump on my treadmill to run lately I surprise myself how far I can go before panting and dropping to the ground. She really has been giving me a workout.
So the big news of the weekend is finishing my Master Bath off. For the most part at least. Little details remain like recaulking the shower, sticking the trim back on, figuring out how awful my spray paint job on the shelves went and whether or not I am going to put them back on the wall or not (AB votes for not) and buying new rugs. My bathroom rugs are old and I want some pretty ones, but AB suggests that I wait until we are ready to list the house since my son's aim is pitiful.
I am starting to look towards my Master bedroom planning out my attack. Storage, I need lots of it. Ideally I want to sell our two dressers and put the money towards a new bedroom set. Realistically I need to purge the dresser contents, replace the hardware that has fallen off and deal with it until we move. The walls will need to be painted. It shouldn't (in theory) be a big job. Now October when I hit the kitchen? THAT will be a big job. Maybe I should save the money that would go towards a bedroom set for a new kitchen floor instead.
AB and I started our fall ritual of dealing with food. Leif and AB put what seemed like hundreds of tomatoes through our food mill (it was horribly entertaining for a four year old) and then AB cooked down the purree to about 3 gallons. Then froze it so we can tackle spaghetti sauce another weekend.
I cooked down our Merlot grapes to about 2 gallons of ridiculously sweet juice. Cabernet grapes will be in a few weeks - and I am scared. I took a look at the vine last night and I estimate that I have at least two to three times as many Cab grapes than I did Merlot. AB asked me what I am going to do with the juice other than take up valuable freezer space. Jelly maybe? Sorbet? Sherbet? Maybe all three. My MIL, however, was disappointed to hear that I have no plans to make wine. I don't know... maybe I should try? Maybe it would be a good experiment and a quick way to use up all the juice. Though I am with Andy on this one... why should I make wine when I have the stuff the pros make in my backyard?
I made a big double batch of pumpkin, chocolate chip bread. Recipe courtesy of VG... (who I really wish would start blogging again... she cracks me up and I could use the athletic motivation). Anyways, I ended up with two large loaves and four minis. Though it was good I got it into the freezer (yes another thing in the freezer) quickly. Both my kids will devour the stuff. (I am blaming them 100%, they aren't here to defend themselves or point fingers.)
I had every intention of making and freezing a few nectarine pies - but our freezer is full of grape and tomato stuff. And the kids were starting to look a little pale and neglected like they had seen one too many movie. So instead we jumped in the car with the dog and headed to the park for a play and a short hike in the foothills. It was good for us all as opposed to nectarine pie that only tastes really good.
After four days off, AB and I were both ready to get back to work. AB started a new position within his same company today. He passed his EIT/FE exam awhile back, his manager braggardly opened his mouth to some of the other managers and shortly after AB was invited to float around a few other groups and find a place where he is happy (not that he isn't) and feels like he will fit long, long term. His manager is the meantime left regretting having bragged about him passing his exam.
Me? I am ready to have a day at work where I don't have 24 lbs hanging around my neck that screams wildly when put down. It's no wonder when I jump on my treadmill to run lately I surprise myself how far I can go before panting and dropping to the ground. She really has been giving me a workout.
So the big news of the weekend is finishing my Master Bath off. For the most part at least. Little details remain like recaulking the shower, sticking the trim back on, figuring out how awful my spray paint job on the shelves went and whether or not I am going to put them back on the wall or not (AB votes for not) and buying new rugs. My bathroom rugs are old and I want some pretty ones, but AB suggests that I wait until we are ready to list the house since my son's aim is pitiful.
I am starting to look towards my Master bedroom planning out my attack. Storage, I need lots of it. Ideally I want to sell our two dressers and put the money towards a new bedroom set. Realistically I need to purge the dresser contents, replace the hardware that has fallen off and deal with it until we move. The walls will need to be painted. It shouldn't (in theory) be a big job. Now October when I hit the kitchen? THAT will be a big job. Maybe I should save the money that would go towards a bedroom set for a new kitchen floor instead.
AB and I started our fall ritual of dealing with food. Leif and AB put what seemed like hundreds of tomatoes through our food mill (it was horribly entertaining for a four year old) and then AB cooked down the purree to about 3 gallons. Then froze it so we can tackle spaghetti sauce another weekend.
I cooked down our Merlot grapes to about 2 gallons of ridiculously sweet juice. Cabernet grapes will be in a few weeks - and I am scared. I took a look at the vine last night and I estimate that I have at least two to three times as many Cab grapes than I did Merlot. AB asked me what I am going to do with the juice other than take up valuable freezer space. Jelly maybe? Sorbet? Sherbet? Maybe all three. My MIL, however, was disappointed to hear that I have no plans to make wine. I don't know... maybe I should try? Maybe it would be a good experiment and a quick way to use up all the juice. Though I am with Andy on this one... why should I make wine when I have the stuff the pros make in my backyard?
I made a big double batch of pumpkin, chocolate chip bread. Recipe courtesy of VG... (who I really wish would start blogging again... she cracks me up and I could use the athletic motivation). Anyways, I ended up with two large loaves and four minis. Though it was good I got it into the freezer (yes another thing in the freezer) quickly. Both my kids will devour the stuff. (I am blaming them 100%, they aren't here to defend themselves or point fingers.)
I had every intention of making and freezing a few nectarine pies - but our freezer is full of grape and tomato stuff. And the kids were starting to look a little pale and neglected like they had seen one too many movie. So instead we jumped in the car with the dog and headed to the park for a play and a short hike in the foothills. It was good for us all as opposed to nectarine pie that only tastes really good.
Yay Buffs!
Leif called Bompa during the Buffs game the other night.
"We are watching the Buffaloes soccer game," he said.
"Football!" I whispered to him!
"I mean football!" he said.
And the Buffs didn't disappoint! 38-17 over the Rams.
"We are watching the Buffaloes soccer game," he said.
"Football!" I whispered to him!
"I mean football!" he said.
And the Buffs didn't disappoint! 38-17 over the Rams.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Welcome to my sanctuary
For at least the next five hours before it is reinundated with kids bath toys, AB's clothes and little boy underwear.
Bathrooms are hard to photograph, so bear with me. And don't pay attention to any little blobs of paint, I am off to touch up after I post these, but I didn't want to wait.
Ok, so one thing I am still not fond of is the maple cabinetry and trim. If *I* was planning to be in the house long term, then *I* would paint the trim antique white.
The shower area. AB still has to attach the new trim. He has it cut, but I insisted on painting before attaching trim. He will get to it after making spaghetti sauce, fertilizing the yard, dealing with hundreds of ripe nectarines and fixing dinner. (Yes, I am the one sitting here blogging...)
For posterity purposes... before it is littered with bath toys and various tints of bathwater and bubbles. It is calling my name... with a glass of wine... maybe the kids can bathe one more night in the small tub...
Bathrooms are hard to photograph, so bear with me. And don't pay attention to any little blobs of paint, I am off to touch up after I post these, but I didn't want to wait.
Here is the entry to the Master Suite:
Look to the left and that's our Master bath. The closet is the archway to the right.
Ok, so one thing I am still not fond of is the maple cabinetry and trim. If *I* was planning to be in the house long term, then *I* would paint the trim antique white.
The shower area. AB still has to attach the new trim. He has it cut, but I insisted on painting before attaching trim. He will get to it after making spaghetti sauce, fertilizing the yard, dealing with hundreds of ripe nectarines and fixing dinner. (Yes, I am the one sitting here blogging...)
For posterity purposes... before it is littered with bath toys and various tints of bathwater and bubbles. It is calling my name... with a glass of wine... maybe the kids can bathe one more night in the small tub...
Saturday, August 30, 2008
I love having a little girl.
Not to rub it in for those of you who have boys. I love my son. But I am lovin' my little girl right now.
Look at how coy she can be...
Then the grin breaks through...
She is perfecting her "what me?" look here.
But it's that grin... that little girl grin.
And she loves her puppy dog too.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Grapes, grapes and more grapes
We started harvesting our Merlot grapes this evening. Started... it is only one vine, but we have been inundated! No plums, not many cherries, but we got the grapes!
Skadi... not so sure about these things...
Oooh! Sweeeet!
I had to bribe him for this picture. He didn't want to hold THESE grapes. Not the ones *I* picked.
Nope, he wanted to hold THESE grapes. The ones HE picked.
Finally we reached a compromise:
Now... what to do with all these grapes. They will become juice tomorrow. I know, those clusters don't look like that much. I am talking about the bucket off to the side that I (foolishly) didn't take a picture of and the remaining bunches left on the vines ready to come off when I am feeling like it this weekend.
A day
AB convinced me to take the day off. Take the day off and drop the kids at daycare/preschool.
He did great at convincing me, I cleared my schedule. Then *I* dictated the task list.
Paint. We painted and painted.
AB went and picked up paint this morning after dropping the kids (while I ran on the treadmill - love that thing - and then started taping off the bathroom). After the drop off he went to Home Depot and came home with paint AND a power roller. Figuring that at minimum we have the Master Bath to paint, our hallway to the garage and *maybe* (if you talk to AB) but *certainly* (if you talk to me) the Master Bedroom, and more likely we will be painting the interior of a new home eventually.
We worked our tail off in the bathroom and got a good amount done, probably 2/3's done?
Leif thinks we just started destroying the room for some reason and hopes we might plan to put it back together someday so he can take a "Big Bath".
After we were completely sick of painting we cleaned up and AB kept his promise to take me out to lunch.
Lunch ended up being about 3:30pm and we were a touch crunched for time to get the kids. Tagaris has a freaky limited menu between lunch and dinner and so we ventured to Bookwalter and drank wine and ordered plates after plates of tapa style and antipasto plates.
We were starved.
And we never go out just the two of us anymore. We had to live it up.
And their wines were quite tastey.
It was a good day off, well worth my 8 hour expenditure.
He did great at convincing me, I cleared my schedule. Then *I* dictated the task list.
Paint. We painted and painted.
AB went and picked up paint this morning after dropping the kids (while I ran on the treadmill - love that thing - and then started taping off the bathroom). After the drop off he went to Home Depot and came home with paint AND a power roller. Figuring that at minimum we have the Master Bath to paint, our hallway to the garage and *maybe* (if you talk to AB) but *certainly* (if you talk to me) the Master Bedroom, and more likely we will be painting the interior of a new home eventually.
We worked our tail off in the bathroom and got a good amount done, probably 2/3's done?
Leif thinks we just started destroying the room for some reason and hopes we might plan to put it back together someday so he can take a "Big Bath".
After we were completely sick of painting we cleaned up and AB kept his promise to take me out to lunch.
Lunch ended up being about 3:30pm and we were a touch crunched for time to get the kids. Tagaris has a freaky limited menu between lunch and dinner and so we ventured to Bookwalter and drank wine and ordered plates after plates of tapa style and antipasto plates.
We were starved.
And we never go out just the two of us anymore. We had to live it up.
And their wines were quite tastey.
It was a good day off, well worth my 8 hour expenditure.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Daddy's girl
Skadi has a voice that carries. She isn't a soft, meek child. She belts out exactly what she wants.
And most of the time, exactly what she wants is "DADA!"
A few recent evenings when I have been putting her to sleep she pops up and asks for daddy. She is quite insistant that he come in and put her to bed.
The other day when we met some of AB's work friends at the river he took off on a jetski with Leif. She sat on deck of the boat yelling for "DADA" much of the time he was gone.
This morning she brought me the telephone, handed it to me and said, "dada". (She didn't scream it thankfully.)
I called AB and then made a fatal flaw... I didn't immediately hand the phone back to her, I talked to AB. She let out a wail then and AB was certain I was phoning to tell him what a horrible morning I was having. Actually I wasn't. It was a good morning, until I didn't surrender the phone immediately.
She told him what a cow says, what a pig says, babbled a little and then said, "dada" a few times.
I think AB's heart has been stolen.
And most of the time, exactly what she wants is "DADA!"
A few recent evenings when I have been putting her to sleep she pops up and asks for daddy. She is quite insistant that he come in and put her to bed.
The other day when we met some of AB's work friends at the river he took off on a jetski with Leif. She sat on deck of the boat yelling for "DADA" much of the time he was gone.
This morning she brought me the telephone, handed it to me and said, "dada". (She didn't scream it thankfully.)
I called AB and then made a fatal flaw... I didn't immediately hand the phone back to her, I talked to AB. She let out a wail then and AB was certain I was phoning to tell him what a horrible morning I was having. Actually I wasn't. It was a good morning, until I didn't surrender the phone immediately.
She told him what a cow says, what a pig says, babbled a little and then said, "dada" a few times.
I think AB's heart has been stolen.
Shopping bug
I have had a little shopping thing going on the past few weeks. It all started with my girls trip to Colorado. I successfully reigned myself in there knowing that whatever I bought had to be carried back in my one bag or in a carry on.
I suppose I have recently felt the need to make up for my lack of clothes shopping there. Or maybe it is just the fall bug that hits me screaming "buy new clothes!" Is it a leftover issue I carry with my from childhood? It's time to start school again, so we buy new clothes! Or is it just my lack of desire to wear the clothes I wore last year?
And for the first time in my life I am having closet storage issues. I suppose I should purge my clothes before buying new.
My favorite online store ever, Sundance, is having a clearance sale. The clothes arrived Saturday, so now I can officially rave, now that I know I don't need to go back and buy more. Pants that were made for me. Seriously. Or at least they feel that way.
Then my partner in shopping enabling sent me a link to some cute shirts at Sierra.
And I finally got the swimsuit from Athleta that I ordered at the end of July, enabling courtesy of V there. Not Athleta's fault the original suit never arrived, apparently the suit just had grander plans of wandering around West Richland instead of actually landing at my house.
I am trying to resist a pair of Merrell Plaza Bandeau's that I swear are phoning me as I type.
The temperature here has dropped recently and so all those cute strappy sundresses and sleeveless tops I bought for my daughter have a finite lifetime. My shopping bug did not stop with me. Gymboree's Circle of Friends sale saved me from having to pay full price for fall clothes for her and also filled my Gymbucks bank up again.
And apprently she is also going to need new shoes soon. We will have to see if I can pry the Keen's from her feet. There might be tears involved.
Leif is fully stocked on fall clothes since his growth is ridiculously predictable and I stocked up on clearance stuff for him last spring. He did however, score new shoes a week or so ago as well as browsed the PBKids catalog last night and put in requests for Star Wars sheets and the butterfly Halloween costume. (Over the shark... seriously.)
My husband? Shopping for him? He looks at me a little blankly when I asked him if he needed anything while I just so happened to be placing an order at Sierra. His response? I need new insoles for my shoes. I suppose it's good he balances me out a little.
I suppose I have recently felt the need to make up for my lack of clothes shopping there. Or maybe it is just the fall bug that hits me screaming "buy new clothes!" Is it a leftover issue I carry with my from childhood? It's time to start school again, so we buy new clothes! Or is it just my lack of desire to wear the clothes I wore last year?
And for the first time in my life I am having closet storage issues. I suppose I should purge my clothes before buying new.
My favorite online store ever, Sundance, is having a clearance sale. The clothes arrived Saturday, so now I can officially rave, now that I know I don't need to go back and buy more. Pants that were made for me. Seriously. Or at least they feel that way.
Then my partner in shopping enabling sent me a link to some cute shirts at Sierra.
And I finally got the swimsuit from Athleta that I ordered at the end of July, enabling courtesy of V there. Not Athleta's fault the original suit never arrived, apparently the suit just had grander plans of wandering around West Richland instead of actually landing at my house.
I am trying to resist a pair of Merrell Plaza Bandeau's that I swear are phoning me as I type.
The temperature here has dropped recently and so all those cute strappy sundresses and sleeveless tops I bought for my daughter have a finite lifetime. My shopping bug did not stop with me. Gymboree's Circle of Friends sale saved me from having to pay full price for fall clothes for her and also filled my Gymbucks bank up again.
And apprently she is also going to need new shoes soon. We will have to see if I can pry the Keen's from her feet. There might be tears involved.
Leif is fully stocked on fall clothes since his growth is ridiculously predictable and I stocked up on clearance stuff for him last spring. He did however, score new shoes a week or so ago as well as browsed the PBKids catalog last night and put in requests for Star Wars sheets and the butterfly Halloween costume. (Over the shark... seriously.)
My husband? Shopping for him? He looks at me a little blankly when I asked him if he needed anything while I just so happened to be placing an order at Sierra. His response? I need new insoles for my shoes. I suppose it's good he balances me out a little.
Monday, August 25, 2008
My real issue with the dentist
You know by now that I have a long history with dentists. Extractions, a head gear, a bionator, braces, retainers, and two sets of bridges later... well you can understand my loathing of the dentist. Today I had an old amalgam filling replaced that had seen better days.
Amalgam... must have been REALLY old since amalgam is one of my husband's annoyances. Before we were even married he insisted we pay extra for the composite fillings. Now they are just standard thankfully, but he mentions pretty regularly (like tonight) our need to get all our amalgam fillings replaced with composite. But I digress.
I am used to the routine. I am used to the smells, the grinding, the shots in the roof of my mouth, the gagging x-rays... You get the idea. I am used to it.
I actually don't have poor quality teeth as far as decay (thankfully). My issues go to placement of teeth and lack of teeth in the right places.
I don't particularly like any of the above listed things, but I am used to them.
What really bugs me about the dentist?
Having that dang plastic backed napkin thing against my neck.
My hygienist at least folds it so the raw edge isn't against my neck, tickling and annoying the crap out of me. But the folded edge isn't that much better.
As the dentist works I have learned to hold the napkin down so it doesn't rub against my apparently ultra-sensitive neck. I am sure the think me a little nuts when they have to yank it out of my hands to wipe some random tool on it.
There, now that that is off my chest (pun intended) I can go to bed.
Amalgam... must have been REALLY old since amalgam is one of my husband's annoyances. Before we were even married he insisted we pay extra for the composite fillings. Now they are just standard thankfully, but he mentions pretty regularly (like tonight) our need to get all our amalgam fillings replaced with composite. But I digress.
I am used to the routine. I am used to the smells, the grinding, the shots in the roof of my mouth, the gagging x-rays... You get the idea. I am used to it.
I actually don't have poor quality teeth as far as decay (thankfully). My issues go to placement of teeth and lack of teeth in the right places.
I don't particularly like any of the above listed things, but I am used to them.
What really bugs me about the dentist?
Having that dang plastic backed napkin thing against my neck.
My hygienist at least folds it so the raw edge isn't against my neck, tickling and annoying the crap out of me. But the folded edge isn't that much better.
As the dentist works I have learned to hold the napkin down so it doesn't rub against my apparently ultra-sensitive neck. I am sure the think me a little nuts when they have to yank it out of my hands to wipe some random tool on it.
There, now that that is off my chest (pun intended) I can go to bed.
The monthly goals
So back at the first of the year I decided that my "resolutions" would be monthly goals instead. I would tackle one room a month working my way around the house to get the house ready to sell, collect items for garage sale and also an attempt at organization.
Summers are horribly busy for us and so starting in May I decided I would have a summer goal to tackle my Master Suite.
Summer is all but over and weather is even starting to cool significantly here, but last weekend I spent a good portion of the day working in the Master bathroom.
AB has a substantial portion of this task as well as he has to replace some trim, do a little plaster work where we had a bit of water damage from a leaky shower and then the joint task is to paint.
When I told AB I wanted to get moving on my bathroom goal this last weekend I never expected him to actually start and that he would be the one prompting me to get out and buy paint on Sunday (while I was hoping for a day of quiet mulling around the house). He had afterall cut the trim for install on Friday and was chomping at the bit to get that in apparently.
We decided on colors in record time. A cocoa brown with an antique white. We went and bought quarts. Then I diverted us over to Target to pick up a few more organizational items for the bathroom.
Sunday afternoon AB suggested we "slap" some paint on the wall to confirm we like the colors. (Our routine after a near miss with orange in the kitchen that turned out to be carnation pink in the sunlight.) Leif got to help... which means I followed with a wet washcloth since we hadn't actually put down drop cloths yet. An hour later and the ceiling of the toilet/shower area as well as one wall was painted.
I am loving the colors. It matches our tile and ugly needs-to-be-replaced linoleum.
I even think AB has convinced me to take Friday off from work so that we can tackle the room together and finish it completely that day sans kiddos and get it done - still leaving us our 3-day Labor Day weekend. My caveat to taking that day is that he has to take me out to lunch somewhere fabulous.
In the meantime I am left wondering what has come over my husband.
Once the painting is done I need to spray paint a few shelves that are now cedar colored, white that I will return to the wall, return items to their places and my Master bathroom, closet and linen closet (that I finished on Sunday) will be complete! Pictures after next weekend
Master bedroom will be September... it's still warm in September... I am not that far behind schedule.
Summers are horribly busy for us and so starting in May I decided I would have a summer goal to tackle my Master Suite.
Summer is all but over and weather is even starting to cool significantly here, but last weekend I spent a good portion of the day working in the Master bathroom.
AB has a substantial portion of this task as well as he has to replace some trim, do a little plaster work where we had a bit of water damage from a leaky shower and then the joint task is to paint.
When I told AB I wanted to get moving on my bathroom goal this last weekend I never expected him to actually start and that he would be the one prompting me to get out and buy paint on Sunday (while I was hoping for a day of quiet mulling around the house). He had afterall cut the trim for install on Friday and was chomping at the bit to get that in apparently.
We decided on colors in record time. A cocoa brown with an antique white. We went and bought quarts. Then I diverted us over to Target to pick up a few more organizational items for the bathroom.
Sunday afternoon AB suggested we "slap" some paint on the wall to confirm we like the colors. (Our routine after a near miss with orange in the kitchen that turned out to be carnation pink in the sunlight.) Leif got to help... which means I followed with a wet washcloth since we hadn't actually put down drop cloths yet. An hour later and the ceiling of the toilet/shower area as well as one wall was painted.
I am loving the colors. It matches our tile and ugly needs-to-be-replaced linoleum.
I even think AB has convinced me to take Friday off from work so that we can tackle the room together and finish it completely that day sans kiddos and get it done - still leaving us our 3-day Labor Day weekend. My caveat to taking that day is that he has to take me out to lunch somewhere fabulous.
In the meantime I am left wondering what has come over my husband.
Once the painting is done I need to spray paint a few shelves that are now cedar colored, white that I will return to the wall, return items to their places and my Master bathroom, closet and linen closet (that I finished on Sunday) will be complete! Pictures after next weekend
Master bedroom will be September... it's still warm in September... I am not that far behind schedule.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Putting the pieces together
The past few months Leif's new teachers have been working hard at assessing him. He is a young second year preschooler and an older first year preschooler. Given these constraints they have worked hard to figure out exactly where he falls, where he might be having problems and to get to the roots of some of the issues we have been seeing.
I admit that I feel like I am wandering around in the dark right now. I have never had a little boy, never been a little boy, never even grown up around little boys. AB and I kept saying, "he's just a typical four year old boy".
However, Leif's teachers interact with a lot more four year old little boys than me (thankfully) and they didn't seem quite so convinced.
His teacher recently noted a few things in her testing of him. When looking at things, Leif needs to touch them. He is a very "sensoral" child. Leif also recently started refusing to do particular work like finger tracing and counting small items. I have had a number of recent conversations with his teachers in an effort to try and figure out if this is just immaturity or some sort of attention deficit (to which I cringed). As a first path forward, she suggested an eye exam.
To this point Leif has not had an eye exam as we never really saw the need. He has eagle eyes and can spot things far away quite well. I scheduled the exam so I could knock off one check mark.
This morning at 9:30am we went into the eye doctor. I never quite understand what optometrists are doing as they flip the lenses around and look. He could identify the top level of characters, but was hit or miss with the second level. I thought it was just obstinance, honestly.
They ended up going back and dilating his eyes, which maybe should have been my tipoff.
It wasn't.
At the end of the exam when the optometrist announced that he was quite farsighted, a touch nearsighted and had a stigmatism I think my jaw was on the floor. I remember saying, "seriously?"
She went on to explain that he falls into a very stereotypical category for this age group and that his teacher was spot on for sending him for an eye exam for his apparent lack of attention. She said it was textbook symptoms, a lack of interest in anything involving small work, writing and drawing. (Remember all those times I whined about my son refusing to color??)
Suddenly it all clarified.
Well not "all" but we are on track.
She handed me a lens to look through that would simulate one aspect of how Leif is seeing. Basically that things float in and out of focus very easily and it is really hard work for him to keep things in focus.
I took him out to the very limited section of little kid glasses. I was given a choice of one pair... a butt fugly plastic pair with big 270 degree circle bows so they stay on. Maybe I should have accepted that pair... but the plastic was a turn off - yes I like my plastic frames, but Leif needs durability.
When I turned my nose up the tech said that I could opt for another pair with a seperately purchased band that would keep them on his face. I picked a small pair of titanium flex metal frames and a pair of black sunglasses (sunglass frames were free, pay for the lenses deal) so he can be just like mommy.
I am still shocked my little boy was having that much trouble seeing all this time!
I admit that I feel like I am wandering around in the dark right now. I have never had a little boy, never been a little boy, never even grown up around little boys. AB and I kept saying, "he's just a typical four year old boy".
However, Leif's teachers interact with a lot more four year old little boys than me (thankfully) and they didn't seem quite so convinced.
His teacher recently noted a few things in her testing of him. When looking at things, Leif needs to touch them. He is a very "sensoral" child. Leif also recently started refusing to do particular work like finger tracing and counting small items. I have had a number of recent conversations with his teachers in an effort to try and figure out if this is just immaturity or some sort of attention deficit (to which I cringed). As a first path forward, she suggested an eye exam.
To this point Leif has not had an eye exam as we never really saw the need. He has eagle eyes and can spot things far away quite well. I scheduled the exam so I could knock off one check mark.
This morning at 9:30am we went into the eye doctor. I never quite understand what optometrists are doing as they flip the lenses around and look. He could identify the top level of characters, but was hit or miss with the second level. I thought it was just obstinance, honestly.
They ended up going back and dilating his eyes, which maybe should have been my tipoff.
It wasn't.
At the end of the exam when the optometrist announced that he was quite farsighted, a touch nearsighted and had a stigmatism I think my jaw was on the floor. I remember saying, "seriously?"
She went on to explain that he falls into a very stereotypical category for this age group and that his teacher was spot on for sending him for an eye exam for his apparent lack of attention. She said it was textbook symptoms, a lack of interest in anything involving small work, writing and drawing. (Remember all those times I whined about my son refusing to color??)
Suddenly it all clarified.
Well not "all" but we are on track.
She handed me a lens to look through that would simulate one aspect of how Leif is seeing. Basically that things float in and out of focus very easily and it is really hard work for him to keep things in focus.
I took him out to the very limited section of little kid glasses. I was given a choice of one pair... a butt fugly plastic pair with big 270 degree circle bows so they stay on. Maybe I should have accepted that pair... but the plastic was a turn off - yes I like my plastic frames, but Leif needs durability.
When I turned my nose up the tech said that I could opt for another pair with a seperately purchased band that would keep them on his face. I picked a small pair of titanium flex metal frames and a pair of black sunglasses (sunglass frames were free, pay for the lenses deal) so he can be just like mommy.
I am still shocked my little boy was having that much trouble seeing all this time!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Recent pictures...
My boys.
My boy.
Singing "Row Row Row Your Boat" (got me...)
"You weren't by chance playing in the fire pit were you?"
Playing dress up.
Steamboat Springs
This trip for me was a blast from the past in many ways.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado is one of the places where my husband and I spent a lot of our free time in college and just before leaving Colorado. It holds a special fondness in my heart. I remember long rambling hikes with my then boyfriend (now husband). I remember Strawberry Park Hot Springs at night with him - someday I would like to see it during the day. Fish Creek Falls hikes. The quintessential mountain town.
I remember when AB thought seriously about taking a job as a chemistry tech there right out of college. I feared losing him to some snow bunny. The lure of a mountain ski town was strong for AB, but he couldn't get his head around the low ball offer the company made him... an offer that he could have easily surmounted by washing dishes in any restaurant up there.
I also remember visiting before we left Colorado 12 years ago and seriously considering buying a plot of land for $40,000 with the intention of it being an investment. Maybe someday we would build a cabin on the land, we dreamed (not having even talked about marriage). But it seemed like so much money at the time. We killed the idea skeptical we would have the opportunity to return to the area.
Wow I wish we would have jumped on that back then.
Steamboat is growing up quickly as a competitor to the big I-70 ski areas. "The Mountain" was full of construction of new condos and hotels. However, Steamboat is also still struggling to maintain its "low-key" mountain town feel as big money moves in.
I flew into the little town of Hayden, Colorado. I was the second off the small plane and my bag rolled off second in baggage claim and within minutes VargasGirl and I were out of there in her green VW bug.
The next 48 hours were a mix of shopping, laughing, wine drinking, eating, talking, soaking in hot water and shopping.
Twelve years has changed me as well.
I shopped for my kids. (Leif got an AquaZooka, a t-shirt and a pocket kite. Skadi got a purse with a horse in it that she sings "row row row your boat" to as she rocks the purse back and forth - just like she does as she rides her rocking horse. She also got a pair of ladybug earrings - just like the ones I had that were my first earrings - that I have put away for when she has pierced ears many years from now.)
I turned away seeing random nakedness at Strawberry Park and had absolutely no intention of doffing my swimsuit. (12 years ago I thought it odd someone would leave their suits on.)
I had money to spend. (A statement of 12 years ago here can just be assumed. I remember scraping together money to pay for a cheap hotel room with my boyfriend.)
I didn't walk by stores laughing about who might possibly shop in a store like *that*. Instead I saw possibilities... VargasGirl wanted cowgirl boots? Then you go to the boot store! (She didn't buy any... she instead succumbed to my ravings about Danskos.)
We sat in restaurants sipping wine (amazingly mostly Washington wines).
We went to bed by 11pm. Or at least I did the second night. We were up by 7am. Talk wasn't about music or clubs or college classes. It was about my kids, dogs and our relationships.
Time has mellowed us, but truth be told I didn't miss what I was. In a way I missed what Steamboat was, aside from the fact that most of the fantastic restaurants weren't there 12 years ago. I relished in what we have become, the wisdom we have gained, the loves we have gained, the experiences that have opened our eyes to the beauty around us. I relished in the love of having women near me who bring richness to my life.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado is one of the places where my husband and I spent a lot of our free time in college and just before leaving Colorado. It holds a special fondness in my heart. I remember long rambling hikes with my then boyfriend (now husband). I remember Strawberry Park Hot Springs at night with him - someday I would like to see it during the day. Fish Creek Falls hikes. The quintessential mountain town.
I remember when AB thought seriously about taking a job as a chemistry tech there right out of college. I feared losing him to some snow bunny. The lure of a mountain ski town was strong for AB, but he couldn't get his head around the low ball offer the company made him... an offer that he could have easily surmounted by washing dishes in any restaurant up there.
I also remember visiting before we left Colorado 12 years ago and seriously considering buying a plot of land for $40,000 with the intention of it being an investment. Maybe someday we would build a cabin on the land, we dreamed (not having even talked about marriage). But it seemed like so much money at the time. We killed the idea skeptical we would have the opportunity to return to the area.
Wow I wish we would have jumped on that back then.
Steamboat is growing up quickly as a competitor to the big I-70 ski areas. "The Mountain" was full of construction of new condos and hotels. However, Steamboat is also still struggling to maintain its "low-key" mountain town feel as big money moves in.
I flew into the little town of Hayden, Colorado. I was the second off the small plane and my bag rolled off second in baggage claim and within minutes VargasGirl and I were out of there in her green VW bug.
The next 48 hours were a mix of shopping, laughing, wine drinking, eating, talking, soaking in hot water and shopping.
Twelve years has changed me as well.
I shopped for my kids. (Leif got an AquaZooka, a t-shirt and a pocket kite. Skadi got a purse with a horse in it that she sings "row row row your boat" to as she rocks the purse back and forth - just like she does as she rides her rocking horse. She also got a pair of ladybug earrings - just like the ones I had that were my first earrings - that I have put away for when she has pierced ears many years from now.)
I turned away seeing random nakedness at Strawberry Park and had absolutely no intention of doffing my swimsuit. (12 years ago I thought it odd someone would leave their suits on.)
I had money to spend. (A statement of 12 years ago here can just be assumed. I remember scraping together money to pay for a cheap hotel room with my boyfriend.)
I didn't walk by stores laughing about who might possibly shop in a store like *that*. Instead I saw possibilities... VargasGirl wanted cowgirl boots? Then you go to the boot store! (She didn't buy any... she instead succumbed to my ravings about Danskos.)
We sat in restaurants sipping wine (amazingly mostly Washington wines).
We went to bed by 11pm. Or at least I did the second night. We were up by 7am. Talk wasn't about music or clubs or college classes. It was about my kids, dogs and our relationships.
Time has mellowed us, but truth be told I didn't miss what I was. In a way I missed what Steamboat was, aside from the fact that most of the fantastic restaurants weren't there 12 years ago. I relished in what we have become, the wisdom we have gained, the loves we have gained, the experiences that have opened our eyes to the beauty around us. I relished in the love of having women near me who bring richness to my life.
A new aspect of project management
Today my client e-mailed me about her upcoming trip to our site. She told me that she has hit a minor bump in that school doesn't start for another two weeks, her husband has to work and wondered if it was possible for her to bring her 8 year old daughter to our site for her meetings.
Immediately my admin and I started scrambling to find a solution. We are still working the situation whether it be moving the meeting offsite, moving the meeting to a public room if one is available, getting her a babysitter or her using our onsite daycare, which I found out is $8 an hour and they would be thrilled to have her even though school will have already started here... she could "help" in the preschooler room during the school hours until the school age children return.
To me it was a no brainer, let's figure out how to make this work for her.
Later I thought about what it took for her to bring this up.
For me, this would have been something I would have stressed about and then worried about bringing up to the people I was visiting. I mentioned to my coworker that I was happy the client felt she could bring this up to me.
I hope that the solutions I presented to her are well thought through from another mom's point of view. I fully understand that she may have to cancel based off this situation. In which case, we will go about business as usual on those days and will reschedule when convenient to her family schedule.
My coworker said "it is amazing what we will do for a few million".
Nope, it's what I would do for another mom.
Immediately my admin and I started scrambling to find a solution. We are still working the situation whether it be moving the meeting offsite, moving the meeting to a public room if one is available, getting her a babysitter or her using our onsite daycare, which I found out is $8 an hour and they would be thrilled to have her even though school will have already started here... she could "help" in the preschooler room during the school hours until the school age children return.
To me it was a no brainer, let's figure out how to make this work for her.
Later I thought about what it took for her to bring this up.
For me, this would have been something I would have stressed about and then worried about bringing up to the people I was visiting. I mentioned to my coworker that I was happy the client felt she could bring this up to me.
I hope that the solutions I presented to her are well thought through from another mom's point of view. I fully understand that she may have to cancel based off this situation. In which case, we will go about business as usual on those days and will reschedule when convenient to her family schedule.
My coworker said "it is amazing what we will do for a few million".
Nope, it's what I would do for another mom.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Trying not to rub it in...
This weekend I get to...
-get on an airplane with only my purse and a book.
-check only one bag on the airplane.
-read an entire book or two (hey, I have to find something good about the 3.5 hours layover).
-go to a restaurant.
-not worry about whether the restaurant is kid friendly.
-order whatever I want at a restaurant and not something a child *might* be willing to eat.
-drink more than half a glass of wine at a restaurant.
-shop.
-shop with one of my three favorite shopping partners.
-sleep a whole night through without wandering through the house and convincing a small child to go back to sleep.
-sleep in.
-swim without someone clinging to me.
-stay up late chatting and giggling.
-stay up late without counting the number of hours till the first child will wake.
Seriously though... I look at that list and remind myself how worth it every single one of those sacrafices is in my life. I wouldn't change a thing. And while I am doing every single one of those things I will be thanking my wonderful husband, hoping the kids aren't giving him TOO bad of a time, trying not to call every hour to check on them, and thinking about them the entire time.
Oh and just something that cracked me up... I was checking in for my flight online and wondered what a "special item" was when asked if I would be checking a special item.
Special items include:
Overweight bags: Bags over 50 lbs
Oversize bags: Bags over 62 inches (when you total the length + width + height)
Baby items: Stroller, child restraint seats
Assistive devices: Wheelchair
Sporting equipment: Bicycle, ski equipment, parachute, surfboard, windsurf board, scuba tank
Fragile/bulky items: Saddle, antlers, Hawaiian pineapples, military duffle bags
Those just cracked me up. No, not checking a parachute, a saddle, antlers or Hawaiian pineapples... sorry VargasGirl... I know you were hoping to be able to haul a pair of antlers in your car... you know... just to say you have done it and all...
-get on an airplane with only my purse and a book.
-check only one bag on the airplane.
-read an entire book or two (hey, I have to find something good about the 3.5 hours layover).
-go to a restaurant.
-not worry about whether the restaurant is kid friendly.
-order whatever I want at a restaurant and not something a child *might* be willing to eat.
-drink more than half a glass of wine at a restaurant.
-shop.
-shop with one of my three favorite shopping partners.
-sleep a whole night through without wandering through the house and convincing a small child to go back to sleep.
-sleep in.
-swim without someone clinging to me.
-stay up late chatting and giggling.
-stay up late without counting the number of hours till the first child will wake.
Seriously though... I look at that list and remind myself how worth it every single one of those sacrafices is in my life. I wouldn't change a thing. And while I am doing every single one of those things I will be thanking my wonderful husband, hoping the kids aren't giving him TOO bad of a time, trying not to call every hour to check on them, and thinking about them the entire time.
Oh and just something that cracked me up... I was checking in for my flight online and wondered what a "special item" was when asked if I would be checking a special item.
Special items include:
Overweight bags: Bags over 50 lbs
Oversize bags: Bags over 62 inches (when you total the length + width + height)
Baby items: Stroller, child restraint seats
Assistive devices: Wheelchair
Sporting equipment: Bicycle, ski equipment, parachute, surfboard, windsurf board, scuba tank
Fragile/bulky items: Saddle, antlers, Hawaiian pineapples, military duffle bags
Those just cracked me up. No, not checking a parachute, a saddle, antlers or Hawaiian pineapples... sorry VargasGirl... I know you were hoping to be able to haul a pair of antlers in your car... you know... just to say you have done it and all...
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Located the lost Croc
Before we went to Alaska, one of Leif's blue Crocs went missing.
He was horribly disappointed not to have it for Alaska. I searched the house all over. I searched under every bed, went through every box of toys, lifted up the couch and the cushioins. It was gone. No idea where it was.
I had been debating buying him another pair of Crocs or just continuing to say "well we need to find yours" whenever he lamented about all his friends having Crocs except him through the rest of the summer. (Seriously now... since when did boys become that concerned with their shoes? And it isn't just Leif!)
It had to be somewhere... right?
Well of course it could have gotten left or dropped out of any number of bags... which was why I had nearly given up hope.
Then this morning I happened to glance up on top of the wooden shelves attached to his wall. The ones I can't see on top of.
A peek of blue...
Now I know *I* wouldn't have put a single Croc up there, neither would AB.
That means that it HAD to have been launched by one person in this house.
Wouldn't it have just been a lot easier to just TELL me, "mommy I threw my Croc and it landed on the shelf and didn't come down" then to whine about the missing Croc for MONTHS?
He was horribly disappointed not to have it for Alaska. I searched the house all over. I searched under every bed, went through every box of toys, lifted up the couch and the cushioins. It was gone. No idea where it was.
I had been debating buying him another pair of Crocs or just continuing to say "well we need to find yours" whenever he lamented about all his friends having Crocs except him through the rest of the summer. (Seriously now... since when did boys become that concerned with their shoes? And it isn't just Leif!)
It had to be somewhere... right?
Well of course it could have gotten left or dropped out of any number of bags... which was why I had nearly given up hope.
Then this morning I happened to glance up on top of the wooden shelves attached to his wall. The ones I can't see on top of.
A peek of blue...
Now I know *I* wouldn't have put a single Croc up there, neither would AB.
That means that it HAD to have been launched by one person in this house.
Wouldn't it have just been a lot easier to just TELL me, "mommy I threw my Croc and it landed on the shelf and didn't come down" then to whine about the missing Croc for MONTHS?
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
One little whine...
Software updates. Hate them.
So MS Office 2007 has just been approved for use where I work. For some reason I hesitated in downloading the upgrade when it was approved.
And now I am quite glad I did!
I used MS Project to edit a file for my client. Finished it, closed it, sent it back. Turns out the copy of MS Project I had available to me was 2007. Her copy is 2003. No biggie, I tell her, download the patch. (Seriously now, who makes updated software that doesn't recognize former or future file types without a patch? Shouldn't this just be automatically incorporated that your file will be recognized by prior versions?)
Unfortunately her organization will not allow downloads of any patches. So she was unable to read my edits. Enter her actually having to go purchase a copy of MS Project 07 to put on her personal computer at home (since it is not accepted by her organization yet) to read my edits.
And because of all this, I cannot upgrade to MS Office 2007 until my client does because she will not be able to read any of my reports or files I send her.
Annoying.
(But I do think I have located an old copy of MS Project I can use though... )
(Oh and I fear the quandry I am going to be in early September. I just agreed to set aside the week to work on a few publications for a coworker... who I am guessing HAS upgraded to 2007 and will want his "publication ready" articles in the same format he already has. Ugh.)
So MS Office 2007 has just been approved for use where I work. For some reason I hesitated in downloading the upgrade when it was approved.
And now I am quite glad I did!
I used MS Project to edit a file for my client. Finished it, closed it, sent it back. Turns out the copy of MS Project I had available to me was 2007. Her copy is 2003. No biggie, I tell her, download the patch. (Seriously now, who makes updated software that doesn't recognize former or future file types without a patch? Shouldn't this just be automatically incorporated that your file will be recognized by prior versions?)
Unfortunately her organization will not allow downloads of any patches. So she was unable to read my edits. Enter her actually having to go purchase a copy of MS Project 07 to put on her personal computer at home (since it is not accepted by her organization yet) to read my edits.
And because of all this, I cannot upgrade to MS Office 2007 until my client does because she will not be able to read any of my reports or files I send her.
Annoying.
(But I do think I have located an old copy of MS Project I can use though... )
(Oh and I fear the quandry I am going to be in early September. I just agreed to set aside the week to work on a few publications for a coworker... who I am guessing HAS upgraded to 2007 and will want his "publication ready" articles in the same format he already has. Ugh.)
Monday, August 11, 2008
AB's Secret
Leif informed me this evening that when daddy isn't busy, that he goes to China to dive. And that he is much better than the divers on TV.
Leif has a favorite Olympic event... diving. Though he is usually disappointed when the splash is little.
Leif wants to be a diver now.
(I wanted to be a ski jumper for the longest time.)
Leif has a favorite Olympic event... diving. Though he is usually disappointed when the splash is little.
Leif wants to be a diver now.
(I wanted to be a ski jumper for the longest time.)
List #1
I am weird about keeping lists in my head. Here is one that has surfaced as I, on Friday, look to add to the list.
Airports I have flown in or out of:
Honolulu
Anchorage
King Salmon
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Reno
Las Vegas
Pasco
Salt Lake City
Phoenix
Houston
Dallas/Fort Worth
Casper
Denver
Hayden
Colorado Springs
Fargo
Omaha
Cancun
Cozumel
San Jose, Costa Rica
Panama City, Panama
Indianapolis
Miami
Cincinnati
Newark
Boston
Dulles
Baltimore
Hayden
Reagan
As of 6-2010
Albuquerque
Philadelphia
Minneapolis
As of 4-19-12
Ontario CA
Knoxville
Atlanta
Orlando
As of 6/19/20
Santa Barbara
Huntsville
Memphis
Chicago
Airports I have flown in or out of:
Honolulu
Anchorage
King Salmon
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Reno
Las Vegas
Pasco
Salt Lake City
Phoenix
Houston
Dallas/Fort Worth
Casper
Denver
Hayden
Colorado Springs
Fargo
Omaha
Cancun
Cozumel
San Jose, Costa Rica
Panama City, Panama
Indianapolis
Miami
Cincinnati
Newark
Boston
Dulles
Baltimore
Hayden
Reagan
As of 6-2010
Albuquerque
Philadelphia
Minneapolis
As of 4-19-12
Ontario CA
Knoxville
Atlanta
Orlando
As of 6/19/20
Santa Barbara
Huntsville
Memphis
Chicago
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The cherry on top
In between the annoying things, there are moments that top it all off.
We were getting in the car yesterday and Leif said to me, "mommy your hair is beautiful like that".
Awww.
The other exchange came today:
Leif: "Mommy what is that?"
NM: "It's my sewing machine."
Leif: "What's it do?"
NM: "I can make things. Like your favorite blanket. I made that with my sewing machine."
Leif: "Why are you putting it away mommy?"
NM: "I don't have time to sew lately anymore, so I am putting it up out of the way."
Leif: "But I love my blanket."
NM: "I know and I am so glad honey, but I am only putting the machine up."
Leif: "But I want another favorite blanket mommy, will you make me another blanket?"
NM: (I am SUCH a puchover.) "Of course sweety, we can go to the fabric store and you can pick out the fabric you want for a new blanket if you would like."
Leif: "Yay! Don't put away your machine mommy, I love my blankets."
Aww!
Skadi has a few new words. She signs a fair amount. (Must look on the board at school tomorrow and figure out the sign for "all done".) But she has three favorite words she uses all the time.
First one... "DADDY!" or "DADA!" Preferably screamed at the top of her little lungs. Last night she was in the backyard trying to hit the baseball off the tee and needed his help. He was inside and so she sat out there screaming, "DADDY! DADDY!"
She IS a daddy's girl.
Second one is "outside". Or as she says it "soutside". Skadi, like the rest of the family, loves to spend time soutside. She is getting the reputation at daycare as being an outside girl. She sees the bigger kids out and immediately will go to the window and start yelling "soutside!" Going outside will change her mood immediately from grumpy, to ecstatic. And she is so the second child, we don't follow her around the yard like we did Leif at this age. She goes out on her own, wanders around and usually brings in presents for me.
I hold out my hand when she requests and 90% of the time she deposits a bug in my hand.
Ick.
Third favorite word is "shoes". She pronounces it more like "shoos". She will fetch her shoes and sit herself down to put them on. She has her favorite shoes too. Out of all 14 or so pairs she has she will only wear one pair. Her blue Keens. The Primigi white sandals will suffice in a pinch, but forget her blue Crocs, or the birdy Robeez Treadz, or any of the other four pairs of soft soled Robeez.
So while she has her mommy's love for shoes, she doesn't covet the variety. She seems to be more like her daddy in the whole "give me one good, very comfortable pair of shoes that goes with everything and I am fine" philosophy.
Leif, otoh, likes choices and after finding no acceptable shoes at Famous Footwear. (I know, who am I kidding... it was convenient, I thought there might be something... I was wrong.) Leif came home and picked four pairs out online and they were narrowed down by daddy when mommy messed up and left the prices visible.
We were getting in the car yesterday and Leif said to me, "mommy your hair is beautiful like that".
Awww.
The other exchange came today:
Leif: "Mommy what is that?"
NM: "It's my sewing machine."
Leif: "What's it do?"
NM: "I can make things. Like your favorite blanket. I made that with my sewing machine."
Leif: "Why are you putting it away mommy?"
NM: "I don't have time to sew lately anymore, so I am putting it up out of the way."
Leif: "But I love my blanket."
NM: "I know and I am so glad honey, but I am only putting the machine up."
Leif: "But I want another favorite blanket mommy, will you make me another blanket?"
NM: (I am SUCH a puchover.) "Of course sweety, we can go to the fabric store and you can pick out the fabric you want for a new blanket if you would like."
Leif: "Yay! Don't put away your machine mommy, I love my blankets."
Aww!
Skadi has a few new words. She signs a fair amount. (Must look on the board at school tomorrow and figure out the sign for "all done".) But she has three favorite words she uses all the time.
First one... "DADDY!" or "DADA!" Preferably screamed at the top of her little lungs. Last night she was in the backyard trying to hit the baseball off the tee and needed his help. He was inside and so she sat out there screaming, "DADDY! DADDY!"
She IS a daddy's girl.
Second one is "outside". Or as she says it "soutside". Skadi, like the rest of the family, loves to spend time soutside. She is getting the reputation at daycare as being an outside girl. She sees the bigger kids out and immediately will go to the window and start yelling "soutside!" Going outside will change her mood immediately from grumpy, to ecstatic. And she is so the second child, we don't follow her around the yard like we did Leif at this age. She goes out on her own, wanders around and usually brings in presents for me.
I hold out my hand when she requests and 90% of the time she deposits a bug in my hand.
Ick.
Third favorite word is "shoes". She pronounces it more like "shoos". She will fetch her shoes and sit herself down to put them on. She has her favorite shoes too. Out of all 14 or so pairs she has she will only wear one pair. Her blue Keens. The Primigi white sandals will suffice in a pinch, but forget her blue Crocs, or the birdy Robeez Treadz, or any of the other four pairs of soft soled Robeez.
So while she has her mommy's love for shoes, she doesn't covet the variety. She seems to be more like her daddy in the whole "give me one good, very comfortable pair of shoes that goes with everything and I am fine" philosophy.
Leif, otoh, likes choices and after finding no acceptable shoes at Famous Footwear. (I know, who am I kidding... it was convenient, I thought there might be something... I was wrong.) Leif came home and picked four pairs out online and they were narrowed down by daddy when mommy messed up and left the prices visible.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Annoying things my kids do
Leif:
The fruit snacks. Oh my goodness the fruit snacks.
"Who is this, eh?"
"Mommy who is this one?"
I always mix up the fruit snacks and buy different ones. We have Batman, Curious George and Scooby Doo right now. But the incessant requests before every single bite asking who is on one fruit snack is making me nuts.
I have tried all tactics.
Ignore = The requests get louder and whinier.
Reasoning = "Leif you have had three blue ones and they were all Batman, you know that the blue one is Batman, ok?" Doesn't work
Return question = "Well who do YOU think that might be?" Doesn't work.
Annoyance = "Leif, you ask me every single time what that is, you are a smart boy, you figure it out." Crying.
I finally got smart today... no fruit snacks in the car anymore.
--------------------
Skadi:
The pinching. Stop with the pinching already!!
Nobody likes it!
If she walks up and pinches me one more time...
---------------------
I had this huge list of annoying things and then I went in to tuck them in this evening and half the list... ok 3/4 of the list evaporated. Only the really annoying things were left.
The fruit snacks. Oh my goodness the fruit snacks.
"Who is this, eh?"
"Mommy who is this one?"
I always mix up the fruit snacks and buy different ones. We have Batman, Curious George and Scooby Doo right now. But the incessant requests before every single bite asking who is on one fruit snack is making me nuts.
I have tried all tactics.
Ignore = The requests get louder and whinier.
Reasoning = "Leif you have had three blue ones and they were all Batman, you know that the blue one is Batman, ok?" Doesn't work
Return question = "Well who do YOU think that might be?" Doesn't work.
Annoyance = "Leif, you ask me every single time what that is, you are a smart boy, you figure it out." Crying.
I finally got smart today... no fruit snacks in the car anymore.
--------------------
Skadi:
The pinching. Stop with the pinching already!!
Nobody likes it!
If she walks up and pinches me one more time...
---------------------
I had this huge list of annoying things and then I went in to tuck them in this evening and half the list... ok 3/4 of the list evaporated. Only the really annoying things were left.
Sanity anyone?
I am all for preparing in advance for Christmas. I make my lists early, I start shopping fairly early. By December I am usually done and can enjoy the parties.
Remember that house down the street that AB coveted? Well it sold and a nice family about our age moved in there.
And they put up their Christmas lights last weekend.
Icicle lights all over the house.
What is up with that?
Remember that house down the street that AB coveted? Well it sold and a nice family about our age moved in there.
And they put up their Christmas lights last weekend.
Icicle lights all over the house.
What is up with that?
I love my treadmill!
Best big chunk of money I have spent in a LONG time.
AB finished setting it up tonight and then took the kids outside. I hopped on and ran a half mile with the internal fan blowing cool air in my face, in full view of my computer monitor (that has a TV tuner) and with my iPod blasting out tunes.
And seriously one of the best things about it was slipping on my shoes, a pair of shorts, my sports bra and jumping on at a moments notice. I can wear whatever I want to work out.
AB came in to check on me and was impressed with how quiet it was - I am certain I can run after he goes to bed and I will disturb him less than with the TV watching Big Brother.
The downside though is that stupid bite on my leg. I jumped off and immediately AB ordered me onto the couch with my leg up. The red area is about baseball sized now, itchy as hell with spikes of pain to different parts of my leg and toes. It has a few tiny blisters that are starting to crust over.
By my calculation of when I think I was bitten, it has been 48 hours and so I am expecting that the icky internet pictures are not going to be my fate. It will crust over I expect and look like a big rug burn most likely and will probably take a few weeks for the hard golf ball like patch to dissipate. But all in all, I think things will be on an upswing here shortly.
And that I will be able to jump on the treadmill and run to my hearts content!
AB finished setting it up tonight and then took the kids outside. I hopped on and ran a half mile with the internal fan blowing cool air in my face, in full view of my computer monitor (that has a TV tuner) and with my iPod blasting out tunes.
And seriously one of the best things about it was slipping on my shoes, a pair of shorts, my sports bra and jumping on at a moments notice. I can wear whatever I want to work out.
AB came in to check on me and was impressed with how quiet it was - I am certain I can run after he goes to bed and I will disturb him less than with the TV watching Big Brother.
The downside though is that stupid bite on my leg. I jumped off and immediately AB ordered me onto the couch with my leg up. The red area is about baseball sized now, itchy as hell with spikes of pain to different parts of my leg and toes. It has a few tiny blisters that are starting to crust over.
By my calculation of when I think I was bitten, it has been 48 hours and so I am expecting that the icky internet pictures are not going to be my fate. It will crust over I expect and look like a big rug burn most likely and will probably take a few weeks for the hard golf ball like patch to dissipate. But all in all, I think things will be on an upswing here shortly.
And that I will be able to jump on the treadmill and run to my hearts content!
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Once biten?
Right now the thought is that one of these buddies decided to munch on me:
The area - correction... the very sore, itchy area that is burning something fierce is surrounded by a red area about the size of a silver dollar. It was cultured and I am on a steroid ointment and trying to tell myself the mild headache I have is from lack of caffeine and NOT associated with the bite. Time will tell...
Tick tock...
Yes, I am a touch freaked out.
The internet right now is NOT my friend.
Must stop googling.
The area - correction... the very sore, itchy area that is burning something fierce is surrounded by a red area about the size of a silver dollar. It was cultured and I am on a steroid ointment and trying to tell myself the mild headache I have is from lack of caffeine and NOT associated with the bite. Time will tell...
Tick tock...
Yes, I am a touch freaked out.
The internet right now is NOT my friend.
Must stop googling.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Bloomsday 2009 here I come!
I no longer have any excuses!
Well I will no longer have any excuses after another day or two... AB has to finish putting my new treadmill together still. But once he is done, no more excuses! I can run whenever!
I know I can do this. I trained for Bay to Breakers on a treadmill my first time around and then ran it. And actually, that was my best ever race. I can get up before the kids get up and run. I can run after AB and the kids go to bed!
So Bloomsday 2009... who's in? (Oh and for the record... I am a slow as molasses runner. Come join me and you could probably walk next to me as I run. Yes, flies collect around me when I run.)
Well I will no longer have any excuses after another day or two... AB has to finish putting my new treadmill together still. But once he is done, no more excuses! I can run whenever!
I know I can do this. I trained for Bay to Breakers on a treadmill my first time around and then ran it. And actually, that was my best ever race. I can get up before the kids get up and run. I can run after AB and the kids go to bed!
So Bloomsday 2009... who's in? (Oh and for the record... I am a slow as molasses runner. Come join me and you could probably walk next to me as I run. Yes, flies collect around me when I run.)
Finding our place
I am stop and go, start and end, confused all around, regarding a house. I want one, but I don't know what I want. AB wants one and doesn't know what he wants. We can't agree, then we can agree, then we aren't sure.
After spending a good part of today wandering open houses we walked away settled.
We walked through a model house (littered with Parade Home awards) and loved the style. We got to talking to the agent, told him what we were looking for and he sent us to a seemingly obscure address.
"What? I housing development there? I didn't know there was one there, that's only like a half mile from our house. Are you sure that's the cross street?!"
He assured us he had a house we would love and if it wasn't perfect (based on his 15 minute discussion with us) he would make it perfect. We would love it.
We raced across town - he phoned his partner to have her wait there for us.
We stood in the driveway admitting that there was really no reason for us to walk in. We loved it already. And loved the location with a park just down the block. We could tell it was exactly what we wanted and in a fantastic location. One of my qualms about moving to this point has been that I do love being blocks to the grocery store, a half mile to Costco, etc. If it weren't for the apartments, we might have considered adding on.
Something beckoned us and we walked through the double doors. Leif carried his new plastic, highly obnoxious sounding nail gun in. I apologized to the agent, explaining what a long afternoon it had been for him. She shrugged and smiled - thinking I am sure, about her potential commission.
Yep, we loved it still.
Four bedrooms, wonderful hardwood floors, a huge Master Suite, a huge gourmet kitchen with a pantry as big as our second full bathroom now. An oversize three car garage you could play basketball in, a shop, a bonus room with a full bathroom and closet, a covered patio with outside ceiling fan on a half acre lot. Everything. It had everything.
AB commented if we were house hunting in earnest he would have wanted to make an offer right there. But we aren't house hunting in earnest.
The development is in phase one of four - and not filling overly fast.
We have time.
We now have two house designs (this one and the other where we met the agent at) we like from the same builder and two neighborhoods we could build either house in. (I like the new neighborhood - AB favors the other.)
And for the first time I am not feeling rushed or freaked out. I feel as though we have made our decision and we just need time to save the money to build our dream house.
We have agreed that we are done driving around. Our lazy afternoons from here on out are going to be spent getting the house ready to sell. Painting the exterior trim... fixing the baseboard and plaster in the bathroom... getting the ducts blown out... getting pictures of the house with our backyard looking lush... putting in blinds... painting... epoxying the concrete patio...
The list goes on and on...
After spending a good part of today wandering open houses we walked away settled.
We walked through a model house (littered with Parade Home awards) and loved the style. We got to talking to the agent, told him what we were looking for and he sent us to a seemingly obscure address.
"What? I housing development there? I didn't know there was one there, that's only like a half mile from our house. Are you sure that's the cross street?!"
He assured us he had a house we would love and if it wasn't perfect (based on his 15 minute discussion with us) he would make it perfect. We would love it.
We raced across town - he phoned his partner to have her wait there for us.
We stood in the driveway admitting that there was really no reason for us to walk in. We loved it already. And loved the location with a park just down the block. We could tell it was exactly what we wanted and in a fantastic location. One of my qualms about moving to this point has been that I do love being blocks to the grocery store, a half mile to Costco, etc. If it weren't for the apartments, we might have considered adding on.
Something beckoned us and we walked through the double doors. Leif carried his new plastic, highly obnoxious sounding nail gun in. I apologized to the agent, explaining what a long afternoon it had been for him. She shrugged and smiled - thinking I am sure, about her potential commission.
Yep, we loved it still.
Four bedrooms, wonderful hardwood floors, a huge Master Suite, a huge gourmet kitchen with a pantry as big as our second full bathroom now. An oversize three car garage you could play basketball in, a shop, a bonus room with a full bathroom and closet, a covered patio with outside ceiling fan on a half acre lot. Everything. It had everything.
AB commented if we were house hunting in earnest he would have wanted to make an offer right there. But we aren't house hunting in earnest.
The development is in phase one of four - and not filling overly fast.
We have time.
We now have two house designs (this one and the other where we met the agent at) we like from the same builder and two neighborhoods we could build either house in. (I like the new neighborhood - AB favors the other.)
And for the first time I am not feeling rushed or freaked out. I feel as though we have made our decision and we just need time to save the money to build our dream house.
We have agreed that we are done driving around. Our lazy afternoons from here on out are going to be spent getting the house ready to sell. Painting the exterior trim... fixing the baseboard and plaster in the bathroom... getting the ducts blown out... getting pictures of the house with our backyard looking lush... putting in blinds... painting... epoxying the concrete patio...
The list goes on and on...
Friday, August 01, 2008
Leif's Stats
39 lbs (with shoes) 75th percentile
40.75" (no shoes) 61st percentile
Leif was so excited to go to see the doctor and was hoping he would get to go to the hospital soon as well. Umm no, thankfully.
He was great for the nurse, but would hardly come out from hiding (behind the exam table, from under the chair, from behind my legs...) for the doctor. I had to threaten a time out! I couldn't get him to talk to her, still she said there was no harm in getting a speech assessment. I am convinced he says his "r's" like "w's". AB doesn't hear it, but after years, and years of speech therapy I hear it. I want the assessment so that if there is an issue we can start therapy quickly, I don't want him to have to repeat my experience.
For days Leif had been looking forward to his exam and asking if he could get a shot. Given that he will be due for five shots next year, we decided to go ahead and do the Hep A one now given his willingness and in the interest of reducing the number of shots next year.
The nurse came in and all was well until Leif was "poked". Then there was much wailing and screaming and crying. In the midst of it all he managed to say, "I just wanted the band-aid, not the pokey!"
Funny thing about it is that Leif has always to this point tolerated shots very well. Even as an infant. This was the first time a negative result has happened!
Next year there will be a huge reward.
40.75" (no shoes) 61st percentile
Leif was so excited to go to see the doctor and was hoping he would get to go to the hospital soon as well. Umm no, thankfully.
He was great for the nurse, but would hardly come out from hiding (behind the exam table, from under the chair, from behind my legs...) for the doctor. I had to threaten a time out! I couldn't get him to talk to her, still she said there was no harm in getting a speech assessment. I am convinced he says his "r's" like "w's". AB doesn't hear it, but after years, and years of speech therapy I hear it. I want the assessment so that if there is an issue we can start therapy quickly, I don't want him to have to repeat my experience.
For days Leif had been looking forward to his exam and asking if he could get a shot. Given that he will be due for five shots next year, we decided to go ahead and do the Hep A one now given his willingness and in the interest of reducing the number of shots next year.
The nurse came in and all was well until Leif was "poked". Then there was much wailing and screaming and crying. In the midst of it all he managed to say, "I just wanted the band-aid, not the pokey!"
Funny thing about it is that Leif has always to this point tolerated shots very well. Even as an infant. This was the first time a negative result has happened!
Next year there will be a huge reward.
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