Posts
THAT Family Tree Society Issue 61
4 hours ago
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Two For Tuesday - 7/28
The boys at the beach with dad
A rare moment of stillness. The boys watching Yo Gabba Gabba.
David riding a pony
Sofia showing David how to ride a trike
The boys delighting in throwing sand on each other's heads
A rare moment of stillness. The boys watching Yo Gabba Gabba.
David riding a pony
Sofia showing David how to ride a trike
The boys delighting in throwing sand on each other's heads
Mommy Guilt Explained
Thank you, Jen and Kelly, for talking me down from the ledge. I do tend to beat myself up a bit about the working outside the home thing. In all truthfulness, I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a FT-SAHM with 3 kids, but sometimes I wish I could give it a whirl. I think my boys going through a severe separation anxiety phase is heightening these feelings within me and reinforcing my sadness that their babyhood is slipping through my hands.
Now Dr. Laura. I am not going to defend her as I realize she is a self righteous shrew most of the time, but I've been listening to her for probably 20 years. I don't always agree with a lot of what she says, but I do agree with some of it. Her cold, bitchy delivery of information can be off putting, for sure, but when it comes to her traditional beliefs about staying home with your kids, I don't disagree with her. I don't always think it's practical or easy or even possible (in my case, with an unemployed husband) but I do think it's ideal.
I was raised by a single woman who worked all of her life. She had a job in the food service industry, so primarily worked at night, for short spurts. Working at local event arena, she worked when there were events, which was intermittent. It was actually a perfect job for her. She was always home when we came home from school. If she wasn't, we went to my aunt's house who lived a few blocks away. Despite some thoroughly rough beginnings, I did enjoy the security of having a parent in the home most of the time. This was the late 70's, early 80's and many of my friends either had 2 working parents or were going through divorce and came home to an empty house. I don't think I have to tell you where I got into the most trouble in those adolescent years. The homes of my latch key kid friends.
But here is my dilemma and forgive me if it's morbid.
I am married to a 49 year old man and have minimal family. I live in fear of being left alone to fend for 3 children on my own and because of this, feel that by going to work and advancing my career, I am building a foundation for my family, so we are prepared for any and all situations. I want to be in a position to take care of myself and my kids if necessary and staying at home will most likely not result in that.
It's something I struggle with on a daily basis, but there it is. If I had my way, I'd work from home or have my own business or something. Even working 3 days instead of 3.5 would be nice. Still, I think I am lucky that I can work 30 hours per week vs. 40 (last week was 40 hrs and it nearly killed me) and that when my kids are not with me, they are mostly with my husband. Right now.
Now Dr. Laura. I am not going to defend her as I realize she is a self righteous shrew most of the time, but I've been listening to her for probably 20 years. I don't always agree with a lot of what she says, but I do agree with some of it. Her cold, bitchy delivery of information can be off putting, for sure, but when it comes to her traditional beliefs about staying home with your kids, I don't disagree with her. I don't always think it's practical or easy or even possible (in my case, with an unemployed husband) but I do think it's ideal.
I was raised by a single woman who worked all of her life. She had a job in the food service industry, so primarily worked at night, for short spurts. Working at local event arena, she worked when there were events, which was intermittent. It was actually a perfect job for her. She was always home when we came home from school. If she wasn't, we went to my aunt's house who lived a few blocks away. Despite some thoroughly rough beginnings, I did enjoy the security of having a parent in the home most of the time. This was the late 70's, early 80's and many of my friends either had 2 working parents or were going through divorce and came home to an empty house. I don't think I have to tell you where I got into the most trouble in those adolescent years. The homes of my latch key kid friends.
But here is my dilemma and forgive me if it's morbid.
I am married to a 49 year old man and have minimal family. I live in fear of being left alone to fend for 3 children on my own and because of this, feel that by going to work and advancing my career, I am building a foundation for my family, so we are prepared for any and all situations. I want to be in a position to take care of myself and my kids if necessary and staying at home will most likely not result in that.
It's something I struggle with on a daily basis, but there it is. If I had my way, I'd work from home or have my own business or something. Even working 3 days instead of 3.5 would be nice. Still, I think I am lucky that I can work 30 hours per week vs. 40 (last week was 40 hrs and it nearly killed me) and that when my kids are not with me, they are mostly with my husband. Right now.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Not Me Monday - Mommy Guilt, Swimsuit Fear & BP Woes
-That is not me reading "In Praise of Stay At Home Moms," by Laura Schlessinger. That is not me who decided I can't continue to read it because it is striking a chord so deep within me that it's causing me great distress. Case in point, her argument that we (work outside the home moms) move mountains to have children only to spend an hour or two a day with them and are so stressed out and tired in the evening that we can only offer our children anger and impatience. That was like a dagger in my heart as it's painfully true. I feel sick to my stomach when I think how true all of it is. I think I need to start visualizing myself as stay at home mom.
-That is not me that is already packed for the little mini vacation we are taking on Thursday. Only someone profoundly anal retentive would be packed for a trip 5 days in advance.
-That is not menervous about my first therapist appointment this Thursday. This doctor, who at first glance appears to be a good fit, was initially not accepting patients. I used some positive thinking and the next thing I knew, I was getting a call saying they were going to see if she'd consider me. The next call was saying she would take me, so I made an appointment for this week. Regular therapy is something my PCP has been urging for years, so I think it's a really positive step.
-That is not me who is freaking out about having to make an appearance in a bathing suit this weekend. I did buy a rather cute one online and am hoping it's delivered for our trip, but still, cute doesn't typically factor into the equation when you are as large as I currently am.
-That is not me who took my BP at home yesterday to find it at 133/95. Guess it wasn't the small cuff at the doctor's office that was responsible for the high reading at my last doctor visit. She warned me if this keeps up, we'd need to talk meds. I did take my BP again a half hour later and it was 129/89 but this is still not good, pre-hypertension territory.
-That was not me that joined Weight Watchers online this morning. In the past, it's been for vanity - now it's for my health. No more messing around, I've got 3 little ones to stay healthy for.
-That is not me that is already packed for the little mini vacation we are taking on Thursday. Only someone profoundly anal retentive would be packed for a trip 5 days in advance.
-That is not menervous about my first therapist appointment this Thursday. This doctor, who at first glance appears to be a good fit, was initially not accepting patients. I used some positive thinking and the next thing I knew, I was getting a call saying they were going to see if she'd consider me. The next call was saying she would take me, so I made an appointment for this week. Regular therapy is something my PCP has been urging for years, so I think it's a really positive step.
-That is not me who is freaking out about having to make an appearance in a bathing suit this weekend. I did buy a rather cute one online and am hoping it's delivered for our trip, but still, cute doesn't typically factor into the equation when you are as large as I currently am.
-That is not me who took my BP at home yesterday to find it at 133/95. Guess it wasn't the small cuff at the doctor's office that was responsible for the high reading at my last doctor visit. She warned me if this keeps up, we'd need to talk meds. I did take my BP again a half hour later and it was 129/89 but this is still not good, pre-hypertension territory.
-That was not me that joined Weight Watchers online this morning. In the past, it's been for vanity - now it's for my health. No more messing around, I've got 3 little ones to stay healthy for.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Laundry Basket Races & Doll Fight
Laundry Basket Races. When we're socked in with fog on the coast, this is what we do to entertain ourselves. (Please ignore my grating voice)
The boys fighting over a doll. It doesn't get much better than that.
Already, you can see the dynamic here. David is always pushing W. around, which is ironic given how much bigger W. is.
The boys fighting over a doll. It doesn't get much better than that.
Already, you can see the dynamic here. David is always pushing W. around, which is ironic given how much bigger W. is.
Is it Fall yet?
It’s summer and this means the witching hour at my house just got kicked up about seventeen thousand notches.
Let me explain.
My sister in law watches all 3 of my children 2 days a week. She is a licensed day care provide. In addition to my three, she also has her own three home from school (boys, aged 12, 9 and 6) and their other cousin, approximately 18 months. You can imagine the sheer chaos she endures on a daily basis. At the moment, my brother and SIL are remodeling their entire house, so the daycare has moved downstairs. There is a complete unit, kind of like a studio apartment, that opens to the large yard.
Because of the close quarters, my kids have not been napping.
When we finally put them to bed around 7:30, they both either cry hysterically or laugh and giggle for up to 2 hours before finally succumbing to sleep, usually around 9:30. I’ve thought about black out shades, but not sure that would even make a difference. I’ve considered separating them and may have to if this keeps up.
I am kind of at my wits end. I don’t mean to be Wendy Whiner, but after a 10 hour work day, having to deal with 2 hours of tantruming and/or crying and then 2 hours of fighting bedtime is just too much at times.
To make matters worse, they are getting closer to climbing out of the crib. I walked in to find David straddling the crib rail last night. William has also done this. Judging from their recent 2-ish behavior, I know it is only a matter of time before they both realize that they can climb out. Steve already told me "Oh yeah, I've found David out of the crib, walking around."
Beautiful.
God help me if I don't even have the containment of the crib. I may have to try crib tents.
Is it fall yet?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Way Back Whens-Day - No, It Was Not a Bridesmaid Dress
Dateline: August 1997
Place: A friend's 50th Wedding Anniversary party at some fancy country club
Oh, the dress. I could say that it was for a bridal shower, but it was not. I picked out that dress. Off the rack. And *gasp* I should NOT even admit this, but it had a bow on the back...
Feel free to vomit now.
This party was thrown by someone I used to work with. She was one of the sweetest, generous ladies I've ever known. Katie O'Grady. She invited the entire office to her huge party, head count be damned. There were probably at least 30-40 people from my office there and god knows, her family must have wondered who we all were. I still work with 2 of the women in this photo.
I think I sort of still have the same hairstyle. That can't be good.
I remember feeling pretty good at this party. It was summer, I was tan, I was there with someone who was not a boyfriend but
Good times.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Bachelorette Men Tell All Episode Recap - Momlissa Style
Ok, for those of you who do not watch the Bachelorette, I apologize in advance and you can skip this post. I am obsessed, I will admit it.
Just to give you some insight as to how *into* the Bachelorette I am, when Steve told me last night that his childhood friend was in town and coming over for a visit - a friend who also had Irish triplets (girl, then twin boys - they are 6 and 4 respectively), someone who I've talked to at length on the phone but never met, who is a bigwig Democratic political consultant, brother in law to Bob Woodward (yes, that Bob Woodward), someone I've wanted to meet over the years but lives in D.C. so the opportunity never presented itself - my first reaction was "But the Bachelorette is on tonight!"
Fortunately, we did have a somewhat nice visit - between my children acting like raving lunatics - something I hope he is familiar with? He left in plenty of time for me to get the kids to bed, grab a bite to eat, a glass of wine and plunk myself down for some good times.
Initial thoughts? Dave is a mysogynistic, aggressive, ticking time bomb. Hello face of date rape. I was surprised that Jesse was defending him in his hate against Juan as I kind of liked Jesse. I still don't get why Dave despised Juan so much, other than the obvious alpha male dominant vs. metrosexual BS.
I thought they were unnecessarily hard on Jake. Jake's not my type, but he's a good guy, in my opinion. He seems so painfully wholesome, I can understand how that could get under someone's skin, but I didn't see why he was being attacked. He's like something out of a Disney movie. Not exactly someone who creates a lot of heat, but the perfect guy to fly your airplane!
All in all, the guys were acting like gossipy, competitive frat boys. Maybe I'm getting older, but this group of guys in particular really seemed to be lacking in the maturity and sophistication department. That is, except for Ed, Reid and Kypton. And maybe Jake and Juan.
I didn't miss Wes or wonder why he was not there. He's been all over the media on his own little press tour and since they clearly couldn't put a muzzle on that loose cannon, he was excluded. Fine by me. He should just head on down to Chihuahua, Mexico and promote that beloved album of his.
I got all atoot and a flutter when I saw the final shot of Reid holding what appears to be a promise ring of some sort. I was not surprised that he is part of the finale as the whole "prior engagement" excuse for him not being at the Men Tell All episode was a bit ludicrous. I do love Reid and hope to god she's with him, but I'm not sure. She's pretty in to the other two.
Don't know how this is all going to shake down, but after reading Jillian's blog on People magazine, watching her last night and hearing her decidedly non- romanctic comments like "I'm happy with my decision" and "I'd do it all again," with no mention of being in love or even with another person, I am going to go out on a limb and say she becomes so confused by the drama of the finale that she decides to hold off on picking someone that day, at least for engagement.
Is it next Monday yet?
Just to give you some insight as to how *into* the Bachelorette I am, when Steve told me last night that his childhood friend was in town and coming over for a visit - a friend who also had Irish triplets (girl, then twin boys - they are 6 and 4 respectively), someone who I've talked to at length on the phone but never met, who is a bigwig Democratic political consultant, brother in law to Bob Woodward (yes, that Bob Woodward), someone I've wanted to meet over the years but lives in D.C. so the opportunity never presented itself - my first reaction was "But the Bachelorette is on tonight!"
Fortunately, we did have a somewhat nice visit - between my children acting like raving lunatics - something I hope he is familiar with? He left in plenty of time for me to get the kids to bed, grab a bite to eat, a glass of wine and plunk myself down for some good times.
Initial thoughts? Dave is a mysogynistic, aggressive, ticking time bomb. Hello face of date rape. I was surprised that Jesse was defending him in his hate against Juan as I kind of liked Jesse. I still don't get why Dave despised Juan so much, other than the obvious alpha male dominant vs. metrosexual BS.
I thought they were unnecessarily hard on Jake. Jake's not my type, but he's a good guy, in my opinion. He seems so painfully wholesome, I can understand how that could get under someone's skin, but I didn't see why he was being attacked. He's like something out of a Disney movie. Not exactly someone who creates a lot of heat, but the perfect guy to fly your airplane!
All in all, the guys were acting like gossipy, competitive frat boys. Maybe I'm getting older, but this group of guys in particular really seemed to be lacking in the maturity and sophistication department. That is, except for Ed, Reid and Kypton. And maybe Jake and Juan.
I didn't miss Wes or wonder why he was not there. He's been all over the media on his own little press tour and since they clearly couldn't put a muzzle on that loose cannon, he was excluded. Fine by me. He should just head on down to Chihuahua, Mexico and promote that beloved album of his.
I got all atoot and a flutter when I saw the final shot of Reid holding what appears to be a promise ring of some sort. I was not surprised that he is part of the finale as the whole "prior engagement" excuse for him not being at the Men Tell All episode was a bit ludicrous. I do love Reid and hope to god she's with him, but I'm not sure. She's pretty in to the other two.
Don't know how this is all going to shake down, but after reading Jillian's blog on People magazine, watching her last night and hearing her decidedly non- romanctic comments like "I'm happy with my decision" and "I'd do it all again," with no mention of being in love or even with another person, I am going to go out on a limb and say she becomes so confused by the drama of the finale that she decides to hold off on picking someone that day, at least for engagement.
Is it next Monday yet?
Two For Tuesday - Summer
A series of two-fers, theme being summer...
S. & W. taking a break from running through the water feature in a local park. This time of year, we have to drive 20+ minutes to reach the sun, but it's well worth it.
W. & D. getting thoroughly soaked at a local kid's park
S. & W. playing in the water at a local lake
S. & D. playing in the sand. Poor D. with his sensitive skin. I looked at him and thought for a moment that I may have overdone it with the cover up. Neon, anyone?
D. & W. riding the "fickies" at a local kids' park. Good times.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Very Lucky ..Thankful Woman
I honestly have nothing interesting or amusing to say today. I am not in the zone. But yet, I feel compelled to write something.
Let's see...I am excited for the Bachelorette this evening. Sofia was acting really cute yesterday, saying she was going to "Do Jazz and go to the Dancing to the Stars" (with daddy.) It's times like this that I want to scoop her up and hug her to death. At the other end of the spectrum are the moments when she is withholding a toy from one of her brothers, then tantruming in a time out in her room after I take the toy away (usually something she would have no interest in, only wanting it because they want it.) There doesn't seem to be any middle ground, she's either at one end or the other. Thankfully, I can see that as her emotional maturity increases, she will still be challenging but not quite as unreasonable. I'm just not there yet.
And the boys. Oh, the boys. They are so much fun, but so.....incredibly...needy. Sofia was never like that. Probably because she was my whole world, therefore no need to be needy. I feel like the boys are always afraid I'm going to leave (which I'm often doing) so feel compelled to keep an eye on my whereabouts at all times. I literally cannot go to the bathroom without William coming in. If I don't let him come in, he will wail at the door. It's a wonder I don't have bowel issues wtih all of the emotional ups and downs I experience while trying to use the bathroom.
I realize this is a phase, this hyper separation anxiety thing, but on top of Sofia's antics, it makes for a very long day. That said, for the first time ever, I had a glimpse of how much I will miss this time as the years go on. It came to me in a rare moment of peace and solitude. William had awoken from a nap early and I was laying on my bed, he on top of me, like a sleeping doll. Steve was in the yard, David and Sofia still asleep.
I could feel the movement of his breath as he lay on me, half asleep. It was so relaxing, I nearly fell asleep myself. I could smell the sweetness of his skin, feel the softness of his hair. I literally just lay there and let myself soak him in. It was then that I realized that these moments are going to be increasingly few and far between. I need to cherish them, always, because there will be a time in the not so distant future that I will long for one of my babies to want me to hold them, to cuddle and kiss them.
I am a very lucky woman indeed. Because I am a very superstitious person, I can't allow myself to say that. I think I should just try to be thankful for what I do have, I'll just leave it at that.
Oh, well, I guess I had something to say after all. :)
Let's see...I am excited for the Bachelorette this evening. Sofia was acting really cute yesterday, saying she was going to "Do Jazz and go to the Dancing to the Stars" (with daddy.) It's times like this that I want to scoop her up and hug her to death. At the other end of the spectrum are the moments when she is withholding a toy from one of her brothers, then tantruming in a time out in her room after I take the toy away (usually something she would have no interest in, only wanting it because they want it.) There doesn't seem to be any middle ground, she's either at one end or the other. Thankfully, I can see that as her emotional maturity increases, she will still be challenging but not quite as unreasonable. I'm just not there yet.
And the boys. Oh, the boys. They are so much fun, but so.....incredibly...needy. Sofia was never like that. Probably because she was my whole world, therefore no need to be needy. I feel like the boys are always afraid I'm going to leave (which I'm often doing) so feel compelled to keep an eye on my whereabouts at all times. I literally cannot go to the bathroom without William coming in. If I don't let him come in, he will wail at the door. It's a wonder I don't have bowel issues wtih all of the emotional ups and downs I experience while trying to use the bathroom.
I realize this is a phase, this hyper separation anxiety thing, but on top of Sofia's antics, it makes for a very long day. That said, for the first time ever, I had a glimpse of how much I will miss this time as the years go on. It came to me in a rare moment of peace and solitude. William had awoken from a nap early and I was laying on my bed, he on top of me, like a sleeping doll. Steve was in the yard, David and Sofia still asleep.
I could feel the movement of his breath as he lay on me, half asleep. It was so relaxing, I nearly fell asleep myself. I could smell the sweetness of his skin, feel the softness of his hair. I literally just lay there and let myself soak him in. It was then that I realized that these moments are going to be increasingly few and far between. I need to cherish them, always, because there will be a time in the not so distant future that I will long for one of my babies to want me to hold them, to cuddle and kiss them.
Oh, well, I guess I had something to say after all. :)
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Ponies and Trains
Here are the boys, apparently not enjoying the mechanical horse, not to mention the blaring old fashioney time cowboy music. David is clearly non plussed, while William repeatedly asks to go on the train again. Good times.
Friday, July 17, 2009
7 Quick Takes Friday - 7 /17/
7 Quick Takes Friday
1. I have had to work 4 full days this week, will have to work 5 full days next week. Menolikey. I am really missing the boys. Work has been *BUSY* this week. Really busy. While this is obviously a good thing, it's exhausting me as we have less staff then we used to.
2. Sofia is starting to show more glimmers of maturity and that makes me incredibly happy. She's tantruming less and being slightly more reasonable. Mostly.
3. On the other hand, William is tantruming more, saying "No" more. He and David are in the thick of the terrible 2's and by 7 p.m. every night, I am ready to head for the hills...or at least the couch.
4. Sofia starts swim lessons this weekend, something we are both very excited about. The best part about it is that it's at a large, fancy facility and once you are in for the class, you can use the facility without being a member (which would cost $$.) They have a huge outdoor pool that I fully intend to use this summer. Of course, this might necessitate my being seen in a bathing suit, but I won't let that stop me from my daughter enjoying her summer.
5. Even though I am always stressed out about money or lack thereof, I am quite happy to be staying at the house for now. It's a great house for us and most importantly, I don't have to think about packing for months. That said, I don't enjoy the commute, but it is what it is.
6. I could go on ad nauseum about the Bachelorette, but I was *ahem* devastated by Monday's episode. I love me some Reid. I don't think we've seen the last of my boy and can't wait for next week's MTA episode and of course, the finale. And in case you didn't see my Facebook post, I'm not into Ed, I think he's a grade A dweeb, boring and I like to refer to him as Greg Brady. The mankini he wore on last week's epi sealed the deal for me. Some of my best friends do like him, a lot, so to all of you, we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. :)
7. I did finish the whole Tudor series and am anxiously awaiting Season 3 to come out on DVD. I was really pissed that none of the actors nor the show were nominated for Emmy's. Totally lame. I am so happy for Mad Men as I love, love, love Mad Men, but I think the Tudors should have been in there as well. It did get nominated for costumes and some other technical stuff, as it should, but it's a travesty it was overlooked by some of the larger categories. Lost was in there and as much as I love me some Lost, The Tudors deserved to be there more than Lost, in my humble opinion.
Alrighty then! That was a mixed back of 7 Takes, wasn't it?
1. I have had to work 4 full days this week, will have to work 5 full days next week. Menolikey. I am really missing the boys. Work has been *BUSY* this week. Really busy. While this is obviously a good thing, it's exhausting me as we have less staff then we used to.
2. Sofia is starting to show more glimmers of maturity and that makes me incredibly happy. She's tantruming less and being slightly more reasonable. Mostly.
3. On the other hand, William is tantruming more, saying "No" more. He and David are in the thick of the terrible 2's and by 7 p.m. every night, I am ready to head for the hills...or at least the couch.
4. Sofia starts swim lessons this weekend, something we are both very excited about. The best part about it is that it's at a large, fancy facility and once you are in for the class, you can use the facility without being a member (which would cost $$.) They have a huge outdoor pool that I fully intend to use this summer. Of course, this might necessitate my being seen in a bathing suit, but I won't let that stop me from my daughter enjoying her summer.
5. Even though I am always stressed out about money or lack thereof, I am quite happy to be staying at the house for now. It's a great house for us and most importantly, I don't have to think about packing for months. That said, I don't enjoy the commute, but it is what it is.
6. I could go on ad nauseum about the Bachelorette, but I was *ahem* devastated by Monday's episode. I love me some Reid. I don't think we've seen the last of my boy and can't wait for next week's MTA episode and of course, the finale. And in case you didn't see my Facebook post, I'm not into Ed, I think he's a grade A dweeb, boring and I like to refer to him as Greg Brady. The mankini he wore on last week's epi sealed the deal for me. Some of my best friends do like him, a lot, so to all of you, we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. :)
7. I did finish the whole Tudor series and am anxiously awaiting Season 3 to come out on DVD. I was really pissed that none of the actors nor the show were nominated for Emmy's. Totally lame. I am so happy for Mad Men as I love, love, love Mad Men, but I think the Tudors should have been in there as well. It did get nominated for costumes and some other technical stuff, as it should, but it's a travesty it was overlooked by some of the larger categories. Lost was in there and as much as I love me some Lost, The Tudors deserved to be there more than Lost, in my humble opinion.
Alrighty then! That was a mixed back of 7 Takes, wasn't it?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Way Back Whens-day - The Binky Brothers
Dateline: October 2007. Twins' age, approximately 7 months.
This is one of my favorite moments, when they switch binkies. The best part of this video is that they still use the same binkies - only at bedtime, but still. William has to have the fat Nuk and David has to have the thinner Playtex Ortho-pro. There have been times when I could not find David's and it was not pretty. He's even gone so far as to refuse certain colors, prefering a pink one for a long time. Yes, David is a picky little fella.
This is one of my favorite moments, when they switch binkies. The best part of this video is that they still use the same binkies - only at bedtime, but still. William has to have the fat Nuk and David has to have the thinner Playtex Ortho-pro. There have been times when I could not find David's and it was not pretty. He's even gone so far as to refuse certain colors, prefering a pink one for a long time. Yes, David is a picky little fella.
I Own It
So, I may be slightly paranoid and a total germaphobe (I own it) but honestly, with the kids and mine asthma history, not to mention my own less than stellar lung situation and History, I think it's best to keep Sofia out of PS for this week. She only goes Wed/Fri anyway, so Steve can watch her, it's not a big deal. My main concern is the PS teacher caught it from one of the children and it's still in her school. So far, have not heard that it's "going around," but I think I'll just err on the side of caution on this one.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Please Tell Me if I'm Being Paranoid
So, Sofia's preschool just sent out an email health alert.
Sofia's PS teacher has been diagnosed with swine flu. Freaking swine flu.
Would it make me a paranoid freak to keep her out of school this week, even though the teacher is not even there? :(
Sofia's PS teacher has been diagnosed with swine flu. Freaking swine flu.
Would it make me a paranoid freak to keep her out of school this week, even though the teacher is not even there? :(
Two For Tuesdays - 3-fer 2-fer
For Two-For Tuesdays...courtesy of Who Says Eight is Enough...
I have decided to show myself (gah!) and each of my little partners in crime in a lovely series of self portraits. So, it's kind of a 3-fer 2-fer.
Curly Fry and I...
Me and Little D
Me & Miss Thang
I have decided to show myself (gah!) and each of my little partners in crime in a lovely series of self portraits. So, it's kind of a 3-fer 2-fer.
Curly Fry and I...
Me and Little D
Me & Miss Thang
Monday, July 13, 2009
Not Me Monday!
1. I did not stay up until 1 a.m. last night, watching Season 2 of the Tudors on DVD.
2. I did not bring my mini DVD player to work with me and watch the rest of Season 2 in the car at lunch. That would border obsessive.
3. I did not search out when the Emmy nominations are announced (tomorrow) and ponder who I could possibly pick a favorite between Mad Men and The Tudors for best drama - not to mention Jon Hamm vs. Jonathon Rhys Meyers. Only someone with way too much time on their hands would do that.
4. I did not almost start welling up when I realized that Season 3 of the Tudors is not out on DVD yet and Season 4 has only just started filming.
5. Despite a mountain of paperwork on my desk, I did not spend most of the late afternoon perusing Bachelorette theory & Ghosthunter debunking websites.
2. I did not bring my mini DVD player to work with me and watch the rest of Season 2 in the car at lunch. That would border obsessive.
3. I did not search out when the Emmy nominations are announced (tomorrow) and ponder who I could possibly pick a favorite between Mad Men and The Tudors for best drama - not to mention Jon Hamm vs. Jonathon Rhys Meyers. Only someone with way too much time on their hands would do that.
4. I did not almost start welling up when I realized that Season 3 of the Tudors is not out on DVD yet and Season 4 has only just started filming.
5. Despite a mountain of paperwork on my desk, I did not spend most of the late afternoon perusing Bachelorette theory & Ghosthunter debunking websites.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Let's Wish Really Hard!
So here is my "The Secret" moment from yesterday.
Driving home from work. Exhausted. It's 6 p.m. and I've been gone from the house since 7:15 a.m. Sofia is in the backseat, chattering about all the stuff she did at pre-school.
She I'm listening to a dance mix on some radio station, as I often do. Sofia hears Britney Spears' "Circus" come on the radio and excitedly asks "Mommy? Can you put this on your I-POT!?"
"This is already on my I-POD," I assure her. (yes, I'm not proud, but it's there)
"When we get home, can we play dress ups and you put your I-POT on and I can dance to this?"
"Sh...Sure," I agree.
"And then...can we put on Poker Face?"
I immediately burst out laughing. I can't believe Sofia knows Poker Face by name.
"Ohhhh...kay," I say. Then, I have a thought.
"Why don't we wish for Poker Face to come on right after this song is over? Let's wish really hard! I want to hear Poker Face, I wasnt to hear Poker Face, I want to hear Poker Face!" I exclaim.
A few minutes later, Circus blends into Poker Face.
Honestly, the chances of that song coming after Circus was probably prettty high, but it still gave me goosebumps. I felt like I had just clicked my heels 3 times or something.
Kind of silly, but definitely put a smile on my face.
Driving home from work. Exhausted. It's 6 p.m. and I've been gone from the house since 7:15 a.m. Sofia is in the backseat, chattering about all the stuff she did at pre-school.
She I'm listening to a dance mix on some radio station, as I often do. Sofia hears Britney Spears' "Circus" come on the radio and excitedly asks "Mommy? Can you put this on your I-POT!?"
"This is already on my I-POD," I assure her. (yes, I'm not proud, but it's there)
"When we get home, can we play dress ups and you put your I-POT on and I can dance to this?"
"Sh...Sure," I agree.
"And then...can we put on Poker Face?"
I immediately burst out laughing. I can't believe Sofia knows Poker Face by name.
"Ohhhh...kay," I say. Then, I have a thought.
"Why don't we wish for Poker Face to come on right after this song is over? Let's wish really hard! I want to hear Poker Face, I wasnt to hear Poker Face, I want to hear Poker Face!" I exclaim.
A few minutes later, Circus blends into Poker Face.
Honestly, the chances of that song coming after Circus was probably prettty high, but it still gave me goosebumps. I felt like I had just clicked my heels 3 times or something.
Kind of silly, but definitely put a smile on my face.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Some Big Stuff, If I Do Say So Myself
So, it's been an interesting week. I would do a 7 quick takes, but not sure I have 7 subjects.
The story of the toddler death that I posted a few days ago has been haunting me. I can't get the mother's words out of my mind. I can't even imagine the level of loss she has experienced and don't even want to imagine it. Now granted, I am the kind of mother who medicates at the first sign of a fever and runs to the ER more often than I'd care to admit, but this story just validated that you must always trust your mommy gut. Always. It is never wrong.
On another note - through Facebook, I have made contact with my half sister. It's crazy. Really crazy. To make a very long story short, my mother had 2 more children after she had my brother and I. They were also abused and they were also removed from her custody. I knew they existed, but not much more than that. When I was 21, one of them wrote to me (she was 14) and tried to make contact. I could tell in the letter that even though she'd been adopted, she still had a very open relationship with my mother and that made me very uncomfortable, so I sort of put the letter to the side and tried to forget about it.
Last week, when cleaning the garage, I came up on this letter from 1992.
I saw her name and just on a lark, decided to look her up on Facebook. Imagine my surprise when her name popped up. She had a different last name, but showed her home state of Hawaii, so I kind of knew then that chances were, it was her.
I sent her a private message via facebook. She responded. It was her.
Over the course of the last week, we have gone back and forth and are attempting to get to know one another, putting the missing pieces of both of our lives together. I know things about my mother's family, she knows nothing. She had a relationship with my mother all of these years and knew her as a real person, I never did.
We have shared our stories with one another and it saddens to me know that she does not know who her father is and the abuse that she endured as a young child, very similar to what my brother and I experienced. I admire her strength and perspective. She forgave my mother a long time ago and does not understand why her family never tried to help her. I don't have these same questions as the answers were always very clear. My mother was an embaressment for them and they wanted her as far away from them as humanly possible.
I'm still digesting this new state of having a biological half sister out there in the world. I see my brother in her face, myself in her smile. She is already calling me "sis" and I'm not sure if I'm altogether comfortable with that, but we shall see. I feel strongly that I found that letter last week for a reason and I'm trying to just go with the flow of the universe.
That's kind of my new thing. I'm reading "The Secret," dontcha know.
Oh yes. My boss has decided not to sell the house we live in until January, so we are not moving to the small house in September. This is huge. My head is spinning. I was thinking we were not going to leave, that it seemed more and more wrong as the fall loomed closer.
And here we are.
The story of the toddler death that I posted a few days ago has been haunting me. I can't get the mother's words out of my mind. I can't even imagine the level of loss she has experienced and don't even want to imagine it. Now granted, I am the kind of mother who medicates at the first sign of a fever and runs to the ER more often than I'd care to admit, but this story just validated that you must always trust your mommy gut. Always. It is never wrong.
On another note - through Facebook, I have made contact with my half sister. It's crazy. Really crazy. To make a very long story short, my mother had 2 more children after she had my brother and I. They were also abused and they were also removed from her custody. I knew they existed, but not much more than that. When I was 21, one of them wrote to me (she was 14) and tried to make contact. I could tell in the letter that even though she'd been adopted, she still had a very open relationship with my mother and that made me very uncomfortable, so I sort of put the letter to the side and tried to forget about it.
Last week, when cleaning the garage, I came up on this letter from 1992.
I saw her name and just on a lark, decided to look her up on Facebook. Imagine my surprise when her name popped up. She had a different last name, but showed her home state of Hawaii, so I kind of knew then that chances were, it was her.
I sent her a private message via facebook. She responded. It was her.
Over the course of the last week, we have gone back and forth and are attempting to get to know one another, putting the missing pieces of both of our lives together. I know things about my mother's family, she knows nothing. She had a relationship with my mother all of these years and knew her as a real person, I never did.
We have shared our stories with one another and it saddens to me know that she does not know who her father is and the abuse that she endured as a young child, very similar to what my brother and I experienced. I admire her strength and perspective. She forgave my mother a long time ago and does not understand why her family never tried to help her. I don't have these same questions as the answers were always very clear. My mother was an embaressment for them and they wanted her as far away from them as humanly possible.
I'm still digesting this new state of having a biological half sister out there in the world. I see my brother in her face, myself in her smile. She is already calling me "sis" and I'm not sure if I'm altogether comfortable with that, but we shall see. I feel strongly that I found that letter last week for a reason and I'm trying to just go with the flow of the universe.
That's kind of my new thing. I'm reading "The Secret," dontcha know.
Oh yes. My boss has decided not to sell the house we live in until January, so we are not moving to the small house in September. This is huge. My head is spinning. I was thinking we were not going to leave, that it seemed more and more wrong as the fall loomed closer.
And here we are.
Little Man Speaks
Once again, William showing off his blossoming vocab with regards to "oh-feye" (butterflies.)
Love, love, love my little man.
(Oh and love the little chatterbox in the background equally, talking of slaying dragons and such)
Love, love, love my little man.
(Oh and love the little chatterbox in the background equally, talking of slaying dragons and such)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
And the Winner Is????
And the winner is....
.......
.........
TRISHA of Darling Little Ones!!!
Congrats! Send me your address (momlissa05@yahoo.com) and I'll pop that in the mail to you!
(and love your fave movie, by the way. Duckie? Annie Potts? Classic, classic stuff)
Winner tonight
So, later on tonight, I will announce the winner of the first official giveaway!
I plan to put the 6 (at the moment) names in the hat and have Sofia pick the winner.
Stay tuned!
I plan to put the 6 (at the moment) names in the hat and have Sofia pick the winner.
Stay tuned!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Unimaginable
I was called by a friend last night who I hadn't talked to in a long time. This is someone who I worked with, a fellow miscarriage survivor who went on to have twins. She has since moved a few hours away, so it was nice to catch up.
But then, she told me something that absolutely broke my heart into pieces. Pieces. Her friend (who I met once) who was also a mother of twins, just unexpectedly and tragically lost one of the boys at 18 mo. The cause is suspected meningitis. I can't get this out of my head and the story certainly has me hugging my babies a little tighter today. I can't get the image of what they found that morning out of my head. I keep picturing myself or Steve being in that situation and how I would handle it or even manage to go on after something like that.
When I complain of how hard it is to take care of my little ones, or how much they are getting on my nerves, I will think of this story and remember how truly blessed I am.
But then, she told me something that absolutely broke my heart into pieces. Pieces. Her friend (who I met once) who was also a mother of twins, just unexpectedly and tragically lost one of the boys at 18 mo. The cause is suspected meningitis. I can't get this out of my head and the story certainly has me hugging my babies a little tighter today. I can't get the image of what they found that morning out of my head. I keep picturing myself or Steve being in that situation and how I would handle it or even manage to go on after something like that.
When I complain of how hard it is to take care of my little ones, or how much they are getting on my nerves, I will think of this story and remember how truly blessed I am.
Matteo's Story
My 1st Official Giveaway - A size 4-5 Disney Belle dress
My first ever blog giveaway!!
A size 4-5 Official Disney Belle costume. Brand new, with tags, never worn. A $30 value. Perfect for dress up or Halloween!
Last Halloween, we ended up with 2 of these, so it's been sitting in my house, just waiting for a new home!
All you have to do to win it is to comment and you are automatically entered!
A size 4-5 Official Disney Belle costume. Brand new, with tags, never worn. A $30 value. Perfect for dress up or Halloween!
Last Halloween, we ended up with 2 of these, so it's been sitting in my house, just waiting for a new home!
All you have to do to win it is to comment and you are automatically entered!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
4th of July & the Caballos Bailadores
So it being the 4th of July, I'm sure everyone out there in Blog-land did the whole 4th thing - maybe a parade, maybe some fireworks, maybe a barbecue.
Our town has its own small town parade, of which the local mother's club particpated in. We decorated the kids' cars and bikes and marched down main street, waving to the people.
We were first in line for the parade, which enabled us to sit and watch the entire parade after our part was done. There was the usual rotary, local high school, boy scouts, karate school, etc. but I ask you this...
How many of you had flamenco dancing horses in your parade? Yeah, didn't think so.
We briefly considered going to watch fireworks, but our past experience with fireworks and Sofia having been less than positive, we decided against it. This would turn out to be a wise move. Predictably, within a few minutes of darkness, the cracks and booms commenced (we live within a stone's throw of the beach, so people go crazy here, even though it's technically illegal) and Sofia appeared in my bedroom door, hysterically crying. I did let her sleep on her fold out couch next to me because I admit it. I can be a hard ass, but am a sucker for fear-related crying.
Some photos of the day. It was a long one, but a memorable one.
Self portrait of William and I
Daddy, Sofia and William walk towards Main Street
Patriot Girl
Gettting ready to start, William getting antsy and trying to escape
Watching the rest of the parade
Note to self: Don't let the stylist cut David's bangs within a quarter inch of his hairline. Friar Tuck is not a good look on a 2 yr old.
Trying in vain to blow the twirly flag
Chillaxin in their (if I do say so myself) impressive, decorated cars
Our town has its own small town parade, of which the local mother's club particpated in. We decorated the kids' cars and bikes and marched down main street, waving to the people.
We were first in line for the parade, which enabled us to sit and watch the entire parade after our part was done. There was the usual rotary, local high school, boy scouts, karate school, etc. but I ask you this...
How many of you had flamenco dancing horses in your parade? Yeah, didn't think so.
We briefly considered going to watch fireworks, but our past experience with fireworks and Sofia having been less than positive, we decided against it. This would turn out to be a wise move. Predictably, within a few minutes of darkness, the cracks and booms commenced (we live within a stone's throw of the beach, so people go crazy here, even though it's technically illegal) and Sofia appeared in my bedroom door, hysterically crying. I did let her sleep on her fold out couch next to me because I admit it. I can be a hard ass, but am a sucker for fear-related crying.
Some photos of the day. It was a long one, but a memorable one.
Self portrait of William and I
Daddy, Sofia and William walk towards Main Street
Patriot Girl
Gettting ready to start, William getting antsy and trying to escape
Watching the rest of the parade
Note to self: Don't let the stylist cut David's bangs within a quarter inch of his hairline. Friar Tuck is not a good look on a 2 yr old.
Trying in vain to blow the twirly flag
Chillaxin in their (if I do say so myself) impressive, decorated cars
Friday, July 3, 2009
She's Gonna Be Famous One Day
When we were in Austin, we went to a friend's dance recital. This dance recital featured lengthy dance acts performed by girls aged 4 years old to close to 18 and everything in between. We watched an estimated 12 routines before cutting out at intermission and they varied from graceful ballet performances to hip hop, modern dance and everything in between. The girls wore makeup and glittery costumes.
The minute the lights went down and the curtains opened, Sofia was mesmerized. This has been the scene in our family room every night since.
The minute the lights went down and the curtains opened, Sofia was mesmerized. This has been the scene in our family room every night since.
Rushimbo
Conversation with Sofia:
S - Hey! That's Rushimbo! (Rush Limbaugh!)
Me: (laughing) You should *not* know who that is. That's sad.
S - Why is that sad?
Me: Because mommy does not like him.
Sofia: Why?
Me: (long pause) Because he says mean things about people.
Sofia: But daddy likes him.
Me: Yes, yes he does.
Can't wait for S. to tell Steve "Rushimbo says means things." lol
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Of Garages and Former Lives
I'm such a lame blogger this week. I've been on a child free"staycation," organizing our garage.
We have lived here 10 months and not unpacked. Sad, but true. I finally unpacked many boxes, pulled out the majority of it for donations and a lot of the better baby clothes for sale to fellow moms in the mother's club. It was a labor of necessity as you could barely walk in our garage and I hate doing this sort of thing, hence the 10 month delay. I cannot tell you how good I feel about what I accomplished in two, childless days (my sister in law watched them.) I was a worker bee and although I really didn't want to, got down to "bidness." A local charity that helps people with developmental disabilities is coming next week to pick up all the stuff I put together for them.
Probably the hardest part of the process, for me, was going through my skinny clothes and letting go of them. "Skinny" for me is size 12 and there were many items that were just never worn. It was bittersweet, looking at cute blouses and skirts & capri pants I used to wear, back when I was thin. I remember wearing them, but honestly is my former life, something I feel incredibly detached from now, as I probably should. I would only fit half of myself into most of the clothes. That is kind of motivating, in a lot of ways.
One item in particular was really hard to let go of. It's a form fitting, burgundy evening gown, worn at my company's Chrismas party 1998. It truly is gorgeous, very Rita Hayworth, strapless, flaring out mermaid style at the very bottom, with a slight tail. I remember wearing it and I remember how in love I was (with my ex) at the time. We had only been going out for about six weeks, hadn't even been "intimate" yet and were just falling madly in love. This is the person who I basically lived with for a while, came close to getting engaged to, but went on to be incredibly verbally abusive towards me in the end, struggling with severe alcoholism and many internal demons. Even with all that, this time in my life was still amongst the most exciting to date. I met my current husband about 6 months after we broke up.
I did let go of the dress, but it was hard. We can, however, walk in our garage now.
We have lived here 10 months and not unpacked. Sad, but true. I finally unpacked many boxes, pulled out the majority of it for donations and a lot of the better baby clothes for sale to fellow moms in the mother's club. It was a labor of necessity as you could barely walk in our garage and I hate doing this sort of thing, hence the 10 month delay. I cannot tell you how good I feel about what I accomplished in two, childless days (my sister in law watched them.) I was a worker bee and although I really didn't want to, got down to "bidness." A local charity that helps people with developmental disabilities is coming next week to pick up all the stuff I put together for them.
Probably the hardest part of the process, for me, was going through my skinny clothes and letting go of them. "Skinny" for me is size 12 and there were many items that were just never worn. It was bittersweet, looking at cute blouses and skirts & capri pants I used to wear, back when I was thin. I remember wearing them, but honestly is my former life, something I feel incredibly detached from now, as I probably should. I would only fit half of myself into most of the clothes. That is kind of motivating, in a lot of ways.
One item in particular was really hard to let go of. It's a form fitting, burgundy evening gown, worn at my company's Chrismas party 1998. It truly is gorgeous, very Rita Hayworth, strapless, flaring out mermaid style at the very bottom, with a slight tail. I remember wearing it and I remember how in love I was (with my ex) at the time. We had only been going out for about six weeks, hadn't even been "intimate" yet and were just falling madly in love. This is the person who I basically lived with for a while, came close to getting engaged to, but went on to be incredibly verbally abusive towards me in the end, struggling with severe alcoholism and many internal demons. Even with all that, this time in my life was still amongst the most exciting to date. I met my current husband about 6 months after we broke up.
I did let go of the dress, but it was hard. We can, however, walk in our garage now.
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