It was a month late, but whose counting?
He got 4 shots, including a flu shot. He is doing great all around and proclaimed to be verbally advanced. We're not around too many babies so I've forgotten what's norm and what's not. I guess normal at this age is 3 words. He's got a ton and he sings three songs. He cried a good bit of the time that we were there. He's not much for being touched by strangers. And who can blame him? He got held down a couple of months ago for stitches and shots this time. He was 25-50% for height and weight and 95% for head. Right about where Sam was at this age. I need to find the sheet with the height and weight. I think he was about 30 inches and 22 pounds, but I'm not certain.
Ben's Birthday Pictures
Singing Happy Birthday!
Checking out the cake.
Realizing that its cake!
Total mess. The water turned orange when I gave him a bath. I ordered a cake for the party and they said that they'd throw in a cake for Ben. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagined they would use Orange and Turquoise frosting. It was interesting, but he LOVED it.
Hated the hat, but he sure was the cutest Candy Corn ever. Luckily it was super easy to make because he fell asleep about 1/3 of the way through Trick or Treating. Not too many people got to see it. I'm so BAD. I made Sam take his bucket to the door and ask for candy for his brother that had fallen asleep in the stroller. Like Ben was going to eat candy. Um, no. It was all me.
My Jedi. This picture doesn't do the whole thing justice. It has breast armour under the cloak and was really cool. He was so excited and loved it. He got a couple of comments on it. I may actually get an honorable mention at the Mother of the Year banquet for making this for him. Hopefully, he'll be willing to wear it next year too!
I can't show you the real one because it would ruin that "Awww" moment when you open it, but I can share these. These two are so funny together. L.O.V.E.I.T. Watch out World. 
For my SIL -
I use Alton Brown's version. Click here.
Simple to make, but highly addictive. Make it, package it up, and get it out of your house ASAP.
so I'll do a quick update.
I'm down to the last 9 minutes on my Ebay auction for a TMX Elmo. I've put in my absolute maximum ridiculously overpriced bid for the furry thing so I'm trying to practice some restraint. I'm willing to pay about $20-25 over the retail price not to kill myself looking for it. Crud. I was outbid. Now I'm bidding on another one. Seven minutes to go on this one. Shoot outbid again.
Now I'm eating my words. After being outbid at the last minute for like 10 of these things (note I'm been working on this post for 30 minutes now), I paid $30 above retail. Crazy. The kid is 12 months old and I'm already doing this to myself. Before you know it I'll be knee deep in Jedi costumes, the perfect cupcakes for school, and boxer briefs. If you know Sam, you know exactly what I'm talking about. He knows what he wants and its almost impossible to change his mind.
Well, I used all my free time in my pursuit for Elmo and Ben's now bored. If only he knew how happy Sam and I are he is going to be on Christmas playing with Elmo. I'll try to get back here tomorrow because I've got new pictures to upload.
WOW! Its been two weeks since I last blogged.
Don't have time to do a full update, but mostly I didn't blog because the biggest thing going on was Ed's Surprise Party and I couldn't put anything about it in writing. Now that its over, I need to get the World caught up on all that is Wagner. Can't do it now, but I'll return over the weekend to catch up on the Party, my now ONE year old, and Halloween. Its been a crazy two weeks!
Let's see...
1. Ben fell at my sister in laws on Tuesday and hit the coffee table on the way down. Four stitches. Yes. My 11 month old has four stitches. Just one of those things.
2. This week is conference week for our school system. On Thursday, we met with Sam's teacher for a Sam love fest. She loves him, he's doing well, and all was great. Luckily for him, he saves all his bad behavior for me. If he misbehaved for her, it would be all over for him.
3. Benjamin is taking more and more steps. He'll be totally on the move any day now. He is so much more cautious than Sam ever was, but he's the one with the stitches. Go figure.
4. Yesterday was Ed's 41th. He's grouchy and depressed. It seems 41 is way worse than 40. And we did nothing for him because he doesn't like to make a fuss. W.H.A.T.E.V.E.R. If you read this Ed, W.H.A.T.E.V.E.R.
5. It was a crazy week at work. Lots going on there and our QA guru was on vacation so I did his job and mine. Yes, two jobs in 20 hours a week. I am Wonder Woman. We released three products and have about 6-7 more ready to go. I love my team.
6. Lots to do before Ben's party next week. Crap. Crap. Crap.
7. Sam's last baseball game for the season is today. Glad its over. He's over it because he's really not that good compared to the older kids on his team and he realizes it.
Tons of other stuff, but nothing worth blogging over. Don't know how much time I'll have this week with the upcoming party, but I hope to post some pictures tomorrow. No promises though.
Sigh....I just found this picture. Here's Sam at 18 months on vacation in Key West. The quality is bad compared to the more recent pictures, but I love it.
And a recent picture. He's hanging upside down on the swing.
Two Sphynx cats look picture perfect Wednesday during the press preview of the Fourth Annual CFA Iams Cat Championship. The competition will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Sam came home really disappointed because he got 90% on his spelling test. He put the apostrophe in can't in the wrong place. He spelled it cant'. That's a hard one and was the first conjunction of the year. Try explaining why you need an apostrophe. Hats off to teachers because I don't know how they explain some of the stuff they've got to cover.
No
Car
Go
Mommy
Dada
Sam
Tickle Tickle Tickle
Twinkle Twinkle
Kitty
Dog
He's really, really chatty. I'm sure there's more, but this is about all we can understand ;-).
We took Sam to Six Flags last night for what we termed "Sam Fun Night." My Mom watched Ben for us. We had a good time hanging out with Sam alone and we rode tons of rides. It was Fright Fest so it was an extra good time with tons of Halloween stuff. There were no lines, but it was a bit cold. I hadn't been there in years and I was so lost in the dark. I think we saw everything but honestly I have no idea. He was tall enough to have his own Bumper Car and I think that was probably the highlight of his night. I topped off the night with Funnel Cake. Its always a good time when there's funnel cake involved.
So it seems that he's as greedy as she is crazy. They really should get back together because they are damn near perfect for each other.
Runaway bride sues former fiance
I shouldn't read the news.
much less have children.
Mom accused of swinging baby as weapon
This makes me sick to my stomach. How could she?
He's been calling me Maaaa, but today he said Mommy. He's only said it once, but once for enough for now. It really got me through the day.
Sam brought home his 5th 100% on his spelling test. WooHoo. My frig is plastered with 100's and I like it.
It came yesterday because he fell on the playground and hit his head. He was acting fine and she gave him some ice. She checked on him a couple of times and everything was OK. She just wanted me to know how he got the knot so I wouldn't be startled when he got off the bus.
Did I see a knot? No. Call two - check.
I'm not really very proud of some of my fellow Americans these days. This stuff is totally disgusting. I don't care if you're sorry. Quit. You don't deserve to represent anyone.
Hastert says he won't step aside over Foley scandal
I realize the Onion isn't always for real, but why would they even make this crap up?
And there are days like today -
::Baby got up at 4 and didn't go back to sleep
::broke a heel
::bad traffic
::barely beat Sam's bus to our house
::nearly had an anxiety attack at the thought of Sam getting off the bus and I wasn't home
::Ben's never took an afternoon nap so he was whiney
::got chewed up and spit out by someone at work who is not so nice
::sent this blog entry to Blogger before it was complete
::almost ran out of gas because I was so tired I didn't notice
::paid 30 cents more than the local going rate for gas because I was desperate
I stayed home on Tuesday to recooperate and forgot that it was Tuesday so I didn't take Sam to prep. Oh well. There's always next week.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld
I need to go run some errands and Ed has gone to a football game. So I'm going to drop one of the kids off with my Mom so the whole shopping thing will go smoothly. Which kid you ask? Sam. No, not Ben. Sam.
Sam and I are constantly butting heads lately. Everyone keeps telling me its the age and it will get better. But it irks me to no end that its easier to take Ben with me than it is to take Sam. It just doesn't sit right with me.
I tried to run these errands yesterday and gave up after about 30 minutes. He's that bad lately. Sweet as all get out and well behaved when he wants to be, but for me he's so rotten.
He better get over this sassy, drive me batty, he'll be lucky to live to 7 stage quickly because I'm losing my patience. I had to tell him 4 times to get in the shower this morning. The fourth wasn't in a nice tone and every time he had a rebuttal to my request. Give me strength.
Uh huh. It is.
I've got tons of home improvement todos this weekend so I don't know if I'll make it back here before Monday. Wish me luck.
Imagine me behind on this blog?
Kid Recap
Sam's bus stops at the end of the enclave (new widly popular fancy Southern term for one street subdivision with 12 or less houses) so Ben and I walk down every day to meet him. We sit at the end of the street and watch the cars go by. Yesterday, I said "car" as one went by and then the next car went by and Ben said "car." It was clear as day. In total disbelief, Sam and I waited at the end of the street until we could get him to say it again. He did and Sam agreed. It was totally clear. Ka-har.
Ben's still only taking 2-3 steps at time and dropping to his knees to crawl. He's a really fast crawler so it may be a while for he really gets the walking thing going. He's got callouses on his knees so I'm looking forward to him walking a bit more. But he doesn't care much for shoes and it will be cold soon so maybe crawling a bit longer isn't too bad.
Sam is Sam. And let's just say that I haven't blown my top at him this week, but I've really wanted to. Baseball is tiring him out because the rainouts cause some weeks to be really hectic. He's whiney and generally irritable, but only at me. I seem to be the cause of all his unhappiness. Whatever. I'm the one who forces him to do his homework and read so of course, I'm the worst. Some day he'll thank me. If we're still speaking to each other when that day comes ;-).
10 times on my mind (going for broke and doing a total catch up)
1. I'm now working on the trim paint on the never-ending stair project. All the staining and the coats of polyurthearane are complete. By this time next year, I might actually be done - thpt.
2. This weekend, I cleaned all of the front windows inside and out. What a chore. I said I'd do one side of the house every weekend, but darn that was hard work. The two sides don't have too many windows so maybe those will happen on time. But the back is another story. Three stories and tons of windows. Any one got of the number of a good window washer?
3. I've decided to paint my kitchen on Friday. Like I don't have enough going on. I've taped half the trim so hopefully I'll be able to complete it in one day. I'm doing the same color. It just needs a fresh coat. Sam lives in this house. Need I say more?
4. I still haven't posted about my camera. Nor have I used it as much as I'd like. Someday - maybe after all the house projects are done.
5. I got out voted on Ben's candycorn costume. He'll be Yoda. I'm not making it. I ordered it online on Monday. I told Ed if I don't like it that I'm returning it. He may still be candycorn yet.
6. I finished the curtains for the playroom. I've got to hang them and then I'll take some pictures to post. I'm still loving that room. If there weren't so many toys in there, I'd be tempted to claim it for myself.
7. I'm learning the Star Spangled Banner on the piano. When I play it, the husband stands at the door with his hand over his heart. Buthead.
8. I ordered Connect 4 to play with Sam. ToysRUs had it on sale for $6. I can't stand Monopoly so I'm hoping I'll like this game. I feel so bad when he asks me to play a game with him and I say no. Sitting still just isn't my thing.
9. I'm starting to think of how I can wean Ben from bottles of breastmilk when I'm at work. He's almost 11 months now and I'm T.I.R.E.D. of pumping. I made it - no formula. Yeah for me, but its time to wean off the bottle. I'll still nurse him a bit longer but the pumping has got to go.
10. I'm looking around here desperately searching for number 10 and I'm not seeing anything that is giving me any ideas. My cat is sitting between my face and the monitor so I'm having to look around her to read this. If there are tons of typos, its Madeline's fault.
Til tomorrow (or whenever I get 10 minutes to myself)...
(I think I may have already titled a post with this tagline, but when the line fits use it and reuse it.)
With 75% of the downstairs having hardwood or tile, why do the accidents, barfs, or tracking from the outdoors always, always, always HAVE to be on the carpet?
Seriously kids/cats/husband, given this statistic the carpet should stay clean. You five are disobeying the law of mathematics. Get with it and start spilling, tracking, and spitting up on the easy to clean flooring. Just because we own a carpet cleaner does not mean that we must use it weekly. We got rid of all the carpet in the main living areas to prevent this type of constant cleaning. Good dog, we've never even eaten in the formal dining room so why the heck do I have to clean the carpet in that room on a monthly basis? Yes, I can be a bit anal about keeping the carpet clean, but you five aren't helping the cause. As in drinks and food aren't allowed in the formal living room, but yet there is right now a red spill. Hmmm, makes one wonder doesn't it?
And while we're at it, why when I go to the grocery store do I come back with easy to clean shades of Gatorade, but the husband always comes back with bright red? And why do we never spill the easy to clean shades of Gatorade, but the red flavors are 75% more likely to hit the off-white carpet?
An update on the kids later after they go to bed.
My baby took three steps tonight. I worried with the whole parttime working thing that I'd miss it, but I didn't. BUT, I was still sad as I watched him do it. He is growing up too fast. He's now 10.5 months. The last year has just flown by and the reality of this being my last baby hits me harder and harder with each milestone. So in typical nut job fashion, I'm happy but so sad at the same time. Bittersweet is the term for that right? I'm sure this is a totally normal reaction but I'm left wondering if I'll be weepy at everything this child does for the next 30 or so years.
So anyway, he's really on the move. I'll try to grab a movie of it to share. No promises though because the Touchdown movie is still on my camera.
My answers are in RED!
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink - yes, but there were only a couple of people in the bar
02. Swam with wild dolphins - as close as I would have liked, but within a few yards
03. Climbed a mountain - does Kennesaw Mtn and Stone Mountain count?
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive - I wish.
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid - on the todo list
06. Held a tarantula - not on your life.
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped - Not even interested in trying
11. Visited Paris - on the todo list
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea - and been in a bad storm at sea.
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise - last time was the day I went into labor with Benjamin
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game - Thanks to Ed I've been to several big events.
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa - on the todo list
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables - does a watermelon count?
18. Touched an iceberg - an iceberg lettuce LOL.
19. Slept under the stars - not in a while, but love to do it at the beach
20. Changed a baby's diaper - yeah like an hour ago.
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne - and still remember the headache
24. Given more than you can afford to charity - sadly, I haven't done this lately
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - OMG on a weekly basis
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse - and a winning dog
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day - I'm way to straightlaced to try something like this
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country - three times (Grand Cayman, Bahamas, and India)
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign - not a street sign, but a for sale sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing - on a rock wall
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them - actually a couple of times.
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow - Rosebud was her name
56. Alphabetized your CDs - seriously people do this?
57. Pretended to be a superhero - pretending w/Sam
58. Sung karaoke - sadly yes
59. Lounged around in bed all day - not lately, but I'd love to
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played DVD for more than 6 hours straight - anyone with a kid has done this
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie - not a cinema movie but a high school movie for a PolySci class
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced - no but I lived through one
76. Gone without food for 5 days - yes in India, but only because I felt like crap
77. Made cookies from scratch - just last Sunday
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice - in Vegas, but not the real Venice LOL.
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River - no but rafted something in Tennessee.
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"- thankfully no.
83. Got flowers for no reason - yes!
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark - and went shark finishing.
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house - three
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently - I wish.
95. Performed in Rocky Horror - I'm trying to block this one.
96. Raised children - raising.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Had to put a pet to sleep
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge - walked under it at the park.
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery - yes but it was to prevent a scar
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication - yes and I'm a published
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours - seriously who hasn't?
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read - Hemingway
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions - there's only been two so far, but I've skipped both
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life
Today, another friend told me that they are getting divorced. This is the second friend in the last three months to tell me this. I'm really sad. This kind of stuff hits me at my core and I wonder why them and then wonder will it happen to me. The news from both couples totally shocked me and I ask myself how I could be so clueless. The first couple didn't say why and I didn't ask. Today, my friend told me that her husband was having an affair. These friends are a bit younger than me. These friends are 28 and 29. How do you already have an affair at 29? How could you possibly be at some kind of crisis or crossroads at 29 and stray in your marriage? I'm trying not to judge, but from the outside looking in it all looked a-okay. Guess you never really know people like you think you do.
Neither marriage had kids. Good, but then that makes me wonder if without kids its easier to opt out rather than work it out. I hate it. I hate it for my friends. I am just so sad today over this. I wonder if my life could possibly take some turn like this someday. And I wonder if we work hard enough to keep our marriage strong or will we drift apart. It does make me want to hug my husband a little tighter. This really isn't about me, but it sure does make me feel so vulnerable.
or between known in my head now as "Oh Crap. This is harder than it sounds."
1. I started this on Tuesday, got distracted, and I'm finishing this on Wednesday.
2. Sam had a game last night and another game tonight. Fun.
3. Because I'm part time, I think of every hour I work as a dollar amount. Like do I want to do this tonight? Well it is worth X dollars to me. Like is it worth it to my company to do this? Because it does cost them X dollars if I do it.
4. Lucy, our seal point Siamese, is allergic to her own cartilage. I've found a specialist in Roswell so after I work X hours at X dollars, I'll be taking her in for the bazillion dollar appointment to see if they can do anything for her. Ed freaks a bit about the ton of money I've spent on her, but what can you do? Our regular vet just gives her steroid shots and that just doesn't seem like a long term solution.
5. On Tuesdays, I make my team go down stairs to the cafeteria to have mandatory nacho day with me. I eat with them before I leave and they seem to like the idea. We call it Not Your Day in jest, but it is great to spend a few minutes with them each week in a non manager kind of way.
6. I'm almost finished staining and sealing the staircase. Actually, I've got all the staining done and about 7 of the stairs completely finished. Then I have to paint all the trim, but it is getting closer to done.
7. I had a raspberry ginger ale on the way home from work. I can't believe I used to like that stuff. Good grief it is sweet. Like liquid candy.
8. Sam is bugging me to finish up so we can read. He's obsessed with filling up his reading log. Not to learn or anything, but to get a prize.
9. Ben got up for the day at a little after 4am this morning. Yawn. Yawn. Yawn.
10. All of the laundry is done except for my clothes, but it isn't that the Mom's life?
Till tomorrow...
Sam brought home another 100 on a spelling test! And he's really starting to read like crazy. He can read Green Eggs and Ham from cover to cover with no help. He had a game on Saturday and got the game ball. They lost miserably so I think the coach used that opportunity to reward one of the hard workers and not necessarily one of the stars. He's two years younger than most of the other kids, but he is holding his own so far. I tried really hard to talk him into being Darth Vader for Halloween so that Benjamin could be Yoda. He was willing, but really wanted to be a Jedi Knight so that's what he's going to be. I stopped by the fabric store tonight and picked up a pattern for a tunic and cloak. Looks easy enough. We also ordered a pair of boots to round out the look. They are girls swede boots but he's thrilled. He owns several light sabers so we're all set there. Because Ben's party and all the fuss of his first birthday is coming up, I thought I'd go a bit overboard on Sam's costume to be sure he feels special too. He mentioned something about a pony tail, but he might be pushing his luck with that one. I'll post pictures of the progress as it unfolds.
Ben starting saying Uh Oh this weekend. Its hilarious and the object is so deliberately dropped. Sometimes he says Uh Uh Ohhhh like whatever he dropped that time was even more valuable. His hair is coming in like crazy. He's got the cutest curls on the back of his head. I need to take a few shots of those as well. He also adores the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. He's starting to say Twinkle Twinkle, but its so close to tickle tickle tickle that its hard to tell. The only thing that really stands out is that he's usually using a soft voice and he'll only say twinkle twice and tickle is always three times or more. He's such a text book baby. Loves balls, will sit and play with toys by himself, and loves songs and games. Sam never sat still for long enough to enjoy any of those things. Sam was always on the go and still is. Their personalities are so different, but they are so much a like already. Weird. We're starting to plan his birthday party which means I'm in full house in order mode. Definitely a costume party. I love Halloween so its really exciting to put the two events together. I adore candy corn and only allow myself to have it the week before Halloween because it makes me feel like crap. While shopping for Sam's pattern, I found a pattern for a baby candy corn costume. Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner.
This morning on the cover of the Sunday Living section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is an article entitled "Jot gripes down, keep breakup at bay." The gist of the article is that a journal can help couples stay connected by allowing them to jot down happy thoughts or vents. I can't say that I disagree and find that I don't necessarily write it down, but I vent about or praise my husband to my sister-in-law who is the world's best listener. She knows that my husband is for the most part a really great guy so I can vent and she doesn't hold it against him. So in absence of a trusted friend, a journal makes perfect sense. Get it out, figure it out, act on it, and move on. Simple enough.
I often say that the secret to our marriage is tit for tat. He wants something. Fine, but I want something to. He wants to go somewhere. Fine, but when you get back I'm going out. You don't want to unload the dishwasher. Fine, but while I do it you've got to put Ben in the tub. It works perfectly for us. Sometimes, I find that we're in constant negotiations and sometimes, I'm tired of the whole song and dance that it takes to get us to that harmony. But, for the most part, it works well. I've always referred to it as tit for tat until I realized that tit for tat isn't necessarily in harmony. It is a strategy where one tries to out do the other. There's even a game called tit for tat. So I've decided to call it Quid Pro Quo instead because each are equal players and receiving what they ultimately wanted. Ed and I had always said that we live in tit for tat land. Maybe we do. Maybe we're always trying to out do the other one, but whatever it is it works for now.
But I don't think blogging is a good venue for husband gripes. Maybe you don't know him personally and after a while you might think that he's all evil. I belong to a group of mom and if one would say something negative about their husbands, a few would start acting as if he's the worst guy on the planet. You gotta be careful who you vent to so this whole journal thing might not be a bad idea.
And I want a pair of patent leather pumps for Fall. Wonder what the husband wants in exchange?
I'm usually in bed by 8:30 or 9 most work nights. But here I sit at 10:48 still on the computer. Go to bed already you nut.
Gotta think of a theme for tomorrow. Hmmm....
1. Again, I'm trying for the Mother of the Year award by hoping really, really hard that it starts raining any minute. I really want Sam's game to get rained out. Usually, I'm not such a downer, but Ed has PTA tonight and I'm dugout Mom. Two whammies. Going at it alone and I've got to bring snacks and make the little darlings behave in the dugout. Not fun.
2. I love my new camera. I haven't posted about it yet, but I will soon.
3. I love my husband for giving me the extra cash to go buy said expensive camera. That's not the only reason I love him, but it is toward the top of the list this week.
4. I'm at odds most days with my boss. Today, I flat out asked him if he thought I wasn't the right person for the job. I think I floored him a bit, but it did make him talk a bit nicer to me.
5. I'm reading everyday. Granted it is mostly children's' books, but I am reading everyday.
6. I just looked out the window and I see drizzling. Bring it ON!!
7. Ed is trying to help me break Ben's nighttime wakings. If I get him, he expects to eat. When Ed gets him, he goes back to sleep for a few hours. Hoping a couple more nights of Ed helping out will earn me more sleep. Good for Ed, but also good for me because I'm learning to give up control just a bit.
8. Sunday night, I watched Wallace and Grommit Curse of the Warerabbit. What a hoot! I had no idea I would love it so much.
9. I'm thinking that 10 things is a bit more difficult than I thought it would be.
10. There is one plus to baseball night. No cooking. Happy Meals anyone?
Till tomorrow....
In some ways, September 11, 2001 feels like yesterday and in some ways it feels like a life time ago. Over the weekend, I watched hours of specials on the WTC, the firefighters, the air traffic controllers, and those lost. It is so painful, but yet I feel like we must never forget the pain of that day. We must always remember what we lost. We must always remember how proud we were to be Americans in the days, weeks, and months after the attacks. Many heroes were made on that day and the days that followed. We must strive everyday to make those heroes proud. We must learn from the mistakes that were made and we must be tolerant of each other. We must always stand united.
Today, I find myself sad and still overwhelmed. I don't think this day will ever get easier and in some ways, I hope it never does.
Trying to start some daily themes so I've got some thing to blog about more frequently. So Monday will be the Kid Report - the what's up here with the Boyz in the Wagner house.
Ben says Tickle, Tickle, Tickle. It cracks me up. I say that to him when I'm tickling him and now he says it back. It isn't exactly Tickle. Its more like Ticwel, Ticwel, Ticwel, but I'll take it. He also says Am for Sam. Its too darn cute. He's got the bye-bye, the Dadeeee, and the Maaaa things down. And he's starting to give Ed the touchdown sign and he loves to wrestle with Ed. He'll be walking any day.
Sam is really starting to read. Some days he loves to read and some days I have to force him. Either way, its starting to happen. He's doing really well in school and brought home a 100% on his first spelling test. Its hanging on the frig. Love it. He's still a total video game addict. We're limiting his time to an hour a day or else, he'd play all day every day. He's really good and he should be because he's obsessed.
So that's the Monday Kid Report. Maybe Tuesday will be the Tuesday 10. As in 10 things on my mind. Hmmm, maybe so.
The game was a tie - 10 to 10. It was exciting and he got three hits in his three times up to bat. Fielding? Well not much came his way, but he's a hitter for sure.
And he scored the tying run. Slid into home. I didn't get a picture of that, but the coaches wife did. If she shares it, I'll post it.
So when I returned to work part time after my maternity leave, we had to pick up Ed's insurance. It was comparable in price, but it definitely isn't comparable in quality. I work for a Fortune 100 company so the insurance was top notch. Well top notch in today's terms. And Ed is a state employee. You know, educating our young. A professional who is totally underpaid and definitely under benefited. This insurance is crap.
Ben was running a 105 temp a couple of weeks ago, and Tylenol wasn't touching it. He was miserable and inconsolable. So I took him to the children's ER because it was late and my doctor was closed. I didn't even think about cost. He was crying and had a high temp. No question. We were going to the quickest place I knew to get after hour care. Upon leaving, I paid $100 copay. Wasn't too surprised at the time. Even my company's insurance had a $50 ER copay so I figured we didn't make out too bad. That is until the bill came.
On top of the $100 copay for ER care, Ben had a $500 deductible so we got a bill from the hospital for another $400. Yikes. $500. Um, yikes. The insurance paid nothing. Zilch. Nada. Zero. We fit the whole bill.
So what did he have? Roseola. A common infant virus that causes a high temp for 3-7 days followed by a lacy rash. For $500, I found out that it is OK to alternate Tylenol and Motrin. And that helped and he was much less miserable the next day. But ouch. I'd do it all over again today if I had to. Nine months old, crying inconsolably, very high temp. What's a Mom to do? Good thing we can afford to supplement this lousy insurance. And we get the high option no less. I can only imagine what the lower option is like.
Or maybe its gullable?
Last night, he presented me with a piece of paper on which he had written down an 800 number.
Me - What's this?
Sam - Its the number to order Baby's First TV. It will make Benjamin smart so we need to order it.
Me - (chuckle)
Sam - No Mom. It says that it has educational shows that will make babies smart. He'll need to learn to read one day.
Me - That's not quite how it works.
Sam - Mom I learn all kinds of stuff on TV.
Me - Yes dear and that's why we're not going to let Benjamin watch TV. (chuckle)
Sam - But Mom, Benjamin needs to be smart. We need to get this for him.
Me - Talk to Daddy about it.
This child kills me. He probably thinks I don't want Benjamin to learn anything. LOL.
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Ben has started biting my shoulder and arm. I can feel him start to bite and I tell him no. He usually listens and won't bite.
I've been worried that he might bite someone else. He isn't around other babies regularly, but he could bite Sam or his cousins.
I never thought about him biting himself, but this morning he did. He was sitting quietly and then all of a sudden he was screaming. After I calmed him down, I saw it. The bite mark from his two little front teeth on his arm. Hope he doesn't make a habit of this.
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Cover the ears of our younger listeners. I may curse a bit.
Sitting in traffic on the interstate - imagine that. And some jacka$$ in a 325i with a big dent in the back pulls in the emergency lane and zips by all the traffic to get to the exit quicker. Whatever dude. First off, you're not more important than the rest of us. And second and most importantly, obey the freaking rules.
The crazy thing is that it is my exit too. So when I patiently wait my turn and arrive at the exit, imagine who's in front of me? Yes, it the (rhymes with trick and starts with p) in the BMW. Didn't save a whole lot of time did ya there fellow? And when the light turns green, he zips off and proceeds to weave in and out of cars to get wherever he's going faster than the rest of us.
Next light, he's in front of me again. Are you catching on yet dude? All this nonsense isn't getting you anywhere any faster than me. And I'm obeying the law and not putting any one's life in danger. Grow up you moron.
Now back to our regular family programming.
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that my husband is a nut?
A few weeks ago at Meet and Greet for Sam's school, there was a table set up for Boy Scouts. I never did the Girl Scout thing, mostly because of the expense and my Mom worked so transportation was always an issue. So I inquired at the table thinking that if Sam was interested, we'd check it out. Ed kind of frowned at me in that "No Way" kind of way that made be believe he wasn't all that game, but I filled out the information just in case Sam wanted to give it a try.
So weeks go by and I forget all about it until yesterday when an email comes from the Pack. I look at the schedule and see that almost every month has a campout. Ding. Ding. Ding. That's why Ed doesn't like the Scouts. He's not much for camping. Well, I say that without even asking him because he's never said let's go camping. So I'm assuming he's not into camping, but I do know that he loves going out on the ocean. So maybe camping on the beach would rate high, but an all boys camping trip in the woods wouldn't.
So I jokingly say to him yesterday that I know why he didn't want Sam to join the Scouts. It was the camping trips he'd have to take. And he quickly says back that it wasn't the camping but the predators. Predators, what? You know, child predators. He says the Scouts are full of child predators. Whatever.
**No offense to the Scouts. He is truly a nut.
Obviously, I'm a bit chatty today ;-)
Ed stayed home with Ben and I came to practice with Sam. Poor kid moved up to the next level this year and he looks like the little kid. The bigger kids are really good. He was really good last year and it is like he's starting all over again.
He tries really hard and that's all that matters, right?
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Sam uses an old digital camera of mine to take pictures. I was cleaning off the compact flash memory to free up some space for him and I found this picture...
Not too bad for a six year old amateur.
Yesterday, Sam had his first visit to the school nurse for the year. He was sneezing "a lot." He had several visits to the nurse last year - mostly after Ben was born. I'm not saying that he's a hypochondriac or anything, but what I am saying is that the boy likes special attention. And maybe being the big brother of the world's cutest baby makes him try to get that special attention whenever and wherever he can. I tolerated it a bit at the end of the school year last year because Ben turned his world up side down. In one week I got three calls from the school nurse. Two were kind of legitimite. He got racked one day and then fell on the concrete the next. I had to stopped by to check out his privates because no one is allowed to look there but your parents or the doctor dontcha know. The scrapped knees call was just to alert me to the sheer volume of bandaids that the kid was wearing. The third visit and call was to alert me that they were reapplying the bandaids - um, whatever. And I should mention that the nurse is a total nut and so afraid of being reprimanded, fired, or sued that she'd call the parents of a kid with a paper cut to cover her butt. Now yesterday was the first call from the nurse for the year, but it was only the 12Th day of school. I asked to speak with him but I had to wait for her to Purell him before he could touch her phone. He said that he was fine, but he couldn't stop sneezing. I offered to bring him some medicine for the sneezing and he was fine with that solution. So Ed dropped by the school (he's school is 5 minutes from Sam's school) and gave him a dose of Claritin and that was the end of it. Today, no call but I do plan to track the number of calls I get for the year. Call One - check. Any bets on how many days, weeks, or months it is until Call Two occurs?
Sitting in traffic on the interstate next to a truck full of cute pink pigs. They are so clean and they look so sweet. Its making me glad I took chicken out of the freezer this morning. Don't think I could eat pork chops without thinking about Wilbur tonight.
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Yawn. Benjamin has gotten up between 4 and 5 the last three days in a row. Add that to the fact that he doesn't sleep through the night and you can only imagine what a zombie I am around 7. I also starting running again this week. The irony of the two events coinciding this week might actually be funny to me if I could muster up the energy to laugh.
So I'm tired, what's new right? I think there are several posts here about my lack of sleep so nothing new. New kiddo = lack of sleep. I get it, but with no sleep and chores to do, I find myself wondering what I could do to ease the burden. Maybe some household help? I don't know. I'm Ok with the laundry and actually picky about it so that's a no go. There isn't much to vacuum because we've got wood floors in all the high traffic rooms. Dusting isn't so bad. I'm kind of a sloppy cook so either Ed or I has to clean the kitchen on a daily basis. I think my two least favorite chores are cleaning the bathrooms and cleaning all these darn hardwood floors. Think I could find someone to come once a week to scrub my toilets and mop the floors? Wonder if they get requests like that? "I don't need you to clean my house. I just want you to do the chores I never get want to do.," said the lazy woman who wanted to pick and choose her domestic duties.
Or better yet, I think it would be nice to have someone pick up my house on a daily basis. Right now, I'm staring at two Power Rangers on my desk. I'm certain that I didn't put them there, but two guesses who's going to be putting them away and it isn't Sam or Ben. Having someone come in after I go to bed and put the house back in order would be awesome. I usually do this after the kids are in bed and it takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to get it all straight and everything lined up for the next day. Putting away the books on the table, putting the shoes away, hanging up the backpack, straightening the pillows on the couch, laying out clothes for the next day, packing the lunchbox...I could go on and on. Wouldn't that me a treat for any Mom? Maybe that's my million dollar idea. House Fairies. You go to sleep and we do it for you.
Anyway, back to reality. I think I'm going to have someone come once a week to clean. I did this before when Sam was smaller (probably about the same age Ben is now) and I think I need it now.
School starts tomorrow!!
Sam is so ready. He doesn't think he is, but he is. If school started around 10, maybe 11, he'd be psyched. He is so NOT a morning person and that is his only problem with going to school - getting out of bed. Can't say I blame him because I'm right there with him on this one. He and I are total night owls.
We met his teacher on Thursday. She's nice but seemed really quiet. I think I might be old enough to be her Mother or at minimum, her Mother's hip younger sister. She looked really young, but looks can be deceiving. After all, I look much younger than 35 and if I don't, don't tell me. We'll have to see how it goes. I had reservations about the three teacher situation last year, but it turned out to be fabulous. So at this point, I'm holding all reservations until the year gets underway. Hopefully, she'll realize really quickly how wonderful he is and then we can just get on with the year ;-).
I am so excited about tomorrow. I've got his backpack ready and his clothes are laid out. I feel like a MasterCard commercial -
$90 in school supplies
$35 for new tennis shoes
$262 for new clothes
Knowing your kid is getting back in a routine and laying off the video games for a bit...
PRICELESS!!!
And I don't think I'll cry this year. Last year I was a bumbling idiot. All pregnant with the raging hormones and in total denial that my baby was going up. This year, I'll be a bit more together and he knows the drill so we'll both be fine.
Oh and watch out - There's definitely going to be some homework this year. Let the afternoon battle begin.
Why is it that whenever I leave the house, the "When are you coming home?" calls start within 30 minutes of my departure? I don't call him every 1/2 hour when he leaves the house. If Ben so much as whimpers, he'll call me asking how much longer I'm going to be gone. Two weeks ago, I put Ben to bed and ran out to Michaels because it was the last day of their sale and I wanted to get some poster frames for the playroom. I literally stepped across the threshold of the store when he called to tell me that Ben was awake and I needed to hurry back. Like he can't put our 9 month old to sleep by himself? What the heck did he do over the Summer? He got that kid to nap while I was at work somehow. The frustrating part is that he didn't even try. He just called me and claimed himself incapable because it was bedtime.
I don't call him when he's out. Never, ever, never. Ask him and he'll tell you that I don't do it. I'm good that way and he knows it. But he does it to me every darn time. Then he wonders why I act like he can't handle it alone. He's all, "I know what I'm doing. Just go." So I do, and then the phone rings.
He did this to me prior to Ben, but with a baby it is a bit worse. I'm just venting a bit. No need to kick him to the curb over this, but can't I go to Walmart and just browse alone with no call just once?
Testing to see if the email posting works. If it does, I might post more often. No promises though.
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Boys found starving; adoptive parents charged
My own six year old is pushing 55-60 pounds and he's as skinny as they come. And worse, my eight month old weighs almost 20 pounds. Can you image a five year old weighing what my eight month old does? What the hell? Why didn't anyone seem to notice before now? No one deserves to be tortured like this. What is wrong with these people and those people who turned a blind eye to the situation?
I have nothing of any real interest to say.
The PM in India has been visiting our office this week so today we went out for Indian food. S.P.I.C.Y. Ben is still nursing. I almost afraid of what if any affect he gets. I totally forgot about him while eating the hottest food of my life. Three hours later and my nose still burns. Yowie.
On to the next boring thing. We've decided to buy a piano. Like I know anything about them, but we want Sam to start lessons soon so I started calling around. We've decided to go with a used one at first but I almost feel like I'm buying a car from another planet. I don't know names, what to ask, or anything. If we get it home and get it serviced, we could spend more in repairs than the thing is worth. It seems that if even to the naked eye all looks to be in order this may not be the case. It takes a trained eye much like only a mechanic knows if a car is truly worth the asking price. Thing with pianos is you can't exactly drive it over to a music store for an inspection. There are people that will go with you to inspect a piano for a price that seems over the top to me, but what do I know. So I've currently got a line on a good used one. Hopefully, its still available and it will work out.
Boring times here, but boring is good because I'm still tired from last week.
We got home four days ago and I hit the ground running. Products to release, laundry to do, children to nuture, and no sleep to be had. I lived through the week on 4 hours of sleep a night. And today, I'm just out of gas. I have no idea how people work fulltime with little kids. I couldn't do it. I struggled for the three days this week that I put in an eight hour day and Ed was at home taking care of all that business. Hats off to the fulltime working Moms and especially to the single Moms. This is some tough stuff and the guilt is worse than the lack of sleep. I had three hard days, but next week I'm back to my regular schedule. Sleep, work, play, sleep. Sometimes a boring routine ain't so bad.
Can I say Idiot on the air?
Last minute, we decided to go to Universal Studios. We like to stay at one of the Universal hotels but we didn't book a room because we've done this before and usually we get a great rate on the phone on the way down. This time we weren't so lucky. We're in a Holiday Inn for the night about 2 miles from Universal and I'm not thrilled with the accommodations. It was approaching 11 and we had to stay somewhere as it seemed unfair to keep the kids in the car too much longer. Not that I have anything against Holiday Inn. I don't normally, but this one doesn't seem to be of the highest quality. Don't know where we are going to stay tomorrow but it won't be here. This is the last time I travel without room reservations. Lesson learned.
One bright spot. It has a wireless connection so I could search the net for someplace to stay for the rest of our trip! Cross your fingers that this trip gets better quickly. Disney World anyone? Til tomorrow...
We're going to Universal Studios tomorrow for the long weekend. I've got to finish some work stuff before we can go so I'm pulling one of those horrid all nighters. I'm getting closer to being able to go to bed, I hope. I just had to take a quick breather to refresh my mind a bit. If I had any sense at all, I would have put the computer down and not blogged. But apparently, I don't.
Worse than that, I don't even have anything exciting to say.
Its a tough week for my team. We're making a push to release some products before the long weekend. Everyone is mentally on vacation, but we're hanging in there and getting it done. To help with moral, I stopped this morning and picked up two dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. They were "Hot Fresh Now. " Yum. They are a Southern tradition and if you've ever been involved in a high school sport or club, you've sold a few dozen or so at a big intersection to raise money for something. We've been talking about having some for weeks now. After yesterday, donuts were definitely in order. My team was appreciative and we had a pleasant morning, temporarily forgetting the nightmare before us. The funny thing is that people came out of the woodwork when they found out that we had Krispy Kreme. I had no idea that I had that many friends in the office. These donuts are literally people magnets. They were coming from every department to see who had the Krispy Kreme donuts. We were glad to share because we certainly aren't stingy and we were feeling a bit sluggish after the initial feast. I'm partial to Dunkin Donuts myself so I must admit that I was a bit surprised by the overwhelming reactions to these hot donuts. Who knew the power these things possessed? I bet these people would have washed my car or babysat my kids to get one of these donuts. I'm thinking if we want to change the World, we just need to mass produce Krispy Kreme donuts. I believe they really are a starting point to World peace.
This will be the name of the parenting book that I am going to write. If I wasn't so darn busy being SuperMom, I'd explain. Luckily, it is pretty much self-explanatory. I think I'll include a DVD with video clips that show examples of exactly how to ensure that your child expects dessert after every meal. Better yet, I'll give seminars with my baby on my hip holding the remote control because he's already decided that it belongs to him. I'd love to elaborate further but I have to go make muffins so that I can bribe my child to get out of bed in the morning ;-).
Is this possible or do you just lose all together?
Ben is on the move and with that everything on the floor goes in his mouth. We're telling Sam on a daily basis that he's got to be more diligent about picking his stuff up off the floor. He listens sporadically these days so I can't depend on him. The area rug in the family room has a lot of color and pattern. The only way to ensure that it is safe for Ben is to vacuum because this baby could find a needle in a haystack blindfolded with one hand tied behind his back. So every night after dinner, I vacuum. And if its small and left on the floor, it gets sucked up. I hate doing this but its lose a toy or risk Ben putting it in his mouth. Sad thing is that I've sucked up at least a dozen Legos at this point and Sam hasn't even noticed. So does doing the best for Ben overrule the toy sacrifice? Will I even get an honorable mention this year? Um, doubtful. I'm sure there's some clause about getting on your hands and knees with a flashlight to save the Legos.
Holy Cow Batman! I can't believe that I forgot to write about this movie. What a weird movie. And I couldn't break away. It was like watching a train wreck. I was morbidly interested and sickened at the same time. It was awesome and awful at the same time. I was sympathetic to Bree, but then confused by everyone's reaction to her. Those really close to her didn't notice she was really a man and others who should have loved her unconditionally were sickened by her. It was sad and odd at the same time. If you haven't seen it, you should.
increase my bust.
Not really, but I have that mantra going through my head. I must, I must, I must blog before bed. Not a whole lot to say, but I can at least say that I did blog today.
Let's see...
1. Got up and even though I've shopped like a lunatic for two weeks now, I did the I've got nothing to wear dance.
2. Got kids dressed, greeted the sitter at the door, and rode off to work in silence. Ahhh, my only me time is my ride to work. And I generally do it without the radio. Not on purpose, but the sad thing is that I don't miss the radio. I'm so into my own thoughts and the quiet that I generally don't notice that the radio isn't on. Pitiful, I know.
3. Worked. Crappy day. Won't go there because I don't want to relive it.
4. Came home, played on the floor with my boys, made a library run, fed the baby, shared a frozen pizza with Sam, got everyone clean and tucked in bed, picked up the house, cruised the Net for too long, and then started to blog.
5. After blogging, going to bed.
Doesn't sound like much, but trust me it was more than enough for one day.
Being totally committed to getting this thing going again, I've just come in from my four hour yard sale. I'm hot, but my pocket is full of cash.
Never Again. Never, never, never again. All together now - NEVER AGAIN.
All in all it was successful and I unloaded a bunch of crap, but two things happened to infuriate me....
1. Can you hold that lawn mower for me? I need to run to the bank and get some cash. I'll be back in 20 minutes. - Never came back and three other people asked about the lawn mower so it was a totally lost sale. If you say you're coming back, then damnit come back. I was being very kind to hold said lawn mower for you. Hell, I don't even know you, but I was being kind so be kind in return.
2. Will you take $2 for this curtain rod? - Um, no. I want the price that's on it or I would have put $2 for it. I put $5 because that's way beyond fair. I paid over $40 for it and if don't want to pay $5 then it won't be yours. But don't offer $2 and then act like I'm not being fair when I say no. I'm committed to $5 and if no one wants to pay me $5 then I'll put it back in my basement. Good Dog, you could have offered $4 and I probably would have said yes, but don't insult me with $2. It just don't work that way.
Trying to get this thing going again...
1. My kids - (WOW. I still can't believe that word is plural. Every time I say it out loud, I freak just a little bit inside even though its been almost eight months. The "s" sound on the end of that word sounds so grown up. Like when did I grow up?!?!) They are both the neatest, coolest little dudes I know. They are funny, sweet, incredibly handsome, and growing up WAY too fast.
2. My husband - Ed is my fav-o-rite husband. Well he is my only husband, but I'm sure if I had multiple husbands, he'd be numero uno. He's just the right amount of supportive, considerate, generous, and asshole all at the same time. Most of the time, he knows just what I need even if it isn't what I want. He thinks that I should have all the clothes and shoes that I want and he doesn't think that Ann Taylor is too expensive. That alone makes him the World's Best Husband. I realize that I'm a spoiled brat and he does too, but he really doesn't seem to mind. Everyday, he makes life totally interesting even if it is in some body function disgusting humor kind of way.
3. My house - This is my third house. Each was brand new and we picked out all the goodies, but this one truly has my heart. I loved that last two, but with each I kept dreaming of the next one. I can honestly say that I'm not even looking at new homes. I L.O.V.E. this house. Its mine for keeps.
4. Baby Einstein - When a girl needs a shower or five minutes to blog, this stuff does the trick. I swear its like Baby Crack and all he has to do is hear the first note and he whips his head in the direction of the TV so fast its scary. If in ten years they discover that these DVDs cause kids to become serial killers, this boy is in trouble because he's getting a daily dose. Its horrible I know, but he's in the attached at the hip stage and a girl's gotta shower, ya know?
5. Netflix - Who knew that having movies delivered to your home could be so much fun? I kept holding on to that Blockbuster card and was way too chicken to make the switch, but once the movies started showing up at my mailbox, I was a believer. Netflix is tons of fun and none of the work.
6. Diet Dr. Pepper - I swear this stuff tastes just like real Dr. Pepper. I don't even realize that I'm drinking a Diet drink and God knows that I HATE Diet drinks. I'm only allowing myself one a day because I'm still nursing, but when the breastfeeding ends I'm going to drown myself in it.
7. Coach - Anyone whose ever owned one knows exactly why this one makes my list. I feel stylish and they last even when you're dragging around two kids. And when people see me on the street, they think I've got it together. They have no idea that the bottom of my handbag is filled with old Cheerios.
8. Wireless Networks - I'm all about working, but from the comfort of my couch thankyouverymuch.
9. TiVo - Love is being able to watch the Sopranos or What Not To Wear on my own schedule. Need I say more?
10. My Blackberry - Hated, hated, hated the idea of getting one. I was NEVER going to be one of those tied to email kind of people. But when "that thing" was finally thrust upon me, I was truly transformed. Never has a gadget changed my life as much as this little jewel. I always feel like I know what the heck is going on. I'm organized, connected, efficient, and reachable wherever I am. What I thought would tie me down, gave me freedom like I didn't know was possible.
Just saw a teen at the gas station with a ring of hickies around his neck. All the way around his neck. Gag:
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We took Sam to a birthday party in November at which the party favor was a goldfish. I'm still plotting revenge on this friend by the way. Next time her kid comes to my house he is leaving my house with a hamster or better yet a Siamese cat. They are "dog" people and consider us to be "cat" people. Anyway, this goldfish lived on top of our refrigerator in a very small glass bowl until Christmas when Santa took pity on the poor thing and delivered a Spongebob Aquarium to our house. $30 gets you a plastic 1.5 gallon tank and a really small air pump. Essentially, it is a big fish bowl that bubbles with a Bikini Bottom backdrop. Totally cheesy.
So after reading the instructions and assembling the tubing and pump, Goldie has a new home. A week later, I take Sam (with baby in tow) to Petco. We get another goldfish that's silver with orange specks who gets the name Orangey and a skinny little fish that gets the name Ready. I spent a grand total of $0.42. Sam was delighted.
A week later Organey is floating. CRAP. Ed and I scramble to remove him from the tank and we decide to flush him. Great. Sam doesn't notice and we think we're in the clear. That is until bedtime when we tell Sam to go to the bathroom before getting in bed. You guessed it. Goldie didn't flush and Sam sees him floating in the toilet. So an impromptu discussion of fish Heaven ensues and the tears finally stop. Two days later, Ready floats and gets flushed. This time we watched to be sure he actually went down the toilet. It takes Sam two days to notice that he is down to one fish. To ease the pain, we offer to take him to get a couple more fish. At this point, my friend informs me that all the left over "party favors" died weeks ago so I'm thinking that we can't be that bad of fish parents as Goldie is still alive. We decide that maybe we are over feeding them and do some research on the proper amount of food.
A trip to Petsmart produces three new fish. We decided to go to a different store just in case the fish at Petco were somehow inferior. We spend way too much time picking out fish so that each fish looks totally different. This time I spend $0.92 and we don't name the fish. We now have the original solid goldfish, a silver one with gold specks, a gold one with a black tail, and a black one with gold spots. In Sam's mind, fish are now disposable pets and even asks on the way home if these die can he get more. Great.
Weeks go by and I think we're doing a really good job because everyone looks healthy and active. Almost daily, Ed and I discuss the fish and how they are doing. We think we're feeding them the right amount and we're changing their water weekly. We even made a special trip to Petsmart for water conditioner to remove the chlorine. Nothing is too good for our little fish. We're invested in these little creatures and Sam could care less. Until Tuesday, when the first one died. Then Wednesday, the original fish and a third fish died. And then yesterday, the last fish died. Tonight when Sam went to bed, he asked me that when we go to get more fish, could I ask the store owner how to keep them alive. Honey, I've decided that there will be no more fish. I've got too much going on these days to have the added pressure of trying to keep goldfish alive. While I don't buy into the "cat" people label, we definitely aren't "fish" people.
emailed me to tell me that I haven't updated my blog in 2 weeks! I know I said that I'd try really hard to keep it updated, but give a girl a break ;-).
Anyway...
Work is going OK. Ben is doing well with my SIL and barely seems to notice the few hours he is away from me. Whew. So far so good. But it is 7:10pm and its only 50 minutes until my bedtime. Yes, I go to bed at 8pm. Yawn. I get up with Ben 2-3 times a night and then get up at 5:30am. It is a fast and furious morning but the afternoons are free with my boys.
This morning I kissed Sam goodbye and was struck by the fact that his features are maturing. He no longer has baby features. He nose, his cheeks, his lips are all childlike. I can't believe it. Maybe its because I'm looking at Ben, but when did my first baby grow up? I can't believe he will be six on Saturday.
My birthday was uneventful. Sam wanted to make me a cake which meant I had to bake a cake. Within minutes he was on to something else and I was left to bake the cake alone. He came back in time to frost and then sprinkle with some candy. Then he was so proud of the cake he made. Um, excuse me, frosting does not a cake make. I can't wait until the last of the cake is gone. Because I'm nursing, I'm not dieting but I'm trying to eat smart so these last couple of baby pounds will drop off. I'm back in my regular clothes but I'm 35 now so these pounds need to come off now or they never will.
So this just turned out to be a post about nothing. Maybe tomorrow I'll say something more entertaining.
its off to work I go.
I went to the office yesterday to resign. Said what I wanted to say and expected to hear "Don't let the door hit in the a$$ on the way out." Instead, I was asked to think about other options first and call back tomorrow. So I went home more confused.
Two hours later, my dotted-line boss calls to tell me that 8-1 Monday thru Thursday would be great if I could commit to that. The person who has been doing my Project Management duties would get a promotion and continue handling those details. I would still keep my title and do all the product planning and communication. Oh and still manage the outsource gig.
Ed and I discussed it and I talked to my SIL about watching Ben. We all got our ducks in a row and I'm pretty happy with the arrangement. So I'll start on Monday. Wish me luck. I'm fairly confident I can pull this off. I'll only work 20 hours a week, I won't be away from Ben too long, and when I'm home, I won't be working at all. I may cry a little the first couple of days, but I'm sure my mornings will fly by. And best of all, my afternoons will be free for my boys.
Ior are breastfeeding supplies and accessories WAY over priced?
I just returned from Babies R Us where I spent almost $300 on a single pump, sterilizing stuff, and storage bags. The pump is the Avent Uno and I had to get something to keep up my supply if I have to return to the office to work out a notice when I resign. The only pump I've ever had luck with is the Isis so I hope the Uno works for me. I just don't think the Isis would be enough if we're separated for more than one feeding. When Sam was a baby, I purchased an Ameda pump and I had no luck with it whatsoever. I've got a supply in the freezer so Ben's covered, I just don't want my supply to dip.
Anyway, back to my gripe. This pump couldn't have cost more than $10 to make, but yet they charge $150. It better be worth it. Its like they know you won't be spending money on formula so in comparison, it is still cheaper to breastfeed even if you had to invest in some hardware and supplies. I hope this isn't true, but I feel a bit put out right now. I can't bring myself to open it because once you open the box, its nonreturnable.
A few days ago while looking for my film camera, I found a book called Simple Steps in my bedside table. I don't remember buying it but the intro says that the authors were on Oprah a few times so I'm sure I saw the show and then purchased the book. I'm not really one to make New Year's resolutions but this book seems kind of cool so I thought I'd give it a try.
Each week has four simple steps that help you get control of your health, weight, home, and spirit. At the end of ten weeks, my mind will no longer be "a cluttered mess of worries, wishes, and chores that I can't keep track of." I'm trying not to be too cynical and give it my best shot.
The first week requires that I walk 20 minutes, drink 64oz of water, and save $2 everyday. It also requires that I clean out one drawer or closet each week. Today is my official start. I cleaned out the junk drawer in the kitchen without a whole lot of success. There were so many little odds and ends in the drawer that I didn't know what to do with. I didn't want to get discouraged so I moved on to the coat closet. It has become the place we put things we were too lazy to put in their proper place or we didn't really know where to put it. I was able to really clear the clutter and it really did make me feel good. There was tons of stuff that didn't really belong in this closet that I was able to put away. I got rid of some stuff we no longer needed and really got the closet in shape. I keep opening the closet to look inside. It really does make me feel good to see it in order.
I haven't walked yet, but I'm going to go knock that task out right now.
I keep telling everyone that Ben looks just like Sam so I thought I'd take some time to post some pictures to prove it.
I give you The Clones -
Samuel - (Sorry for the poor quality. I only had a 1M camera at the time. Boy, technology and the price of digital cameras sure has changed in 6 years.)
Benjamin -
Ok, may not exact clones, but definitely similar :->
I'm hoping this works -
Loved these pictures and hadn't had time to post them previously.
First day of school - Sam
Sam and Mom - First day of school (Mom 7 months pregnant)
Fall T-Ball. He was really good. So much better than he was in the Spring. He looks so small in this picture - sniff.
Halloween - I sent Ed out to take his picture with his Pumpkin. I envisioned him sitting on the steps next to the pumpkin. Obviously Sam had other ideas. Ed showed me this picture the next morning after Benjamin was born. I LMAO. This is so Sam.
Some serious size difference -
Look what I caught him trying to do! He couldn't figure out how to get out. Instead of helping him, I ran for the camera.
Hey what are you looking at?!?!
