My Merry Christmas

Quick post before work, because that's how it's rollin' lately:

This song reflects how I've felt about Christmas my whole life. It's always been a balm for me even in the hard times. It's called, "This Good Night is Still Everywhere" by Dustin Kensrue. Highly recommend his Christmas album.

I know somewhere the sun is up and it's 95 degrees,
But here the stars are shining and there's frost on all the trees,
And everything looks beautiful as far as I can see,
And this good night is still everywhere to me.

The gospel's on the radio like Jesus come to town,
And right outside my window I see snowflakes falling down,
And everything looks beautiful as far as I can see,
And this good night is still everywhere to me.

The children in bed dreaming, the fire's blazing bright.
My true love nestles near me in the sweet and silent night,
And everything looks beautiful as far as I can see
And this good night is still everywhere to me.

Giveaway

Is anyone who reads here a size 4 and want a really pretty little red Christmas dress? I will attach a photo later if someone is the right size. I just love it so much but my post baby body is not as enthusiastic.

Why My Sleep Sucks

It's midnight, on a work night, and I've been trying to sleep since 9:30. Why is this happening? Well, it's my Monday tomorrow.. Always worse. Also, I'm suddenly freaking out about my part time work plans and our family's future. For the love, someone talk me down!

Child is also sick and thoughts of daycare/not daycare are plaguing me,

And this, folks, is what it's like to have my brain.

Christmas Card Review

I've gotten Tiny Prints Christmas cards 2 years in a row and liked them very much. The pictures turned out beautifully, the colors were great, and the the cards looked high quality. Last year I even reviewed them in return for free cards.

This year I didn't have that same reviewing opportunity and decided to buy a Living Social deal from a new company: Simplytoimpress. I like the cards we got. They're nicely done. However, the card stock, printing and images don't strike me as high a quality as Tiny Prints (and I believe they were the same price.) They also do lighting etc "fixes" on your images, which I thought would be a good thing. But the lighting changes that were made to the photo of my son seemed overenthusiastic. I felt the photo looked more overblown than "lightened." Perrhaps they think he's whiter than he is? ;-)

On the pro side for Simplytoimpress, the packaging was delightful (see image below), and their customer service seems good too. We got not only 2 extra envelopes (like Tiny Prints), but 2 extra cards along with a little note explaining that they understand how easy it is to miscalculate, so here are two cards just in case. I liked that a lot.

Overall though, I think I preferred the look and the options for Tiny Prints cards. I was getting a special deal through Living Social, so it's fine, but I will probably go back to Tiny Prints if I have the money or if they offer me a deal again. Note that I was offered nothing for this review in particular. I often look to others for advice on these sorts of choices, so I try to review when I can.

Tired. What else is new?

I have started posts/photos about my new batch of hard candy, trying a new card service and various other adventures, but it hasn't gotten done. I've been just so tired. I haven't even been commenting much on Jen's posts. You KNOW something's wrong now right?

Ever since we got back from our home trip, I have been completely wiped. I chalked it up to travel fatigue, and then not eating right, and then not sleeping well, but nothing I do is making it any better. So today, only 2 mos after my last Endo visit, I called them and asked them to check my thyroid. We were going for a year between checks this time. Sigh. The change in seasons generally does screw with it though. I really hate this. Can't it just be stable?

Hard day. Don't you hate those? Too bad I'm not home with my family for Thanksgiving.

Things I've Learned Recently

We've just returned from our trip to visit family. I did well with the hard candy! It's much more like cooking than baking, so it was more up my alley. I'm not so hot with the baking. This has been the year of trips. I really should include some photos from California, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. I'm a very negligent blogger.

In any case, here are the top things I wanted to share with you that I learned in the past few weeks.

1. If you unknowingly brush your teeth with whitening Sensodyne, it will not help your sensitivity. In fact, you will end up with very painful high sensitivity that you then go to the dentist about without realizing you caused the problem in the first place. Smart.

2. If you think to yourself, "Huh. My car windows seem to go down and up really slowly these days," check your battery. What? I've never had automatic windows before!

3. When making hard candy, if you cook it slighly too long into caramelizing, then add teal food coloring, it will be forest green... 'cause, you know,  yellow and blue make green.

4. Here is a lovely photo of my actual teal candy. The photo makes it look more true blue, but trust me, it was teal.

5. I handle the cold much better than I used to, and I seem to have less tolerance for heat. So weird. I don't know if it's having my thyroid and PCOS under control or what. But while I still lean heavily toward Virginia, I could possibly live in Pittsburgh as well. E blossomed incredibly around all his family. He particularly loved his "cousints." 

Branching Out

And then we get the Florida fall and winter, and I never want to leave.

In other news, I'm attempting hard candy from scratch today. I'll let you know how it goes. I remember "helping" my Grandma as a little girl, but that's as far as my experience goes.

Please Please Help Me Understand

It's no secret that I lean very liberal socially. I'd say I'm a little more moderate fiscally but not much. I wasn't always that way. I grew up in a very isolated, rural area where being liberal would get you scathing looks at best. To give you a snapshot of the isolation, I remember kids dressing up with "welfare bum" signs (spelled incorrectly on purpose), wearing black face, and marching in our towns Halloween parade complete with entry tags and to gleeful cheers and laughter.

I questioned some of my town's influences before that, but I remember that as a pivotal moment of, "If I feel so strongly that most of these social beliefs here are wrong, that the environmental ennui is scary and that the dog eat dog environment here is not making our poverty situation any better, what about this town's commonly held political beliefs? Should I be on the same page?"

But I want to understand so badly. I want to understand thoughtful, intelligent people who believe strongly in conservativism... Particularly the newer Tea Party type that makes me flinch on a regular basis. I firmly believe that only through understanding (not power grabbing) do we really have a chance at making things better.

So, in that spirit, I would like to ask a few questions. I would love if someone could help me understand. In return, I will state some of my beliefs and please please ask me questions on them. I don't even care if they are rude. I just want to understand us both a little better.

1. I honestly don't agree with abortion for myself in most situations. However the landscape of abortion before it was legalized was not a pretty picture. I also can't understand the "no exceptions," stuff, and the new restrictions that are in place in many states now that make them horribly difficult to do even under extreme circumstances. I also can't get away from the fact that women can be forced by the government to go through a life changing event (pregnancy) that has the potential to ruin her in many ways (again, not my view) with or without the man bc he can walk away with nothing. Even if he's charged with paying child support, it's easy to dodge, and he can be completely unaffected and provide no support for the pregnancy.

2. Would early induction of the pregnancy be allowed if the fetus isn't viable or there's risk to mother or both? Or should they just die because it's God's will?

3. Which leads me to, why is separation of church and state bad? (i know why i think it's good, but I want
to know the other side) Currently, I kind
of get the feeling that people want to make it so that Christian dogma is ok but nothing else, and that isn't what our country is founded on. (to me)

4. Why can't gay people have a legal civil union? How does it destroy marriage when they already have a union that isn't on paper and can be married by churches that are ok with that? Stable families are good right?

5. Why do you think trickle down/supply side economics works? Have you benefitted from it?

6. Do you really think this is an "entitlement society?" Why?

7. Do you think we can meet needs o the poor/middle class individually without social programs?

8. Do you think climate change is a myth? Why?

9. Does the environment always come second to energy development or human needs other than recreation/nature enjoyment? Why?

10. Do you support something like the Blunt Amendment? Why?

11. Is de-regulation of our markets as they currently exist ever helpful? How?

I only picked the things I have a harder time with, and I tried not to get too much into what I think and why, because that's for you to ask. And please just to help me stay respectful an open-minded, do not cite Fox news sources. There may be a few nuggets in there but amidst so much name calling, inaccurate reporting and craziness (the Obama birth certificate crap anyone?) that I just can't abide it. Thanks.

This isn't the post I had planned about being more fierce, but it's one that has weighed on me for a long time. And one last question...

If you only vote for a party for fiscal reasons, but you are completely opposite their social platform (in either direction, and I hear it a lot), how can you deal? Why is that the right path for you?

Politics Fun Day

-Waiting in line to vote.

-Freezing instead of roasting. I kinda like it.

-Hub had to stop for Obama's motorcade today and says he saw him inside. Cool.

-Working on a post about the loss of my boldness in blogging. Hoping you will like me when you see it

Comments, Questions and a few things

1. JEN asked how gluten free was going, but I haven't been doing that. Just sugar as much as possible. :)

2. I've been told to switch to WordPress and know it is better, but I don't want to lose this blog. Can I switch it all over??

3. I got Epic Mickey for my birthday. I love it.

4. Why can't I find anyone else to geek out over Naruto with? At least Hub likes it.

Whining

So I have been trying to be more consistent about posting, but the work week goes like this: I get up before 6, get E's daycare stuff ready and me ready for work and drive the half an hour in. Then I put in my 11 hour day (with lunch) and drive home and sometimes pick up E. I get home between 630 and 7 where we then do baths, dinner, a little play and readiness for the next day and usually bed by 830 or 9 (hopefully. Even if E doesn't need the rest, I do!)

I'd love to sneak Internet time at work but not only is it an offense worth termination, but I'm rarely at a desk. So .. Here we are. My days are one reason I can't wait to go part time. My days off are filled with all the things I can't get to during the week.

So, part of the problems I've referred to that I needed help with have resolved themselves. E was having a horrible time with daycare, and we had a lot of pressure from certain sources. We were trying to decide if we should move him, but he must have popped out of that phase!

Work is tense for so many reasons... many of them acknowledged by department heads and directors with a promise that we will get better. It's a nice promise, but the stress from that (and some team stuff) isn't cake.

Anyway.. There's my rambly story told via my break on an iPod app.

Out of the Mouth of E

As I said goodbye to Hub this morning: "Daddy, you have Mommy on your face."

Hard Day

What a flippin day. I have not had one like this in a while. I would like to unleash all my woes, but I'm currently on lunch at work, and this precludes going into much detail or taking much time. It involves daycare, work crap and the like. You know. The usual. Are you prepared to answer some question for me? I'm really going to do it this time.

Work and Home

As I've mentioned, we figured out how to make part time work possible for me after E goes to pre-K. That's not for almost 2 years, but I've already been preparing for it. One of those prep items involves notifying certain people for various reasons. Some of the reactions I got had me thinking, "hm. Am I really sure?"

Well, this long weekend home has cemented my feelings. My sense of well being and satisfaction is so much higher the more time I spend at home. And I'm so much more motivated here to do great stuff! At work the opposite is true. The more time I spend there, the less I care, and the more stressed I become. Counting the days baby...

My Canadian Friends

Happy Thanksgiving neighbors to the great white north! We miss you lots!

The AMA Birthday

Tomorrow I will be 35. And I'm so tired still from our trip that I'm feeling every one of those years.  It's been cause for a lot of reflection lately though... this 35 thing; this advanced maternal age starting block. If you've read, you already know we don't plan on having a second biological child and all the reasons for that. However, we are now facing down our original cut off point for trying for a first. We had planned to at least not use protection until I turned 35, whether we had already adopted or not. Then, for reasons of our own, we decided we would begin some sort of birth control. If there was no pregnancy by 35, there would be none. 

I still feel that way, but it's very odd to be here at this major point in our lives. Would we have kept "trying" if there was no E? I don't think so. I was already so done with IF that I can't imagine either one of us would want to continue. At the same time though, it's disconcerting to know that that decision is rapidly being taken from us by nature in any case. Of course I could still conceive possibly into my 40's. But we know the stats, and we can't deny that they add a layer of complication to an already densely packed shit pie. 

It's just weird to face my own mortality and even more so at this point, the mortality of my childbearing years. Happy birthday to me!

Don't mistake this post as a morose one though. It's merely one of my many dark musings. I'm actually very happy our lives turned out happily for us, and I'm very excited to celebrate tomorrow. My son and Hub are awesome, and I was greeted at the door by a tremendously excited child. "Hey Mama! I have a SUPWISE for you!! WAIT RIGHT HERE!" Hub had taken E to get me some agave nectar, gluten free cupcakes (DELICIOUSNESS) as my birthday treat for tomorrow. He told E it was a surprise, and apparently E could not wait! So I got to eat a cupcake tonight. I think it was worth it. 

West Coast Stylin Update

Hey all! Look at silly me. I went and booked a trip when I would like to be staring at Jen's new baby all day. In my defense, this has been planned for a while.

In any case, here are some updates:

1. Charro on a Southwest flight connecting in Kansas City? WTF?

2. The heat is a lot easier to take here than in FL.

3. The Kansas City airport is kinda disappointing.

4. The Disneyland Haunted Mansion dressed for Halloween (Nightmare) is amazing!

5. E thought he was in Cars Heaven in Cars Land

6. If Hub's snoring was a sentient being, I would tell it to go.. Well you can fill in the blanks.

I think I'll do a post on what we thought of Disneyland vs Walt Disney World.

Birth Edit

From Jen:

Ryan Matthew, seven pounds, one ounces, nineteen and a half inches. Born at 6:00pm exactly.

Jen's in the Hospital!

In a good way of course! I've had it on good authority that Jen went into labor own and is now safely at the hospital awaiting.... scratch that, just checked her twitter feed, and there is a baby boy in their family now!!

Send congrats and love her way! Details to follow.

Happy Birthday little man! We can't wait to meet you! Love to all the family.

Anniversary Additions

I told you I'd come up with more additions to my anniversary post for Hub...

72. Watching (and hearing) the space shuttle go up against a gorgeous Florida sunset.
73. Hearing the boom of that shuttle come back and being fooled into thinking a bomb had gone off (more than once.)
74. Watching E's face as Big Pooh Bear came over to give special attention to the little Pooh Bear (his lovey) he was holding out to him.

New Discoveries

So hi! Jen mentioned a Wordpress app a while back, and I was all, "Huh?! Those exist?" So here I am testing out the Blogger one. Since the majority of my posting was done by email on my iPod before*, and I was having such trouble with it, I kinda dropped the ball. You should see my family blog. It's in an even worse state.

But hey, this is one of my new discoveries, and I think it's going to be cool.

In other discovery news:
1. While the Martha Stewart bathroom cleaner I mentioned before is indeed awesome, the also mentioned dish washer detergent is very no bueno. Stay away! You may as well just run a cycle with water.

2. Michael's is awesome for cheap wooden toys and other fun kiddo doodads (Wooly Willy anyone?) I'm sure Jen and others have mentioned it before, but I'm a slow learner.

3. Seeing Endeavor fly overhead at 2000 ft on the back of a 747 was really really awesome. Be jealous.

*E is a lot more tolerant of the iPod than the computer.

Busy and Worried

• Sometimes I get so discouraged with time and money constraints... mostly with time constraints. I am usually ok with the fact that to spend time with my baby and husband the way I want to (the pets have been getting a little bit of the short shrift), the house can't be as clean as it once was. It doesn't stop me from being sad when I find some gross spots.
• A good, cheap busy toy that I loved as a kid and forgot about until recently? Wooly Willy!!! (Dependent on your child's interest in taking apart of course)
• Re-watched Despicable Me and Alice in Wonderland (new one). Love them both!
• I love the soundtrack for Despicable Me.
• Investigating Montessori for E. Anyone have thoughts/stories?
• We may have to apply for a scholarship and hope we get it. I don't know.
• We are also on the plan for me to start working part time when E goes to school. We were thinking Kindergarten but looking at how Florida runs VPK, we may start when he's four.
• The plan involves me trying to work for Starbucks 20hrs/week so I have health care benefits and trying to get E covered under Florida Kids coverage. Health care is such a stress. 

Florida Pros and Cons

In the ongoing indecision (though it's currently a moot point until some things change) over moving from Florida are the following pros and cons:

Con: ROACHES. ROACHES IN YOUR HOUSE AS A REGULAR OCCURRENCE. I hate those bastards.

Pro: Hispanic food and culture. I've mentioned my love before, and I'll probably mention it again.

Culinary Delights

Our church recently dropped a service, and we have a horrible time getting E motivated and going by the time it starts... so we tried a different church today. Not so much. I haven't been pleased with it in the past and was very much not so today. E wasn't a fan as always. He likes our regular church all right once he's there. He just can't get going that early.

So we ended up ditching and wandering across the street to a new little area where various Latin businesses have sprung up. It's so fun, interesting and new to us. We pressed our noses against the glass at a little Hispanic bakery that has almost every bakery delight known to Italians, Hispanics and a few others. The counter is so long and so high, I imagined E thinking he'd been magically transported to tasty toddler heaven with no end in sight. In fact, he spent a very enjoyable few minutes pointing at various cakes saying, "Dat wooks good! That one wooks good too! Dat one wooks yummy!" It was a beautiful display of cakes and berries and breads and snacks. E and I had a chicken empanada and strawberry cream cake (which he helped choose.) Hub had tiramisu... before lunch. Then we walked over to a new Paella place where Hub tried some chorizo carried out still flaming. I had potatoes with ali oli sauce. It was a very interesting dressing that tasted a bit like a fresher ranch with more bite. E opted for some rice. He hasn't been feeling 100%, so it's been bland all the way for him lately. The restaurant itself was cute, elegant and homey all at the same time. 

We rounded out our culinary adventures of the day by trying the sandwiches and desserts at our new Wawa. We reveled in the cooler rainier weather (Thank you Isaac. Now just don't hurt too many people.) by sitting out on the metal chairs and tables. Yeah. We know how to rock it with the elegant crowd.

The Case of the Strawberries

So.... well... I wanted to show you my "genius" idea for my strawberry plants. So I took a picture. But then I rethought sharing with you my "genius" idea. Why you ask? Well, nothing big really... other than the fact that the plants growing in the photo are not strawberries. Yeah. It wouldn't come as much of a shock if you knew my history (as some of you may) with growing things (or not growing them as the case may be.) 

I bought this root ball kit thing at Lowe's. It was "guaranteed" to grow. And in just the right time after I planted it, something did grow! And they resembled baby strawberry plants, so I stopped there and got all excited. Then more things grew; except that the more things didn't look like the previous things. Then none of them had leaves that really looked like any strawberry plants I knew. And they kept getting taller... too much taller. And they smelled funny. So I stared at them and stared at photos of various types of strawberry plants; willing them to be good. But it was no good. They were weeds hiding in the bag or blown in from the yard or whatever.

So without further adieu, here is my grand idea of growing my strawberries in an old pet cage. I bought some fabulous mesh to put around the outside to further discourage raiding pests. I figured that was such a good idea. Also in this photo are the buzz kills - the non strawberries. Enjoy. I will be buying full fledged plants online in the Fall planting season. I will also be following directions exactly, growing them with companion plants and buying only the ones that are good for Florida. 

Wish us all luck.

Mr. Sensitive

When we are watching Blue's Clues together, there is often a segment where Steve has to rearrange a sentence so that it makes sense. Of course he gets it wrong a few times before the pieces of the sentence fall into the right places. E runs into the hallway and peeks around the corner at the TV when he knows Steve is going to get it wrong. I guess he can't handle watching him make the mistakes. (Hub and I still do this with shows in which someone is horribly embarrassing him or herself. The Office comes to mind.)

**************

The other day I was home from work wondering if one could die of intestinal/stomach discomfort. It seemed to be a 24 hour bug because by the time late afternoon rolled around, I felt weak, but good enough to pick E up from daycare. (Hub had taken him in the morning while I huddled under the covers. We pretended I was already at work. Taking care of a toddler was NOT in the cards.) Anyway, I decided to pick him up earlier than usual and called daycare to tell them. 

When I arrived, I rang the doorbell and heard the general commotion from inside that always accompanies. When the door was opened, I walked in and saw E playing with all his little friends. He looked up, and when he saw me, his mouth dropped in shock. Then his face crumpled, his lip quivered and he started doing the "trying not to cry" pant. He was so emotionally overwhelmed by my early and unexpected presence. Oh the stab to the heart! I quickly knelt down and said, "Come on baby! You can come!" He ran to me, clutched me around the neck and buried his face in my shoulder saying, "Up?" I picked him up, and he began to calm. He maintained his death grip as I talked to Miss D. though and stroked my pony tail (a calming technique for him) throughout our discussion. My sweet sweet attached and sensitive boy. How he slays me. To use a favorite line of Jen's; I think we'll buy him a pony.

Happy (Very Belated) Anniversary Babe!

During my hiatus, Hub and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary and had a very brief staycation with E. We enjoyed it, but it's never enough time is it? We are lucky though. Hub and I talk about how we've had so many adventures and done so many "cool things" as we so cleverly say it. In honor of that and in honor of our anniversary, I thought I'd post a memory list of those times here. Some of these you may know, some you'll only know if you are familiar, and some will probably be a me and Hub thing. Let me know if you recognize and have done any of these and how you liked them.

I may add more later. 

1. Our first fancy restaurant outing across the border in Maryland on that little island. The waiter was very snooty and rude. We tipped him exactly 15% to the penny because we didn't want to prove him "right" by under tipping, but he certainly didn't deserve more.

2. Taking pictures on the glass floor of the CN tower, and posing at the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

3. Toronto clubbing

4. Cruising on the "Three Rivers."

5. Exploring more of DC than we ever thought possible while trying to find the "real" Library of Congress.

6. Toronto Film Festival

7. Fireworks competition

8. New Year 2000 downtown

9. CNE

10. Seeing & meeting the Barenaked Ladies (Pittsburgh, Albany, Syracuse, Toronto)

11. Old Forge

12. The best (and cheapest!) cannolis ever - little bakery in Utica, NY.

13. Driving through cute ski towns on the border between NY and PA.

14. Bicycling along the river to a little pizza shop near our apartment for lunch - in the very leafy 'burbs! (oh how I miss this type of living!)

15. Licking ice cream and watching fireworks going on all around us in the Tonawanda park from July 1-4th.

16. Niagara-on-the-lake

17. Christmas celebration in Skaneateles.

18. Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Hollywood

19. Blue Waters

20. Montreal - the food, the sights, not so much the people

21. Niagara Falls rendezvous

22. Riding elephants

23. Feeding rhinos & giraffes

24. Exploring Dallas

25. Up close and personal with gorillas

26. Seeing me on TV

27. The carriage ride on our wedding day

28. Driving 1200 miles to Florida. Thrice.

29. Moving me, you and us 7 times in our relationship & carrying it out over 6 different states & 7 different cities.

30. Watching Magic Kingdom fireworks while your parents enjoyed like kids again.

31. Me clutching your arm (and Alex's) while we rode Tower of Terror.

32. Denali National Park

33. When we stood together in a beautiful valley surrounded by towering mountains and beautiful purple wildflowers in awe of the silence and stillness.

34. Whales, sea otters, & sea lions in Seward.

35. Watching a wedding in an outdoor chapel in the Dominican Republic.

36. My family reunion on a beautiful mountain top. (Great food, company and surroundings)

37. Landing in a European country together for the first time for both of us and our chuckling disbelief at how easily we walked through customs.

38. A sunset walk through a charming, German hamlet that seemed to take us back in time. The smell of strawberries, the sound of birds and the feel of a cool German summer breeze.

39. Driving through Germany and the Netherlands and again being amazed when the change to a new country was simply marked by some flags and a small sign.

40. Learning how to use German public toilets.

41. A wedding in a beautiful Dutch castle with two dear friends.

42. The gorgeous juncture of the Rhine and the Mosel.

43. Touching some of the Berlin Wall.

44. Cruising for the first time... being in awe of the blue of the Western Caribbean waters (especially Cozumel.)

45. The beauty, fascination and wildlife of the ruins of Tulum.

46. Second City, fancy dining, the CN tower and a beautiful hotel for a long weekend.

47. Staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

48. Getting stuck on the tarmac in Puerto Rico because the iguanas wouldn't move.

49. Flying almost by ourselves on a 747.

50. North Beach at Fort Desoto

51. Merritt Island Birding

52. Cocoa Beach

53. South Beach in October - the dining, the beach, the nightlife - not so much the scary hotel with the hole in the wall.

54. The Everglades

55. Islamorada - Finding a Great Blue Heron white morph!

56. Driving down the keys and exploring them as we went.

57. Walking around Key West and seeing the beauty of Fort Zachary and Mallory Square.

58. Seven Mile Bridge

59. Seeing the Grand Canyon (the first time for me) from the window of an airplane.

60. Seeing Mt. Rainier the same way.

61. Holding hands as we exited the church on our wedding day.

62. Signing documents for our first house on our anniversary.

63. Eating at a very fancy restaurant at the top of the city.

64. Looking at each other over the table at a seafood place as we both (silently and nervously) considered that I may be pregnant.

65. Repeatedly staring at the 4 pink lines that confirmed my pregnancy.

66. Video recording E's crazy movements visible on the outside of my belly.

67. Staring at and crying over our beautiful new baby.

68. Taking E on his first plane trip together.

69. Staying on Disney property for the first time ever.

70. So many sunsets.

71. Experiencing E's every first together as a family.

I love you babe.

New Things I've Discovered

1. I got some Martha Stewart bathroom cleaner on clearance, and it's great! Low odor, great cleaning power, pretty bottle. I also bought some dishwasher detergent, but I haven't been able to try it yet.

2. Organic strawberries really are very consistently better than conventionally grown. They taste like the fake strawberry fragrance smells! They taste like real strawberries! I've gotten them numerous times now, and they are so much better without fail. They're even a prettier red and seem to last longer. Hopefully my home grown strawberries are as good.

3. Hulu Plus. It's awesome. Now if I could just justify the cost per month.

Things I Learned While Flying With a Toddler

• I borrowed Jen's Traveling Toddler. I will soon be buying one myself. It worked fine on a large suitcase, but I had to check that suitcase. So instead, I rigged the traveling toddler and car seat on top of our umbrella stroller. It worked surprisingly well.
• NOTE: I only put E in there when I was desperate and then held the car seat back while I pushed just to be sure it didn't go anywhere. It was far from an ideal set up and probably not the safest, but I had to do what I had to do. I don't think much about traveling alone with a toddler is safe to tell you the truth. 
• I was very proud of my ingenuity though. 
• I will now be buying a suitcase I can stow just to use it for these occasions. 
• I also learned that it is pretty much impossible to tighten the car seat down on the plane seat. (Jen may have mentioned this, but I don't remember.) The place where you pull the strap to tighten ends up inside the car seat, and there's no way to get it as tight as it's truly supposed to be. There's also nowhere to anchor the top strap for forward facing. 
• I spent some long, sweaty, frustrated moments with a fussy boy and an intimidating man staring at me before I gave up.
• As I've said before, traveling with E is a delight for me, though it is a lot of hard work. Having him sit on the window helps a lot so he can look out and play with the blind. It also means he doesn't have to sit next to a stranger. Another thing that helps is making him feel like he's in on the game. I have him "help" me by pointing out signs, holding things, exclaiming over something new etc. 
• Something else that helps SO much is my Kindle Fire. I can't say enough about it. We downloaded a couple of TV shows and new games for him, and it was a lifesaver in many a long line or drive. 
• And ACCEPT HELP! If someone wants to carry your car seat. Let them. Save your back and sanity.
• Finally, I had the sippy explosion phenomenon happen to me as well. I had totally forgotten about that. Luckily it wasn't very full so it only spit out about 2 feet in the air. 
• And in completely unrelated news, I am almost finished with my strawberry plant modifications. I will post that next. (I think.)

I Read 3 New Books!

I have to be honest and say that I still enjoy real books much more than Kindle versions. I also find it far easier and cheaper to either get books from the library or to buy them from Amazon. I gave in to that truth recently and ordered a bunch of books for delivery from our local library system. I just finished reading Two Kisses for Maddie by Matt Logelin, Bossypants by Tina Fey and Stories I Only Tell my Friends by Rob Lowe. I highly enjoyed all of them.

Two Kisses for Maddie is a beautiful, moving book that accomplishes what I think Matt Logelin wanted it to be - a memoir of the love and loss of his wife. It's obvious he's a newer writer, but the emotion and beauty in that writing make it so worth the read. It probably doesn't hurt for me that I had been following his story on his blog for some time before reading it.

Bossypants is hilarious. Tina Fey is so smart, sassy and fun that I found myself nodding my head and bursting out in giggles all throughout the book. People at work thought I was losing my mind. Among my favorite lines is... about people who barely know her who say that her scar is "beautiful.." "You might as well say, let me be amazing at you." She crystallizes what we all think so well. If you've read it or do read it, please let me know if you spit out your lunch like I did when you read the line where she describes how sad the YMCA Christmas is. You'll know the one. Also, if you read Here We Go Again, please tell me if this makes you think of Jen. Maybe it's just because I get to see her very sassy side. But she does write conversationally much like Jen. I think they would be great friends. 

Stories I Only Tell My Friends started out slow and disjointed for me. But by halfway through the book, I had gotten into it and ended up enjoying it a great deal. I was surprised when I saw Rob Lowe on various interviews for the book. I liked him in spite of myself. After reading it, I'm happy to say I think I still do. It's worth it if you have an interest in how Hollywood works without the glamour.

The best thing about all this reading is that it's nudged my writing back to life some. (well that and the fact that E has been a good sleeper lately.)

The Kindness

It's amazing. Every time I travel with E, so many people step up to help. And the interesting thing I've noticed is that it tends to be the others who have (or are having) difficulties themselves who help the most. For example, this time while I was waiting to pre-board in my home airport, a group of families with a total of about 6 children ranging in age from 3-9 offered to help me carry my load of toddler, car seat and bag onto the plane. Also in the mix offering to help was a very well dressed, lovely older woman of perhaps 70.

Then, when I landed at my destination, the rental car agent behind the counter actually left her post to help me carry my luggage etc the whole way down to the car pick up area. Then she even offered to help me to the car, but the people there beat her to the punch by pulling it up right in front of me. Simply amazing. (I still need to write a letter to the company about her.)

But what really touched me was my experience when flying back. I barely made it to the airport in time to check in for various reasons, but everyone there, from the rental car return agent to TSA security seemed to make it a point to make life easier for me and other passengers. When one security agent noticed E's distress at having to put his treasures through screening, he told him he'd make him an honorary officer and handed him a shiny gold badge sticker to put on his shirt. E was so proud of himself. He wore it the whole way home and then showed his Daddy. And I told the agent that I was going to make it a point to fly smaller airports in the future if I could. Wow. The most enduring help I got was from the man behind me in line at the ticket counter. He was on the same flight I was and was running just as late, but motioned me to go ahead of him for everything. The he lingered every time we needed to do something just to help me. He took my luggage to the security drop off. He carried the car seat the whole way through the airport even though I had rigged a way to carry it myself (more on that in the next post.) And he did all this even though he knew he'd be behind as well since they'd have to screen his prosthetic leg, and that took extra time.

I don't know how he lost his leg. I don't even know his name. But the military shirt he wore, and his gallantry made me imagine him as a hero who continues to serve others. It was amazing. He was humble and kind and continued to worry about our well being right up until we deplaned at home. I told him I'd buy him some coffee, and he tried to get out of it. I saw a Starbucks and wiggled my eyebrows. I knew I had him when I saw a glint of excitement in his eye. We were coming in on a late flight. Then, incredibly, he tried to buy his drink and get ME one when we got up there. That's when I brought out the Mommy growl and told him I was buying it and to shut up and drink it. He got a mocha frappucino. I think he liked it.

Traveling with E is always such a joy. We have fun, and we have the same attitude toward exciting new adventures as well as appreciating the little things. But it is made even more joyful by the renewed faith in human kind I find on each one of these trips.

All Kinds O' Stuff

• We recently returned from one of our big trips. (Just E and I) I would like to share with you two different posts from that experience. 1. The kindness of others and 2. Tips I learned from traveling alone with a toddler!
• We had LOADS of fun. The Outer Banks are still just as wonderful as I remember them from more than 10 years ago.
• But that will have to wait until after THIS post.
• The hanging tomato plant experiment is over. Someone or something ripped my plant off right at the base. I discovered it lying a few feet away from the bag. I think it might be a someONE since there seemed to be no damage to the actual plant. It was just cleanly snapped off at the base. Bummer. It was even getting flowers.
• My strawberry plants (normally growing) are still alive though! I have a cool new idea for them that I'm going to try tomorrow and hope to share.
• I started running again today! WITH THE HUB! Can you believe it? I had to start over at the beginning of my training, but that's what summer in Florida does to me.
• I got new reading glasses even though my vision is 20/20. They say I have strain. E is delighted. He loves glasses and now Daddy and I "match."
• E has started telling us, "You're the BEST!" It's awesome.
• I think we've decided on going to Big Sur, CA for our 10 year anniversary (always subject to change!) Please let me know if you have any tips for the area.

Read the End. I Want to Know What You Think.

• I've lost a total of 8 pounds since those aforementioned horrible bathing suit photos! It's been 6 pounds in the past month. So exciting!
• I haven't run since last month when we both (E in the stroller) about died from the humidity at 8am. I'll pick it back up in September probably.
• Remember how everyone says, "Don't read the books?" and you learn that they are geniuses for saying that? Well then you think you have it down... except that you get a stroke of, "Wonder if I'm doing it right?" and you read the book again. Don't.
• No, I'm serious. Not even the seemingly innocuous ones of the "What to Expect" variety. There are plenty of ways to make you feel inadequate.
• ...or that you are ruining your child forever and ever. 
• Thanks so much for all the car seat advice! And yes Jen, I want to borrow that strap. Could you send it to me?
• Has anyone noticed that the kid who picks up the family's trash at the curb in Toy Story 3 is wearing the same shirt as Sid Philips in Toy Story? Do you think it's supposed to be the same kid grown up? Discuss.
• E is super into Pixar right now. It's fun.

Flying Toddler Questions (The Paying Edition)

E and I (and occasionally Hub) are going to be flying a lot this year. I asked a lot of these questions last year, but some circumstances have changed, so you're on the hook again.


1. Pros and Cons of having E actually ride in the car seat on the plane? I know he'd be safer in a seat in the event of turbulence etc, but I also know he is going to flip his lid about sitting by himself during take-off and landing (and maybe during the flight itself) car seat or no.


2. Let's say he doesn't sit in the seat. Should I check it with some sort of fancy carrier/cover? I don't want them to ruin it. Anyone know of a good option for that? Or should I check it at the gate like last time? Are they still good about that? On one leg last time, they were kind of jerky about it.


3. Should I use the seat as a "stroller?" I'd need that stroller car seat conversion thingy right? We're flying lovely Southwest, so I won't be dragging much baggage with me. (So no strapping it to the suitcase.) 


4. Renting a car: No subcompacts right? I don't think our giant conversion seat is going to fit in them. :( More money. bleh.


I think that's all for now. When I get more, I'll be sure to let you know! Next up, let's talk reward credit cards. It took me years to find the ones we have, but I sure do love them.

Homey Stuff Update aka Since When do I Love this Shit? (And I really do now!)

I started with the trim and edges when painting the kitchen. Note to all: There are LOTS OF THOSE in kitchens. I'm not hating it, but it is taking a long time to complete. The next step for me is to pull out the fridge and stove and clean under and behind them for painting. Then I think I'll get one of those mini rollers and pans to fill in the blanks. I really believe painting with a brush or pad saves so much more paint than using a big roller. I've used only our little sample can for almost all of the edging so far!

As for my plants, they are doing well. I took some photos with the iPod that I will post as son as I figure some bloggy things out. My tomato plant has some flowers, and the strawberries (grown conventionally) are already poking out of the soil. I plan to cover that pot with a mesh screen and put mothballs around the outside to keep bugs out. I stole that idea from a cousin. However, she lives up north, not here in bug paradise, so we'll see. 

As for how to plant a hanging tomato, I know there are lots of planters being sold online and in home improvement stores for that. It seemed pricey to me for such a simple concept, so I stole an idea another person had online for hanging them with a reusable shopping bag. 

You cut an inch hole in bottom of the bag, then put the tomato plant through. (This idea doesn't seem to work with seeds.) Follow the instructions on the plant for how far the dirt has to cover it. Hold the plant up enough as you fill the bag with dirt so that you can accomplish this. Note that you should buy tomatoes that aren't overly large for hanging and that do well in containers. Fill the bag maybe 1/3 with dirt? (I used a heavier duty more "waterproof" reusable bag so that when I watered it would be less likely to all drain out, but still have breathing room.)  Then... the big problem with this method seems to be that the dirt doesn't hold water well.. so instead of buying the special system they sell, I just got a regular sponge without any sort of chemicals added, soaked it, and placed it on top of the dirt I already put in. Then I filled the bag to maybe 2/3 full of dirt and stopped because it gets damn heavy! I wet down the dirt well and then hung the bag over my hose hanger. I have yet to really get down to the problem of how to hang it higher. I need to go to the store and find some sort of heavy duty clamp to put around my porch rails, because this thing is just too darn heavy to hang any other way. As it is now, animals and bugs will have NO problem reaching it. I have to get on that before tomatoes start. So far the plant is doing well. I don't know if the sponge will harbor anything nasty or not. I shall check back with you on that. If anyone has any tips/advice, feel free to fire away! My thumb is as far from green as it can get. 

Our Fourth

Our fourth was my favorite ever. We didn't go any farther than our community pool, but we grilled outside while the baby ran naked from his pool to his sandbox and back again, and various Pixar tunes blared from the iPod doc. We dragged out our beach chairs, and all the drinks and condiments and in general just had an awesome time. I think it was E's idea of heaven. 

Cute Baby Stories

Today in church, E was looking at "the baby" in my iPod photo album during the sermon. He was sitting on my lap facing me. I leaned over and whispered, "I love you." He was quiet for a moment and then began whispering something. I couldn't hear it well, so I leaned over again and just caught the ending of... "I wove you too." Then he peppered my face with kisses. 




When I tried on the dress I just found at Target for $7, E said, "Come sit by me Pwincess Mommy!" He continues to call me "Princess Mommy" when I wear dresses and often asks me to wear my "Princess shoes," (my heels.) 




E has decided that when Hub is scruffy, he's "dirty." He fusses about it often since Hub's scruff is quite uncomfortable to the face during kisses. Yesterday he'd decided he'd had enough and ordered Daddy to "Go to the bafroom and shave!" I paid him handsomely. 




Life is good.

Bullets are "In"

• We're getting another nephew!
• I'm still getting stymied by my stupid email posting thing. Grrr
• Tomato and strawberry plants going well so far! The tomato is the only one upside down. I will describe the process more thoroughly in another post.
• I have decided after further research that painting counters is not "easy" for someone like me. No way I'm doing it. I'll hire someone to put new in when I have the money. 
• I've started painting the kitchen walls though and plan to do the cabinets as well. Fun!
• PMS is lasting over a week for me now. Is it the old age or what? I am approaching that magical "35."
• Lots and lots of visits and visitation coming up. I think bullets are going to be very common right now.

Things I've wanted to say while I've been not blogging.

• I got E's book done! I like it, but Hub could have done better.
• I planted strawberries and a suspended (upside down) tomato thingy. I made my own with a reusable shopping bag. Anyone else plant tomatoes this way? Thoughts?
• Still family health issues (not in our house) and a few animal ones. Sad day. 
• E is finally adjusting to the no nap, going to bed early thing. In bed by 7:15 tonight, asleep by 8:10! And sleeping in until 8:30!
• Family coming soon!
• E loves water parks.
• I forgot the email to email posts in from my iPod, thus it's taken me weeks to get back into it.
• In related news, I rarely use the big computer anymore.
• I'm finally catching up on fixing the house up! We have a little extra to spend on it at the moment, and E is loving to "help" now, so I can do things like paint and buy new toilet seats. It's fun.
• In other related news, that might be partly why I haven't been blogging as well. 
• Has anyone on here painted their kitchen counters? What did you think?
• It's been beautiful and dry the last few days. VERY weird for June, but I'll take it.
• I still haven't given in and read 50 Shades of Gray (Grey?)
• Doesn't that Gauthier singer sound like Sting on the higher notes?
• Another new food pleasure? (this one a bit guilty) Vitamin Water Zero. Mmmmmmm!
• I'm forgetting a lot of stuff.

I am Still Alive

Happy Memorial Day! I am still alive, but am frantically trying to finish E's first year book. I have a Groupon for it, but it expires May 30th. I'm on page 6 of 40. Way to procrastinate Barb! I'm also battling cramps, but that's a good thing as it's been almost three months.

I think I may be redesigning this blog with a new focus soon. I need it. I have a lot on my mind, but I need a space that fits me a little more closely now. I'm sorry if I'm behind on your news. Please poke me if need be. 

I still have an incriminating (not really) photo that I want to post from Jen's visit.

Loves and all,

FCiF

Dear Blogging: I miss you

Overall, I've been feeling so much better on my higher Synthroid dose. Crappy thing is, sick is coming on now. Someday I'll be able to blog better.

For Jen

On the not writing about the awesomeness of Jen: cleaned up after visitors. And guess who's still up? (It's 10:30 and I'll give you a hint. He's the cutest boy in the world who will apparently never have great sleep patterns... Just like Mommy.) But I do have something good planned. And we did have fun. :)

Better Jen?

Hi

Oh man. Lots to write but in the middle of visitations and craziness. Summer has arrived in Florida. Ack the heat. And it only gets worse from here. Man do the snowbirds ever have right.

Rediscovering Delicious

I'm trying so hard and mostly succeeding. Something great for lunch I had never tried in combo before: green bell pepper dipped in hummus. Mmm.

And do you love Starbucks green tea lattes and frappuccinos? Did you know you can get them without the syrup, and they are delicious! Did you also know you could buy your own matcha powder? It makes me swoon. I've been drinking my vanilla, no sugar almond milk with it. I'm getting better! I'm also feeling better on my Synthroid increase. Now if I could just lose weight...

Depressing with a side of funny

We're back. My mortgage company is going to, "review the financials," but in short, it's the same. It really doesn't matter to them if we default. We'll see. But enough on that.

Secondly, I forgot to have my thyroid sonogram done. There's a nodule she needs to check. So I have to get on that. My HDL is almost at good levels and my LDL is only 5 points above where it should be. Because of my transgressions though, my triglycerides are again double what they should be. She scared the shit out of me with heart attack talk, and I am now going to try hard to walk the straight and narrow. And for me, the food choices are quite narrow. So I have 5 months to get my butt in gear on this before my next appointment. I'd appreciate any and all encouragement. Having family that rarely makes it past 65 because of heart disease (otherwise trim, active and healthy) is a motivator, but it's still so hard sometimes.

And now for the funny.

E was so good through the appointment and mortgage stuff. At the end, I could tell he was uncomfortable in a dirty diaper, but we couldn't change it right then. At the very end, he couldn't contain himself and started grunting and straining loudly. He replied to my, "What are you doing E?" with

I'M FINDING A POOP!

Big Day

Today I'm like one of those people on a Dateline special. Today I head downtown for a meeting sponsored by (one of my) mortgage companies to learn about possibilities of adjusting our mortgage. We received an invitation in the mail along with instructions on what to bring. I'm hoping that, like the special said, meeting in person with them will be far more effective than my hours on the phone being transferred from person to person. I know people often think we're idiots for being fooled into a balloon loan at 9.5% for our down payment part of the mortgage. But I'm here to tell you that it was pretty darn easy for a broker to pull a bait and switch that was supremely difficult to pull out of... especially for new home buyers with no lawyer (upon recommendation from trusted individuals). 


In any case, let's hope something good comes of it! In addition, I head to Endo today to see where we are. After 3 months of normal cycles, my body has fallen back off the wagon. I will also see how my blood lipid levels are going. I'm a tad afeared because I was horrible with my eating right before the draw. And when I say I'm ashamed of that, it's only because I know my body can't handle it, yet I do it anyway. My body can't handle much more than a smidgen of cheating, but I so love food. 


Lots of luck needed today! Send some my way!

Food Truck Awesomeness

I didn't know about food trucks until we moved to Florida. I still didn't know about them until years after. Have they been around long? Am I just slow? In any case my husband and I, bordering on foodie (with a hippy bent), are hooked. We used to have to travel into the city to a massive gathering where we'd wait in long lines in a baking parking lot. Sure there was a lot of variety, but good luck getting to much of it!


This weekend, we attended one in our little area that's going to be there monthly! It's tiny, but that means there are no long lines, we can WALK there, and it's in the middle of a field where the kids can run and play. I love it! We're already developing favorites. 


One new thing I tried was a pupusa. Oh my heavens. Heaven in my mouth AND tummy... sometimes a difficult combo. I've also experienced mochi ice cream and Korean tacos this way. Our whole family revels.


Do you have food trucks in your area? Have you ever gone? Tell me all about it! I do so love the food talk.

Parenting Pundits

I get really tired of so many "experts" talking about how we should raise children in practically every sense. I believe there is no catch all other than do not abuse.

I'm also tired of, "if we parented like the French, or in the 40s, or the 50's, or like the Chinese..." The list goes on and on. Here's the thing. I don't believe we are in a "parenting crisis." Youth issues are so much more complicated than that. I also don't believe parents who search for a different way are necessarily "wrong."

What is important is that we parent in a style that works for our families and that consistency is maintained. Abuse and/or negligence is not acceptable, but I don't believe most parents exhibit those traits. Call me an optimist, but those smug, "experts" be damned.
The end.

Body Image

The lady at the consignment shop was so nice and helpful. She was also teeny tiny, and it turns out, a mother to a 4 year old. We discussed the matter of the "pouch." She assured me that it goes away with the proper exercise.

I nodded politely but methinks if hers went away that it wasn't the loose chicken skin Bleh of which I was speaking. Am I right? Is that a plastic surgeon's milieu or do I have hope?
In related news, I'm ashamed of my eating the past 2 days though I did run on Sunday and Monday. That felt good.

Taking Care of Myself

I type this as I sit here feeling guilty that I took a half day at work and left E in daycare at a time when he's seemed particularly needy with me. At the same time though, I realize that I need time just to myself now and then. I have so little time with just my own thoughts. Some people don't need that down time but I do. I don't need it very often from my wonderful offspring, but every now and then, I just need some cerebral space. Don't get me wrong. I'm still picking him up early so he can benefit today too. Part of leaving early today was giving him a break from the grind as well. But this is me time. It's so interesting... this push me pull me part of motherhood. On one hand, I'm reveling in the pure bliss of the quiet. On the other, I'm missing E and wanting to kiss his sweet face. It's just that the quiet is slightly winning out at the moment. 


In this vein, I've accomplished most of one number on my Goals for the Year! I got my new Clinique skin care for the aged. OK.. so I'm not so aged, but my skin is showing signs of heading there. But I love it! I've also gotten a new pair of jeans that actually fit. They aren't even hand me downs! I exchanged something at Target and got them instead. I also found a consignment shop I loved and bought an adorable Ann Taylor shirt for $10 (I will be visiting again!) and found a Groupon Now deal for a great haircut at a really good salon! I look and feel so much better. It feels so good to be indulging me a little bit again. My priorities are still so much different than before E, and it's ok with me, but I have to start taking better care of myself again. And it's coming. It feels so good to have more of me back. Damn IF for robbing me of years I could have procreated so that I could have been at this spot earlier with maybe two children. Ah well. I can't say I'm not happy, so it all worked out in the end. 


What's up with you all?

Animal Kingdom smarts

E's interpretation of wildebeest and peccary: little beasts and Peter pipers.

Random and Fun

• Weirdly enough, something I missed when we got a Queen bed was being able to curl my toes over the end of the mattress. (I did not miss the cramped space)
• When I sleep with E, I get to do that again. It's kinda fun.
• In related news, Ikea beds are lovely, and E doesn't snore as much as Daddy.
• I got PART of one of my goals accomplished. I got new skin care products from Clinique. Oh Clinique how I love you. Your tinted moisturizer is wonderful for my dry, sun ravaged, aging skin. So many other product lines make me break out. Clinique never has.
• The weather has been beautiful. I don't want to see summer. 
• We're having visitors in April, May and June. 
• Running is going well. I'm getting so much better! I can see a difference each time I run. 
• I have a blood draw tomorrow for a recheck on all my lipids and hormones. Wish me luck. I'd like to avoid statins. 
• The end.

Letters to Little Man

Dear E,
You aren't a baby anymore... at all! You are such a little boy it's incredible. At a little over 2, you show no sign of being terrible. In fact, you are loving, sweet, funny and so smart it scares me.
I love how you ask, "What's dat?" for every part of an object. You don't want to just know it's a hammer. You want to know it has a claw and a head and a handle. (Probably not the right term, but cut Mommy some slack.)
You count to 30 now. THIRTY. When you have your own kids, this will amaze you. Your memory is a steel trap. Three weeks ago, I showed you what an epiphyte was. Today you brought me one and said, "Can you say epiphyte Mommy?"
But my favorite is just how warm and kind you are. You hate seeing distress even in people on cartoons. You hug and kiss us all the time. When you want comfort, you rub my hair or arm. You thank us for things and again days later when you see it. You get very worried when we don't seem ok, and if we apologize to you for something, you are in a hurry to reassure with a, "Don't worry Mommy. It's OK."
Your humor is blossoming too, and I love it. You try to trick us and are starting to think bodily noises are funny.
Daddy and I just said to each other again last night, "How were we so blessed with such a wonderful child?" I know everyone says that if their children, but you really are wonderful and amazing E. I really truly believe that... Even when you mimic me saying, "Dat SUCKS!"

Love,
M

Life and the Bright Side

When I was younger, I was much more energetic and made it much more of a point to find things in life to look forward to. I wanted to be excited and happy about my day no matter what it held. For example, I might look forward to the school assembly, or seeing a friend, or if nothing else, coming home to check the mail. (There might be something good for me!) But as life knocked me around, I slowly slid out of that habit.

I just remembered it recently as I naturally started to pick it up again. It made me feel so good that I decided to try to practice it more consciously. I've been in such a good spot that it's working, and it's been easy! For waking up early tomorrow for work (ugh) I'm remembering that we have a unique project going on with customers this week that should be fun, challenging and interesting. I still like E better, but it's something.

It's all been going so well that I knew the other shoe had to drop. We have two pretty intense medical situations going on with close family, and it makes me remember all over again why people matter more to me than anything else. And just as I was settling into our house better and liking Florida again, I feel the urge to move. Crap.

Running- Worried edition

This was my 4th go. On a positive note, my stamina was much much better. I pretty much breezed through this step. Another positive is E's positively reinforcing, "That was a fun run Mommy! And.. Run Mommy run!"

The problem: my ankles, hips and lower back are twinging. The ankles are the worst. I had hip problems at the end of and for a long time after pregnancy. But I've never had ankle problems before. I would greatly appreciate any insight. I'm enjoying this and really want to continue. It's sadly difficult to run on anything other than pavement here too.

Easter Egg Hunt Success!

Running is Hard

Yesterday I ran my C25K program for the third time. The kicker is, I ran day 2 over because I had to cheat a bit on my original day 2. I've also resigned myself to the fact that I will only run twice a week. I love having 3 day weekends, but the resulting 12 hour days (with lunch and drive time) just leave very little time for anything else on work days.

BUT, I notice I'm not struggling as much, and I've lost 2 pounds! Eating better has helped. I WILL get down to my acceptable weight.

Goals for this Year

1. Run a 5K
2. Read the whole Bible. I'm 34 and have only ever read parts. I need to do it if I'm going to agree and disagree with parts of Christianity.
3. Finish the kitchen and hallway painting/fix if projects
4. Fix up the garden
5. Organize the garage with shelves.
6. Get a service for the air conditioner.
7. Pamper myself with a massage, GOOD hair cut and new make up/skin care projects.
Thoughts on these goals? What are yours?

It was indeed his first thought on cauliflower. Good guessing guys!

Decode the baby term

E last night:
It's white cwoud bwoccwy!

Not a Pretty Picture aka How I Got My Ass Moving

Tragically, the miracle swim suit did not make me look like the model. It didn't even make me look good. Why is it that when other people gain 10 pounds, I think they still look pretty good, yet when I gain 10 lbs (ok 12), I feel I look gross? I think part of it is my new (and older) body shape, and part is that my gut absorbs quite a lot of the fat. Sigh.

So seeing photos of myself in said suit finally prompted a move to start running again. I found the free C25K app in my app store and started today. it seems totally doable, and I will keep you updated. It was awesome in that just when I thought I couldn't run anymore, it would let you walk. Here's to better health! Anyone want to do it with me and keep updating?

Swimsuits - The Evil

I've been happy with myself in a swimsuit possibly one phase in my life. I am most definitely not in that phase now. Nor do I think I ever will be again. There are jiggly bits that just won't stay where they ought anymore.

Last year, Jen found a suit I loved online at Anthropologie. Oh how I crave the things in that store. But being Anthropologie, it was super expensive. I found one like it again there, but again, would have paid nearly $200 with shipping for the durn thing.

THEN, then I found it on my beloved Amazon for $25 less and with no shipping! Plus I had points to spend from their credit card! WOOT! I am ready for our beach outing next week.

Here it is. I think it's adorable. And for those of you trying to find this brand, it's called "Seafolly." This one is a "boyleg maillot." Do some searching around. You'll find better prices! I will update when I try it on. If it makes me look like this model, it's worth any price.