Mary Grace wasn't one of those children who got teeth without a lot of fuss. Oh no. My girl screamed like they were killing her. Maybe she thought that if she was loud enough the teeth would change their minds and decide to stay out of her mouth... Not sure. We went through a lot of infant Tylenol, though. A lot. And I remember saying more than once, "Babies should not be allowed to get teeth until they are old enough to say, 'Mother, may I please have some Tylenol?'!"
Well. Tonight she came up to me and pointed at one of her teeth and said, "Mom, this tooth is coming in and it's really bothering me. Can I have some medicine?" and a chorus of toothy angels sang in my head.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Go for the Gold
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| http://pmgsports.com/davidboudia |
Claire came home today with a fever. When she figured out that she wouldn't be going to school tomorrow, she was crushed.
We tried reasoning, we tried explaining, we tried watching videos of him on YouTube, we tried distraction... She was inconsolable.
"If the Bloggess can convince Wil Wheaton to collate paper via Twitter," I thought, "maybe I can get an Olympian to call my daughter so she will stop sobbing."
So I did this:
@davidboudia My kid has a fever and is crying b/c she's going to miss your visit @ school. Any chance you could call her or something? HELP!...and he replied! Long story short, he called and they spoke and she beamed. He was so sweet. What a nice person. He gets a gold medal in making little girls' days.
— Amy Austin (@prettybabies) September 27, 2012
After we hung up I said to Claire, "I am so happy to see your smile again," and she said, "Mommy, you're the BEST!"
Thank you, David. You are a class act!
PS - I think she might have a crush on you. If you start getting love letters from a secret admirer that are written in crayon, you'll know where they came from.
PPS - I think she also thinks that you're her new gymnastics teacher. Don't worry. I'll figure that one out later.
PPPS - unless you want to teach her gymanstics. That would be pretty cool!
I Was Funny
I'm home with a sick Jack today. My normally independent sunshiney boy has been glued to my lap and miserable since he rolled out of bed. Bummer. I plan to get my work done while he's down for his afternoon nap.
So, yesterday when Monica and Juliet and Evana were here, I got a call from our landlords at the office saying, "Um, FedEx Freight is here and we need you to come deal with it." I called B.J. and said, "Where are you?" He was farther away from the office than I was - downtown having lunch. So I left Monica here with the kids (YAY MONICA!) and ran over to receive the package.
The package was two 75 gallon drums. Thankfully they were empty, but they were huge and really awkward to get through four locked doors and five turns.
I was filthy by the time I got them to the lab.
So I was telling Dad about this, and he said, "What does BJ need two 75 gallon drums for?"
And I said, "I don't know, to go with his 75 gallon guitar?"
So, yesterday when Monica and Juliet and Evana were here, I got a call from our landlords at the office saying, "Um, FedEx Freight is here and we need you to come deal with it." I called B.J. and said, "Where are you?" He was farther away from the office than I was - downtown having lunch. So I left Monica here with the kids (YAY MONICA!) and ran over to receive the package.
The package was two 75 gallon drums. Thankfully they were empty, but they were huge and really awkward to get through four locked doors and five turns.
I was filthy by the time I got them to the lab.
So I was telling Dad about this, and he said, "What does BJ need two 75 gallon drums for?"
And I said, "I don't know, to go with his 75 gallon guitar?"
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
What I Learned Tonight
So the Neighborhood Meeting happened. Most of the people there supported me (note that I didn't say agreed with me, even my own husband doesn't agree with me all the time!).
I (re?)learned something kind of profound. You can either focus on the people who are with you, or you can focus on the people who are against you. If you focus on the good and the positive, it's much easier to be a happy person.
Two people said that they appreciated what we had done to welcome them to the neighborhood.
One person said that I made the meeting "a lot more fun than it should have been," and that I was doing a great job and I'm hilarious - both in person and in email.
I have done good. I am not going to let the people who are grumpy win the day. I am going to remember all the nice things people said, and all the positive things I have done, and I am going to let the rest go. I can't please everyone. I have pleased most, and that's enough.
And a couple of beers with my dad afterward didn't hurt.
PHEW!
I (re?)learned something kind of profound. You can either focus on the people who are with you, or you can focus on the people who are against you. If you focus on the good and the positive, it's much easier to be a happy person.
Two people said that they appreciated what we had done to welcome them to the neighborhood.
One person said that I made the meeting "a lot more fun than it should have been," and that I was doing a great job and I'm hilarious - both in person and in email.
I have done good. I am not going to let the people who are grumpy win the day. I am going to remember all the nice things people said, and all the positive things I have done, and I am going to let the rest go. I can't please everyone. I have pleased most, and that's enough.
And a couple of beers with my dad afterward didn't hurt.
PHEW!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Things I Already Put on Facebook
BJ and Jack were matchy twins today:
...but they are not wearing "the same outfit" because dudes don't wear outfits.
I have work today from 10 - 2, then MG's scouts meeting, so I put Experimental Crock Pot Meatloaf in the crock pot, and we'll see if it turns out delicious or if we get KFC.
I'm president of the new neighborhood association where we live. Have I told you about that? I walked into the meeting late, was asked to introduce myself, said, "I'm willing to take a leadership position," and I was appointed president. We had one small meeting at my house a couple months ago, but the first real meeting is tomorrow night, and I am super nervous.
I need to stop taking jobs that don't pay.
I plan to suggest that we have a real election, so maybe I'll be able to pass the baton to someone with a little more free time.
So I started this 12 hours ago and forgot to hit post... Whoops.
The crock pot meatloaf was a success! However, if you are like me and you like the crunchy edges, you'll want to go ahead and bake yours the old fashioned way. If, however, you don't like crunchy edges, the crock pot wins.
I'm still nervous about tomorrow. I'm too tired to get terribly worked up over it, though. I guess that's the main advantage to having yet another hamster-on-a-wheel day.
...but they are not wearing "the same outfit" because dudes don't wear outfits.
I have work today from 10 - 2, then MG's scouts meeting, so I put Experimental Crock Pot Meatloaf in the crock pot, and we'll see if it turns out delicious or if we get KFC.
I'm president of the new neighborhood association where we live. Have I told you about that? I walked into the meeting late, was asked to introduce myself, said, "I'm willing to take a leadership position," and I was appointed president. We had one small meeting at my house a couple months ago, but the first real meeting is tomorrow night, and I am super nervous.
I need to stop taking jobs that don't pay.
I plan to suggest that we have a real election, so maybe I'll be able to pass the baton to someone with a little more free time.
So I started this 12 hours ago and forgot to hit post... Whoops.
The crock pot meatloaf was a success! However, if you are like me and you like the crunchy edges, you'll want to go ahead and bake yours the old fashioned way. If, however, you don't like crunchy edges, the crock pot wins.
I'm still nervous about tomorrow. I'm too tired to get terribly worked up over it, though. I guess that's the main advantage to having yet another hamster-on-a-wheel day.
Monday, September 24, 2012
School Is Hard
Mary Grace had a stuffy nose this morning and wanted to stay home from school. I took her temperature and it was below normal. I was on the fence between looking forward to a day of snuggling in our jammies on the couch and not wanting to cave to what's probably seasonal allergies (I have them too) that she'll be dealing with until the first hard frost.
Then Claire came downstairs and said, "I'm not going to school either, I am sick, *deliberate cough*." She also didn't have a fever.
Then BJ, son of two public school teachers, came down and was all stern and, "They need to go to school."
So I promised them that if they felt sicker I would come get them, but that they needed to try to go to school. I told them that they'd feel better when they got rolling. I gave them cocoa and chamomile tea, emailed a warning to their teachers, and sent them out into the cold.
Sometimes school sucks.
I need to work harder at giving them more downtime on the weekends. They need time to recover from a week of being busy and gone all day. We have been trying to cram too many activities into the weekends, and it's hard on everyone.
It seems like they get home, we have snack and do homework, then it's time for me to make dinner. They have a little time to play before it's dinner-bath-bed. That's it. Somehow the 4 hours between getting home and going to bed go by SO fast.
When they are home they want to run the neighborhood with their friends. There are a couple trampolines and play structures that are cooler than ours nearby.
I miss them.
Maybe we need a trampoline.
Then Claire came downstairs and said, "I'm not going to school either, I am sick, *deliberate cough*." She also didn't have a fever.
Then BJ, son of two public school teachers, came down and was all stern and, "They need to go to school."
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| I'm not calling your mom. You got a problem with that, kid? Talk to the bear. |
Sometimes school sucks.
I need to work harder at giving them more downtime on the weekends. They need time to recover from a week of being busy and gone all day. We have been trying to cram too many activities into the weekends, and it's hard on everyone.
It seems like they get home, we have snack and do homework, then it's time for me to make dinner. They have a little time to play before it's dinner-bath-bed. That's it. Somehow the 4 hours between getting home and going to bed go by SO fast.
When they are home they want to run the neighborhood with their friends. There are a couple trampolines and play structures that are cooler than ours nearby.
I miss them.
Maybe we need a trampoline.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Sleepwalk with Me
Went to see the free matinee at the local movie theater this morning with Claire, Jack, and good friends. Had lunch with Monica and her crew. Then came home, put Jack down for nap, and went to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (OMG!!!) and see Sleepwalk With Me in Indy with Brandon & Heather, Wright & Emily, and BJ. It was a lot of fun!
I can't remember the last time I saw two movies in two theaters in one day. This might be unprecedented.
If you haven't heard the story, you can hear most of it here:
What a fun day!
Meanwhile, this morning while Jack and Claire and I were at the movies, BJ and Mary Grace did this:
Between archery and jiu jitsu, MG is getting to be quite the little bad ass! She got THREE bullseyes!
(The first time I tried to write "bullseyes" I wrote "holes in one," but we're not going to talk about it.)
I can't remember the last time I saw two movies in two theaters in one day. This might be unprecedented.
If you haven't heard the story, you can hear most of it here:
What a fun day!
Meanwhile, this morning while Jack and Claire and I were at the movies, BJ and Mary Grace did this:
Between archery and jiu jitsu, MG is getting to be quite the little bad ass! She got THREE bullseyes!
(The first time I tried to write "bullseyes" I wrote "holes in one," but we're not going to talk about it.)
Friday, September 21, 2012
Martial Arts
BJ doesn't like me to tell people, but he has a black belt in jiu jitsu. He doesn't like me to tell people because he thinks I'm going to try to make him fight to prove his love for me or something. Putting up with my snoring is proof enough of his love, though. No need for fisticuffs.
Anyway, we started looking for martial arts classes for the girls, and holy ninjas is it expensive to take Tae Kwon Do - they wanted $160 a MONTH for the two girls to take lessons.
Um, what?
Furthermore, BJ has all kinds of ideas about the purity of the art and the commercialism of modern TKD and whatnot, and if you're really worried about it I'm sure he'd be happy to explain it, but basically we couldn't find a school around here that he was happy about. He went to tour one downtown (where he's going to take Aikido), and when I looked at their website all I saw were middle aged men.
"When you go there," I said to him before he left, "Find out if there are children. Particularly girl children. I don't want our daughters to be the only girls and the only children in the whole place."
He kind of scoffed at my protectiveness, and I said, "Shut up, I've seen The Karate Kid. I don't know if they're Mr. Miyagis or those other bad guys."
"I'm pretty sure the Cobra Kai aren't in Lafayette," he said.
"You don't know."
I suggested that there was a lot he could teach the kids himself, at home, the same way my mother taught me how to cook and my aunt tried to teach me to sew (sorry, Julie, I'm hopeless). If people can homeschool their kids through high school, surely we can homeschool jiu jitsu. He responded that the equipment is really expensive. "I don't know," I said, "if we're saving $160 a month it shouldn't take long to make it up."
And that's how we got our very own in-home dojo, and how BJ started teaching the girls martial arts on Friday afternoons. He got themoutfits* gis and obis and some padded things that they can beat on each other with. Mary Grace's obi (belt) didn't come, though, and then this happened...
(* Apparently they are NOT outfits).
Anyway, we started looking for martial arts classes for the girls, and holy ninjas is it expensive to take Tae Kwon Do - they wanted $160 a MONTH for the two girls to take lessons.
Um, what?
Furthermore, BJ has all kinds of ideas about the purity of the art and the commercialism of modern TKD and whatnot, and if you're really worried about it I'm sure he'd be happy to explain it, but basically we couldn't find a school around here that he was happy about. He went to tour one downtown (where he's going to take Aikido), and when I looked at their website all I saw were middle aged men.
"When you go there," I said to him before he left, "Find out if there are children. Particularly girl children. I don't want our daughters to be the only girls and the only children in the whole place."
He kind of scoffed at my protectiveness, and I said, "Shut up, I've seen The Karate Kid. I don't know if they're Mr. Miyagis or those other bad guys."
"I'm pretty sure the Cobra Kai aren't in Lafayette," he said.
"You don't know."
I suggested that there was a lot he could teach the kids himself, at home, the same way my mother taught me how to cook and my aunt tried to teach me to sew (sorry, Julie, I'm hopeless). If people can homeschool their kids through high school, surely we can homeschool jiu jitsu. He responded that the equipment is really expensive. "I don't know," I said, "if we're saving $160 a month it shouldn't take long to make it up."
And that's how we got our very own in-home dojo, and how BJ started teaching the girls martial arts on Friday afternoons. He got them
(* Apparently they are NOT outfits).
B.J.: gis
gies?
me: ghee is clarified butter
gee is an expression of surprise
I dunno
B.J.: well, one is a gi
me: anyway, ok... Jack and I will plan to go out and get pizza and a movie while you're practicing, for family fun night?
4:03 PM B.J.: sounds great
me: ok, cool
B.J.: did MG's belt arrive?
me: there is a small box, that's probably what that is. Did she level up already?
4:04 PM B.J.: it isn't a video game :)
me: YKWIM (that's "you knew what I meant")
B.J.: no, her gi was missing a belt
she wore the one I got for aikido
me: I think we should do it the old fashioned way - and never wash their belts.
Ohhhh
it will darken with the blood of their enemies!
B.J.: you never wash their belts anyway
me: right,
B.J.: haha
me: the playground will run red with blood!
4:05 PM B.J.: they aren't klingons either
me: well, no, not if they haven't leveled up.
B.J.: haha
me: Klingons are at least brown belts
B.J.: depends on the klingon
me: good point.... I have to blog this now
4:06 PM B.J.: well okay then
me: lol
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Long Day
I get by with a LOT of help from my friends.
Today was Claire's first Daisy Scout meeting, and my first meeting as leader, and it was a resounding success except for the part where someone (not me, but I'm not naming names) squeezed a paint marker as she was trying to open it, and it erupted, spraying hot pink paint all over the library's meeting room - carpet, desks, chairs, ceiling (no kidding).
We resisted the temptation to play dumb and fessed up to our crime. I was sure that we were about to become a homeless scout troop, but the librarian was exceptionally cool about it. They took down the acoustic tile, painted the stain with White-Out, and put it back up. Librarians - they're like the MacGyvers of books.
So many other things happened today, lots and lots of things, but they're either inside jokes or in the vault or not something that is easily translated to print or... excuses excuses, they're not good stories, but it was a very good day.
Thanks to all of you, and you know who you are, who made it extra special. I am exhausted and I'm going to go to bed now. ZZZZZZzzzzzz....
Today was Claire's first Daisy Scout meeting, and my first meeting as leader, and it was a resounding success except for the part where someone (not me, but I'm not naming names) squeezed a paint marker as she was trying to open it, and it erupted, spraying hot pink paint all over the library's meeting room - carpet, desks, chairs, ceiling (no kidding).
We resisted the temptation to play dumb and fessed up to our crime. I was sure that we were about to become a homeless scout troop, but the librarian was exceptionally cool about it. They took down the acoustic tile, painted the stain with White-Out, and put it back up. Librarians - they're like the MacGyvers of books.
So many other things happened today, lots and lots of things, but they're either inside jokes or in the vault or not something that is easily translated to print or... excuses excuses, they're not good stories, but it was a very good day.
Thanks to all of you, and you know who you are, who made it extra special. I am exhausted and I'm going to go to bed now. ZZZZZZzzzzzz....
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Bedtime
I sent the girls upstairs 7 minutes ago to brush their teeth and get their pajamas on, just as I promised my sister that her 4 month old will do, someday, even if she rocks her to sleep every single time she needs to go to sleep for the next year or two.
But I swear... If they don't stop screwing around and screaming and acting like insane people I am going to go up there and start screaming and throwing things like a 4 year old and they are going to be sorry.
In fact I just said to them, "Stop worrying about your brother. Leave the doors alone. Get your teeth brushed and your pajamas on or I am going to come up there and start screaming and throwing things."
Net effect of above communication: 0
Sometimes I wonder what people walking by outside are thinking when they hear things like that coming out of my house.
Megan, enjoy Kate now while she's small and cute and QUIET and not at all obnoxious.
Mary Grace just came down in her underwear AGAIN to tell me that Jack knocked her lamp down, and I said in my best, "Imma kill you," voice, "Stop. Worrying. About your brother. Get your pajamas on. NOW."
12 minutes of screwing around. I'm going to go take away some privileges. Sometimes I really just want to tan some behinds, though. Jeez.
Megan, I will trade you offspring for a week. You come here and deal with my delightful brood, and I will come up there and I will rock that baby all week long.
But I swear... If they don't stop screwing around and screaming and acting like insane people I am going to go up there and start screaming and throwing things like a 4 year old and they are going to be sorry.
In fact I just said to them, "Stop worrying about your brother. Leave the doors alone. Get your teeth brushed and your pajamas on or I am going to come up there and start screaming and throwing things."
Net effect of above communication: 0
Sometimes I wonder what people walking by outside are thinking when they hear things like that coming out of my house.
Megan, enjoy Kate now while she's small and cute and QUIET and not at all obnoxious.
Mary Grace just came down in her underwear AGAIN to tell me that Jack knocked her lamp down, and I said in my best, "Imma kill you," voice, "Stop. Worrying. About your brother. Get your pajamas on. NOW."
12 minutes of screwing around. I'm going to go take away some privileges. Sometimes I really just want to tan some behinds, though. Jeez.
Megan, I will trade you offspring for a week. You come here and deal with my delightful brood, and I will come up there and I will rock that baby all week long.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Yat dat dada dada
I would like to give the middle finger to anyone who had anything to do with Madagascar 3, especially Chris Rock.
Don't act innocent, Chris. You taught my kids the circus song. You know the one. "Yat dut dada dada dat dut circus, dat dut dada dada dat dut afro, circus afro circus afro, polka dot polka dot polka dot afro!"
Because this has been my life around here since we saw it. Except 10 minutes is blessedly short compared to the 10 days I've been listening to this. I have never wanted to wash their mouths out with soap more in their lives.
Between that and the Thomas the Train song....
...I'm going to be rocking back and forth in the corner of a padded room in a straight jacket before the end of the week, I swear.
Don't act innocent, Chris. You taught my kids the circus song. You know the one. "Yat dut dada dada dat dut circus, dat dut dada dada dat dut afro, circus afro circus afro, polka dot polka dot polka dot afro!"
Because this has been my life around here since we saw it. Except 10 minutes is blessedly short compared to the 10 days I've been listening to this. I have never wanted to wash their mouths out with soap more in their lives.
Between that and the Thomas the Train song....
...I'm going to be rocking back and forth in the corner of a padded room in a straight jacket before the end of the week, I swear.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Results
You guys are seriously amazing, and I am so grateful for all the love and support you've shown me in emails, comments, messages on Facebook, in person, and via text message and phone call. I am blown away by the amount of pure love that has come my way in the last 12 hours. You know I love you right back. MWAH!
So... Bolstered by your outrage at the things the doctor said to me, I called to get my lab results.
"I was surprised there were only two vials," I said. "That didn't really seem like a full work up."
"Well, they can pull more than one test out of a vial. We did four," the nurse said.
CBC normal.
Cholesterol normal.
Lipids normal.
Can't remember what the fourth thing was, but it was normal too. It must have been thyroid...
Normal normal normal. Not "Fat Normal." Just normal.
"So maybe you could tell the doctor for me," I said, "That perhaps the problem isn't that I'm fat, if my cholesterol and lipids were normal. Maybe the problem has nothing at all to do with my weight. And maybe it was reductionist and dismissive and short sighted of him to blame everything on my weight. Maybe telling someone to eat Raisin Bran and Lean Cuisine, instead of real food, is stupid outdated advice. Maybe making assumptions about someone's diet based on a joke she told the nurse is unfair. And maybe it was actually really insulting when he called my parenting into question, having met me twice and never having met my kids at all, and maybe I won't ever, ever be coming back to see Dr. B."
"Ohhh kaaayyy..." she said. "I'll tell him that you've been informed of your test results."
I laughed. Loudly. I might have sounded a little crazy, because she added...
"And I'll tell him you won't be coming back."
"That's fine," I said. "Thanks so much for your help."
So, that happened. (Applause).
And I realized late last night that I had had three cups of coffee and two 32 oz iced teas by the time I got to the doctor yesterday afternoon. Perhaps that could explain why my blood pressure was borderline.
They will pry my coffee out of my cold, dead fist, though. Seriously, I quit soda, I quit smoking, but I will never ever quit caffeine.
So... Bolstered by your outrage at the things the doctor said to me, I called to get my lab results.
"I was surprised there were only two vials," I said. "That didn't really seem like a full work up."
"Well, they can pull more than one test out of a vial. We did four," the nurse said.
CBC normal.
Cholesterol normal.
Lipids normal.
Can't remember what the fourth thing was, but it was normal too. It must have been thyroid...
Normal normal normal. Not "Fat Normal." Just normal.
"So maybe you could tell the doctor for me," I said, "That perhaps the problem isn't that I'm fat, if my cholesterol and lipids were normal. Maybe the problem has nothing at all to do with my weight. And maybe it was reductionist and dismissive and short sighted of him to blame everything on my weight. Maybe telling someone to eat Raisin Bran and Lean Cuisine, instead of real food, is stupid outdated advice. Maybe making assumptions about someone's diet based on a joke she told the nurse is unfair. And maybe it was actually really insulting when he called my parenting into question, having met me twice and never having met my kids at all, and maybe I won't ever, ever be coming back to see Dr. B."
"Ohhh kaaayyy..." she said. "I'll tell him that you've been informed of your test results."
I laughed. Loudly. I might have sounded a little crazy, because she added...
"And I'll tell him you won't be coming back."
"That's fine," I said. "Thanks so much for your help."
So, that happened. (Applause).
And I realized late last night that I had had three cups of coffee and two 32 oz iced teas by the time I got to the doctor yesterday afternoon. Perhaps that could explain why my blood pressure was borderline.
They will pry my coffee out of my cold, dead fist, though. Seriously, I quit soda, I quit smoking, but I will never ever quit caffeine.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
A Possibly Vulgar Rant About Health "Care"
I went to the doctor today because I've been losing time. Three times now, in conversations, I have zoned out and come to, realized that the conversation has moved on, and had NO IDEA how we got from where we were to where we are. The sensation was very similar to highway hypnosis, if you've ever had that. It's very disorienting and freaky. I had it on "watch" status for a couple days, until I spoke to Monica about it yesterday and she told me that Craig had asked her about me doing the same thing when he and I got into a discussion about religion a couple of weeks ago. He said that toward the end of the conversation I got really quiet (anyone who knows me knows that this is totally unlike me) and he couldn't tell if he had offended me or what. No, I had checked out on him, too. I immediately emailed the doctor's office.
I couldn't get in with my usual doctor, and then there was a scheduling problem (the nurse put the appointment in at 1 and told me 1:30) so I ended up seeing a doctor I saw once before and wasn't very impressed with, and his student nurse practitioner.
The nurse did a very thorough evaluation of me, a full neuro exam to rule out all kinds of causes too scary to think about. They're going to do bloodwork tomorrow, but for now my diagnosis is social anxiety.
BJ laughed when he heard that. "You're the least socially anxious person I know!" he said.
The thing that pisses me off more than the diagnosis I'm not sure about (yes, I have anxiety, yes, the three conversations where this happened were heated or stressful or controversial, but no, I'm not sure that they were so heated or so stressful that they would cause me to dissociate! Certainly I have had more heated, more stressful conversations where my mind hasn't chosen to go to its happy place without taking me along) is that the doctor took it upon himself to remind me that I'm a giant fat cow and that everything would be PERFECT if I lost weight.
I swear to you, I could go to the doctor with two broken legs, and they would tell me to lose weight.
When I was at my thinnest adult weight, right before I got pregnant with Jack, I was getting the SAME thing... So I know that plus or minus 20 pounds doesn't really matter - when you're a woman it all comes down to the number on the scale.
Concerned that you're getting hair where girls don't grow hair? You're fat. Concerned that you have spells when you lose time and that you might be driving with your kids in the car the next time it happens? You're fat. Concerned about the fact that your skin is in worse shape than it was when you were a teenager? Fat. Tired? Fat. Migraine? Fat. Depressed? Fat. Dandruff? Fat. Athlete's foot? Fat. Sinus infection? Hey, while you're here, let me remind you with a concerned look on my face that you are fat...
Then the shaming started - "You'd be setting such a good example for your kids if you'd eat better and exercise..." Oh FUCK YOU doctor nobody, you don't even KNOW my kids. You've never SEEN my kids. Do not PRESUME to know anything about my kids based on seeing me TWICE in my life.
(I told you this might get vulgar).
((Jeez, all the new scouts friends I've added on Facebook are going to read this. All the neighbors I've added because of the neighborhood association.... Oh hell with it. This is me. I try not to swear in front of people under 18. I'm not perfect. I probably swear because I'm fat.))
...And I just sat there and took it. I said, "My kids are healthy. My husband is too. My whole family is..." I said, choking back tears, determined NOT to cry in front of this jerk.
He told me, and I swear I am not making this up, to maybe consider eating fruits and vegetables instead of cookies and chips and pretzels. As if that had never occurred to me in my entire life. He said to eat Lean Cuisine instead of fast food for lunch. Yeah, that'll help. My highest ever blood pressure was when I was eating Smart Ones all the time trying to lose weight before I had kids - all the sodium. 170/110, and I got to wear a blood pressure monitor for 24 hours for my trouble. I quit the "diet" and it came back down to normal.
I said, "I lost 50 pounds between when I had my second child and when I had my son. I know how to lose weight. And our diet is very healthy. I cook from scratch. I'm a very good cook. That's probably half my problem..." I sat there thinking, "Why am I justifying myself to this asshole?" and "You could stand to lose a few too, doc." At one point I almost poked his belly, and said, "Hee hee!" just to shut him the hell up.
And what really, really kills me is that there is SO MUCH MORE to me than the number on the scale or what size pants I wear. People LOVE me. I am kind. I do so much for people and expect nothing in return (neighborhood president, scouts, helping at the school, etc.). I am smart. I am good. I am interesting. I am an amazing mother. I'm an awesome wife. I take care of people - whether they're mine or not. I listen to people. I care about people. I'm hilarious. My house is spotless, even though I have three small kids in it. I am the KoolAid Mom of the neighborhood, and every kid in our neighborhood of 100 houses knows that if they're in trouble they can come to me. I save dogs when they're running loose. I give money to charities for my friends' birthdays. I'm a great freaking cook. In fact, I'd probably be a hell of a lot thinner if I didn't make such awesome cookies. I have an excellent credit score and almost no debt (student loans and car loans - that's it). My kids are LOVED. I have read to them every single day since they were born. I work really, really hard at being EXCELLENT at everything I am and everything I do.
But I weigh over 200 pounds. 207 pounds, actually, at 5 foot 4 inches tall, and so until that changes, I will never, ever be good enough.
(Personally, I think the real problem is too much stress and not enough sleep, and taking care of everyone except Amy for the past many months, but I'll get the labs they ordered done just to be sure. And after over a year of problems with the Mirena, I finally made an appointment to have it removed. I'll just deal with the side effects, up to and including babies. And I may go off the Zoloft entirely, too, to just give my body a chance to heal and equalize without all these synthetic chemicals and artificial hormones. I think it's no coincidence that I was able to lose all that weight when I was trying to conceive Jack - I wasn't on birth control. My skin was awesome, too. And I felt good. Better than I feel now, anyway, until I got pregnant and the anxiety ramped up again before I even knew I was pregnant. And maybe I'll go see Mom's acupuncture guy. But I swear to God I'll kick his ass if he mentions losing weight.)
I couldn't get in with my usual doctor, and then there was a scheduling problem (the nurse put the appointment in at 1 and told me 1:30) so I ended up seeing a doctor I saw once before and wasn't very impressed with, and his student nurse practitioner.
The nurse did a very thorough evaluation of me, a full neuro exam to rule out all kinds of causes too scary to think about. They're going to do bloodwork tomorrow, but for now my diagnosis is social anxiety.
BJ laughed when he heard that. "You're the least socially anxious person I know!" he said.
The thing that pisses me off more than the diagnosis I'm not sure about (yes, I have anxiety, yes, the three conversations where this happened were heated or stressful or controversial, but no, I'm not sure that they were so heated or so stressful that they would cause me to dissociate! Certainly I have had more heated, more stressful conversations where my mind hasn't chosen to go to its happy place without taking me along) is that the doctor took it upon himself to remind me that I'm a giant fat cow and that everything would be PERFECT if I lost weight.
I swear to you, I could go to the doctor with two broken legs, and they would tell me to lose weight.
When I was at my thinnest adult weight, right before I got pregnant with Jack, I was getting the SAME thing... So I know that plus or minus 20 pounds doesn't really matter - when you're a woman it all comes down to the number on the scale.
Concerned that you're getting hair where girls don't grow hair? You're fat. Concerned that you have spells when you lose time and that you might be driving with your kids in the car the next time it happens? You're fat. Concerned about the fact that your skin is in worse shape than it was when you were a teenager? Fat. Tired? Fat. Migraine? Fat. Depressed? Fat. Dandruff? Fat. Athlete's foot? Fat. Sinus infection? Hey, while you're here, let me remind you with a concerned look on my face that you are fat...
Then the shaming started - "You'd be setting such a good example for your kids if you'd eat better and exercise..." Oh FUCK YOU doctor nobody, you don't even KNOW my kids. You've never SEEN my kids. Do not PRESUME to know anything about my kids based on seeing me TWICE in my life.
(I told you this might get vulgar).
((Jeez, all the new scouts friends I've added on Facebook are going to read this. All the neighbors I've added because of the neighborhood association.... Oh hell with it. This is me. I try not to swear in front of people under 18. I'm not perfect. I probably swear because I'm fat.))
...And I just sat there and took it. I said, "My kids are healthy. My husband is too. My whole family is..." I said, choking back tears, determined NOT to cry in front of this jerk.
He told me, and I swear I am not making this up, to maybe consider eating fruits and vegetables instead of cookies and chips and pretzels. As if that had never occurred to me in my entire life. He said to eat Lean Cuisine instead of fast food for lunch. Yeah, that'll help. My highest ever blood pressure was when I was eating Smart Ones all the time trying to lose weight before I had kids - all the sodium. 170/110, and I got to wear a blood pressure monitor for 24 hours for my trouble. I quit the "diet" and it came back down to normal.
I said, "I lost 50 pounds between when I had my second child and when I had my son. I know how to lose weight. And our diet is very healthy. I cook from scratch. I'm a very good cook. That's probably half my problem..." I sat there thinking, "Why am I justifying myself to this asshole?" and "You could stand to lose a few too, doc." At one point I almost poked his belly, and said, "Hee hee!" just to shut him the hell up.
And what really, really kills me is that there is SO MUCH MORE to me than the number on the scale or what size pants I wear. People LOVE me. I am kind. I do so much for people and expect nothing in return (neighborhood president, scouts, helping at the school, etc.). I am smart. I am good. I am interesting. I am an amazing mother. I'm an awesome wife. I take care of people - whether they're mine or not. I listen to people. I care about people. I'm hilarious. My house is spotless, even though I have three small kids in it. I am the KoolAid Mom of the neighborhood, and every kid in our neighborhood of 100 houses knows that if they're in trouble they can come to me. I save dogs when they're running loose. I give money to charities for my friends' birthdays. I'm a great freaking cook. In fact, I'd probably be a hell of a lot thinner if I didn't make such awesome cookies. I have an excellent credit score and almost no debt (student loans and car loans - that's it). My kids are LOVED. I have read to them every single day since they were born. I work really, really hard at being EXCELLENT at everything I am and everything I do.
But I weigh over 200 pounds. 207 pounds, actually, at 5 foot 4 inches tall, and so until that changes, I will never, ever be good enough.
(Personally, I think the real problem is too much stress and not enough sleep, and taking care of everyone except Amy for the past many months, but I'll get the labs they ordered done just to be sure. And after over a year of problems with the Mirena, I finally made an appointment to have it removed. I'll just deal with the side effects, up to and including babies. And I may go off the Zoloft entirely, too, to just give my body a chance to heal and equalize without all these synthetic chemicals and artificial hormones. I think it's no coincidence that I was able to lose all that weight when I was trying to conceive Jack - I wasn't on birth control. My skin was awesome, too. And I felt good. Better than I feel now, anyway, until I got pregnant and the anxiety ramped up again before I even knew I was pregnant. And maybe I'll go see Mom's acupuncture guy. But I swear to God I'll kick his ass if he mentions losing weight.)
Still?
It's 2012. Why are we still debating about breastfeeding in public?
Why why why? Babies need to eat. Mommies can't sequester themselves inside the house for two years - which is the length of breastfeeding that the World Health Organization recommends - with their babies. Therefore, babies will need to eat in public. Not everyone can pump (I only got drops, ever). Breasts are for feeding, their sexual assignation is secondary, and OMFG the world is on fire and don't we have better things to worry about than boobs?
But a professor at American University breastfed her sick infant during a lecture and now the blogosphere is all "ZOMG!" debating it. Yawn.
The only question I have, which may or may not be fair, is, "Where was the baby's dad?" Why couldn't he take the baby for the hour so that Mom didn't have to cancel class? I breastfed all three of my kids - Jack for 17 months, Claire for 22, MG for 28. And I would not have been able to do it without BJ's support.
Moms can't care for children in a vacuum - we need the support of our children's fathers, of our friends and family, of our community... It's just crazy that in 2012 we still expect that 1) moms should be solely responsible for the care of their children, and 2) moms should never ever breastfeed in public. It's insane.
I just find the whole debate so tiring, now that I'm out of that phase of parenting. After 5 years of personally breastfeeding, I can only shake my head that it's still an issue at all.
Why why why? Babies need to eat. Mommies can't sequester themselves inside the house for two years - which is the length of breastfeeding that the World Health Organization recommends - with their babies. Therefore, babies will need to eat in public. Not everyone can pump (I only got drops, ever). Breasts are for feeding, their sexual assignation is secondary, and OMFG the world is on fire and don't we have better things to worry about than boobs?
But a professor at American University breastfed her sick infant during a lecture and now the blogosphere is all "ZOMG!" debating it. Yawn.
The only question I have, which may or may not be fair, is, "Where was the baby's dad?" Why couldn't he take the baby for the hour so that Mom didn't have to cancel class? I breastfed all three of my kids - Jack for 17 months, Claire for 22, MG for 28. And I would not have been able to do it without BJ's support.
Moms can't care for children in a vacuum - we need the support of our children's fathers, of our friends and family, of our community... It's just crazy that in 2012 we still expect that 1) moms should be solely responsible for the care of their children, and 2) moms should never ever breastfeed in public. It's insane.
I just find the whole debate so tiring, now that I'm out of that phase of parenting. After 5 years of personally breastfeeding, I can only shake my head that it's still an issue at all.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Innocence
Mary Grace learned something today. One of the books they read at school was an alphabet book, and there were two towers in a picture of New York. I guess one of the other students must have pointed it out. MG said that Mrs. W had never noticed that there were two towers in that picture before. Mary Grace knew that something bad had happened in New York in 2001, and that it was before she was born. She was too anxious to go outside and play to tell me any more about what was said at school.
We haven't talked to our kids about 9/11 because they're little. It doesn't affect them. To them it'll be like our parents talking to us about where they were when Kennedy was shot - Kennedy's assassination was a linchpin moment in our parents' lives, but to us it was history. 9/11 was a linchpin for us (as was the Challenger disaster, Reagan being shot, the Berlin Wall coming down...) but it is part of history for them. It's not relevant in our daily Midwestern lives, and it has never come up before today.
I feel like she's more worldly now - as though learning about the things that happened 11 years ago today is another step along a long path from the pure innocence of infancy to mature adulthood.
30 years ago today my grandfather died. I was in first grade, too. I guess September 11 is a day for leaving behind innocence, in our family. It's a day that we take a step forward toward adulthood.
Why is it that so many of those steps hurt?
We haven't talked to our kids about 9/11 because they're little. It doesn't affect them. To them it'll be like our parents talking to us about where they were when Kennedy was shot - Kennedy's assassination was a linchpin moment in our parents' lives, but to us it was history. 9/11 was a linchpin for us (as was the Challenger disaster, Reagan being shot, the Berlin Wall coming down...) but it is part of history for them. It's not relevant in our daily Midwestern lives, and it has never come up before today.
I feel like she's more worldly now - as though learning about the things that happened 11 years ago today is another step along a long path from the pure innocence of infancy to mature adulthood.
30 years ago today my grandfather died. I was in first grade, too. I guess September 11 is a day for leaving behind innocence, in our family. It's a day that we take a step forward toward adulthood.
Why is it that so many of those steps hurt?
Monday, September 10, 2012
Kool-Aid Mom
Cami came over after school, and my girls asked for an opportunity to "clip up" - it's the behavior plan that I've implemented which is consistent with what they do at school, and someday I'll blog about it. Anyway, I said, "Ok, if you clean the toy room you can clip to the tippy top and I'll make chocolate chip cookies."
So they finish cleaning and it's beautiful, it almost makes me cry, and I say, "Ok, I'll make your cookies." But since I don't want 4 dozen extra cookies, and since I only have one stick of butter (which Cami had to get from her house because the butter I thought I had was an empty box) I make a half batch.
Then two more kids show up, and I think, "Ok, divided by two, that's enough for everyone, still, and there will be some left for BJ."
I turn my back for 10 seconds, and Claire is outside yelling, "Everyone! We are making chocolate chip cookies!!" Three more kids showed up out of thin air! I guess she's a born Girl Scout.
I love her generosity, but come ON Claire! Even the Girl Scouts charge!!
(Of course I gave those kids cookies, too. I'm not a monster. And from what I understand, instead of being grateful for one cookie they said it was "not fair," that they only got one cookie each, when the girls who were here at my house got two. Whatever, dudes, the girls who were here cleaned my toy room. What have you done for me lately?)
In other news, today is Barbara Dahling's birthday. Happy birthday!!! We've been friends for over half our lives - can you believe it? Love you!
So they finish cleaning and it's beautiful, it almost makes me cry, and I say, "Ok, I'll make your cookies." But since I don't want 4 dozen extra cookies, and since I only have one stick of butter (which Cami had to get from her house because the butter I thought I had was an empty box) I make a half batch.
Then two more kids show up, and I think, "Ok, divided by two, that's enough for everyone, still, and there will be some left for BJ."
I turn my back for 10 seconds, and Claire is outside yelling, "Everyone! We are making chocolate chip cookies!!" Three more kids showed up out of thin air! I guess she's a born Girl Scout.
I love her generosity, but come ON Claire! Even the Girl Scouts charge!!
(Of course I gave those kids cookies, too. I'm not a monster. And from what I understand, instead of being grateful for one cookie they said it was "not fair," that they only got one cookie each, when the girls who were here at my house got two. Whatever, dudes, the girls who were here cleaned my toy room. What have you done for me lately?)
In other news, today is Barbara Dahling's birthday. Happy birthday!!! We've been friends for over half our lives - can you believe it? Love you!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Looking ahead to BlogHer 13!
I had an AMAZING time at BlogHer in 2009. (For those of you who aren't bloggers, that's the big conference for blogging women that is put on by the kind people who sponsor this blog with those ads in the sidebar over there - - > )
But then it was in New York in 2010, and I was pregnant with Jack. And then it was in San Diego in 2011, and Jack was only 7 months old. This year it was in New York again, but we had two family weddings in late July and it just wasn't do-able.
But next year it's in MY kind of town, again. Chicago. And I am there! Look out!
Who else is gonna be there?
But then it was in New York in 2010, and I was pregnant with Jack. And then it was in San Diego in 2011, and Jack was only 7 months old. This year it was in New York again, but we had two family weddings in late July and it just wasn't do-able.
But next year it's in MY kind of town, again. Chicago. And I am there! Look out!
Who else is gonna be there?
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Foiled again!
I feel awful. I got a text from the local news channel that said the high temperature today would be 92. I sent MG to school in shorts and a tank top. It's been in the high 60s/low 70s and overcast most of the day. I'm sure she froze at recess (although it rained earlier, so maybe - hopefully! - they stayed in).
I thought about taking her a sweater, but I had stuff going on all day, and the earliest I could have gotten there would have been about 1:30, and by then it seemed kind of silly when school lets out at 3. *sigh*
Bad mommy. No cookie.
I thought about taking her a sweater, but I had stuff going on all day, and the earliest I could have gotten there would have been about 1:30, and by then it seemed kind of silly when school lets out at 3. *sigh*
Bad mommy. No cookie.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Muesday
Poor Erin, my friend and Jack's regular babysitter, texted me this morning that she was sick and couldn't come watch Jack, and I've been too busy to check on her all day (I'm just a terrible friend). I ended up taking him to the office with me for an hour, because there were things that had to be done (payroll! Yay!) today, and then BJ and I went out for lunch.
After lunch I took BJ back to the office, went through the bank's drive through and went to Walmart. These places are not at all far apart - the restaurant, Walmart, the office, and the bank are all within a half of a mile of each other - but by the time I turned around to look at Jack, between the bank and Walmart, he was asleep.
So much for that idea. We drove home and I let him sleep in the carseat for a little while, until I got bored with my phone, brought him in and lulled him back to sleep in my bed.
The girls got home and we didour their homework and stuff. They've been really awesome with our afternoon routine. I'm going to have to write a post about that, and about the new behavior program I've been doing with them (not that they're bad - they're really great kids. Honestly, it's more of a way to be more consistent and to reward good behavior than anything else). But not tonight, because I am falling asleep in my seat.
BJ put Jack to bed tonight, and while he was upstairs tucking the girls in, Jack woke back up. I went in his room and rocket him, but that wasn't working, so eventually I laid down (in the Nah Nah toddler bed) with him and fell asleep. That was not at all comfortable. I don't recommend it.
I just wrote "rocket" instead of "rocked," but half the time in this family we actually do rocket to sleep, so I'm leaving it. And I'm going to bed.
After lunch I took BJ back to the office, went through the bank's drive through and went to Walmart. These places are not at all far apart - the restaurant, Walmart, the office, and the bank are all within a half of a mile of each other - but by the time I turned around to look at Jack, between the bank and Walmart, he was asleep.
B |
| "You didn't have PLANS, did you? Zzzzzz...." |
The girls got home and we did
BJ put Jack to bed tonight, and while he was upstairs tucking the girls in, Jack woke back up. I went in his room and rocket him, but that wasn't working, so eventually I laid down (in the Nah Nah toddler bed) with him and fell asleep. That was not at all comfortable. I don't recommend it.
I just wrote "rocket" instead of "rocked," but half the time in this family we actually do rocket to sleep, so I'm leaving it. And I'm going to bed.
Monday, September 3, 2012
1995, The Musical
BJ and I went to see American Idiot: The Musical last night, and it was alarmingly like my life in the early 1990s. I am not comfortable with being old enough for my adolescence to be portrayed in four part harmony. Seriously. I could see boys I knew in late high school and early college so clearly in the characters, it was creepy.
The music, by the band Green Day, was awesome. I'd forgotten how much I love live music. There was a lot of cursing, middle finger waving, head banging, and so on, which was kind of funny because the average age of the patrons (most of whom were probably season ticket holders and had no idea what they were seeing before they sat down and read the Playbill) was about 65, and I heard several people muttering about, "Why do they have to keep using that F word?" Because there was a lot to be pissed off about in the 1990s, that's why. Or so we thought. We didn't know how good we had it, actually, but isn't that how it always is for teenagers?
The thing that irritated me most was that the female characters were exceptionally one-dimensional. 2/3 of them didn't even have names. They only existed to serve the needs of or the personal growth of the main male characters (one was a nurse who "saved" one of the main characters, one was the other main character's pregnant girlfriend, a third was a non-pregnant girlfriend who dumps the primary main character when he gets too far into drugs), which is SO common and SO irritating. I went on a rant about how it was anti-feminist and I think I scared a few of the people who were walking to their cars around us.
That said, it was beautiful from a set-design perspective. I really loved the way they used televisions. It was very cool. There were a few dozen TVs stuck into the back wall of the stage, and the images varied depending on what was going on in the songs or on the stage. They also projected cityscape images across the background to evoke movement ("I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known...") and make you feel like you were watching someone on a lonely city street. Very cool.
I really enjoyed it. I think BJ enjoyed it less than I did, but we enjoyed it more than the average person in the (exceptionally elderly and/or empty) audience. BJ said that he hadn't been that close to the stage in Elliott Hall since a math exam in college. It's too early in the semester for most students to be going to concerts, unless they're really huge headliners. Or, perhaps, we're so old that most of the undergrads at Purdue don't even know who Green Day is or want to hear any of their music. It's a short slide from here to sensible shoes and Depends undergarments, isn't it? *shudder*
My favorite songs were "Wake Me Up When September Ends," and "Good Riddance," which was the encore. The whole cast played acoustic guitars for "Good Riddance." That was impressive. Again, live music. Nothing quite like it, whether it's pop/rock or symphonic classical stuff. It feels different, you know?
Hope you're having fun on your holiday weekend, too!!
 |
| From their Facebook page - I think I dated the guy in the striped shirt... |
The thing that irritated me most was that the female characters were exceptionally one-dimensional. 2/3 of them didn't even have names. They only existed to serve the needs of or the personal growth of the main male characters (one was a nurse who "saved" one of the main characters, one was the other main character's pregnant girlfriend, a third was a non-pregnant girlfriend who dumps the primary main character when he gets too far into drugs), which is SO common and SO irritating. I went on a rant about how it was anti-feminist and I think I scared a few of the people who were walking to their cars around us.
 |
| TVs set into the background (from nj.com) |
I really enjoyed it. I think BJ enjoyed it less than I did, but we enjoyed it more than the average person in the (exceptionally elderly and/or empty) audience. BJ said that he hadn't been that close to the stage in Elliott Hall since a math exam in college. It's too early in the semester for most students to be going to concerts, unless they're really huge headliners. Or, perhaps, we're so old that most of the undergrads at Purdue don't even know who Green Day is or want to hear any of their music. It's a short slide from here to sensible shoes and Depends undergarments, isn't it? *shudder*
My favorite songs were "Wake Me Up When September Ends," and "Good Riddance," which was the encore. The whole cast played acoustic guitars for "Good Riddance." That was impressive. Again, live music. Nothing quite like it, whether it's pop/rock or symphonic classical stuff. It feels different, you know?
So that was my Sunday night... Saturday night I went to the 5th Annual SPOONS Party at Karen's. What happens at SPOONS stays at SPOONS, though, so I am not at liberty to disclose the details. Jack and I had a 3 hour nap on Sunday before the show, though, for recovery purposes.
Hope you're having fun on your holiday weekend, too!!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
The Best Laid Plans
Jack came down with a cold (bad cough, snotty, sneezy, low fever, etc.) so nothing went according to plan yesterday. We were supposed to go to a Mommy & Me class (the first class, of course), but I didn't want to bring a feverish kid to a class full of healthy kids, so we skipped it. Instead, we went to the bank to set up the bank account for my new Scouts troop. Good thing we did it in advance, too, because they need 10 - 14 days to get a debit card to me. *sigh*
It took forever. The people were really nice, but we were there for an hour trying to set up the stupid checking account. It shouldn't have taken that long, I was expecting 15 or 20 minutes at the most, so I wasn't at all prepared. I had one book and one toy car for Jack to play with. Fortunately the closest GS authorized bank is inside a grocery store, so I got him some Skittles. He also watched some Netflix on my phone. How did people parent before smart phones??
Then I had planned to go to the GS retail Showcase, but Jack was fussing. I realized it was lunchtime so we ate first. On the way to the Showcase after lunch, he dumped his drink all over himself. I pulled over to take the ice cubes off of him and realized that we had to go home, instead.
He fell asleep on the way home for about 5 minutes, and I got him inside and stripped out of his wet, sticky clothes without waking him up, but as soon as I put him into his bed he woke up. That was the end of nap. Which meant that I couldn't do the 10,000 things that I had intended to do while he was sleeping. *sigh* I gave him a bath, instead.
He finally fell asleep around 3:00 (which is about 2 hours late). We had to skip ice cream with friends from out of town. He was still sleeping when it was time to meet them. I might have fallen asleep with him for a while. Good thing I have an alarm on my phone for 15 minutes before the girls get home. Seriously, how did people parent before smartphones??
BJ brought home a pizza, but no one was really hungry because they'd all had ice cream. Well, Jack wasn't hungry because of his cold. He didn't get ice cream. Poor baby. BJ played with the kids all evening while I did all the stuff I had meant to do during Jack's nap.
We had planned to finally repaint the shabby chic front porch today, but Hurricane Issac just arrived, and it's pouring. In fact, Issac is promising to be such a bastard that the city cancelled a festival that I had planned to take the kids to today. *sigh*
But... I got the checking account set up, eventually. I got all the stuff done for GS that I had meant to do, except the shopping, which can wait until after payday anyway. I don't mind having an inside day to clean once BJ and the girls get home (they're at Home Depot doing the free craft. Do you know about these? Lots of hardware stores do free crafts for kids on weekends. The girls love using real tools and stuff). We have lots of leftover pizza, so I don't have to worry about cooking. I have (indoor) plans with my friends tonight - our 5th annual SPOONS party. It's always hilarious and fun. Tomorrow night BJ and I are going to see a show, and his mom is staying with the kids. Date night! And he's taking Monday off, so maybe we can paint the porch for Labor day.
It'll all be ok. It's just funny how sometimes nothing goes the way you think it will.
Enjoy your weekend!
It took forever. The people were really nice, but we were there for an hour trying to set up the stupid checking account. It shouldn't have taken that long, I was expecting 15 or 20 minutes at the most, so I wasn't at all prepared. I had one book and one toy car for Jack to play with. Fortunately the closest GS authorized bank is inside a grocery store, so I got him some Skittles. He also watched some Netflix on my phone. How did people parent before smart phones??
Then I had planned to go to the GS retail Showcase, but Jack was fussing. I realized it was lunchtime so we ate first. On the way to the Showcase after lunch, he dumped his drink all over himself. I pulled over to take the ice cubes off of him and realized that we had to go home, instead.
He fell asleep on the way home for about 5 minutes, and I got him inside and stripped out of his wet, sticky clothes without waking him up, but as soon as I put him into his bed he woke up. That was the end of nap. Which meant that I couldn't do the 10,000 things that I had intended to do while he was sleeping. *sigh* I gave him a bath, instead.
He finally fell asleep around 3:00 (which is about 2 hours late). We had to skip ice cream with friends from out of town. He was still sleeping when it was time to meet them. I might have fallen asleep with him for a while. Good thing I have an alarm on my phone for 15 minutes before the girls get home. Seriously, how did people parent before smartphones??
BJ brought home a pizza, but no one was really hungry because they'd all had ice cream. Well, Jack wasn't hungry because of his cold. He didn't get ice cream. Poor baby. BJ played with the kids all evening while I did all the stuff I had meant to do during Jack's nap.
We had planned to finally repaint the shabby chic front porch today, but Hurricane Issac just arrived, and it's pouring. In fact, Issac is promising to be such a bastard that the city cancelled a festival that I had planned to take the kids to today. *sigh*
But... I got the checking account set up, eventually. I got all the stuff done for GS that I had meant to do, except the shopping, which can wait until after payday anyway. I don't mind having an inside day to clean once BJ and the girls get home (they're at Home Depot doing the free craft. Do you know about these? Lots of hardware stores do free crafts for kids on weekends. The girls love using real tools and stuff). We have lots of leftover pizza, so I don't have to worry about cooking. I have (indoor) plans with my friends tonight - our 5th annual SPOONS party. It's always hilarious and fun. Tomorrow night BJ and I are going to see a show, and his mom is staying with the kids. Date night! And he's taking Monday off, so maybe we can paint the porch for Labor day.
It'll all be ok. It's just funny how sometimes nothing goes the way you think it will.
Enjoy your weekend!
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