After our exciting weekend, today is such a letdown. Between our Friday night dinner outing to Li's Asian Cuisine, where KT was adventurous, trying lo mein noodles and gyoza, and smiling after every bite, knowing how proud we were of her for being! So! Big!... and Saturday's trip to the dancewear store to buy Tap Shoes! And real leather ballet shoes! (because the cheap knock-off brand at Target simply won't do for 3-year-old ballet [apparently])... and happening upon the city's Saturday Farmer's Market (fresh! flowers!)... and then having an unknown (to us) 14-year-old babysitter come over to watch our 2 kids and our friends' 1... and driving far away to a smallish wedding and drinking 2 lovely glasses of wine... and eating red velvet cake with icing that tasted like liquid-soft marshmallows... and then... then!!! watching my sister's Ironman results on the computer, clicking Refresh every few minutes, even though I knew it was going to take more than a few minutes for her to run 4.7 miles to the next split (why do they do them at such random intervals?)... and then seeing her final result, THIRD in her division!! ...and crying with her, over the phone, when SHE learned that result...
...I mean, the fact that I have a stupid head cold on a Monday, and came to work armed with my DayQuil to do some emails and data entry, is supremely lame.
Monday, August 29
Tuesday, August 23
Kid Breakfasts
I liked Swistle's Kid Breakfasts post, and the comments about what other peoples' kids eat. I don't know if I'm embarassed or not about our list. My kids usually eat 2 items of their choice from this list, plus chocolate milk or juice:
- Gogurt or other kid-friendly yogurt
- Quaker instant Oatmeal
- 1 slice of banana bread (I make a lot of banana bread, because we have very ripe bananas leftover every time I buy them)
- Jimmy Dean's Sausage & Pancake on a Stick (sometimes turkey, sometimes regular)
- Frozen mini-pancakes (4)
- Nutella on toast cut into "bites"
- Dry cereal (they like Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Frosted Flakes, and Cinnamon Life lately)
- sugar-free applesauce, grapes, strawberries, or half a banana depending on what we have
- rarely, a Nature Valley Trail Mix granola bar
I amuse myself typing this up - why am I so concerned about the sugar in applesauce when I'm obviously not very concerned about any other item's nutritional value?! LOL. Also, KT rarely eats all her oatmeal although she asks for it every day. I've taken to splitting one packet up for her, which seems so measly when it's doled out, and when she barely finishes even that. But on the other hand, she also gets breakfast at daycare, so I don't worry too much (except about the waste of food).
Monday, August 22
A Bushel and a Peck
I wish we could take video of some weekends in their entirety, and then go back to re-live them. I've learned this before, but once again it seems the best ones are really sometimes the least complicated.
... DH got to watch AJ at his new martial arts class, which he LOVES. It's interesting how much more enthusiastic AJ is about this than he was about baseball...
... We spent a lot of money at Target, but for things we have definitely been wanting, including a bulletin board for AJ's room (doesn't that make him seem like a BIG KID to you?), and shelves for our den (remember, I said we might do shelves??)...
... We had lunch at home on Saturday, which felt boring at the time (DH and I had lobbied for Chick Fil A but the kids weren't interested) but maybe it was just what we needed...
... We cleaned the house relax-ed-ly, vacuuming, dusting, and wiping down bathrooms (for the babysitter, and yes, it takes having someone over in order for me to get enthused about cleaning)
... The babysitter came and brought joy to the kids' hearts (KT was so cute, waiting by the window for her car to arrive), and to the parents' hearts, as we headed out for Thai food and then, the BEST MUSICAL EVER WRITTEN, Guys and Dolls. ;) I do love that show and I love my husband so much for knowing I would be thrilled to see it...
... We went to Sunday morning Mass and the kids BEHAVED, unlike the last 2 (or was it 3?) weeks running, AND we ran into some baseball friends there. We didn't know they went to our church and it was a really nice surprise!
... We did laundry, listened to music at dinner (I'll have to tell you about my new MUSIC plan), and got the pantry stocked for the week with juice boxes and oatmeal. Meals are planned for this busy week ahead, and my heart is just full with the love of family life right this moment.
... DH got to watch AJ at his new martial arts class, which he LOVES. It's interesting how much more enthusiastic AJ is about this than he was about baseball...
... We spent a lot of money at Target, but for things we have definitely been wanting, including a bulletin board for AJ's room (doesn't that make him seem like a BIG KID to you?), and shelves for our den (remember, I said we might do shelves??)...
... We had lunch at home on Saturday, which felt boring at the time (DH and I had lobbied for Chick Fil A but the kids weren't interested) but maybe it was just what we needed...
... We cleaned the house relax-ed-ly, vacuuming, dusting, and wiping down bathrooms (for the babysitter, and yes, it takes having someone over in order for me to get enthused about cleaning)
... The babysitter came and brought joy to the kids' hearts (KT was so cute, waiting by the window for her car to arrive), and to the parents' hearts, as we headed out for Thai food and then, the BEST MUSICAL EVER WRITTEN, Guys and Dolls. ;) I do love that show and I love my husband so much for knowing I would be thrilled to see it...
... We went to Sunday morning Mass and the kids BEHAVED, unlike the last 2 (or was it 3?) weeks running, AND we ran into some baseball friends there. We didn't know they went to our church and it was a really nice surprise!
... We did laundry, listened to music at dinner (I'll have to tell you about my new MUSIC plan), and got the pantry stocked for the week with juice boxes and oatmeal. Meals are planned for this busy week ahead, and my heart is just full with the love of family life right this moment.
Friday, August 19
7 Quick Things I Did Yesterday
It was a busy day.
1. Got up at 5:00 am. I started this schedule last school year, and it did accomplish the task of allowing me to do homework with AJ twice a week at our kitchen table. I do also kind-of like being awake before everyone else, and leaving the morning shuffle of dressing kids and gathering backpacks to DH, while I drive to the office at 6:15. (They also behave better for him than for me.) HOWEVER. It’s so earrrrlyyyy! Whine. I’m unsure if I really want to keep up with it this year again.
2. Witnessed some police business going down! I was in the drive-thru line at the bank, and another guy in line was evidently not doing the right thing, to use daycare-ese. 4 cop cars and 1 plain-clothes investigator! They cuffed the dude while my teller was all, “Thank you for banking with Wells Fargo!” over the tin-can speaker.
3. Made it to carpool in time. I was not the last car, and this always pleases me. One reason I am unsure about continuing these early days is the extreme rush it takes for me to GET to carpool. Even with leaving my office at 3:30 (exactly 480 minutes after I arrive at 6:30, minus lunch), I hate that stress. AJ knows if I don’t make it, not to panic... but I panic.
4. Met an online friend IRL! A sweet lady I met on Sparkpeople.com lives right around the corner from us. She and I met up for a 30-minute walk in the park, and AJ came with us. He walked a little and played on the playground a little. I don’t know if we’ll continue to meet in the afternoons (I’d rather not have AJ there by himself, although I do think it’s important to model for him the importance of physical activity), but I think we’ll definitely meet again.
5. Cooked a real dinner for once this week. It had a protein, vegetable, fruit, and Crescent Rolls. It was not hot dogs, chicken nuggets, leftovers, microwaved, or one of my frequent dinner solutions. We hadn't had this dish in a while and I thought it was delicious.
6. Went to the 1st choir practice of the season. We had fun, and my only regret was being overly excited about some music we’re doing this year that I’ve done before. I don’t want to be THAT GUY, who acts like she knows it all, already. Yeesh. *stupid stupid!* I do wish we'd get some additional people to join. Young-ish people would be nice (average age in our choir is about 60). Edited: NOT that there's anything wrong with 60, of course (Mom)! But it would be fun to meet some singers my own age.
7. Barely saw my husband. So I bought him a pint of Cherry Garcia. We first ate that flavor on our second date, I believe it was, 12 summers ago in 1999. I remember being excited that he shared a bite, on his spoon, with me. So intimate! ;) Anyway, I barely saw him yesterday, so it’s a good thing we have a date night planned this weekend. I can’t wait.
more quick takes hosted by Jen!
1. Got up at 5:00 am. I started this schedule last school year, and it did accomplish the task of allowing me to do homework with AJ twice a week at our kitchen table. I do also kind-of like being awake before everyone else, and leaving the morning shuffle of dressing kids and gathering backpacks to DH, while I drive to the office at 6:15. (They also behave better for him than for me.) HOWEVER. It’s so earrrrlyyyy! Whine. I’m unsure if I really want to keep up with it this year again.
2. Witnessed some police business going down! I was in the drive-thru line at the bank, and another guy in line was evidently not doing the right thing, to use daycare-ese. 4 cop cars and 1 plain-clothes investigator! They cuffed the dude while my teller was all, “Thank you for banking with Wells Fargo!” over the tin-can speaker.
3. Made it to carpool in time. I was not the last car, and this always pleases me. One reason I am unsure about continuing these early days is the extreme rush it takes for me to GET to carpool. Even with leaving my office at 3:30 (exactly 480 minutes after I arrive at 6:30, minus lunch), I hate that stress. AJ knows if I don’t make it, not to panic... but I panic.
4. Met an online friend IRL! A sweet lady I met on Sparkpeople.com lives right around the corner from us. She and I met up for a 30-minute walk in the park, and AJ came with us. He walked a little and played on the playground a little. I don’t know if we’ll continue to meet in the afternoons (I’d rather not have AJ there by himself, although I do think it’s important to model for him the importance of physical activity), but I think we’ll definitely meet again.
5. Cooked a real dinner for once this week. It had a protein, vegetable, fruit, and Crescent Rolls. It was not hot dogs, chicken nuggets, leftovers, microwaved, or one of my frequent dinner solutions. We hadn't had this dish in a while and I thought it was delicious.
6. Went to the 1st choir practice of the season. We had fun, and my only regret was being overly excited about some music we’re doing this year that I’ve done before. I don’t want to be THAT GUY, who acts like she knows it all, already. Yeesh. *stupid stupid!* I do wish we'd get some additional people to join. Young-ish people would be nice (average age in our choir is about 60). Edited: NOT that there's anything wrong with 60, of course (Mom)! But it would be fun to meet some singers my own age.
7. Barely saw my husband. So I bought him a pint of Cherry Garcia. We first ate that flavor on our second date, I believe it was, 12 summers ago in 1999. I remember being excited that he shared a bite, on his spoon, with me. So intimate! ;) Anyway, I barely saw him yesterday, so it’s a good thing we have a date night planned this weekend. I can’t wait.
more quick takes hosted by Jen!
Friday, August 12
The Minutes!
I have a habit that is completely annoying to me. It would annoy you, too, if you knew of it, but it's concealed on the inside of my BRaaaaaaaain. So today I will share it with you, aren't you lucky? Here it is: I count the minutes that I'm away from work, and I try to make up every. single. one.
Take yesterday, for example. I somehow arrived at work about 14 minutes early. Yes, you read that correctly, 14 minutes. Not 15. I noted this in my Brain, while walking through the lobby and into the elevator. I didn't dwell on it, but noticed it.
Then at lunchtime, I had to drive through the school carpool because 2nd Grader AJ had Noon Dismissal (first week of school nonsense). I left the office right around 11:35. Of course, carpool is a long wait, and I was scheduled to meet DH at home for a kid hand-off. There's no real need for me to explain this, but I will anyway: I had stayed with AJ for the FIRST half-day on Wednesday, and DH was keeping him for this 2nd half-day. NONSENSE, these half-days, did I already say that?
ANYHOO. I'm unsure the exact minute I got home with AJ, but we scurried around grabbing lunches to take with us on the road, and by the time I was in my car and almost back to the office, I could see it was 12:48. UH-OH -- I HAVE TAKEN AN HOUR:13 LUNCH!! So I thought to myself, "Well, I'll just stay tonight until 4:45, no big deal. One kid is with Daddy, the other kid will get to have an extra snack at daycare. I can make that time up. And THEN I remembered the morning's extra 14 minutes, and I was so relieved because I came out AHEAD.
BY ONE MINUTE.
I seriously do this type of counting every day. And you know that my job does not even require me to clock in, or log my time, or any of that. My co-workers certainly don't worry about working a FULL 8 HOURS, down to the minute. If they did, they wouldn't spend 15 minutes every 2 hours or so, standing around the common areas talking about Miche bags. (This seems to be the new craze at my office - one coworker is selling Miche bags and evvvvveryone is ordering them. I think they're ugly, myself.)
Not that I never get up -- I do take plenty of bathroom breaks and even a quick yoga break in the mornings (hey, if some people get cigarette breaks, I can have a yoga break). I also don't spend every waking moment doing WORK -- obviously, as I am typing this on COMPANY TIME. But why am I so flipping concerned about the minutes?? I wish I knew. It's a bit of a sickness.
Take yesterday, for example. I somehow arrived at work about 14 minutes early. Yes, you read that correctly, 14 minutes. Not 15. I noted this in my Brain, while walking through the lobby and into the elevator. I didn't dwell on it, but noticed it.
Then at lunchtime, I had to drive through the school carpool because 2nd Grader AJ had Noon Dismissal (first week of school nonsense). I left the office right around 11:35. Of course, carpool is a long wait, and I was scheduled to meet DH at home for a kid hand-off. There's no real need for me to explain this, but I will anyway: I had stayed with AJ for the FIRST half-day on Wednesday, and DH was keeping him for this 2nd half-day. NONSENSE, these half-days, did I already say that?
ANYHOO. I'm unsure the exact minute I got home with AJ, but we scurried around grabbing lunches to take with us on the road, and by the time I was in my car and almost back to the office, I could see it was 12:48. UH-OH -- I HAVE TAKEN AN HOUR:13 LUNCH!! So I thought to myself, "Well, I'll just stay tonight until 4:45, no big deal. One kid is with Daddy, the other kid will get to have an extra snack at daycare. I can make that time up. And THEN I remembered the morning's extra 14 minutes, and I was so relieved because I came out AHEAD.
BY ONE MINUTE.
I seriously do this type of counting every day. And you know that my job does not even require me to clock in, or log my time, or any of that. My co-workers certainly don't worry about working a FULL 8 HOURS, down to the minute. If they did, they wouldn't spend 15 minutes every 2 hours or so, standing around the common areas talking about Miche bags. (This seems to be the new craze at my office - one coworker is selling Miche bags and evvvvveryone is ordering them. I think they're ugly, myself.)
Not that I never get up -- I do take plenty of bathroom breaks and even a quick yoga break in the mornings (hey, if some people get cigarette breaks, I can have a yoga break). I also don't spend every waking moment doing WORK -- obviously, as I am typing this on COMPANY TIME. But why am I so flipping concerned about the minutes?? I wish I knew. It's a bit of a sickness.
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