Seven Quick Takes (vol. 6)

1. I have been living a little bit in the past this week because my Darling Husband bought me a CD -- a recent compliation of Chicago's greatest radio hits. Such good tunes there, from childhood/high school and before. I didn't realize the founders were DePaul University students, a school near and dear to my heart although I didn't attend there. And in the last several years I've come to appreciate the horn section more and more. Chicago, my friends, has horns.

2. Speaking of my DH, what a guy. :) He's been so busy this week at his office, but not too busy to 1) insist that I go to bed early the night before last, 2) send me a very sweet email on Wednesday, something that we both normally "are too busy" to do (shame on us), and 3) plan our date night tonight, even agreeing to maybe go to the mall with me. Hey, it's something we don't ever get to do by ourselves. I think it's going to be fun! I'm really grateful. I know that he read the blog post about me feeling sad and whatever, and he's taking actions that are so small, yet SO significant. Points for being Life-giving!

3. This Sunday I'm attending a work-related Yoga event at Atlanta's Piedmont Park. I haven't been to a group yoga session since... oh, this is embarassing... 1999!! The weatherman's predicting rain but I hope he's wrong. If morning temps are as nice as they've been lately, it's going to be an hour or two of pure BLISS. Breathe in... breathe out.

4. My Dad had hip replacement surgery this week. I am so glad for him. His hip has been giving him trouble for years. Talk about guilt: Our dumb 2-story house has been no picnic when he's been to visit us, I'm sure. I hope this is going to make him good as new! He'll likely go home today or tomorrow, and I know it's going to be a tough few weeks as he recovers (and can't sit/bend at a 90-degree angle)! So I'm praying for Mom and Dad both for strength and patience. And since I know a lot of good, praying people read Jen's Quick Takes, I'm posting it here! If you can spare a good thought, send it my parents' way!

5. KT ate turkey meatballs last night. Yum, yum! She didn't even get them in her hair, which is a minor miracle.

6. AJ started talking about Christmas yesterday. He said we need to make a wish list for KT. And then he whispered in my ear that what we need to put on that list is "A Barney toy." What a good brother!

7. Funny story that always makes me smile: A woman in my office wore a headscarf to the office one day. Another woman said, "You're so lucky, you can wear hats!" The first woman replied, "But... you can, too! You have a head, don't you?!" Hahahahahaha! Maybe you had to be there?

More quick takes at www.conversiondiary.com

Wonderful rambling post

I want to be able to write wonderful, rambling posts (that still feel literary) like Julia does. Or the informative, excellent history-keeping posts like Indigo Girl. I guess this will be an attempt to combine the two.

The kids are really showing some personality traits. AJ is exhibiting quite the capacity for art, specifically drawing, although that might just be part of the Kindergarten package. I remember last fall when I was teaching Sunday School (oh, did I not tell you? I am not teaching again this year. I didn't feel like I could commit to it. And then of course, a lovely man stood up last Sunday at Mass and gave his "testimony" -- as much as a Catholic can give "testimony", ha -- about teaching 7th-grade Sunday School, and how this year he really thought he couldn't do it again, but... turns out he couldn't give up his Calling... Guilt! Guilt! Guilt! But, oh well, maybe I'll return to it another year. I do LOVE running into my former students at church. They get all giggly.) ANYway, last year I noticed that ALL the Kindergarteners in my class could draw -- or at least, they weren't at all inhibited to think that they couldn't. I love that. But AJ seems to really enjoy it. He doesn't draw on every available surface or sheet of paper like one of his cousins, but he does love Thursdays when he has Art Class, and our driveway is full of chalk masterpieces. Robots, ships, and aliens mostly. He's always had a great ear for music, too, which makes Mommy's heart glad -- he has sung ON PITCH since he was tiny. KT, on the other hand, speaks her songs so far. Sprechstimme, it's called in opera and German -- a word my nerd music friends and I got a kick out of in college. AJ and I will sing "A, B, C, D, E, F..." and pause for KT to show what she knows. She'll insert a very deadpan, "Deee." It's so cute. So to sum up, AJ: Art(s), I think.

He's also worrying us slightly because he gets so wrapped up in his imagination sometimes that he fails to respond when people -- adults or kids -- talk to him. The other day at T-ball, 3 different teammates tried to talk to him and I think he plainly ignored them all. We're perplexed, and don't want him to be the Weird Kid. ;) The other problem is that he sometimes won't speak up when he needs something from a teacher. Example: if he needs help opening a lunch item like his milk. He'll say, "Well, Mrs. C. didn't see my hand so I didn't get to drink it." He reports this with a sad face. We're trying to tell him that it's not good manners to ignore people, and that if he needs help he needs to ASK. All these little learning curves.

T-ball has been fun, by the way. At least for me. Those batting helmets are YOOGE on the little kids, though. They bobble around while the kids run the bases. So funny. The scheduling hasn't really been troublesome, either -- a relief. On days when we have a 6pm game, we've managed just fine. Luckily the field is less than 10 minutes from our house. I really love being there, for some reason. All the parents and siblings, the concession stand, the lights when it starts to get dark, the crack of the bat... feels very "hometown" and comforting.

KT at almost 19 months is making so much progress. She mimicks every little word we say which gives AJ something to do: "KT, say, 'It spilled.' Say 'Band-Aid.' Say 'Tay-toes.'" I keep telling him it's going to confuse her to say "It spilled" when NOTHING DID, and to cut it out. But whatever. They're funny to watch. When they play together happily (usually chasing each other), it's the best thing in the world.

KT, however, is also a grumpy gus in the mornings. I said to DH the other day that I don't think she's ever, in her whole life, woken up happy. Always crying. And grouchy! Our morning routine is to go downstairs immediately and get her a sippy of milk, which she drinks while we all snuggle on the couch for a minute. That's been the routine since forever! But lately she fusses and whines and doesn't want her milk, doesn't want a snack, can't even be calmed with Barney – she loves Barney, and why haven't either of my kids chosen Blue's Clues as their first love instead?? She also loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, though, so that's good, we're indoctrinating her properly – it makes for a somewhat unpleasant start to the day (and a definite bummer during snuggle time).

She's also a FLIRT. Especially when asked for kisses. She plainly refuses with a distinct, "Nooo." And then a little sly grin as she runs away. Mischievous imp!

I need to get to work now. Except to report that tomorrow night (hooray for a short week, Friday is already TOMORROW!) we are having a Date Night. I am very excited to have dinner and wine and a babysitter. God Bless the babysitter.

I leave you with a photo that we had taken recently. I can't resist that portrait place. My walls are in danger of becoming swiss cheese with all the frames I want to hang.

First Diet

KT is subsisting exclusively on Craisins and ketchup.


What weird things did your kids declare the ONLY ACCEPTABLE ITEMS at this ridiculous not-eating stage?

Documentation

I don't think I want to talk about it much, but I've just been moody and sad the last 2 weeks. Some of it is typical job stress/blahs, and some of it has sunk to really wondering what things have made me truly happy lately. (Fact: plenty of things - T-ball, KT learning words like "tickle" and "it spilled," Kindergarten, reading, the visit from my parents. But still I've been wondering what things DO truly make ME happy? Do I even know? And do I get enough of those things?)

I don't know if it's the change of routine and I can't get a handle on the new "normal" yet (our to-do LIST seems a mile long), or if it's a mid-life crisis of some kind, or if it's just a particularly bad stretch of PMS (2 weeks? much longer than usual) -- or maybe it's because we've had OVERCAST SKIES for 2 weeks... Seattle, how do you do it?? -- but for some reason I want to document it here. So that when I go back and read this when I'm seventy, I can remember "that tough time in August oh-nine."

Blah. I hate when I write posts like this. They seem stupid and whiny. I'm sure it will pass.

Hey. Quick Takes.

More than a week since I last posted, I see -- that may be a first. I just haven't felt like writing anything all week. Here are some of the things I've been doing instead:

1. Finishing Twilight/New Moon and going to Book Club. Easily the highlight of my week was spending time with my girlfriends 'til 10:00 pm on a Tuesday. We ate mushroom ravioli (just like Bella!), drank wine, and celebrated this silly but somehow compelling YA series. My one friend has started reading blogs because of it (Stephanie Meyer's blog, specifically) and is an uber-fan of the story, with all kinds of trivia about the author, the actors, the town of Forks, etc. Hilarious. We didn't come to any grand conclusions about symbolism or character development or anything. In fact we spent most of the time being told that we HAVE to read all four of the books, and that the first three are NOTHING compared to the fourth. (And the fifth, which I will be indulging in SOON!) Myself, I find the details of the vampires' lives fascinating, and I think Meyer's a BUSINESS GENIUS for capitalizing in such a unique way on the "green/vegetarian" topic. I don't know if she meant to do that, but color me impressed.

2. Not getting my lunchtime errands done. I did, however, meet DH for lunch one day this week (Chicago hot dogs!) and that was lovely. Even time together not talking all that much, is nice. I wonder, how do you guys who are parents EVER talk to one another? Because we are faithful to having dinner as a family every night, but believe me, there is no opportunity for grown-up conversation during dinner. It's all, "No, no, KT, not in your hair..." "Mommy? Mommy? Can I ask a question??" "LALALALALALALAI havetogopotty..." "AJ stop playing and EAT," around our table.

3. Trying to get my work done at the office amid countless interruptions. I love how every project but the ones on MY list this week was deemed a priority (by other people). However, I did attend a training class, and now I can fit you for a bra or a breast prosthesis. So my job still remains somewhat cool. I guess. I'm not really enamored of it this week, though, in case you can't tell. Been feeling a little down about it, to be perfectly honest. But haven't wanted to talk about it.

4. Pulled a Classic American Mom by going through the Krystal drive-through for last night's dinner -- because AJ had a 6:00 pm T-ball practice! I am giggling about it because that very act has been touted as WHAT'S MAKING OUR KIDS FAT and such a terrrrrrrible thing to do. Oh well. I don't feel bad about it.

5. Trying to find baseball pants in an extra-small. I don't think they exist.

6. Signing up to volunteer at AJ's school. And learning it's hard to volunteer much with a full-time job (see #3 above). I was asked to donate "sternos" for the first Teacher Appreciation lunch. I had no idea what a sterno was. Now I know.

7. Really wanting to clean out/rotate kid clothes, as well as get rid of some. Ooh, I might have just had a brilliant idea -- perhaps I'll do a Hand-Me-Downs Giveaway here on the ol' blog! Because I mean, everyone likes hand-me-downs, right? I have clothes for lots of different sizes in boy or girl. We have saved a lot of them, hoping for nieces or nephews, but no luck so far and although our basement is large... I'm ready to clean it out a bit. So. Will think about that.

Happy Friday, kittens! Enjoy the weekend and more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

[not really worth publishing]

Ugh, I was in a bad mood yesterday. I was starting to feel my annual October Overwhelm-ed-ness, for one thing, and for another, I simply could NOT FOCUS on work. I swear: social media, which is part of my paid job to monitor, is going to be the death of me. Some days my attention span is next to nil. Not good when one is also supposed to be a writer. I flit from one screen to the next. Email -- and Yahoo mail, I swear to crackers I am SO OVER YOU for being so s l o w w w w -- Twitter, Google Reader! Google Reader! Google Reader again! I'm addicted to all your blogs, you can be sure of that. :)

Anyway, I think I am on a fast from Facebook and GR during work hours, for a while. And I'm turning off email notifications. I swear, when that little email flag pops up in the lower left-hand corner, it totally derails me. Am I the only one? So you see, I have to be going now.

Lunchbox Lady

I've discovered an inexplicable love of making lunch for AJ, for Kindergarten. Something about the challenge of making it healthy, but fun, I guess. Or getting it all to fit into the lunchbox. Or maybe it's HIS enthusiasm. He always wants to unzip it and peek before we leave for school, and I get a little rush when he comments, "Cool!" I think the MULTITUDE of convenience foods makes it easier, and more fun, than generations before us, if you don't get fussy about processed foods (which I don't). The first day I worried a little about sending him with a (pizza) Lunchable, but when I learned 2 other kids brought Lunchables that day, too, I felt better. (WHY?? Stupid, inborn mom-competitiveness.) They're one of the few "entree" options he'll eat:

• peanut butter sandwiches (homemade)


• peanut butter sandwiches (Smuckers Uncrustables)


• Lunchables (only the pizza flavors)


• Ravioli (in this cool Thermos)


• turkey on bread, no mayo (haven't tried this yet but he claims he'll eat it)


• cubed ham

Equally fun are the side items. I bought a big variety bag of the Frito-Lay chips, and I can't wait 'til it's finished so I can buy a box of individual serv Cheeze-Its. Or pretzels. There's just so much to choose from. Today he has Jell-o. And he's trying a Hershey's Chocolate Milk box. (We'll see - I'm skeptical.)

The school requires a "healthy afternoon snack and a water bottle," as well. It's IN THE HANDBOOK: "fruit, or crackers and cheese." WELL, I must be a rebel because today I sent him with Teddy Grahams for snack. Ooooooooh.

My Mom assures me that my enthusiasm WILL wear off and packing lunch has the potential to be the bane of my existence. We shall see.

Off we go...

No stopping him now! AJ, we are so proud of you today. :)

One Hundred. Thousand. Percent.

Kindergarten Orientation went so well yesterday. My parents are here to babysit during this week, since school doesn’t start until Thursday, so they went with us to school and I’m so glad they got to see it, and meet the people who’ll be shaping AJ’s little heart and mind for the next year! I’m pretty giddy over the whole thing and it just confirms the fact that I loved school myself. Loved!

Anyway, yesterday we checked in, were warmly greeted with a gift bag, then first-thing signed up for the Extended Care Program (morning and after-care) – one part of New School about which I’ve fretted because it’s been a huge “unknown.” The coordinator was extremely kind and really put me at ease. Not to mention, the line for ECP was the longest in the whole cafeteria, so it isn’t like AJ’s going to be lonely, an After School Special of “without-his-mommy-sadness” and a soft spotlight, for all to pity. Heh. I think he’s going to have fun with Mrs. L. They do homework, play in the gym, and have to be personally checked in and out, which means I’ll get to park and go in. Score.

After that we bought some school spirit items – a T-shirt so AJ can wear jeans on special “spirit-days,” if he also remembers 50 cents and a canned food item to donate, and a metallic decal for my car-line-ready Highlander! Eeee! Logo items! (Blue and gold, naturally. In my old job we always laughed at blue and gold. EVERY school’s colors are blue and gold.) Our car-line number is 170.

We got our Publix “1%” keychain cards and learned about Box Tops for Education, and the annual magazine drive – the same company my high school used of course, and GAG ME how I hated the magazine drive. Bleh. I wish they’d choose a different fundraiser, seriously. I’d prefer Sally Foster to magazines. Oh well. If that’s the low point, I guess that’s pretty good.

Then we went to the classroom. There were reams of copy paper and tubs of baby wipes lined up. Paper towels stacked to the ceiling! And DESKS. Each kid has been assigned a seat with a name card already taped to the top. We put crayons and glue inside the little cubby under the desk – AJ was so eager to do so, he heaved our reams of copy paper out of the bag himself. Heavy reams! His adrenaline must have been surging.

Mrs. C. tried to talk to him a little bit – she has a slightly annoying, but sort-of cute, habit of tacking “Baby” on as her nickname of choice – “Did you go swimming this summer, Baby?” (I had a 4th-grade teacher who always said, “Darlin’;” I was annoyed by that, too.) But I think she’s great and was actually hoping we’d be assigned to her classroom. AJ was visibly nervous, singing to himself and kind-of jumpy and giggly, and wouldn’t really answer her questions, but that’s okay. Who wouldn’t be nervous, right? I didn’t push him (much)... and I can just feel those butterflies in his tummy. I will all week, I’m sure.

Last night, I laid down with AJ before he went to sleep and told him how much fun I’d had with him at school. I told him I was “jumping up and down on the inside, I was so excited.” He asked me, “Are you One Hundred… Thousand… percent excited?” And I gave an emphatic, “YES. Are you?” He nodded and squirmed into his pillow.

Two days left to wait.

RIP, John Hughes

I didn't even realize one of my favorite movies of all time was a John Hughes film.

I am sure lots of bloggers from my generation will have eloquent things to say about him and his work today. This from NPR is a lovely tribute.

He shaped our thinking, really. He'll be missed.

Goodness abounds

How I wish I could write a replica of this lovely post, with our particular household details plugged in, instead of Sundry's. How! It made me teary, and made me realize again that the daily round is such a profound gift. The insignificant things – like the clink of a fork hitting its mates in the silverware drawer, the fuzzy bed-hair on a sleepy boy's head – are what make up this beautiful life.

The only thing I want to post today, after reading that, is an account of my blessings.

>> We saw a kind pediatrician on Saturday, who was funny and gentle with both coughing kids, looking into their ears "to check their brains for butterflies." I love doctors who can make kids (and parents!) unafraid. I love doctors who'll PRESCRIBE something, and not just advise me to turn on a humidifier. I love doctors who don't grumble about being there on a Saturday morning for sick visits. God bless him.

>> I went to the grocery store last night. I am so grateful for having the means to buy food for my family when so many don't have that luxury. I'd spent my lunch hour planning a week of meals that I think everyone will enjoy, and I was glad to be there late in the evening, in the quiet. I've always liked grocery shopping. I remember going with my mom when I was a teen, and I also fondly remember when DH and I could go together, before we had kids. At the register we would always see who could guess "closest to the (showcase) total without going over!" Happy memories.

>> I'm grateful for my parents. I had the thought this weekend that I should be calling them every day. I don't know if that’s true or if it would annoy them. I do instant-message and email them on days we don't talk. And sometimes I have nothing to say on the phone, even when I haven't talked to them in three days! But in this day and age with long-distance calling costs not even an issue like they were when we were kids, it just seems like the right thing to do.

>> I had a nice little spiritual 'uplift' last Friday. There's a 24-hour chapel at my church, which is also, you may remember, AJ's new school. My office closes early on Fridays, and I happened to be near the church. Something led me to go to the chapel. I don't know why I thought of it. "Just for 15 minutes," I told myself... “"to kill time until this appointment I have." (I thought of Jennifer – WWJD! What would Jennifer do? She'll be embarrassed by that, but reading her blog blessed me in that little way.) So I did. I went in and said a (scatterbrained, unfocused) prayer. Then I realized: I could go there every Friday once school starts, to wait for school to let out at 3:00. What an easy, subtle way to be a good example of faithfulness to AJ. And what a nice way for me to unwind. Connect. Pray.

Stories to tell, and New School worries

So, it appears that blogs like mine are EXACTLY what the blog-world needs to hold on to. Little stories like mine, told in my very own authentic voice, with no want for swag or ads or paid promotions, are what makes blogging great. I am so glad to hear this.

(...I AM GOING TO BE SO RICH!!!!!)

Just kidding.

But it does make me feel good that I've not had the guts wanted to take my blog to "the next level." I can't believe I spent an hour this morning reading all the comments at the BlogHer09 website, though. I don't know. Maybe a part of me does kinda dream of going there. I mean, some women who go to the conference ARE just small-time, like me. Anyway.

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What I really wanted to write about today is my number one fear right now. I'm feeling really worried that AJ isn't going to like school. I'm worried about his little feelings, his admitted nervousness about making new friends in Kindergarten. Which is so NORMAL, and I know that. But you know how it is, a Mom hates to think of her little guy being sad or afraid. Mostly, I'm worried he won't think school is fun -- that he'll feel like it's drudgery at a young age, all the way through the 12th grade, because he's been going to school so much of his young life already.

I'm worried he won't be motivated to do homework. Homework that it's CRAZY to HAVE at age five, but nonetheless, they have it now and he's going to have to DO IT. I bought him a little numbers "activity" book, as the school suggested, to work on during the summer. But every time I bring it up, he finds something else (video games) that he'd rather do instead. And I don't begrudge him the video games; they're part of his generation as no other generation before. I want him to be able to play them, actually. But when I was a kid I used to do "pretend" homework. I'd just grab any book off my Mom's shelf, open it up at an angle on my desk, and pretend to take notes from it, on a piece of paper. So I don't understand NOT wanting to do a Brand-new! Numbers! Activity! Book! (I was a nerd, yes.)

I'm worried about logistics. HOW are we going to get homework done? Will it be during his After-Care program at the school, or with me (somehow) at home... um... after dinner? I can't sacrifice his 8:00 bedtime to do homework, and I certainly can't sacrifice his bath... so like I do, I'm worrying over it. I'm sure in the end it will only be 10 minutes of homework at the most, but one never knows.

Despite my eensy hesitation, we ALSO signed him up for tee-ball. Now, I will say that on the one hand, what could be more AWESOME than little boys in baseball pants? I am excited for our first "team" experience, and we're hoping to be on a team with a little friend of his from daycare, which would be great for him. (Otherwise we would surely lose touch with that family, and the 2 boys have grown up together.) There's a requirement that the parents work the concession stand sometimes. Fun!! There will be something to do OUTDOORS every weekend. Score. The season is short, ending in October. All of that makes me giddy.

But the logistics, again, of having 2 practices a week until the games begin, and everything else that comes with a new Committment... worried.

Suppose it would be better to focus on the things I'm excited about, yes?
>> School supplies!! I was putting his name on pencil box and glue bottle last night.
>> Volunteering for lunchroom duty once a month. squee!
>> We got his textbooks -- there's a Spanish one! Yay for foreign language!
>> UNIFORMS!
>> He seems to like Harry Potter quite a bit already. (I can't wait to get to the Sorting Hat!)

Shameless attempt to WIN

They're giving away some lovely natural body scrub at Live Well Spend Well, and I get another entry for posting about it on my blog. And I get even MORE entries if YOU go over there, and leave a comment saying "el-e-e sent me."

And people, if you'd seen my feet lately, you would do this for me, as a kindness.

Sorry, TMI. But lordy, my feet in the summer are an embarrassment. All that fresh air and none of the armoured protection of socks. My worst grooming habit is to pick at that dry skin. I haven't allowed myself real pedicures in probably a year becuase, hey, you gotta save money somewhere and I'm NOT GIVING UP STARBUCKS.

Anyway, I'm sure you'd like to win, too, and if you do I will be happy for you. My feet will cry, but *I* will smile politely. Go forth and enter, and please put my name in the box!

7 Quick Takes Friday - with logo!

1. I cannot even tell you how sick I am of a particular project I'm working on at the office. It's a long "training guide," and I've never written anything like that before. Even in college I managed to graduate without ever being required to submit a paper much over 10 pages long. This one, so far, is at 18. AND IT'S BORING. My first draft is due today (Friday) and I will be so happy to kiss it goodbye.


2. After that, I am indulging. I've been invited to a single gal-pal's condo for pooltime!! I had forgotten that one of the best things about apartment/condo-living is having a pool. (Our subdivision has one, but we're too cheap to pay for membership.) Anyway, I simply can't wait. I bought a jar of fruity salsa and some chips, and we are going to lounge and swim and chit-chat and I am really looking forward to it. TODAY! In 5 hours!


3. My husband is a dear for giving me the afternoon/evening off. Love you, honey.


4. AJ starts Kindergarten in T-minus 3 weeks. Do you guys remember that just the other day, he was a teeny baby?? (Those are from the way-back machine, and MAN, have I been blogging a long time.)


5. Book Club is reading Twilight for August. Yes, we caved. Yes, we're planning to watch the movie at the meeting. I am more excited than I ought to be to finally get in on all the Edward hub bub. Meanwhile, I have started reading the first Harry Potter with AJ. I can't decide if he's really old enough, but took the plunge anyway. I know he's dying to see the first movie, but I just couldn't bear it if he didn't experience the book beforehand. We only manage to read a few pages at a time, but I think he likes it so far.


6. One of my coworkers seems to bring her kids into the office (ages 9 and 14) pretty often. I don't mind this, but I think it's odd. Have you ever done it? I mean, somewhat regularly? I know it's summer and all... maybe it's just that I've never worked with people who have that age kids before.


7. Latest TV pleasure (sorta): Extreme Logging: Ice Loggers. I don't love the show, but am somewhat intrigued. Mostly I love the cute Canadian accents. Eh? I keep thinking a lot of those dudes look much too young to be driving such heavy, dangerous machines. (I am getting so freaking old.)

go read more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary... happy weekend!

Good lunch hours

-- Walking across a Midtown street, on a 75-degree spring day, to a little park with a fountain, with your sweetie. He brings the sandwiches, you bring the chips and drinks. (Years ago, before DH was my "H.")

-- Driving home since you only work 7 miles away, patting the doggie, making a yummy sandwich or burrito, and watching a little noon-time news or BravoTV for 40 minutes. (Less often than I'd like - I somehow forget about this option.)

-- Driving home and eating, then cleaning a bathroom or vacuuming the bedrooms. (Not fun, but sometimes necessary.)

-- Going to the mall which is only 1 mile away; finding great shoes at Payless for next-to-nothing, picking up a sandwich, sniffing some stuff at Bath & Body, not to mention getting a "walk" in because you parked at the wrong mall entrance for Payless. YESSSS! (Last week.)

-- Being asked to lunch with a friendly coworker, and trying a new taco place that has patio seating. (Monday.)

-- Taking a 15 minute walk around the pond behind the office building, then going back in, heating up lunch, and reading a Philippa Gregory novel for 45 minutes while eating. (Yesterday.)


P.S. I don't include a lunchtime trip to Target in this list because 1 hour never seems long enough to peruse all the different sections of Target. Even when I have a focused objective and go there? It's never quite long enough!

Long overdue photo

The new cube-view

*forehead slap*

DH and I had a good, long talk last night about AJ. He had threatened a whiny meltdown RIGHT before he went to sleep, and MAN, are we weary from his fits.

We realized by talking about it that, DUHHHH, in daycare "summer camp," the kids don't get the 2-hour nap that they got all during Pre-K. I am such an idiot. They get "quiet time" with a movie, but OUR KID? Will do anything to stay awake during a movie. Perhaps THIS is the reason for his recent behavior. He's TIRED. (This, and the fact that his baby sister is no longer a little lump of sweetness, and is demanding extra attention and learning to throw her OWN fits, and he feels the need to compete.)

---> Mom guilt. I let him sleep an extra 10 minutes this morning.

It's tough because DH and I have always kept early-morning work schedules. When we commuted long distances, it was simply to get there on-time. Then it just became habit, and now I like being able to leave the office in the 4:00 p.m. hour. But this little revelation makes me want to reconsider our routine. Of course, Kindergarten begins at 8:00 sharp, and if he were taking the bus, it comes around at 10 minutes to seven in our neighborhood. (Get this -- the young kids' bus comes before dawn, but the middle school bus doesn't come until 8:30 or 9:00. Who planned that? Someone without little kids, that's who.) What I'm saying is, he's getting older now and the option to sleep a little later won't exist in a few weeks, anyway.

DH and I concluded, therefore, that we need to make 8:00 BEDTIME a priority. Since it's summer we've been pretty slack, letting him go 'til 8:30 or 8:45. But no more.

Did I say "idiot" already? ----> little bit of Mom guilt. Sigh.

Don't much like

One of the things I don't like about a (continuous, ongoing, lifetime for.ev.er.taking) weight loss effort is that you eventually have to become obsessed with it in order to succeed. Linda's article, and Swistle's, talk about the outward motion of obsession, where you "preach" to other people. I have definitely been there, preachy about fitness and diet when it's going well for me. I get especially preachy about yoga, which I love. Which is all probably a bummer to everyone around me who has to listen.

But this time around, it's a bummer for me as well. It's mentally draining, and lordy is it time-consuming, to constanly count calories and be mindful. I spend time working and re-working my menu in FitDay to get the right numbers of calories each day. With the stair-climbing I've decided is a fun new tactic, I find I'm thinking about it all the time -- When's my next "stair break?" Have I accumulated 20 minutes yet? Are people wondering where I am?

I also like online support; I think I've said before, I've used a message board in the past with success and made friends (one of whom still reads this blog sometimes, hi Stacy!) in the process. So today I signed back up for that, and damn if I don't want to check it obsessively to see new posts for recipes, tips, and responses to my questions. It's like another whole JOB.

I don't want to be obsessed with this. I want to be obsessed - and AM - with my kids. I am paid to be obsessed with my job. I am currently in the middle of a book series (Philippa Gregory) and obsessed with Tudor England, wanting to rent movies and watch TV shows about same. I don't really have time to add another bucket-load of time and mental energy to this, but I feel like I need to if it's going to work. I also don't want to obsess over it and make this a diet blog, which it sometimes already is and I'm sorry for my readers who are uninterested in that.

And it's just 10 little pounds! Just a little belly fat and arm jiggle! It doesn't seem to DESERVE all the stupid attention it's getting.

Two, 4, 6, 8, How do we Procrast-in-ate?

BLOG POST! BLOG POST! YAAAAAAY, BLOGS!

I'm supposed to be writing a white paper. My first. On a medicalish topic which I know very little about. Isn't that fun! Wheee! Wikipedia, here I come.

I would much rather talk about Nothing in this text box than about Something in that one. So...

-- My new cardio program is called "Running the Fire Stairs at my Office 4 Times a Day." I'm aiming for 5 minutes each time and it works out to almost that much. Currently going down and back up twice (I'm located on the 4th floor) definitely gets my heart pumping. The first time down, I'll walk back up 2-at-a-time. The second trip, I'll jog up 1-at-a-time. I never wanted to be one of THOSE people who had to workout by "taking the stairs" and "parking farther away," but hey, whatever it takes. I can't seem to motivate for a damn 20-minute session at home, so this will have to do until I get tired of it. (Or until tonight, when AJ gets his birthday present -- a Wii! Note his bedtime is at EIGHT SHARP.)

It's kinda fun, really, and clandestine and all. I just go after I get up for a bathroom break. I hate not wearing supportive shoes, but oh well. Hopefully my knees will manage.

-- KT's latest thing is wearing hats. Last night we had her all souped up in a backwards ballcap, with a string of mardi gras beads around her neck. She was all, "WHAT UP, YO?" It was cracking us up.

-- AJ's latest thing... I don't really want to talk about his latest thing. The word "bratty" has come into play. It's unpleasant.

-- KT's not all sunshine and rainbows either. I think the 16-month-stage was really tough with AJ, too, as in: CLING FEST. She wannnnnts MAAAA MAAAA. She's funny when she gets mad, too -- she goes over to our fridge and SWIPES! all the alphabet magnets harshly onto the floor. SO THERE!

-- Home life's been a little nuts, is what I'm saying. These kids are both WILD MONKEYS.

Everybody's Fourth of July

I'm loving stories of everyone's Fourths of July. The picnics, the "must-have" foods like corn-on-the-cob and watermelon, the fireworks.

For us, it was a perfect weekend. Friday afternoon, we swam at a friend's house in water that was cool and refreshing (unlike our condo's 85-degree pool from vacation week!), grilled hot dogs and chased kids around the yard.

Saturday, we relaxed with some other friends, let the kids play in their backyard where KT climbed the ladder and slid down the plastic slide with NO FEAR, and ... grilled hot dogs. And burgers. And brats. (Our must-have foods included baked beans, potato salad, and watermelon, for those of you playing along at home.)

Then we drove to a most unspectacular place, a nearby office park, where we had a most spectacular time! The kids ran around throwing a football (AJ tried really hard to throw it -- he's used to a smaller ball -- but he got in a couple of very good catches), and then they enjoyed sparklers and cupcakes while someone's iPod kept us entertained. "Jack and Diane," which I normally dislike, just sounds RIGHT on 4th of July, you know?

When the fireworks began, AJ hightailed it to the car with his Daddy -- poor little guy, the noise was too much for him -- but he still got to enjoy the amazing show. He and Daddy "COOOOOL!!!"ed and "AWESOME!"d every blast together. :) We were RIGHT underneath the display. I mean, it was directly above my eyes - I was almost worried the sparks would fall ON us. Beautiful. Loud. Smile-inducing. KT fell asleep on my chest as I sat in a lawn chair, next to neighbors and strangers, under an almost full moon.

In all my summers, this July 4th was undoubtedly one of my most contented and happy.