I just love this blog. I was re-reading posts from the "grumpy pants" category this morning, heh. Poor 4-year-old AJ. He was trouble back then, I had forgotten! That was before I complained about Kate's behavior full-time! AJ is sometimes still trouble now, though not often. When he is, it is ugly -- kicking and stomping in his upstairs bedroom. Eek. It's hard to know how to handle it; on one hand, I feel like as long as he's not destroying things, he can vent in this way.... but it sometimes SOUNDS like he's destroying things. Particularly MY NEW HOUSE. Doors, walls. On the other hand, dude, you're TEN, come on. He would feel like a real jerk if he actually did kick a hole in a wall, and he'd be so remorseful and sad, I don't know what I would do. Kid does have a big heart for wanting to please/be perfect. Once, I sent him outside to the backyard to have his temper tantrum, and he did -- rolled around on the grass and everything. I admit I snickered at him from the window inside (he didn't see me). Volatile emotions, I tell you.
Anyway, what I wanted to say was that I love having the blog to go back and remember things by -- even the grumpy days. And I miss little AJ. My 10-year-old Alex is starting to do some of that pulling away that I know bigger kids do. Not like, going out on his own with his friends, obviously, but just needing us less. There are still cuddles on the couch sometimes, and morning hugs and nighttime tuck-ins. I treasure that he's still asking me, so sweetly, to please read with him before he goes to sleep (after I put Kate to bed). He'll hand me the book in his hands and snuggle down to let me read to him for a few minutes. Last night it was Shel Silverstein. The kid gets me.
He's grown in the past year. His annual check-up is next week and I need DH to take good notes on height/weight, so we can see for sure. He's still the smallest one in the class, but there are a few kids who aren't much taller than he - he's caught up quite a bit. He's lost only 4 teeth. Kate's lost 5. He's embarrassed by that, I think, and dying for the current loose one to come out, but he won't wiggle it like we always tell him to. The adult tooth is already coming in, he says.
He eats pretty well. He eats hamburgers, tacos (ate three tacos last night, plus finished the taco meat with Scoops tortilla chips), lasagna, spaghetti, chicken of all types -- says his favorite food is chicken, which cracks me up (what about pizza?!) -- loooooooves broccoli, eats green beans and snow peas, loves chili, tuna casserole, sloppy joes... still doesn't really do seafood. Haven't tried gumbo this fall, but maybe soon. There's a cold front coming through right now and once the weather's cool.... yummy.
He got invited to enroll in the Duke University TIP program. I plan to register him this week and I hope he'll like it. There's a book club and a writing contest and those two things alone should entice him. :) He still thinks he wants to be a writer when he grows up.
We quit jiu jitsu last year, for a variety of reasons -- mostly that his interest level was at zero. He's still doing Cub Scouts but has pretty much checked out of that, too. We're not sure he'll continue to Boy Scouts and we're leaving the choice up to him. We desperately need to get him set up with piano lessons -- that is what he says he wants to try. And his trading cards. We're not worried that he'll turn into one of those Magic the Gathering kids -- they're usually smart, introspective types, after all -- just that he'll spend all his teenager free-time wearing black at comic book store back-room tournaments, like this place called The Raven's Nest. Or speaking Elvish or some such.
He's a great kid.
* * * * * * *
Lately (this is going to sound somewhat "DUH"), my mind has given me a new way to deal with not really loving my job/workplace, and that is by thinking about the goodness of my/our life as a whole, giant circle, and thinking of the work part as SUCH a small part of that. It really is. Insignificant, really, although I do give myself a pass because as the saying goes, the days are long. I still don't like the fact that a good chunk of my weekdays are spent sitting in that cubicle, but when I back out of the cube in my mind, and look at it from afar... meh. It's nothing. It's not worth my getting so "grumpy pants" all the time. I don't know why it's taken me this long to come to that realization. I expect I'll have to continue coming to it.
Tuesday, October 14
Thursday, October 9
We help because we're part of the family
I just read a post by Caroline at Some Pig and it sparked a topic that has been on my mind, but I've not written about it. Mostly because I'm always too busy whining to have anything as planned-out or well-executed as a TOPIC. Pshaw! Topics.
Anyway, the topic is chores, or in a kinder, gentler tone: Helping around the house.
There's a memory deep in my brain, about being over at a childhood friend's house (Nikki) and having to follow behind her while she dusted one Saturday morning. Her mother required that she do the dusting, and she wasn't complaining about it, just already responsible enough to do it (or... she may have been threatened enough by her parents, I'm unsure). I felt a little weird about because she didn't necessarily want me to help her, she just had to get it done before we could go ride our bikes or jump on the trampoline or whatever. We couldn't have been more than 8 or 9.
I had chores, too, like making my bed (I think) and, as I always tell Kate and Alex, pulling weeds in the yard. Weed-pulling wasn't a daily or weekly thing, though, and making the bed, setting the table.... I never really felt a working pressure to do them. It seems like we had a chore chart at some point. We didn't get allowance, and maybe that's one difference, but in general I knew I was supposed to help around the house. Cleaning up our rooms and our closets was a big one, too, as I recall.
Anyway, we're trying to instill some kind of "helping" mindset in our kids with mixed success. Alex's main chore, for allowance, is that he collects the upstairs and incidental garbage every week. This year I've added "putting away clean clothes" to Alex's list -- I just put them on his bed and he's expected to put them in the drawers neatly.
Kate's first chore was wiping off the table after dinner (she never could stick to that one). Lately it has unofficially become setting the table for dinner. She really likes helping with all the aspects of dinner prep and sometimes I'm even grateful.
They're also supposed to put their backpacks on the hooks (or at least remove them from the middle of the kitchen floor), help me when I'm bringing in groceries, clear their plates after meals, brush teeth, and get dressed... but I don't think of those as chores as much as good citizenry.
I think it's been a gentle, easy progression into doing some work around the house, and I do like that they feel they're "earning" their allowance (we're still at $2.50/week for Alex (age 10) and $1.25/week for Kate (6) -- I don't know if it's too much or too little, but for me it's about learning to earn/save/spend wisely. We still have much work to do there!). We have frequent battles about who's responsible for taking shoes/toys/junk upstairs to their own rooms, and "we all help because we're all part of this family" often needs declaring. I *think* they're getting it, overall, but sometimes attitudes and results tell me otherwise.
An idea percolating to help with the concept, that Swistle incidentally brought up just today, is to spend an hour on a weekend day with everyone cleaning together. Because let me tell you: One thing that stresses Mama out is all the cleaning that piles up during our busy weeks, that has to be done on the weekends. Like scrubbing down bathrooms, vacuuming, cleaning the kitchen counters, and dusting. Shawn almost always does the dusting and vacuuming, and I typically handle kitchens and bathrooms, but I'm thinking it's about time we SHARE THE FUN with the kids. Those are time-consuming tasks and we could get them done faster by working together. Maybe (ha)... Maybe after one good training session... I bet Alex could wield the vacuum. Kate already likes Windexing mirrors and even sweeping under the kitchen table... Maybe there would be an extra couple of dollars tacked onto their allowances for completing the whole hour. Hmmmmm.
Anyway, the topic is chores, or in a kinder, gentler tone: Helping around the house.
There's a memory deep in my brain, about being over at a childhood friend's house (Nikki) and having to follow behind her while she dusted one Saturday morning. Her mother required that she do the dusting, and she wasn't complaining about it, just already responsible enough to do it (or... she may have been threatened enough by her parents, I'm unsure). I felt a little weird about because she didn't necessarily want me to help her, she just had to get it done before we could go ride our bikes or jump on the trampoline or whatever. We couldn't have been more than 8 or 9.
I had chores, too, like making my bed (I think) and, as I always tell Kate and Alex, pulling weeds in the yard. Weed-pulling wasn't a daily or weekly thing, though, and making the bed, setting the table.... I never really felt a working pressure to do them. It seems like we had a chore chart at some point. We didn't get allowance, and maybe that's one difference, but in general I knew I was supposed to help around the house. Cleaning up our rooms and our closets was a big one, too, as I recall.
Anyway, we're trying to instill some kind of "helping" mindset in our kids with mixed success. Alex's main chore, for allowance, is that he collects the upstairs and incidental garbage every week. This year I've added "putting away clean clothes" to Alex's list -- I just put them on his bed and he's expected to put them in the drawers neatly.
Kate's first chore was wiping off the table after dinner (she never could stick to that one). Lately it has unofficially become setting the table for dinner. She really likes helping with all the aspects of dinner prep and sometimes I'm even grateful.
They're also supposed to put their backpacks on the hooks (or at least remove them from the middle of the kitchen floor), help me when I'm bringing in groceries, clear their plates after meals, brush teeth, and get dressed... but I don't think of those as chores as much as good citizenry.
I think it's been a gentle, easy progression into doing some work around the house, and I do like that they feel they're "earning" their allowance (we're still at $2.50/week for Alex (age 10) and $1.25/week for Kate (6) -- I don't know if it's too much or too little, but for me it's about learning to earn/save/spend wisely. We still have much work to do there!). We have frequent battles about who's responsible for taking shoes/toys/junk upstairs to their own rooms, and "we all help because we're all part of this family" often needs declaring. I *think* they're getting it, overall, but sometimes attitudes and results tell me otherwise.
An idea percolating to help with the concept, that Swistle incidentally brought up just today, is to spend an hour on a weekend day with everyone cleaning together. Because let me tell you: One thing that stresses Mama out is all the cleaning that piles up during our busy weeks, that has to be done on the weekends. Like scrubbing down bathrooms, vacuuming, cleaning the kitchen counters, and dusting. Shawn almost always does the dusting and vacuuming, and I typically handle kitchens and bathrooms, but I'm thinking it's about time we SHARE THE FUN with the kids. Those are time-consuming tasks and we could get them done faster by working together. Maybe (ha)... Maybe after one good training session... I bet Alex could wield the vacuum. Kate already likes Windexing mirrors and even sweeping under the kitchen table... Maybe there would be an extra couple of dollars tacked onto their allowances for completing the whole hour. Hmmmmm.
Thursday, October 2
Email Eliz. and other random things
I left a note in my work To-Do notebook last Friday afternoon: "Email Eliz." -- with the check-box-shaped bullet point I use to indicate tasks.
Monday, and still today, I have no idea who "Eliz." is, or what she needs from me in an email. I really don't. There is no Elizabeth in my immediate circle, and no one I can think of in my work circle. Mystery!
The mind is strange, I tell you, and getting older is even stranger.
* * * * *
We had a delightful weekend, with Mom and Dad arriving Friday afternoon to celebrate Mom's birthday. They are so good and generous to drive up here for us. They think it's a gift to themselves, to come see their grandkids, but it's really a gift to Shawn and me. I truly, truly wish we had more time to drive to THEIR house for regular visits, but we have to just be, and accept what is. So we can't go there as often as we would like. That is the reality, and it's okay. So I'm just grateful that in their retirement, they don't mind a weekend road trip or four, per year. :) We talked about Thanksgiving, and I think we'll go to Pensacola then, so I'm happy about that. It will be a luxurious three-and-a-half days there, something so precious and rare.
We celebrated with a new (to them) Mexican restaurant and a very lime-y guacamole on Friday night.... and crashing on the couch later.... then with a lazy, gray Saturday (well, lazy after doing a quick volunteer job at school, and excluding Shawn, who had busy Cub Scout duty).... a Cajun dinner out with Uncle Jim and loud music and so much fooooooood..... and crashing on the couch later..... and then Sunday Mass with a Mozart solo I was proud of, and happy to be able to share with my Most Importants.... and some shopping, just the girls. Shopping is fun and I don't do it often enough. We didn't even venture into any grown-up ladies' stores, only Gymboree, since Kate was determined to have a new outfit by the end of the outing. We did have fun in the Yankee Candle store, as well.
What I remember about shopping with Mom when I was Kate's age, is the grown-up stores. Mom trying on things in the fitting rooms. And then, going to the kids' sections and trying on clothes. Kate doesn't do much of that yet. I can be pretty sure that the 5s or 6s will fit her. But someday, we'll do more shopping, and do it right. And have a latte afterwards. :)
Oh, and one other milestone, we had our first meal and birthday cake in our new house's dining room. I was happy about that, and so happy that it was spacious! No squeeeeeezing around the table like we used to in our old house! Plenty of space to move out a chair, sit down, get up to grab something from the kitchen, take photos...! Dining room is christened!
* * * * *
Today (Thursday) I'm fighting a cold, ugh. How luxurious and wonderful it would be to take a sick day, and fight a cold from my bed, using my new book (Jodi Piccoult's The Storyteller) and several naps as my effective weapons. Sigh. Do people my age do that anymore, ever?
I guess DayQuil is effective, too.
Monday, and still today, I have no idea who "Eliz." is, or what she needs from me in an email. I really don't. There is no Elizabeth in my immediate circle, and no one I can think of in my work circle. Mystery!
The mind is strange, I tell you, and getting older is even stranger.
* * * * *
We had a delightful weekend, with Mom and Dad arriving Friday afternoon to celebrate Mom's birthday. They are so good and generous to drive up here for us. They think it's a gift to themselves, to come see their grandkids, but it's really a gift to Shawn and me. I truly, truly wish we had more time to drive to THEIR house for regular visits, but we have to just be, and accept what is. So we can't go there as often as we would like. That is the reality, and it's okay. So I'm just grateful that in their retirement, they don't mind a weekend road trip or four, per year. :) We talked about Thanksgiving, and I think we'll go to Pensacola then, so I'm happy about that. It will be a luxurious three-and-a-half days there, something so precious and rare.
We celebrated with a new (to them) Mexican restaurant and a very lime-y guacamole on Friday night.... and crashing on the couch later.... then with a lazy, gray Saturday (well, lazy after doing a quick volunteer job at school, and excluding Shawn, who had busy Cub Scout duty).... a Cajun dinner out with Uncle Jim and loud music and so much fooooooood..... and crashing on the couch later..... and then Sunday Mass with a Mozart solo I was proud of, and happy to be able to share with my Most Importants.... and some shopping, just the girls. Shopping is fun and I don't do it often enough. We didn't even venture into any grown-up ladies' stores, only Gymboree, since Kate was determined to have a new outfit by the end of the outing. We did have fun in the Yankee Candle store, as well.
What I remember about shopping with Mom when I was Kate's age, is the grown-up stores. Mom trying on things in the fitting rooms. And then, going to the kids' sections and trying on clothes. Kate doesn't do much of that yet. I can be pretty sure that the 5s or 6s will fit her. But someday, we'll do more shopping, and do it right. And have a latte afterwards. :)
Oh, and one other milestone, we had our first meal and birthday cake in our new house's dining room. I was happy about that, and so happy that it was spacious! No squeeeeeezing around the table like we used to in our old house! Plenty of space to move out a chair, sit down, get up to grab something from the kitchen, take photos...! Dining room is christened!
* * * * *
Today (Thursday) I'm fighting a cold, ugh. How luxurious and wonderful it would be to take a sick day, and fight a cold from my bed, using my new book (Jodi Piccoult's The Storyteller) and several naps as my effective weapons. Sigh. Do people my age do that anymore, ever?
I guess DayQuil is effective, too.
Tuesday, September 16
Learning from others
Last Wednesday, we learned that very unexpectedly, a child in our Scout Pack was having brain surgery. Just like that. Headaches, MRI, brain surgery. I was a bit of a mess that day. (I'd already been reading/watching some of the 9/11 memorial stuff, then this hit my inbox.) I don't know the child very well at all, and I barely know the parents, but we know them. They're in our circle, we know each others' names and kids' names. I know they're good people. And the thought of what they were going through that day... a 6-hour surgery... a neurosurgeon, of all things... it stopped my breath several times while I was trying to work and be a good employee.
The surgery went well and they'll probably be released today. They haven't gotten pathology results on the golf-ball-sized tumor (!) that was removed from his cerebellum, or at least they haven't shared those results on caringbridge.org yet. But I am praying for them constantly. Thinking of them. Give them strength. Help them get through today. What a life-changing week they've had. Every time I pictured it last week, my mind managed to put me in that hospital waiting room, because What if? And thank God, no, but what IF. Frightens and saddens me to the core.
So there's been a bit of perspective around here lately. Another friend, I learned, has become a grandmother. I knew her 21-year-old daughter was pregnant but didn't realize baby had been born. And evidently there is enough friction that my friend has told the daughter she won't help, that the baby would be better off if she gave it up for adoption. I'm floored by this. That is an awful lot of pain, to be able to say that. I think about the girl, postpartum without help from her Mom. Whom does she ask when she has questions about how warm to make the bottle? If it's okay if the baby sleeps with her? If it's okay to not shower for a day or two? I'm considering trying to find out her phone number and just offer something. This is a girl that babysat Alex a couple of times when she was in high school. I thought she was very sweet. But there was rebellion, and trouble. Her mother never gave her a chance; wrote her off the minute she began misbehaving. (The baby's father has left, I think.) I don't understand and can't fathom.
And I read a book about a guy from my high school who was paralyzed at age 19, and has been wheelchair-bound ever since.
Sorry to be a downer. Everything is fine. I've been gifted with some real examples of, If these are my problems, my problems are nothing.
Wednesday, September 10
Grateful and lighter
First week of [whisper] Weight Watchers was a success; weigh-in was this morning. Well, done, Me! I resisted the cheese dip that is in my fridge (bought the week before I decided to do this). I resisted the Dove dark chocolate squares in my desk drawer at work. I had peanut butter on toast when I was hungry one night, instead of something stupid yummy mindless. It is indeed possible to succeed on a diet, you just have to eat less. Imagine that. I don't know, I feel good but also kinda dumb for not being able to realize this every other time before. Money talks, I guess.
Our weekend was nice, except for a bummer of a restaurant pick Friday night. We're still experimenting with our new location, you know? Bad news is, we haven't found anything amazing except the brunch place. This was a bar-type place. I had a salmon salad, supremely boring. I wanted wings with blue cheese. I did have one of Shawn's wings, and in fact it was too salty, hence the thumbs-down review. Does anyone care about this paragraph? No.
We went to Mass on Sunday morning -- my choir's first Mass of the school year. When I arrived, I stopped at the "time and talent" tables to say hi to a friend, then inside, I ran into my high school buddy, Alex, who lives in town and, lo and behold, attends our church. His last name and mine were right next to each other on all the rosters, so we frequently had lockers and homerooms together, all those years ago. What fun to see him. While talking to him, three different people came up behind me and wanted to say hi or share a hug. I felt FULL with friendship - just the way it's supposed to be. I love that. And then, after a dismal pre-game rehearsal that convinced me we were going to sing a whole step flat all morning, we pulled off an a cappella anthem, and ended it PERFECTLY in tune, in the right key. Amazing.
After that it was football-watching time, and a nail-biter for the Falcons! I mostly sat and enjoyed the game and my Diet Pepsi. Only had to attend to Kate once, really -- she and Alex played and watched Scooby Doo in the other room, occupied with other kids. Bliss! This coming Sunday the family who hosted is coming to our house -- our first non-family, actual party-attending guests! I'm making chili. I'm debating letting Kate have a girly friend over at the same time, since the football friends only have two teenage boys.
What more can we ask for? A relaxing weekend, time with friends and family, love of God displayed ...? Nothing! Well, maybe just a delicious place to eat dinner. ;)
Our weekend was nice, except for a bummer of a restaurant pick Friday night. We're still experimenting with our new location, you know? Bad news is, we haven't found anything amazing except the brunch place. This was a bar-type place. I had a salmon salad, supremely boring. I wanted wings with blue cheese. I did have one of Shawn's wings, and in fact it was too salty, hence the thumbs-down review. Does anyone care about this paragraph? No.
We went to Mass on Sunday morning -- my choir's first Mass of the school year. When I arrived, I stopped at the "time and talent" tables to say hi to a friend, then inside, I ran into my high school buddy, Alex, who lives in town and, lo and behold, attends our church. His last name and mine were right next to each other on all the rosters, so we frequently had lockers and homerooms together, all those years ago. What fun to see him. While talking to him, three different people came up behind me and wanted to say hi or share a hug. I felt FULL with friendship - just the way it's supposed to be. I love that. And then, after a dismal pre-game rehearsal that convinced me we were going to sing a whole step flat all morning, we pulled off an a cappella anthem, and ended it PERFECTLY in tune, in the right key. Amazing.
After that it was football-watching time, and a nail-biter for the Falcons! I mostly sat and enjoyed the game and my Diet Pepsi. Only had to attend to Kate once, really -- she and Alex played and watched Scooby Doo in the other room, occupied with other kids. Bliss! This coming Sunday the family who hosted is coming to our house -- our first non-family, actual party-attending guests! I'm making chili. I'm debating letting Kate have a girly friend over at the same time, since the football friends only have two teenage boys.
What more can we ask for? A relaxing weekend, time with friends and family, love of God displayed ...? Nothing! Well, maybe just a delicious place to eat dinner. ;)
Wednesday, September 3
September begins
It is no longer August, and this is a very good thing. August is my bugaboo.
Deep in the heat of the southern summer, it drains all my energy. Or
rather, seems to tamp it down into the very core of me, so that I feel
suffocated and bothered by many things, like work and food and bad habits,
and unable to think of anything else.
So, I'm relieved and happy for September 1. And I have new things to enjoy:
So, I'm relieved and happy for September 1. And I have new things to enjoy:
- A new iPhone! I upgraded to the lowly 5S, which shall be obsolete and so-last-year by next week, when the 6 is released. I'm sure Shawn cringed to watch me NOT buy the 6, but my 4S was being a fuddy-duddy and wanted to be relieved of its daily duties. My new phone is shiny and white and that's one (really dumb) weight lifted off me. I can trust that I can download all the apps now that I have iOS7.
- A new person at work. I've only met her twice via Skype (she sits in the UK), and she was very deer-in-the-headlights (welcome to A****na!), but maybe with this addition to my team, some of the 9-5 drama will be relieved. I'm hopeful.
- A paid-for membership to Weight Watchers online. Sigh. It's time to put some money where my mouth is, and what an excellent metaphor that is. $56 for 3 months of mouth discipline, and I've already told a real-life friend so she and I can be buddies and keep each other accountable. On my own, I can buy all the right foods and TELL myself I'm going to eat them, in the right portions, but then we order pizza and 2 (okay, 3) slices later, I'm stupid-full again and I might as well eat ice cream with the kids, too. I'm looking at this with "when I was 40, I got healthy" eyes. Forty is a good reason. The first 5-pound loss is going to be rewarded with a new pair of shoes. I wouldn't say I'm excited about it, new shiny apps notwithstanding. It's a pain to track everything. But success will feel sweet and I can manage a little discomfort. I like most vegetables, after all. I can be mindful and not just eat whatever. I can give up the 13th through the 50th tortilla chips, and just have 12 instead.
Thursday, August 28
Simple.
Last night while eating dinner and with both kids happy (parents too), Shawn asked Kate, "What can we do, to make morning-time easier for you?" I followed up with, "Yeah, what might be some suggestions for how to be happier while we get dressed and ready for school?"
She only had to think for a second, then said, "Maybe set my alarm? And play a CD?"
Simple.
It worked.
She only had to think for a second, then said, "Maybe set my alarm? And play a CD?"
Simple.
It worked.
Tuesday, August 26
Living without intention?
[Monday] Sunday nights and Monday mornings make me feel like I'm not living intentionally. I read wayyyyy too much about goal-setting and productivity, and "living with intention," so my emotions are likely skewed, but when another weekend goes by and I haven't made the time to 1) Refresh my dang LinkedIn profile slash resume, and maybe even peek in on Monster.com just to see what's out there, or 2) done this or that change of address form (still), or 3) gone for a long walk/workout ... it makes me feel like I'm Doing It Wrong. But I was DOING THINGS, ALL WEEKEND, I promise. The kids' furniture got delivered (all but one piece, a mistake on the order, grrr...), and we rearranged all their stuff to accommodate it. That was most of the day Saturday, and then Sunday afternoon, too. We're really starting to finish, I think, getting moved in. :) Heh. Starting to finish. It's a long process, isn't it? I need to wash and possibly iron the dust ruffle that will now go on the guest room bed (we have a bed! in a guest room!) and then we can start arranging in there. So yes. Almost finished.
But back to the doing: We scheduled and executed playdates/sleepovers for both kids, again, and drove them there and back and around town. They can't say they didn't get to do anything fun all weekend (although Kate tried to, when she finally came home after 2 nights away - she was obviously extra-tired)...
We did lots of laundry, Shawn mowed the front and back, I went to the grocery store and Target, we went out to dinner Saturday night, and I even cooked something in the crock-pot for later this week.
We do so much.
But this whole living with intention thing is hard. Most days we just live to get through. Especially Mondays. We wake up unwillingly, we do what we have to do, we try to be present when we're parenting, and we crash by about 9:00 pm with no energy left. I know this is normal. I'm grateful for the normalcy, and for the goodness of a normal existence and a love-filled family. Is it social media/bloggers/vocal-and-optimistic-life-coaches that make us feel like we need to exist in some other, better way? Because they're sure vocal. And Visible. Online, I mean. It's everywhere. "You Could Be Happier."
[Tuesday] Last week I re-started the flextime plan, and I'm not sure it's going to work out. Our new house is further away from work, so if I don't leave by 6:10 (really difficult when you have a daughter whose circadian rhythms don't accommodate anything before 6:15), I'm not going to make it to the office before :45. And :45 means I'm already 15 minutes in the red for the day, when I already leave in the afternoon 15 minutes before when I should, just to hit the carpool line in time. (You: this is getting complicated/boring.) I don't take a lunch on those days, simply for the APPEARANCE of working harder -- even though I could, technically, still take a 30-minute lunch and have worked 8 full hours.
And you know what? I am SO OVER THIS. I am weary of being defensive about my time and counting minutes. I'm tired of feeling like the work that I DO GET DONE (all of it, every deadline met) isn't enough.
Here's my intention, and "by prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving," I'm "presenting my request to God:"* I want to reduce my hours to part-time. 35 hours would be 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. Maybe 3:30 pm one day a week, to take a lunch-hour. No guilt. The difference in pay would, I believe, be manageable. It's scary to contemplate this when we've just bought a new house, and furniture. But, quality of life. I really want us to consider it without fear or resentment. I CAN CLIP COUPONS.
*Phil. 4:6-7
Putting this here to bookmark it: http://www.workoptions.com/part-time-proposal
But back to the doing: We scheduled and executed playdates/sleepovers for both kids, again, and drove them there and back and around town. They can't say they didn't get to do anything fun all weekend (although Kate tried to, when she finally came home after 2 nights away - she was obviously extra-tired)...
We did lots of laundry, Shawn mowed the front and back, I went to the grocery store and Target, we went out to dinner Saturday night, and I even cooked something in the crock-pot for later this week.
We do so much.
But this whole living with intention thing is hard. Most days we just live to get through. Especially Mondays. We wake up unwillingly, we do what we have to do, we try to be present when we're parenting, and we crash by about 9:00 pm with no energy left. I know this is normal. I'm grateful for the normalcy, and for the goodness of a normal existence and a love-filled family. Is it social media/bloggers/vocal-and-optimistic-life-coaches that make us feel like we need to exist in some other, better way? Because they're sure vocal. And Visible. Online, I mean. It's everywhere. "You Could Be Happier."
[Tuesday] Last week I re-started the flextime plan, and I'm not sure it's going to work out. Our new house is further away from work, so if I don't leave by 6:10 (really difficult when you have a daughter whose circadian rhythms don't accommodate anything before 6:15), I'm not going to make it to the office before :45. And :45 means I'm already 15 minutes in the red for the day, when I already leave in the afternoon 15 minutes before when I should, just to hit the carpool line in time. (You: this is getting complicated/boring.) I don't take a lunch on those days, simply for the APPEARANCE of working harder -- even though I could, technically, still take a 30-minute lunch and have worked 8 full hours.
And you know what? I am SO OVER THIS. I am weary of being defensive about my time and counting minutes. I'm tired of feeling like the work that I DO GET DONE (all of it, every deadline met) isn't enough.
Here's my intention, and "by prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving," I'm "presenting my request to God:"* I want to reduce my hours to part-time. 35 hours would be 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. Maybe 3:30 pm one day a week, to take a lunch-hour. No guilt. The difference in pay would, I believe, be manageable. It's scary to contemplate this when we've just bought a new house, and furniture. But, quality of life. I really want us to consider it without fear or resentment. I CAN CLIP COUPONS.
*Phil. 4:6-7
Putting this here to bookmark it: http://www.workoptions.com/part-time-proposal
Monday, August 18
Weekend Gratitude Again
- A lovely, kid-free dinner out, on a patio (lemon-ricotta ravioli WHAAAAT?? Luscious.)
- Playdates and happy children
- More Furniture!
In the category of very first-world stuff, our kids' rooms are about to get an upgrade. When we moved, We boxed things up and didn't actually know how/where to put things at the new place, feeling we'd want to rearrange as soon as we could get them new furniture. With one more bedroom to furnish, we knew we'd have to shuffle beds around at some point.
Sunday, we went back to Rooms to Go. I guess the naysayers and Pinteresty pinners and interior decorators would tell you RTG isn't good quality, but I'm here to tell you I had my old RTG living room set for 17 years and it was still in pretty good shape -- good enough to give to some college kids for their apartment. Anyway, RTG and me, we're buds. We bought the kids each a full-size bed, and headboards and footboards and trundles, oh my! The headboards match; Kate got white, Alex got black (to match his black dresser). The headboards have storage cubbies and a shelf above, plus a "hidden" bookcase going down the side. I'm so excited about that hidden bookcase. Kate got a dresser/mirror for her room, as a little girl should have, and Alex got a DESK, since he's nearing middle school and real, for-true STUDYING, and then high school OMG.
And after the stuff is delivered, we can DECORATE.
Little by little, we've been decorating around the house, putting things on walls. I'm almost ready to share pictures and start having people over. Eeeee!
----
The weekend helps things look brighter, and I'm more calm, even about the dumb job, today. (THANK YOU for your comments.) Even though it's a Monday. I was proactive and scheduled a lunch with my mom-friends for Friday. I'm hoping to make that a regular thing. It was scary to ask (I don't know why), but apparently they like me, and they immediately said 'yes.' I can't wait for Friday.
The kids were less horrible this weekend, hooray for school being in session! Maybe it helped that they were each with friends for sleepovers/playdates, and then we got a babysitter Saturday night. Heh. I guess it's possible they weren't that good, but at least Shawn and I didn't have to deal with it! No, I'm kidding. Alex also got injured on Saturday -- his back. He slipped at the foot of the stairs, and landed on his back, and it really scared him badly because it knocked the wind out of him. He stayed pretty quiet and moved slowly. I think he's fine now.
A friend from several years ago died in a tragic accident last Friday (Sherry, it was Cary Scales). She was 40, and has two little boys. I'm having guilty thoughts for all of my complaining last week, after learning this news last night. A lesson, a warning, a wish, to be a better human every single day, because who knows.
Wednesday, August 13
This week in my brain
Things feel a little out of control. We're back to school, the first full week, and they're throwing us all the way in, right away. There were/are parent-teacher meetings Tuesday and Thursday nights, plus the Cub Scouts kick-off tonight, and already there's homework and lunches to make every day, since Fun Food doesn't start until next week. I dread those long, every-day lunchbox weeks.
Alex is handling it pretty well so far. He's excited to have color-coded his schedule and his 5th-grade binder. He has a lot of work to do to learn "responsible" and "organized," but he's beginning the work. He wants to be successful.
And not to compare the two kids, who are obviously at different stages of independence and development, but Kate is handling it... less well. Six is difficult. Kate is six. I worry she isn't getting enough sleep. She still requires me to sit with her while she takes a bath, falls asleep, and this morning she wanted me to sit with her while she got dressed. (I've read that this is pretty normal for her age, but it's tiring.) This morning. This morning was difficult. She's been doing better with waking, but not today. I hate the morning rush. I hate that I feel such a need to be punctual to my job. I should not care. (On the other hand, this is how the world works. Punctuality is a good trait to have and teach.) However, maybe I should help her as much as she needs, and THEN get myself ready to go. That might have to be this year's adjustment. But then there's the need to teach them independence, too. How to do that, while being helpful and secure for them at the same time? I just don't know. Everything is one huge contradiction, and kind-of on repeat.
Wait, I can't let Alex totally off the hook, because over the weekend HIS behavior had us absolutely baffled, too. He gets bored, I guess, or frustrated, and he flails around, unable to control his movements. I'm serious. And if Kate pisses him off, watch out. He'll go right up to her and punch... the couch cushion, an inch away from her leg or something. Repeatedly. Or he'll just walk around SIGHING. Or, he gets self-deprecating in the extreme. If he's gotten in trouble for pushing his sister earlier in the day, then the next time we look at him with a raised eyebrow it's, "I mess up EVERYTHING" and "I should just go in my room for the rest of the WEEKEND. That's what I'll do, I deserve to."
I realized something yesterday: I'm feeling very untethered at work right now, and that's adding to the stress at home. Aside from the drama, there's also some transition going on and it's left me on my own to handle things. My former mgr. is no longer my mgr. We no longer have our weekly meetings where she used to keep me in the loop on the politics. Meanwhile, I see her having weekly meetings with other, less senior coworkers. My next/subsequent mgr. is also now "former," and her successor is only contract/part-time. My European counterpart has left the company, and her temporary replacement was just on a European (read: 3-week) vacation. And on and on.
So yeah. I feel like I don't have any insight, or anyone leading me. I realized I'm a doer, not a leader. Which is fine and good. The world needs doers. But I've started wishing I'd be "reorg'd" out. I could deal with some severance pay for a month or two, that wouldn't be so bad. This thought seems... unhealthy.
I mean, overall everything is fine, great. I read this, after all. I know to be grateful. But also, there's been a full moon, have you seen it?
Alex is handling it pretty well so far. He's excited to have color-coded his schedule and his 5th-grade binder. He has a lot of work to do to learn "responsible" and "organized," but he's beginning the work. He wants to be successful.
And not to compare the two kids, who are obviously at different stages of independence and development, but Kate is handling it... less well. Six is difficult. Kate is six. I worry she isn't getting enough sleep. She still requires me to sit with her while she takes a bath, falls asleep, and this morning she wanted me to sit with her while she got dressed. (I've read that this is pretty normal for her age, but it's tiring.) This morning. This morning was difficult. She's been doing better with waking, but not today. I hate the morning rush. I hate that I feel such a need to be punctual to my job. I should not care. (On the other hand, this is how the world works. Punctuality is a good trait to have and teach.) However, maybe I should help her as much as she needs, and THEN get myself ready to go. That might have to be this year's adjustment. But then there's the need to teach them independence, too. How to do that, while being helpful and secure for them at the same time? I just don't know. Everything is one huge contradiction, and kind-of on repeat.
Wait, I can't let Alex totally off the hook, because over the weekend HIS behavior had us absolutely baffled, too. He gets bored, I guess, or frustrated, and he flails around, unable to control his movements. I'm serious. And if Kate pisses him off, watch out. He'll go right up to her and punch... the couch cushion, an inch away from her leg or something. Repeatedly. Or he'll just walk around SIGHING. Or, he gets self-deprecating in the extreme. If he's gotten in trouble for pushing his sister earlier in the day, then the next time we look at him with a raised eyebrow it's, "I mess up EVERYTHING" and "I should just go in my room for the rest of the WEEKEND. That's what I'll do, I deserve to."
I realized something yesterday: I'm feeling very untethered at work right now, and that's adding to the stress at home. Aside from the drama, there's also some transition going on and it's left me on my own to handle things. My former mgr. is no longer my mgr. We no longer have our weekly meetings where she used to keep me in the loop on the politics. Meanwhile, I see her having weekly meetings with other, less senior coworkers. My next/subsequent mgr. is also now "former," and her successor is only contract/part-time. My European counterpart has left the company, and her temporary replacement was just on a European (read: 3-week) vacation. And on and on.
So yeah. I feel like I don't have any insight, or anyone leading me. I realized I'm a doer, not a leader. Which is fine and good. The world needs doers. But I've started wishing I'd be "reorg'd" out. I could deal with some severance pay for a month or two, that wouldn't be so bad. This thought seems... unhealthy.
I mean, overall everything is fine, great. I read this, after all. I know to be grateful. But also, there's been a full moon, have you seen it?
Wednesday, August 6
Atmosphere
I actually feel fine, myself, but everyone in my department is moody today, and it has totally rubbed off and made me feel anxious, depressed, a little sick to my stomach and like I just want to get out of here or curl up under my desk until it all goes away. There are big changes afoot at The Company Of Constant Drama -- new people in upper management started work yesterday, and a couple of people left -- and my friend/neighbor has been cursing under her breath all day about something else that is going to cause a lot of stress in our production schedule. Then M, my manager, went into friend/neighbor's office, shut the door, and I could tell they were both griping and having some tearful moments. I don't have a clue what most of it is about, but I do know my Mgr. has been doing some kind of life/career assessment course. I bet she's fed up. I bet she might leave because she doesn't feel respected as a person.
Hm., I want to say to her, and point to the email she sent me last week. HMMM. Isn't that interesting.
I know what I SHOULD feel is sympathy. I do... but I do not.
Hmm.
Did I mention I want to run away for today? It feels weird in here.
Hm., I want to say to her, and point to the email she sent me last week. HMMM. Isn't that interesting.
I know what I SHOULD feel is sympathy. I do... but I do not.
Hmm.
Did I mention I want to run away for today? It feels weird in here.
Monday, August 4
Good stuff from this weekend
So much to report. :)
The rest is being delivered next Saturday. Now that we have all the furniture in mind, I think we're ready to start decorating. So yesterday, I unwrapped photos and candles and artwork and wandered around the house, trying to find the best spots for them. Maybe tonight some nails will go into some walls!
This was a weekend of spending TIME at home -- we had no commitments to birthday parties in the middle of the day, no long afternoons at any swimming pool, and I was in the house during times of the day I'm not normally there. I could see how the light from the big window hits this wall and that wall, and it was so nice. I still just love this house, and it's really coming together to be the house I have always wanted.
Let's not talk too much about how much the kids are fighting with one another lately, or how many times they were sent to their respective bedrooms (or how many times one of them refused to go)... let's just chalk it up to We Really Need School to Start Back, Now, and be grateful that happens on Thursday this week. Yes, let's.
- First of all, Friday at lunchtime, Shawn and I went to the furniture store and spent other people's money! Well, I mean, opened a credit card. :) We got a new sectional for the family room/den, and end tables and an ottoman to go with it. Gone are the days of not having enough seating space, and not having a surface on which to put our drinks! Yippie! That evening, Shawn went by the showroom to pick up one additional piece I bought, on a whim, the floor/display model. Totally on-sale. It's a beautiful cabinet. It's in our foyer right now, and might stay there or might move to the dining room, but I LOVE IT.
 |
| Don't you love it? |
This was a weekend of spending TIME at home -- we had no commitments to birthday parties in the middle of the day, no long afternoons at any swimming pool, and I was in the house during times of the day I'm not normally there. I could see how the light from the big window hits this wall and that wall, and it was so nice. I still just love this house, and it's really coming together to be the house I have always wanted.
- Shawn bought, and the kids and I planted, some flowers (thanks, honey!). My first attempt at flowers went awry -- I had bought some lovely hanging baskets, but they died (even though I watered them! I promise!) within 7 days. Sad panda. So let's hope this second effort works out better.
- I finished the whole-house-cleaning that Shawn had started during the week. Now everything has been dusted, vacuumed, mopped or otherwise cleaned (bathrooms), and boy, did it need it. And wow, does that feel great.
- I baked banana bread. Always a satisfying venture.
- We saw a family that we like at Mass, who've now joined our parish. Their kids attend the school, but they were members elsewhere; now they're registered where they belong. I smile every time I see them. File this in the "appreciating friends" category.
- We got the last of the school supplies -- all-white PE shoes for Kate (hard to find) -- and spent a morning shoe shopping in the process. Kate was being a quintessential GIRL, oohing and ahhing over all the pretties at Payless. It was adorable. (Yes, I did also buy her that pair of gold flats, because how could I not??)
- Kate helped me make fish last night, and then both kids cleaned their plates! A miracle!
Let's not talk too much about how much the kids are fighting with one another lately, or how many times they were sent to their respective bedrooms (or how many times one of them refused to go)... let's just chalk it up to We Really Need School to Start Back, Now, and be grateful that happens on Thursday this week. Yes, let's.
Friday, August 1
Whiner
Last night Kate and Alex laughed at a TV show because there was a whiny kid on the screen, whining. They snorted. "Hey, Alex, that sounds just like Alonso at camp, doesn't it?"
I wanted SO BADLY to say, "Uh, it sounds like YOU at home!" But I refrained. I asked her why did it remind her of Alonso? "Oh, he's always whining, 'I don't wannnnnnt that.' or 'But I want to play outsiiiiiiiiiide...'"
She didn't see any comparison to herself at all, which, I guess, is fine. But I'm slightly gratified to know that at least she can recognize whining as NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO BEHAVE (particularly at a school or camp setting). I mean, I knew this, I trust that she behaves at school and camp. But sometimes at home, she really makes me wonder what lies there, deep down in her understanding.
WHEW.
I wanted SO BADLY to say, "Uh, it sounds like YOU at home!" But I refrained. I asked her why did it remind her of Alonso? "Oh, he's always whining, 'I don't wannnnnnt that.' or 'But I want to play outsiiiiiiiiiide...'"
She didn't see any comparison to herself at all, which, I guess, is fine. But I'm slightly gratified to know that at least she can recognize whining as NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO BEHAVE (particularly at a school or camp setting). I mean, I knew this, I trust that she behaves at school and camp. But sometimes at home, she really makes me wonder what lies there, deep down in her understanding.
WHEW.
Wednesday, July 30
Around 6:30 pm....
Dinners this week. Just because.
Monday: Spaghetti with meat sauce (and frozen meatballs for the kids). Kate still likes her noodles sauce-free, so I put a little garlic salt and butter/olive oil on them. Garlic breadsticks (frozen). Convenience, Amen.
Tuesday: On the menu was flank steak, but I had forgotten to take it out of the freezer, so we had (frozen) chicken patty sandwiches instead, on hamburger buns. Potato chips (Cheddar/Sour Cream flavor is a family favorite) and fruit salad on the side.
Wednesday: I was planning to do the steak, but just realized that once again, I left it in the dang freezer this morning. So I guess that will have to be Thursday's meal. Tonight I suppose we'll do chicken fajitas (if I have enough tortillas, which is not certain) and chips and dip (fresh salsa and guacamole). Something to look forward to!
Thursday: Flank steak! Am putting a reminder in my phone right now to take it out as soon as I get home. I want to sautee mushrooms to go with it, and will include a green veggie as well, and crescent rolls. Maybe Uncle Ben's.
Friday: The plan is for crackers/cheese and fruit. One member of the family doesn't care for that dinner so we'll see. There's always eating out, or breakfast for dinner, or Ramen (I've started buying it because Kate loves it.)
Monday: Spaghetti with meat sauce (and frozen meatballs for the kids). Kate still likes her noodles sauce-free, so I put a little garlic salt and butter/olive oil on them. Garlic breadsticks (frozen). Convenience, Amen.
Tuesday: On the menu was flank steak, but I had forgotten to take it out of the freezer, so we had (frozen) chicken patty sandwiches instead, on hamburger buns. Potato chips (Cheddar/Sour Cream flavor is a family favorite) and fruit salad on the side.
Wednesday: I was planning to do the steak, but just realized that once again, I left it in the dang freezer this morning. So I guess that will have to be Thursday's meal. Tonight I suppose we'll do chicken fajitas (if I have enough tortillas, which is not certain) and chips and dip (fresh salsa and guacamole). Something to look forward to!
Thursday: Flank steak! Am putting a reminder in my phone right now to take it out as soon as I get home. I want to sautee mushrooms to go with it, and will include a green veggie as well, and crescent rolls. Maybe Uncle Ben's.
Friday: The plan is for crackers/cheese and fruit. One member of the family doesn't care for that dinner so we'll see. There's always eating out, or breakfast for dinner, or Ramen (I've started buying it because Kate loves it.)
Tuesday, July 29
Flexible, but not really
Here's something that happened today via email.
--
Hi Lee,
See my comments in ital. below.
--
Hi, M,
Next week is the kids’ first week back at school, starting on Thursday. The daycare camps will have all closed because Cobb County starts on Monday. I do have babysitters lined up, but might need a little extra time in the mornings for them to arrive and get settled, etc.
I also have to take the kids myself to their “Meet the Teachers” time on Tuesday, in the morning. Here’s the basic breakdown of how I hope my schedule will work, if OK with you.
Monday – in the office by 9:30 (will check email at home) – what time will you be in the office until on Monday and Wednesday?
Tuesday – Work from Home – in general I don’t have a problem with you working from home, but please make sure that if you aren’t able to work a full 8 hours you ask for an adjustment from HR for both Tuesday and Friday
Wednesday – in the office by 9:30 (will check email at home)
Thursday – normal day, 7:30-4:30
Friday – work from home PM (it’s a noon school dismissal)
The following week I’ll plan to restart my 6:30 – 3:30 days twice a week. Which days are your 6:30 – 3:30 days?
------------------------
just... I mean, I try so damn hard to make this all work. I have a friend keeping the kids Monday at her house, a cousin coming over to babysit on Wednesday, Shawn's taking a furlough day Thursday to cover that day... what else can I do? And why do they bother giving me a laptop and VPN access if they're so concerned I'm not going to do "a full 8 hours" of work? (I log my hours every single time I work from home. Just for ME -- they've never required it but I could show them the scratch marks in my notebooks where I COUNT THE MINUTES. Goddammit.)
--
Hi Lee,
See my comments in ital. below.
--
Hi, M,
Next week is the kids’ first week back at school, starting on Thursday. The daycare camps will have all closed because Cobb County starts on Monday. I do have babysitters lined up, but might need a little extra time in the mornings for them to arrive and get settled, etc.
I also have to take the kids myself to their “Meet the Teachers” time on Tuesday, in the morning. Here’s the basic breakdown of how I hope my schedule will work, if OK with you.
Monday – in the office by 9:30 (will check email at home) – what time will you be in the office until on Monday and Wednesday?
Tuesday – Work from Home – in general I don’t have a problem with you working from home, but please make sure that if you aren’t able to work a full 8 hours you ask for an adjustment from HR for both Tuesday and Friday
Wednesday – in the office by 9:30 (will check email at home)
Thursday – normal day, 7:30-4:30
Friday – work from home PM (it’s a noon school dismissal)
The following week I’ll plan to restart my 6:30 – 3:30 days twice a week. Which days are your 6:30 – 3:30 days?
------------------------
just... I mean, I try so damn hard to make this all work. I have a friend keeping the kids Monday at her house, a cousin coming over to babysit on Wednesday, Shawn's taking a furlough day Thursday to cover that day... what else can I do? And why do they bother giving me a laptop and VPN access if they're so concerned I'm not going to do "a full 8 hours" of work? (I log my hours every single time I work from home. Just for ME -- they've never required it but I could show them the scratch marks in my notebooks where I COUNT THE MINUTES. Goddammit.)
Friday, July 25
Late summer blues
This is the time of year when I get sad about working full-time, at a desk job.
I think it's two things:
It's the monotony of my job during this time of year -- go to office, sit in cubicle, do work on the computer until 4:30 pm, rinse and repeat tomorrow.
And it's the scramble after daycare camp has closed for "fall," since our parochical school can't just follow the county school schedule exactly. (Daycare follows the county, and they start school earlier than we do by 3 days.) I always think, "If only I [worked freelance/didn't work/worked part-time], this wouldn't be a problem." So now we have to figure out what to do with the kids for Aug 4, 5 and 6, and the one family I can usually count on to keep them one day, who have a boy and a girl both, are going to be out of town this year. Care.com, I guess? Sigh.
Plus, I suspect that at this point in the summer, the kids do start to notice the monotony of going to 'camp' in the first place. I guess if they stayed home for the summers, they'd be SO BORED, too. Kids get anxious and ready to go back to school -- I definitely remember that. Mine were lucky this year; June was packed, and they were out of town most of that month. So July hasn't been AS monotonous as it could have been. But still.
ANYWAY, it's Friday, and hopefully I can be very productive today, and very productive this weekend, and feel better soon. I don't like being 'grumpy pants' (or sad pants) but I kinda have been. Bleh.
P.S. Another TWO successful bedtimes under Kate's belt. I think my plan is working, muah-ha-ha.
I think it's two things:
It's the monotony of my job during this time of year -- go to office, sit in cubicle, do work on the computer until 4:30 pm, rinse and repeat tomorrow.
And it's the scramble after daycare camp has closed for "fall," since our parochical school can't just follow the county school schedule exactly. (Daycare follows the county, and they start school earlier than we do by 3 days.) I always think, "If only I [worked freelance/didn't work/worked part-time], this wouldn't be a problem." So now we have to figure out what to do with the kids for Aug 4, 5 and 6, and the one family I can usually count on to keep them one day, who have a boy and a girl both, are going to be out of town this year. Care.com, I guess? Sigh.
Plus, I suspect that at this point in the summer, the kids do start to notice the monotony of going to 'camp' in the first place. I guess if they stayed home for the summers, they'd be SO BORED, too. Kids get anxious and ready to go back to school -- I definitely remember that. Mine were lucky this year; June was packed, and they were out of town most of that month. So July hasn't been AS monotonous as it could have been. But still.
ANYWAY, it's Friday, and hopefully I can be very productive today, and very productive this weekend, and feel better soon. I don't like being 'grumpy pants' (or sad pants) but I kinda have been. Bleh.
P.S. Another TWO successful bedtimes under Kate's belt. I think my plan is working, muah-ha-ha.
Wednesday, July 23
Success w/pajama walking
Just reporting in: Last night we convinced Kate to try everything on the list. No dessert after dinner, no screentime after dinner, and a pajama walk. She went to bed and didn't get out until this morning. The pajama walk was awesome, even thought it started raining pretty hard at 7:50 pm, right as we were putting on our shoes to head out the door. We waited just a few minutes for it to stop and thankfully, it did. Just a pop-up. (One of my favorite childhood memories is of a late-evening walk my family took after a rainstorm once. I think we saw a rainbow, even -- I can still picture the way the sunset and clouds looked. I go back to it often.)
Anyway, we saw a family with three young kids. Didn't stop to chat, just said hello, but maybe next time. They were splashing in puddles. At first I was adamant that we all stay together and go slowly, but Shawn convinced me to let Kate go on ahead. And he's right -- her mind was wandering without us and I bet that helped wind her down, even though she was doing more skipping and running than I thought she should.
We still didn't get her to lights-out until 9:05, so we'll work on that. But I am encouraged.
Anyway, we saw a family with three young kids. Didn't stop to chat, just said hello, but maybe next time. They were splashing in puddles. At first I was adamant that we all stay together and go slowly, but Shawn convinced me to let Kate go on ahead. And he's right -- her mind was wandering without us and I bet that helped wind her down, even though she was doing more skipping and running than I thought she should.
We still didn't get her to lights-out until 9:05, so we'll work on that. But I am encouraged.
Tuesday, July 22
Sleep Regressing
Argh. Kate's having some sort of sleep regression. (Can kids still have them at 6 years old? I should be writing to Ask Moxie.) I thought we were past it, but we're apparently not. The last 2 nights, she's come back downstairs after I've put her to bed -- never until after 9:00, even though we start talking about bedtime at 8:00 -- multiple times saying she's hot, or she can't sleep, or she's just not tired. I'm not sure what got her out of sync but Shawn and I have about had it. We JUST WANT an hour. We JUST want to watch ONE episode of a show, and maybe have a snack on the couch.
I'm still not just tucking her in and leaving, mind you. I never have been able to do that, not since her infancy. I still have to sit with her for 5 minutes. And I don't mind that anymore. It's five minutes of my life, you know? When I'm being mindful, I use it to pray for her, for a restful night and a good day tomorrow. Mothers' prayers. When I'm not being mindful, I just use it to quiet my own mind. And by that I mean, my mind just wanders. I don't mind 5 minutes. She needs someone with her (extrovert). I guess if I'm meant to be that person for 18 years, so be it. But golly, this last 2 nights... I will say that she's had naps both those days. Sunday she put herself down on the couch; she was feeling feverish, in fact. She slept through our dinner, and we let her, because the previous time we'd woken her and faced a Class A Tantrum. So I know, that was too close to bedtime and probably a mistake.
Yesterday I stayed home with her. Since she only had about 6 hours sleep I wanted her to sleep in. I was planning to just go to work late, but when she woke up she said, "I just want to sleep all DAY," and "Everything hurts," and I couldn't in good conscience send her to summer camp like that. I made her promise to nap before 2:30pm, and she did. 2:30 'til about 4:00. Then we took a 20-minute walk later. She ate a great dinner. It was dessert night so she had a small dish of ice cream. She had a bath, watched a little TV with Alex, fussed about blow-drying her hair, brushed teeth and we read together for ten minutes. It was actually really nice.
Four times, she came out of her room. She sneaked downstairs, or she called me from the top of the stairs. "Mommy? Mommy? ...I'm hot." "Well, take off your shirt." "I can't fall asleep." "TRY." Finally, she came tearfully into our room at 10:30 (we had given up staying downstairs in the hopes she would figure out it was late). It breaks my heart because I know she's trying. When she's really sobbing, I know she's frustrated, too. I pulled her in bed next to me, and she was asleep in minutes.
Here's what I plan to propose to her, after doing a little reading this morning when I'm rational:
I'm still not just tucking her in and leaving, mind you. I never have been able to do that, not since her infancy. I still have to sit with her for 5 minutes. And I don't mind that anymore. It's five minutes of my life, you know? When I'm being mindful, I use it to pray for her, for a restful night and a good day tomorrow. Mothers' prayers. When I'm not being mindful, I just use it to quiet my own mind. And by that I mean, my mind just wanders. I don't mind 5 minutes. She needs someone with her (extrovert). I guess if I'm meant to be that person for 18 years, so be it. But golly, this last 2 nights... I will say that she's had naps both those days. Sunday she put herself down on the couch; she was feeling feverish, in fact. She slept through our dinner, and we let her, because the previous time we'd woken her and faced a Class A Tantrum. So I know, that was too close to bedtime and probably a mistake.
Yesterday I stayed home with her. Since she only had about 6 hours sleep I wanted her to sleep in. I was planning to just go to work late, but when she woke up she said, "I just want to sleep all DAY," and "Everything hurts," and I couldn't in good conscience send her to summer camp like that. I made her promise to nap before 2:30pm, and she did. 2:30 'til about 4:00. Then we took a 20-minute walk later. She ate a great dinner. It was dessert night so she had a small dish of ice cream. She had a bath, watched a little TV with Alex, fussed about blow-drying her hair, brushed teeth and we read together for ten minutes. It was actually really nice.
Four times, she came out of her room. She sneaked downstairs, or she called me from the top of the stairs. "Mommy? Mommy? ...I'm hot." "Well, take off your shirt." "I can't fall asleep." "TRY." Finally, she came tearfully into our room at 10:30 (we had given up staying downstairs in the hopes she would figure out it was late). It breaks my heart because I know she's trying. When she's really sobbing, I know she's frustrated, too. I pulled her in bed next to me, and she was asleep in minutes.
Here's what I plan to propose to her, after doing a little reading this morning when I'm rational:
·
Problem: Dessert
after dinner. Too much sugar is hard for the body to process so fast (sugar
gives you energy).
·
Possible Solution:
“Desserty” snacks after school/camp instead: Ice cream or popsicles or cookies.
Warm milk after dinner, if you want something.
·
Problem:
TV/Screentime. Experts say you should turn off all screens at least 1 hour
before bedtime.
·
Possible
Solution: (There’s one main solution
to this, and that is to not watch TV/play iPad/iPhone after dinner.) Something we
could do instead: Pajama Walks. (I own that guy's book, by the way.) Put on PJs, brush teeth, and take a nighttime
walk around the neighborhood together. Slow and gentle, very mellow.
·
Problem:
Trouble with bath-taking and drying
hair. When we argue about this, our bodies get “revved up” and it’s hard to
settle back down.
·
Possible
Solution: Baths as soon as we get home from school/camp, when it’s bath
night. OR, shower in the morning instead! (hair can air-dry)
P.S. I'm slightly embarrassed that I have a whole category about this.
Friday, July 18
Frisbee
I can't remember when or why we started playing Frisbee with the kids; I mean, we always had frisbees around, I guess, because people like to do them as giveaways and, for whatever other reason. (From my own childhood, I remember ordering a free one from the back of the Frosted Flakes box, with my Dad. It was a very important endeavor to 6-year-old me; I remember keeping the Proofs of Purchase and putting them in the envelope. The frisbee was white with Tony the Tiger on the front (orange, obviously), and I also remember how quickly he faded. But that was our family frisbee.)
At the house we just left, the hilly, uneven and tree-covered lawn meant that the best place to play was the driveway. It... wasn't ideal. One person stood near the garage on the "down" part of the slope, and the other person was near the street on the "up" part. But we played pretty often. Especially as Alex started growing into it, instead of flinging the thing directly into the ground, or under an overgrown tree. It was easy to teach, even for someone like me who knows nothing about frisbee-throwing -- at least I knew to say, "Use your wrist" and "Face your target." Or something like that. I was always worried about skinned knees, but I don't think frisbee ever caused one.
We're lucky, living in the climate we do, that lots of days of the year are good for it. So we'd play, on the driveway, sailing it straight to and fro, grumbling when it rolled under one of the cars, or out into, then across, the street, or under the azaleas. Kate learned, too (or, is learning). We'd count to see how many times we could throw and catch without dropping it. I think Alex and I got up to 12 or 13 once.
I really like it because it's one of those things like a Dad and son throwing a baseball. You can talk or not talk. But the opportunity's there.
One of the things we love about our new house is the backyard -- for lots of reasons. Of course I want to "decorate" on the patio -- even extend the patio -- and there's a firepit in the way-back woods, that I'm excited about. But the main "living area" is a large square, basically -- flat and grassy. No trees except on the perimeter. And so when the weather this week was in the 70s -- in JULY -- we knew it was time. After dinner (and right after Shawn had cut the grass, which was so nice), no humidity, no mosquitoes.
Such freedom!! To throw diagonally, one of us in each corner, or go all the way around -- it's a surprisingly huge improvement. We can run to catch it, jump without worrying about scraped knees, and really FLY the thing. I was just amazed at the difference, after throwing "uphill" so long.
It's not that big of a deal, but I'm excited about frisbee. The prospect of fall weather. The idea of getting exercise -- but playing. The built-in stress relief. The idea of having little family "competitions." (Last night, our 2nd night in a row, we determined when to go inside by saying, "When we get to 10 'errant' throws, we're done." It was fun! And funny!) The popsicles afterwards. ;)
Just the picture of us out there together in the fresh air. It's total bliss.
At the house we just left, the hilly, uneven and tree-covered lawn meant that the best place to play was the driveway. It... wasn't ideal. One person stood near the garage on the "down" part of the slope, and the other person was near the street on the "up" part. But we played pretty often. Especially as Alex started growing into it, instead of flinging the thing directly into the ground, or under an overgrown tree. It was easy to teach, even for someone like me who knows nothing about frisbee-throwing -- at least I knew to say, "Use your wrist" and "Face your target." Or something like that. I was always worried about skinned knees, but I don't think frisbee ever caused one.
We're lucky, living in the climate we do, that lots of days of the year are good for it. So we'd play, on the driveway, sailing it straight to and fro, grumbling when it rolled under one of the cars, or out into, then across, the street, or under the azaleas. Kate learned, too (or, is learning). We'd count to see how many times we could throw and catch without dropping it. I think Alex and I got up to 12 or 13 once.
I really like it because it's one of those things like a Dad and son throwing a baseball. You can talk or not talk. But the opportunity's there.
One of the things we love about our new house is the backyard -- for lots of reasons. Of course I want to "decorate" on the patio -- even extend the patio -- and there's a firepit in the way-back woods, that I'm excited about. But the main "living area" is a large square, basically -- flat and grassy. No trees except on the perimeter. And so when the weather this week was in the 70s -- in JULY -- we knew it was time. After dinner (and right after Shawn had cut the grass, which was so nice), no humidity, no mosquitoes.
Such freedom!! To throw diagonally, one of us in each corner, or go all the way around -- it's a surprisingly huge improvement. We can run to catch it, jump without worrying about scraped knees, and really FLY the thing. I was just amazed at the difference, after throwing "uphill" so long.
It's not that big of a deal, but I'm excited about frisbee. The prospect of fall weather. The idea of getting exercise -- but playing. The built-in stress relief. The idea of having little family "competitions." (Last night, our 2nd night in a row, we determined when to go inside by saying, "When we get to 10 'errant' throws, we're done." It was fun! And funny!) The popsicles afterwards. ;)
Just the picture of us out there together in the fresh air. It's total bliss.
Monday, July 14
Things that were fun this weekend
- Friday night dinner was Alex's choice, after his long 2 weeks away from Mommy's table: Taco Night!
- Saturday morning: Haircut/color/shampoo/style for me. Glad I got started at 9:00 am so I could finish early.
- Saturday evening: Cantor at Mass, then dinner (free! thanks to a giftcard from a sweet Uncle Jim) at Applebees. I let myself coast and order whatever I wanted. Which happened to be a salad, but I also loved our Potato Twists appetizer.
- Saturday night: Kate wanted to show Alex a movie that she apparently likes a lot: "Escape from Witch Mountain." It's from 1975 and creeps me right out (when it isn't boring me), but she's watched it twice in the past week! She wanted Alex to see it, too. (He fell asleep.)
- Sunday morning: Breakfast out AGAIN! This time with both kids. Mmm, gouda grits.
- Sunday afternoon: Shopping (the whole family!) at Kohl's. Got kids a couple of things they needed, and Daddy, too.
- Sunday afternoon (later): A quick card tournament (Blink). What a fun game! Easy for everyone, and FAST. This is very good for the parental-types among us. It's over-with quickly, and then the kids went to watch Gremlins. Haha! So many GenX old movies!
- Sunday evening: Lemon-basil pasta for dinner. So yummy and summery. And the kids loved their version, and ate their broccoli, too.
*A couple of things threatened to ruin my mood. (okay, maybe they did ruin my mood over the weekend at various times). One, our upstairs AC drain pan overflowed, leaving a nice leak/hole in the master BR ceiling. Two, I was really impatient with the kids/Kate. The constant ASKING and NEEDING! Arrrrrgh! Again, my default mode with them/her seems to be "you're bothering me." I am such a work in progress and it's taking God a really long time to get through to me on this one. Three, it was hot after we turned the AC off. Four, the work is neverending. Shawn and I both feel like we can never just sit in our home and relax. There's always the guilt that we should be cleaning/fixing//laundering/doing.I want to remedy this feeling. We need and deserve to enjoy more of our life. :/
Going back up to re-read the bullet points again.
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