7 Home repairs I'm sure the agent will suggest! An exciting QT post!

I'm sorry - I just need to list this stuff out to get it out of my head, so I can do my actual work today. I'm having a hard time concentrating with all the house nonsense swirling around in there. (Not to mention Christmas present-buying, travel-plans-making, where-to-put-the-Elf-deciding, aiiieeeee!)

1. Fix three bad places (I don't even know what to call these) on three different ceilings. There's the place that became wet after a big storm, which was our indication we needed a new roof; the place where, once, when we had some plumbing done upstairs, the ceiling downstairs was never the same; and the place in our bedroom where it looks like someone took a box cutter to the ceiling (I don't even know). Who do you call for work like that? Dry wall people? Are there such?

2. Replace the front porch and stairs and back deck. I don't know if she'll say we MUST do this, but the decks are wood and looking pretty sad right now.

3. Paint the garage walls. (I mean, we could stand to do a LOT of painting, but for sure the garage.)

4. Replace the dishwasher? Maybe. I didn't even think of this one until today, but we have a stainless fridge and a stainless stove/oven, and then a cream colored dishwasher. Seems like, even if we don't re-do the kitchen completely, maybe we should have matching appliances. ? (Clueless)

5. I fear she'll say we need to tear down the master bath and start over. And then I fear that one brand-new master bath will look out of place alongside the rest of the house. How does this work?

6. Okay, I can't think of anything else except the kitchen, kitchen, kitchen which I've mentioned a billion times already. I'll shut up.

7. I drove through a new neighborhood in our part of town on Wednesday morning before work, and there's a house that looks like the right size and price range with a lovely front yard and porch, and it's for sale. I wish I had time to drive around every neighborhood I can think of, and start looking. That's the fun stuff, although I promised DH I wouldn't get my hopes up because we may decide we're not doing this after all. I'm sure he's thrilled about all the blog posts. On the other hand, he put me in charge of starting the investigation, so he can't really say anything. Heh.

Happy weekend, y'all! I'm going to decorate for Christmas and make the house feel pretty! Selling point! Woo!

Visit conversiondiary.com for all the Quick Takes posts!

My Thanksgiving leftovers

There is nothing worse than the Monday after a long vacation. Nothing. Today is officially the worst!

Even though we were reminded all weekend to be thankful, and I was. Am!

*Smiley-face* *deep breath* *merry-sunshine*

But it's back to the grind, and back to days on which calories DO count, and I am working to keep mine at 1200 or less. Blech. Shredded wheat, anyone? It's good we traveled and don't have any leftovers that need eating, like pie.

Related, the neighborhood near my office will soon have a new Jason's Deli, a new Chipotle (!), and a new Panera Bread. Awesome and terrible! :)

Maybe all the exclamation points I'm using here are leftover from our trip to Disneyworld. That place, man. It is so much fun. We rode more rides than ever before, covered more ground in a day. Part of it is that the kids are older -- no need to stop for naps (we tried to the first day, but only the adults slept!), no diapers and sippy cups to lug around, no stroller.

We had an amazing tour guide this time -- my aunt, who is Mickey Mouse's biggest fan, and lives nearby so she goes to the parks every Saturday. Yes, you read that right. We didn't even have to look at a map, and besides that, she was KT's new BFF, so we had a built-in babysitter.

This was definitely our "Princess" trip -- in case you don't follow me on FB, and for record-keeping's sake, I'll tell you -- we had a character dining experience with the princesses. KT was in heaven. I'm so glad we did it while she's this age, and still loves the princesses as if they're real, and believes they're her friends.

It was also a very big trip for AJ because he rode the kinds of rides he's been scared of before. Star Tours at Hollywood Studios, Mission: Space at Epcot, and Peter Pan (yes, he used to be scared of it because it's so dark) at The Magic Kingdom. I am so proud of him. He learned exactly how much FUN those rides are. Next time, Haunted Mansion! Someday, Space Mountain!

DH and I got to finally try The Tower of Terror, which I loved and he tolerated. :) We stayed out late that night to watch one of the laser/fireworks shows, also a first for us.

And we spent four wonderful days with my parents, who are so patient and generous, and let us dictate what we will and won't do, and absolutely cherish getting to see their grandkids enjoy it all. They're so good to us. You're so good to us, Mom and Dad. And not just for taking us to Disney. We love you and we're exceptionally thankful for you. 

Weekly review of things: 7QT

Lots of things happened this week. :) Let me tell you them.

1. First of all, AJ got, and we have confirmed, his first loose tooth. Hooray! This is all very exciting and we've spent a lot of time talking about it; that it DOES feel weird and sort-of scary when a part of you is FALLING OUT; that saying "baby teeth" doesn't mean anyone thinks you're a baby, KT; that some kids lose teeth at around 5 years old, but others, not until 8 (or, last night, as AJ was telling his sister this very thing, he even stretched it to "8 or 9 because you're related to me so you may not lose them right away, either." He clearly has a secret wish she won't lose her first until after 8 and 4 months. Hee hee.

2. Yesterday the endocrinology office called to report that his labs all came back "normal, nothing for growth factor," and the doc still wants us to follow up in 4 months. Praise God! I always like phone calls from doctors that include the word "normal."

3. We have been working hard on eating habits. Unfortunately, we've also had a LOT of activities this week (it's possible November is WORSE than October for superfluous extra-curriculars), so we had McDonald's one night and then a cheap pizza buffet (fundraising night) the next. I mean, those are good, fatty foods for sure, and I think AJ ate plenty, but I wasn't monitoring or actively adding butter. LOL. Last night's Kraft mac and cheese was made using the "Classic prep" method-Plus: Half a stick of full-fat butter (what?!), whole milk, and because I put too much whole milk in before I realized it, I threw in a generous handful of cheddar cheese on top. Haha! Just casually tossed in a handful of extra cheese! So carefree! HOLY COW (literally), was that good mac. Yeah, I ate it.

4. KT visited a public elementary school yesterday, a field trip with her Pre-K class. I love this. I remember when I was four, I also got to visit a "big school." It was a childhood highlight. KT and her buddies saw the Kindergarteners perform some Thanksgiving songs (awww), and got to eat lunch in the cafeteria, with TRAYS and everything. Her favorite part was that they had "chocolate milk, vanilla milk, strawberry milk, and plain milk." I forgot to ask her which kind she chose.

5. I had my annual review. Let's all agree that annual reviews are stupid and annoying, but when they go nicely, they're sorta okay I guess. I have some new work things to try to improve, and some kudos for when I'm feeling low. I do not, however, have a raise. No one got any raises this year. Booooo. You suck, Economy.

6. (Yet to happen:) Thanksgiving lunch with KT at her school today. I can't wait to sit my fatass adult-sized frame down in one of those little red chairs. I love doing that. At least we know some of the parents, now that we've been attending each others' birthday parties for a couple of years. Wonder if I'll get a construction paper pilgrim hat, or Indian headdress? The good news is we did not MISS this event. Yesterday the school mistakenly posted on Facebook that her class had already HAD their luncheon, and there were tears in my cubicle, because WHAT IF I'd gotten the date wrong? I was picturing a forlorn KT, and believe me, you don't want to picture that. It hurts right in the heart.

7. (Yet to happen:) Date Night. On a whim, I asked our babysitter to come over tonight because DH and I are severely overdue. I think I've been a pretty decent roommate to him the last couple of months, but probably not a very good girlfriend. Sigh. We've just been so busy. And we're old. So, a night on the town! Doctor's orders! I don't want to see a movie -- I mean, I do, there are several I'd like to see, but I do NOT want to have to fight the mob that will be there to see Breaking Dawn 2 tonight -- so maybe we'll have dinner and then go shopping? No, scratch that -- we should definitely shop before we eat. Anyway, it will be good to only be the two of us for several hours, and to be away from the TV, couch and my blanket. (Our den is drafty, so when I get cold at 9:30pm I bundle up, and if I'm bundled up I'm basically asleep in five seconds. I'm a LOT of fun, let me tell you.)

Hope you're all as excited as I am that a very short week and its accompanying long vacation is coming up! More QTs at www.conversiondiary.com!

Small thing = big thing

Pray with me, Internet! 8-year-old AJ may have his first loose tooth.

He wouldn't let me near it to confirm (MAN did I want to get my hands in there and wiggle everything!) but woke up complaining that he thought he had something in between his bottom two front teeth. When I offered him floss, he said, "Yes, after breakfast." But after breakfast he declined.... and he, poor bunny, was whimper-y and nervous because he thought it might be loose. Arm-flappy, even. What do we do? What do we do?

We hope, son! :)

Friendship milestone

Our Book Club was started by two women, in their twenties at the time, and me. They worked together, and I was the book-loving sorority sister of one of them, who was kindly invited to the first "meeting." We read "The Book of Ruth," by Jane Hamilton.

We have continued to meet since 1997 -- that's fifteen years this year. In that time several other members have come and gone, but the three, and then four, of us have stayed constant. We have mostly continued reading together, until these last several months. And oh, the books! So many John Irving novels, Fannie Flagg and Wally Lamb, some fiction that nobody liked except me, some enlightening non-fiction, some historical easy-reads, of course the Twilight and Hunger Games series, and lots and lots of others along the way. We've done spa-days, dinners out, a wine tasting, New Year's parties, a road trip, and impromptu baby showers for each of us.

We met last night because one of us is moving to Ohio. It's unexpected. So we poured the red wine and talked until nearly midnight on a school night. (Over the years, as you can imagine, our meetings have grown less and less book-focused.) And we laughed and laughed, at our twenty-something selves, at the absudity of life sometimes, at people we've known, at our shared and separate stories, some that we've told over and over again.

I know I've said this before, but I am so grateful that these women are my friends. I'm glad we got together again. There's a renewed need to be more regular about gathering, I think. But we're going to miss you, Stacy.

First

The doctor's appointment was fine. A nice doctor. She uses a more detailed growth chart, obviously, and shows AJ in the 1st percentile. Says he likely has been there a while, and isn't sure why our pediatrician didn't see a red flag sooner. But on the other hand, she said we came to her at just the right time; sometimes people come to endocrinology when the kid is still too young and she just has to defer judgment/testing for a year.

As I said on Twitter, the first thing she wants us to do is work hard at helping AJ gain some weight before we see her next, in 4 months. Up to a pound per month if possible. I'm trying to just focus on that. Whole milk is going to make its grand re-entrance into our home (much to my husband's delight, I'm sure). Lots of proteins. Also, Mashed potatoes. Ice cream milkshakes. She actually said, give him ice cream. She said it's hard to "prescribe" that to moms these days, but that in this case, the kid could use a little fattening up and it's OKAY. I've decided (she didn't say this) that we'll need to serve more of AJ's favorite foods, so he'll want seconds -- that means meatballs! Hamburgers! Taco Night! Chicken Sandwiches! Hamburgers! Taco Night! Yes, we will be repeating things. She spoke to him directly about trying to eat more. Do his part. Said that gaining some weight would give him the energy he needs to grow taller. And I'm going to have to train myself to give him larger portions. It's going to be difficult in some ways because the calorie-dense things that a lot of sources suggest -- cheese, butter, mayonnaise, nuts, avocados, sour cream, bagels with cream cheese, salads with lots of dressing -- are things he definitely doesn't like. But we'll just have to try. Maybe hide some foods, maybe try gentle introductions.

You understand that I have to feel some measure of guilt, right? That's the mother's job. Although I was doing the best I had with the information I was given -- which was, from every side, "Their stomachs are only the size of their fists," and "America has an epidemic of obese children." The guilt lies in not having any gut instinct that AJ was NOT THAT WAY, and that maybe I should have been bucking the system all along, sticking with whole milk. (There's also a very brief recall of our first 2 weeks of his life, when nursing went so badly and one mean nurse made me feel terrible about that and said out loud, I think, "failure to thrive." No, bad memory: Go away! Not welcome here. I have to shake it off every time.) Oh well. I'm not feeling OVERLY guilty, just only slightly. HE was the picky one all those toddler years, I remind myself. Heh. But things are going to be slightly different now.

One other thing the doctor wants us to do is maybe get a second opinion in the dentistry department. She's unsure why our dentist has remained completely nonchalant about the fact that a child is 8 years old and hasn't had a single loose tooth yet. I agree. I am happy to make that appointment.


She did indicate that her instinct, and her observation, tells her he's just a late bloomer. He hasn't had other "symptoms" of growth hormone deficiency. And she said she doesn't usually tell patients that; she typically says, "I can't say until we have test results." So I'm grateful for that little nugget of hope that everything's fine.

We'll take these first steps and see what happens.

As it should be

We survived the first of several Weekends of Festivity. A family date-night at the bowling alley, a scouting day camp, 2 birthday parties, and a sleepover at our house. And we managed to go to Mass and do (most of) the grocery shopping. I am impressed with us, aren't you?

Yesterday after the 2nd birthday party, held at a park in the suddenly freezing temperatures, KT and I were most thrilled to snuggle up under our blanket with a big bowl of popcorn, and watch a Tinkerbell movie. It was grey outside and the boys were away, and, oh, man, did I revel in the comfort of a free, cozy afternoon. We watched the whole movie, start to finish! I had forgotten just how rare that scenario has become in my life. Partly because of not having time, but partly because it's so rare that kids stay still that long!.But she did. She was tired, thank heaven and fresh air.

After that, I turned on the heat (yay!), and made Taco Night for dinner. (I can't just say, "tacos;" it doesn't feel right.) I've discovered (way past time) chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. You can just BUY these?! In a can! So I had a chipotle-chicken version and a regular Old El Paso seasoning kit version. And we always have Scoops chips on-hand to make "mini-tacos" after we finish our full-sized tacos. 

I forgot to say that Friday I had the day off! Bless-ed PTO! It was parent-teacher-conferences day so we met with AJ's teacher, who was perfectly lovely and said nice things about our kid, even though we were late. Whoops. I don't remember what else we did but I let KT have the day off, too. I think I cleaned the kitchen after we got home from lunch. Oh! And I bought some plants for my front porch, which I now think looks very cute and welcoming! I would still like to get a small wooden bench to put up there, but a plant stand was a good start. We don't have a big, traditional Southern wraparound porch (shame), but we have plenty of surface area that needed a little decor. And I decided to give it some effort for once. ;)

This week is, of course, the dreaded Hallowe'en. Bleh. Kids up too late, out in the cold, and then have to go to school the very next morning? Who came up with this?! But after that (and our doctor's appointment on the same day), Grandmommy, Papa Joe, and Aunt Sissy arrive! The boys (even Papa Joe) are all headed off to Fort Benning for a Cub Scout campout, and the girls are going shopping! And possibly, to tea.KT suggested we need a bed big enough for all four of us (girls). Hee hee! I think we'll figure out some kind of sleeping arrangements.

Perhaps I'll try to get a little work done now -- squeezing it in from 9 to 5 as much as possible, mixed in with the good stuff, the real life, that's in the forefront in my mind. As it should be.

7 Quick Takes: Twitter, talents and treats

1. I'm not going to talk about the political issues because I'm polite, but I will tell you that Twitter makes the debates infinitely more fun (as if you didn't know that), and I definitely think during the debate on Monday we need to play a drinking game! (It's a shame it's on a Monday but hey, I support wine on Mondays already! Woo!) Twitter also makes it hard to pay attention to what they're saying with any seriousness. But that hardly matters -- it isn't like either candidate says anything meaningful, or even decipherable. I do agree with whoever suggested that their mics be automatically TURNED OFF after their allotted speaking time. When they and the moderator, all three, start stepping on each others' sentences, trying to get the very last word in, it makes me cringe and want to hide under my blanket.

My college had a well-known debate team (or conference? or event? I'm not sure) and I think about KIDS learning the "art" of debate. Hmm. That also makes me cringe a little. I'm hoping my kids won't be interested, heh.

2. But speaking of kids in public speaking situations, 8-year-old AJ has signed up for the Battle of the Books at his school. WAIT 'TIL YOU HEAR: They create their own teams of 4 (I hope he picks smart people and not just his buddies, if he gets to pick) and they divide a list of 24 age-appropriate books among themselves. Every other team has the same list (by grade level). Each kid gets 6 books which they have to read, study up on the author's bio, and other details, and then... Quiz Bowl! If one of your books is asked about, you're responsible to supply your team with the right answer. How I wish this had been available when I was a kid! Although... I did not have the memory for detail like AJ does. He will tell me in which chapter of which book of the 39 Clues mysteries that Dan and Amy found a silver dollar under a bench. And he read that book a year ago, and has read many, many books since. I can't fathom it. So I'm SLIGHTLY excited about sitting in the audience for his Jeopardy!-like debut.

3. And speaking of talents... despite all my worrying over him, that kid is doing so well in his martial arts class. Yesterday, they worked on some conditioning things first. One was "ball-jitsu." They used a stability ball and the instructor wanted the kids to swing one leg over the top of the ball and then bounce-sit on, and quickly back off, the top of the ball. Well, I thought there was no way AJ's little legs would manage that. But he DID. He adapts -- he kind of jumped over it at an angle, but impressed everyone. The instructors were like, "Whoa, AJ! Perfect!"

4. Blood pressure medication (DH) and heartburn (me). These are two things going on in my household right now. Great. We're old people. I ordered half-caff today at Starbucks and I expect to be getting my customized "LAME" badge any day now.

5. Because of the heartburn I was reading up on what we should and shouldn't eat. Always a comforting thing to do. I saw something about sugar being the complete enemy of health, and thought, I do really need to get my sugar intake under control. I don't drink my sugar (I drink alternatively-sweetened things or use Splenda), but I get a lot of it with little handfuls of M&Ms, and other treats. And then I remembered it's October. Hahahahahaha. Hmm.

6. The next couple of weeks are packed full of life and activity, so I'm putting this here so I'll remember it: I've got to figure out how and where to do early voting! I think Nov. 6 will be virtually impossible.

7. I found this Read the Catechism by email in a year yesterday, and I signed up. I don't know how long I'll stick to it, but it's worth a try, right? I also found this: calm.com. 2 minutes or ten, peace for hectic days. I love it more than toast. :)

Near to me

Jergens lotion original scent
Peanut Butter bars candies
The sound of that old white refrigerator's foot pedal, to open the freezer
The little chips of ice in the freezer
Ti-coups
Dr. Pepper
Spanish eggs (with stewed tomatoes)
The way she washed her face with a soapy washcloth
Ivory
English Lavendar
Raisin Bran for lunch
Pepperidge Farm Very Thin sliced bread
Toasted peanut butter
Toaster ovens in general
Raisin Toast
When she would sit down and draw the "buildings" we made with her wooden blocks, so we could recreate them later
Catholic Digest magazine
The cute way she "softened" toilet tissue by crinkling it around before using it
Her style and elegance
Her jewelry
Unloading the dishes early in the morning
Stopping to let me sit on her lap
Her refined Southern accent
Salted pecans
Coffee ice cream with cherry preserves and walnuts
Cut glass ice cream bowls
Brandy
Cranberry juice cocktail served in everyday stemware
Pepperidge Farm Brussels cookies
When her kitchen door was open on nice days
The way she always called my singing voice 'velvety'
Sleepy Baby
That little electric keyboard we played on for hours
Froggy Went a-Courtin'
Woolworth's
Saengers
The red card table and chairs
"Yes, indeed"
"No damage done."
The dear Blessed Mother
"As for me and my house..."
September Morn
Her scrapbook
Boxes of photos
When she played the piano (once in a while)
"Running a household is hard"
Roast with gravy, white rice and lima beans
Eggs with Vienna Sausages
Watching the snow from her bright dining room window
Gumbo

Grandmother has been on my mind lately. I don't know why. I got to thinking about her -- had a hankering for Spanish eggs, actually -- and it spiraled the other night. I cried with missing her for some reason. KT asked me yesterday if she had died. When I said yes, she said kind-of wistfully, "Oh, it's too bad I didn't know her." Yes, sweet girl. It is too bad. She would have loved you.

So many of these memories came to me last night after thinking about them, and I got kind-of desperate to write them down. Many of them are part of my continued daily life. There are of course more, woven into who I am.




I wonder if she's keeping very near to me right now.

Generally good. (I have no headline mojo on this one) (Or maybe ever)

The October Craziness is here! Are we excited??

I am going to maintain my sanity and not get wigged out over the schedule stuff, not this year. But the weekend of October 26th, we have three kid birthday parties to attend (with costumes of course), plus a Scouts daycamp event, plus a family bowling party AND a sleepover request. Mak-ing mem-o-ries, wheeeee! This is the time of our lives. ;)


No, really, I believe that.

KT and I did the very brief Halloween decorating project shown here last weekend. She was thrilled with it -- guess she didn't realize that candy can be used in other ways besides mouth-stuffing and it blew her mind. I like it, too. It's festive.

We got our appointment time from the pediatric endocrinologist. Should be interesting. They of course want to know the patient's family medical history, plus. Mostly stuff about growth and development and if anyone else was known to be a late-bloomer or particularly undersized, and so that requires asking when did everyone (immediate family & relatives) develop? And so I have to ask both my mom and my MIL "When was your first menstural period?" For serious! It's on the form!! Argh. This thing is so weird.

I find that I'm really feeling hesitant around the topic. Caillou was on (ugh) the other day and it was an episode about 4-yo Caillou wanting to be taller like his friend Andre. KT was the one watching it, but I just cringed because AJ was in the room.

And I notice now, every time we're with other people, how small he is. I am much more aware of who's younger-but-taller (everyone). I wonder if he's noticing. I wonder if it bothers him, now that it's been brought up in such a medically concerned way. Yesterday E, his 6-yo friend next door, told us he has a loose tooth ("...because A. [other neighbor] threw a ball at my head, but still, it's loose!"). And I wondered if that bothered AJ. I asked him later if he wanted me to throw a ball at his head... and then I felt like a jerk for joking about it.

Diagnosis: Short Stature, the referral letter says. I just don't want AJ to be focused on it as A Thing, you know? I've not been talking too much about it with him; there's been no need. I know that he knows that we're doing this extra doctor's appointment, (and he already did the X-ray), but I don't want it to feel like a big deal. I don't want him to feel bad or nervous... or like he's defective, I guess is what I really mean.

You are perfect just as you ARE, AJ. Perfect.

But I am also curious and hopeful that maybe we could help him along...?

I said I wasn't going to talk/worry about it until there was something to worry about, so I guess by Oct. 31, the day of the appointment, we'll know whether I have more to say.

And at this point the only thing he HAS been worried about is that our appointment time of 1:00 might mean he has to miss his class Halloween party at 2:00. :) If that's the worst that happens, it's all good.

October. Crazy.

Gratitude Thursday

1. A good night's sleep. I was so tired yesterday but slept undisturbed for 6.5 hours. Heavy sleep (even with weird dreams about driving around on four flat tires) is so good.

2. Building dominoes towers on the floor with two happy kids last night after a dinner which they both ate.

3. The music part of choir practice tonight will be fulfilling, and will let my mind rest from all the other things that swirl around inside it.

4. Wednesday phone chats with my Mom. :)

5. Something to look forward to - my sis is coming to visit in early November!

Mommy, can I playonyourphone? and other QTs

1. Every day, someone or other asks me this question: "Mommy, can I playonyourphone?" Playonyourphone being one word, a word about which the inquirer KNOWS Mommy will likely roll her eyes, so it has to be said really fast so she barely understands it. On the days when I say no -- and this usually happens in the car, on the way home from school, which is a 20-minute drive at the most -- and it's not every day, only once or twice a week -- I get a lot of negative feedback. "But what am I supposed to DOOOOOO?" OMG. I love answering that question. "Sit there and look out the window! Let your mind REST! ....THINK! Sleep! Tell me about your classroom!" I fear for this generation, honestly. Think about your 8 or 9 year-old in a few years, out on his first date (charming ice cream parlor) with the girl of his dreams. Will he even know how to sit with her quietly and have a conversation? Or will both their heads be bowed down over individual LED screens? The texts will read, "How's it going?" from her BFF, and she'll type back, "I don't know, we're both texting about it but nothing has happened so far."

I'm being completely serious. They have to learn somehow that every moment of the day doesn't have to  enteratin them electronically. And I take it one step further: I want my kids to learn that silence is NICE. Restorative. I don't even play the radio in my car these days, my desire for them to understand this is so great. Come On, Kids! Rise Above the Tech Culture Standard, I want to say to them!

In related news, I am still actively trying to make sure my own iPhone is put away at least 90% of the time when we are at home, and it's a very hard goal to achieve. :-/


2. I have a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee this morning and it tastes exactly like a Coffee Nip.


3. We heard back from AJ's bone age scan. The lab tech said to me, "It's not abnormal, but it's a little, (pause) off." WTH? I guess I'm glad it's not abnormal? So we're waiting on an appointment time from the pediatric endocrinologist. Just to see. We certainly haven't decided anything one way or the other and I'm still not convinced he needs growth hormone. I'm only 5'1", his dad is 6' tall... my dad's 5'6"... I just really hope if we give him time (like some of you suggested in the comments, THANK YOU) that maybe he'll have his spurt. I simply do not know. We'll see if he's deficient and just go from there.



4. This weekend is our parish picnic. For years I longed to attend. It's always a free event, I wanted desperately to make friends in our community, and what's more glorious than a picnic, amirite? I imagined us sitting on the grass somewhere and saying hello to nice people. We went last year and it was.... okay. It was fine. (It was really windy, if I recall.) This year, there are definitely a few "friends" that I'm not especially wanting to run into; I know exactly what to expect of the food and the setup (i.e., there's no idyllic grass, I don't know where I dreamed that up); and... meh. It's got some fun things for the kids, like games and face painting... but I'm not overly enthused. Funny, I think, because no joke, this was something on my list of PERSONAL GOALS at one time.


5. Don't ask, about the friends I don't want to run into. Drama is not something I need in my life so I am going to ignore it and move on. (Ugh! There is a bit of Drama!)


6.  I put together some webstats this morning at work. It was sort-of fun to be able to draw conclusions.


7.  There has been very little morning-rush drama at our house the last 3 days. KT has put on her uniforms, let me do her hair, and generally cooperated. It's a miracle. Shhhhhhh.


quick takes every week plus really thought-provoking posts on the other days at conversiondiary.com

Check and check

• Starbucks this Monday morning: Fat-free Peppermint Mocha!
• Good mood music on the way in. (Air-drummed at the stop-light.)
• Quick morning walk around the building in the 9:00 hour! (another favorite tactic: Make sure to see/breathe the Morning, OUTDOORS)
• Everything bagel thin with cream cheese for breakfast!
• Already imagining my lunch outside...
• And my afternoon dark chocolate and coffee cooler treat...
• And my red wine this evening.

So except for the walk, it's all about food treats. I won't feel weird about that - it's all good so far. Haven't done any real work yet, but eh. Who cares about that nonsense. ;)

7 Quick Takes before Fall's First Day

1. Last night I decided I wanted to chat for a minute on Twitter about AJ's latest news (so I typed it in, and then promptly crashed on the couch). He had his hand X-rayed for bone age yesterday. He's 8 years old, 3'9" and 41.5 pounds, and hasn't yet lost any teeth, so the pediatrician advised we should see if his skeletal age is on par. The teeth-thing was the kicker, although our dentist has remained unconcerned all this time. AJ's fallen below the growth curve, after being in the 3-5th percentile since he was born. I feel nervous-tummy about it; growth hormone has been mentioned as a possibility. "Under five feet at fully grown" has also been mentioned as a possibility. (That was when my stomach sank.) There is a lot to talk and think about but I feel like I shouldn't even go there until the X-ray results are given to us. I'm so thankful that he's healthy, and happy. He (so far) has a great attitude about his size; we've always told him that people come in all shapes and sizes. And he says, "I can get into small spaces!"

2. Yesterday at work the whole Internet connection went down around noon, and wasn't back up and running until after 4:30. Can you believe they didn't even TRY to send people home?? Criminal. What were we supposed to do? File things?

3. We're going to a football-watching party Sunday afternoon. That will feel like fall. :) My husband is an Atlanta Falcons fan and I guess I've become one, too, especially after the arrival of Matt Ryan as our QB. But it's funny, I like a lot of the teams -- mostly because my friends or family members do. I like Seattle (my sister, and a co-worker); I like Denver (my BIL and of course because of Peyton Manning); I like Green Bay (college friend was from there and a huge fan); and I still like Tampa Bay. We're considered so odd around here because we don't really follow any one college team. I mean, we'll turn it on, and watch the score reports, but Saturday's not our Football day; it's Sunday/Monday. Who do you like?

4. In a similar vein, what fall recipes are you most looking forward to right now? Name three: 1 appetizer, 1 meal (a soup or casserole, perhaps??), and 1 dessert or sweet thing. Mine are: Rotel dip -- the one with crumbled sausage and cream cheese zomg; Baked Potato Soup in the crock pot with bacon on top; and pumpkin bread. YUMMY! I do love a good gumbo in the fall, too. I sincerely wish I could make mine as thick and hearty as I want it to be. I guess it's a lifelong pursuit and I'm willing to KEEP WORKING. ;)

5. Choir's started back up and I'm having my perennial angst about it. I love making music. I don't like spending so much time in rehearsals. I would like to do some other things, like take a regular yoga class (or a tap class!), but I don't feel like I can claim TWO weeknights for me-time. We're about to hit the "divide and conquer" years with two kids in school and activities. I'd hate to leave the choir again, but on the other hand I'd love to not have this argument with myself (and my blog) again. Sorry.

6. I've come to the conclusion that Mondays must be handled in a very specific way:

• Starbucks or DD treat in the morning (instead of Friday)
• Lunch at home on the deck if it's nice outside (or with DH or a friend if they're avail.)
• Dark chocolate at some point in the day
• Read this at some point in the day (I love this)
• Wine when I get home

It's the only way. I can't wait to try my new plan next week. See? "Can't wait" re: a Monday? Already working.

7. Does anyone watch Parks & Recreation? What'd you think of last night's episode? John McCain! Hee hee! That was funny. I think Amy Poehler looks great but I'm not very interested in a plot line of her long-distance relationship with Ben. I love Ben, but LDRs? Depressing. I need more Tom, more Donna, and more Chris Traeger + Ann Perkins. PLEASE get those two back together, I say. :)

happy friday, friends. Visit the quick takes hub.

Belle

My KT baby read her first sentences tonight. I have to mark the occasion because her reaction to the fact she could do it was so adorable.

She's been "reading" a few sight words here and there, but I've been wondering if she was ever going to catch the bookworm bug, because she often chooses to color or watch a show instead of a nightly story, and I usually let her. I'd rather force her to read, of course, but I know forcing it isn't going to help anyone, and i dont want to rev it up at bedtime. So tonight she chose coloring, and we had a great time with an under-the-sea scene and some markers. (I like coloring too!)

At 8:25, wayyyy too far past time, she asked if we could read one story. I almost refused, but I'm so glad I didn't. I got her to clean up and hop into bed and I grabbed the shortest book I could find: a Disney princesses "Beautiful Brides." I think we'd only read it once before, a couple of weeks ago.

Well, she opened that sucker up and just blew her own little mind (and filled my heart) with, "Belle... is going ...to ...marry ...the ...Prince. She (likes?...) loves ...her ...wedding ...gown."

She couldn't stop giggling.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Life, lived and listed!

Had a very busy day on Tuesday, and managed to keep my cool.

7:20 drop AJ off
7:30 Room Moms' meeting
8:15 PTA meeting
9:15 arrive at work
work work work
4:30 leave to pick up kids
4:45 was supposed to meet my latest Mary Kay source -- called her and asked if we could push it back to 5:15. She said yes. Texted DH so he could pick up KT instead of me.
5:15 makeup party. :) brief. Just eye shadows. I bought an Orange one! Risky!
6:30 leave for Cub Scout meeting at 7.
8:30 return home! bedtime routine for kids
9:00 laundry in! (It got dried but not folded, obvs)

All of that, but I just felt the goodness of a full, happy day.

I think the weather has SO much to do with it. I've long said that Fall is best season because it's such a RELIEF. Everyone I know has been visibly lighter, happier, and more pleasant since we've had 80 degrees and zero humidity this last week or so. It's remarkable.

And listen to this past weekend's lineup - again, busy but filled with sweetness.

Friday night: AJ had his best friend spend the night. There was Pizza and Ninjago and I think they watched a show they weren't supposed to (King of the Hill)! I let them get away with it.
Sat morning: Cub Scout activity for the boys and DH; Farmers' Market for KT and me!
Sat afternoon: leisurely cleaning, kids playing, mommy coloring
Sat night: Girls Night Out with my favorite moms from school. :) Sadly, DH had to deal with a somewhat grumpy/weepy KT. I may have more to say about this later.
Sunday morn: 10:00 am Mass, then brunch at Waffle House! KT's request! She said it was the best restaurant evar!
Sunday pm: Grocery shopping and apple pie baking! AJ invited to another friend's house around the corner. Dinner eaten outside on the porch. Football on the TV.

Man, things can be SO GOOD.

Labor Day and the Lutherans

"Pig," by Dave Matthews Band, is another song that puts me in the right frame of mind for Project Default: Happy.

And it helps to have "Monday" actually already be a Tuesday! Hooray for long weekends and short weeks!

---

We celebrated the christening of our very first niece this weekend, at a sweet little Lutheran church. It was lovely; she is 2 weeks old and cried and cried, and the ceremony was pretty long, much to the chagrin of her first-time mommy, who was stressing out about the crying. But baby's a little Christian now, in the loving arms of a church family. I love baptisms so much.

As for me, I was excited to attend a Lutheran service. I find it hard to believe that I've never known anyone who was Lutheran and I'm certain that until this weekend I'd never been inside a Lutheran church before. I LOVE visiting other denominations, and it has been a really long time. (When I was about three, I attended a music class at the Presbyterian church -- I still remember the off-brand chocolate sandwich cookies; we did quite a bit at the Methodist church in town -- children's choir, Sunday School, and hearing their handbell choir are some distinct memories; our violin teacher was LDS so we performed recitals at their church (? building? temple?) a few times; and then as a teen I was friends with a Prebyterian minister's daughter so I made lots of memories with their youth group. Oh, and don't forget the Nazarenes - they had a very vibrant youth group, too, that I visited a couple of times with my cousin. And the Episcopalians - love them, too. Was invited to sing with their choir once after college, and was so challenged and inspired by the very academic sermon that day!)

We were greeted very nicely by members of the parish in the front lobby area, and made to feel welcome. They had the very handy "kids' supplies" bags available to keep the KT entertained (a bag with crayons and Bible coloring sheets, for those who don't know -- I had heard of these before). The pastor spoke well, and aside from it feeling a bit rushed (and I bet it was, with both the Baptism and Communion to get through that day), I was able to follow along with the program. Nicene Creed: check, just like us. "Thanks be to God:" check. There were quite a few similarities that made me feel comfortable, and a couple of hymns I recognized.

This might be a stretch, but I liked thinking about how close it brought me to the first real Questions ever raised in Christendom; THE Martin Luther! A Christian celebrity of sorts. :) His questions that allowed for my own questions and study about Christianity, in my own time, hundreds of years later. I told my Mom in a email, "I love the Protestants." And I do! (Well, except the unreasonable, uber-evangelical, mean ones. I get twitchy around them.) The Reformation may have divided Christians for good, but it also gifted us with a rich diversity of understanding about faith, and good works, and tradition, and the Bible, and all those things. It helped Catholicism, I think, by making us sure of what we really believe. History would be much more boring indeed, if it hadn't happened.

Update on the Attitude Update

So, after a full week of Not Complaining About My Job, it appears.... I have nothing to share here.

Ho, ho, ho. Just kidding. I did have a pretty decent week last week, just by working HARD to improve my attitude. And breathing deeply, and counting blessings, and listening to some really good tunes, loudly, on my headphones. All those things.

Want to see the Playlist?

• Mumford & Sons -- Roll Away Your Stone is just unbelievably awesome 
• Catherine Wheel -- Satellite (thank you, DH, for introducing me to them so many years ago)
• The Church -- Metropolis and Business Woman
• Beck!! Oh my gosh, I'd forgotten how fun Beck is! Where It's At was on infinite repeat a couple of days last week and I danced in my chair
• Coldplay - Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love makes me so happy
• The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot (no robots will defeat me! YouTube it right now. Note: video=odd)
• Travis -- Sing. Sing, sing, sing!

I will admit that Monday this week was difficult. Over the weekend I find less need to manage the moments and be mindful, because the weekends are Nice! So I got out of practice and my brain tilted back to its OLD default of Monday Grumble Grumble. I knew it, as it was going on, but I couldn't seem to cheerlead my way out of it, that day.

I mean, Mondays are hard no matter what, right? They ARE.

So we'll have to work on that a bit more.

I also haven't had any other time on the computer at home, to continue to the next step of Anzman's book, but I will.

----

KT started wearing uniforms this week at her Pre-K. This is the first year they've done uniforms -- it's a daycare, so only the oldest kids, the 3s and 4s, are wearing them. Because of this, some of the sizes have not yet been delivered and so, some of KT's friends aren't wearing their uniforms yet. Which makes it hard for me to convince her that she needs to wear hers. She love, love, loved it on the first day. Looked so cute, even though she chose a hot pink headband and socks, that didn't exactly match (the school hasn't specified all the way down to socks or accessories).

The second day? The shine wore right off. "I HATE MY UNIFORM! I DON'T WANNA WEAR IT I WANNA WEAR MY YELLOW DRESS!!"

The very [stupid,exhausting] morning situation I had hoped uniforms would deter.

WE CANNOT WIN, MAMAS.

(But I have a good attitude about work! Tra-la! And P.S. I am rocking the Room Mom situation so far!)

Here's what

Here's what (hat tip Andy Cohen):

Every moment has to be planned out, almost. Every hour, definitely, for productivity's sake, but sometimes even the moments in-between.

When I am prepping to go to bed, I am managing that moment by actively trying NOT to be grumpy about going to work the next day. Instead I'm actively reminding myself how nice that moment is -- washing my face in warm water, the fragrance of my favorite Aveeno night cream, the feeling of a clean mouth full of brushed teeth, and how awesome -- awesome! -- it will feel to finally stretch out under the cool sheets.

When I get out of my car to walk into the office the next day, I manage it by parking in a prettier spot than the middle of the lot. I found a spot under a tree that requires me to walk down a flowery path to the office door, instead of the other route, which is just crossing over the asphalt, and I do this so that the walk into the building can be called pleasant.

I want to call this gratitude, but right now it's mostly just moment-management. I'll have to work up to gratitude.

It's about to be our most stressful time of the year at work and I can feel the unpleasantness all around me.

-----

No.

I wrote the above yesterday. Then, last night after dinner, I got to work reading a book -- more non-fiction slash self-help! mid-life crisis?! -- I had downloaded from the fabulous Melissa Anzman, called, appropriately, Stop Hating Your Job. I mean, is that the perfect title or what? And I have homework:

Today is the end of my negativity about my job.

I am announcing it here, to my support network, because that it what you all are, really: women I admire, my DH, and my Mom. I will need your support. This is a pretty big change (I'm sorry to admit).

Not to give away the book or anything, but Anzman is pretty smart. First she has you list out ALLLLLL the things you hate about your job. I thought that exercise was funny because, DUH, not like I've never done THAT before, in the back pages of a notebook or on an unpublished draft here on the ol' blog!! Ha!

But then after letting you have your vent, she says basically this: It's your attitude.

And I have known this all along. It's why I've been working so hard to be more peaceful, to be more grateful -- I know, it's ME.

(NOT that it couldn't also be the job -- and I sure hope that the 2nd half of the book offers some good advice for if you really do think you're ready for a change, because I definitely might be. She certainly has that kind of advice on her website.)

I'm sure I'll mess up and complain a little here and there. I'll try not to. But I have a new mantra, new ways to manage the moments of the workday, and it's time to make HAPPY my default setting. I find it weird and shocking that it requires so much mental WORK for that to happen, but maybe that's what I've been missing all along.

Room Mom

I got chosen to be one of AJ's room moms! (Or at least that's the rumor... haven't gotten the official email yet.) It feels like I passed an audition or a cheerleading tryout or something (there were a lot who volunteered for the job). Now, to see if I can pull it off...!