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May 31, 2009
Twitchy
There is a remarkable confluence of events occurring in my house right now.
I'm running out of everything.
Paper towels, napkins, body wash, shampoo and conditioner, hair goo, laundry soap, diapers. All the things I tend to buy in bulk and/or take up large amounts of space.
It seems like a good time to move.
It's not that we have plans to move. Or even really want to. But it's been feeling like that time for a while. (We've moved so often in the last few years that I start getting the itch if we've been somewhere more than a year. It just feels like it's time for another big upheaval.) And what better time to go than when we've used up all the bulky, heavy stuff?
I'm convinced that the day after we go out and restock my entire inventory, Rex will come home and tell me he got a great opportunity in Houston, or he got laid off and they found a spot for him somewhere else.
Posted by me at 10:43 AM | Comments (1)
May 29, 2009
Am I blue?
Jamie earned her Blue Belt tonight, the first of the advanced belts on her way to Black. I'm so proud of her! She may often be less than focused and totally lack my killer instinct, but that kid knows her stuff.
Posted by me at 10:06 PM | Comments (1)
May 22, 2009
A letter to my reproductive processes
Hello, old friend.
I thought you might be coming, although I had hoped you wouldn't.
I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other for the next 15 years or so. I can't say I'm looking forward to our monthly get togethers. You make me so emotional, reminding me of things I'll never have again, which makes me sad even though I don't necessarily want those things. You also turn me into a fat bloaty bitch, and spend a day or two punching me in the gut. And the mess! Oy! There has to be a better way.
I guess I should be grateful that I managed to dodge your visits for nearly 6 years. I hear most girls aren't so lucky.
Welcome back. Now will you leave already?
Love,
Me
Posted by me at 8:32 AM | Comments (0)
May 21, 2009
TMI
A few days after I night weaned Owen, my body started going haywire. My weight is fluctuating wildly, daily. I've gone from Sahara to oasis, been bloaty and crampy and probably moody (although who would be able to tell?)
It's like I'm having my period, but without, well, the period.
I figured my hormones are adjusting to Owen finally eating less often than a newborn, but shouldn't that be over by now? I mean, I stopped feeding him overnight weeks ago, and the weight and bloating is still out of control.
Worse, I'm not sure he's getting enough to drink anymore. And I don't mean that I think he should still be getting a ton of calories from boob juice, but he doesn't do much drinking from cups, and he seems to be a bit parched in the diaper area, if you know what I mean. (Also, I would nurse him until he left for college if it would make/keep me skinny without the need for exercise.)(I don't kid.)
I'm about to call my doc and get my thyroid rechecked, since it's probably the most quantitative thing I can do (and I'm about due for a recheck, anyway, so I don't have to worry about looking like a hypochondriac, for once.)
What else would make my body go haywire like this?
Posted by me at 8:36 AM | Comments (0)
May 14, 2009
Bubbles!
Posted by me at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)
I totally could have taken him!
Today was Katie's last day of preschool for the year, and I'm pissed. And maybe feeling a little guilty, too.
See, for the last year and a half, Katie has been complaining about this kid in her class. Let's call him Heath(en). Heath is something of a wild child, disruptive, uncooperative and according to Katie, a bit mean. She would tell stories of him hitting or biting other kids (generally boys), although when I questioned her closely, never her. That didn't keep her from worrying that he was going to mistreat her, to the point that I actually asked a couple of the other parents if they had heard about any of Heath's misdeeds from their own kids, and if the other girls shared Katie's fears. None of the other kids seemed to have any major concerns, so I figured Katie was blowing things a bit out of proportion.
Meanwhile, I made sure Katie knew to tell her teacher if Heath ever hurt her in any way, and told her it was perfectly acceptable to use her TKD training to block him and protect herself FIRST. He was a frequent topic of conversation, and for that reason I felt like we were on top of the situation. Of course, with Heath being such a worry to her, I've also resolved to make sure they're in different classes next year.
Today, Rex and I were at the school for the end of the year party. We brought (UGH!) more cupcakes. Anyway, after eating, the kids listened to a story about bubbles, and then we all went outside so they could blow some themselves. After the fun, they all lined up to go back inside, and son of a bitch if the little boy in front of Katie wasn't repeatedly kicking her in the ankle! I told him to stop, of course, but I really wanted to take that kid behind a woodpile and have a few "words" with him.
When we got inside, I took Katie aside and told her the next time someone hurt her to yell STOP HURTING ME as loud as she can. I really wanted to tell her to punch the kid in the nose, but with my luck she'd get kicked out of school for protecting herself (although honestly? The teachers think she's SO SWEET they probably wouldn't believe anyone who said Katie hit them.)
And ironically, the kid that finally hurt her for real? Wasn't even Heath!
Posted by me at 9:38 PM | Comments (0)
May 13, 2009
I felt a tiny fissure in my rock hard heart
Katie had her 4 month well check today, and let's just say it didn't go so well.
I'm not normally a very sympathetic parent. I mean, I love my kids to death, but if they do something for the 47th time after I've told them they're going to get hurt, and then they get hurt, I give them a quick hug and an "I told you so." I mean, really, how much sympathy do I have to have after giving regular warnings? If something unexpected and unavoidable happens, I'm much more likely to feel sad and pity them and all that, but I'm still not really all that squishy. I mean, there's a certain amount of life that involves pain and sucking it up and moving on, and the older they get, the more I'm inclined to let them learn that lesson.
The same goes for pain for your own good. I know a lot of people who are all "I can't stand to watch my kid gets shots," but I'm not one of them. Do I like pinning my kids down while they get stabbed with tiny needles and screech in pain and indignation? Hell no! But neither do I consider for one second letting them skip out on two minutes of scary ouchies for something I consider a Greater Good.
For the most part, my kids take it well. As babies, they didn't know to anticipate the pain, and they always seemed way more pissed at being held down than in real pain. I think Jamie was 3 when she first got a shot and knew what was coming. We talked it over, and then she sat quietly and took it in the arm. She still talks about how brave she was and how it was no big deal.
I thought I was home free. After all, Jamie has always been my drama queen.
Katie had her 4 year well check today, and I wasn't even sure she was going to need a shot. I thought maybe one. I was off by three! Poor kid! We had talked about it some beforehand, and she occasionally got sad and a little fragile, but I was hoping for the best. Unfortunately, things went downhill fast between the doctor leaving and the nurses coming in with what must have been GIANT ELEPHANT NEEDLES in Katie's mind. I really wish they hadn't given her so much time to anticipate.
I sat her on my lap and hugged her the whole time, but this was by far, in 6 years and three kids, the worst shots experience of my life. She was sobbing and pathetically calling for me, Owen was crying in sympathy next to us, and it started way before and ended way after the actual shots. Twenty minutes later she would think about it and tear up again.
My poor baby girl, who learned to ride a bike without a single tear, is just too sensitive for her own good sometimes.
Posted by me at 8:34 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2009
Ladies
Posted by me at 10:37 PM | Comments (2)
Accomplishments
I probably shouldn't write this, because if a single nap and a late bedtime don't ruin it, I'm sure my blog will, but Owen has slept through the night for the past three nights. And by slept through, I mean nary a peep from 7:30ish to our arbitrary definition of morning, 6am.
Say it with me. Aaaahhhhhhh.
I even woke up this morning feeling vaguely refreshed. I can't remember the last time that happened that didn't involve an excess of medication.
Also, Katie got a two wheel bike on Thursday. By Friday, she could ride in a straight line to the grass with just a push to get her started. Well, not exactly straight, but she wasn't running into the garage every third try anymore. As of today, she can get herself started, ride in circles around our driveway, and brake when needed.
And she only ran into the garage once!
Posted by me at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)
In which I use parentheses (a lot!)
Last week was crazy busy, and my mom was in town, so any spare time we had from dealing with the crazy went to her.
I think I spent most of the week in the kitchen, making desserts for the PTA for Teacher Appreciation Week, mini cupcakes for Katie's preschool for her birthday (which doubled for her birthday party on Saturday, and all the extras went to the teachers, too. One batch made 96 cupcakes!), a double batch of chili for the teachers, tiny cutout sandwiches for Katie's "tea party" and about 3 million cupcake "balls" (they were actually squares) for party favors, of which 7 went to actual kids.
Rex and I also had our date night, went out to dinner for Katie's birthday day (where Owen ate nothing but ice for his entire meal. The boy is living on air, I tell ya.) and hosted 5 girls for Katie's "Tea Party" themed birthday party. The party went well, except for the part where I only had an hours worth of activities for a two hour party. Thank goodness one of the kids suggested bubbles and I had a ton, because that kept them going for another 45 minutes. I may cave next year and outsource the party to some bounce/pizza/gamey type place to save my sanity. Rex will be so happy to get out of listening to me bitch and beg for ideas for the month prior. We seem to be in the minority with this party-at-home thing, anyway.
I would say I'm looking forward to this being a more relaxed week, but we have school programs, doctor's appointments, field days, teacher gifts to buy, school parties (more cupcakes! Yay!) and a gymnastics exhibition.
Do they still make Calgon?
Posted by me at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)
May 9, 2009
Tea Party
Posted by me at 9:56 PM | Comments (0)
May 7, 2009
Four!
All day long we heard two things:
I got a two wheeler!
and
I can DO it!
Posted by me at 8:27 PM | Comments (1)
May 6, 2009
Man, do we know how to have fun
Last night Rex and I went out for date night.
We started off with a nice vanilla Coke that I couldn't taste, then headed to the after hours clinic at our doctor's office. I'm on day 11 of this cold that I just can't kick, so I got my monthly prescription for Amoxicillin.
After that, it was dinner at Cheddar's (that I couldn't taste), and then Michael's to hunt for stuff for Katie's birthday party. While I hacked my way around the store, Rex made a few emergency trips to the bathroom.
Next, Walmart, for more party stuff and Mother's Day cards.
We weren't sure when the pharmacy closed, so we headed back to our town to drop off the prescription. While we waited, we picked up some coffee and books and lounged at our local Saxby's. It's always nice to sit and read without interruption or any guilt over what I should be doing instead.
Then we headed back to the pharmacy, got my goodies and went home.
Posted by me at 10:21 PM | Comments (0)
May 3, 2009
And I can't wait
Three nights ago, Owen accidently sort of slept through the night. I say accidently, because I didn't plan to withhold the boob (although we've been planning to do that when his sleeping evened out again), and I say sort of because I had to go up there at 11:30 and put him back down. After that, though, he slept til 6 so YAY! my boy went dry.
Since he did that on his own, and we were planning to night wean anyway (FINALLY), we continued on. He hasn't slept solidly through without intervention, but he hasn't had a nighttime hit in three nights.
How pathetic am I that I'm a little sad about that?
I'm sure I'll be less sad when he stops waking up a couple times a night, and I get some real sleep. Seriously, I'm potentially days away from sleeping through the night like a big girl.
Posted by me at 7:41 PM | Comments (0)
May 1, 2009
And then she did
We're in the car for a trip to Kohl's and Hobby Lobby.
"What do we need at Hobby Lobby?"
"We're going to look for things for your birthday party."
"My birthday party? I'm so excited, I could die!"
Posted by me at 3:34 PM | Comments (0)
Motivation
I just got some sausage out of the freezer to make a frittata for dinner, but I have less than zero interest in eating it. I suppose I could pull something else out of the freezer, or pull a recipe out of my ass, but I'm just not in the mood. No excuses, I just don't feel like it. I'll probably suggest we go out, although I have no particular craving or restaurant in mind.
Obviously, I'm the best housewife/parent ever.
Posted by me at 3:13 PM | Comments (0)