Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year! 2008 was quite a year!

2008 was filled with pregnancy and a brand new daughter! Really, that pretty well sums up the entire year. A few other highlights were: Lexie got her driver's license, Grandma Gracie turned 100, Katie started working as a Bridal Consultant, and Gracie was the most dramatic two-year-old we've ever had. Toss in school for everyone, and that was our year.

2009 looks like it'll be jam packed and filled with fun! We'll have two graduations, mine from college and Lexie from high school. The kids will all have birthdays and those are always fun. We'll take our annual long drive halfway across the country to see family and friends. And we'll just be busy being us.

I'm sure 2009 will have me running more mom-marathons. In the house. I think I put a lot of miles on without ever going anywhere. Sometimes I do get out, and drive all over the place never really going anywhere or getting anything done. I hope Lexie gets a car of her own in 2009 so I can quit driving the mom-taxi so much. She really keeps me running! I'm really hoping both little ones start sleeping through the night this year. I'd love to end the night time marathons! Oh, what I'd give for a good long night's sleep! 2009, bring it on!

I'm sure it'll be a really fun year because Libby will have so many firsts. Like today, she had her first vaccinations. Not fun. But the other firsts are fun and I'm looking forward to them all!

Happy 2009 to you all!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Meeting the Parents

What's the easiest way to do dinner for 7 (and a half) people? Eat out! Oh, but it wasn't so simple. We went out for the most complicated dinner ever.

The purpose of eating out was to meet Andrew's parents. Andrew is the boyfriend of our oldest daughter. Katie and Andrew really wanted us all to meet and have dinner together. They've been dating for more than a year and he is headed off to Navy Boot Camp in a week.

Getting all of us parents together was a complicated mess. His parents work and his dad is often out of town on business. I'm sure they have their personal obligations also. My husband works, and has an evening job too. Otherwise we don't really have a lot of things going on, except holiday parties and things like that lately.

For the past month, Katie and Andrew have been trying to find an evening that would work for them (they work too!), his parents and us. Finally, found one! Last Sunday. Lexie could stay home with Gracie and we'd take Libby along. She's portable. No problem...

Then we all got sick with a terrible cold. And Katie and Andrew both got called in to their jobs to work that day, so that didn't work at all. Which brings us to last night, ok, sounds fine.

But, Lexie had to work. Well, if Lexie works that means I don't have a babysitter for Gracie. I called two girls, neither one could sit for Gracie. Lexie working also brings up another problem: getting her home. She has a driver's license but doesn't have a car. So, I am her taxi. Her shift was 4 - 9, which means she starts at 4 and ends sometime between 4 & 9.

So if I find a sitter for Gracie and we go out to dinner, she'll call and need a ride home and I'll have to leave the restaurant, go pick up Lexie, drive her home (20 mins if there is no traffic), drive back to the restaurant (another 20 mins at least). Wouldn't that be polite to sit down to dinner, order a meal and then leave for nearly an hour? And pay a sitter for that?

I decided since I couldn't be at the restaurant, driving the mom-taxi and staying home with Gracie all at the same time - forget it! This is just too complicated!

I told Katie the bad news, we can't go. Lets try lunch tomorrow or something else. Poor kid acted like the sun would never come out again. She was so upset! Hmmm.... apparently this dinner is awfully important. After all, she said it was more important than anything ever. Ok, then. I'll continue to work on organizing things so that we can go.

Off to work she went. Upset and on the verge of tears cuz once again I am ruining her life. Sigh. Now I have one kid upset, one needs a ride, one too loud, and one needing to nurse - in public or not. Deep sigh.

ok... lemme think. If Gracie comes with us, she'll be loud and bored and fidget and distracting and cute. Well, cute works. She can just come with us and that solves that problem. The whole world is her playground, I'm sure she'll have fun driving us all nuts.

Now, how to get Lexie home from work. Wait a minute... who says she has to go home? She can just call us when she gets done working, and one of us will leave the dinner table, pick her up and bring her back to the restaurant turning a 45 - 60 min absence into a 15 min absence. She can sit in the restaurant wearing her Shakeys Pizza uniform, that's ok with me. Not ideal, but it'll have to do.

I'll bring a bottle for Libby. Lets hope she takes it.

My husband then had an idea. Lets cash in a favor with the neighbors. They owe us since we babysit their dog a lot, most recently, he was in our house for 9 hours being a big baby. So I called them and asked if they could watch Gracie while went out to dinner. Well, they were going out of town to pick up their son who lives with them every other weekend. Darn. Then they decided they could leave their 18 yr old daughter home and she could watch Gracie. Yippee! Its good to have your neighbors owe you favors!

Now, we have things arranged as best we can, let's go do this dinner! I'd been working on arranging the evening all day long! (not to mention trying to figure it out the day before too). Now it was 3:00 and time to get ready to leave to take Lexie to work, I have to leave by 3:30 to get her there on time at 4. We made it, I got everyone fed, diapered, and nagged at and out the door we went at 3:30. After I got Lexie to work, I decided to drop by Katie's work and tell her everything is arranged and we're good to go. Because she was still all upset that we couldn't go.

Wow, she was busy at work! She is a bridal consultant and she was working with brides. Apparently, it's been very busy since a lot of grooms proposed to their brides on Christmas Day. And the Valentines Day Brides are getting anxious too. Katie was super happy to hear that I got things organized for dinner.

She said meet up at On The Border at 6:30. Yikes, that's in 2 hrs! I still needed a shower and find something to wear, yikes!

Thank goodness for the baby swing. I got so much done with Libby napping in her swing. I managed to get a shower and find something to squeeze my post-holiday flub into. It wasn't easy, but I managed to get everything sucked in, tucked in and zipped up. Whew!

Now that it was 6:30.... how about if we meet up with everyone at 7? Lexie called. She's done with work. It's 6:30! Well, that works I guess, we'll pick her up and go eat. She doesn't like the idea of going anywhere in her work clothes with her hair up, you know, her world revolves around her hair. She had a shirt in her purse and I grabbed some shoes for her so she wouldn't have to go in her ugly work shoes.

We finally get there, with Katie and Lexie and Libby and Gracie is next door... whew! We got out the door! It took me 10 hours to get out the door for dinner! I tell ya, that food better be good tonight! We arrive at OTB and guess what. The place is dark and the parking spaces out front are empty. It's closed. Out of Business. El Fin.

Another change of plans. We'll go to Johnny Carinos.

Finally! We're there! We're out to dinner! We met Andrew's parents! Woo hooo! Mission Accomplished! Everyone sat around one table and had a nice meal together (except Gracie and their 19 yr old daughter). We ate, we had nice conversation about nothing in particular, Libby charmed everyone (and refused to drink from her bottle), and then everyone turned down desert because we were all too full. That was it.

All that preparation and worry and juggling of everyone's schedules. The kids are happy that we finally all met each other, I guess that is what was so important. You'd think going out to dinner would be easy. Not one bit. It only sounds simple.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!




On the First Light of Christmas morn
Santa Clause gave to me.... Ahhhh....

12 pound turkey
11 kinds of candy
10 dollars from Grandma
9 new pairs of socks
8 candy canes
7 pounds gained
6 Stockings stuffed to the brim
5 Barbie Dolls
4 Happy Daughters
3 Boxes from Overstock
2 Bass Guitars
and an Ipod Touch


Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Shopping while Lactating

Keith took Gracie shopping and I took Libby. I went to Kohls, which was packed solid. Of course, as soon as we got there Libby decided it was lunchtime. There isn't really a place to sit down in Kohls, so I went to the dressing rooms. Bingo! An open dressing room and it was a handicapped stall! So much better than the regular stall with just a triangle to perch on. I got all comfy on the bench and fed the baby.

It was kind of odd in there. As busy as the store was, there wasn't anyone in the dressing rooms. After a while the lights went out. They are those motion lights I guess. Since I was sitting still they went out. I had to wait till Libby was done to move enough to activate the lights again. When I finished feeding her, I put her back in her stroller, got my self put back together and strolled back into the store.

That's when I realized it. I had been in the Mens' Dressing Rooms! Whoops!

After toodling through some more stores, Libby exploded in her diaper and had her gourmet mustard poop down to her knees and up her back. Lovely.

I called Keith and told him to get some bigger diapers, any kind, just bigger!

So, I strolled her back to the van and changed her there, then of course she was hungry. So I bagged up her butt bomb, and scooped her up and got in the drivers seat with her. I was moving the seat back and getting comfy when I noticed this woman giving me the stink-eye.

She was really giving me the glare too. Can't believe laser beams didn't shoot out of her eyes and bore my skull. But, I'm sure she only had my baby's best interest at heart. I bet it looked like I was gonna drive away with my baby in my lap. But I'd never do that!

I have my 3rd row folded down for strollers and shopping, and the middle row is all carseats, so I got in the front seat. I do prefer the middle row for nursing, not that it makes any difference in a parked car.

So I smiled at her and flipped the blanket over my shoulder, then I looked down at Libby and got her latched and all that. I looked up and saw that evil-eyed woman turn and walk away, but she glanced back a couple of times. I wonder how many more times she looked at me sitting there, cuz I sat there for a good 20 minutes before I put Libby back in her carseat, strapped her down and drove away.

Breastfeeding while shopping isn't easy. Roll Eyes

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

My Blog is Loved! And I love yours too!

Yippee! I woke up this morning to a blog award! I got it from my blog-buddy, Kate. IHeart your blog too! My favorite post is one of you with a photo of your classroom and your head is between your elbows as you hide behind your desk. My dream job (paying job), teaching high school English, and there is Kate showing me what 30 teenagers at a time can do to a girl. Made me laugh and ponder at the same time.

To accept this award, and to pass it on to 5 others, I must answer a list of questions with one word responses. I'm not a one word person, so this may be difficult for me but I'll give it a whirl. Here goes:

1. Where is your cell phone? Couch
2. Where is your significant other? Bed
3. Your hair color? Brown
4. Your mother? Wyoming
5. Your father? Gone
6. Your favorite thing? Daughters
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your dream/goal? degree
9. The room you're in? Living
10. Your hobby? Reading
11. Your fear? Falling
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Here
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? Quiet
15. One of your wish list items? Book
16. Where you grew up? No
17. The last thing you did? Breastfed
18. What are you wearing? Jammies
19. Your T.V.? off
20. Your pet? Dog
21. Your computer? Lappy
22. Your mood? Christmassy
23. Missing someone? Sisters
24. Your car? Minivan
25. Something you're not wearing? socks
26. Favorite store? Sams
27. Your Summer? Hot
28. Love someone? Yes
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Thursday

I love a lot of blogs, but I'm passing this award and the list of questions on to the following:

Patty - my toothless sister, hope you are feeling better and better every day!
Bonnie - my funny crazy sister, btw, I told mom you got a tattoo (oops)
Shelley - her last post made me snort hot chocolate out my nose
Laurel - because your stupid faces are pretty cute!
Alicia - because Hannah got a bell from Santa's sleigh!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

The First Haircuts - Both of them

Two First Haircuts in Two Days.

First Haircut #1:
By Stylist Yazmine, age 5, behind the babysitter's back:

First Haircut #2:
By A trained professional at Sharkey's Kids Cuts in a Barbie jeep:



2008 is going down as the worst hair year ever! I'm still waiting for mine to grow out enough to even it out after my disaster cut. Gracie has a few chunks that need to grow out, but they blend in pretty well and the new do looks pretty cute! This should solve at least 3/4 of that pillow problem she has, and make mornings a little easier with the battle of the hairbrush.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Where is Al Gore?

Where is that guy and his global warming when you need him? I'm freezing! I had to scrape ice off of my windshield this morning! Ice! My Blockbuster Video membership card finally was useful to me.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

We've discovered Santa Claus

Princess Gracie discovered Santa Claus. She has no memory of him from last year it seems. That's good, since she didn't care for him a year ago.

She's been learning about Santa and about presents. She's catching on pretty fast too. She told me today "Santa bring presents. My presents. Presents for Gwacie" Grin.

I asked my usual question, "What do you want in the presents?"

Gracie said "Chocolate!" Big grin.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

What do you want?

For the last 20 yrs or so, I've asked the endless question "What do you want?". I ask continually because I am the Mom.

I've been asking ever since I first found myself talking to my pregnant belly. Do you want to be a girl or a boy? Do you want chocolate or steamed veggies? And I haven't stopped asking that same question. I ask "What do you want" when they cry, when I get that teenager eyeroll, when they look bored, sad, sick or excited. I ask when they don't even look like they want anything at all. I just ask.

I don't ask out loud. Can you imagine hearing me say that four thousand times a day? It's just my mental state of mind. Motherhood is endless servitude.

Before I was a mom, I didn't ask "What do you want?" except when I was talking to myself! Now, I have a hard time answering that question for myself. I think that's why I've had such a hard time with college.

Going back to college is for me. But the mom in me feels the need to make everything I do a response to "What do you want?" and so I find it difficult to study, go to class when my kiddo has a headache or cries when I drop her off at the sitter, or forgot her lunch money for school. Feels strange to do something for myself.

Libby and I were having some playtime the other day. And I looked at her and said "What do you want?" She smiled and cooed. I wonder what she wants out of life. She is two months old now. I wonder what her aspirations are? I wonder what I can do to make her the person she wants to be? I wonder what she wants.

Gracie is easier to figure out. She jumps around in front of the tv and says "I want that! I want that! I want that!" My turn to give the eyeroll.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Libby's Last Day of College

Today was my last class for this semester. The only thing left is the final exam. Libby was excused from the exam so she won't be tagging along when I go take that on Tuesday.

Libby started college at 3 weeks old. Now that she's 9 weeks old, she finished! Her education is off to a great start. She listened to the lectures, watched a film, and participated in class discussions. She not only filled her brain with knowledge, she filled her diapers in class too!

Ever heard of the "Freshman Fifteen"? Libby didn't miss out on that experience either. She is now 15 pounds! That six weeks of academia filled her out like a whole year of beer and pizza to a first year dorm resident.

Today the professor told her that she gets an A!

Now, if mommy can just pull a C or better.... that'd be great.

Monday, December 1, 2008

I didn't Sproing

Know what my problem is? I didn't "sproing".

I was talking to my mother on the phone this weekend and after telling her how I felt, she said "You didn't Sproing".

I was explaining to her that I am not healed up yet from delivering Libby. My doctor said I have a birth injury "Pelvic Symphysis Separation" aka PSS. This lovely condition causes pain and discomfort when doing one-legged weight bearing activities, such as walking, lifting, carrying anything heavy, going up and down stairs, getting in and out of the car, shaving my legs in the shower, etc. Good thing I just have a mild case of PSS and I should heal up well, it'll just take some time. Luckily, I'm not gimping around or using a walker or anything. In fact, I don't take tylenol for it. I just put up with the aching. Taking tylenol masks it and then I don't know when to stop and sit a spell.

Guess what I did this past week? Yup! Everything! I decided to take tylenol. I ate it like candy.

With my surprise visitors, the holiday meal, and all the fun things going on, I over extended myself. But I had so much fun! I drove to San Diego and back three times in four days. Stayed up too late every night and didn't get enough rest. Got up and down a lot doing things around the house, carried in groceries, stood too long in the kitchen, went up and down the stairs a hundred times, just the normal stuff. On top of staying on top of it all....

We went to the zoo, the beach, an aircraft carrier museum, and went shopping! In two days!

That's when I told my mother that her other daughter wore me out! I was aching and swallowing more tylenol. She reminded me that I'm older. I denied it. She knows better though. I promised that I am resting now, even though I should clean my house. I had to describe this PSS thing. I told her "You know how when the baby comes through the pelvis, your pelvic bone expands a bit because there is that crease in the front that is held together with a ligament... and then after the baby is born it sproings back together"

She said "You didn't sproing". She's right. I didn't sproing.