So, by the by, our Beloved Senior Pastor died. Just a few hours after my committee had held a meeting in his office, at which I was sitting right next to him. That totally sucked. And our previous Associate Pastor came back to lead the memorial service, which was beautiful, but then totally sucked to see her leave again. Our BSP was less than 2 years from retiring, and had recently built his first house ever that was his own and not a parsonage, where he and his wife were going to live out their days in retirement. So sad. And our hearts ache all around.
What have I been up to lately? Here's a copy, more or less, of my report to our Church Council tonight:
1. Interim Pastor coming; he'll start this Sunday (7/23), commuting from south of Tulsa. (Except I already made a special appearance at both services yesterday to announce this, so this part isn't news.) This action only required two meetings and three sets of phone calls. We're offering $X salary, but we're not 100% certain that he'll take it. After all, have you seen the price of gas lately? I move that the Council/charge conference (just what is the difference, anyway?) approve this salary for IP anyway. (Motion carries.)
2. Associate Pastor is leaving. Cat is out of the bag now; this cat's been angry for months. Actually what I said was "The Bishop has contacted us and informed us that AP is to be reappointed elsewhere by the end of the month." Boy was that some spin. ... This part of the report did generate some questions, most of which went unasked. And the ones that did get a voice were met by our fearless District Superintendent rather than my gutless self. To which I give a big AMEN! ... Will have a farewell reception for AP next Sunday (7/30); question of the moment is do we have a simultaneous meet-and-greet with the new IP? Answer is probably yes. Oh wait, who's responsible for planning these receptions? That would be my committee. Thank Heaven for the woman who suggested an ALOHA, meaning hello and goodbye. Someone help me refrain from getting all our ministers lei'd.
(Hold that thought. Please come back and ask me what I'm doing with the rest of my day on 7/30.)
3. Remember that AP has been standing in as our youth director since our YD departed in February. Not to worry! Newcomer to our staff, current director of children's/youth music, who (by the way) recently assumed the responsibilities of Children's Ministries. will now be our (you guessed it) IYD, interim youth director. Comment from the crowd to IYD: Young lady, you've got a lot on your plate. Yes, I know! We're on it! I don't want any of our staff to be overworked, either. But an IYD on the staff is better than 2 YD out in the bush. Ah, proverbs.
4. This one's a bit anti-climactic at this point, but just for the record: On Sunday 7/23, this Sunday, when we start with our new IP after 3 weeks of stand-ins since our BSP died, we also start with a new organist!!! In fact, hiring him was the last action taken by my committee before BSP died. For reasons that aren't known by me at all (honest!) our fabulous gay organist decided to move to Connecticut. By my book, he was great, and the new guy will also be great, and our music will continue to be great, so really, it's all good. I mean great.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Gosh, I'm sorry, was I still speaking? That's got to be all. This is surely as much as one SAHM being driven insane by her Big and Busy children in the 100-degree heat could handle, right?
Let's get back to the question: CMG, what are you doing with the rest of your day on 7/30?
Kicking off Vacation Bible School, of course. Because the CMG would be the perfect candidate to lead VBS in our ailing church. You know, because she's not doing much these days. F*ucking slacker.
signed,
this is a stickup - hand over all your Prozac!
Monday, July 17, 2006
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Happy Anniversary to Us!
I was about to say "to Me" but then remembered there are two of us in this marriage. And since we're actually getting along OK lately, best to allow for the SDG's role.
So, seven years as of Sunday, June 11. No itch here, as far as I can detect. We talk regularly, hang out like couch potatoes together every night. Working pretty well as co-parents. Things could be a little (OK, a lot) more spicy in the bedroom, but I feel too tired and uninterested in that most of the time anyway. And maybe that's a part of the problem. We own this book but haven't pulled it out of the drawer in years. Just no drive. Seems kind of sad. OTOH, I've just learned that my RL friend with 4 children, the youngest of whom is exactly Big's age, is now expecting #5. She was about to have all 4 kids in school FT, a year earlier than she'd anticipated thanks to the booming full-day pre-K programs in town, and prayed to God for a sign about what she should do next. Bam (pun intended), she gets pregnant. Her husband now says she needs to be a little more specific with her prayers. Bottom line is, sex may be over-rated. That's all I'm saying about that.
Went on vacation recently and knew beforehand that timing would be tight if I wanted to get SDG a nice anniversary gift. So before our trip I looked up the traditional anniversary gift for the 7th year, found it was copper, and decided I'd make a trip to Target after we got home to find something nice from their Smith&Hawken items. Actually did make that trip on Thursday (3 days in advance), picked out a really nice Cu mailbox. Decided it would not be an extravagance since SDG has been working really hard at improving our house's curb appeal. Also wanted to make dinner reservations for here but they don't operate on Sundays. Ended up settling for the tres-cliche Olive Garden when our second choice restaurant also turned out to be closed.
So yeah, we did go out. Hired a babysitter for the first time in ages. Went to Tulsa and saw Prairie Home Companion. Thought it was f*ucking hysterical. Seriously, I loved it a lot. Never laughed about the penguin joke so hard in my life. And have been feeling bad ever since then because that joke reminded me so strongly of my ex-boyfriend b/c he loved it so much. And I never found it funny until now. And I'm feeling the crazy urge to e-mail the schmuck and tell him how much I'm laughing over his penguins this week. Probably wrong that it comes up on my wedding anniversary, though.
And then the thoughts peter out and CMG goes to bed.
So, seven years as of Sunday, June 11. No itch here, as far as I can detect. We talk regularly, hang out like couch potatoes together every night. Working pretty well as co-parents. Things could be a little (OK, a lot) more spicy in the bedroom, but I feel too tired and uninterested in that most of the time anyway. And maybe that's a part of the problem. We own this book but haven't pulled it out of the drawer in years. Just no drive. Seems kind of sad. OTOH, I've just learned that my RL friend with 4 children, the youngest of whom is exactly Big's age, is now expecting #5. She was about to have all 4 kids in school FT, a year earlier than she'd anticipated thanks to the booming full-day pre-K programs in town, and prayed to God for a sign about what she should do next. Bam (pun intended), she gets pregnant. Her husband now says she needs to be a little more specific with her prayers. Bottom line is, sex may be over-rated. That's all I'm saying about that.
Went on vacation recently and knew beforehand that timing would be tight if I wanted to get SDG a nice anniversary gift. So before our trip I looked up the traditional anniversary gift for the 7th year, found it was copper, and decided I'd make a trip to Target after we got home to find something nice from their Smith&Hawken items. Actually did make that trip on Thursday (3 days in advance), picked out a really nice Cu mailbox. Decided it would not be an extravagance since SDG has been working really hard at improving our house's curb appeal. Also wanted to make dinner reservations for here but they don't operate on Sundays. Ended up settling for the tres-cliche Olive Garden when our second choice restaurant also turned out to be closed.
So yeah, we did go out. Hired a babysitter for the first time in ages. Went to Tulsa and saw Prairie Home Companion. Thought it was f*ucking hysterical. Seriously, I loved it a lot. Never laughed about the penguin joke so hard in my life. And have been feeling bad ever since then because that joke reminded me so strongly of my ex-boyfriend b/c he loved it so much. And I never found it funny until now. And I'm feeling the crazy urge to e-mail the schmuck and tell him how much I'm laughing over his penguins this week. Probably wrong that it comes up on my wedding anniversary, though.
And then the thoughts peter out and CMG goes to bed.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Blogging from the vault, Part 1:
Thought I'd dig out some of my abandoned posts from the drafts file. Didn't realize that they would be time-stamped with the original date. So here's the link to the first installment, titled "Meet my dad, the chick."
Monday, May 08, 2006
Just a place-holder
Seems to be a theme amongst bloggers I know. I am not dead. Just wishing, at this particular moment, that I were. For no particular reason, either.
SInce I have no time to write about the real things on my mind, and since I have nothing to contribute in the way of wit and insight, I'll just dig into the archive of my brain and tell a random tidbit about my dad. Someday he will be gone and I will be sorry if I never got this non-story into the official record.
The four food groups, according to Bob (before he went and improved his diet a few years ago, thus ruining a perfectly good anecdote):
1. The salty snacks group (consists of Fritos, pretzel rods, etc. Also Snickers ice cream bars, because they don't fit anywhere else.)
2. The garlic bread group
3. The really good deli meats group
4. Brussels sprouts
Seriously -- that 4th one is the only vegetable he eats.
SInce I have no time to write about the real things on my mind, and since I have nothing to contribute in the way of wit and insight, I'll just dig into the archive of my brain and tell a random tidbit about my dad. Someday he will be gone and I will be sorry if I never got this non-story into the official record.
The four food groups, according to Bob (before he went and improved his diet a few years ago, thus ruining a perfectly good anecdote):
1. The salty snacks group (consists of Fritos, pretzel rods, etc. Also Snickers ice cream bars, because they don't fit anywhere else.)
2. The garlic bread group
3. The really good deli meats group
4. Brussels sprouts
Seriously -- that 4th one is the only vegetable he eats.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Lookit me, I'm SOOOOOOOO doped up!
OK this is going to be much fonnier for those who know me if I leave the ypos in. Which is going to be hard for me b/c I usually edit them out so quickly. OK maybe I will be the only one ammused. See, I'm laughing already.
The CMG is sufering from hayfever-gone=wild. (more giggles) I mean seriously, my nose needs its own ZIP code. I could glue the Taj Mahal together with all the snot I've exhaled in teh past 24 hours.
But I ahve been serosly craving the vino this week. An d my Black Cat bar taht I got with my last coffe purchase thanks tot he JENQ discount. I mean, seriously, why send me a delicious chocolat bar unsless youre going to provide the wine with it, right? (whoa, apologies to those who followed the link and found they were out of stock right now. But it's not like I'm offering to share mine with you. Sorry Gretechen but my love only goes so far.)
So toinight I am on: one loratidien (generic claritin) + 2 cglasses ymmy wiene (yes that's supposed to say wine) + 1/2 bag of pepper jack Doritos. AND I just watched LOST which always makes one say WTF sot that's been coming out of my mouth a lot lately along with teh giggles.
For the record, I only gave the baby one dose of Deimetapp for her (proabable?:) allergies. It knocked her out cold fr an early afternoon nap which was just as well because she's been awake a lot at night lately. WHich means taht I am been too.
I hpe I don't pass out before the husband Bryan comes home from his latest travails. So far so good, I think he's due in a few minutes. And If I stay awake i'll be able to have more of my chocolate bar. oh yeah, I ujust remembered why I cam up stairs to get on the Internet. Iwanted to know why Mike Davis is leaving Indiana. That first link is teh one that I thought would hav the answer. But this one is the true one, apparetnly: here
What's really bugging me more now is that the OU coach is replacing him . World is too small for shit like thsi to happen. (And what toes tat meean, anyway?)_ But I'm also bothered bthat the coahc's name is Kelvin Sampson. That is just not the name of areal person in the 21st century, I'm sorry. If I'm not carefl I'll start calling the guy Lord Kelvin or smthing. And I am too doped to link that last one for you, and besides my hubby is home, so you're going to have to find your own amusement tonight.
The CMG is sufering from hayfever-gone=wild. (more giggles) I mean seriously, my nose needs its own ZIP code. I could glue the Taj Mahal together with all the snot I've exhaled in teh past 24 hours.
But I ahve been serosly craving the vino this week. An d my Black Cat bar taht I got with my last coffe purchase thanks tot he JENQ discount. I mean, seriously, why send me a delicious chocolat bar unsless youre going to provide the wine with it, right? (whoa, apologies to those who followed the link and found they were out of stock right now. But it's not like I'm offering to share mine with you. Sorry Gretechen but my love only goes so far.)
So toinight I am on: one loratidien (generic claritin) + 2 cglasses ymmy wiene (yes that's supposed to say wine) + 1/2 bag of pepper jack Doritos. AND I just watched LOST which always makes one say WTF sot that's been coming out of my mouth a lot lately along with teh giggles.
For the record, I only gave the baby one dose of Deimetapp for her (proabable?:) allergies. It knocked her out cold fr an early afternoon nap which was just as well because she's been awake a lot at night lately. WHich means taht I am been too.
I hpe I don't pass out before the husband Bryan comes home from his latest travails. So far so good, I think he's due in a few minutes. And If I stay awake i'll be able to have more of my chocolate bar. oh yeah, I ujust remembered why I cam up stairs to get on the Internet. Iwanted to know why Mike Davis is leaving Indiana. That first link is teh one that I thought would hav the answer. But this one is the true one, apparetnly: here
What's really bugging me more now is that the OU coach is replacing him . World is too small for shit like thsi to happen. (And what toes tat meean, anyway?)_ But I'm also bothered bthat the coahc's name is Kelvin Sampson. That is just not the name of areal person in the 21st century, I'm sorry. If I'm not carefl I'll start calling the guy Lord Kelvin or smthing. And I am too doped to link that last one for you, and besides my hubby is home, so you're going to have to find your own amusement tonight.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Blogging from the vault: 3/15/06 Meet my dad, the chick
I've got several posts saved in here as drafts. Trying to clear them out, but some will take some editing/expanding. This one is OK as minimally is. It's a hoot b/c before my dad was retired from the Army (and divorced a second time) he used to live by a simple dressing philosophy: he picks the wife, the wife picks the clothes.
bcurrey@utep.edu says:
knock2
Jo Ann says:
hello?
bc says:
me here -- watching tv
Jo Ann says:
we're rating movies on Netflix
bc says:
ummm? what movies?
Jo Ann says:
all kinds of movies
bc says:
i haven't seen one since glory road
Jo Ann says:
you mean in a theater?
bc says:
yup -- haven't rented a dvd in ages.
Jo Ann says:
hmm
bc says:
phone calls from marketers -- hate them
bc says:
not sure i like this im thing
Jo Ann says:
thought that was why you had caller id
Jo Ann says:
(response to the first part)
Jo Ann says:
really? i like it
bc says:
caller id is ok, but i normally don't check it, i just pick up the phone
Jo Ann says:
hey, have you tried any of your tastefully simple stuff?
bc says:
im is kinda distracting, i find i dont pay enuf attention, and the lag between comment and response sometimes is confusing
Jo Ann says:
hey, have you tried any of your tastefully simple stuff?
bc says:
just the pretzels -- believe it or not I haven't cooked/entertained this year. and the friggin ind blew by gas bbq off the back deck
Jo Ann says:
oh, that sucks.
Jo Ann says:
but try the Simply Salsa, at least, for yourself.
bc says:
actually it turned in the wind and rolled over the edge of the steps, and then broke all to hell
Jo Ann says:
sorry.
bc says:
flying to brownsville tomorrow, back fri
Jo Ann says:
bry's going on the road this week too
bc says:
bought h&b matching pink sun dresses, will bring them next week
Jo Ann says:
sounds cute
bc says:
took me less than 5 minutes in the gap kids
Jo Ann says:
you shop quick!
bc says:
i hate it -- i really need to re-up my wardrobe, but would like a female around to help me
Jo Ann says:
i'm not much of one to ask, but we can talk about it later, if you want
Jo Ann says:
but now i need to go downstairs
Jo Ann says:
good night!
bc says:
ok, i'm pretty sure what i need -- slacks, better than dockers/chinos but not the $100 kind -- grey, navy, black, green, khaki/lt brown, taupe -- to go with a variety of sport coats. then a couple or three very nice tees. lastly some shirts.
bcurrey@utep.edu says:
knock2
Jo Ann says:
hello?
bc says:
me here -- watching tv
Jo Ann says:
we're rating movies on Netflix
bc says:
ummm? what movies?
Jo Ann says:
all kinds of movies
bc says:
i haven't seen one since glory road
Jo Ann says:
you mean in a theater?
bc says:
yup -- haven't rented a dvd in ages.
Jo Ann says:
hmm
bc says:
phone calls from marketers -- hate them
bc says:
not sure i like this im thing
Jo Ann says:
thought that was why you had caller id
Jo Ann says:
(response to the first part)
Jo Ann says:
really? i like it
bc says:
caller id is ok, but i normally don't check it, i just pick up the phone
Jo Ann says:
hey, have you tried any of your tastefully simple stuff?
bc says:
im is kinda distracting, i find i dont pay enuf attention, and the lag between comment and response sometimes is confusing
Jo Ann says:
hey, have you tried any of your tastefully simple stuff?
bc says:
just the pretzels -- believe it or not I haven't cooked/entertained this year. and the friggin ind blew by gas bbq off the back deck
Jo Ann says:
oh, that sucks.
Jo Ann says:
but try the Simply Salsa, at least, for yourself.
bc says:
actually it turned in the wind and rolled over the edge of the steps, and then broke all to hell
Jo Ann says:
sorry.
bc says:
flying to brownsville tomorrow, back fri
Jo Ann says:
bry's going on the road this week too
bc says:
bought h&b matching pink sun dresses, will bring them next week
Jo Ann says:
sounds cute
bc says:
took me less than 5 minutes in the gap kids
Jo Ann says:
you shop quick!
bc says:
i hate it -- i really need to re-up my wardrobe, but would like a female around to help me
Jo Ann says:
i'm not much of one to ask, but we can talk about it later, if you want
Jo Ann says:
but now i need to go downstairs
Jo Ann says:
good night!
bc says:
ok, i'm pretty sure what i need -- slacks, better than dockers/chinos but not the $100 kind -- grey, navy, black, green, khaki/lt brown, taupe -- to go with a variety of sport coats. then a couple or three very nice tees. lastly some shirts.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Who's been reading The DaVinci Code to my daughter?!
Seriously. I wanna know. Is her preschool showing The Last Temptation of Christ, and I just don't know it yet?
Big's been a faithful Sunday school student for many weeks. She's brought home several valuable lessons that we've re-enacted at home, including: how to be a shepherd (like Abraham and Lot), how to be a sheep, how to play Jacob's Ladder, how to catch 153 fish (like the disciples). In the past month or so, there have been a couple of lessons about Jesus visiting Mary and Martha. The first was the story of Martha resenting her sister for sitting at Jesus' feet to hear him speak, rather than getting up off her holier-than-thou a*ss to help prepare the meal. This week's lesson was called "Mary shows love" and it's the story of Mary washing Jesus' feet with perfume and drying them with her hair(I think Big was trying to call it scented oil, but it came out sounding like Sentsus. Or maybe Sentences. I don't remember. Not the point.)
No problem so far. But yesterday she started putting two and two together and announced that someday Mary and Jesus can get married and have their own babies. Just like in Dan Brown's book, The DaVinci Code. OK, so he wrote about Mary Magdalene and I don't think that's the one Big is talking about. And if my 4yo can come up with the idea on her own, it can't be that far out there.
On other Jesus themes, Big is still really fuzzy on the concept of death. A couple of weeks ago she was asking me about her friend Kenzie's daddy. (Kenzie doesn't have a daddy at home; she was adopted by a single woman.) Big asked me if K's daddy died on the cross, like Jesus. And even though I said No to that one, she informed me that if he did, then he would come back and be alive on Easter, just like Jesus.
Pastor Jen, if you're out there, please assure me that Big's not going to be struck down for blasphemy.
Big's been a faithful Sunday school student for many weeks. She's brought home several valuable lessons that we've re-enacted at home, including: how to be a shepherd (like Abraham and Lot), how to be a sheep, how to play Jacob's Ladder, how to catch 153 fish (like the disciples). In the past month or so, there have been a couple of lessons about Jesus visiting Mary and Martha. The first was the story of Martha resenting her sister for sitting at Jesus' feet to hear him speak, rather than getting up off her holier-than-thou a*ss to help prepare the meal. This week's lesson was called "Mary shows love" and it's the story of Mary washing Jesus' feet with perfume and drying them with her hair(I think Big was trying to call it scented oil, but it came out sounding like Sentsus. Or maybe Sentences. I don't remember. Not the point.)
No problem so far. But yesterday she started putting two and two together and announced that someday Mary and Jesus can get married and have their own babies. Just like in Dan Brown's book, The DaVinci Code. OK, so he wrote about Mary Magdalene and I don't think that's the one Big is talking about. And if my 4yo can come up with the idea on her own, it can't be that far out there.
On other Jesus themes, Big is still really fuzzy on the concept of death. A couple of weeks ago she was asking me about her friend Kenzie's daddy. (Kenzie doesn't have a daddy at home; she was adopted by a single woman.) Big asked me if K's daddy died on the cross, like Jesus. And even though I said No to that one, she informed me that if he did, then he would come back and be alive on Easter, just like Jesus.
Pastor Jen, if you're out there, please assure me that Big's not going to be struck down for blasphemy.
Monday, February 27, 2006
And in the "Holy Hell, That Hurts!" Category ...
... Burns.
Burns are, by nature, painful. That is why reasonable people take steps to avoid them. I am, ordinarily, such a reasonable person. But not today.
This evening, while my husband sulked in the playroom (which was my fault for speaking meanly to him, BTW, and had nothing to do with him being a thin-skinned lazy ass) watching the kids cavort;while mother naively twiddled her thumbs and came to share the miniscule news of the day; while Big and Busy reached Olympic heights of auditory assault; while I was holding it all together and making a kick-ass Non-Cream-of-X-Soup-Casserole using leftover pork chops, frozen peas, and the wondrous Tastefully Simple Monterey Cheese Sauce ...
... I picked up the saute pan, fresh out of the 425degF oven, with my non-gloved hand. Do you think it bears mentioning that it was FUCKING HOT?!!
After the immediate shock wore off we did the usual hemming and hawing over whether it warranted a trip to the ER. Let me tell you how glad I am that the Ask-a-Nurse didn't think it was. Our home lab recently changed to Aetna's new "cost saver" plan offered through GIH's compnay. Yeah, we see a little more in each paycheck, but after both girls' annual ped visits with beaucoup vaccinations AND last month's ER trip for Big AND me being a damfool and going for three months of the Nuvaring ... our FSA is nearly wiped out. And it's not even March.
Back to the point. No hospital trip for CMG. (That's supposed to be me; did I get those initials right?) Just an evening of my hand wrapped in a damp towel and the GIH cursing me for keeping that saute pan around, b/c you know everyone has burned themselves on it but himself. That's almost a direct quote. It was almost endearing, the way he went out of his way to be angry at Calphalon rather than at me. We've decided to sue them for millions of dollars for inadequate labeling.
Onthe plus side, I'm told that Big said a nice prayer for Mommy's hand at bedtime. And all these years of motherhood have enabled me to attempt, even accomplish, far more with my left hand than I ever would have dreamed of as a nulliparous woman. I should get a gold medal just for tonight's stellarly sinister teeth-brushing. But Holy Hell ... my right hand hurts!
Burns are, by nature, painful. That is why reasonable people take steps to avoid them. I am, ordinarily, such a reasonable person. But not today.
This evening, while my husband sulked in the playroom (which was my fault for speaking meanly to him, BTW, and had nothing to do with him being a thin-skinned lazy ass) watching the kids cavort;while mother naively twiddled her thumbs and came to share the miniscule news of the day; while Big and Busy reached Olympic heights of auditory assault; while I was holding it all together and making a kick-ass Non-Cream-of-X-Soup-Casserole using leftover pork chops, frozen peas, and the wondrous Tastefully Simple Monterey Cheese Sauce ...
... I picked up the saute pan, fresh out of the 425degF oven, with my non-gloved hand. Do you think it bears mentioning that it was FUCKING HOT?!!
After the immediate shock wore off we did the usual hemming and hawing over whether it warranted a trip to the ER. Let me tell you how glad I am that the Ask-a-Nurse didn't think it was. Our home lab recently changed to Aetna's new "cost saver" plan offered through GIH's compnay. Yeah, we see a little more in each paycheck, but after both girls' annual ped visits with beaucoup vaccinations AND last month's ER trip for Big AND me being a damfool and going for three months of the Nuvaring ... our FSA is nearly wiped out. And it's not even March.
Back to the point. No hospital trip for CMG. (That's supposed to be me; did I get those initials right?) Just an evening of my hand wrapped in a damp towel and the GIH cursing me for keeping that saute pan around, b/c you know everyone has burned themselves on it but himself. That's almost a direct quote. It was almost endearing, the way he went out of his way to be angry at Calphalon rather than at me. We've decided to sue them for millions of dollars for inadequate labeling.
Onthe plus side, I'm told that Big said a nice prayer for Mommy's hand at bedtime. And all these years of motherhood have enabled me to attempt, even accomplish, far more with my left hand than I ever would have dreamed of as a nulliparous woman. I should get a gold medal just for tonight's stellarly sinister teeth-brushing. But Holy Hell ... my right hand hurts!
Monday, February 06, 2006
Sleeping is hard work!
That must be why it so rarely happens for me. It's now 2am. My husband and I turned in around 11pm. During the first hour, I think I dozed a bit before I got up twice to shush the barking dog. Then I dozed a bit more before Busy woke up and fussed. I've become a horrible Ferber parent, preferring to step in early for a brief comforting intervention ... this means I commit the cardinal parenting sin of PICKING MY CHILD UP. (GIH: But I thought we weren't supposed to pick her up?! CMG: Shut it! -- This is the quickest way for me to get back to sleep.) Except that tonight it's not. Fingers are crossed that the latest rocking and cuddling worked -- but NO! I hear the cries again. Why why why why why? (ooh, that word is pretty easy to type repeatedly. Let's try it again: why why why why why?)
With my luck, if and when I ever DO get back to sleep, that will be when Big has a nightmare and cries out for Mommy. (Ah, now Busy cries in earnest. Teething again? Still suffering from the latest cold?) I used to stick to the Ferber plan, except when child was known to be in physical distress. Now I can't tell anymore. What to do, what to do. Putting her down at naptime and bedtime is never a problem. And she doesn't wake up every night. Sometimes she's only fine from 8pm-5am, but most nights (when healthy) she sleeps until nearly 7am.
Dammit, I've been online now for over an hour, and I've exhausted all my interests at this hour. There's nothing going on on the Internet and I just want to go to sleep! Here's what will happen if I go try to wait this out in bed: I'll toss and turn, trying to get comfortable while not allowing GIH to breathe on my face. I have never been able to tolerate anybody breathing on my face, even if I'm not trying to fall asleep. Also, last time I was in there he had an ELBOW on my side of the bed. Yeouch. My feet are cold inside my socks right now and I really want my slippers but I'm not sure where I left them.
This time when I went in to Busy's room, I was "strong" and didn't pick her up. She tried to climb out of the crib into my arms, though. I hugged her, patted her, talked to her gently, made two attempts to lay her down, covered her with a blanket, and left. Now I think she cried for a few minutes (fewer than 5) and has now been mostly quiet again. The baby monitor is lighting up, but that's in response to the music that's playing in the crib (remnants of the mobile.) The real test will come when the 15 minutes of music are up. Meanwhile, I'm so awake right now that I'm going to need another 10 minutes of shut-down time. My crossword puzzles are now all downstairs, and if I go down at this time of night, I will set the dog to barking again.
See what I mean? Sleeping is hard!
With my luck, if and when I ever DO get back to sleep, that will be when Big has a nightmare and cries out for Mommy. (Ah, now Busy cries in earnest. Teething again? Still suffering from the latest cold?) I used to stick to the Ferber plan, except when child was known to be in physical distress. Now I can't tell anymore. What to do, what to do. Putting her down at naptime and bedtime is never a problem. And she doesn't wake up every night. Sometimes she's only fine from 8pm-5am, but most nights (when healthy) she sleeps until nearly 7am.
Dammit, I've been online now for over an hour, and I've exhausted all my interests at this hour. There's nothing going on on the Internet and I just want to go to sleep! Here's what will happen if I go try to wait this out in bed: I'll toss and turn, trying to get comfortable while not allowing GIH to breathe on my face. I have never been able to tolerate anybody breathing on my face, even if I'm not trying to fall asleep. Also, last time I was in there he had an ELBOW on my side of the bed. Yeouch. My feet are cold inside my socks right now and I really want my slippers but I'm not sure where I left them.
This time when I went in to Busy's room, I was "strong" and didn't pick her up. She tried to climb out of the crib into my arms, though. I hugged her, patted her, talked to her gently, made two attempts to lay her down, covered her with a blanket, and left. Now I think she cried for a few minutes (fewer than 5) and has now been mostly quiet again. The baby monitor is lighting up, but that's in response to the music that's playing in the crib (remnants of the mobile.) The real test will come when the 15 minutes of music are up. Meanwhile, I'm so awake right now that I'm going to need another 10 minutes of shut-down time. My crossword puzzles are now all downstairs, and if I go down at this time of night, I will set the dog to barking again.
See what I mean? Sleeping is hard!
Friday, February 03, 2006
Life is complicated. Example:
Last night I got one piece of news that upset me on three different levels. How is that possible? Guess it's all part of being a grown-up.
The news: Friends of mine from church (our youth minister JP and his wife MP, the director of children's music) just accepted positions as counselors at a church camp elsewhere in the state. They'll be leaving by the end of the month.
Level 1: We're losing our friends! I took my one and only Bible class with this couple. They are sweet, kind and giving people, and they bring so much life and energy to our church! MP leads all the children's choirs and Big just adores her. Also she teaches the Kindermusik class that Busy and I are in. Busy just learned to say the name of their 2yo son. We will all miss them a bunch. (Not to mention, MP was going to help me with VBS this summer.)
Level 2: I am chair of our church's staff-parish relations committee. I should have heard this news from official channels, specifically from our senior pastor. Not sure why I didn't. Need to call him today.
Level 3: It's MY committee's responsibility to fill these positions! Ack! So much for having a nice quiet year.
***************************
Further discussion and thought reveals:
Level 4: My GIH reacted to the news by trying to be "helpful" regarding our church's employment policies. You know, because he's such a STELLAR businessman.
The news: Friends of mine from church (our youth minister JP and his wife MP, the director of children's music) just accepted positions as counselors at a church camp elsewhere in the state. They'll be leaving by the end of the month.
Level 1: We're losing our friends! I took my one and only Bible class with this couple. They are sweet, kind and giving people, and they bring so much life and energy to our church! MP leads all the children's choirs and Big just adores her. Also she teaches the Kindermusik class that Busy and I are in. Busy just learned to say the name of their 2yo son. We will all miss them a bunch. (Not to mention, MP was going to help me with VBS this summer.)
Level 2: I am chair of our church's staff-parish relations committee. I should have heard this news from official channels, specifically from our senior pastor. Not sure why I didn't. Need to call him today.
Level 3: It's MY committee's responsibility to fill these positions! Ack! So much for having a nice quiet year.
***************************
Further discussion and thought reveals:
Level 4: My GIH reacted to the news by trying to be "helpful" regarding our church's employment policies. You know, because he's such a STELLAR businessman.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Tagged: Meme-o-the-Day
Kelley tagged me in retaliation for the Kelliloo crack. Here goes:
Four jobs I've had in my life:
1. Stay-at-home Mom
2. Assistant Professor of Chemistry
3. Grad-school lab grunt
4. Ice cream shop clerk (best job ever!)
Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. Pretty Woman
2. The Hunt for Red October
3. Parenthood
4. The Wizard of Oz
Four places I have lived:
1. Bloomington, IN (my spiritual home)
2. Fort Riley/Manhattan, KS
3. Stuttgart, Germany
4. West Point, NY
Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Lost
2. The West Wing
3. Desperate Housewives
4. Survivor
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Liechtenstein
2. Seattle, WA
3. St. Petersburg, FL
4. Cape Cod, MA
Four of my favorite dishes:
1. Lasagne
2. BBQ ribs with Shiner
3. almost anything from Ben & Jerry's
4. menu item #9 from the Snow Lion in Bloomington, IN
Four websites I visit daily:
1. Delphi
2. Tastefully Simple
3. The Blog of Death
4. Hicktown Diva
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. in my own bed in a far-off dark tower (asleep)
2. dog park in Bloomington, IN (maybe I should check the weather first)
3. Washington, DC (as a tourist)
4. in my own bed with my husband (not asleep)
Four bloggers I'm tagging:
1. AK (always been good to me)
2. Lisa (maybe she'll play along this time)
3. Gretchen (bringing her into the fold)
4. Donovan el Curioso
Four jobs I've had in my life:
1. Stay-at-home Mom
2. Assistant Professor of Chemistry
3. Grad-school lab grunt
4. Ice cream shop clerk (best job ever!)
Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. Pretty Woman
2. The Hunt for Red October
3. Parenthood
4. The Wizard of Oz
Four places I have lived:
1. Bloomington, IN (my spiritual home)
2. Fort Riley/Manhattan, KS
3. Stuttgart, Germany
4. West Point, NY
Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Lost
2. The West Wing
3. Desperate Housewives
4. Survivor
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Liechtenstein
2. Seattle, WA
3. St. Petersburg, FL
4. Cape Cod, MA
Four of my favorite dishes:
1. Lasagne
2. BBQ ribs with Shiner
3. almost anything from Ben & Jerry's
4. menu item #9 from the Snow Lion in Bloomington, IN
Four websites I visit daily:
1. Delphi
2. Tastefully Simple
3. The Blog of Death
4. Hicktown Diva
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. in my own bed in a far-off dark tower (asleep)
2. dog park in Bloomington, IN (maybe I should check the weather first)
3. Washington, DC (as a tourist)
4. in my own bed with my husband (not asleep)
Four bloggers I'm tagging:
1. AK (always been good to me)
2. Lisa (maybe she'll play along this time)
3. Gretchen (bringing her into the fold)
4. Donovan el Curioso
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Well, that was no fun.
Does anybody else remember that old old episode of ER, back in the young Mark Green days, when the ER was super backed-up, and there was a kid with a severerly cut finger(?) whose mom kept asking "when are they going to see my son?!" and of course everyone in the ER was cranky and out of sorts, and by the time the kid finally did see the doctor, it was about 6 hours after the injury had occurred, so protocol wouldn't even allow Mark to suture it, so that entire wait had been a waste of time, and MG was so upset by this that he gathered his team and they triaged the waiting room armed with nothing but their stethoscopes and ballpoint pens?
I was so afraid this was going to be us Friday night.
Yes, my Big Girl suffered a fall in the bathroom and cut the back of her head, probably on the archaic door handles on the cabinets. This happened while mi esposo and I were at a church leaders' banquet in the basement of our church -- read, no cell phone reception! By the time I got the message(s) from my mother what had happened, it was nearly an hour after her fall, and we were on our way home anyway. She was doing fine by then, but Mom still had concerns that the cut needed to be looked at.
(So many things to kick ourselves over in the meantime: Why didn't I make Big put the stool back into the bathroom, or do it myself? Why did we think it was OK to take the car with the carseats and leave my mom with no safe way to get the kids to the hospital herself, should it be necessary? Why didn't I leave Mom with more emergency numbers? Why didn't I know that the church phone would ring downstairs if somebody called?)
At home, both parents looked at the cut, consulted the guidebook from the ped's office, and determined that it really did need professional attention. Decided that mom should come with me to answer questions. By the time we got in the car it was probably 9pm. (Hooray, that new road to the hospital sure came in handy!)
ER pretty busy. We waited a couple of hours to see the triage nurse. During this time, Big kept herself pretty entertained with the books I had on hand, the crayons and worksheets from the ER liaison, etc. But she dropped a crayon under the table and then BUMPED her head again coming up, which reopened the wound and got a bit more blood everywhere. Yeah, won't be telling the husband that little fact! After triage, we sat in a different waiting room, where there were a few other kids. They all had fun being goofy with each other, which helped pass the time. (A little baby next to us, same age as Busy but several pounds lighter, was sick with a nasty unbreathable cold; Big kept getting concerned and asking why the baby was crying. Kinda sweet.) Oh, and during this time, Big told the "real" story about her fall. Something about dancing around on the counter pretending an episode of Blue's Clues. Totally believable about her. I think I'll start sewing bubble wrap into her clothes and hats tomorrow.
Finally around 1am we got to an exam room, saw a doc, etc. I asked her if we were too late for treatment since it had now been almost 6 hours since the injury occurred, but she assured me we were OK. Verdict = needs 2-3 staples. Yeah, we could numb that, but (a) we'd have to shave the area, keep us there longer, and (b) would hurt just as much as the staples themselves. Knowing how much Big HATES having shots (she just suffered 4 booster shots earlier this month), decided to skip that step. The choice of a bad mom? Geese, I hope not. Had my doubts when Staple#2 wouldn't stay in and it took the doc 3 attempts; Big's face was a horrifying mix of pain and shock. The process leads me to realize that staples as a medical tool really skeeve me. Especially when applied to the skull of my precious girl. It just turns my stomach to look at them.
The anticlimax: Home by 1:30am. Put sleeping Big to bed, cursed when the inevitable commotion woke up Busy, sat with her a few minutes, then turned in myself. I was starving by this point, since I hadn't eaten my usual 2-3 desserts during the hospital time. And HEY, only six more hours until we had to be back at the church for a f*ucking "coaching conference" for church leaders. My buddies at the table only had to enforce my long-standing "don't wake me unless I'm actually snoring" rule once; thank God nobody turned out the lights!
Not much to report from Saturday morning. Got a small earful from GIH over whether we LIED to the hospital staff by stating that Big had no LOC, rather than the probably-more-truthful I-dunno. Fretted a while, wondering whether she would wake up OK. But she did, and that's about it. We go back in 7 days to have the stitches out.
ADDENDUM: Cursing myself again over the latest discovery, after I finally got Big into the bathtub and rinsed her hair. (The ER nurse told us to put her in the shower right away when we got home, but since it was so late and she was already sleeping, we bagged it. Another eyebrow raised by the GIH, but I don't really care. He'd been asleep since 9:30pm on this particular night, and has no right to criticize the choices of the sleep-deprived women who had been dealing with the matter for 6 hours.) Oh, but the discovery is that Big has a MASSIVE bump on the back of her head, a few inches away from the wound that was treated. So she slipped off the counter, cut her head on the cabinet handles, then landed on the tile floor. I'm nervous now. Keeping my eye on the bump and will probably call her doctor about it Monday. So far, nobody else in my family has noticed, and Big's not complaining about it herself, so maybe it's just nothing. A bump could be nothing, right? Right?
I was so afraid this was going to be us Friday night.
Yes, my Big Girl suffered a fall in the bathroom and cut the back of her head, probably on the archaic door handles on the cabinets. This happened while mi esposo and I were at a church leaders' banquet in the basement of our church -- read, no cell phone reception! By the time I got the message(s) from my mother what had happened, it was nearly an hour after her fall, and we were on our way home anyway. She was doing fine by then, but Mom still had concerns that the cut needed to be looked at.
(So many things to kick ourselves over in the meantime: Why didn't I make Big put the stool back into the bathroom, or do it myself? Why did we think it was OK to take the car with the carseats and leave my mom with no safe way to get the kids to the hospital herself, should it be necessary? Why didn't I leave Mom with more emergency numbers? Why didn't I know that the church phone would ring downstairs if somebody called?)
At home, both parents looked at the cut, consulted the guidebook from the ped's office, and determined that it really did need professional attention. Decided that mom should come with me to answer questions. By the time we got in the car it was probably 9pm. (Hooray, that new road to the hospital sure came in handy!)
ER pretty busy. We waited a couple of hours to see the triage nurse. During this time, Big kept herself pretty entertained with the books I had on hand, the crayons and worksheets from the ER liaison, etc. But she dropped a crayon under the table and then BUMPED her head again coming up, which reopened the wound and got a bit more blood everywhere. Yeah, won't be telling the husband that little fact! After triage, we sat in a different waiting room, where there were a few other kids. They all had fun being goofy with each other, which helped pass the time. (A little baby next to us, same age as Busy but several pounds lighter, was sick with a nasty unbreathable cold; Big kept getting concerned and asking why the baby was crying. Kinda sweet.) Oh, and during this time, Big told the "real" story about her fall. Something about dancing around on the counter pretending an episode of Blue's Clues. Totally believable about her. I think I'll start sewing bubble wrap into her clothes and hats tomorrow.
Finally around 1am we got to an exam room, saw a doc, etc. I asked her if we were too late for treatment since it had now been almost 6 hours since the injury occurred, but she assured me we were OK. Verdict = needs 2-3 staples. Yeah, we could numb that, but (a) we'd have to shave the area, keep us there longer, and (b) would hurt just as much as the staples themselves. Knowing how much Big HATES having shots (she just suffered 4 booster shots earlier this month), decided to skip that step. The choice of a bad mom? Geese, I hope not. Had my doubts when Staple#2 wouldn't stay in and it took the doc 3 attempts; Big's face was a horrifying mix of pain and shock. The process leads me to realize that staples as a medical tool really skeeve me. Especially when applied to the skull of my precious girl. It just turns my stomach to look at them.
The anticlimax: Home by 1:30am. Put sleeping Big to bed, cursed when the inevitable commotion woke up Busy, sat with her a few minutes, then turned in myself. I was starving by this point, since I hadn't eaten my usual 2-3 desserts during the hospital time. And HEY, only six more hours until we had to be back at the church for a f*ucking "coaching conference" for church leaders. My buddies at the table only had to enforce my long-standing "don't wake me unless I'm actually snoring" rule once; thank God nobody turned out the lights!
Not much to report from Saturday morning. Got a small earful from GIH over whether we LIED to the hospital staff by stating that Big had no LOC, rather than the probably-more-truthful I-dunno. Fretted a while, wondering whether she would wake up OK. But she did, and that's about it. We go back in 7 days to have the stitches out.
ADDENDUM: Cursing myself again over the latest discovery, after I finally got Big into the bathtub and rinsed her hair. (The ER nurse told us to put her in the shower right away when we got home, but since it was so late and she was already sleeping, we bagged it. Another eyebrow raised by the GIH, but I don't really care. He'd been asleep since 9:30pm on this particular night, and has no right to criticize the choices of the sleep-deprived women who had been dealing with the matter for 6 hours.) Oh, but the discovery is that Big has a MASSIVE bump on the back of her head, a few inches away from the wound that was treated. So she slipped off the counter, cut her head on the cabinet handles, then landed on the tile floor. I'm nervous now. Keeping my eye on the bump and will probably call her doctor about it Monday. So far, nobody else in my family has noticed, and Big's not complaining about it herself, so maybe it's just nothing. A bump could be nothing, right? Right?
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Top Ten: Things I do that piss my husband off
1. I buy milk at Braum’s rather than the grocery store. The milk from Braum’s is cheaper (currently $2.49/gallon) than milk from the other stores, tastes better, and is better for you (concentrated, to give more protein and fat per fluid ounce.) However, this is WRONG because (a) it requires extra errands to buy milk (Braum's quit selling groceries at the drive-through window about a year ago) and (b) Braum's milk jugs have an extra seal on them that requires disposal in the trash -- sometimes I don't throw it in the trash right away, thereby creating extra work for my husband.
2. I subscribe to the local newspaper. Yes, I pay good money for yesterday's news and for the privilege of leaving newspaper sections all over the house for GIH to discard.
3. I play with my children. A LOT. During the day I sit and read with them, play pretend games, and supervise various craft projects. After dinner I play chase with them and let them crawl all over me. I DO let them watch TV and videos, but sometimes instead of "getting stuff done" during that time, I use it for internet time. And then the kids pester other adults (read, GIH) to play with them. too.
4. I pick my toenails rather than clip them. Maybe this is gross. Apparently it is. But farting is not. Go figure!
5. I burn myself on the oven rack or toaster occasionally. Especially the latter, lately, because my little bamboo tongs that are supposed to help me remove things from the toaster have been misplaced. More specifically, they have been misplaced by the person in our house whose job it is to put away the dishes. Hint ... that's not the ChemMom!
6. I have established places for kitchen items to go. Like the spreaders, cookie scoops, and various small gadgets, which all reside in the drawer next to the refrigerator. And the ice cream scoop ... but NOT the corkscrew or the chip clips. These live in the second drawer down, next to the dishwasher. And in the main dinner utensil drawer, I have TWO separate compartments for spoons and two for forks (sorted by size.) And the knife block has a specific slot for each knife, and they're all supposed to go in with the blade facing to the right. (Actually, I'm not sure he even knows that last part, but he'd be pissed if he did.)
7. I buy and read parenting books. This is a triple sin because (a) it is throwing money away, (b) it's indulging what I want without asking for approval, and (c) it's taking the word of some "expert" and forcing it into our household routine.
8. I come from a dysfunctional family. Yes, the precious daughters of the GIH share the curse of my mother's genes. They are destined to repeat Item#5 over and over again! They might even grow up and ask their husbands to attend couples' therapy. The genes from IL are, of course, perfect.
9. Because of the childhood influences of #8, I tend to throw, hit, or kick things when I am angry. In the past few years, that has meant doors and walls rather than children. Yes, I did kick a hole in a door in 2003. I'm not proud of it. See #10.
10. I apply my photographic memory to almost anything rather than financial planning. I remember enough about who said/did what to not be blamed for all holes in all doors. Our current house has a broken door to the master bedroom. It's been that way since before we moved in; I remember noticing it when the realtor first showed us the house. A few months ago I committed the heresy of not admitting that I broke the door in a fit of rage.
God, I'm an evil bitch.
2. I subscribe to the local newspaper. Yes, I pay good money for yesterday's news and for the privilege of leaving newspaper sections all over the house for GIH to discard.
3. I play with my children. A LOT. During the day I sit and read with them, play pretend games, and supervise various craft projects. After dinner I play chase with them and let them crawl all over me. I DO let them watch TV and videos, but sometimes instead of "getting stuff done" during that time, I use it for internet time. And then the kids pester other adults (read, GIH) to play with them. too.
4. I pick my toenails rather than clip them. Maybe this is gross. Apparently it is. But farting is not. Go figure!
5. I burn myself on the oven rack or toaster occasionally. Especially the latter, lately, because my little bamboo tongs that are supposed to help me remove things from the toaster have been misplaced. More specifically, they have been misplaced by the person in our house whose job it is to put away the dishes. Hint ... that's not the ChemMom!
6. I have established places for kitchen items to go. Like the spreaders, cookie scoops, and various small gadgets, which all reside in the drawer next to the refrigerator. And the ice cream scoop ... but NOT the corkscrew or the chip clips. These live in the second drawer down, next to the dishwasher. And in the main dinner utensil drawer, I have TWO separate compartments for spoons and two for forks (sorted by size.) And the knife block has a specific slot for each knife, and they're all supposed to go in with the blade facing to the right. (Actually, I'm not sure he even knows that last part, but he'd be pissed if he did.)
7. I buy and read parenting books. This is a triple sin because (a) it is throwing money away, (b) it's indulging what I want without asking for approval, and (c) it's taking the word of some "expert" and forcing it into our household routine.
8. I come from a dysfunctional family. Yes, the precious daughters of the GIH share the curse of my mother's genes. They are destined to repeat Item#5 over and over again! They might even grow up and ask their husbands to attend couples' therapy. The genes from IL are, of course, perfect.
9. Because of the childhood influences of #8, I tend to throw, hit, or kick things when I am angry. In the past few years, that has meant doors and walls rather than children. Yes, I did kick a hole in a door in 2003. I'm not proud of it. See #10.
10. I apply my photographic memory to almost anything rather than financial planning. I remember enough about who said/did what to not be blamed for all holes in all doors. Our current house has a broken door to the master bedroom. It's been that way since before we moved in; I remember noticing it when the realtor first showed us the house. A few months ago I committed the heresy of not admitting that I broke the door in a fit of rage.
God, I'm an evil bitch.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Caution! Thoughts in progress
Blech, my mind is a mess right now. My heart is really hurting over how much I've yelled at my kids in the past few days. And sworn and given time-outs and then been enraged when said time-outs were met with cheerful resistance. Maybe the hormones really are messing me up. But why did it have to be THIS WEEK, of all weeks, that my friend Slacker would post about her IUD experience? I think I'm destined to rely on abstinence for the rest of my fertile years.
Along with friends, I'm in a parenting class right now. Approaching life from a paradigm of Love and Logic shouldn't be so hard, right? But I am drowning in ineptitude here. Nothing is working. Nobody is taking me seriously. I am antsy and irritated all the time from having my husband and mother watching me curiously to see what I'll do, trying to take cues from me. Plus feeling monstrously guilty for all the shouting and huffing and puffing I did when they weren't home. All I've managed to do is scare Big and take half her toys away. I understand the concepts, but putting them into practice is all Greek to me. JenH, if you're reading this, please send me pointers! Having to deal with two kids at once, at these particular ages (that's 4 and 1.5, for those not keeping track) is just killing me. And our relationship.
Blech. Just a suck-mom kind of week. KDK, please skip over this post in favor of the next one. I really DO love my kids.
Along with friends, I'm in a parenting class right now. Approaching life from a paradigm of Love and Logic shouldn't be so hard, right? But I am drowning in ineptitude here. Nothing is working. Nobody is taking me seriously. I am antsy and irritated all the time from having my husband and mother watching me curiously to see what I'll do, trying to take cues from me. Plus feeling monstrously guilty for all the shouting and huffing and puffing I did when they weren't home. All I've managed to do is scare Big and take half her toys away. I understand the concepts, but putting them into practice is all Greek to me. JenH, if you're reading this, please send me pointers! Having to deal with two kids at once, at these particular ages (that's 4 and 1.5, for those not keeping track) is just killing me. And our relationship.
Blech. Just a suck-mom kind of week. KDK, please skip over this post in favor of the next one. I really DO love my kids.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Ack! Another tag?!
Sorry to the Nuclear Mom, who tagged me four days ago and it took me this long to find out.
For those who don't know WTF I'm talking about, read this: "The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits I have" and people who get tagged then write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don't forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says you have been tagged? (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours."
So this is about "Five Weird Habits I Have." I'm starting to believe that the word "meme" must really be pronounced "ME! ME!" I keep intending to post about something more interesting/insightful than my own life, which is my belated excuse for the lack of a recent update, but it just ain't happenin'. So here we go. But I should admit up front that I'm having a hard time identifying anything in my perfect little world as actually WEIRD. Y'all who do things differently than I do are the freaks, you know.
1. I still get a kick out of using symbols and abbreviations that I learned in high school calculus. My particular favorites are IFF (if and only if) and wrt (with respect to - yes, as in take the derivative with respect to x.)
2. I absolutely must have the last word. This is a fact that I am slow to realize about myself. I'm not sure which statement makes me weirder. But it finally dawned on me as I was tucking Big into bed one night, and found myself responding to every single comment she made, trying to prolong the bedtime.
3. I notice patterns in numbers, constantly. Some are easy to spot, like my MIL's birthday (4/11/44). Others are more obscure, like the similarity between my ZIP code back in Indiana (47401) and my first ZIP code in Oklahoma (74017). See? They're both made from the same digits!!
4. I would rather spend 20 minutes making my hair look "just perfect" in the morning than spend 15 minutes on the hair and 5 minutes to put on makeup, even though the latter routine would probably give me a better look, overall.
5. Just to prove that my brain doesn't have two left halves: I helped Big create her first riddle: Where does Po come from? From Po-land! And we giggle about this wildly. Hey, what can I say? She's 4!
OK, that was pretty lame. But I'll tag some other people and make that their problem:
Gretchen, Lisa R, Nance, Coleen (got a blog out there?) and Kelley (whom I still think of as Kelli-Loo, even though she'll kill me for that!)
For those who don't know WTF I'm talking about, read this: "The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits I have" and people who get tagged then write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals. Don't forget to leave a comment in their blog or journal that says you have been tagged? (assuming they take comments) and tell them to read yours."
So this is about "Five Weird Habits I Have." I'm starting to believe that the word "meme" must really be pronounced "ME! ME!" I keep intending to post about something more interesting/insightful than my own life, which is my belated excuse for the lack of a recent update, but it just ain't happenin'. So here we go. But I should admit up front that I'm having a hard time identifying anything in my perfect little world as actually WEIRD. Y'all who do things differently than I do are the freaks, you know.
1. I still get a kick out of using symbols and abbreviations that I learned in high school calculus. My particular favorites are IFF (if and only if) and wrt (with respect to - yes, as in take the derivative with respect to x.)
2. I absolutely must have the last word. This is a fact that I am slow to realize about myself. I'm not sure which statement makes me weirder. But it finally dawned on me as I was tucking Big into bed one night, and found myself responding to every single comment she made, trying to prolong the bedtime.
3. I notice patterns in numbers, constantly. Some are easy to spot, like my MIL's birthday (4/11/44). Others are more obscure, like the similarity between my ZIP code back in Indiana (47401) and my first ZIP code in Oklahoma (74017). See? They're both made from the same digits!!
4. I would rather spend 20 minutes making my hair look "just perfect" in the morning than spend 15 minutes on the hair and 5 minutes to put on makeup, even though the latter routine would probably give me a better look, overall.
5. Just to prove that my brain doesn't have two left halves: I helped Big create her first riddle: Where does Po come from? From Po-land! And we giggle about this wildly. Hey, what can I say? She's 4!
OK, that was pretty lame. But I'll tag some other people and make that their problem:
Gretchen, Lisa R, Nance, Coleen (got a blog out there?) and Kelley (whom I still think of as Kelli-Loo, even though she'll kill me for that!)
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Feel the Zappos love!
As hard as it is, I love shoe shopping. There are just so many cute shoes out there! Although, to put this in perspective, I should point out that I have never paid over $100 for any pair of shoes in my life. So no Manolo Blahniks for me! But I have radically boxy feet (7W with a high instep) that are tough to fit. In a regular shoe I usually have to go up to an 8. I love shopping at Nordstrom's because they offer a lot of styles in wide sizes, but the nearest store is over 100 miles away. No way I can make that trip with Big and Busy in tow.
Why all of this is relevant: As many of you know, I've been agonizing over what to wear to my sister's wedding. I bought the approved bridesmaid's dress: (can't show you the pic yet, but picture sleeveless teal silk, below the knee length.) It really is a gorgeous dress that I CAN wear again. Assuming I ever get invited out to anything fancier than KFC in the rest of my life. And that this happens while I am still reasonably young and passably hot. Sister's wedding, FYI, is in Philadelphia next month. It will be COLD and miserable there, but I am assured that we should not have any snow, at least. Ceremony is at 4:30pm, and reception is at 6pm at a swanky boat club. (You can read all about it here, so long as you promise not to stalk my sister on her wedding day or any day. And if you tell her fiance's recently ex-wife about this, I will personally kill you.) Sister's flowers are likely to be pretty fall tones (various shades of orange/red/brown, probably tied up with chocolate brown satin ribbons.) The brown is important to keep in mind as you read on.
Next stop, shoes. The shoes that are pictured with the dress (in the picture you can't see) are not available, thank you for playing. So I shopped around at Nordstroms.com and at Zappos. Hit a goldmine at the latter. Realized that it would be cheaper overall to buy 10 pairs of shoes I was thinking about from Zappos, then send back the 9 pairs that didn't work, rather than pay for the gas to drive to OKC and back for a real-life expedition to Nordstrom's. What makes this an even more brilliant idea is the fact that Zappos offers *free return shipping*! No way to lose at this point!
Now is when you, the reader, get to share in the Zappos love with me. Help me decide which shoes to keep! I actually ordered 8 candidate pairs, and have selected 4 to send back. Here are the ones that are still in the running, as well as the pros/cons of each pair (note that each is available in Wide!):
Shoe A (see it in Green Eel). Pros: The green is actually a pretty good match for the shade of the dress. The eelskin is shiny and seamed, which provides visual interest that complements the dress. Cons: Color match could be better (need to look at this in daylight again.). Ankle strap may kill me by the end of the night.
Shoe B (in Black Peau). Pros: A very cute shoe! Not constricting to the foot at all. A pretty but low heel. Likely that the 3 other bridesmaids will also wear black shoes. Cons: Open-toe means no pantyhose. No pantyhose in Philly in November means a freezing CG with ugly goosebumps. Not likely to be supportive for a night of dancing.
Shoe C (in Bronze Satin). Pros: Looks much better in person than in the picture. A comfortable shoe with nice arch support. Would look nice with a bouquet tied with brown satin ribbon. Shiny fabric complements shiny silk of dress. Cons: If other bridesmaids wear black shoes, this might look garish when standing next to them (and in the pictures.) I guess I could also try this one in black.
Shoe D (in Pewter). Pros: Looks good with dress. This would still look OK next to other bridesmaids in black shoes. Pleated silk in shoe complements pleated waist in dress. Cons: The least comfortable of all these options (the instep on left foot is the teensiest bit pinchy). I think I like the green ones better.
Gah! So many choices! At this point, any of these shoes would look "good enough" by itself. Ranking them is what's hard; there's a lot of apples and oranges and coconuts (with lime!) going on. My friend Gretchen and my mother have given me input so far. But I need more! Help me, please!
Why all of this is relevant: As many of you know, I've been agonizing over what to wear to my sister's wedding. I bought the approved bridesmaid's dress: (can't show you the pic yet, but picture sleeveless teal silk, below the knee length.) It really is a gorgeous dress that I CAN wear again. Assuming I ever get invited out to anything fancier than KFC in the rest of my life. And that this happens while I am still reasonably young and passably hot. Sister's wedding, FYI, is in Philadelphia next month. It will be COLD and miserable there, but I am assured that we should not have any snow, at least. Ceremony is at 4:30pm, and reception is at 6pm at a swanky boat club. (You can read all about it here, so long as you promise not to stalk my sister on her wedding day or any day. And if you tell her fiance's recently ex-wife about this, I will personally kill you.) Sister's flowers are likely to be pretty fall tones (various shades of orange/red/brown, probably tied up with chocolate brown satin ribbons.) The brown is important to keep in mind as you read on.
Next stop, shoes. The shoes that are pictured with the dress (in the picture you can't see) are not available, thank you for playing. So I shopped around at Nordstroms.com and at Zappos. Hit a goldmine at the latter. Realized that it would be cheaper overall to buy 10 pairs of shoes I was thinking about from Zappos, then send back the 9 pairs that didn't work, rather than pay for the gas to drive to OKC and back for a real-life expedition to Nordstrom's. What makes this an even more brilliant idea is the fact that Zappos offers *free return shipping*! No way to lose at this point!
Now is when you, the reader, get to share in the Zappos love with me. Help me decide which shoes to keep! I actually ordered 8 candidate pairs, and have selected 4 to send back. Here are the ones that are still in the running, as well as the pros/cons of each pair (note that each is available in Wide!):
Shoe A (see it in Green Eel). Pros: The green is actually a pretty good match for the shade of the dress. The eelskin is shiny and seamed, which provides visual interest that complements the dress. Cons: Color match could be better (need to look at this in daylight again.). Ankle strap may kill me by the end of the night.
Shoe B (in Black Peau). Pros: A very cute shoe! Not constricting to the foot at all. A pretty but low heel. Likely that the 3 other bridesmaids will also wear black shoes. Cons: Open-toe means no pantyhose. No pantyhose in Philly in November means a freezing CG with ugly goosebumps. Not likely to be supportive for a night of dancing.
Shoe C (in Bronze Satin). Pros: Looks much better in person than in the picture. A comfortable shoe with nice arch support. Would look nice with a bouquet tied with brown satin ribbon. Shiny fabric complements shiny silk of dress. Cons: If other bridesmaids wear black shoes, this might look garish when standing next to them (and in the pictures.) I guess I could also try this one in black.
Shoe D (in Pewter). Pros: Looks good with dress. This would still look OK next to other bridesmaids in black shoes. Pleated silk in shoe complements pleated waist in dress. Cons: The least comfortable of all these options (the instep on left foot is the teensiest bit pinchy). I think I like the green ones better.
Gah! So many choices! At this point, any of these shoes would look "good enough" by itself. Ranking them is what's hard; there's a lot of apples and oranges and coconuts (with lime!) going on. My friend Gretchen and my mother have given me input so far. But I need more! Help me, please!
Sunday, October 02, 2005
FTR: I have super powers!!
The ChemMom has returned. Had a fabulous time in San Antonio with my girlfriends. Didn't kiss anybody whose first name begins with the letter C (including Cowboy). Will blog about it later, if memory and children permit.
But meanwhile, here's what I learned after I came home. I always suspected that I was special and truly extraordinary. Yet now I know that I am AMAZING. I am strong and wise beyond my years, and oozing capability from every pore. OK, that oozing bit sounds kinda gross, but the point is, ChemMom is really a ChemGoddess. (Which I did already know, but the chemgoddess blogspot was already taken.)
What is my super power, you ask? How do I demonstrate my vast superiority over ye mortal folk? Is it X-ray vision? Can I spontaneously burst into flames? Can I control the weather, bringing in storms that evocatively wrap my scanty clothing around my supersized post-nursing breasts?
Don't you wish. Dream on, Cupcake.
Here is what I can do. I am the only one ... in this ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD ... who can set up and operate this.
Ah, welcome home, ChemMom. This is your life.
But meanwhile, here's what I learned after I came home. I always suspected that I was special and truly extraordinary. Yet now I know that I am AMAZING. I am strong and wise beyond my years, and oozing capability from every pore. OK, that oozing bit sounds kinda gross, but the point is, ChemMom is really a ChemGoddess. (Which I did already know, but the chemgoddess blogspot was already taken.)
What is my super power, you ask? How do I demonstrate my vast superiority over ye mortal folk? Is it X-ray vision? Can I spontaneously burst into flames? Can I control the weather, bringing in storms that evocatively wrap my scanty clothing around my supersized post-nursing breasts?
Don't you wish. Dream on, Cupcake.
Here is what I can do. I am the only one ... in this ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD ... who can set up and operate this.
Ah, welcome home, ChemMom. This is your life.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Things I've been too busy to blog about
But you should feel free to ask if you're wondering what I've been up to:
backing out of my driveway into someone's minivan parked across the street
my husband's upcoming 2-week trip to Singapore (flanked by lesser trips to Denver and Dallas)
my sister's wedding plans
how awesome my hair stylist is
the number of gifts I've wrapped for my girls for them to open while I am away
how I've decided to forego full-time employment, for at least another year
backing out of my driveway into someone's minivan parked across the street
my husband's upcoming 2-week trip to Singapore (flanked by lesser trips to Denver and Dallas)
my sister's wedding plans
how awesome my hair stylist is
the number of gifts I've wrapped for my girls for them to open while I am away
how I've decided to forego full-time employment, for at least another year
Getting ready to kill some brain cells
San Antonio, here I come!
It's early Thursday morning. In 32 hours I will be on a plane to Texas for a much-anticipated girls' weekend. These are the ladies I refer to casually as "my internet friends" - and then I change the subject, hoping that the listener won't find the whole concept as bizarre as people did 5 years ago. (Aside - man, has it been so long since the last big Delphi "convention" I attended? But that was a different age, mostly different people, and most of the rest of us were different people too. Growing out of our newlyweds phase and into motherhood sure has changed us; at least it has me.)
Back to the point. San Antonio weekend. Internet girlfriends. Every precious one of us armed with our children's photos, but none toting the actual children themselves. Woo-hoo! I'm hiding it pretty well, but the closer the hour gets, the more nervous I get about leaving my girls. Just tonight, while I was up with my crying Busy girl, it occurred to me that I'll have to post the pediatrician's phone number on the fridge because the GIH/SDG probably doesn't even remember his name. Or the fact that we have a pediatrician. Or that babies in general sometimes get sick. Oh crap, what if she has an ear infection? And BTW our ped isn't in the office on Thursdays. Oh double crap.
Back to the point again. And BTW again, it's a Good Thing I won't be the only one blogging about this. Look for other updates and recaps from one of these ladies: Kelley, Ang, Sara (hasn't actually updated her blog since friggin' MARCH, but she did go on to have a gorgeous second girlchild, so let's be forgiving), Lori, 007, Susanne, Pammy (who has an even lamer blogging record than Sara, without even any children to blame, but she's an Indiana chick that I'm just dying to meet), and the inimitable Diva (who belonged to this organization with me ... and then six years later we found each other on the Internet! Just like that!)
Oh yes, the point. San Antonio weekend. On the agenda: Shop. Drink margaritas. Eat. Drink Texas beer. Minor sight-seeing for those on a first visit to SA (Alamo, Riverwalk). Laugh like crazy. Drink whatever's being served.
This compulsion to drink is a relatively new thing in my life, and I can't say I'm especially proud of it. Even though I went to college in SA, I know almost nothing about the hip bars, nor do I have many especially fond memories of cool hangouts. At that phase in my life, I was all about my schoolwork and my (thankfully ex-)boyfriend. Drew and I did a bunch of goofy stuff as a couple of young kids in love, but I am too embarrassed by the dorkiness to recall most of it. This trip is like a chance to relive those wild college days that I never had. Kind of sad and stupid when you put it that way.
So maybe the agenda should read: Shop. Eat. Drink margaritas. Laugh like crazy. And learn, as I did from the first convention in 2000, how much I appreciate my sane and boring grown-up life back home.
But that won't stop me from putting those Southwest Airlines drink tickets to use the minute we have wheels-up.
It's early Thursday morning. In 32 hours I will be on a plane to Texas for a much-anticipated girls' weekend. These are the ladies I refer to casually as "my internet friends" - and then I change the subject, hoping that the listener won't find the whole concept as bizarre as people did 5 years ago. (Aside - man, has it been so long since the last big Delphi "convention" I attended? But that was a different age, mostly different people, and most of the rest of us were different people too. Growing out of our newlyweds phase and into motherhood sure has changed us; at least it has me.)
Back to the point. San Antonio weekend. Internet girlfriends. Every precious one of us armed with our children's photos, but none toting the actual children themselves. Woo-hoo! I'm hiding it pretty well, but the closer the hour gets, the more nervous I get about leaving my girls. Just tonight, while I was up with my crying Busy girl, it occurred to me that I'll have to post the pediatrician's phone number on the fridge because the GIH/SDG probably doesn't even remember his name. Or the fact that we have a pediatrician. Or that babies in general sometimes get sick. Oh crap, what if she has an ear infection? And BTW our ped isn't in the office on Thursdays. Oh double crap.
Back to the point again. And BTW again, it's a Good Thing I won't be the only one blogging about this. Look for other updates and recaps from one of these ladies: Kelley, Ang, Sara (hasn't actually updated her blog since friggin' MARCH, but she did go on to have a gorgeous second girlchild, so let's be forgiving), Lori, 007, Susanne, Pammy (who has an even lamer blogging record than Sara, without even any children to blame, but she's an Indiana chick that I'm just dying to meet), and the inimitable Diva (who belonged to this organization with me ... and then six years later we found each other on the Internet! Just like that!)
Oh yes, the point. San Antonio weekend. On the agenda: Shop. Drink margaritas. Eat. Drink Texas beer. Minor sight-seeing for those on a first visit to SA (Alamo, Riverwalk). Laugh like crazy. Drink whatever's being served.
This compulsion to drink is a relatively new thing in my life, and I can't say I'm especially proud of it. Even though I went to college in SA, I know almost nothing about the hip bars, nor do I have many especially fond memories of cool hangouts. At that phase in my life, I was all about my schoolwork and my (thankfully ex-)boyfriend. Drew and I did a bunch of goofy stuff as a couple of young kids in love, but I am too embarrassed by the dorkiness to recall most of it. This trip is like a chance to relive those wild college days that I never had. Kind of sad and stupid when you put it that way.
So maybe the agenda should read: Shop. Eat. Drink margaritas. Laugh like crazy. And learn, as I did from the first convention in 2000, how much I appreciate my sane and boring grown-up life back home.
But that won't stop me from putting those Southwest Airlines drink tickets to use the minute we have wheels-up.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Calling all chemists
Especially April (can't locate your e-mail addy) and JenH (in your spare time, ha ha!) can you peruse my resume? Can't attach it, but I can e-mail you a copy. I'm applying for job(s) here (not those other ones I posted about, though). I've asked others online as well. I have two main areas of concern:
1) leave it as-is, or add a section at the beginning highlighting specific skills (kinda BS, IMO, but maybe helpful for programs that search keywords)
2) what can I do to simplify format? I'm planning to apply online and the buzz is that the software involved will distort my Word document.
PS ... re #1 ... deciding on appropriate BS keywords, ack!
analytical thinker
details-oriented
effective communicator
strong technical skills
1) leave it as-is, or add a section at the beginning highlighting specific skills (kinda BS, IMO, but maybe helpful for programs that search keywords)
2) what can I do to simplify format? I'm planning to apply online and the buzz is that the software involved will distort my Word document.
PS ... re #1 ... deciding on appropriate BS keywords, ack!
analytical thinker
details-oriented
effective communicator
strong technical skills
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