Is it only Tuesday?

I didn't post Menu Monday this week because a) I posted two weeks last week, b) I forgot and c) I would feel compelled to include my "ugly toes photo" and I was very unhappy with it. By Friday I had lost another 3 lbs, but then I got my monthly and even though I didn't eat any more than usual (although there was a bit of alcohol consumed at a Saturday bridal shower), I gained 4 lbs back. Bah.

Spencer has developed an abscess on his gum above one of his front teeth. I don't know what this means, and by Google-diagnosing I'm now afraid that it means that tooth is dying and will have to be removed (although it's been 10 weeks since he broke it, and all the research I can find says that if the tooth was going to die it would have done so in the first month). I'm also worried that they will want to drain it which will be traumatic for all of us, and that by not taking him immediately to the doctor yesterday I've endangered his life because they said that untreated the infection can reach the brain ... it's just a big scary mess for me. He could care less, because it actually causes him no pain. However, we have a doctor's appointment this morning which is going to be a horrible ordeal and thank God my husband dropped Henry off at my IL's house this morning so I only have to contend with the one.

After all of that, I'm taking my mom to get her bone scan today to confirm again that the cancer hasn't spread. Supposedly, it will be an all day affair and I've never been to Moffitt although I know generally where it is. I kind of bullied my mom into letting me help her with some of her appointments, but I still don't know what I'll say if she needs to stay with me while she recovers. I would assume that my husband would be fine with it, but I have a small house and I'd have to empty out the library and put a bed in there (I assume my Ikea futon would be uncomfortable for long-term recovery). I just don't know. You know?

All this and I didn't get up this morning for my run - I have a feeling I'll need my workout tonight to settle my nerves anyhow. Toodles!

Shin-kicking the daycare lady (what I'd like to do)

I'm beginning to not like my daycare lady. I don't think she's very truthful, and I don't think she is very attentive. She keeps me talking for 20 minutes every time I pick up my kids while the other ones are in the back room, and if she does that with me I can only assume she's doing that with every one. Plus, I don't think she teaches the kids very much, and I'm becoming very worried that when it comes time for school, they will not be prepared. I do what I can, but she's with them 40 hours a week.

The last couple days Henry has come home with a full or overflowing diaper, and while I've been stretching the smaller diapers during the day until we run out, it's a 5 minute drive home so I know he's not doing it all on the way. I don't think she's mistreating my kids (on the contrary, they are her pets) but the last straw was today when I paid based on the amount that she told me it would be starting in the new year and she told me I was wrong. A month ago she said that Spencer would be going down in price (by $40) and so would Henry (by $10) and I'm broke as all get out so I was excited. Now she said that I misunderstood her, and Spencer was correct but Henry would be the same price. So it's only a $10 difference but she's full of crap and I'm so mad I could pull my kids out of her care completely ... if I could afford it and had something else lined up.

So after fuming about it for the last two hours (yes, I dwell), I talked to my husband who told me to start looking around for someone else.

So. Anyone know of a good daycare in my area that's dirt cheap?

Stairways to nothing

This is half a flight of stairs at work. I've been going up and down them for a week, and I think I'm getting better about not feeling link I'm going to die by the time I get to where I'm going. I'm averaging 8-11 flights a day.

I started out today with a killer headache, and it's gotten better but I'm feeling worse - I think just tired because all I want to do is go home and sleep. I've been working now for a week and I've been so good about getting up on time and making coffee for hubby and me, getting both kids ready for daycare, getting to work on time. Hubby has been really tired lately and I feel responsible for everything including his mood. I know it's ridiculous because he stays awake playing his video game long after I go to sleep so it's obviously not my fault. And I have dinner ready for him every night... Anyhow, I'm feeling worn down and I miss actually enjoying each other's company - I think he's really stressed about this work thing and I'm really stressed about the money thing and between the two of us, we're just a mess.

I think I'm going to stop doing 30 for 30; it's all I post about lately and I don't exactly gave much drive to not wear all the shoes in my closet or anything. I can't shop so theres no danger of that...

Anyhow I'm aware this post is crap and I sound depressed or whatever; I'm not, just tired and cranky. Pay me no mind - 3 hours and I can go home and do nothing for a bit with the kids until it's time to make diner.

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No good very bad day

Spencer slept in this morning until 8am

From 9 until 10 he ate breakfast - cheese eggs, banana, toast with jelly - and watched Barney (blegh)

By noon: S had emptied half a bottle of medicated lotion all over my bedroom floors, rug, tv, alarm clock, a speaker, his hair, various toys and other various places. He then peed on the hallway floor and rug.

By one: S pooped in his Pullup (for the second time today), dropped a kiddie chair on my foot, ate a PB&J sandwich had two time outs and blew his nose on my kitchen hand towels.

By two: climbed in his closet to try to get his skates, emptied out his bin of balls and distributed them all over the house (the best hour of the day so far).

For the lotion incident, I've barred him from his "shows" for the rest of the weekend. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I'm punishing him or me. Here's to hoping I get through the rest of the weekend.

Not how I wanted to meet my neighbors.

Last weekend, there was a leak. It was a bad leak in the sprinkler system between the new neighbors that I wanted to befriend and our house. Mr. New Neighbor alerted me to the fact that it was in fact my sprinkler system and not his, and helped me turn off the outside water so that Hubby could repair it.

So Tuesday night Hubby looks at the leak, and buys the stuff he thinks he needs to repair it.

Then Wednesday night, he starts working on it. It turns out, there was a root about 4" wide wedged between the sprinkler pipes and the main water line. One little tap and there's water water everywhere. We don't even know how to turn OFF the main water line, much less repair it.

Enter our neighbor on the other side. P is actually one of the few neighbors here that I know, and he's such a nice guy. He's almost 30 years older than us, but he has so much more energy than anyone I know. He's a professor at DeVry University, which apparently gives him the freedom to bike ride and work on his xeroscaping and all sorts of different things. I ran over to P's house to see if he knew how to turn off the main water, which of course he did. Then he proceeded to stay at my house with an assortment of tools from his house and mine working on getting that root out of my pipes. It took 4 hours, late into the night. Then he thanked my husband (!!!) and asked when we wanted to start in the morning fixing the pipes.

What did I do? Had a glass of wine, took care of kiddos and baked oatmeal chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies for P, which I sent home with him still warm last night.

Here's to hoping for water by noon.

****edit: Here's hoping for water by two?

Don't know what to say

A friend of mine's son is dying. I've known that it was a possibility for awhile, but I really didn't think it would happen. She had problems with the pregnancy and he has had problems since he was born. There have been ups with his health, hopes. And there have been downs, setbacks. He's 4 months, 10 days today.

His latest blood work shows liver failure, and hospice is coming. I'm not sure how to deal, how to help. I've never met him even though they only live about 45 minutes away. It's just never been a good time for both of us at the same time, and now ... now I have a healthy 2-month old and I'm scared to offer an in-person shoulder because Henry will be on the other shoulder.

If it's in you, please pray for them. Pray he's not in pain, pray that she gets more time with her beautiful baby boy. Pray for their daughter, who turns two tomorrow and loves her baby brother. If you're not the prayer type (and I'm not), please just keep them in your thoughts.

Better

So last week was bad. Like, bad, bad. Bad. By Friday night my face hurt from frowning and I was falling asleep on Nana's couch during cake and ice cream for her 82nd birthday. Everything came to a head: work sucked, wedding things weren't getting done, Christen was going to start working nights, stress was falling out my ears.

So this week I've decided to make an about face and stop worrying. As for work, I can only do what I can do. Other than that, I'm done worrying about it. As for the wedding, since Christen is working nights anyhow, I can start working on everything on my own and not have to worry about what's not getting done. If I do it myself, I don't have to think about it so much. Tonight I'm going to stop at JoAnn's and get things for favors and see what I can figure out on that front. I haven't really decided what I want to do, which makes things difficult. I've been skimming through Frommers.com and tripadvisor.com to find hotels in our price range that are nice so I can make reservations pronto. Does anyone know of hotels in San Francisco, the vineyards, Yosemite and Vegas that are nice and stay around $100/night? I don't need a lot of amenities, just clean and cute work for me. And for the longest stretch, in the vineyards, clean is my biggest thing. We plan on staying in San Fran for 1 night, Sonoma or Napa for 7 nights, Yosemite for 2 nights and Vegas for 2 nights.

The weekend was good but busy. Saturday I worked at the library in the morning to make up for my Mondays that I've been taking off, and then I had a cake tasting. I really liked the chef and the cake but he was so busy. We ordered a sample cake to see if what we want will work out, and we'll have to decide on that later. I'm not too concerned, because at least we've started on it. The afternoon was dedicated to taking my mom up to Spring Hill to get a bike. That worked out well, but it seems there is an issue with the battery that now needs to be resolved. Because nothing's ever easy, right? That night we went over to Charlie & Katie's new place (a wonderful 3 block walk) and brought Lola to mingle with their dog Holly. That was a trip -- Holly kept running from Lola with her tail between her legs.

Sunday I made guacamole and we ordered wings for the superbowl. S&K and S&R came over, and we had a great time. I'd venture to say that it was one of the best time that I've had with the six of us. We had a fire in the pit behind the house and Shell and Rich stayed until very late having s'mores and listening vaguely to the end of the game. And it was a great game! I have to say, I didn't really care who won, but I love turnovers. They're so exciting! And I was technically rooting for the Colts (Kyle was the only pro-Bears rooter of the day) so things went well.

Like a whole new ring

Yesterday was a bad day. That's all there is to it. I called out at the library in favor of lounging on the couch and being waited on by Christen and catching up on shows from last week. There were, however, highlights:

I paid for our invitations, and those should come in 7-10 days from now (hurrah!). This is what they look like.

And I stopped at Jared's to see if I could get my mom's ring fixed, as it was missing a baguette. My mom gave me this ring a couple years ago, and it was the first ring she ever bought herself. It's not generally in my style (it's gold where I prefer silver, it's a baguette setting and I stay away from those), but I love it dearly. Since I got the ring, it's been missing a stone and I've been too lazy to get it fixed. It was also filthy from 20-odd years of never being cleaned. So I took it in the get it fixed, and the lady seriously cleaned it. Like 5 minutes in the steamer cleaned it. And guess what! There weren't any missing stones -- the ring was just so dirty that you couldn't see the one stone anymore. So she cleaned it and polished it and now it's like I have a whole new ring. Mom says it probably looks like when she bought it :) That makes me super happy.

The last gift for my bridesmaids came in. I can't say what it is, because they read this too, but they look so cool! I ordered one for myself too, and it has my soon-to-be name on it, so I brought it to work and put it on my desk so I don't feel the urge to show it off to my girls ... now, I just need to get them spelled right and we'll be good. They spelled mine and Autumn's correctly, but misspelled Shea's and Shelley's names so I have to send them back and get them redone. Thankfully, there's plenty of time for that. Yay for getting stuff for people!

I also started looking for something to get the parents. I found these sappy sweet framed poems that you put a wedding picture in that is a definite possibility. Parents like that sort of thing :) I need to make a list of everything I need to finish so that I can get it done -- my goal had been to finish getting everything done this week, but that's obviously not going to be the case so maybe by next week? Hmmm ... if I don't go nuts by then, we'll see. :)

Toodles!