A week of birthday

The birthday boy had days and days of birthdayness, but I think we are finally through all the celebrating, here six days later. There were cupcakes the day before the birthday, the state fair and breakfast for dinner ON birthday, party on Saturday, the movies on Sunday (unbirthday related, but still fun – The Rise of the Guardians) and yesterday my mom came by with her present for Spencer because she had to work on party day.

Without further ado, here are the newest members of our family, Spencer’s gift from my mom:

Spencer has been wanting a pet for a year, and I had been toying with the idea of a cat (even though I’m highly allergic). C has been against all animals since we had to get rid of my dogs three years ago, and while I agree that life is certainly easier without them I also think pets are nice. My mom’s hamsters had two litters so she was the current proud owner of TWELVE hamsters, so I leaned on C to agree to hamster pets. And here we are. The boys are very excited by something furry in the house although we have rules about not going into the cage and not beating on the glass … we’ll see if this is a big disaster but for now we have hamsters.

And here are a couple pictures of Spencer (and Henry) on party day.

FIVE!

I don’t usually write these except to say Happy birthday to my lovely boy – I’m never as eloquent as others, but I wanted to put some things down that I don’t ever want to forget.

This morning I left Spencer’s birthday gifts on the fireplace and let him pick one to open before school. He picked the biggest one, of course, which was a Darth Vader blanket and tote bag. His dad told him that he thought he was old enough to watch Star Wars finally (he loves the stuff but he’s never seen the movies. He looks at C and says “STAR WARS IS REAL???”

Mind blown.

Also, after opening the blanket and deciding where to keep it, and inspecting the tote and deciding what he would keep in it he asked, “Where did this come from?”

Did he want to know if it came from Target? (spoiler: it did)

“It came from me and daddy and Henry!”

“Awwwww!” and he gave us a big smile and a bear hug.

He’s such a loveable kid. Really, he never sits or stands still and I wouldn’t say he’s a snuggler, but he loves to show affection and he’s just so NICE. He thinks the best of everyone and he’s always willing to share with anyone. He’s constantly giving up the toys he’s playing with to keep his brother happy (I discourage this, someday Henry’s going to have to learn he doesn’t get everything he wants) but he’s just such a GOOD person. He’s such a good big brother, and he really is the light of my life.

Yesterday he took cupcakes to school because today is fair day, so he gets to spend his birthday riding rides and eating cotton candy and having a blast. I told him he could go anywhere or I could make anything he wanted for dinner, so we’re having bacon and eggs and French toast. His party is tomorrow, and we’re going to take a bunch of his sports stuff to a local park and have bagels and fruit and let the kids go crazy on the playground. 

Books I Read: January

 I didn't have time to read a lot, but I think I made a decent showing - especially since my first book I started at Christmas and it still took me half of January.
Dragonfly in Amber - Diane Gabaldon Dear God, this book took three weeks of my life and I complained through most of it ... and at the end I wanted to immediately get the next book from the library. I'm going to wait so that maybe I can read SOMETHING else, but I think (possibly unfortunately) I'll be reading the next installment.
Wicked Business - Janet Evanovich Well, I needed a fun quick read after that. This series isn't as fun as the Stephanie Plum books (hey, you have your smut and I have this) but it was fun.
The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls (re-read) Every time I read this, I am flabergasted by how no one came to these children's rescue. A lot of it I can relate to, but not the downright neglect. Seriously. This was for my newest book club, and I still had a lot to say about it.
Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins I had several work road trips this month, and listened to this during a couple. It was light and airy, but I really liked the voice of the narrator. It was funny and real for a teenager, without being all "like" and "totally" ... except when using them for comic effect.
The Light Between Oceans - ML Stedman Oh man, I picked this for book club which was at my house this month (you pick the book the month you host) and I didn't know ANYTHING about it. It was heartbreaking, and amazing, and sort of easy to read but such complicated emotions. At the end, I just couldn't fault anyone for their decisions, right or wrong.
Notorious Nineteen - Janet Evanovich Fun, fun, fun. Started last night, read and finished on the plane today.

From the desk of the sick one

I had grand plans yesterday to blog. I was going to start out with some good things for a Monday and then complain about how my whole family was at home and I was stuck at work, working.

But then, I got sick.

It occurs to me this morning after I slept like the dead through the night (thank you, Unisom) that I may have caught something from Chuck E Cheese on Saturday. All those disease-ridden children and my sub-par immune system. Or maybe it was book club Friday, where the adorable baby of the girl whose house we were at turn up sick by Sunday.

In any event, I am sick, I am whiny, and I want to be in bed watching tv marathons while drifting in and out of sleep. This is not conducive to a happy-yappy blog post. Oops! So here are the “good” bullet points I would have put out there yesterday:

• My stomach is no longer in shambles, as it was all week last week.
•          I’m  technically down for my Monday weigh-in (although only by .2, but I think that’s heading back to the complaint side of things)
•          My wedding ring has been found! It was in the kids’ room, between their bed and the window. I don’t have any idea how it got from my nightstand to there, but I’m just going to be happy it’s been located.
•          I finally dyed my hair, about a month after when it was seriously needed. I really was starting to feel that meme “Your hair’s not ombre, it’s just your roots showing”.

Those of you who take work home, how on earth to you open that laptop or dig into that file later? I take home work constantly (including over this weekend and last night) but I’m nearly incapable of cracking it open. I feel that if I could get over this, I could get more done and would be less stressed at work, but then I would be stressed about work while at home and that’s no good either.

On another, possibly-stress related note, I noticed Monday that I have forgotten to take my anti-depressant/anti-anxiety meds for more than a week. I don’t know when I started forgetting, but I’m pretty much off them completely. I don’t feel bad off them, so I don’t know if I should get back on them (which basically in me causes morning sickness for a solid 10 days before I start feeling better) or if I should wait and see if I don’t need them anymore. I don’t think that I’m having any more anxiety than normal lately, and I was pretty tore up last week over stress, but it was a very stressful week. It’s not really like I was making something out of nothing. I don’t think I’ve been yelling at the kids more than normal or fighting w C more than usual, and other than my current insomnia (which Unisom is helping) I don’t feel any different. I don’t WANT to be on anxiety meds if I don’t need them, but I am absolutely not opposed to being on meds for my entire life if it improves the quality of my relationships with my family.

So. I’m a little up in the air about all that.

Last night since I wasn’t feeling well my diet went a little out the window. I made French Onion soup (it was in the freezer from Trader Joe’s) and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Tonight I’m making more soup: sausage, sweet potato and cauliflower. Let’s hope I don’t burn myself this time.

Running thin

I was talking to my coworker this morning about my book clubs, and I mentioned that I had one tonight that I have read the book for but the one next week that is at my house I hadn’t. Then I mentioned a kids’ birthday party that we are going to tomorrow, and she told me I seemed to be stretching myself a little thin. “You have two small boys! Aren’t they already running you ragged without all that other stuff?”

Hmm.

I know that most people when I tell them how much I do usually say that, but in my life I don’t really feel that way. I work about 45 hours a week, and am gone FOR work about 60 hours a week minimum, sometimes more. I have two IRL book clubs and two online that I participate in sometimes. I am on social media far too much, I acknowledge. I also participate in several exchanges online (scarf exchange, monthly CDP exchanges, etc). I cook all meals for my family, and do about 40% of the around-the-house chores (I fully acknowledge my husband does more of this). Occasionally (and trying for more) I exercise also.

I also have two high-energy, running, screaming, jumping make-me-run-for-the-hills boys.

So when I wonder why I had to start taking a sleeping aide this week because I was having bouts of insomnia and I had some pretty serious stress-related stomach issues this week, it occurs to me that maybe I should slow down a little. I don’t always feel stressed, but I always feel a little frazzled and angry. I don’t spend as much time with my husband as I should, and I have far too short of a fuse with my kids.

I don’t plan on giving up any of my activities. When I’m being honest with myself I know that I’m a better wife and mother when I have these things of my own. However, in the spirit of Ginger’s new resolution (not NY, just regular ole great resolution) I’m going to remind myself daily of the things I have to be thankful. I’m going to TRY very hard to spend better time with my kids. Not more, just better. Spencer can “help” me exercise and do jumping jacks with me. Henry can tell me what color his Froot Loops are (note: still doesn’t know his colors, except pink and white. This is normal, right?) I’m going to breathe. Relax. And remember that I am lucky and shouldn’t be this stressed.





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Books I read: December

So … yo, this is late. I didn’t read a lot in December with everything else that was going on, but I did do a little reading so here’s what I consumed:

City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare you really could see November about this series. My BFF brought me the first three, and I loved them so much I got the next two from the library and devoured them as well. Fun series. Vampires, Faeries, Demon hunters … what’s not to love?

City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare ditto on above. Now waiting on No. 6 to make its appearance.

Looking for Alaska - John Green Everyone told me how lovely this book was, no one told me I’d feel like crying afterward. Very good.

Divergent - Veronica Roth LOVED. Loved.

That’s 102 books total for the year of 2012. I thought about keeping Firefly in Amber on my December list considering I started it around Christmas, but it turned out that I was only 142 pages in on a 1033 page book and the damn thing took me two weeks into January to get through. So it’s a January book. Not too shabby though. That doesn’t count re-reads, although I think only four were re-reads: the Hunger Games trilogy and I believe something else.

Bits on Friday

The fact that I’m moving at the rate of a slug today reminds me of a story from a couple days ago. So C was messing with something on the front porch, and I asked him what he was doing.

“I’m moving a snail off the porch” (and he’s got a giant leaf in his hand)
“Oh okay”
“It’s a snail without a shell”
“So … a slug?”

• We got a new couch, which I’m way excited about except that it means we need a new end table (ours is about 5 inches too short) and a new chair (ours is huge and doesn’t go with the new modern sectional) and a new lamp (with one side table our old low-light buffet lights just don’t cut it) and new throw pillows (because, come on). So yay for shopping! Boo for not really wanting to spend MORE money on top of the couch and the car.


• We’ve sold our toddler bed and love seat on Craigslist but I’m still trying to get rid of the big couch. No takers yet, but I really don’t want to go any lower (I think it’s listed at $50, and it’s a really good couch). Any suggestions?


• The traffic for the last two weeks has been murder. Seriously, very bad. Last week two days in a row it took me two hours to get home, and I live 20 minutes from work. Monday I was meeting a coworker at the mall to leave my car and carpool to a work obligation and it’s a 10 minute drive that took me 50 minutes. Car-rrrazy. So here’s to hoping that subsides. I love my new car but not THAT much.


• I’m STILL plodding along in Dragonfly in Amber. I think that’s a very apt name for this book. I like it (or I would have abandoned it by now) but it’s just dragging. I think I only have 4 days left on my ebook library loan and I just don’t know if I can finish in that time. That would normally be nothing for me (even with 1033 pages) but I’ve got over 400 left. I don’t know, we’ll see.


• I haven’t had a soda in ELEVEN DAYS. The first several days were treacherous, and I daydreamed about getting a Dr. Pepper every second that I wasn’t doing something, but over the past couple the only time I think about soda is to marvel that I’m not craving it anymore. I still want one, don’t get me wrong. But I even turned down the free soda on the planes. I have also cut down on my alcohol consumption, having wine four times in the last two weeks. One time was with my friend in Jacksonville while I was visiting, twice with dinner and then Wednesday when I was sitting in the airport for two hours. This feels like still too much, but I was having a drink daily with or after dinner. I have at least cut down on that.


• I bought a ridiculous amount of vegetables two weekends ago to make sure we had enough veggies, and I’d like to now announce that besides 3/4 of a bag of lettuce that accidentally froze/thawed in the fridge (we have a cold spot) and had to be trashed we’ve eaten every bit of it. Tonight I’m making fish with lentils, sautéed greens, and cranberry sauce and then I HAVE to go shopping tomorrow because I’m actually out of veggies. (The cranberry sauce is because I had an extra bag of cranberries in the fridge from Christmas and they were going bad so I made them up the other night). The boys will probably/maybe eat lentils and cranberry sauce only, although S might eat the fish.


• My exercise this week has been ridiculous though. Monday I did Just Dance Kids, which was supposed to be with S but he refused to dance. Tuesday … nothing, I think? Oh, I helped move couches. Wednesday, nothing. Last night I went “skipping” with H which was much more tiring than I expected. Today I did get to the gym at work for 45 minutes finally. I’ve been almost always using the stairs except when I’m carrying a lot up to work from the car, but that’s my only steady exercise. Clearly I need to get on that.


• S started doing second grade math homework this week. In a way, I’m very excited about this – I’m so glad that even though he’s not even in VPK he is learning at his own rate (which is advanced) but I’m also concerned that when he gets to kindergarten (and even more so VPK) that he’ll be too advanced for his peers. I’ve been told that they do school in pods these days so he could go to a different class for math, etc. I guess we’ll have to see when we get there.

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