Blissfully Unaware of the Chaos the Surrounds Me

#24 and #25 . . .

found 'em!

24. I would love to go curl up to John and nap with him right now, but he's getting up in a minute to go into work.
25. I was quite the Barbie collector when I was a child and my parents saved most of it. I'm excited to play with it all again under the guise of passing it on to Halle!

Double-dipping . . .

because I am a bad blogger!  If we're friends on Facebook, well, you've probably already seen this.  But this is a crazy week (a crazy life?) and it's all I've got right now!

25 Things About Me

1.  I loved being pregnant with both of my babies.

2.  Being pregnant and the subsequent body recovery was much easier at 25 than at 34.

3.  Although I really want Halle to sleep through every night, I love rocking her in the middle of the night, when it's so quiet and cozy.  I get teary when I think about missing that!

4.  I knew that John was the one I had been waiting for within hours of meeting him.

5.  I cry at so many TV shows and movies that I cannot even begin to list them!

6.  I also cry during lots of different worship songs at church and at every single baby baptism/dedication.

7.  I love the relationship that have with my son, Dylan.  Being a single parent to him for 7 years gave us an amazing connection.

8.  My hands are cold from November - March and I wish I could type with gloves on!

9.  I do not love my job, but it's flexible.  And when you have kids?  That's worth it's weight in gold!

10.  Someday, I want to have a job that I love.  But I don't know what that will be!

11.  Regardless of where we travel to, I am usually ready to be home after 5 nights.  I like it here!

12.  I wish I knew how to cook a meal so that everything got done at the same time.

13.  Dylan's humor cracks me up.  I have a hard time keeping a straight face when I am telling him to knock it off.  He is a master of timing and wit!

14.  I love to read.  Curling up with a book and a cozy blanket on a rainy day is the best escape ever!

15.  Legalistic churches and beliefs and behaviors offend me.

16.  I wish I was blessed with musical talent.

17.  I am a worst-case-scenario kind of girl.  It drives John crazy!

18.  I feel such a sense of peace and calmness when I sense God's presence. 

19.  I don't like to watch the news.  I'm rather ill-informed of news-worthy events these days.

20.  Medication and I don't mix well.  I get all kinds of loopy with the most basic of painkillers, sedatives . . . even cough medicine!  A 1/2 Tylenol PM will knock me out for 12+ hours.

21.  I would have a hard time choosing between a mountain cabin or a beach cottage.  I'd like to split my time equally!

22.  I really suck at snow skiing, but I still like it.  Just don't pressure me and I actually prefer to ski alone!

23.  I am addicted to diet Coke.

 

And seriously, what happened to numbers 24 and 25?  Hmmm.  I swear they were there a minute ago.  I'll have to figure it out later, I guess, because I'm out of here!

Amidst the coughing . . .

and mystery rashes . . . we now have conjunctivitis!  Not sure if it's actually pink eye or not, but it's goopy and nasty and really sad looking on cute little Halle.  John just picked up the drops and we got the first round into her eyes . . . only 20 more or so to go!  It's clearly going to be a two-person job.  Maybe even a three-person job!  One to hold her down, another to pry open her eyes and a third to squeeze the drops in.  Yep, we're in a lot of trouble over here!

Other than that, our weekend has been kind of mellow.  We started out in a blaze of craziness, picking up 9 boys, plus Dylan, from school on Friday.  We did a super-quick pizza lunch and then headed to see Hotel for Dogs.  We finished up with ice cream and presents at Ben & Jerry's.  That, ladies and gentlemen, is a great way to do a ten-year-old birthday party!  It was quick and dirty, and best of all?  I didn't even have to clean my house! 

Saturday couldn't have started better . . . as I mentioned (sorry, Tricia!), we all slept in until after 8:20!  We puttered around the house and ran a couple errands.  Dylan had his first basketball game of the season (12 points, baby!).  Then John and I headed out to see Fiddler on the Roof, in which a good friend of ours and his daughter acted.  It was very well done, although in my purely unprofessional and selfish mind (hey, babysitters run us $10 an hour!), it could have been slightly shorter than 3 hours.  But again, it was very good.

And then today we woke to the eye goop.  And Dylan still coughing like it's going out of style.  So no church for us.  I did a quick photo shoot at a 6-year old birthday party and then we headed out to buy some basketball shoes for Dylan ($20 at Big Five, thank you very much!)and to get Halle's eyes checked.  Came home and did a quick walk around the lake and here we are!  I'm blogging.  John'sworking on our old computers in the garage, trying to get them cleaned off and maybe one of them ready to give to Dylan (so he can stay off mine!).  Dylan is nearly comatose in front of the TV and Halle needs to be woken up from a late power-nap.  Dinner is in the oven (baked penne & meatballs, a la Costco) and I'm ready for a glass of wine.

Weekend wrap-up . . . done!

(Just for the record . . . my eyes feel itchy and dry.  Do you think it's a sympathy-thing?  Or is the eye-goop going to get me too?  I really, really hope not!)

Amazed . . .

my entire household slept until 8:20 this morning.  Including Halle (although she was up from 4:00-5:00 this morning, sure that she should get up).  And Dylan's best buddy, who is a renowned early riser.

Wow.  I could get used to this on certain morning!

12 Things . . .

6 Things that Bug Me, Right Now:

(1) The inability to plan Dylan's (belated) birthday movie plans.  We just want to take a few boys to see Hotel for Dogs on Friday.  THIS Friday.  But they don't put out the schedule until at least today (Tuesday) or possibly as late as Thursday.  Lovely!

(2) Running out of good, inexpensive, everyday kind-of wine.  I need to hit Trader Joe's or Costco ASAP.

(3) Deciding to read a fiction (based on true occurrences) book set in the Holocaust just before I went to bed on Sunday night.  Needless to say, sleep didn't come easily, nor were my dreams pleasant.

(4) Sobbing with my mom when we went to see Marley and Me and having to use a scratchy movie-theater napkin to wipe my eyes and nose.  I seriously have a rash!

(5) Speaking of rashes, leave it to me to come back from Mexico with a crazy-weird bite that won't heal and hurts like the dickens.  At least this time it wasn't on my butt.

(6) The inability to successfully plan a 40th birthday party for my husband.  Every time I make a plan, something else comes up.  I actually have tentative plans for TWO parties.  As it stands right now?  John can't be at either the one confirmed party and is working for the other possible party.  Annoying . . .

6 Things that Bless Me, Right Now:

(1) Having MLK Day off with my kiddos!

(2) The Inauguration - enough said!

(3) Heading to Sutter's Fort with Dylan's class this morning.

(4) Albuturol; for my son who has a major upper respiratory thing going on.  (Did I mention that we are hoping to go to Sutter's Fort today?)

(5) Reconnecting with old friends through Facebook.

(6) A fabulous Communications Class that my hubby and I took this weekend.  The skills could have been learned from the book.  But the connections and the God-moments that happened within all of the couples that were there were truly amazing.  Super great experience. 

It's only the 19th . . .

so my resolutions aren't too late!  Are they?

A Day Off . . .

it brings perspective and a breath of fresh air.  I am working tomorrow, which is typically my day off, so other than a few items that I'm finishing up right now while Halle is napping, I'm taking the day and enjoying my kiddos.  Dylan is at school, so it gives me time with my little one.  Which I thoroughly enjoy.  We stopped at Great Harvest on our way back from driving carpool - which both of us love to do.  She nibbles on a multitude of bread samples while I enjoy a cup of coffee.  And then we came home and dumped a huge bin of toys on the floor and have been playing ever since.

I'm going to make two phone calls for work and then I'm going to work on a digi-scrapping page or two.  Ha!  how's that for goal oriented?

Dragging . . .

through the week.

It's a crazy week at work, as evidenced by my need to be in the office (versus telecommute) three days instead of my usual one.  John has a crazy week, as evidenced by his late Sunday evening return from his military drill, his Monday 12 hour shift at the ER and his three days of classes that he taking for the hospital. We then round out the week with a Friday evening/Saturday (all day long) communications class.

And I'm tired. 

I also have some politics occuring at work.  Politics - love them!  Not.  And it's really wearing on me this time around.  (Yes, politics, when you work for politicians, is the standard.  I am aware of that!)  I need to find my happy face, paste it on, and just keep doing my job.  So that's my goal.  Everyday.  I actually sent myself an Outlook reminder titled, "Smile, you have a job in a crap economy!"  It works like a charm, every time.

Speaking of charms, I ordered myself a lovely little Valentine's Day gift from Lisa Leonard Designs.  I can't remember whose blog linked to her yesterday, but I was all about the power of suggestion!  I think I'll give it to me from the kids.  Yeah, that makes it much more reasonable!

And now, drumroll please . . . I am going back to work.  Whoot!  Whoot!   

Wouldn't You Know It . . .

I complain about my Typepad design issues and they disappear!  What's up with that?  Regardless . . . it is now officially the New Year.  Because my blog says so.

And if you want to know about the picture in my header?  Let's just say that a family vacation can get crazy when all the aunties are hung upside down at the Giggling Marlin in Cabo taking shots.  Before noon.  With all of the kiddos as witnesses.  Whoops!

Perpetual Christmas . . .

Believe it or not, I have a lovely new, non-Christmas themed design for my blog.  The only problem?  For some unknown reason, I have been unable to make any site changes, other than posting, for the last three weeks.  Typepad assures me that "they are working on it". 

Well, please work a little faster.  This is worse than leaving your Christmas lights up until March!  (Which only happened when my husband was serving his country.)  Our Christmas lights (and tree!) are at least down, although not put away.  It's a start.  Come on, Typepad . . . help a girl out here!