[JessFinds] Saturday Zen

Hubby is back home and all is right in the world.

We have been together for 14 years (!!!) and I always feel like my world is off balance when we are apart. I don't know if that is a sign of a strong marriage or co-dependance, but I just know that we work pretty well as a team. Which is good. Because we will need to be like a team of oxen in the next few weeks. I think all the bad will be balanced out by some really good news. Soon.

Hey - Speaking of good news ... rumor has it that my co-blogstress Marie has landed a job. She did not think you guys were worth announcing it to. So, lets throw some blog hate over to Marie.  Lots of middle fingers and hissing. Congratulations sweetie! You are one of the most focused, determined women I have ever met and you are an inspiration to the rest of us lazy slackers. You were unemployed for what? Ten minutes? XOXO.

Back to me.

I have so much stuff that needs to be weeded out before we move and it would be great if someone could line up a robbery. Put that ad out on Craigslist that I need a burglar who disassembles and steals cheap IKEA furniture and kid toys. No home invasions. I don't want to have to go all Chuck Norris to defend my Bjorkinorkinbillyblat bookshelves.

www.yelp.com 

What ROCKS this Saturday? The Internet does. Specifically Yelp.com. We live in an area where you can post a question to a targeted audience and get instant gratification in tons of quality expert answers. For example:  "I am interested in neighborhood A and neighborhood B. What can you tell me about them? Which would you choose and why" I think I easily got 30 responses from people who live in those areas within 24 hours. It is so incredibly helpful! I would not use Yelp to, say,  diagnose a medical condition, but learning about local resources = awesome.

(MarieFinds) The Lust List 2010

Jess has a Crave List. I do my Lust List. Lust is a little less practical I think. Fall is in full swing here in the fabulous Pacific Northwest. Today is downright chilly. But beautiful October chilly - cool, clear, blue, gold and green.

Things I want under the tree this year:

A classic / retro apron. (I actually asked for this this year ... though I won't have it in time for Thanksgiving, unfortunately.) For Portlanders, they sell some fab ones at SweetWares (http://www.bakerandspicebakery.com/sweetwares/).

These boots from Ugg. I have a pair of classic Uggs that I never would have bought for myself. I love them. They are perfect fall /winter boots. Perfect slippers. The most comfortable shoes in the world. And I only feel a little weird about the Paris Hilton thing. These are a little dressier, and hopefully just as comfortable.The most beautiful coat in the world ... but I will never buy it for $700. God, I love Kate Spade.

Another item I am actually hoping to acquire this year ... a new crock pot. My good one crapped out, and I need a replacement. I love that this one goes stove top to insert, but I have heard there are some issues with the finish peeling. On the market for a good one, if anyone knows of one off hand.

(MarieFinds) Cleaning / Stocking the Freezer

I have a dirty secret. It's my fullsize freezer in the garage. It is old and inneficient, and as such is a hoary mess. It needs to be defrosted. I have been trying to gradually clear it out. Instead, over the weekend, I did bonus cooking and stocked it fuller.

The Lawyer and I both have full time 8-6 jobs. (Since when is that the new 9-5, anyway?) We get home at 6:30 on a good night. Kids start bed time routinte around 8:15. That doesn't give us a lot of time to round dinner up and get it on the table. Leftovers and pre-made frozen dinners can be the salvation on many a night, especially when the budget starts to run thin. No money to go to dinner, need something fast? Pull it from the freezer and throw it in the oven.

So, Sunday I made lots of individual sized chicken pot pies. Monday a big old double batch of hamburger-macaroni casserole, which my kids both adore. (Go figure. I wouldn't touch it as a kid.)

Set the oven to 400 and you've got dinner.

(MarieFinds) Wealth and Hellness, Part II

Ah... the non-stop glamour that is working motherhood. I had to spend a couple of days visiting a client in SoCal. A great couple of days of meetings, actually. Lots of good stuff that we will be able to use over the coming year.

Downside: I left The Lawyer at home with an ear infection. And two kids who were both rocking ear infections, as well. Nothing piles on the mommy guilt like that, except ... the call from the Lawyer on Wednesday night that they were headed to the ER. Squirrel had hurt her arm.

Now, in a former life, Lawyer was an Army medic. He's pretty non-reactive to childhood bumps an fevers. S this means something is up.

Diagnosis: Nursemaid's elbow, AKA dislocated. So I'm on and off the phone with him while he is juggling both kids in the hospital. Answering questions only mommy can answer during admit (shots? Primary docs name?) Listening to the doctor pop her arm back in place. Hearing my beautiful girl scream.

But then she got a race car bandaid and everything was OK. Yup, sent her home with a dose of ibuprofen, a dose of tylenol and a bandaid.

(MarieFinds) It's been too long...

And now I have too much to say. So, let's talk about milestones.

I'm 35 now. WTF?? I'm not really wierded out about it. But it is one of those multiples of 5... is this what I thought 35 would look like? I don't know that I ever really thought about 35. I remember my Mom at 35. I feel older than I remember her being at this age. Huh.

I have more gray hair now than last year. But not a lot of it. I am sliding toward middle age in a profession that doesn't like old people. What am I going to do about that? Do I want to be a Project Manager in marketing agency when I'm 50? Hmmm...

Baby Boy is rolling over. And he has teeth (tooth). And he is just about grown out of his infant carseat.

Squirrel is riding a tricycle. And says things like, "I want to hang out mommy at library." She still gets syntax mixed up, but you get the gist. Unless you think she wants to hang me at the library. Not what she was trying to say.

Huh.

I go on vacation in a week. We are headed to Vegas. With the Lawyers family.

It's going to be hot.

(MarieFinds) 40 looms...

Not for me, but for The Lawyer. He turns 40 next week. I feel like I am not doing enough to mark the milestone. There will be dinner. And brunch. And an expensive gift I really can't afford. (probably a gift certificate... he hates to shop, but boy needs stuff, and he's PICKY.)

There has been much discussion about a trip to the coast with friends, but it hasn't been planned. Part of the issue is the weather here in Spring doesn't necessarily lend itself to beach volleyball.

hmm. failing at planning. Have ever mentioned that what I do for a living is plan? I am a PROJECT MANAGER.

(MarieFinds) My life is different ...

... than it used to be. I realize that is a given. But sometimes it smacks me up side the head. Yesterday was the Oscars. This is usually (used to be?) a calendar fixture for me. Big Oscar parties (hosted by someone else) or fabulous Oscar dinner parties for 6 (hosted by me). See all the movies, have real opinions on the winner, but rarely actually voting on the outcome. Get very drunk, possibly pass out before best picture announcement.

This year? I haven't seen any of the movies. Except Wall-E and Kung Fu Panda. The Lawyer and I had the flu, so we cancelled on my sister and her husband. They were going to come over for Cincinatti style chili. For the Oscars. Instead, we ate Campbell's soup and grilled cheese sandwhiches and I missed most of the ceremony because I was doing typical mom multitasking throughout the event. You know, laundary, changing diapers, wiping noses, washing diapers, getting bottles ready for tomorrow, packing things for daycare. Doing Saturday's dishes. So, I know who won. I saw most of the stars on the red carpet, I heard most of speeches from the next room. I have DVR. I could have rewound / paused it. But I just didn't have the energy. Doing that would have kept me up longer.

Ha.

(MarieFinds) Diapers

Miles and miles of diapers. I (note, not "we". The Lawyer had nothing to do with this decision, though he whole heartedly endorses it now.) made the decision to go with cloth diapers for the Super Squirrel. I have no regrets. I don't regret it now, with two kids, either. But, really. Oh. My. God. All I ever do is freaking laundry. Poor me. Seriously, the economics of it make complete sense. I can't justify the money on disposable diapers or a service. It feels like throwing money away. But WOW. I forgot how many diapers a newborn goes through. And I have to wash them all... At least breast milk poo is no big whoop.

Jess recently asked me this question: How is potty training going? Cloth diapering w/ two kids? Spill.

Seriously, doing a load of diapers is no big deal. It takes about 20 minutes, and I wash the load a few times. once in cold, once in hot and an extra rinse cycle to keep the soap off their little butts. Poopy diapers get scraped / scrubbed in the toilet first. The main issue is volume. With one kid I was doing 2-3 loads a week. Now it is about 4. Ouch. Plus other laundry.

Potty training largely stalled when the Boy came home. Along with the start of thumbsucking. She's finally showing interest again, but my dreams of having her potty trained before I go back to work have gone up in ... diapers.

(MarieFinds) Holiday Recap ... A week late

The deep freeze that socked in the Greater Pacific Northwest over the holidays is gone, replaced by torrential rains, flooding and landslides. Good times.

Hmmm... Christmas Eve at my Mom and Dad's house. We came home with our Outback completely jammed with gifts. How hysterical. Everyone went way overboard. My brother didn't make it this year ... he fell and broke his leg in a couple of places on the ice. Ooops.

And the Lawyer lost his glasses on Christmas Eve. Oops again.

Christmas day was extremely chill. Just us and the kiddos. I stole Jess' plan for fondue dinner, and we played in the snow a little bit.

Disturbingly, I think the biggest hit may have been the Elmo slippers my mom got the Squirrel. They are big and red, and she wouldn't take them off for a week.

New Years was nice. Braised lamb shanks and a couple of bottles of wine. We celebrated on East Coast time and I was asleep by 9:30. Mmmm... bringing in the new year like rock stars.

The Squirrel LOVED the noise makers. Is still getting a big laugh out of them.

(MarieFinds) Posting spree...

I haven't been posting. I have been lame. I haven't been online much while on maternity leave. A site I used to spend a lot of time at had rules against posting sprees. I really hope to go on one soon. I have lots of random things to talk about. Christmas. I had to buy a new tweezer. New Years. A random day trip to Olympia. Super Squirrel development. Mr. Man's growth. The weather. Showering with toddlers. Daycare debacles. Money. Sesame Street. Netflix. Responding to Jess re: complicated coffee orders.

You think I am behind here? You should see my facebook page... however, I don't link between the two for a reason. This is personal, my facebook page is largely professional.

Favorite headline today: "Devastating Deluge Looms: Drenching rain could trigger flooding and landslides for Oregon and Washington".

Anyway, these are the topics I need to cover, and don't have time today. Maybe tomorrow. I have to go get the Lawyer and visit a daycare.

(MarieFinds) Babies for Obama

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