First week down

My first week back at work is over. Working was fine, but man, trying to start the routine is killer. Most nights Xtian didn't get home until 7 pm or later, and on daycare days the kids are a mess. Between trying to get everyone organized and keep everyone happy and having fun, it's a little tough right now. I'm sure we'll settle into a routine, but right now I'm a little wrecked.

Speaking of daycare, I'm having a hard time with a few things. I like the people a lot and Warren has a really good time with his friends there. But my parenting choices are at odds with theirs. It's not the big things, but they are things that make a big difference in the kids' attitudes. The big issues are food and TV. The TV is less of an issue for Warren now (he's allowed to watch some TV now, and they have the tube on much more than I would like, but Warren mostly ignores it and plays with toys.), but so far Lennox has been there 2 days, and 2 days I've arrived to find Lennox (who is 3-months old, by the way) staring at the television.

I feel like this one is easy to deal with right now. Lennox is immobile, so I just need to ask them to make sure he's turned AWAY from the TV. I can't imagine they can possibly fault me there.

The harder issue is food. I'm not a total stickler for food. Warren has had cookies and non-healthy snacks. But those are only in special/extreme circumstances. Warren's diet consists of whole wheat bread, that I bake, all-natural peanut butter, a lot of fresh and dried fruit, and a handful of veggies that he likes. Sometimes, I can get a yogurt into him. That's pretty much all he eats. But at daycare, "fruit" means pre-packaged fruit snacks that are primarily high fructose corn syrup. Juice can mean kool-aid. Yesterday Warren let it slip that he gets chocolate at daycare. CHOCOLATE TO A 2-YEAR-OLD WHO DOES NOT GET SUGAR. And yes, I've had conversations with the daycare folks about Warren's food needs.

I've mostly ignored the issue to this point. Not everyone feels the way I do, and the kids are only there two days a week. So, nutritionally, I know he's fine. On the other hand, I know that Warren's shitty attitude on daycare days has a lot to do with all the sugar and crap he's eating all day. Certainly, some of the horror can be attributed to the stress from the chaotic environment and the crummy naps he gets at daycare. (At home, Warren takes 3-4 hour, completely undisturbed naps. At daycare, I'm sure it's nothing like that.) But the multiple meltdowns in the few hours we get to spend at home before bed are horrible.

The problem is this, I can't expect them to make special meals for Warren. And if everyone else is getting a snack and Warren is left out, that sets up a nasty dynamic. Not my goal. So, there's not really a point in having a conversation about it. All it will do is create friction in the relationship, and we need this situation to continue working for a while yet. Are these two issues worth finding a new daycare? I don't know. I feel like it isn't. But I also know that the first reasonable-feeling excuse to find new arrangements, I will.

Again, it's not that I'm terribly unhappy. I feel conflicted. I like the people and I know that Warren is having fun and learning there. I hate how nasty and fragile Warren is when he gets home. And right now, Lennox doesn't really know the difference. The only impact going back to work seems to have on Lennox is that once I get home Lennox wants to nurse every 10 minutes. And that makes getting organized for the next day really hard. (Yeah, try making dinner when you get interrupted every 10 minutes and have to spend 20 minutes with a baby attached to you.)

Hopefully we'll find our groove soon. Because, man, am I ever tired.

And it'

Broken laptops suck.

Remember when I used to write here more than once a month? Yeah, me neither.

I go back to work in a week and a half. I can't believe it's already been 3 months. I'm really looking forward to going back to work, but I'm more than a little anxious about the logistics. Xtian recently started a new job (he wasn't looking for a new job but an old coworker called and offered him more money. Hooray!) which involves a lot of extra hours. And as we all know, my job certainly involves a large time commitment. So with both of us working insane hours, I have a feeling this transition will be a little rough.

Cory is still here and providing childcare for half the week. The rest of the week we'll be using the same daycare people. I really like the people, and the other kids. But by it's nature, it is chaotic. There are a lot of kids, and they all feed off each others' energy and by the end of the day, Warren is a complete basket case. Add a tiny baby to that equation, and I fear we're heading toward complete familial horror. And regardless, poor Cory is going to end up picking up a lot of slack.

It will all settle in eventually, but the adjustment period is sizing up to be BRUTAL.

Brief update on the kiddos: Warren is alternately the most hilarious, charming, delightful thing you've ever seen, and the most obnoxious little shit you can imagine. Mostly, he's a two-year-old. Right now, at least the good stuff outweighs the bad.

Lennox is killing me with cute. He laughs and smiles and coos and gurgles at me. For hours at a time. Of course, the fact that the kid sleeps like a champ and is happy to let me do whatever I need to all day, so long as he's in the room with me, really makes him seem even cuter.

I realize that we are all programmed to think our kids are cute. And yes, my children are freakin' adorable. I can also recognize that other peoples' children are also cute. But, is it just me, or are the number of less-than-cute babies on the rise? There have been a rash of awkward looking babies around lately. (Not anyone around here, of course. I wouldn't be so rude to write that if I thought anyone reading here had an ugly baby.) But, man does it make me feel smug to walk away from an unattractive-baby encounter and look at my kids, knowing they are much better than those sub-par kids.

Yes, I am that parent. So sue me.

Hectic.

For Xmas, Cory gave Xtian a deep fryer. I'll give you a moment to let that sink in.


Yes, we are now a household who can deep fat fry ANYTHING OUR HEARTS DESIRE! Honestly, I've been afraid of using it, fearing it would be the Pandora's box that finally gave us all heart attacks. Because, here's the truth of the matter: almost everything tastes better fried. It's just true.

Tonight, I finally pulled it out and made an enormous batch of sweet potato fries. Yes, I've been making roasted sweet potato fries, and yes those are tasty. But nothing, and I mean nothing, rivals the crisp, fabulous texture of deep fried sweet potato. The only thing saving me from having a coronary by the week's end is the fact that the thing is a pain in the ass to clean. And hopefully, that knowledge will force me to think twice before I start asking, "Can you deep fry cookies? What about a Snickers bar?"

Speaking of crummy health... Thursday was a really hard day. A bunch of really cool projects came up at work, which is great, but required an enormous amount of work over a very short period of time, and Oh, we still haven't wrapped up ANY of the other projects I need to before I go on maternity leave.

I'm completely stressed out, and of course I had a doctor appointment that afternoon. And of course, because work is hectic, I didn't leave for my 4:30 appointment until 4:20. By the time I got in to see the doctor, my blood pressure came in at 159/79. Which is bad. Really, really bad for pregnant ladies. I talked the nurse into checking it again in a few minutes, hoping I could calm down enough to make a difference. Right before the doctor walked in I managed to get it down to 135/70. Still not great, but not a "call the ambulance quick" situation.

The doctor asked for another check at the end of my appointment, which read in at about 128/67. Low enough that I could talk her out of sending me to labor and delivery. If I show up with numbers like that at my next appointment, it will not be so good.

At home we are 100% ready for this kid. The emergency plans are in place, baby clothes are clean, I just need to start stocking the freezer (which frankly, is optional since I do have plenty of support people around to help). On the other hand, at work even if I give birth tonight, I still have three more weeks worth of work before I'll be allowed to take maternity leave. So, for my sanity's sake, please little fetus, give Mama until at least January 25, ok? I promise, I'll make it worth your while.

I am weak

I got promoted at work. It's really great, except all my "free time" is now spent being a "parent" instead of "writing bullshit on the internet." Also, Warren decided to do a little redecorating on my laptop. Now, I have no space bar. So, that's fun.

Also, I have big exciting life news, but I'm not ready to share with work, so I can't share on the internet. Hopefully not too much longer do I have to be super spy.

But the new job is great. It's also a zillion hours a week, but in a really exciting way. I get to write. For a living. And make good money doing it. So, that's a plus and makes me more sure that moving to Sacramento wasn't the worst choice I've ever made.

Meanwhile, Cory got his driver's license, Warren is a big ol' 19 month old who thinks he's a big kid, the cats are mostly ridiculous with the heat (how many days in a row can it really be over 100 degrees? The answer: a million, evidently)

I did spend last weekend with my big sister, my friend Jen and her sister. It was so much fun. I love getting a whole bunch of people you love together, and then they all get along really well. I haven't laughed so hard in forever. And we weren't drinking. I know, I was surprised too!

Also, since my computer is sad and on her last legs, I bought a new computer today. One of Xtian's friends sells computers on ebay, and this is one he got for hella cheap. So now, I have a supersexy touch screen laptop for 1/3 what I had planned to spend. Huzzah!

I miss my internet friends. Though I'm still following everyone via my Google Reader, I just can't comment from it (and work can't give me shit for it, since all my work articles are on it too!). So, I'm still on top of most folks.

Happy times.

Writing for the sake of writing.

Mama is tired. I was really looking forward to visiting my lovey Sarah last weekend. I packed my bags, loaded up my truck, kissed my boys and was on the road. I got about 30 miles (which took over 45 minutes) away, when my cell phone rang. It was Xtian. Asking if I happened to have the only set of car keys in my purse. Fuck. I couldn't leave them without wheels for the entire weekend, I know they had stuff to do, and we live in the middle of nowhere. They would be totally stranded.

So, I turned around and another 50 minutes later I was back at home. And the thought of having to start the trip over made me cry. So, I made my apologies to Sarah, and settled in for a very chill weekend with the kiddo.

My mom came for a little visit this week. So Uncle Cory had a couple days off from Wu duty while my mom spoiled the kid rotten. But he's so darn cute, it's hard not too. The little dude is just charming. And I'm not being biased, he charms the pants off of everyone. Makes me worry for the horror that will be his teenage years. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Meanwhile, work is ramping up big time. Some potentially exciting if frightening things coming up. But this is where I thrive, under pressure.

But, nothing is certain yet, so I'll keep my big mouth shut.

Foodwise, I have been one boring broad. Nothing exciting or even particularly delicious. It's officially too warm to enjoy cooking. But I'm thinking this weekend I'll cook up some rich, fabulous bread for Xtian. It is father's day afterall. I guess I should give him a gift, eh? Isn't that how this whole thing works? Crap. I suck at gifts.

Time to eat a dinner of Chicken McNuggets. Don't you judge me.

Dragging Ass

Oh ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am officially dragging ass. Lots of work projects (including writing 15 video scripts by June 1, Hurray!) which are great, but there's only one of me. And therein lies the problem.

But, the anniversary date was just lovely. Xtian took me to a restaurant called Johnny Garlic, owned by Guy Fieri. A great joint, the man has fabulous restaurants. Then Xtian blindfolded me (here's where the horribleness in me comes out. He puts a blindfold on me, and I say "you know everyone will think you're just kidnapping a white lady, right?" See? Terrible.) And we ended up going to see Wolverine (who cares if it wasn't exactly great film, Wolverine... so hot right now.) at one of the few remaining drive-in movie theaters. And he even packed a flask of rum to pour into my coke, so Mama was happy as can be.

This coming weekend will be jam packed and delightful. Saturday I get my tattoo finished, followed immediately by "confidential" plans. I wish I knew what was going on, but Xtian's decided to surprise me two weeks in a row.

Sunday I'm taking the kid and the husband to the City, where we will explore the Science Museum with my darling friend Nathaniel. I've been completely enamored of Nathaniel since the day we met, and now Xtian finally gets to meet him too. Super looking forward to it.

Once the kid inevitably runs out of patience at the museum, we'll be crossing the Bay Bridge to help Sister Jen and Kate demo their new house. As it turns out, 100 year old homes are not always "move-in ready." So, that will be fun and exhausting. I've tried to reserve our Monday for some actual relaxation, but we'll see how that goes once all is said and done.

And then it's back to work for 4 doubly packed days of working it. I think I need a nap.