Monday, August 29, 2011

Gratitude

I am realizing that The Crazy is likely going to be something that I always go back to when my stress reaches critical mass. The fact is, we will never have "enough" money. Just like I will never have enough time, be ready for another kid, be stable enough to buy a house. There's always another rung to climb. When I was in graduate school there was a time when C and I were financially stretched thinner than thin. We were on food stamps, and our monthly budget was less than we pay now for one week of daycare. Tonight I'm grateful that 1) we can afford awesome insurance 2) we can afford a co-pay when one of the kids complains of a stomach ache and spikes a 102+ fever 3) we're secure enough that I don't resent paying the co-pay when he's diagnosed with a "stomach bug" and of course, miraculously recovers an hour later. And above all that I am grateful that my instincts were wrong and he doesn't have appendicitis. AND I'm really grateful that he's fully toilet trained and apparently can wipe his own butt now.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Things I learned on my vacation

I love this town so very very much

I mean, I REALLY love this town

There is nothing better than eating a hippy organic burrito, from a food cart, on the steps of a public fountain, with your soaking wet babies





This place is as good for us as it is for me. Its where we became a family.

Syd loves to throw rocks. And eat rocks.

My husband can catch fish with his bare hands. Also, I should have my camera ready when he says he's going to.

There's not much better than teaching a five-year-old how to roll down a hill

Despite a couple of embarrassing, stress-induced bitch-moments, we had a really great time away. Eight years ago, C and I stood on the front porch of our first rental house in a suburb outside Portland and watched my mom drive away. We had no phone, let alone a cell, no idea how to get around, and we knew no one except our landlords. We were scared to death. Like, deer in the headlights scared. But we made it through, and it was the beginning of an amazing life we've built. We may never get to live there again, but this weekend made me realize that Portland is most definitely home. I'm committing myself to going back when we can, and to keeping a little Portland with me (like choosing a daycare with a vegetable garden and making an embarrassing and illogical number of reusable sandwich bags).

Where's home for you? And how do you carry it with you?
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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

First Day

First day as a Toddler


First day at the new school



Holy cow. First day of Kindergarten.
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Monday, August 22, 2011

Back


We just got back from a long weekend in Portland. That place, that place is good for my soul. I have been really stressed out lately. In fact, I told someone the other day that I was pretty sure I had the "dragon eyes" (you know, when you're crazy and you know it but just don't care because it feels good?). I needed this trip badly. And it was wonderful. We hiked. We went downtown. We saw lots of amazing friends (including one I'd never met in person before!). I have lots of pictures to share and I'll talk more about what all the stress is about, I'm sure. But for now, we're home. I feel recharged, but also homesick. It was amazing what a difference I felt, the second we touched down in the Northwest.
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Monday, August 15, 2011

Fingerpainting ala Sydney


What is this? It looks interesting...



Photo op? Yes please!




What's Bubba got there?



WANT!!!!


I am toddler! Hear me roar!



Much better


This seems familiar...



Eeee!!



Almost done...



And now to clean up!

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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Lazy Saturday


It's 11:00 am and I'm still in my jammies. Eli's on the couch watching Netflix cartoons in his boxers (so cute!) and Syd's roaming the house in a nap-refusing delirium. I've purged two huge boxes of books while Eli was distracted with the TV, and I'm working on purging toys. (I was inspired when I saw a new friend's toy closet last night. Each of her boys has about four of those canvas boxes for toys. That's it. We picked up in under 10 minutes.) Syd just stole Eli's sandwich and he told her "Sydney, you are destroying the goodness!" Then all three of us laughed. I'm fixing to let Eli eat an ice cream sandwich for lunch. If this doesn't heal the soul, I'm not sure what does.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Random random random



I've officially reached that point where, during the course of my day, I think "I should totally blog that!" BUT I'm also finding myself to be really busy and so when I get a chance to actually sit down and do it my mind is more "Uh...yeah. More pictures of the kids? Or some whiny rant about work? Eh." I can't even come up with FB statuses most days. But I hate it when I let it go too long between posts. Plus, I'm scheduled for my very first bikini wax in about 45 minutes and I'm trying to distract myself from what I anticipate will be a very awkward situation (thank you groupon, for making me think I need things I'm too embarrassed to actually do.)

So I present to you
Eli's new trick
and subsequent head injury

Sydney's duck face

Yoga pants I MADE (out of an old turtleneck, how green am I?)

On the work front, we've gotten a huge influx of new inmates and so we've been really, really busy and it's a been a bit chaotic. Add to that that the state just announced that they will be laying people off and work's been a little tense. I'm trying not to think about it too much because like most things around here, it's going to be months before anything happens. BUT if you happen to want to hire a psychologist who is most often described as "real" and will likely show up to work with banana smeared across her shoulder, you may have found your girl.

Speaking of head injuries, my kids have been knocking their noggins like nobody's business. We had Eli on the swingset. Then he knocked Sydney off that little climber backwards. This morning C tried to start a pillow fight with Eli and gave him a black eye. Then at the doctor's office Syd fell and gave herself a giant goose-egg. I'm starting to think I should be socking away money for future neurologists bills.

Like I said, random. I do have some posts brewing, including one about how I accidentally agreed to start training for a half marathon. In two months. At the crack of dawn. Eeek!