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Mindy's Worldslive in the moment and make it so incredible that it will be worth remembering... 11/18/2009 beat iti’ve been lucky enough to experience another office move…it’s starting to become the norm. i’m now back in the cube environment after some time out of cube-land. i have mixed emotions. overall, i like being in the trenches with everyone – and i get to learn who the hell these people are that i work with - there are hundreds of them and i only know about 30 after 4 months…i have a ways to go. anyway, i do miss the office. why? privacy is a big one…but even bigger is that I have to deal with other people’s nonsense. i shall explain my current irritation… i now sit near a manager that feels the need to blast music on her portable boom box. seriously, who has those anymore?!? and she’s been around long enough to know better. i’ve joked with her about using headphones…esp. after the first song that came on was “BEAT IT”. if only there was a camera on me when the boom box was turned on and that song came on…i thought…”clearly this is a joke…a) no one would openly play music in this headphone-day-n-age and b) even if you were to play music in your cube, it definitely wouldn’t be ‘Beat It’.” i was wrong. after i joked about it the first time and then continued to joke about it when people would stop by to visit…AND i said “we’ll make sure to add some money to the 2010 marketing budget for headphones”…..she still didn’t get it. WHY DOESN’T SHE GET IT!??!?! this morning’s opener was “open arms”. a
few other samples from the day…“i would die for you”, “right here waiting”,
“every rose has its thorn”, “cold november rain” …and WAY too much
Journey. i feel like i’m being over-taken by a 80/90’s slow song mix
tape. i shall also mention that i have the hearing of a bat…often referred to as go-go-gadget ears…making it even worse bc i can’t block it out…even w/ my own headphones/music playing. i’m not one to blast music into my headphones for two reasons…1) i don’t like loud music in my ears and 2) if i have to crank the tunes up so loud that i can’t hear when others show up to my desk – pet peeve. so, i guess the solution is to have my headphones on and just enjoy the the background tunes at the same time...mmm...duel media. seriously…as i’m finishing writing this…”it’s all coming back to me now” by good ol Celine Dion just came on. someone just shoot me in my ears. 9/22/2009 adventures in Utahwe just returned from an unbelievable trip to Park City, Utah. we went for Justin and Corinne’s wedding, but used the opportunity to take a well deserved vacation for just us…sans kiddos…the first time in 4 years…glorious, i tell you.
the trip was packed with amazing adventures and memorable moments…as i sit on the airplane heading back home…i thought it’d be a good time to document and share all of those memories…here goes…
the mountains. unbelievably breathtaking. the view was amazing no matter where you were. when we were driving from the airport, we both felt like were in the movie Cars (yes, it’s a random comparison – but it definitely shows we have two kids). then, there was the mountain weather – soooo gorgeous. when it rained – it was an unbelievable storm that would light up the sky with flashes of lightening within the mountains. when the sun was out – which was almost the entire time – it was low 70’s but the elevation made it feel like mid-80’s. and, because we were there in September…the beginning of foliage was also a fantastic sight. oh, and one other thing that i just loved…the lighting…Park City clearly has a lighting ordinance. the lighting everywhere was so soft and nice…it felt like Christmas lights. you’d look into the mountains and just see beautiful, soft lights of homes/businesses/streets/etc…so calming and peaceful.
the wedding...and then some. what a well done event. no detail was forgotten. from the perfect location, to the events before and after the wedding, and everything in between…Justin & Corrine put on a spectacular affair with not only themselves in mind, but a focus on everyone who attended. we also got to meet Corinne’s family, and i mean it when i say, they’re some of the nicest people i’ve ever met…so gracious, kind, and genuine…they also helped create the ideal environment.
the adventures.
the return. not only did we get to celebrate out 6 yr anniversary, we reminded ourselves how important and enjoyable it is to get away and experience the world beyond our surroundings. it’s easy to get caught up in a routine…esp. with two young’ns. so, here’s to an unbelievable vacation, to an unforgettable wedding, and to more adventures in the future! thanks to all! :)
9/8/2009 new appreciation for Tuesdayit’s been 2 months and I’m still employed…go me. normally, i try to refrain from writing about work…don’t want the worlds to collide ya know. but, sometimes i make exceptions. for the first time, i’m working in an industry that i can relate to...travel…everybody travels. no longer am i trying to market boring B2B stuff. plus, i’m gaining inside knowledge…and i LOVE that. for example, did you know that Tuesday is the best day to book travel? it’s true. Tuesday is the day that all airlines, cruise ships, etc. drop their prices. they then ramp prices back up by Thursday because most people book travel Thursday-Sunday and they can therefore make more money. maybe you already knew this, but i didn’t, so i’m sharing…why?...bc i’m a giver. this leads me to another point…Tuesday’s in general…a lot of things change on Tuesdays…like movies are released on Tuesday…new CDs are released on Tuesdays. it seems like a lot of things happen on Tuesdays in the business world. i had more examples when i thought of writing about this…but, i’ve forgotten them all…so, feel free to chime in. anyway, i've found a greater appreciation for Tuesday and therefore think that it's no longer the worst day of the week. happy Tuesday. 8/24/2009 the knee injury that keeps on givingok, so i gots me some knee issues. i had a lil basketball incident ~June 1st (i lost), hyper-extended it pretty good, and apparently did a number on it. i thought resting it for a couple months would help…but, then realized when i sit with my legs crossed, i still need to manually move my leg to stand up. i guess resting it wasn’t really do’n it for me. i finally sucked it up...hit the dr…he thought meniscus tear…MRI said ‘no’…then sent me to PT. i’ve just started my PT appointments as of last week (need to go twice a week for at least 6 weeks). fun stuff. PT guy thinks it's a tendon tear that didn't show up on the MRI bc 2 months is apparently too long to evaluate via MRI(?)...whatev...either way, PT it is. this is where it actually becomes interesting. i shall introduce you to Sam. he is my PT guy. he is the one driving me to get better…though, he has no idea how much he’s driving me…bc he’s super weird, super sketchy, super squishy (relevant later on), and i’m pretty sure he’s hitting on me…i shall elaborate with some of the conversations we had during my 2nd appt this past week…
7/12/2009 times they are a change'n...starting tomorrow, i'll be amongst the employed again. i have mixed emotions about this next phase...and bc i think in bullets...here goes...
what i will like about being employed again:
what i will miss about the unemployed world:
what i learned:
overall, i was unemployed for 8 months. i'm proud of myself for staying positive 99% of the time. i'm proud of myself for embracing the change. i'm proud of myself for refocusing and prioritizing. now, i need to, once again, embrace a new change and keep my perspective without getting sucked back into the nonsense. i have no false pretenses that the new job will be a dream job...i've altered my outlook and now realize, a job is about what you want to make of it and it's about the people you work with. so, wish me luck...actually, wish the peeps at the new job luck...they have no idea who they've hired...suckers.
.jpg)  6/21/2009 toilet traumaok - another potty entry...prepare yourself...
i have recently tried to convert Aiden-pants to pee standing up instead of sitting down. we had two successful days of it...i'm talking so successful that Aman was telling everyone he saw and would announce "mama - i did potty standing up! i'm a big boy now!" every time.
well, then there was the set-back...
2 days ago, i'm getting the kids out of the house for the weekly grocery store trip. i have Sadie in her car seat - out the door - almost closing the door and i look at Aiden and think - "crap - you haven't gone potty." so, i set Sadie down in her car seat outside the door (she's reading her book, so she's totally content)...i go w/ Aiden to the bathroom, which is 2 feet from the door. it's been raining a lot, so his Crocs had already gotten wet outside. he stands in front of the potty - seats up/pants down...leans forward and SMACK! his feet totally slipped on the tile. he face-planted into the toilet seat and his goodies slammed into the front of the toilet. he had no chance to catch himself bc he was aim'n his goodies to pee.
this is where it took ALL I HAD to not laugh. i'm really not good in situations like this...unless i see instant blood, i laugh at most injuries. BUT, i was proud of myself - i held it in this time. Aiden started yelling at the toilet "that potty is mean mama!!! it hurt me!!!" so, i had to explain that the toilet wasn't evil and he slipped bc of his wet shoes. this was a solid 5 min conversation while he's crying and yelling "i'm NEVER standing up again!" oh, and remember - Sadie is still sit'n outside...she has waited long enough, so she's also now crying. mom of the year. seriously, all i wanted to do was get groceries.
oh, and i did finally let out the laughter...i called jon on the drive to the store - told the story all cryptic and barely got the story out through my crying laughter.
since then, it has taken two solid days to get Aman to not be afraid of the toilet. he's finally back to the stand-up-approach, though he now refuses to wear shoes when he's pee'n. i'm pretty sure it'll come up somehow in therapy when he's like 25..."so where do you think your unnatural fear of the toilet came from?"...
6/6/2009 boobsyep - i'm writing about boobs...no topic is off limits in the Mindy-world.
so, the boobs are graduating...or maybe changing careers?...however you want to describe it, their purpose is now indefinitely different. this is where i say...if you're afraid of boob talk that involves nursing...eh, get over it...you'll become exposed to at some point in your life and then you won't think it's so bad. if you're offended now...well, stop reading. though, if you're a guy and someone is writing about boobs...you're sooo not going to stop reading...sucks to be a guy.
ok - so, i'm done nursing. i nursed Aiden for ~10 months and now i've just finished nursing Sadie (12 months). it's bittersweet to be done. here's the breakdown of my thoughts (if you haven't noticed, i clearly think in bullets):
1) i can drink more! i no longer have to worry about how many drinks i can have or the timing/etc. i can just drink if i feel like it. now, i feel like a lot of my posts discuss the joy of drinking...seriously, i don't have a problem...i just enjoy the freedom of beverages. and good for me, drinking is nice. dammit!
2) FREEDOM. i can now go places and not have to be back within 2 hours...or before bedtime bc i have to nurse. i can't tell you how freeing that is. i'm used to jon getting home @ 6:30pm and me having from 6:30 to 7:30 to pull off grocery shopping/errands/etc. it's stressful to be in a check out line and think - 'god dammit people, move quicker - enough with the checks, i gotta go nurse a baby that doesn't understand patience!' so, the other night i went grocery shopping and didn't have to pull off a door to door trip in 1 hour. i did the grocery shopping and then expanded my adventure by also going to buy new roos. yep - rooos...which leads me to the next item...
3) roos. i've had the same damn ones since the year of pregnancy...and all the way through the year of nursing - refusing to get new ones until it was all over...fyi...roos get worn out and stretched out when you grow watermelon boobs and also stain them w/ milk. so, let's just say, buying new roos was so damn exciting, you'd of thought i was buying jewels.
4) pump disposal. due to nursing, i am an obligated owner of a breast pump. i've had it since Aiden was born - 4.5 yrs ago. it's gotten more use than i think is normal. while working, i was pumping in the f'n pkg lot, lugging it everywhere....to the point where only one side of the pump worked due to 'wear and tear'. seriously, i want to have a 'pump burning party'. i never have to pump again...how glorious is that? i never have to connect myself to a machine to self-milk. awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, the glory.
4) i'm not ever going to nurse again. yep, that's right - the plan is to birth no more offspring. it's a lil bit sad bc nursing is very much a bonding event, but i think bc i've focused on the positives of no longer nursing, it's easier to not think about what i'm missing or about moving on. the kids are still young enough that they want to cuddle, so for now, i can focus my bonding efforts there.
in summary - mindy's world has officially changed. i know to some it seems like crazy talk, but to those that know what a commitment nursing is, you can relate. i'm free. now, don't get me wrong - i loved every moment of it (besides the first 2 months after birth when i would swear, grit my teeth, and stomp my feet in pain every time she latched on...oh, and then when she got teeth and decided it was fun to chomp down to see how those new teeth worked). it's a new phase in my life. the boobs are now back to being just boobs and not milking machines. granted, that is what boobs are made for...but, mine are graduating from that world. maybe i should have a boob graduation party? hmmm...that'd be an interesting party...slippery nipple shots and pasties for everyone?...let the games begin! :)
5/14/2009 compound livingwhen i was a kid, never did i say..."when i grow up, i wanna live on a compound." i've changed my tune. i am currently building a compound to meet my every need...
1) the pool. i've busted out two kids...this means sacrifice. if i have to sacrifice vacations for a few years (and i will bc i'm not about to haul two kids under 5 on vacation...for those of you that would, we're all very proud and i'm sure it will be very peaceful and tantrum free...good luck with that). anyway, the pool is our vacation...every day...every night...every weekend...i can't say it enough and i can't imagine it getting old. maybe my appreciation for the pool is bc i grew up with a "crick" (some call it a creek)...yah, we dammed it up and made it a neighborhood swimming hole...probably should stop the story there, as this tangent could become it's own story.
2) the outdoor nanny toys. we've got the sandbox and the recent addition of a swing set. Aiden sat on the swing last weekend for 1 hour straight...no joke. Jon & i looked at each other in that moment and said "wow - worth every penny." there's somethan to be said for the young'ns being occupied and happy outdoors without our constant attention.
3) fruit! blueberry bushes for my grill'n beers. strawberries for my umbrella daiquiris. raspberries for my floating mojitos. and, blackberries just to add variety (and so that i get to look for new drinks that include blackberries). oh, and we've got some grapes too...i wish i could say they're for wine making, but that involves too much work, so we'll just eat um.
4) veggies. i've got 3 kinds of tomatoes, hot peppers, sweet peppers, carrots, broccoli, squash, cucumbers, snap peas and beans. we'll see what lives. if i can 'harvest' (love that i just used the word harvest to describe my somethan that's in my back yard) 1/2 of it...i.e. it lives...it'll be a success!
5) herbs. i've got some rosemary, basil, scallions, oregano, parsley, and mint (again, a requirement for my mojitos). giddy up!
what's the only thing missing from the compound? cheese. i don't think i can bring myself to the level of ever having a goat, so i'm gonna have to keep going to the store for that very important staple.
needless to say, i'm happy and truly enjoying the simple pleasures. there's somethan calming about watering your crops in the morning. i like the peace of sitting in the dirt and making my tomato hills, while selecting the o-so-perfect rocks to surround them and keep the dirt warm. i like to walk the compound, with wine glass in hand, and bask in the conversations of "did you see the new leaf on that plant?...that one is already flowering!" my point in all this...the simple pleasures...i'm appreciating them, enjoying them, embracing them, and thankful for them. oh, and if you wanna come play at the compound...the rules haven't changed...the door is open to all, just bring booze if you want us to enjoy your company. cheers to the summer!
4/8/2009 bag'n iti'm finally embracing the bag. no longer am i one of those people that use plastic bags from the grocery store or regular stores. it took me WAY too long to fully embrace, but now that i'm here...i love it!!! i went to Trader Joe's and bought 5 bags - $.99 each. i wanted to get bags from a place i actually liked, since i'd be looking at them for many years to come...and i also liked that the TJoe's ones were made from recycled plastic bottles (double bonus).
i have to admit, it took some getting used to, but now i've got a system that works. i have to leave them in my car...and after i bring in groceries, i literally put them right by the door so that the next time i go to the car, they're there...that way i don't have to remember them every time i come/go. the hardest part was remembering to use them for regular stores (even if they were in the car). ya see, with groceries, it's easier - you know you're going in to buy a boat load of crap and you can put the bags in your cart. at a regular store, it's harder to predict what you're going to buy (if you buy anything at all) and it's a lil more of a hassle to haul the bags around. but, i've adjusted after about a month of use and i'm really digging it.
i'm actually proud of myself every time i go into the store...and i'm starting to become a snob about it (at least i'm honest). if you think about it (i have)...i'd normally use like 15 plastic bags per grocery trip, which was about once/week...that's 780 grocery bags/year that i'm no longer using! not to mention the additional bags from other stores like Target/etc. that i'm no longer using. so, make a difference and go get yourself some bags! :)
Here's a photo of the ones i bought...wicked cute...(for the record - i pulled this photo off of ebay - where someone was selling the $.99 bags for $5/each)...
 3/29/2009 Easter SchmeasterEaster is two weeks away. like any holiday, there is prep work to do...cept i don't really consider Easter a real holiday for a few reasons...
ok, first, the food. ham. really? we all gather to eat ham? now, i don't hate ham, but it's certainly not a meal that i get excited about. ham = lame. if you want to have a real holiday - make a turkey or burgers or good apps/desserts - none of these things make an appearance at Easter. Easter meal = lame.
second, the attire. apparently, when you have kids, you're supposed to dress them up in ridiculous outfits that only involve pastel colors. why? seriously, am i supposed to go out and buy a new frilly pastel dress for Sadie and some pastel shirt and khakis for Aman? i can't bring myself to do it. it seems like an excessive waste to buy said attire for one day...esp. when they're going to get it all dirty and have no where else to wear it to. so, i'm standing firm, no special Easter attire. i'll dress them in something respectable that they already own and call it a day.
third, religion - a clearly non-controversial topic. i suppose the whole purpose of Easter is to celebrate religion and to go to church, hence why i suppose people buy the frilly attire. well, i'm not religious...i know, shocking. now, i am spiritual...but, i absolutely do not believe there is some dude sit'n in the clouds directing my life. i firmly believe that people are in control of their own actions/destiny and that people can determine their path with every choice they make. with that said, i think everyone has the right to believe what they wish. so, since i don't believe in the religious purpose of this holiday, i have to grasp on to something else. so, now that i've probably offended all the church-go'n-folk, i'll move on to the only default positive i can get out of this holiday...
candy. yep, i just went from religion to candy...please address your horrified hate letters to "Easter Schmeaster". so, my favorite Easter candy would be the jelly beans, Starburst jelly beans to be exact. i also like chocolate...just not the ridiculous life-size, foil-wrapped, hollow bunnies...they're completely over-rated. the two worst Easter candy items have to be those creme filled Cadbury eggs and Peeps - both definitely gross me out, but i respect their place in the Easter candy isle. now, with two young kids, i get to partake in the candy buying for the Easter baskets. i also get to fill plastic Easter eggs and watch Aiden hunt for them in our yard...and this year, i'll get to see Sadie waddle around the yard and try to chew the token empty egg Aiden allows her to have...even more exciting is that Sadie is too young to eat any of her candy, so i get all that loot. score one for me.
so, since Easter to me is basically Halloween without costumes, i charactize it as lame.
3/1/2009 you've never had a Frosty?so, i decided to paint our master bath. the color we chose is what i would call a Frosty color...kinda tan and kinda brown. well, as i was painting, i mentioned to jon that the color reminded me of a Frosty...and the tough part is that a majority of the time i was painting, all i could think about was wanting a Frosty. Jon's response to me (all matter-o-fact) was "i've never had a Frosty. isn't it just a milkshake?" wha-wha-what?!? how can you live 35 years and never eat a Frosty? and to say that it's "just a milkshake" - unacceptable! so, now, i need to CLEARLY plan a trip to Wendy's to show him the way. and, to be honest, i haven't had one in probably 5 years, so i'm due.
then, yesterday, i'm talking to my sis on the phone. i tell her the Frosty story. she then transitions into the fact that she has a Dairy Queen right down the road from her house and she starts to reminisce about eating Blizzards. i get all frothy and say "omg - i loved the Butterfinger one!" she says, "i'm a fan of the Heath Bar one!" Jon says "i've never had a Blizzard." WHAT THE HELL? the Frosty was one thing, but you've never had a Blizzard either? and i thought i was sheltered growing up! granted, i haven't had one since high school, but still, good god man!
good part about all this...i've got me two delicious road trips coming up! :)
2/11/2009 getting bit at the zooit was 62 degrees today and Aiden said to me "i wanna go see the animals." i thought about it and decided - why not hit the zoo? so i packed up Aiden & Sadie for the adventure. little did i know, i'd get a lil more than i bargained for with my $11 trip.
10 minutes into our arrival, we're check'n out the snow leopard. Sadie in her baby daze sit'n behind us in the stroller...Aiden & I focusing up close on the leopard. i was holding Aiden as he sat on a lil fence. he's all excited and says "mama - look at the tiger!" ... and this is where it got interesting very quickly...
the lil boy standing next to us (i'm guessing the same age as Aiden) says: "it's not a tiger, it's a snow leopard."
me: "that's right - Aiden, it is a leopard."
Aiden: "mama - look at that leopard!"
random boy: "it's NOT a leopard, it's a snow leopard!"
Aiden: "the leopard is laying down."
random boy (at the top of his lungs): "IT'S NOT A LEOPARD - IT'S A SNOW LEOPARD!!!"
then the boy proceeds to grab Aiden's hand and bite it. i'm not kidding - it was f'n crazy. i grab Aiden's hand out of Dahmer's mouth and push him away from my kid. i say "you don't bite people - that's unacceptable!" then i instantly lose interest in Dahmer, and focus on my kid. i make sure Aiden (who is completely in shock) knows that he didn't do anything wrong and that Dahmer was behaving very badly. then we quickly vacate. i had no interest in discussing with the kid's father how he should just institutionalize his freak kid now, bc he clearly has got a great life ahead of him. i wanted to set the example for Aiden that we aren't going to associate with crazy or let it ruin our fun. i think i was successful. good grief.
so, anyway, the rest of the zoo trip was wonderful. we had a blast. and yes, i disinfected the hand wound. below are a few shots...
    1/14/2009 the boy's boogersi don't know how i can still be surprised by the gross things the boy does...but, i am. specifically, in the past couple of months, i've been trying to teach him how to blow his own nose and that boogers go on tissues. i bought him a lil box of tissues for his nightstand bc he was struggling with the concept of getting out of bed to get tissues for wipe'n and instead would put them on his bed. delish, i know. once i bought the box of kleenex - he was all excited to have his 'own special box' and started using it. the only quirk is that i can't get him to throw away the tissues when he's done. he uses them and then shoves them back into the box! i'm still working on that...
well, just yesterday, we had a new development. Aiden started to get a runny nose (i'm blaming jon for bringing home disease). overall - i'm not a big tissue user, as i feel toilet paper works just fine. so, yesterday, the boy was carrying around the strand of TP like it was a Linus blanket. it was gross, but at least he's using it, right? he apparently misplaced the security blanket and had a booger...so, off he went to find the TP roll in the bathroom. i wasn't privy to this event. how did i find out? well, i had to go to the bathroom - went to grab the TP and to my surprise - it's covered in boogers. awesome.
you win some, you lose some. one day at a time...
12/26/2008 xmas '08xmas was only 1 day ago and i've already determined my favorite and least favorite gifts.
let's start with the favorite. i'm a sucker for gifts that are clearly thought out and personalized. i always appreciate when people think "what would she want?" instead of "what do i think she should want?" (i call those folks 'gift pushers'). anyway...so, my favorite gift was a snowman xmas tree ornament that had our family names written on it. i thank Deb for that one!
on to the least favorite...jon received a book called "The Best of the Best of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader" from his mom. now, the reason i have decided it's the least favorite gift is not because it's a bad gift, it's because it has already been abused...and it's all about how the gift affects me :) this book is jon's new excuse to 'go missing' for an hour. honestly, i've never understood the toilet reading. i mean, i get the concept and i get that one could sit for a bit and read. what i don't get is people that can sit and read for 30 minutes+. you're sitting on a cold toilet in a stinky bathroom. if you want to read, why don't you choose a more comfortable place? seriously, finish your business and then go sit on the couch for 30 minutes. i've discussed my theory with jon and he agrees with me and even laughs at what he does, yet he says "i can't help it - i'm programmed to read at that time."
anyway, xmas '08 was a great time and we really enjoyed the young'ns. Here are a few photos...
    12/25/2008 smell it!i'm just curious about one thing...who recently taught my boy the following...
he farts. announces he farted. smiles with a proud grin. then...while i'm saying "what do you say buddy?"...instead of saying "excuse me" he backs up to my face and says "smell it!"
all i need is to know who...jon denies it...so who...spill it...and the only awesome response here is "Zohan".
12/8/2008 i tell the boy i'm on vacationit's that special time of year...you know, that time when you get laid off right before the holidays...mmmmm...i feel that warm/fuzzy feeling bubbling up now. i've refrained from writing for a few weeks, as the shock and awe was still so fresh...i needed time to embrace my new life of glory. though, i will say that it's pretty swell to be part of such a large group of unemployed, and it will be something i can tell the grandkids..."i was one of the millions impacted during the biggest recession since the Great Depression." ...this is where i have the extra fuzzy feeling for our current president Bush...he did such a great job...super smart fella.
now, i'll just start listing the facets of my life that have been impacted...which can be seen as positives or negatives, it just depends on your perspective...
1) kiddos.
(a) obviously with unemployment comes household cost cutting. a big expense is daycare/preschool. so, in cutting that expense, i get to hang out with my young'ns more often (this is one of those, depending on whether your 4 yr old decided to proudly plug the toilet with ALL of the toilet paper only 30 minutes after you got home from being laid off, could be a positive or a negative).
(b) i now have to accept the responsibility of being creative...which isn't really my strong suit. instead of thinking about what meetings i have the next day or who's desk i'd like to take a big dump on, i am now tasked with thinking of ideas that will entertain a 4 yr old and a 6 month old. i will admit, i'm actually proud of myself. i'm pulling it off well. Aiden is fully embracing the sticker chart (yep - i went that far). he even called me his 'very best friend' the other day. seeee...how sweet is that? score one for me being able to excel at so many, many, many things.
(c) i've also had the privilege of taking my kids to Chucky Cheese for the first time. that's right...when boredom strikes and you & your 4 yr old need to get out of the house, sometimes you gotta do things that you never thought you would. although, i will admit, i went on a random Wed. so there were like 3 kids there instead of what i hear is usually a mad house. i also brought pb&j's, so i didn't have to eat their crappy food and i constantly doused all of us with an anti-bacterial pump, so as to not come home with 15 diseases. overall, it wasn't too bad, though i'm clearly not going to give it rave reviews and become a frequent customer. check out our Chucky Cheese portrait - we rocked it out.
 2) news.
(a) i now have no idea what's going on in the world. therefore, i put jon on speaker phone and say "tell me what i need to know." it's usually goes like this..."OJ is going to prison? - nice, good to know...anything else?" you would think i'd have a bunch of extra time on my hands to keep up with the latest news, but unfortunately with 2 kids and a job search, i really have no extra time. unless someone emails me or posts something on Facebook, i'm clueless...oh, and i should include snail mail on that list, as i do also enjoy the daily mail run...even more so now that xmas cards are arriving. even though i don't personally subscribe to the sending of xmas cards, it's exciting for the unemployed to get personal mail.
(c) work drama now has to come from jon's work. his work is less exciting than mine was (mostly bc i worked with a bunch of crazy people)...though, lately he's been able to fulfill my crazy fix. today it went something like this..."wait, so, coworker A is sleeping with coworker B, but coworker A is bringing someone else to the xmas party this wknd?...see, now that's quality information...find out more and call me later with a full report!" did i mention their xmas party is open bar? heh, totally can't wait to sit back and watch the drama of the employed.
3) body adjustments.
(a) my body is not used to carrying around a 20 lb sack-o-baby-potatoes 7 days/week. Sadie is a TANK! and by tank, i mean - she's in the 95th % of weight for her age. obese or not, she's heavy and my back/arms/neck are paying the price. though, i now have the strength to hold a sack-o-potatoes for hours, so when that challenge presents itself, i'll clean the floor with all yaz!
(b) sleep. for some reason, i have the feeling every night that "i don't have to go to work tomorrow, so i can stay up until midnight." only problem with this theory is that the offspring don't care how late i stayed up because they are still on schedule and therefore my 4 yr old continues to come into my bed at 6:30am and say "MAMA - OPEN YOUR EYES!!!" (this is of course as he's jumping on top of me and physically peeling my eyelids open)
(c) food. gone are the days of "i'm not in the mood to cook - let's order a pizza." now it's "what do you want to go with frozen peas?" or "how about grilled cheese and tomato soup?" granted, it is almost challenging to see what kind of meal i can make out of cans from the pantry...though, i do look forward to challenging myself a lil harder in the future. there's also the exciting Sunday paper full of coupons that i now cut. yep - i now take extra pride in how much money i can save at the grocery store....guess what - i saved $12 on last week's trip - go me.
(d) i have clean sheets. being unemployed allows you to do laundry more often, so simply stated - clean sheets are a nice perk.
4) work.
(a) unemployment is a process - i wish it on no one, especially now. MA unemployment is apparently so backed up - "they'll hopefully get to my claim in 5-6 weeks. if you get a check the week of 12/15, great - if not, call us." this was the comment i got after trying to get through for a week straight and then finally getting "your wait time is 59 minutes." whatever - either way - this is where i thank you ever-so-kind-employed-folk for your contributions to my current income. just think...you're paying me to write this, which actually means you're paying to read my blog...that's awesome...thanks for being super swell. i should get a tip jar just in case you feel like giving a lil extra this holiday season.
(b) old job. i will not and should not comment on the brilliant people that make up my previous employer. they're going places, so look out world.
(c) new job. i don't have one, but it felt nice to include it as a bulleted item. i'm staying positive, as i know it'll come in time. until that lucky place employees me, i will continue to enjoy each day.
off i go to eat some rice krispy treats, as those are the poor man's bon-bons...
12/3/2008 hand wash no more!ok...so my 2 year old Kenmore dishwasher decided to break. the dumb motor died, so we had to buy a new one.
first, i have realized that my dishwasher is no longer a luxury item. i didn’t grow up with a dishwasher and I really didn't have a working one until like 7 years ago (yes, i remember exactly how many years - it was big do'ns bc it made me finally feel like a normal member of society). anyway, in just that short amount of time, i have now grown to need the dishwasher...more specifically, i can't live without a dishwasher. it's a commodity in 2008, so i shouldn't feel bad...and i'm not going back to the hand washing...no way, no how.
anyway, so i went to Sears to buy a new one, which will show up on Friday - thankfully. until then, i should remove all the dishes that were loaded from the cycle that died and hand wash them...but instead, i have decided to leave them in the dishwasher. i will unload them right before the dishwasher switch happens and then reload them into the new dishwasher. Jon told me that idea was gross bc they’ll have sat in the dishwasher for 5 days, but then i asked him if he wanted to hand-wash everything…he quickly shared my view point.
on another note – i need to discuss something that has always bugged me about Sears – their sales receipts. have you ever noticed how long they are and how many you get? they need to stop producing so many. seriously, with every purchase, do I really need 2 surveys receipts, a discount receipt for my next purchase, a credit card receipt, a gift receipt and a sales receipt that is 10 miles long? even my generic Market Basket grocery store has started printing on the back side of their receipts to conserve paper.
here’s to the new dishwasher lasting much longer than the old crappy one…
11/28/2008 body beez?ok, so there have been a few incidents lately where my boy has woken up yelling about beez in his bed. he then proceeds to point to the areas on his body that the bees are attacking him. i've been chalking this up to nightmares and i've felt really bad bc i thought he was sharing my fear of bees.
then i realized something...he's not dreaming about bees. when he points to his hand and says "bees are all over it" - it's really his hand falling asleep on him. in his mind, that numbness is apparently a similar sensation to being attacked by bees. this struck me...as it makes me fully appreciate the pureness of his mind and it's a good reminder of how a four year old sees the world. it almost makes me feel bad bc this has probably been happening since birth. at least i'll pick up on it sooner with the 2nd kid. first child = guinea pig.
11/21/2008 it's not xmas!it's not Christmas...it's not even Thanksgiving...yet, for over 2 weeks, I've been looking at multiple houses in my development with xmas lights. i don't understand, and frankly it annoys me. literally, people tossed the Halloween pumpkins and put up the annoying blinking reindeer the same day. i'm not all bah-humbug, but i think it's mental to have lights up in early November...especially since i'm still eating candy from the Halloween bowl.
now, i could give people the pass if they put them up early and didn't plug them in...bc that would tell me they just wanted to install them before it got too cold. unfortunately, that isn't the case for any of these people. and, i think they thrive off each other on my street. one turns them on, literally the next day - the next neighbor is out wrapping lights around the railings...then the next day there are blinking wreaths and a waving Santa on another neighbor's lawn. out of the 8 houses around me - 4 of them already have xmas decorations. the house directly across the street from me even has their indoor decorated tree kick'n.
unfortunately, i can do nothing but continue to look at them and be annoyed...suuuper.
10/5/2008 3 years, scissors, bird crap and pee peesso, first i would like to acknowledge that i've been writing in this blog for 3 years...that impresses me...3 years of my random life events are documented. i just thought about it the other day...and when my offspring come of age, will they be reading it and saying "mama - umm - you were/are kinda insane."
in other news...we played our usual sunday softball game today. i'm the captain and therefore am involved in the pre-game coin toss for home field advantage. well, today, the ump didn't have a coin, so we did rock/paper/scissors. i strategized against my male opponent. we both decided on scissors as our first draw. 2nd draw - again scissors. (has that ever happened in the history of rock/paper/scissors?) 3rd draw - i went to the well again and beat his paper. i'm sure he thought i'd revert to the standard 'rock' after two rounds of scissors, as who in their right mind would do scissors three times in a row? key take away - "right mind" - and, as jon said - "he clearly didn't see the crazy behind your eyes or he would have known you'd do somethan like that." i share my scissors triumph, as it doesn't take much to entertain me...go me.
another topic...bird crap. i went to get groceries yesterday and got shat on by a bird while walking into the grocery store. first thought: "please be a leaf that just hit the top of my head." i was wrong. i of course walked back to my car and tried to clean off my head with napkins. i couldn't see the top of my head, so i was trying to look in car windows as i wiped...but, i'm sure there were remnants left and other grocery store shoppers got to witness. anyway, i wonder what the chances are of getting shat on in your lifetime? i just googled that question and clearly others have contemplated the same thing...pretty funny read.
my last topic...just because it's freak'n funny and because it just happened...my boy and his pee pee. we ate dinner and then Aman decided he had to got potty. off we go - he's basically self-sufficient at this point. he goes and then he's decides to sit on the sink after he's done (no pants). as he sits there, he looks at me and says "mama - can i be friends with my pee pee?" i try my darnedest to not laugh and i say "yes Aiden, you can." then he says "mama - i love my pee pee." i'm sorry, but i lost it. i had to leave the room bc i was laughing so hard. then of course, he realizes that what he said made me laugh and he therefore started repeating it...which made me laugh more. all i could think is ... you're gonna love that thing more than you realize...
happy sunday night and happy 3 years of random ramblings.
9/17/2008 tough transitionsa lot has happened in the past week. my boy started preschool. i went back to work from maternity leave, and therefore my girl is now in daycare full time. oh, and my work ‘kinda’ moved its office location, so now i’m also dealing with a new commute and new office space.
so, preschool. what a f’n nightmare. we started A-man at the town public place with the thought that he’d stay with the same friends/etc. from preschool through kindergarten, on up. well, needless to say – they sucked. there was no communication – they supplied a “communication folder” to go to/from school, yet the only thing they put in the folder was fundraiser information…nothing about how my kid did that day, if he ate, if he napped, if he punched anyone or if anyone punched him/etc. so, Aiden started off great, then it quickly went downhill. he started throwing tantrums that i think belong only in a cushioned-wall-facility…hitting himself/red face/screaming/etc. then came the comments in conversation…“how was your day buddy?” “i played and cried a lot.” “why’d you cry a lot?” “my teacher yells at me…she’s mean to me and it makes me mad.” let me just say…that conversation was a very special moment…talk about internal rage that i couldn’t let him see. then the nightmares started...where he’d scream “stop grabbing me!” multiple times. needless to say, i researched and visited new places, cancelled the old one and relocated him all within 24 hrs. he won’t start the new one for 2 weeks bc he needs to come down from the crazies and find his happy-non-nightmare-self-beating place. thankfully, he’s getting better each day…cept now he’s sick with some crazy cough…but, that’s just to keep it interesting.
then there’s work. work is even more lame after you've had a summer off (even though i worked the whole time - but still, at least i wasn't in the office). anyway, i mentioned above that my work ‘kinda’ moved its office. well, by ‘kinda’ – i mean we had to leave our old space due to the lease expiring and our new office space isn’t built out yet, so we’re in a temporary holding area that is basically like an unfinished basement – everyone has their own 2x4 size table and…well, nothing else. i guess we move into the real office mid-Oct, so until then – fun stuff. i’ve written before about how much i LOVE open floor plans…ugh.
let’s see…then there’s the 3 month old. she’s doing well…with all the above nonsense going on, it has actually been a distraction allowing me to be less freaked about leaving her. at least Aiden’s with her in daycare 3 days/week and the daycare is jon’s aunt – so, we’re VERY lucky bc she's awesome. the one tough part is that i’m exclusively nursing…which means i have a f’n pump that stays in my car and i wander out for special sessions twice/day. the plan is to have the sessions in my office once we move into the actual official office space, but until then – i try to avoid flashing random construction crews, fellow co-workers and random passers-by. yah, i know…it’s hot.
so, in summary, i’m dealing with it all one day at a time, as i don’t think i have any other option if i want to stay sane. and, as my grandma always said..."this too shall pass."
8/20/2008 beeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzto know me is to know that surrounding me with bees is the quickest way to making me instantly panic and cry. it's just another random childhood experience that makes me who i am today...i shall elaborate...
i was like 8ish years old. we had ground bees in our front yard. my grandpa was coming over with some spray-stuff to put in the hole to kill them. i was playing in the yard and decided that i needed to cover the hole with a leaf so that i could trap as many bees as possible in there prior to my grandpa's arrival. i then had a second and exponentially more brilliant thought..."hmm...if i leave that leaf over the hole, how is my gmpa going to get the stuff in there?...i should remove the leaf." ...and there began the moment that scarred me for life. i removed the leaf and was swarmed and bit too many times to count. i proceeded to run...and by run, i mean, run like the people in movies that are being chased...ya know, one of those screaming/looking back/falling down runs...getting bit the entire time. i made it through the yard, around the deck and into the house...and still some of the bees made it in the house after me. i was immediately thrown in the bathtub and covered with some type of stuff from my parents garage?...all i remember was it was in a metal container and i thought at the time it was gasoline...but, it couldn't have been, right? anyway, it wasn't a good experience and i have avoided bees ever since.
and here we are today...i had done so well avoiding the bees for like 20+ years...that is no longer true. over the weekend i decide to hit up a local nursery (plants, not kids). i was going to buy a tree. i chose this weekend because it was the big sale weekend. for those non-Mass residents, Massachusetts has this tax-free-shopping-weekend-thing. i guess because NH is so close and has no taxes when you buy stuff, MA loses a lot of revenue to people crossing the border to buy their loot. the solution MA came up with was to have these big tax-free sales. well, last weekend was this big ol sale. so, i think...trees are freak'n expensive, and i should take advantage and buy one during this dumb sale. i go down there - see the signs for 50-90% off + no tax/etc./etc. - so, off i go to the way back of their nursery in search for a tree.
ok...we've had rain lately...and i'm talking excessive rain, so the ground is saturated around here. well, i'm walking along their path - which is at least 100 yards long and like 15 feet wide. it's all mulched...but that mulch is now black because of all the mud/rain. off i go with my flip flops on...in my happy 'kid-free, beautiful day, get'n a great deal on a tree' mood. i'm back to the point where no one can really see me - amongst the trees...and suddenly i sink...quicksand sink up to my knees. no joke. and because i have flip-flops on i try to quickly get out, but the mud flies from my flailing flip flops onto my face/in my hair/on my shirt/arms...basically everywhere. i laugh in horror and disgust. i'm now finally getting to the damn trees - covered in mud and mulch. i think i find the one i like and then i feel this prick on my foot. i look down - see all the mud/mulch all over me and think 'i must have been stabbed by a piece of the wood mulch'...and carry on with my upward tree scanning. then i realize - 'son-of-a-bitch - that's really starting to hurt'...i look down and there are bees all around my feet!!! i take off. now remember...i'm now trying to run in flip-flops through muddy mulch with random quicksand holes that can't be seen while being chased by bees. it was awesome.
i'm now completely covered in mud and heading toward the stand where i would purchase the tree. the 18 yr old kid in there greets me. i say "can you tell me what your discount is for the maple trees, as i think i've found one i like?" him: "everything BUT the trees are on sale." i take a moment and breathe, while in my mind i'm thinking "@#)$&@#)(%&$)#*%.*!" i then ask "can you tell me at what point the trees will go on sale, since it's the end of the season, i figured it'd be now, if not soon." him: "i have no idea - our headquarters has to tell us." me: "yes, but, generally - in the past - when do your trees go on sale...like late Aug/Sept?" him: "i told you i don't know - do you have any other questions?" again...deep breath...walk away. (for many of you...yes, i have matured in my later years and i appreciate that you maybe shocked but proud of me for my reaction)
i attempt to wipe the mud off my ars and get in the car to drive home. i call jon and say "i will be home in 5 minutes...i need a cold beer set outside by the hose...and there's no laughing or i'll literally kill you." i get home and hose off my muddy, bee-stung self...no tree.
my foot then decided to swell up like a freak'n balloon...just might have somethan to do with me being allergic to bees. it has been swollen and itching for 4 days...and when i say itching...i mean ITCHING like i want to rip my foot off itching...it's ridiculous. oh, and did i mention i'm limping around treating it with an ice pack that is rubber-banded to my foot bc i'm nursing and can't take freak'n benadryl/etc. yah, awesome.
so, in summary...i still hate bees and i am now reminded how much bee stings hurt and how allergic i am...so, i think i'm now even more afraid of bees (which i didn't believe was possible). landscaping note to self: no flowering plants around my pool!!!
7/11/2008 mmm...floating beveragesi've officially floated in my pool with a fruity beverage, and it was all i imagined and more!
here are some highlights that i'm fully enjoying:
1) natural warmth. the sun hits the pool from like 9am to 8pm and therefore the pool's temperature stays around like 82+ degrees.
2) pool depth. we ended up with a 3 foot shallow end and a 5 foot deep end. we LOVE it. Aiden is already able to walk around the step area of the shallow end and jon & i are able to walk in the deep end. the depth makes the entire pool usable, which is awesome.
3) night swimming. we have a light in the pool and it's really cool. we also got the mosquito magnet to eliminate those ridiculous beasts. i don't know if it's really working, as i still have to apply bug spray. although, let me say that the thing catches mosquitoes by the hundreds, but i would prefer them being completely gone. it's probably the pool light that attracts them...boo.
4) oasis at home. it's going to take a lot to get me to leave my house on a beautiful summer day. the grill is right there, the beer fridge is just inside the basement door, and once we add the spa and finish the basement - i seriously won't leave. and, that was our goal - if i was going to pop out these young'ns that would keep us home for a few years, then i wanted to have an oasis for us to enjoy. we definitely built that dream.
granted we have plenty left to do...landscaping, some drainage pipes, an addition of a spa and to refinish the basement...but, those are all projects that we'll take our time doing and will enjoy. so, if you're looking for me - i'm floating. if you want to stop by - bringing booze will guarantee you admission. :)
here are some photos of the creation...the finished coping, the patio decking and loam, the fence and plaster...then the water!
7/6/2008 neighbors rockok...we've already covered two of my neighbors...the douchebag that is afraid of rocks and the one that is fertilizer challenged...now onto the others...
i think maybe it's because i'm home now on maternity leave so i see more or because it's summer and everyone is outside - whatever it is - my neighbors are priceless.
ok - first one - i hear a broom going the other day - and it just didn't stop - i'm talking for like 30 minutes. so, finally i look out the window to see who the hell is sweeping and what they could possibly be sweeping for so long. well, the road was the answer. 2 houses down - she's sweeping the street. and not just the end of her driveway, i'm talking the entire street. i told jon - "if i ever get to the point where i have nothing to do but sweep the street, please just take me out back and put me out of my misery." documentation below.
second one - all the kids go up and down our street on bikes/etc., esp. now with school out. well, last weekend, the neighbor across the street got on her bike and was riding around with her kids. then, i realized...her kids are doing circles around her and going much faster...why?...because her adult bike had TRAINING WHEELS! i couldn't believe my eyes. the woman was riding an adult bike with training wheels and listening to her MP3 player. now, correct me if i'm wrong, but the whole point of training wheels is to prevent bikes from tipping over because kids legs aren't long enough to touch the ground. these wheels were so small, there is NO WAY they're going to help this woman in any way. she has since been practicing like every other day with these training wheels. i'm sorry, but i can't not laugh. yah, yah, good for her that she's trying and learning...now get beyond that and realize that she can try/learn without training wheels because she's AN ADULT...good grief. again, documentation below.
now, i'm sure the neighbors say plenty about me...but, i can't imagine i'm as insane as these folks. though, i definitely could be considered crazy bc i'm taking pictures of all the neighbors. my rebuttal - it's all for comedy and therefore no reflection on my sanity or lack there of.
6/17/2008 she's here...the misses showed up 10 days early...here are the standard details:
Sadie Mindea (pronounced Min-day-a)
Sunday, June 1st
7 lbs, 6.8 oz / 20 inches
now, why do people feel the need to relay the weight/length of newborns...isn't it a lil odd when you really think about it? 'hey - meet my kid - here's her weight and height." maybe it's bc honestly, what else are you going to relay? i suppose you could say 'my new kid is bald / has x-hair color' or maybe you relay 'my kid pooped or cried x-# of minutes after birth' or maybe you should make predictions of what you think the kid will be when it grows up...that'd clearly open up reasons for kids to not reach the potential expected of them...which they'll tell their future therapist.
ok...so, here i go...
anyway, all are doing well 2 weeks post-birth. she's very easy thus far and is fitting into our lil clan very well. Aiden is rather welcoming with her, which is nice. my recovery is a gabillion times better due to the natural birth instead of the c-section this time around (thankfully!). Jon is pumped to take every Friday off this summer to enjoy time with the fam. so, overall, life is good - no complaints and we're completely enjoying and savoring each day. here are some shots...
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