Tad and I realized last week that we had not had any time together, out in the world, without children in ages. Our last two date nights were doing activities with other people and they were both in December.
Lucky for us, even though both sets of grandparents are on vacation, we had another option. We have our neighbors with whom we do a babysitting swap. I called them up and voilla! We had a babysitter.
We looked through all the dinner coupons we had: 1 free entree at an Indian restaurant with the purchase of another entree and 2 drinks, one free entree at a very expensive east side Italian place, and $20 off at McCormick and Schmicks from one of Tad's teachers at school. We decided on the last place, as one of our other neighbors is a chef there. I called up his wife to see if he would be working and if we could say 'hi' to him and she said she'd make us a reservation!
We got there at 8:00, children safely tucked in bed. We were greeted at the door by our neighbor and taken to a lovely booth with curtains. On the menu was pre-printed:
WELCOME ALIE AND TAD!!!!!!!
Knowing neither of us drink, he presented us with strawberry mint spritzers, which were delicious. We ordered a crab stack appetizers with avocado, mango, greens and a sauce drizzled on. Then we were brought sourdough bread. Tad and I ordered cashew crusted tilapia with sweet potato hash and battered fried peppers and a side of butternut squash orzo. It was brought to the table split for us and presented beautifully. I ordered creme brulee for dessert (my favorite) but our neighbor came out himself with a long white platter containing two cups of chocolat, a brownie with ice cream and bananas foster sauce, a chocolate mousse cake AND creme brulee. Needless to say, we brought lots home. At the end of our meal, Tad and I were sitting back and happily full. We had gotten to talk, uninterrupted by children, and hold hands and reconnect. Our server came back with the bill, placing it on the table and saying, "It's taken care of."
We smiled at each other in disbelief. We both gave our neighbor a hug before we left and went home to relieve our other neighbor, taking care of our children.
Date night: brought to you by two wonderful people in the 55th street neighborhood.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thank heavens for comp time
I am SO lucky to work someplace that values family time and understands the complex schedule of someone like me---working full time at a non-profit, raising two kids, volunteering on various committees and boards...
Both my parents and in-laws are out of town this week which means two less days of free daycare (how I appreciate our parents!!!!!) and I went to my supervisor to ask her if I could work from home and rearrange my schedule a bit to accommodate my lack of childcare and try to avoid paying for too much extra. She knows my one-income situation and told me that whatever I needed to do was fine with her. So next week, I'll be working from home 1, 1.5 or 2 days, depending on what kind of help I can get. I am so appreciative!
Today I'm home with my little Lucy girl because I work tomorrow (Saturday) instead. Tomorrow I get to go to the US Cellular Arena and present to a three groups of about 50-75 cub scouts about people with disabilities and adaptive sports so they can get their disability awareness badges. Exciting! After that is a Wave game at the arena and I get to bring my family.
So, because of that and some other evening hours in the past 2 weeks, I get to be home today. It is so nice to have some alone time with my younger child which is rarely a natural occurrence.
Currently she is hiding behind me because Curious George is apparently stressing her out with whatever amusing jam his curiosity has gotten him into this morning. Better go cuddle her!
Happy Friday, everyone!
Both my parents and in-laws are out of town this week which means two less days of free daycare (how I appreciate our parents!!!!!) and I went to my supervisor to ask her if I could work from home and rearrange my schedule a bit to accommodate my lack of childcare and try to avoid paying for too much extra. She knows my one-income situation and told me that whatever I needed to do was fine with her. So next week, I'll be working from home 1, 1.5 or 2 days, depending on what kind of help I can get. I am so appreciative!
Today I'm home with my little Lucy girl because I work tomorrow (Saturday) instead. Tomorrow I get to go to the US Cellular Arena and present to a three groups of about 50-75 cub scouts about people with disabilities and adaptive sports so they can get their disability awareness badges. Exciting! After that is a Wave game at the arena and I get to bring my family.
So, because of that and some other evening hours in the past 2 weeks, I get to be home today. It is so nice to have some alone time with my younger child which is rarely a natural occurrence.
Currently she is hiding behind me because Curious George is apparently stressing her out with whatever amusing jam his curiosity has gotten him into this morning. Better go cuddle her!
Happy Friday, everyone!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Cheering up
No keycard still, but you win some, you lose some, right?
But tonight, I had a fun night with my children who played very nicely together.
And after they went to bed, I put a Mason Jennings station on Pandora and I sewed. It was lovely. The shirt on the left I made tonight. In case you can't tell, its one bird looking down at a dead bird. The caption: hello its me.
The other one I made a while ago. I wanted it to have 5 'and's' but I ran out of letters. Coen loves that one.
Ahhhh creating makes me feel goooooood.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Lost key card
Well, I lost my key card to get into my office building. This is the second time I have lost it and my workplace charges $20 for a replacement.
Friday, I left work with it hooked in its usual spot-on my left pocket. At my daughter's daycare I noticed it was still on and I said "Oh! My key card is still on!" And laughed.
When I got home and hung up my coat, it was not there.
I walked around outside in sub-zero weather, I crawled around the frozen garage floor, I drove over to my daughter's daycare and hunted in snowbanks with a flashlight. People were looking out their windows at me. I was frustrated....I was cold...but....
No Keycard.
$20
Right now, I am guessing its mostly the winter blues, the lack of cash, the pent up energy of my children. But I feel that I might spiral into the depths of despair because of my missing keycard.
Don't worry readers. I will get a grip. Tad has promised a movie and chocolate chip cookies tonight. It'll turn around, I'm sure of it.
Friday, I left work with it hooked in its usual spot-on my left pocket. At my daughter's daycare I noticed it was still on and I said "Oh! My key card is still on!" And laughed.
When I got home and hung up my coat, it was not there.
I walked around outside in sub-zero weather, I crawled around the frozen garage floor, I drove over to my daughter's daycare and hunted in snowbanks with a flashlight. People were looking out their windows at me. I was frustrated....I was cold...but....
No Keycard.
$20
Right now, I am guessing its mostly the winter blues, the lack of cash, the pent up energy of my children. But I feel that I might spiral into the depths of despair because of my missing keycard.
Don't worry readers. I will get a grip. Tad has promised a movie and chocolate chip cookies tonight. It'll turn around, I'm sure of it.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
A sisterly act of kindness
I had to make a list yesterday of things I was stressed out about. Then I exed off the things I could not control and crossed off the things that I took care of. This was the list:
1. Money
2. The garage door is broken
3. The washing machine is broken
4. My in-laws are going out of town for several weeks, thereby ridding us of one day a week of free daycare
5. I have to ask my daugher's daycare provider to add on extra days which stresses me out.
So money is basically linked to 1-4 and I exed it off since I have no control over how much money we have right now.
Then I talked to my daugher's daycare person and she was really nice about the schedule changes and added days. I crossed that off.
Then I had the garage door fixed and we just charged it.
Number four I can't control.
And all that is now left is the washing machine. Which I will put off until we have several loads of laundry at the bottom of the steps-no doubt.
My sister called after I made this list and I vented to her about all my concerns. She was planning on coming with her kids for dinner tonight. "I'll bring dinner!" She said. "NO!" I said. "We have stuff." "Well save your stuff for another night and I'll bring dinner." I protested again and then she said "You are supposed to just say, 'Thank you. That would be very helpful.' " So I said it.
What a good sister!
And it was helpful to make that list. I'm much more of a state of calm now. And I can get in my garage!
1. Money
3. The washing machine is broken
4. My in-laws are going out of town for several weeks, thereby ridding us of one day a week of free daycare
So money is basically linked to 1-4 and I exed it off since I have no control over how much money we have right now.
Then I talked to my daugher's daycare person and she was really nice about the schedule changes and added days. I crossed that off.
Then I had the garage door fixed and we just charged it.
Number four I can't control.
And all that is now left is the washing machine. Which I will put off until we have several loads of laundry at the bottom of the steps-no doubt.
My sister called after I made this list and I vented to her about all my concerns. She was planning on coming with her kids for dinner tonight. "I'll bring dinner!" She said. "NO!" I said. "We have stuff." "Well save your stuff for another night and I'll bring dinner." I protested again and then she said "You are supposed to just say, 'Thank you. That would be very helpful.' " So I said it.
What a good sister!
And it was helpful to make that list. I'm much more of a state of calm now. And I can get in my garage!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Free
Yesterday I was out of town for a few meetings and I stayed with a very dear friend of mine. She took me to her Buddhist Philosophy class at the community center.
The class was taught by a Buddhist Monk. The lesson was on the Eight Worldly Concerns.
1. Attachment to getting and keeping material things.
2. Aversion to not getting material things or being separated from them.
3. Attachment to praise, hearing nice words, and feeling encouraged.
4. Aversion to getting blamed, ridiculed, and criticized.
5. Attachment to having a good reputation.
6. Aversion to having a bad reputation.
7. Attachment to sense pleasures in general.
8. Aversion to unpleasant experiences.
The class was taught by a Buddhist Monk. The lesson was on the Eight Worldly Concerns.
1. Attachment to getting and keeping material things.
2. Aversion to not getting material things or being separated from them.
3. Attachment to praise, hearing nice words, and feeling encouraged.
4. Aversion to getting blamed, ridiculed, and criticized.
5. Attachment to having a good reputation.
6. Aversion to having a bad reputation.
7. Attachment to sense pleasures in general.
8. Aversion to unpleasant experiences.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Playoff football and an abundance of food.
Now, I have never been much of a football fan. And I am surrounded by them. When I was growing up, it was football every Sunday. My parents, either just the two of them or with friends, more often than not joined by my sister, set up the raw beef and onions, beers, chips and other sport-viewing snacks. There'd be a lot of yelling, standing and cheering, jumping up suddenly... I didn't like it. Possibly it was because I could not for the life of me understand that game. Possibly I thought it was too violent. A likely reason was because I would try and steer people's attention from the game by trying to tell some amusing anecdote about myself and would be shushed.
So usually I went outside to play, walk in the woods, or find a non-football-fanatic friend.
When I was in college, I was feeling very lonely and bored in the dorms on a Sunday afternoon because everyone was watching football. I did what any self-respecting homesick college freshman does. I called my mom.
Mom: Hello?
Me: Mom?
Mom: Hi honey! How are you?
Me: Oh, I'm bored, everyone's watching football and no one wants me to talk and I'm lonesome.
Mom: Oh I'm sorry, you're having a rough.... TOUCHDOWN!!!!!! Whoooohooooo!!!! (lots of noise and commotion in the background)
Sigh.
And what did I do? I married a football fan. I suppose its a hard thing to avoid. But in marrying Tad and hanging out with him and our families on game days, I must admit, I understand the game a little better. I actually have come to enjoy watching it, even if I don't care who wins.
And so its playoffs and so it seems there is football talk and football facebook posts and football in the news and football on everyone's shirts. But with playoffs comes parties and with playoff parties comes food. Lots of it. I do appreciate that.
We watched the Packers make it into the playoffs at Tad's parents and we were sent home with bread and chocolates and soup and leftover snacks.
We watched the playoffs last weekend at Tad's cousin's house. They ordered Pizza and wings and we had a salad and brownies and cookies. For the second round of games in the evening, we went home to get the kids to bed but Tad's cousin gave us leftover pizza and ribs and rice that was brought by guests for the Packer game. That fed us for two days!
Sunday we'll go watch at my parents' house and inevitably there will be leftovers to take home, and at any rate a meal that I don't have to cook or buy!
So even if I think the game is kind of violent. And even if sometimes when I do watch it hits me how extremely Weird it is to have a game where you throw a ball to another guy and then the guy tries to run and a bunch of huge guys try to knock him down... And even if I think the announcers who talk about what might happen in the game before the game and what is currently happening in the game during the game and what did happen in the game after the game is $%&ing ridiculous....I sure do like the leftovers.
Go Pack.
So usually I went outside to play, walk in the woods, or find a non-football-fanatic friend.
When I was in college, I was feeling very lonely and bored in the dorms on a Sunday afternoon because everyone was watching football. I did what any self-respecting homesick college freshman does. I called my mom.
Mom: Hello?
Me: Mom?
Mom: Hi honey! How are you?
Me: Oh, I'm bored, everyone's watching football and no one wants me to talk and I'm lonesome.
Mom: Oh I'm sorry, you're having a rough.... TOUCHDOWN!!!!!! Whoooohooooo!!!! (lots of noise and commotion in the background)
Sigh.
And what did I do? I married a football fan. I suppose its a hard thing to avoid. But in marrying Tad and hanging out with him and our families on game days, I must admit, I understand the game a little better. I actually have come to enjoy watching it, even if I don't care who wins.
And so its playoffs and so it seems there is football talk and football facebook posts and football in the news and football on everyone's shirts. But with playoffs comes parties and with playoff parties comes food. Lots of it. I do appreciate that.
We watched the Packers make it into the playoffs at Tad's parents and we were sent home with bread and chocolates and soup and leftover snacks.
We watched the playoffs last weekend at Tad's cousin's house. They ordered Pizza and wings and we had a salad and brownies and cookies. For the second round of games in the evening, we went home to get the kids to bed but Tad's cousin gave us leftover pizza and ribs and rice that was brought by guests for the Packer game. That fed us for two days!
Sunday we'll go watch at my parents' house and inevitably there will be leftovers to take home, and at any rate a meal that I don't have to cook or buy!
So even if I think the game is kind of violent. And even if sometimes when I do watch it hits me how extremely Weird it is to have a game where you throw a ball to another guy and then the guy tries to run and a bunch of huge guys try to knock him down... And even if I think the announcers who talk about what might happen in the game before the game and what is currently happening in the game during the game and what did happen in the game after the game is $%&ing ridiculous....I sure do like the leftovers.
Go Pack.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Goodbye Bob the Builder. Hello Dora.
At the holidays I really wanted to order Charlie and Lola's Christmas special for my kids. Charlie and Lola is a British show about a big brother and a little sister and it is ADORABLE and very asthetically pleasing to me. My kids love it. Tad bargained with me. If I wanted Charlie and Lola, I had to get rid of another Christmas special. We had Bob the Builder's Christmas in the back of our cupboard. Coen has long since grown out of Bob the Builder and Lucy doesn't seem interested.
An aside: I have TRIED I tell you, tried to get my kids to be interested in gender neutral toys and games and books. I bought Coen dolls along with his trucks and dinosaurs and Lucy trucks and dinosaurs along with her dolls. But what happened? Coen tossed his doll aside and smashed cars into each other while dinsoaurs jumped roughly atop them. Lucy cradled her babies and put trucks and dinosaurs gently into their cribs. What can you do?
Anyway, we gave Bob to our neighbors--two little boys that our kids love--for a Christmas present.
Today we went over to see my dear friend and her daughter who is nine years old. Before we left, she rifled through her videos and gave Lucy two Dora the Explorer DVDs that she doesn't watch anymore.
It was firsthand proof to my kids that what goes around comes around. Today is Suday. My family's traditional pizza and movie night. And right now my children are curled up on the couches full of pizza and ice cream and watching Dora.
Oh video sharing, how lovely.
An aside: I have TRIED I tell you, tried to get my kids to be interested in gender neutral toys and games and books. I bought Coen dolls along with his trucks and dinosaurs and Lucy trucks and dinosaurs along with her dolls. But what happened? Coen tossed his doll aside and smashed cars into each other while dinsoaurs jumped roughly atop them. Lucy cradled her babies and put trucks and dinosaurs gently into their cribs. What can you do?
Anyway, we gave Bob to our neighbors--two little boys that our kids love--for a Christmas present.
Today we went over to see my dear friend and her daughter who is nine years old. Before we left, she rifled through her videos and gave Lucy two Dora the Explorer DVDs that she doesn't watch anymore.
It was firsthand proof to my kids that what goes around comes around. Today is Suday. My family's traditional pizza and movie night. And right now my children are curled up on the couches full of pizza and ice cream and watching Dora.
Oh video sharing, how lovely.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sweetness battles the crabbies
Well today I called in sick, which I rarely do. And I went to the doctor. My doctor's office is on the east side which is also where my parents live so I took my daughter to them and went to my appointment. When I got there I was told that the doctor I was scheduled with acutally changed her schedule so she left at 11:00. My 11:30 appointment had been cancelled that morning and nobody told me!
She suggested I come back tomorrow at 10:30, but I have an importatnt trainng at work at that time tomorrow. I told her that I took the day off to come and that I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. She was very nice and said she'd get me in to see the triage nurse.
The nurse called me into an examination room and said in a rather annoyed-seeming voice:
"Well, what seems to be so serious with your health that you absolutely HAVE to be seen today?"
Jeez.
I was a bit put off by this attacky sort of way of talking to me, but I smiled and said sweetly,
"Well, I did have an appointment today but it was cancelled without my knowledge. I took off work today to come and my lungs hurt when I breathe, so I wanted to try to be seen today. But if I'm putting you off...."
"No, no!" She said, suddenly nice, "My name is ___________ I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. I can get you in with another doctor today. I'll be right back."
And I got a 1:00 appointment.
It turns out I have a cold, probably a virus which is in my lungs, but nothing terrible. She told me to rest and drink lots of fluids. Offerred to write me an excuse to be off work for a couple days. I declined. I feel better already than yesterday. I'm relaxing now. And blogging. If I am better yet tomorrow, I'm going to work.
It seems like a lot of people can get all crabby and rude. But I find its best to be sweet anyway. It is always disarming. I don't want to kill 'em with kindness really. Mostly surprise 'em with sweetness.
She suggested I come back tomorrow at 10:30, but I have an importatnt trainng at work at that time tomorrow. I told her that I took the day off to come and that I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. She was very nice and said she'd get me in to see the triage nurse.
The nurse called me into an examination room and said in a rather annoyed-seeming voice:
"Well, what seems to be so serious with your health that you absolutely HAVE to be seen today?"
Jeez.
I was a bit put off by this attacky sort of way of talking to me, but I smiled and said sweetly,
"Well, I did have an appointment today but it was cancelled without my knowledge. I took off work today to come and my lungs hurt when I breathe, so I wanted to try to be seen today. But if I'm putting you off...."
"No, no!" She said, suddenly nice, "My name is ___________ I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. I can get you in with another doctor today. I'll be right back."
And I got a 1:00 appointment.
It turns out I have a cold, probably a virus which is in my lungs, but nothing terrible. She told me to rest and drink lots of fluids. Offerred to write me an excuse to be off work for a couple days. I declined. I feel better already than yesterday. I'm relaxing now. And blogging. If I am better yet tomorrow, I'm going to work.
It seems like a lot of people can get all crabby and rude. But I find its best to be sweet anyway. It is always disarming. I don't want to kill 'em with kindness really. Mostly surprise 'em with sweetness.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sick day
Before I launch in to how god-awful I feel, let me show you the results of my money spending estimates in Chicago:
Estimates Reality
My share of the hotel -- $40 Hotel -- $40
Dinner tonight -- $20 Dinner-- $30
Sodas at the bar -- $5 Drank water at the bar $0
Taxi back to the hotel -- $20 Taxi back to the hotel--$10
Breakfast tomorrow -- $15 Free hotel Continental breakfast Coffee for the road $2.50
Total--------------------$100 Total--------------$82.50
Not bad, eh?
Yeah, so the sad thing about Chicago was that I have been sick since last week Thursday and it is just not getting any better. So while usually I am a highly entertaining individual who adds to a party, I was more an observer with an occasional funny comment or addition to a situation. It was hard not being at my normal speed.
Today I left work halfway through the day and have secured myself a doctor's appointment for tomorrow. This involved a lot of directory checking as we are now on Badgercare due to our income (which is nice) and I found that my doctor does not take state insurance and I had to research to find another (which is not nice).
Something weird is happening with my lungs. I have a cold, and that is annoying, but the real problem is that I have pain every time I breathe deep, cough, laugh or sneeze or even move my head wrong. So hopefully they will tell me that it is a problem very easily solved with antibiotics which can be covered by my insurance.
It is nice to work someplace that allows for sick time. I usually don't take at as I am able to plow through these little illnesses without much notice, but this cold FAILS!
I'll keep you posted.
Aah--aah--choo!!
Ouch.
Estimates Reality
My share of the hotel -- $40 Hotel -- $40
Dinner tonight -- $20 Dinner-- $30
Sodas at the bar -- $5 Drank water at the bar $0
Taxi back to the hotel -- $20 Taxi back to the hotel--$10
Breakfast tomorrow -- $15 Free hotel Continental breakfast Coffee for the road $2.50
Total--------------------$100 Total--------------$82.50
Not bad, eh?
Yeah, so the sad thing about Chicago was that I have been sick since last week Thursday and it is just not getting any better. So while usually I am a highly entertaining individual who adds to a party, I was more an observer with an occasional funny comment or addition to a situation. It was hard not being at my normal speed.
Today I left work halfway through the day and have secured myself a doctor's appointment for tomorrow. This involved a lot of directory checking as we are now on Badgercare due to our income (which is nice) and I found that my doctor does not take state insurance and I had to research to find another (which is not nice).
Something weird is happening with my lungs. I have a cold, and that is annoying, but the real problem is that I have pain every time I breathe deep, cough, laugh or sneeze or even move my head wrong. So hopefully they will tell me that it is a problem very easily solved with antibiotics which can be covered by my insurance.
It is nice to work someplace that allows for sick time. I usually don't take at as I am able to plow through these little illnesses without much notice, but this cold FAILS!
I'll keep you posted.
Aah--aah--choo!!
Ouch.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Chicago
So one of my dearest friends had her birthday on December 28th. She lives in Chicago and is having her birthday party tonight at a bar called Sofo. My sister and our two other closest friends decided that we are going to go! We got ourselves a hotel room and we leave this afternoon to drive down there. How excited am I to go on a road trip and spend the night with four of my favorite women!
Of course, due to the holidays and the onset of winter energy bills, Tad and I are out of money. This did not occur to me until yesterday. Crap. I'll have to pay for my share of the hotel, dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow and a taxi ride from the bar to our hotel. What to do?!
I talked to Tad about it and he said. "This is your vacation. Just charge it all. You deserve this and I don't want you worrying about money."
But then I realized that we have a couple envelopes of money received for Christmas. My uncle, who has been generous with my sister and I since we were little girls, gave us each an envelope this year on Christmas eve. $100. Wow.
So I'll bring that and have a night out in Chicago, courtesy of my sweet Uncle Boobers (a nickname given him by my dad early in my parents dating life).
Lucky thing I don't drink at all. I think I'll be able to stretch it. Here's my estimated budget...I guess we'll see how close I get!
My share of the hotel -- $40
Dinner tonight -- $20
Sodas at the bar -- $5
Taxi back to the hotel -- $20
Breakfast tomorrow -- $15
Total--------------------$100
Now to get rid of this cold that has been plaguing me the last couple days!
Of course, due to the holidays and the onset of winter energy bills, Tad and I are out of money. This did not occur to me until yesterday. Crap. I'll have to pay for my share of the hotel, dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow and a taxi ride from the bar to our hotel. What to do?!
I talked to Tad about it and he said. "This is your vacation. Just charge it all. You deserve this and I don't want you worrying about money."
But then I realized that we have a couple envelopes of money received for Christmas. My uncle, who has been generous with my sister and I since we were little girls, gave us each an envelope this year on Christmas eve. $100. Wow.
So I'll bring that and have a night out in Chicago, courtesy of my sweet Uncle Boobers (a nickname given him by my dad early in my parents dating life).
Lucky thing I don't drink at all. I think I'll be able to stretch it. Here's my estimated budget...I guess we'll see how close I get!
My share of the hotel -- $40
Dinner tonight -- $20
Sodas at the bar -- $5
Taxi back to the hotel -- $20
Breakfast tomorrow -- $15
Total--------------------$100
Now to get rid of this cold that has been plaguing me the last couple days!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
To melt chocolate for dipping or not to melt chocolate for dipping
It is really hard to get rid of this sweet tooth. After spending two weeks eating ice cream and cookies and chocolates and candy canes and ice cream..... I had said that I would stop it.
But yesterday, Tad handed me a bowl of chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. I had to eat it.
So tonight, I am thinking that we have this last five or six digestive biscuits and a 1/4 bag of chocolate chips. I am seriously considering melting the chips and dipping the last of the biscuits in them so they are chocolate bottomed digestive biscuits. Is that so terrible?
It is hard getting back to reality. Not just because of the sweets. I have missed my kids at work these past two days. And also it is hard in a monetary fashion. December was a three-paycheck month for me at work so Tad and I pretended in December that we are not a single income family. We did some out for dinners, bought presents for the kids, each other, went to coffee shops... It was fun.
And now it is precisely nine days before I get paid again. I told Tad he could buy coffee today and then that's it. All the rest will have to be for groceries.
But that's okay. That's all we'll need.
Oh well....
But yesterday, Tad handed me a bowl of chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. I had to eat it.
So tonight, I am thinking that we have this last five or six digestive biscuits and a 1/4 bag of chocolate chips. I am seriously considering melting the chips and dipping the last of the biscuits in them so they are chocolate bottomed digestive biscuits. Is that so terrible?
It is hard getting back to reality. Not just because of the sweets. I have missed my kids at work these past two days. And also it is hard in a monetary fashion. December was a three-paycheck month for me at work so Tad and I pretended in December that we are not a single income family. We did some out for dinners, bought presents for the kids, each other, went to coffee shops... It was fun.
And now it is precisely nine days before I get paid again. I told Tad he could buy coffee today and then that's it. All the rest will have to be for groceries.
But that's okay. That's all we'll need.
Oh well....
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sick Day
I am home with my elder child today, who is sick with the stomach flu.
I am glad that we found out that he was sick last night because it gave me some time to accept my day.
See, I have off today and for two months I've been looking forward to spending the first official day back to work and school home ALONE cleaning the house and un-decking the halls. So it took me most of the evening to re-visualize my last day off. But I guess its par for the course of parenthood to have your day off infringed upon by an unexpected home sick child. I think I brought it upon myself. I remember bragging to some friends about my whole day to myself and then saying "With my luck, one of my kids will need to stay home sick." Damn self-fulfilling prophecies!
Now my day will involve a lot of PBS and reading stories and cuddling with my 7 year old. I have let him know that he will be witness to me taking down the tree, and that I will be cleaning the kitchen and bathroom at some point while he naps or watches a movie... He's cool with it. Right now, as I blog, he's reading a Peanuts comic book and giggling to himself.
I'll still get everything done I was going to get done...just without loud music and with cuddles in between rooms.
I thought I'd take this post to share with you my recipe for homemade magic popsicles. Popsicles are always a good staple for a kid with the stomach flu.
Get yourself some popsicle molds. Ours were a wedding gift.
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime (usually takes 2)
1/4 cup grenadine
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
Mix it all together and cook it in a pot on the stove until all is dissolved.
Freeze for a few hours and voilla! Homemade popsicles. A FRACTION of the price of a box of popsicles.
I am glad that we found out that he was sick last night because it gave me some time to accept my day.
See, I have off today and for two months I've been looking forward to spending the first official day back to work and school home ALONE cleaning the house and un-decking the halls. So it took me most of the evening to re-visualize my last day off. But I guess its par for the course of parenthood to have your day off infringed upon by an unexpected home sick child. I think I brought it upon myself. I remember bragging to some friends about my whole day to myself and then saying "With my luck, one of my kids will need to stay home sick." Damn self-fulfilling prophecies!
Now my day will involve a lot of PBS and reading stories and cuddling with my 7 year old. I have let him know that he will be witness to me taking down the tree, and that I will be cleaning the kitchen and bathroom at some point while he naps or watches a movie... He's cool with it. Right now, as I blog, he's reading a Peanuts comic book and giggling to himself.
I'll still get everything done I was going to get done...just without loud music and with cuddles in between rooms.
I thought I'd take this post to share with you my recipe for homemade magic popsicles. Popsicles are always a good staple for a kid with the stomach flu.
Get yourself some popsicle molds. Ours were a wedding gift.
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime (usually takes 2)
1/4 cup grenadine
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
Mix it all together and cook it in a pot on the stove until all is dissolved.
Freeze for a few hours and voilla! Homemade popsicles. A FRACTION of the price of a box of popsicles.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Back to it
Tomorrow we go back to the real world. The real world where we have to get up at 6:00 and put on coats and go somewhere first thing in the morning and be apart from each other all day and come home in time to have dinner, give baths and go to bed...
Now, I could look at it that way and in my weaker moments (like I just had) I may choose to look at it that way, but in my stronger moments, which I will have now, I'll look at it this way:
Coen will go back to the school that he loves with amazing teachers and pretty soon he'll get to start practicing for the school play which he got a part in and is really looking forward to.
Lucy will go back to daycare with Sarah, who she adores and calls "My Sarah" and also to days with her grandparents and getting her little brain and body ready for next year when she starts K3.
Tad will go back to this school program, teaching him Montessori methods which he is very lucky and pleased to be in, getting ready to be a kick-ass teacher next year. (He told me he's feeling good and ready to tackle this second and final semester head on.)
I will go back to a job that I love with all kinds of exciting programs and projects on the horizon and get to spend mornings at my desk drinking coffee and catching up on messages and visiting with coworkers who I really like and enjoy and whom I have not seen for two weeks.
So there.
Happy New Year everyone...once again! I have been sort of in la la land with my year of living simpler with the holidays and everything, but I am ready to get back to it.
Now, I could look at it that way and in my weaker moments (like I just had) I may choose to look at it that way, but in my stronger moments, which I will have now, I'll look at it this way:
Coen will go back to the school that he loves with amazing teachers and pretty soon he'll get to start practicing for the school play which he got a part in and is really looking forward to.
Lucy will go back to daycare with Sarah, who she adores and calls "My Sarah" and also to days with her grandparents and getting her little brain and body ready for next year when she starts K3.
Tad will go back to this school program, teaching him Montessori methods which he is very lucky and pleased to be in, getting ready to be a kick-ass teacher next year. (He told me he's feeling good and ready to tackle this second and final semester head on.)
I will go back to a job that I love with all kinds of exciting programs and projects on the horizon and get to spend mornings at my desk drinking coffee and catching up on messages and visiting with coworkers who I really like and enjoy and whom I have not seen for two weeks.
So there.
Happy New Year everyone...once again! I have been sort of in la la land with my year of living simpler with the holidays and everything, but I am ready to get back to it.
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| Photo taken by Coen of Tad and I on New Year's Eve. |
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| Coen and Lucy celebrating New Year's in the Czech Republic |
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The first day of 2011
We celebrated our New Year's eve as we have for the last nine years. This was mine and Tad's tenth together as lovers and partners. Here is what we do:
We stay in. No parties, no bars, no babysitters or crowded restaurants. No driving or free busses. Just the four of us, at home.
We all dressed up at about 3:00 and I poured us some sparkling white grape juice. Tad and Coen spiked up their hair with gel. I wore a dress that I got at a vintage shop, and Lucy opted to be baby new year complete with no clothes, a diaper and a top hat. I made an appetizer of baked brie, havarti and muenster cheese (everyone's favorites represented) with crackers of all sorts. We toasted, Tad and I each telling our kids something that they accomplished this year and what we love about them and each other. At 4:00 we counted down the New Year in Estonia and then at 5:00 we counted down the New Year in the Czech Republic. All four of us went to the front door and yelled Happy New Year and blew our horns for all of the neighborhood to hear.
The kids get a special treat for dinner--Kid Cuisines!! These are kids frozen meals ($2.00 apiece at Woodmans) that our kids LOVE. After their dinners, they both had a bubble bath and off to bed.
After Coen and Lucy were all tucked in, Tad and I turned off most of the lights in our house, save the Christmas tree and several candles, moved the dining room table into the living room and had a date.
Dinner was steak that was donated to us by my good friend Laura, who had been given several shrink-wrapped frozen meats and shared them with us, asparagus, texas toast and baked beans. Delicious.
Over dinner, Tad and I (as we do every year) read aloud two letters that we had written each other. We have been writing letters to each other since 2000, when I was in the Peace Corps. Each year we choose two letters. It is amazing to watch the letters move us from close friends, to the best of friends, to madly in love. This year's letters were the last letter we'd written each other before we fell in love and the first notes we'd written each other after.
Then we talked for hours about our love and what we share and our children and our lives and the past year. At 12:00 we danced to two songs--the same two every year--and we kissed in 2011.
Before bed we had to go upstairs, as we promised Coen (his idea) to move two items of furniture in his room so that when he woke up, he'd know it was a new year.
It was a wonderful night and one of my favorites of the year.
Those of you readers, who are with the person you fell in love with, try this:
One day a year, any day... pick a night to sit together and revisit the way you felt, what happened, the story of when you fell in love. Tell each other what you loved about each other then and what you love about each other now. This checking in that we do, keeps things feeling alive and well year round. I am telling you, this experience carries me through the entire year, and even when I am frustrated, angry or annoyed with Tad, I can go back to the way it felt to kiss him for the first time, and I can feel gratitude and joy that I am with someone who makes my life a better experience and makes me a better person.
Happy New Year everyone!!!
We stay in. No parties, no bars, no babysitters or crowded restaurants. No driving or free busses. Just the four of us, at home.
We all dressed up at about 3:00 and I poured us some sparkling white grape juice. Tad and Coen spiked up their hair with gel. I wore a dress that I got at a vintage shop, and Lucy opted to be baby new year complete with no clothes, a diaper and a top hat. I made an appetizer of baked brie, havarti and muenster cheese (everyone's favorites represented) with crackers of all sorts. We toasted, Tad and I each telling our kids something that they accomplished this year and what we love about them and each other. At 4:00 we counted down the New Year in Estonia and then at 5:00 we counted down the New Year in the Czech Republic. All four of us went to the front door and yelled Happy New Year and blew our horns for all of the neighborhood to hear.
The kids get a special treat for dinner--Kid Cuisines!! These are kids frozen meals ($2.00 apiece at Woodmans) that our kids LOVE. After their dinners, they both had a bubble bath and off to bed.
After Coen and Lucy were all tucked in, Tad and I turned off most of the lights in our house, save the Christmas tree and several candles, moved the dining room table into the living room and had a date.
Dinner was steak that was donated to us by my good friend Laura, who had been given several shrink-wrapped frozen meats and shared them with us, asparagus, texas toast and baked beans. Delicious.
Over dinner, Tad and I (as we do every year) read aloud two letters that we had written each other. We have been writing letters to each other since 2000, when I was in the Peace Corps. Each year we choose two letters. It is amazing to watch the letters move us from close friends, to the best of friends, to madly in love. This year's letters were the last letter we'd written each other before we fell in love and the first notes we'd written each other after.
Then we talked for hours about our love and what we share and our children and our lives and the past year. At 12:00 we danced to two songs--the same two every year--and we kissed in 2011.
Before bed we had to go upstairs, as we promised Coen (his idea) to move two items of furniture in his room so that when he woke up, he'd know it was a new year.
It was a wonderful night and one of my favorites of the year.
Those of you readers, who are with the person you fell in love with, try this:
One day a year, any day... pick a night to sit together and revisit the way you felt, what happened, the story of when you fell in love. Tell each other what you loved about each other then and what you love about each other now. This checking in that we do, keeps things feeling alive and well year round. I am telling you, this experience carries me through the entire year, and even when I am frustrated, angry or annoyed with Tad, I can go back to the way it felt to kiss him for the first time, and I can feel gratitude and joy that I am with someone who makes my life a better experience and makes me a better person.
Happy New Year everyone!!!
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