day in the life

Currently

Since it has been a rollercoaster week full of back-to-school, return-Hadley-to-Grandma’s, husband-starting-awesome-new-job, my brain is FRIED like those old egglicious drug PSAs in the 80s. Seriously, this is your brain on life.

But I still want to write and share and connect and, in essence, blog like usual.

What to do…what to do…

*light bulb*

I tend not to take part in the “new topic every week” (or, God forbid, every DAY) linky parties. Don’t get me wrong. I love me a linky party as much as the next blogger. They’re totally like speed dating for bloggy friends! But, if you’re a regular reader, you know I have a hard time stickin’ with something. Case in point: The never-ending bathroom project. I’ll get there, just don’t put a timeline on it. I’m defiant, especially when defiance gives me an excuse to procrastinate. I’ve always been the “I’ll do it when I’m damn good and ready to do it and not a moment earlier” girl (my poor mother). Then, when I set my mind to it…I do it RIGHT. And in miniscule pieces at a time.

But, ANYhoo, the occasional “here’s a topic, aaaaand GO” post? I’m game. Here are this week’s topics….

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(I heart Microsoft Publisher)

I’m growing the heck out of some man-eating tomato plants. I kid you not. The rest of the garden looks like the Land That Time Forgot (namely because *raises hand* I was a bad Garden Mama this summer…I was an awesome Hadley Mama, if that’s any consolation). But, I threw three cherry tomato plants into a little plot next to our front porch instead of flowers…y’know, to make better use. I’m SO one of those folks that would love to convert the front lawn into a garden full of medicinal herbs and heirloom what-nots, but this experiment taught me something about myself: I care a tad too much what the neighbors think. These plants have grown OVER, UNDER, AROUND and THROUGH the porch. Our. Poor. Mail carrier.

Irony? I hate tomatoes. What I hate even more? Picking…you guessed it…tomatoes. Especially when there are squishy ninja ones just waiting to pee tomato juice and guts all over my roaming hand. I want to throw up just thinking about it.

We’re buying shampoo (and have been for a little while now). Yep, I’m no longer ‘poo free, although I’d like to get back to it. I’m a tad more worried about the sheer number of grays popping through lately and whether or not there’s a more “natural” way to handle it. Oh, and especially with the Hadman back at his grandma/sitter, we’re buying the heck outta diapers. And food pouches. Just keepin’ it real. We’re consumers. Guilty ones, but consumers nonetheless.

I’m earning my keep again. READ: School’s back in session. This year, I’m really EARNING it, too. Next to no down-time in a day. But, it’s a job and I’m lucky.

We’re judging our finances. Seriously, we’ve made a Money Date (to take place during one or more baby naps this weekend) to analyze the crab cakes out of what we make and how we use it. I’m thinking of Dave Ramsey-ing our life a bit. And while we’re on the subject of “judging” – I’m judging myself for the fact that I technically do not use a black-and-white, set-in-stone budget. And I really, really need to. *hangs head in shame*

Dave is embracing his new job, and I’m embracing the “new Dave”…which looks a lot like the “old Dave” but with a huge weight off his shoulders. It’s a relief to me to see how well he’s responding to the new gig, and that it’s not a case of “the grass is always greener.” When the grass is half dead and overrun with weeds, anything’s an improvement. In this case, however, it’s truly a luscious field rife with long green grass and fragrant flowers. I don’t use this word much (and we don’t look at life in religious terms), but we are blessed. And you’d better believe we’re grateful. It’s a refreshing change of pace for the whole family. Peace.

And, as always, we’re embracing every single moment of Hadley-ness. As all babies tend to, he’s growing up so fast. The crisp fall air means a change from shorts to pants, and just seeing how long they make his legs appear…and the mini-sneakers he trots around in…holy crow, it’s insane. He’s a little boy. Sure, he’s still a toddler, at least, and isn’t very verbal (if at all), and gets needy here and there, but he’s SO not a baby anymore. Excuse me while I go sob into my pillow. Side note: Frost advisory tonight, but next week it’ll be warming up again. Hooray for toddler shorts again, just for a few more days!! Grasping at something I can’t hold.

So, that’s what I’m up to “currently”. Linkin’ up? You better believe it. Have a slaptastic weekend, folks!

Shout-out to Nekaro, whose blog I enjoy creeping…which is how I found this linky party. (I so invited myself. I’m a party crasher, but only on the interwebs. SO not brave enough for that in reality.)

Massachusetts

A couple of weeks ago, we made our first family overnight trip to Massachusetts. We had a couple of goals while there: visiting some friends, specifically for a baby shower/house warming party (and being so lucky that those friends let us stay over with them! With a one-year-old in tow, nonetheless!! That’s what I call lifelong friends, folks), hitting up the Eric Carle Museum and outlets in Lee on the way home.

My main priority was how the baby would do. Would we be pushing his limits by expecting him to ride three hours? Stroll through a museum? Nap in a strange place (it did take him awhile to settle down in his pack ‘n play setup)? Get down and dirty in *gasp* the grass to socialize with strangers at a BBQ? Spend almost an entire day at an outside outlet mall? Then take a last-minute ride to Utica to celebrate a family birthday?

Whew. I’m exhausted just thinking of it. But, honestly, he was a freakin’ trooper! He’s at the age where he gets squirmy (he’d much rather be getting into everything) so there were moments, but all of our goals (and then some) got checked off the list and he remained a happy little guy.

So, here’s a rundown. We left EARLY Saturday morning to stop as needed (and we did) and in hopes of getting to the museum before heading to the barbecue. Done and done! While we didn’t dillydally at the Carle (Dave would’ve, I’m sure; I had to drag him from the first exhibit (the Eric Carle one) to keep the momentum going; they had an awesome scavenger hunt that had him quite occupied), we got to experience it fully. It’s one of those places where you could spend an hour (a rushed hour, but an hour nonetheless) or an entire day, easily.

The best part for us is pretty much a given: the Mo Willems exhibit. *squeals like a Beatles fan…’cuz I am one* Hadley waved at EVERY character he saw. Pigeon, bam. Piggie, bam. Naked mole rat, bam. It was like seeing old friends…in the rough…before they had a final snaz-up for publication. Just incredible! And fun. And funny. All the things that Mo is and does. (Side note: No pictures in the exhibits. We’re rule-followers. Most of the time.)

Next best part? The library. You’d think that, as a librarian, that would be my favorite part, but I’m weird (I’m a museum NERD). I was, however, wicked impressed that the whole place was organized by illustrator (vs. author) and the importance they put on the Caldecott Award. There were also play areas and comfy colorful seats where you could read to your little ones…which I did, until his attention was diverted to the Legos. I tell ya, he does the same thing at Barnes and Noble. He had a blast, even when an older kid (ANTHONY!) stole his toys. (And since I’ll never see Anthony or his cohorts again, here they be…)

Kids in old man hats? Priceless. I think Hadley wanted to go live with them.
(I actually think Anthony is MIA from this picture. Whew.)

The NEXT best part? The tiles in the bathroom!!! So damn cool. Eric Carle artwork as accent tiles throughout the bathroom. That, and the awesome stuff in the jam-packed gift shop. We grabbed at least one book and an “H” painted in Carle-style and a couple of postcards to use for art later on.

I’m pretty darn sure Dave was secretly wishing I’d come up with an idea for the bolts of Pigeon cloth they had. He had scoped it out online before going and sent me the link. Mhmm. I didn’t get any. 😛

Oh, and I’m sure we’ll be visiting when Hadley gets bigger. When we do, we’ll a) spend more time (and maybe meet up with the little boy on his way!), b) bring a picnic (they have a cafe area to eat but just organic snacky-type stuff, no real service) and c) take part in the arts and crafts option, which is free with admission. Just sayin’.

We were just in time for the BBQ, which was a nice casual take on a shower; not dressy, not fussy, go-with-the-flow. The baby napped inside in his pack ‘n play for awhile, and when he came out and finally warmed up, he played A LOT with one little girl in particular. Um, yeah, they “kissed.” Adorable…and terrifying. One of the best memories was when that little girl took a break for it into the neighbor’s yard (these yards are awesomely-sized!) and, of all the adults, Dave was the one who chased her down. Classic moment.

We got out of the way to run a few errands (baby painkiller much? Teething sucks) and stopped by the cafe where Dave used to work to say a quick ‘hi’ and catch up with more friends, who had Hadley S-M-I-T-T-E-N. What can I say? He loves the ladies. 😉 It was great to see them and meet some new friends, if only briefly.

Then, inside the cafe there was a great open mic happening, so while Dave got his plain coffee and I my smoothie, we listened to the live music. Hadley was hooked, big-time. We knew he loved music, but he was enamored — rocking out (with his whole-body swaying and his arms up, very serious) and clapping when the song was over, then waiting patiently for the next song. We didn’t stay long, but the audience was taking notice. For once it wasn’t because he was crying or otherwise distracting negatively! 🙂

When we returned to the house, we gave Hadley his first EVER bath tub bath, which he really seemed to have fun with. He didn’t know what to do with all the extra space around him! Then, we read to him and got him settled down for his bedtime. I hopped in the shower, then we got some awesome alone time with our friends. It felt so nice to chat and catch up, especially with all the good news swirling around our heads.

The next morning, the baby awoke QUITE early and we didn’t want to wake anyone up (we weren’t the only ones sleeping over) so we read more in bed until I finally brought the munchkin downstairs to eat his breakfast. We stayed a little while longer and chatted (and saw a horribly hysterical “adult” version of the Count from Sesame Street…I’m still disturbed and laughing heartily) before getting some gas and heading to Lee.

Between needing some new sizes for the Hadman and shoes for Dave, grabbing a thing or two for our niece, and hoping to find stuff for myself before returning to school, I’d call it a success. We even had wraps from a local franchise, “That’s a Wrap!” (which is better than the other stuff they had in their food court), which had some delicious options. Nom nom.

After a stop or two on the way home (what, it was hot? We needed ice cream), we headed home to do a quick dump-and-run before hopping back in the car to head to Utica. While we were absolutely exhausted, we were happy to be able to visit with Dave’s dad and family for a little while and to wish him a happy, happy birthday.

So, I’d say we fit A LOT into that weekend. And that’s two or three more items crossed off my summer to-do list! When I wrote the list, I was hoping that we could hit up Concord and maybe Lexington (if not Boston) sometime this summer, but we had some shifting happen and it just wasn’t plausible this year. But, that’s okay! We had a blast and learned that we CAN travel with a baby! We’re already excited to test it out this autumn… Stay tuned!

A Day in the Life

Love, love, LOVE that Beatles song (and, coincidentally, it’s the hub’s favorite; how he can pick one Beatles song is beyond me, but it’s a good one). Anyhoo, just thought I’d follow myself around for a day and let ya know how I roll. Oh, and I thought it’d be way more interesting to do this (and easier) during the summer since work looks way different one day to the next.

This was the first week of summer vacation with the monkey at home. Thanks to an insane weather forecast, we ventured out and missed the rain before it started causing some major flooding. Strangely enough, the route we took included the hardest hit neighborhoods in our town, which I hardly ever visit. Weeeeiiird. So, here it goes.

5:30am – The baby needs to be fed. I drowsily catch up on the news of the day while he eats. He conks out and goes back to his crib.

6:30am – Dave grumbles and gets up; I start checking FB, email and blogs I missed the day before. Start writing a couple of posts (all on my handy dandy phone, whom I both love and hate).

7:20am – Holy crap, Batman! Dave’s heading downstairs and out the door already (why am I such a horrible wife that I didn’t get up to make his breakfast? Right, he told me not to. But still…) I stop beating myself up and head down to chat with him about the neighbors’ dog pooping in our yard, kiss him goodbye and hop in the shower while the baby snoozes.

8:00am – Call my mom to check in. The baby wakes up during the call so I change his dipe, wash him up, throw on his outfit and feed him (Earth’s Best Multi-Grain Cereal, applesauce and a touch of cinnamon) while discussing Paula Deen and our upcoming camping trip.

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8:30am – Cut up a banana to share with the monkey while throwing a couple of waffles in the toaster for me (indulgence!). Beardslee guards diligently. Heat up tea in the microwave…again. Run downstairs to turn the unreliable dryer on for a run and rinse some dipes in the washer.

9am – Get the munchkin set up with a pillow and fluffy blankie for “Super Why” (not a fan, but he likes it- we keep his tv intake to a minimum, so he only watches a few minutes at a time), eat a puff off the floor (no shame) and settle down for some waffles. Do dishes (we don’t have a dishwasher and are pretty happy with life that way) and kitty litter…we need 7 super letters today! Gasp.

9:30am – Nurse the monkey and decide to take a walk – it might be hot but we’ve had days of on and off storms and were expecting more in the afternoon. It’s 9:50 by the time were rollin’. Literally.

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10:30am – We’re nearly home and the baby’s asleep, so I roll him into the shade and start attacking (literally) some outdoor projects. Wishing I had the paint and stamina to work on the porch or garage, but they’ll have to wait. I check on the little seedlings in the garden; so cute!

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Before

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After (from inside); that thing was a monster, stealing all the sun!

11am rolls around and the monkey’s awake. Time to head inside to hydrate! A yogurt snack for us both. I work on a craft for Hadman’s b-day while I watch him play.

11:30am – Diaper change and more playtime. I put on Rachael Ray to re-enter the land of the grown ups; not a huge fan but it does the trick and makes me ponder dinner. Same effect from YHL…which I also read while Hadman does his head-shake dance to random commercials. Lunch for Hadley.

1:30ish – Afternoon naptime! Catch up on emails, grab a sammy, and finalize a menu for Had’s birthday.

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(Pickles and cheese to go with Had’s lunch; like mama, like son)

3:40pm – I have been working on emails, a blog post or two, first birthday plans and laundry…and laughing at Jasper for chasing his tail like a crazy fiend; better get the monkey up. He has been awake, laying there using his feet to play with the rails of the crib. Better than screaming bloody murder! Dipe and playtime. (Spot a trend?)

5:45pm – Dinner time for Hadley, and since Dave is meeting with a writing partner after work, I might as well throw something together for myself (and for Dave to eat later). I land on pasta – using some leftover linguine, precooked carrots and a bit of sauce for the baby. He’ll be a mess but he gets some solid hand-food time, at least.

6:30pm – Bath time! Earlier than usual but pasta sauce is demanding it be done.

7:30pm – Daddy gets home and gets changed and settled in for dinner while I occupy the baby.

8:15pm – We head upstairs to read a bedtime story, nurse, and cuddle before putting the baby goes down. We’re both hard at work on our respective computers (me downstairs with my laptop, him upstairs with his desktop- one reason I’ve gotta hoe out the office mess). I’m looking up and creating a game and menu for the first birthday, Dave’s working on marketing his comic book and the 1st birthday video (far harder than anything I’m doing!).

10:45pm – I head upstairs only to remember I forgot to edit and schedule the next day’s blog post, and since we’ll be out of town, I’d rather at least have it up for folks. Back to turn on the ol’ craptop.

11:21pm – Finished and got distracted by a friends FB post of a trailer for the new Streep movie (looks so good!!). Dave still working in the office. It’s time to head to bed, maybe read a magazine and get two pages in before conking out.

In some ways I think, “Wow, I got a lot done.” At the same time, not so much. And, in other ways, I’m thinking, “You have got to get your priorities straight, woman!” While this is a typical day, there are some things that change — like, I usually spend lots more time with Dave when he gets home from work (after he does have additional posting to the web for work, etc), and we chat while we eat dinner and occasionally listen to an old timey radio show (I know, we’re 80) or watch Jeopardy (still 80) or what have you. Having blog posts started in advance helps me get them ready, and I usually just have to do a few minutes’ worth of tweaking before they’re ready to be “scheduled” to go up the next day.

I also often play WITH the munchkin (just didn’t mention it here; hard to keep track when you’re dealing with a baby’s attention span), especially the “I’m gonna get you!” game where I chase him around from the kitchen to the dining room to the living room. We both laugh until we can’t breathe and I count that as my (pretty intense) workout for the day. (Gym? Ain’t nobody got time for that. At least, I don’t want to have time for it. ;-))

Does this look anything like your day? I’m wicked lucky to have time in the summer to spend with my little guy, and we only wish that the cashola could work out for me to stay home with him full-time (or to work from home, what a concept!). But, we’re happy for whatever time we all get. As it should be, nothing’s better than family!