My New and Improved Life

Today is a Tuesday, but it is definitely more like a Monday. This morning was the perfect example of my new and improved life as a mommy:

To start off, I'm now pretty much getting a whole 4 to 5 hours of sleep per night and have adjusted pretty well. Am I tired all of the time? Yes. Do I now get how people can just fall asleep anywhere... sitting up... head bobbing? Yes. (I used to watch my mom do that in church or while watching tv, etc and wonder how she could just fall asleep while sitting up - LOL)

So, today I had my usual 3:30 AM wake up from Logan demanding a feeding.(BTW, I went to bed at about 10:30, and was woken up at 12:30 for a feeding as well.) At 4:00 we both went back to sleep until 5:00 when my alarm went off. I pushed snooze once and then I jumped into the shower while he stirred in and out of sleep and while Juan also got up to start his day. The morning was following its usual path of me getting dressed, doing my  hair and make up, Juan and I both taking turns talking with Logan, making him smile, etc. (he's so happy when he first wakes up in the morning -- it really is hard to keep on task.) I pulled out a pair of black capris to wear and noticed the hem was coming undone. So I slapped a couple of safety pins on to keep the hem in place and finished dressing.

Then at about 6:00 or so we heard the familiar tell-tale noises coming from Logan indicating a "blow-out" was about to occur. I thought, "ok, great... lets see if we can keep this somewhat under control, yet not change him too soon and end up with multiple changes before he actually finishes." Juan decided it was a good time (and the usual time) for him to make a quick exit and head off to work. I checked Logan's diaper and felt it could wait a few more minutes while I finished up getting ready. That was a wrong decision! By the time I was ready to change him there was poop everywhere! Yay!! "Do we have time for a bath this morning?" It's now 6:10 and I have to be at work by 7:00. "We just have to squish it in", I thought. I quickly filled his little tub, bathed him like I was the bionic woman, as he kicked and splashed happily, and then got him dressed. 

Now we were at 6:20 and Logan decided he was hungry. Which is not unusual as I usually try to feed him right before we leave for the childcare providers. But we were running a bit later than usual, so I had a talk with my dear son and said.... "make it quick little dude.". Ha! Ha! Babies are so good at picking up on their mom's moods and since I was in a rushed, slightly panicked mood, he decided that he was going to fuss and squirm through his entire eating session. Which meant it wasn't too productive and time was running out. Finally, after a partial feeding, I gave up, put Logan in his carrier/carseat, grabbed my lunch out of the fridge, my purse, diaper bag, breast pump and accessories, and one other bag for work stuff and headed out the door (looking like some of those people in airports who decide to carry on their entire set of luggage). OH... but before doing so, since I hadn't had any breakfast, I decided to pour some dry cold cereal in a container to take to work to eat at my desk as well as make some hot chocolate (it was a chilly morning in the beautiful northwest and it sounded good) which took even more time. It's now 6:50.

We arrived at the childcare providers at 6:55 (I like to get there around 6:45, but oh well). I gave Anna a brief run down, kissed the sleepy-looking and slightly fussy Logan goodbye, and jumped into the car to head to work. While driving, I decided to sip on my hot chocolate. Next thing I know... a good portion of it is soaking into my pant leg. @%&^%$# What the heck? The lid is not on all the way. Then I notice next to the wet hot chocolate on my leg, there is a large smudge of something a bit yellow-orangy. Crap! (Literally). Sigh.... I now have labeled this day as "one of those days." I get to work at 7:10 (late!), go to the bathroom to clean up my pants, which thank goodness are black today and start my workday.

When I finally sat down to my desk, I had to chuckle just a bit at how much my life has changed. Routine and scheduling has taken on a whole new meaning (and I used to work in infant and preschool classrooms where structure was the number one priority). And yet, with all that structure you have to be flexible enough to accept interruptions and lots of imperfections. There were a few moments this morning when I was grumpy and had to apologize to dear Logan for being impatient. And also where I had to apologize to myself for letting such experiences, which make life so interesting and memorable, get to me. Now, at 8:30, after taking a short morning break, and sit here munching on dry Fruit Loops, I can laugh at the whole thing.

Thanksgiving Gratitude

From November 22 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!!

It's 9:00 am on a cold Thanksgiving morning, and I'm sitting here drinking some hot chocolate and checking some email, typing blog entries, and chatting with a newly found internet acquaintance. It's not a bad morning really. Soon though I'll have to jump in the shower and get ready for the day's festivities - I'm tagging along with my brother and sister-in-law and their family to her aunt's house. Our family tradition for thanksgiving has changed and in some ways it's nice to have change, but in other ways I miss what we used to do.

Thanksgiving seems to be becoming one of those lost holidays anymore. Christmas usually starts way too early for me, and the focus is more on the shopping opportunities during this weekend rather than a spirit of gratitude. But maybe once I've experienced the day, it will be just as rewarding as this morning had been -- peaceful! Which is always something to be grateful for!!

And on this cold but relaxing Thanksgiving morning, I noticed I had yet another really insightful horoscope for the day. I quite often fight the inner battle of what is the "right" thing to do versus what I really want to do. Why can't they be one in the same? And sometimes I think I do confuse what's "right" with what feels safe instead of venturing out there. Hmmm. I'll have to think on that some more.

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18
It's time that you give yourself what you need, dear Aquarius. Your desires don't always go in the direction that does you the most good, and this can cause some tension. You often feel as though it is impossible to combine your desires with what is good for you, notably in your love life. You wrestle with whether you should remain in your "creative" cave or share your life with someone. Does it really have to be one or the other?

September 11th

Septemeber 11, 2007
Today marks the six year anniversary of the tragic 9/11 events in 2001. I've pondered on it quite a bit today -- this morning when I woke up and then throughout the day at work. This evening I've been watching today's Oprah episode that I recorded, which is a tribute to all of the children who were left behind by a parent who died.

I often think back to what I was doing September 11, 2001 when I first learned of what had been going on. I believe I had heard briefly about the initial events/crash of the first plane while still at home getting ready for work. But what I remember more vividly, is arriving to work and staff having turned on a tv to watch the news. I can remember the focus on the twin towers and the confusion about how a plane could have "accidentally" crashed into one of them. And then as time passed and the additional crashes took place, how scary it was to realize our country was under attack. It was so hard to believe. And it was hard to pull myself away from the tv and do my work. Quite a few of us kept returning to see what the updates were.

I admire the families of those who lost loved ones that worked in those buildings or were on the plane. I think it's much harder to lose someone from such a sudden, tragic event than through other natural causes. But I admire even more, those firemen, policemen, paramedics, and other service workers who put their lives in danger to help others. They knew they were walking or running into a dangerous situation and still bravely did their job. I'm not sure I could have done the same.

My parents used to talk about their memories of Pearl Harbor and what they were doing when they first heard of the attack on our country then. I used to think that our country was invincible to attacks like that ever happening again. But sadly now, I have a memory of my own to relive.

Journal/Scrapbooking Group (8) - Childhood Memories

From August 2007
In April, my journal group was assigned the topic of Childhood memories to write about. This was a very easy topic for me, since I have some great ones. The picture above is of my page with lots of photos of me and my family and friends. And below is the journaling I added in a little booklet.

The memories of my childhood are vast and plentiful. They are also almost always happy ones. How could they not be? I was the spoiled baby sister in a large family of mostly boys.

Because I was so much younger than the rest of my siblings, I often played alone. One of my favorite ways to spend time included playing house, especially with my set of Fisher Price people and furniture. When I yearned for the company of a play companion, I turned to my friends. I developed a feeling for the nature of friendship early on. My first memory of close friendship was at three and I continued this friendship clear into the sixth grade.

There were also plenty of times that I watched or played alongside my big brothers. They were into football, wrestling, basketball, and many of the typical guy things. Once in a while Id be privileged enough to be included in their games. I became the wrestling partner that could always be beat and the tag along that never could quite get the hang of basketball. But with their help, I was actually able to figure out the odd rules to chess and become a pretty decent softball player.

I grew up on a dairy farm and therefore some of my memories revolve around many of the chores I was assigned. These included feeding the calves, taking care of my rabbits, and mowing the lawn (which and I hated and still do to this day). I had a fondness for animals, especially the babies: chicks, bunnies, kittens, puppies, calves, etc. Good thing I lived on a farm, for we had them all.

My mom was always very supportive of me discovering and building my talents. For almost eight years I took piano lessons. Towards the end, I had become quite accomplished in my skills and the pride of Mrs. Hansen, my piano teacher. Once I reached Junior High, I traded in the piano for a flute. I also showed an interest in drawing and creating crafts. Of course many of my early drawings look like any other childs interpretations. But as I grew older, I began to take art more seriously, especially as I noticed I had a bit of a flair for it.

I can't say that I long to relive my childhood, but I certainly do love to remember it. I had loving, caring parents, great siblings, and awesome friendships. And even though my family may not have had all the conveniences or an excess of money, I rarely noticed. My childhood was, and I'm sure my life will continue to be, made of great memories!

A Family Reunion on the Farm

From August 2007
I come from a pretty large family (I'm the youngest of seven children) and half of us live around this general area. But the rest of my siblings are spread out across the country and even into Germany. So whenever one of the "far-away" ones comes home to visit my mom, the rest of us gather up, prepare some food, and sit around and gab, while the nieces and nephews play (although they are growing up so much that "play" isn't always the right description).

That's how this past weekend went. One of my brothers and family traveled from Virginia to visit my mom on the family farm. My mother has been talking about selling the farm and moving into something smaller and more appropriate for her age and abilities and my brother wanted to make sure that his kids got to spend some time exploring and creating memories.

There are usually some interesting moments when family gathers together, and I usually have some sort of cynical or sarcastic comment to make about it. But really, this weekend went quite smoothly.

Sunday was our largest gathering -- only two of my siblings and their families were absent. My mom had requested that we prepare a short biography of the highlights of our lives that we could share with each other. Of course we all moaned and groaned about it. And I don't think many of us actually wrote anything down, but once we started sharing memories of our childhood and experiences growing up, it was hard to shut us up. I even learned a few things about my older brothers (and how mischevious they were)!

Some other highlights of the weekend were: going to the cemetary where my dad was buried, taking group photos, going to the local reservoir where we used to go as a family to waterski, etc, bowling (I beat 3 of my brother's scores!), and avoiding my mom's cooking (she's never really been the best cook - lol).

My 3-day weekend was packed, but I really had a great time, and when I returned to work on Tuesday I realized I hadn't thought about work all weekend! Now that's a rarity!! And boy was it refreshing.

This photo above is of the small country town I grew up in. I took the photo from the cemetary up on the hill, where my dad is buried.

Class Reunion - Day 2

From July 2007
Yesterday, I participated in the second half of my class reunion. It was just as fun as the first! Some of my classmate's memories are amazing! The first night we were together one of my male classmates reminded me that I was his first kiss (in like the first or second grade). I didn't remember and really still don't. But what was funny about it, is that I in turn told him that I had a crush on him off and on throughout elementary school. We had a good laugh about it and continued to joke throughout the reunion.

We really didn't have a huge turnout. Probably a bit more than a third of our class, and since we were a small class to start with... that doesn't make many. However, I always like small intimate groups in just about any situation.

Our picnic and tour of the school grounds yesterday afternoon were fun. Some of those buildings I hadn't been in for a very long time. Lots of memories come rushing back... great memories!

We finalized the reunion with a dinner last night. I have to admit I was a bit worn out, but still having fun. I could tell though that I had run out of things to say to some people. In many other ways, it was kind of sad to see it end. Some of the guys were getting together today to play golf. I think we girls should have planned something too!

Class Reunion - Day 1

From July 2007
My 20 year class reunion has finally arrived, and tonight we had our first gathering. It was so great!! I thought the 10 year one was fun, but I really had a blast tonight. It didn't feel intimidating or scary, but was completely open and light-hearted for me. In fact, (and this WAS true for the 10 year reunion too) I'm amazed at how everyone has matured and are so nice.

What I enjoyed most about tonight though was sitting with two of my past girlfriends on each side of me. One of them was my best friend in junior high and the other (whom I was also good friends with then) became a best friend by the time we were in high school. The three of us reminisced about slumber parties, crushes, etc. And the funny thing is -- we all live relatively close to each other -- like within an hours drive. I'm not sure why we haven't kept in touch, but I do have a bit more of a resolve to do so this time. We all said we would 10 years ago, but didn't do so well. This time I really want to! AND both of these friends look so great! I think we tend to look better at this age ... I know that I do.

Tomorrow we have two other meetings/activities. At noon we are meeting for a picnic on the school grounds (kids and families invited) and then tomorrow evening we'll be having a dinner together. I'm looking forward to it!

1 Comment: How fun Buffy! :o) I have never gone to a reunion. I've never been notified of one. Maybe they forgot me? Glad you had a wonderful time. (Celia)

20 Years!

From May 17, 2007
It's been twenty years today that I graduated from High School! I can't believe it!!

Reunion plans are in the works, in fact I received a letter earlier this week asking for money (of course), photos, and a bio. A bio? What do I have to say? I swear it doesn't feel like I've done or changed much (even though I know I have), especially since I don't have children to brag about.

Anyway, I added a photo of that great day 20 years ago. What a cheesy, happy grin. You can tell that I was happy as a clam to be gettin' out of the place!

Planning A Reunion

From March 2007
Yup... it's that time. I cannot believe that I have reached the point and time in my life for my High School 20 year reunion! And I have just been added to the planning committee. Tonight I joined four other members of my graduating class to help them plan. They have already met previously and have quite a bit of the plans rolling. I mostly just joined them to visit ... whether I'm of much help is another story. My assignment from tonight's meeting is to try and locate a few people so we can get invitations out to them. Not too hard really. I work with one of my classmates, so I think I'll recruit her help as well (she still lives in our hometown and knows quite a bit more about many of them).

I think it's just fun to see everyone and I'm excited to see even more as the reunion approaches!

GREAT TIMES, GREAT MEMORIES

FROM SATURDAY, JULY 9, 2006
I come from quite a large family. I am the youngest of seven children. Today I spent the afternoon with some of that family, at least those who live nearby. It's always nice to just sit around, eat, and be merry with the relatives. I know that in some families, the word "nice" just does not describe their experiences when together. But my family, for the most part, gets along pretty well. Of course I'm the happy-go-lucky baby of the family, so what do I know! It's so weird to see my neices and nephews growing up into adults, having babies of their own, etc. This is when it hits me that time just zooms on by and that we should make every minute count, especially when we are sharing that time with loved ones.

On a different note, I went to the drive-in movies last night. We have this great, ol' drive-in theatre in our area that really attracts quite a crowd each weekend in the warmer months. I saw the movie "Cars". It was cute, but not as good as I had heard or was hoping for. There is something to say about the humor that tends to be in a lot of the cartoon movies. I usually really laugh at how they turn everyday experiences that most adults have into humorous cliche events in the cartoons. But this one just wasn't quite as funny as say Toy Story or A Bug's Life or even Monster's Inc. Still cute though. Maybe a better rental movie than a "pay the big bucks in a theater" type of movie. There ya have it from a Siskel or Ebert wannabe :)

The drive-in brought back good ol' memories though. I think I made out there in the back seat of a car once, when I was a teenager. Yup... great memories! lol