Little treasured things

I spend so much of my day wrangling a squirming baby, irritated at red lights, running ten minutes late, and answering emails. It's enough to drive you batty if you get caught up in it. I was reading an article once that said one of the ways to be happy is to reflect on your day before you go to bed and think about three things that made you happy that day. That way you drift off to sleep in a happy state of mind and recognize the joys in your life. I used to tend to concentrate on all the things that upset me in my day, but I am trying to change that. Really I am. Here are 25 things that make me smile during the day and help me sleep well at night.

1. The sun streaming through the screen door in the morning
2. Warm, soft cat bellies
3. A fresh cup of coffee with real sugar and soy creamer
4. The sound of a baby laughing
5. Plenty of time to read the newspaper
6. Manicures
7. Naps
8. Tanning beds
9. One piece of dark chocolate and a glass of red wine at bedtime
10. Pink lemonade Crystal Light
11. Going for a run on a warm afternoon
12. Dachshunds
13. Cheese curds
14. Foot rubs
15. A long hug
16. The smell of a clean bathroom
17. Roses
18. The ocean
19. Mexican food
20. Tivo
21. Lip gloss
22. High heels
23. Music turned up loud in the car
24. Google
25. Polite people

--MM

How life has changed

I am about to go back to work after a long weekend. I am actually being called in early for training. Great. Somehow, the extra time of the holiday weekend gets sucked into some sort of vortex, and I am still trying to get my laundry done at midnight on Monday night instead of midnight on Sunday!

We did go for a nice six-mile run on Sunday sharing Q-pushing duties. On Monday, we went for a hike with Q in the Snugli. He is getting pretty heavy for that thing. He was wiped out at the end, and I balanced his head so he could take a quick nap during the last mile.

We have apparently not grasped the gravity of the change in our lives. We attempted to go out to dinner at a nice Thai place Sunday night. Big mistake. This place was not baby-friendly. They did provide a high-chair though so babies can't be entirely unheard of. The wait staff was very friendly, but the couple next to us gave us several rude looks. We realized we had a bottle, but no milk, so Q nicely made do with ice water.

While we waited for his fruit plate to arrive, he grabbed at things on the table. He somehow managed to snatch my fork, and of course immediately poked himself in the eye and started bawling. It was a messy, stressful dinner. Not at all the extended, relaxing dinners out we used to enjoy. We finished the night with T trying to pick up as many grains of rice from the floor and me scrubbing off sticky baby arms. Oh, well. We learned our lesson. Life is not the same.

T got a big HD-TV this weekend. I couldn't care less about those. I have been pretty happy in my computer room with the old 13-inch TV-VCR combo from college. But, he was dying to get it, so might as well if it means that much to him. Now, the TVs have all been shuffled and my 13-incher is in storage in the garage.

We discussed this weekend when to think about the next baby. I say sooner, he says later. I point out he got his big TV. He doesn't see the correlation.

We started watching "Lost" from the beginning on our big new TV. I have always regretted not watching that series, so now we are catching up. We are on episode 6. It's pretty good stuff!

Now off to work...early. Ick.

--MM

PB!

Someone had his first taste of peanut butter today! That stuff sticks to the top of your mouth! Apparently, he is not allergic. At least, he didn't swell up and start gagging, so I assume he isn't allergic.

"So You Think You Can Dance" was most excellent last night. I especially enjoy the scraggly-haired guy who calls himself "Sex" and brings his mom along to the auditions. Slight bit of delusion there.

Also, Rosie is out. ABC announced today she will not be returning to "The View" to finish the remaining three weeks of her contract. I work at an ABC affiliate that broadcasts "The View." We have been getting some vicious phone calls about her. I just can't understand the feeling that free speech only applies if what they say agrees with you.

T and I actually have a three-day weekend like normal people! That is unheard of. We have to go to a parade tomorrow morning and wave and smile, but after that we are pretty wide open. I am going to cash in my free pair of shoes that was part of my Mother's Day present. That will be most excellent.

I leave you with another sticky-mouthed peanut butter moment.

-- MM

New furniture

So, that's not exactly our living room. It is just the promotional picture from Ashley Home Furniture, but those two couches did arrive to our house today. They are very pretty. We had to get a special protective coating, since we have a destructive little man rolling around the house. We also got a TV stand that turned out to be much larger than we thought. It is now sitting awkwardly in the middle of the room. We will have to figure out how to squeeze that in.

The couch is a sleeper sofa. Our guest room will be disappearing when the next child arrives, so we are planning for the future.

My parents are coming out next week. My dad has meetings in Northern California, and my mom is helping us paint. She did a great job in the last house. You could tell which rooms she painted and which T and I did based on the wigglyness of the lines and the amount of paint on the ceiling. She is a pro. I mourned leaving the beautiful stripes she painted in Q's nursery. So, now we have to pick out colors. Right now there are some garish colors left over from the previous owners.

"The View" today was a bit awkward after the Rosie-Elisabeth debacle. Rosie was probably glad she wasn't there.

T and I watched "Criminal Minds" on Tivo last night. That is a well done show, but it is downright creepy. Tonight, "So You Think You Can Dance" begins. Ah, yes. Mindless entertainment.

On the lateness report: 8 minutes today. I am regressing.

--MM

(Almost) on time

I was only like 2 minutes late to work today. That counts as on time doesn't it? I made a concerted effort to leave the house early.

Did anyone see the major cat fight on The View this morning? Whew. That was good stuff. I am going to miss Rosie just because she stirs the pot.

Q was a good boy today and took a long nap for his mom. Mondays and Wednesdays kill me, because I teach yoga at 8 a.m. after working till midnight. It is always nice when he cooperates and naps. Mama has taught him well.

One other random note, I have become addicted to the seasoned baked tofu. I put it in pitas. Try it even if you are a meat eater. I convinced T to this weekend, and he wasn't disappointed. I host my last barbecue segment at work this week. Cruel isn't it that they make a vegetarian do that?

--MM

Busy, busy, busy mama

Do you ever wonder when in your life you will not be busy? We always tell people, "Sorry, I didn't get back to you. I have been sooooo busy." I hate that excuse. Yet, I have been known to use it. But, everyone is perpetually busy. I feel like I have been busy since I turned 13, and it never really lets up. Though, truthfully, I don't exactly know what to do with myself when I am not busy. My mind races during yoga, and I can never quite relax even when I am getting a pedicure or a massage. I am thinking, OK, after this, I need to make sure I go for a run, and make a quick lunch, and cut Q's nails, and send that birthday card.

I found myself getting a little frustrated at my inability to manage my busyness this morning.

Things started off well. Q and I went for a run with the jogging stroller. He was very good and held my water for me. We went to the park afterward, and I pushed him in the baby swing. He loves that. Of course, my mind was racing about what I still needed to do before I went to work. I have a hard time keeping my head in the moment. I am always too busy thinking about 30 minutes from now.

When we got back home, I got an early start on giving Q his long, slow lunch. I lifted some weights and then ate my own lunch while watching part of the Martha Stewart show.

Then things came off the rails as they always do. Q started fussing a bit, he needed an extra diaper change, my hair took longer than I expected. All of the sudden, I am running around frantically 10 minutes late. I have to drive across town to take Q to daycare and then drive entirely too fast to work. I haven't been on time in quite awhile. So frustrating. I just need to allow myself more time, but I find myself repeating this pattern day after day.

Q must think he has one flustered mama. And he's right.

--MM

A little cranky phase

As I type this, Q is sitting next to me on the ground making a racket with one of his many bright, shiny, musical toys. He seems to love to create sounds. Especially music. We are hopeful we will have some sort of musical child, though we both lack any sort of musical talent, so I am not sure where he would get the genes.

Q has been a little cranky lately. He wants to be constantly held and is developing his own tiny attitude. He throws things to the side when he doesn't want them and pushes us away. Where is my sweet little cherub? I guess he is testing his independence. He just let out a frustrated cry as if to prove my point.

All right, back from a brief break to kiss on him and put him down for a nap. T took Q to a doctor's appointment to see if another ear infection was causing his irritability. He is healthy, thankfully, but just attitudinal apparently.

When we moved into our current home, the yard was a bit embarrassing. The lawn was overgrown and large bushes were taking over the front porch. T and I spent some time cleaning things up this weekend. He mowed and watered, and I hacked at the bushes. We both pulled out foot-tall weeds, put up hanging plants and bought two chairs and a table for the front porch. It is so refreshing now, and I must say I am pretty proud of how it looks. T struggled with a screen door for most of the weekend, and it is now mostly installed. I don't know what makes it so difficult, but he assures me it is.


I also spent some time working on Q's scrapbook. Now, I am not a crafty person by nature, but I am trying to be one for Q's sake. I don't know how people can find this soothing. I get impatient and just want to be finished. I dutifully go to Michael's and pick out my paraphernalia and document Q's first tooth and haircut. It looks pretty nice, I must say. I am finding my inner craftiness.

Q also had his one-year old picture appointment this weekend. The Sears photo ladies were quite snooty to us. We were ten minutes late, which is our own fault. They almost turned us away, but we are seasoned pros at this and get in and out in under an hour, so we convinced them to take us. One of the women spent the whole time chatting on her cell phone, so I'm not sure exactly what she was so busy with. We got some cute pictures, despite the rudeness, including one in which Q is balancing tentatively against a large number 1. One year already. Amazing!

--MM

Blah day

Not the best day ever. I had trouble motivating myself. I did get a manicure and pedicure this morning, which was a bright spot. But, then the coffee shop next door did not have the cinnamon-swirly things I like. I had to settle for a random raspberry-bar type thing that did not compare. T dropped off Q at the nail salon, who had not yet had a nap and was fussy. Both of us took long naps when we got home. So, instead of taking a rejuvenating run, I was a waste of space on the couch. At least I am not tired tonight though. That is a small bonus.

Work started with an irritating email from a co-worker. Then we had a meeting about all the changes in store for the station. Nothing was really resolved. I had to do a barbecue segment in one newscast despite the fact that I am a vegetarian. Lots of, "Mmm, that looks so delectable," when I was thinking, "Ew. I hope he doesn't notice I am not touching it." I did enjoy the veggie skewers though.

My fabulous work day was capped off with a riveting hour and a half DVD on non-linear editing. It is clear as mud now.

I am looking for a nice glass of wine tonight to wash my blah day away. On the upside, the cable guy comes tomorrow. Yay! DVR returns! How have I lived?

--MM

Changes

Lots of changes are going on around me. It is a weird state of flux. I don't think I like it. Our boss is leaving to take a job higher up in the company, and now the speculation begins over who will replace him. It makes me a little uneasy, because you never know if the new person will like you as much as the person that hired you. With the move and job craziness it is all a little overwhelming. T is especially out of sorts with the transition, because he is interested in management and wonders if this could be his chance to move up.

Weaning Q is not going exactly as planned. The problem is, he is not exactly on board. Yesterday was election day, and T and I both had to work late. Q went to a co-worker's house after day care. We picked him up close to midnight, and then he was wide awake. We tried to give a bottle, but he was not having it. At this rate he will be nursing until his high school prom. He is just barely 1, so I guess I should give the transition a little time to take, but I would definitely like my body to get back to normal. He is also getting a little clingy and fusses a bit when handed over to a stranger. I must say, I kind of like it. I like to be preferred.

--MM

New Obsession

This is my new obsession. I love this website. I spent about an hour on it Friday night, and I must constantly check for updates. I think it is a riot. T is not quite as impressed, but I have a new first website to check when I log onto the computer.

In other news, we completely moved this weekend. T says we are now living like the Amish because we have no cable, Tivo, or Internet until Friday. Mind you, we still have over-the-air TV, but for us this is roughing it.

We worked all weekend and got completely moved. Neither of us likes to leave things undone, so we even hung pictures, set up the guest room, and put away every piece of clothing. I am so excited about the new house. It has a nice big pantry, and everything is just bigger. It's not exactly cavernous or anything, but it feels nice and roomy to us.

When the last people moved out, they told us they could not find their yellow cat named Pumpkin. I don't think I would be able to leave without either of our cats, but they really had no choice. While T and I were moving in, we noticed this fluffy yellow cat watching us from a storm drain. We worked on luring him out and called the couple. They rushed over and caught him. The woman was crying when she finally grabbed him. It made us so happy to reunite them.

Our cats are going batty in their new place. They don't know what to make of their new cat-scented surroundings. I think they enjoy their new array of hiding places though.

Though Mother's Day was mostly taken up by moving, it was still a nice day. I got some chocolate and roses, and a certificate to get a pair of shoes of my choosing from this hip little shoe store. Excellent! Q was having a rough time throughout the move. He fussed a lot, and it was quite a challenge juggling everything. Now, we are in though, and we don't have to worry about it for three more years!

Big changes at work today. I won't go in to detail, but there is a shuffle in leadership. It makes me feel a little uneasy, but I am assuming everything will shake out fine. It all remains to be seen.

--MM

House in limbo

We are in a weird limbo state right now. Half our stuff is in our old house. Half is in the new house. And all of our stuff is in a state of clutter. We mostly have the essentials at the old house. Our biggest couch, one kitchen chair, and the TV. The cats don't know where to lay. They have been just lying around on the ground. That is definitely beneath them! We are itching for this weekend to come so we can finish the job and start working on our new place.

Q had a doctor's appointment yesterday. He is now taller than average, but he is still pretty skinny. He is still a bit under 20 pounds. RSV really took a lot out of him. He endured three shots like a champ including one painful one for measles and chicken pox.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. It is my first annual since Q was born. Maybe she can tell me why I haven't gotten my period yet. Not that I miss it, but it is a bit unnerving. Those doctor's appointments are never my favorite things, but they are a necessary evil.

T and I also have a fundraising luncheon that our boss's wife invited us to tomorrow. We were flattered by the invitation, but it makes for a busy morning.

I have taken a liking to Perez Hilton lately. He is so evil and rude, but it is a guilty pleasure. He is added to my favorite list for mindless time-wasting, of which I am a fan.

--MM

Q es uno!

Getting older sucks doesn't it? This picture doesn't accurately capture Q's first birthday experience, but I thought it was a riot. Oh, the things we do to babies for our own amusement.

We have had a crazy weekend. Q brought cupcakes to his daycare on Friday since his birthday was the next day. I feel so lucky to have found that daycare. It was so random, just a day care in a phone book, but they treat Q like one of their own. They got him a present and a card and took pictures of him. They are just so loving toward him. It's wonderful to see.

On Saturday, we threw together Q's first birthday/Cinco de Mayo party. I felt a little strange asking people to come. Most of our friends don't have children, so do they really want to come to a baby's birthday party? We offered tacos, chips and salsa, and Mexican beer to make it a little more adult-friendly. A good group showed up, and Q enjoyed his new toys. He also REALLY liked his chocolate cake. He wasted no time polishing off two pieces. It was a messy scene.

We had a fun time. It is absolutely amazing to me that one year is already over with our little Q. Other advances for the weekend include the first tooth brushing, beginning of weening (no more pumping at work--yay!!), and turning forward in the car seat.

Sunday, we began moving. Whew. What a job that is going to be. The renters in our home were out by around 3:30 p.m. They were very nice people, and we felt like jerks kicking them out of their home. But, it must be done, because people are ready to move into our home.

My biceps are still throbbing from moving the treadmill up the stairs. Every time we move, I swear it is the last time we will do it alone, and the next time we are going to get movers. Then, when moving day comes, that seems like a big expense. The good thing, is we are just moving a few streets over within the same neighborhood. So, we can rent the smallest truck and pack precariously for the short, slow drive.

We made a small dent Sunday. This week we will do some gradual moving and then finish it up next weekend. We are starting to get excited about our new home. It is two-story, with a big pantry, and a nice yard. I feel like it is a nice home and one to be proud of, instead of just a starter home. Now, we just have to get into it.

--MM

I like to eat

A sign in my gym says "60 to 80% of your fitness goals come from nutrition." This is depressing to me since I like to eat a lot. I manage to stay in pretty good shape, but it is a constant battle. That sign is now burned into my head, and I am making a valiant effort to eat less. The problem is when you eat less you are hungry!

This problem is compounded, because I have less time to exercise now. I napped this morning, and when I woke up, I had two hours to change Quinn, give him lunch (which is s-l-o-o-o-w), eat lunch myself, get my 736 bags ready, exercise, and get ready for work. Plus, squeeze in watching a little of the Marth Stewart show on TV. Mock if you must, but she has good tips. Anyway, long story shot, I could only manage to run for 15 minutes on the treadmill.

So, I had a small lunch and brought dried apricots for a snack. I am STARVING. Stupid gym sign.

--MM