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