While nothing at work has actually been resolved, I did get paid (sigh of relief) so at least there's that. And even before I walked back into my office after lunch and found a lovely little envelope sitting on my desk, I was already feeling better.
It's amazing how you ( or... I ) can feel so down, and then decide that it's over. I find that I get myself most unhappy when I feel like I'm losing control, so just a few things getting back in hand makes a world of difference. Driving home, making a lovely dinner (sauteed salmon with quinoa, yellow pepper, tomato and feta salad) that your two and a half year old eats, making a chocolate pie (recipe on my pinterest board) and eating once slice while watching the Bachelor's hometown dates, and getting up half an hour early this morning to do yoga was just the ticket.
Here's hoping the work issues resolve themselves, and I can move on to whatever presents itself next week.
Does anyone care to hear more of my thoughts on this season's Bachelor? No? Maybe next time.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Spinning Wheels
What's up lately? The answer is really not much. Small things may happen, here and there, but overall nothing causing enough of a stir to get my head out of this little fog.
I think for working parents, working people, really, you rely on your outside of work life to get your head out of work. I doubt there are very many people out there who love their jobs so much that they would rather be working than sitting at home, relaxing or hanging out with their families. Every week that has gone by does so, some days slow, some days quick, that I find myself on Sunday nights wondering where the time went. What did we do this weekend? How is it over already? What will this week bring?
It's been one of those periods at work where I feel like I've got a lot to do, and everything I seem to try fails somehow. I think I've fixed one thing, only to have it be a patch. Or, to get so close to a solution, only to have what you've worked towards fall through. What makes it worse is that my last paycheck was late. Like, 11 days late. And pay day comes around again tomorrow, and while I haven't specifically been told that it would be late again, it certainly doesn't feel like everything's back on track again. Where's my motivation? What makes me come to work, everyday, only to have what I do fail? Or at the very least, feel like what I'm doing is failing.
But I do it. You would too. As I always tried to say (back when my paycheck was consistently late, but also before I had daycare to pay) was that it was better to be owed a paycheck then to not have one coming at all.
I think for working parents, working people, really, you rely on your outside of work life to get your head out of work. I doubt there are very many people out there who love their jobs so much that they would rather be working than sitting at home, relaxing or hanging out with their families. Every week that has gone by does so, some days slow, some days quick, that I find myself on Sunday nights wondering where the time went. What did we do this weekend? How is it over already? What will this week bring?
It's been one of those periods at work where I feel like I've got a lot to do, and everything I seem to try fails somehow. I think I've fixed one thing, only to have it be a patch. Or, to get so close to a solution, only to have what you've worked towards fall through. What makes it worse is that my last paycheck was late. Like, 11 days late. And pay day comes around again tomorrow, and while I haven't specifically been told that it would be late again, it certainly doesn't feel like everything's back on track again. Where's my motivation? What makes me come to work, everyday, only to have what I do fail? Or at the very least, feel like what I'm doing is failing.
But I do it. You would too. As I always tried to say (back when my paycheck was consistently late, but also before I had daycare to pay) was that it was better to be owed a paycheck then to not have one coming at all.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Daycare Updated
As I mentioned previously, we've been in the midst of many a transition at daycare. First, Mia's teacher retired. Then, the daycare is moving and because of that move, Mia lost quite a few of her classmates and more specifically, her little bestie.
Things started to get really stressful in the midst of the their move because things were taking so much longer to happen than anyone expected. The daycare staff had moved almost everything out of their current location, with the anticipation of starting at the new location as soon as January was up. It was getting really depressing to drop Mia off to a nearly empty classroom every morning, and pick her up from another nearly empty classroom which all the kids of different ages were watching the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. [When I write it out like that, it really sounds depressing]. But! Once they realized that they weren't going to get all their permits in order, they brought back the essentials. So now, when we drop Mia off, it just looks like a really tidy daycare room, which, while it looks a bit clinical, is OK with me.
The daycare held an open house at the not-yet-licensed location, though, and we attended for nearly as long as they were open for. We were able to stand around and talk to the new teacher, the 3 year old teacher [whose room Mia is transitioning to in mere months! eep!], and see the shiny new location. It really is more convenient for us, and it was really nice. They will have almost three times the square footage, with bright and airy classrooms, and even space for an indoor playground [Vegas summers!]. While at the open house, we were also able to see Mia playing with the other kids that will be moving with the school, and she really did seem happy and comfortable with them, so it was the reassurance we needed. Her new teacher is very nice, and Mia has started mentioning her name at home, so overall, things are looking up on the daycare front, and it looks like we won't be going through the whole thing of finding another one [in the same price range].
The only part that cannot and hasn't been solved, the most heartbreaking part, is Mia and Mackie being separated. Her little bestie stopped coming to her school last week, and while I think Mia didn't notice at first, on Tuesday, Mia came home and told me, in her saddest voice: "I lost my Mackie!" Seriously, my heart. I immediately messaged Mackie's Mom, who thankfully I friended on Facebook after her birthday party to set up a playdate this weekend. We're seeing them on Saturday, and I am preparing myself for the reunion of a lifetime. My poor, sweet child and her little heart.
Things started to get really stressful in the midst of the their move because things were taking so much longer to happen than anyone expected. The daycare staff had moved almost everything out of their current location, with the anticipation of starting at the new location as soon as January was up. It was getting really depressing to drop Mia off to a nearly empty classroom every morning, and pick her up from another nearly empty classroom which all the kids of different ages were watching the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. [When I write it out like that, it really sounds depressing]. But! Once they realized that they weren't going to get all their permits in order, they brought back the essentials. So now, when we drop Mia off, it just looks like a really tidy daycare room, which, while it looks a bit clinical, is OK with me.
The daycare held an open house at the not-yet-licensed location, though, and we attended for nearly as long as they were open for. We were able to stand around and talk to the new teacher, the 3 year old teacher [whose room Mia is transitioning to in mere months! eep!], and see the shiny new location. It really is more convenient for us, and it was really nice. They will have almost three times the square footage, with bright and airy classrooms, and even space for an indoor playground [Vegas summers!]. While at the open house, we were also able to see Mia playing with the other kids that will be moving with the school, and she really did seem happy and comfortable with them, so it was the reassurance we needed. Her new teacher is very nice, and Mia has started mentioning her name at home, so overall, things are looking up on the daycare front, and it looks like we won't be going through the whole thing of finding another one [in the same price range].
The only part that cannot and hasn't been solved, the most heartbreaking part, is Mia and Mackie being separated. Her little bestie stopped coming to her school last week, and while I think Mia didn't notice at first, on Tuesday, Mia came home and told me, in her saddest voice: "I lost my Mackie!" Seriously, my heart. I immediately messaged Mackie's Mom, who thankfully I friended on Facebook after her birthday party to set up a playdate this weekend. We're seeing them on Saturday, and I am preparing myself for the reunion of a lifetime. My poor, sweet child and her little heart.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
On finding one's marbles
Have you seen those memes floating around of pictures of toddlers crying hysterically, with captions explaining why they are crying? Like, "I'm crying because my Mom gave me my red sippy cup instead of my blue sippy cup"? Those moments are not lost on our household. This morning, Mia shrieked and cried like a madwoman because I took away her [empty] breakfast plate and put it in the sink, and then I had the nerve to put her red shoes on instead of her white shoes. Also, let me also note that this was after having to give my kid a bath, because despite being accident free while in her undies all day every day for at least the past month, she managed to take the biggest crap ever in her overnight diaper first thing this morning, and having a multiple-angle blow out. [This is probably a sign for me to stop the overnight diaper, but this is the stuff for another post, and also, for after France].
I am not proud of myself. But let me say that this morning's activities were indeed the straw that broke the bag of marbles and scattered them everywhere.
Once I put her shoes on, and she was ready to go out the door, I sat myself down on the couch with my cup of coffee and ignored the bejeezus out of her while intently watching the Today show's Olympic coverage.
I am a patient person. I really am! In the worst tantrum, or in her most defiant moments, I keep my cool. I politely ask her not to put stickers on the furniture, please. Stickers are only for the paper. If you would like to play with your legos, please put away your markers first. If you put away your markers, then we can play legos, Okay? We do well. She responds to this kind of direction, and this is how we do things.
But this morning, patience there was not. No patience for Mia, and certainly no patience for the husband.
The husband, who, the night before was keeping us both up by coughing up a storm. All weekend, and all this week, he's gotten the cold that both Mia and I got last week. I told him this was a tough one, just take the cold medicine around the clock, and you'll get better. For reasons I cannot comprehend or pretend to explain, he kept resisting. First, he didn't like that I had bought cough and gold syrup instead of pills, so he resisted. Then, who the hell knows why he didn't like the pills that I happened to have left in my purse. Basically, he didn't want to take what I had, and when he was still coughing near 1am, he asked me, the dozing-not-sick-anymore-wife what he could do. Well, why don't you take the medicine I offered you three hours ago? He got mad - "Don't play the I told you so game right now". OH, I AM PLAYING IT. And then - "Well fine, where is it?" In my purse, where I put it back after you turned it down. "Where exactly in your purse?" [translation: Can you just get it for me?]. NO. GET IT YOURSELF, I AM TRYING TO SLEEP.
Well, as you can imagine, 15 minutes later, the coughing stopped and we were both able to go back to sleep. Then, this morning, when I half-playfully asked: "How're you feeling this morning, Mr. Stubborn?", he had the nerve to tell me that he wasn't convinced that it was the cold medicine that made him stop coughing. Well, I assure you, I ignored the crap out of him this morning, too.
Now, if only I could apply the same tactic at work, which, as usual, is the reason my at-home patience is completely worn out.
I am not proud of myself. But let me say that this morning's activities were indeed the straw that broke the bag of marbles and scattered them everywhere.
Once I put her shoes on, and she was ready to go out the door, I sat myself down on the couch with my cup of coffee and ignored the bejeezus out of her while intently watching the Today show's Olympic coverage.
I am a patient person. I really am! In the worst tantrum, or in her most defiant moments, I keep my cool. I politely ask her not to put stickers on the furniture, please. Stickers are only for the paper. If you would like to play with your legos, please put away your markers first. If you put away your markers, then we can play legos, Okay? We do well. She responds to this kind of direction, and this is how we do things.
But this morning, patience there was not. No patience for Mia, and certainly no patience for the husband.
The husband, who, the night before was keeping us both up by coughing up a storm. All weekend, and all this week, he's gotten the cold that both Mia and I got last week. I told him this was a tough one, just take the cold medicine around the clock, and you'll get better. For reasons I cannot comprehend or pretend to explain, he kept resisting. First, he didn't like that I had bought cough and gold syrup instead of pills, so he resisted. Then, who the hell knows why he didn't like the pills that I happened to have left in my purse. Basically, he didn't want to take what I had, and when he was still coughing near 1am, he asked me, the dozing-not-sick-anymore-wife what he could do. Well, why don't you take the medicine I offered you three hours ago? He got mad - "Don't play the I told you so game right now". OH, I AM PLAYING IT. And then - "Well fine, where is it?" In my purse, where I put it back after you turned it down. "Where exactly in your purse?" [translation: Can you just get it for me?]. NO. GET IT YOURSELF, I AM TRYING TO SLEEP.
Well, as you can imagine, 15 minutes later, the coughing stopped and we were both able to go back to sleep. Then, this morning, when I half-playfully asked: "How're you feeling this morning, Mr. Stubborn?", he had the nerve to tell me that he wasn't convinced that it was the cold medicine that made him stop coughing. Well, I assure you, I ignored the crap out of him this morning, too.
Now, if only I could apply the same tactic at work, which, as usual, is the reason my at-home patience is completely worn out.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Friday Bullets
- I've had this pretty massive cold for just over a week now. I hate posting about being sick, so I keep quiet about it, but this was a nasty one. This morning, I realized that I was on day 10 of cold meds, and I realized that while my congestion et al was getting better, my throat hurt very very much. I dragged myself to the CVS Minute Clinic and it turns out that I have a massive ear infection. Who gets those over the page of 10? Well, me. She was surprised that I wasn't feeling pain and while I maintain that I wasn't, now that I know I have an infection, it's starting to hurt. Go figure.
- Today, Friday, a bunch of people are out of the office, and I'm defaulted to go to our PO Box and pick up the mail, and then I'm supposed to open it all up, and if there are payment checks, go deposit them. It was pretty fun driving around town, though a bit depressing to see how little payments healthcare providers actually get for taking care of patients. Yikes.
- B is off all weekend, and I usually like to jam pack weekends that he's going to be spending with us. But this weekend is jam packed with a whole lot of nothing. I mean, grocery shopping and walks and all the regular stuff, but I am committed to not planning our days out. I am, however, planning on having House of Cards on Netflix basically whenever possible, so as to remember the 1st season in time for the February 14th Season 2 premiere.
- I found a new (professional) blogger that I am loving - enviable hair, house and clothes: www.whoorl.com
- I am currently working on a Shifting Sands scarf as a gift to my French uncle. It's really pretty, and I'm hoping to get a nice chunk of it done on our lazy weekend.
- Today, Friday, a bunch of people are out of the office, and I'm defaulted to go to our PO Box and pick up the mail, and then I'm supposed to open it all up, and if there are payment checks, go deposit them. It was pretty fun driving around town, though a bit depressing to see how little payments healthcare providers actually get for taking care of patients. Yikes.
- B is off all weekend, and I usually like to jam pack weekends that he's going to be spending with us. But this weekend is jam packed with a whole lot of nothing. I mean, grocery shopping and walks and all the regular stuff, but I am committed to not planning our days out. I am, however, planning on having House of Cards on Netflix basically whenever possible, so as to remember the 1st season in time for the February 14th Season 2 premiere.
- I found a new (professional) blogger that I am loving - enviable hair, house and clothes: www.whoorl.com
- I am currently working on a Shifting Sands scarf as a gift to my French uncle. It's really pretty, and I'm hoping to get a nice chunk of it done on our lazy weekend.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
More French Lessons
This past Saturday was our first lengthy day of French lessons. It went... not very well. Mia was reluctant, to put it best. I greeted her in French, first thing! Today, we are speaking French! On parle Francais aujourd'hui! Mia's response? A very clear, resounding, NO.
I kept on. I said everything in both languages. When she responded to me (in English), I would tell her what the French translation was and ask her to repeat it. Her answer? NO.
She asked if she could watch Brave. I had some house work to do, so I said sure, but we're watching it en Francais! 40 minutes later, she informed me that she didn't like Brave en Francais.
The only time our French day was remotely successful was when I pulled out some bilingual flashcards I found at Target. I mean, they were English/Spanish flashcards, but I gave her the French translation instead and asked her to repeat. FINALLY, she did. And she had fun with it!
Overall, still a pretty unsuccessful day of French lessons, but I think when we get on it again next Saturday, she won't be quite so reluctant. I hope...
I kept on. I said everything in both languages. When she responded to me (in English), I would tell her what the French translation was and ask her to repeat it. Her answer? NO.
She asked if she could watch Brave. I had some house work to do, so I said sure, but we're watching it en Francais! 40 minutes later, she informed me that she didn't like Brave en Francais.
The only time our French day was remotely successful was when I pulled out some bilingual flashcards I found at Target. I mean, they were English/Spanish flashcards, but I gave her the French translation instead and asked her to repeat. FINALLY, she did. And she had fun with it!
Overall, still a pretty unsuccessful day of French lessons, but I think when we get on it again next Saturday, she won't be quite so reluctant. I hope...
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