The Secret Life of Dogs

One of the most common first steps in a tending-towards-serious-relationship is the aquisition of a common pet, most often after moving in together, but before marriage. Or, after marriage as a band-aid on the kids question.

For B and I, it was after moving in together, a couple months before our engagement. It was a natural step. We both loved dogs, we both grew up in houses with two dogs. I already had Chloe, my cranky beagle. [She is doing absolutely great, by the way. When we moved into the new house, we also moved far away from our Vet, so we went a couple weeks without refilling her meds, and lo, she regained so much energy and spunk, we decided the meds were doing more harm than good, so she's off them and doing swimmingly. We may inadvertently be shortening her life span, but honestly, her life is 150% better now than it was while she was on her meds, so there's a lot to be said there.]

Even while I was pregnant, the dogs I doted on took a big backseat. Towards the last few months of my pregnancy, I banned them from the couch, then once Mia was born, I banned them from the living room area all together, and now, in the new house, they are banned from the upstairs completely, and no longer sleep in the same room as we do. I am pretty sure I used to call Swarley my little baby, and now, he is definitely down-graded to the status of pet. I think it's allowed, and inevitable for any new parent. I may be worse than others with this, and I do think I am going to come around and include them in my evening couch-time again, once my baby no longer wants to sit next to or on top of me at all times during her waking hours. At least I hope so, for my poor Swarley's sake. Usually, his sad little face when I turn down his offer of couch-snuggling makes me feel awfully guilty. But, not yesterday, since I came home to this:

 Mia learns to say "Oh my God!" and continuously repeated it throughout the clean up process. It took: a broom, a vacuum, and a swiffer wet jet to clean this up. Not a job to just leave to my Roomba. 

The flour was not limited to the kitchen, as you may imagine, since they trekked the flour on their little grubby paws. It was on the living room rug, the entrance rug, and of course, in the backyard.

Snout covered in flour paste, GUILTY AS CHARGED.

Please explain to me what it is a dog might find appealing about tearing apart and eating a big bag of flour? Of course, this is a-typical. They are generally lovely dogs and our household is totally manageable, normally. But last night, I cursed the day we decided to add a second dog to our brood. Whenever it is that Chloe kicks the bucket (Answer: never. She is the most fiery beagle of all time and will never leave us.) a second dog will not be added to this family again until ALL THE CHILDREN are made and grown and wipe their own butts.

Vegas food, for real*.

* or about as Vegas as this 29-year-old-Mom gets.

Two of my very best high school friends visited Vegas this weekend with their significant others. I've been looking forward to this weekend for weeks, knowing that we had enlisted our childless friends to take Mia (and who Mia loves, though mostly she loves their cat) for Saturday night. We exchanged quite a few emails planning things out, and in the end, it was a weekend that went by in the blink of an eye, though much fun was had.

To kick things off, Mia and I ventured to the Strip on a beautiful 65 degree day to have lunch and hang out. We had lunch at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill at Ceasars Palace. It was brunch, so they brought out the most delightful bread basket I've ever tasted. Scones with nuts and unidentifiable dried fruit, corn bread muffins with chunks of corn and black beans and jalapenos, a spicy cheese mini-biscuit that was insanely delicious, and some blueberry coffee cake which Mia ate three slices of. Next up, a pork tenderloin sandwich with southwestern fries. I have no idea what was on the tenderloin, but it was amazing. Mia highly approved of the southwestern fries, and didn't even blink at the spice. On the table was also a very delicious looking lamb Cobb salad. When it comes to Strip restaurants, I'm always pretty hesitate to dine-in somewhere a bit more upscale with my lively toddler, but they were actually very friendly and accommodating. The hostess took my stroller into what looked like a coat-room for me, and we got very few dirty looks. So, Mesa Grill at Ceasars. Thumbs up for food, and thumbs up for toddler-friendly, though I wouldn't push it for dinner.

waiting patiently for our table. Patient only thanks to the raisins.

A quick trip back to our little suburban neighborhood for a costume change (for me), a husband to pick up and a baby drop off, and we were back to playing tourists at the Cosmopolitan. We had dinner and drinks at Jose Andres' Jaleo, a Spanish Tapas restaurant. B and I shared a carafe of Sangria, some chorizo wrapped in potato, bread with tomato puree and Serrano ham, chicken foie gras covered in melted cheese that basically looked like very upscale enchiladas, shrimp and dessert. I also sampled some fried squid ink paste off someone else's plate, and I have to admit that was probably the best thing on the table that night. It was also delicious, though I will admit to having higher expectations, both because it was in the Cosmopolitan and because it was pretty high-priced. The Sangria, though, did not disappoint one bit. 

at the Bellagio's Chinese New Year display

Later, we headed to a lounge in the Cosmopolitan's lobby called Vespers. Their specialty is old-fashioned speakeasy-type drinks, and I had a Moscow Mule, followed by a cocktail called "One Night in Bangkok", which had coconut milk, lime rind and egg whites in it, and was better than it sounds. I definitely recommend this bar to anyone in Vegas who wants a place to sit down with your drinks and hear your neighbor talking. Also, a great place to people watch. I was highly distracted by many "Las Vegas Outfits", meaning dresses and shoes these girls would never wear back home.

Our last Vegas meal was off-strip, but most likely my favorite of all. We went to an unassuming Italian Restaurant called "Parma" which is in a strip mall and looks like a small deli from the window. Our food was delicious, fresh Italian food with homemade pasta noodles (Mia also very much approves of this, and I'm sure her daycare friends will be very jealous when she finds that she has the leftovers of her meal in her lunchbox today). I had the linguine with red clam sauce, and B had the biggest chicken parm I've ever seen. This one will definitely stay on our go-to list whenever we have special occasions or out of town-ers. 

It was a weekend completely void of the South Beat Diet's rules, and though I did not step on the scale this morning, I found that I was actually looking forward to the salad I had planned for today's lunch. We had a great time, and it awesome to feel like tourists in our own town. 

I Should Be Bald

I swear that with all the stress lately, I should be completely, 100% bald.  So much, there's just so much.  Sorry for my much extended absence.  This is obviously Frenchie's blog now and I'm a guest writer occasionally.  But, lucky you, lucky lucky you, my goal for lent is to write twice a week here at least.  May be long, may be short.  But it should be good, at least for me, because I have things to get off my shoulders.  NOT that I want every entry to be heavy, you wonderful women don't deserve that.  (Though on the absolute worst days some might be more serious than joking.)  But part of this is writing as an escape.  Writing about random happenings and off-the-top of my head thoughts so that I can dull the volume of the rest of the world around me if only for 30-60 minutes.

Just a [not so] brief listing to give you an idea of that loud world around me:

• Tybalt is 2.5 and not talking yet.  We have started seeing a speech therapist and developmental specialists.  All say he is very smart, quick, and either on par or advanced in ever other aspect.  But speech is a problem that needs to be dealt with.  1) I worry about my little boy.  2) I feel like the worst mom in the world.  Only Frenchie and B, and our fellow best friends J&D (see "host" and "host's wife" in entries such as when Terror almost sets the house on fire) who are Tybalt's Godparents are aware of this.  A friend posted something on Facebook the other day that made me think:  She basically said, "Why is it when you child can't/won't do the one thing they should and every other kid around them their age and developmental level can, the biggest dose of mother guilt sets in and you feel like the worst mother ever?"  I know I love my son and give him practically every opportunity we can.  I know he's very smart in general.  So why the frick is he not speaking?  And why can't I shake the feeling that it is somehow my fault?

• My lawsuit against the medical facility we are claiming was allegedly negligent in my care, resulting in a Stage IV bedsore and permanent damage, is coming along.  (I don't actually know how much I can say.)  I don't know how much progress, that's like OZ behind the curtain, but I did my deposition last July and am waiting to probably be called in again, and Romeo and his mom were deposed this week.  I know that this blog is a member of a MILP line-up.  You are all probably thinking that depositions and trials (if no settlement is reached first, my tentative first day of court is in November) should be the least of my worries.  Well, what can I say?  I don't deal with any of this regularly on a daily basis.  And while I knew in deciding to pursue this case it would get difficult, as the plaintiff I had NO real, actual, serious idea of the nerves, the jump my heart makes from chest to stomach every time my lawyer's phone number appears on my caller ID with a new update or question.

• We are buying a house.  Fantastic!  Great!  It's about time!  And we got pre-approved for like $50 grand more than we want to spend because we know how we prefer to budget our money.  So that put us in a particular bracket of housing, that in Las Vegas, is low on inventory because cash investors are buying them all up.  Doesn't matter if a good, hard working family like ours will ever get to live in one.  The investors just want them for business.  So shopping and finding something we wanted was more rough than we thought it would be.  But we couldn't wait any longer.  Home prices in Las Vegas have gone up something like 20% since January 2012, and continue to rise.  That, plus the reduced inventory means you have to view houses in the morning and make bids by the afternoon.  We finally got a bid accepted.  We are OVERJOYED!  I should correct that--Romeo is.  I am oh, let's just say "cautiously optimistic "  For once, I sincerely want to be overjoyed!  I want to be throwing items in boxes willy nilly and doing my own silly version of some victory end-zone touchdown dance.  Finally, I will be living in a place that doesn't have an apartment, suite, or dorm number!  For me, a 28 year-old coming straight off of that, it is huge and a dream come true.  Even if it sounds odd or petty to anyone else.  Guess I should throw out an apology just in case.  We are currently in escrow.  I know very few close friends who have bought a house, so I don't know if it's urban legend or what, but I've heard of multiple cases where people enter escrow and then never close escrow and get the house.  If any of you readers know why, can you help?  My only gut feelings would be that these stories are before the big economical crash, so people were being pre-approved quickly for mortgages and entering escrow just to find out that the lender didn't approve them properly or at all and thus the money is not there.  Or, that the families never bothered going through the pre-approval process, started to shop for houses, found one they fell in love with, tried to secure approval on a mortgage then, and didn't qualify.  Am I right on any of these situations?  What are some other reasons escrows fail and never close?  Anybody know?  At least in our situation, none of that should be the case.  We have hit at least one major road block (keep reading) but we are completely pre-approved for our mortgage loan by a woman who has such a positive reputation in town that both realtors we have worked with have individually told us that in this day and age they don't take on "just any old clients. But if Mrs. _____ _______ has pre-approved you, you're good to go.  In my 20+ years (or 30+ years for realtor #1) she has never given me a couple/family pre-approved who wasn't good for it.  If she pre-approves you, you're gold to work with.  You are basically approved already."  This should all comfort me, right?  Yeah, hello Ms. Pessimistic  My Name is Juliet.  Welcome back, I hear you'll be checking in and staying for a while.

• On the house front--close of escrow was predicted by February 28th.  We are purchasing a foreclosed home which means Fannie Mae (Government) is the owner.  And they contract with a local Title Company to do their "bidding" here in town.  Well, after over a week with no updates from our realtor or our lender, we found out the title company was dragging their feet because they were hoping no one would find out a clerical mistake had occurred and the title was TECHNICALLY not in Fannie Mae's name yet.  Please cover the eyes and ears of any children nearby--WHAT THE FFFFFFFFFFFFF? You're selling us a home (you've been sending your own hired maintenance crew for raking and mowing, etc that I already met out there one day, so you think you own it as much as we do) but anyway  you're selling us a home, that TECHNICALLY you don't own yet?  Knock me unconscious people, just do it, I can't take the stress.  But at least that was supposed to be done by Monday the 11th.  Putting us only about 2 weeks behind and making a February 28 closing date (or at least real close to it) still completely possible.  Tuesday the 12th comes and our realtor (lovely man, seriously, but by now his Irish blood is boiling and I think he's resisting the urge to tip some cows, lol) still hasn't heard back and now must call and ream someone out to get an answer.  The answer?  They never could have had it resolved by the 11th, they were blowing smoke up his angry butt to get him off their backs.  Apparently there is a trash lien on the house.  Yes, either the former owner, or Fannie Mae as they have been tending it, hasn't paid so many trash fees that the City WILL NOT release the title to Fannie Mae until it is paid in full.  More government interference, which means more time.  Which means forget getting out of here and moving by Feb/March.

• Two Huge Fears on top of all these others: First) if this trash lien has been out there for so long and the Title Company dropped the ball in paying it to clear the title and get it fair and square in Fannie Mae's name in order to sell this house (which has been on market since mid 2012--quite long for this Las Vegas Market)  and has just been sitting back playing computer games all day and hoping no one got the wiser, what else have they screwed up on, overlooked, etc., and are just waiting to see that they can't cover their own asses over anymore?  How many more things will arise? Secondly) What was their ultimate plan?  They couldn't keep quiet regarding a trash lien (or anything else that might come up, AND PLEASE I BEG YOU ALL TO PRAY NOTHING ELSE DOES) forever.  Like I said, the house is a foreclosure   It is the Title Company's job to be Fannie Mae's local eyes and ears.  And if it wasn't us showing interest, putting down earnest money, getting our offer accepted, and signing a contract, it would have been some other family a week or two later.  Did they really think things such as this would never get discovered?  Come on now, it just doesn't even make sense.

• Oh, and on top of that, seeing we have to be in our apartment longer, the management is charging us $400 extra for March and then prorated based on that exorbitant rate for April 1-14.  But we signed a 60 day notice, so as far as getting through escrow without anymore bumps, bruises, and scrapes, and for hopefully convincing the apartment management to stop trying to milk an already dry cow (the extra money is just not there) prayers, chants, meditations and crossed fingers--WOULD ALL BE GREATLY HELPFUL LADIES!  Thanks.

• And my relocating parents, Lady C and Lord C?  They spent 4 days here in sunny, chilly, but definitely not frigid (70 here compared to 10 degrees when boarding in Chi-town) to look at apartments two weeks ago.  After Las Vegas they were on to Salt Lake City, which is 45 minutes from my sister and brother-in-law.  My gut had been saying they were going to choose UT.  I was actually fine with it.  A little sting feeling like it meant choosing her over me, but I forced past that juvenile thinking.  And focused on how UT means more family time, more bonding time for them and Tybalt, yet no doorbell rings and *poof!* there they are on my front stoop, no "The car broke down, can you come jump me 45 minutes away?" no "What do you MEAN you're spending this Sunday with Romeo's mom.  We want you here!"  Well, guess what, they are now apparently 99.9% sure they have chosen Las Vegas.  That unreliable gut of mine.

Sigh, its 3:41, and you know me, re-reading and editing my own work will take me until 4am. *Note, yep, it's 5:19am now, oh how off I was on that one, lol.*

Oh, one thing I forgot is an answer to my anniversary conundrum back in October.  Our solution is in the final comment I left.  Not bad, but still room for improvement, which I feel should be the soundtrack to my life right now.  Hmm, I wonder who I'd get to sing it--I do like Kelly Clarkson. ;)

• Oh, and Harold, F-I-L, returns for three months either February 27 or March 6.  "Insert haunting "Law and Order Theme Hear."  And I'm done.

House of Cards ... and Hair.

Have you guys watched House of Cards yet? It's the new Netflix-produced series that is now available on Netflix streaming. I'm not sure whether there are other places you can watch it. Well, if you haven't, you probably should. Because it's actually really awesome.

Kevin Spacey plays a Congressman who is also the House Majority Whip, and political drama and intrigue ensues. It's exactly B's style of television show, and I am generally a sucker for a good dramatic television of any kind. We started watching it this weekend, and we only have two episodes left to go. When we first heard that Netflix was producing its own series, we weren't sure whether they would release all the episodes at once, or if they might actually try to be more like a television network, releasing a new episode every week. They did release all of them at once, embracing what is most awesome about watching television episodes on Netflix (aka, allowing us viewers to stream episodes non-stop, schedule permitting). All the characters are so driven by their own desire for power, it's one of those shows that don't make you feel bad about your own moderate success (unlike my feeling of overall inadequacy when watching the first season of Girls).

More importantly, can I pull off Robin Wright's hair? (I've been considering a major hair change. B is not convinced, but men always like long hair so I don't take his opinion too seriously.)

Photos courtesy of Robin Wright's Facebook Page

Here is the other option I am considering:

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Lastly, for ease of input, here is what my hair looks like right now, in a not-flattering photo I've taken in the middle of this writing blog post.

Would it have killed me to put on some lip goss before snapping this pic, and maybe smiling a bit? The answer is YES.

In other Netflix related news, here are some other programs that have been streamed on the weekends:

World Without End, based on Ken Follett's novel, and a pseudo-sequel to his Pillars of the Earth. Excellent, if you're into period stories. B was not a big fan, but I secretly like that so that I have something to stream while he is at work on Saturdays.

American Horror Story, Season 1. I got on the American Horror Story bandwagon way too late this year. I noticed it on Netflix and watched the entire first season over the span of a couple of weeks, but by that time, it was already way too close to the Season 2 finale to catch up. I'm [im]patiently waiting for the "new episodes" icon to pop up on my screen so that I can catch up.

We've tried Breaking Bad, and it has surprised me how difficult it's been for me to get sucked in. I'm usually pretty easy to engage, but we've watched two episodes without feeling the need to go any further into the series. I'm not one to miss out on something everyone seems to like, but I'm not convinced on this one. What else do I need to add to my instant queue? And also, seriously, tell me what you think I should do with my hair. I am not afraid.

Behind the scenes

Our life, save the financial trouble caused by late paychecks, has been pretty dandy for the past few months. New house, weight loss successes, good weekends are probably to thank for our overall decent moods. We are happy, we get along, we laugh. This morning, before leaving for work and for no apparent reason, B and I had a sometimes-screaming fight.

Bloggers (or Facebookers, Instragrammers, or Tweeters) don't usually document these moments in their lives. We get snippets, moments that people want to share with their friends and families. We are told that every couple fights. Fighting is normal! But you never really know, do you? Except for those rare and awkward moments when you get a small glimpse into someone's real domestic life when your sister in law snaps at her husband in front of you, there isn't the opportunity to find out what a "happy" couple's fights look like. So, in the interest of being candid, here is our latest.

B has the day off. He had to take Mia to the pediatrician for a follow up appointment to make sure the month-long strep/ear infection/scarlett fever had gone away completely. I had to get myself ready for work. This small break in our routine apparently set things in motion making both of us irrationally angry with one another. Having a kid makes a household of two working parents and a baby who attends daycare desperately in need of a routine, and this is something we rely on heavily to get us all out to our respective locations as necessary. This morning, my train of thought was that since he was off, he'd take over all the Mia duties. And his train of thought was that since he had to leave the house at roughly the same time, I would keep my routine exactly as normal to get Mia ready in time. The smallest lack of communication is almost always the culprit in our house.

Instead of simply saying, "Honey, are you good to get Mia ready before the Doctor?", or him "Honey, will you be able to get Mia ready for the Doctor?", we both just assume the other is okay with what is going on in the other person's head, and phrases like "Mia is almost 2. How do you not know what goes in her lunch?" or "Are you just sitting and watching the Today Show instead of getting ready for work?" get thrown around. Even worse, our morning at home ends with "I hope you do NOT enjoy your day off", and "You'll be really sorry if I get in a car accident".

Followed of course with some "I'm sorry, I overreacted." text messages about 20 minutes later.

Weight-loss milestone #1

15 lbs down, 36 days in.

As of this morning, I weighed the exact amount I weighed on the day I found out I was pregnant. I specifically weighed myself a few moments after seeing the double lines wanting to keep track of how much I gained for the next 9 months. In the end, I gained just around 25 lbs.

So, stepping on the scale this morning, only two days after the indulgence of our mini superbowl party, I was pretty proud of myself and continue to be. I did try my fancy designer jeans on, but those do not fit yet. (Like, not even close. My ass and thighs being the main culprits) Though the number is there, I suppose the weight is still distributed differently. I'm OK with that, I did grow a human, after all. I'm sure those jeans will fit again in another 10 lbs and a lot of butt and thigh toning. The exercise portion of the new year's resolution has yet to kick in since the whole family has just been continuously sick since the first of the year.

In other news, things are better all around. The work-paycheck situation is unchanged, but we've made several adjustments to our expenses and used some of our forbearance time on student loans to ease the lack of available cash a bit. B got some good news at work regarding a small raise and a small bonus, so those two things should help us through the upcoming weeks.

Plus, this week, the Bachelor is on TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW! This season is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Weekend most ordinary

B works almost every Saturday, getting maybe one off every month. Usually, I mark the calendar for those Saturdays weeks in advance and plan something exciting. This Saturday, the plan was to take the one hour drive to the small town of Pahrump, NV and spend the afternoon having lunch at their winery and touring the vineyards. But, Saturday something even more rare than B having a Saturday off occurred: it rained in Las Vegas. Although it wasn't any kind of torrential rain, just a nice pleasant drizzle, it still wasn't something that we wanted to be out in all day.

I tried to come up with a few contingency plans. We thought of the Discovery Children's Museum, the Natural History Museum, but it occurred to us that every other family in Las Vegas would be there too. So, instead, we had the most ordinary weekend you could imagine, and it was glorious. We did eventually get dressed, in our finest casual wear for a trip to my favorite new place, where Mia got way too excited in the children's section. We read about 8 books, but only got through the first three pages before she wanted  to move on to the next book on the shelf at her height. I picked out a Madeline and an Olivia book to bring home for her, but her short attention span continued at home that night too. I kept right on reading Madeline despite her protests because it was my fave as a kid, and besides, I wanted to know the ending. Later that afternoon, I planned out all dinners for the week from the South Beach Diet Cookbook (still going strong -- 13 lbs down!) and we headed to the grocery store.

The Little Miss after her 3 1/2 hour nap on Saturday, not happy about being woken up.

Sunday, more of the same. A long walk with the dogs avoiding puddles, reading, knitting, playing, but mostly lounging and mostly in my slippers and yoga pants. The perfect way to spend a weekend. We'll go to that winery next time, but surprisingly, this Monday morning, I feel extremely satisfied with the two days we spent at home.

Stupid Realizations: the Public Library Rocks.

So, I'm not sure why I've been such an idiot for my entire adult life, but after a particularly hellish morning trying to figure out what to do regarding my 9 day late paycheck (which I did manage to get, by the way. Except today it's payday again and well, that's not happening. AGAIN.), I really wanted some new books. Real books, not Kindle ones, that I could flip through.

My first instinct was of course, Costco. The last time we went there for our monthly diapers, wipes, fruit cups, applesauce run, I wistfully looked at the book section but the impatient toddler pointing to the applesauce box and demanding "appu" got me back on track pretty quickly. Besides, that table was dominated by Fifty Shades of Grey (I have read the first 50 Shades, which I borrowed from my Mother of all people - I finished the first book and read about 3 pages of the second book before confirming that I couldn't stand it).

Then after trying to figure out where the closest Barnes and Noble was to our new neighborhood and realizing that it's actually not at all close, I had the brilliant (for me) thought of looking up the Clark County Public Library. OMG. I'm so SMRT. You can have as many books as you want without paying for them? Brilliant.

I filled out the application for a library card online, found the closest location to my house and decided to browse. I got super excited and had a huge list by the time I was ready to leave, but I couldn't possibly read all of these in the 3 weeks they give you. So yeah, I ended up with an indulgent Philippa Gregory book (The White Queen, part of the Cousin's War series about the Platagenets), which I've always loved reading and a book of knitting patterns. I also learned that for the more popular books, there is a waiting list. So, that's fine. I'm on the list for JK Rowling's new book, Mindy Kaling's book, and the Song of Fire and Ice series that HBO's Game of Thrones is based on, and a few others that I don't even remember. This morning, I just got an email that the Game of Thrones is available, so I'm REALLY EXCITED.

I'm heading over there and spending no money after I don't get my paycheck after work today.

What I don't want to post about

It's been tough coming up with things to write about recently, because there are many things that I don't want to write about. I don't want to devote an entire post to them, because, well, it sucks, but I also want to write about something on this blog of mine.

• I don't want to write about how I'm changing what I eat. I went back and re-read the posts that I had tagged "weight loss" to see how much of my blog I have devoted to something that I've always struggled with. It's not an inordinate amount, thankfully. I didn't want to make a topic out of being back on the South Beach Diet plan, thinking that I'd tried (and obviously failed) it so many times in the past year. The last time I did it, I lasted 4 weeks. I didn't realize that I had gotten so far last time, that I had given up past where I am now. I'm starting my 3rd week now and suddenly got very deflated. I feel different this time - it feels like I'm having fewer cravings, making a better effort to cook every night and keeping my menu diverse enough to keep me from wanting to stray. Something big is different this time, though. B is on it with me, and has been very committed to it. We've both moved from the very restrictive Phase 1 (no sugars/carbs/fats/caffeine/alcohol whatsoever) to Phase 2 (gradually reintroducing complex carbs, whole grains, caffeine and alcohol). Yes, he's been more liberal with his reintroduction than I have, but it doesn't bother me in the least. My temptations don't come at home, since we are both committed to changing out food intake (or as B puts it "taking control of our waistlines", LOLZ), but at work, where my Filipino coworkers make a rice cooker full of evil jasmine rice every day for lunch. I'm not tempted so much as feeling sad about not being able to have any. I'm not hungry. My meals are nutritious and tasty. And, I've lost and am continuing to lose weight. 3 weeks in and I'm already down 11 lbs, to B's 15 lbs. Some of my old work pants are even starting to fit, though I have yet to wear any because they are a bit snug. In a couple of weeks, my wardrobe options will increase dramatically, and I love that thought!

• I don't want to write about how sick we've been since January 1st. Mia had pink-eye and strep. B had pink-eye, strep and an ear infection. I was also sick, but Minute Clinic assured me everything I had was viral. Also, as the least affected by whatever was going through our house, I was the caretaker for the two others. B turns into a bigger baby than Mia does, needing "directions" on how to care for himself. "Should I take my Tylenol now? What can I do to make my throat feel better?" I have to admit that I lost patience with him on more than one occasion.

• I don't want to write about my frustrations with my job. Not wanting to work for this Company (or really, at all anymore) but not wanting to move. My plan is still to take the Nevada bar this summer and hope that I can find something else. It seems like any job that is out there that I might qualify for would require us to move again. I don't want to do that to B, who really enjoys and does well at his job, and I really don't want to do that to my parents, who essentially bought this house knowing we would be their tenants. So, I come to work every morning, and wait for my paycheck (7 days late at this point).

That's it. Those are the things that have been on my mind, that I don't like to think about. So, until something happens that I want to write about, there you go. 

Guilty Pleasures: Girls, the series.

Happy Monday! (or in my case, Happy-no paycheck four days after payday, dammit I thought my company was supposed to be doing better-Monday!) Did everyone have a great weekend? We did, other than having no money. Did everyone watch the Golden Globes? Did 25-year old Lena Dunham make anyone else feel like they were total bums who had accomplished nothing in their life (which is 4 years longer than hers)?

I don't normally feel that way, only this morning when I am feeling how broke I am, despite knowing that I SHOULD NOT BE. As of moving and my Cable Company giving us 3 months of free HBO and Starz, and subsequently discovering the HBO On Demand feature, B and I have been dutifully watching all the HBO series that are available from the beginning. In this order, we watched: Game of Thrones, Girls and Newsroom. My favorite: Girls. B's favorite: Newsroom.

Not having HBO basically since moving out of my parents' house, I have learned to ignore all the praise and accolades that normally follow these HBO series, telling myself that this is not money I need to spend on a monthly basis. Like many other women of my generation, I own the full Sex and the City series on DVD, and have watched it many more times than I should (as the the DVD cases can prove). In college, we spent many a snow day cooped up in our little townhouse apartment having Sopranos marathons. But beyond that, my HBO knowledge is lacking. Well, I think my unwillingness to increase my cable package might actually be ending, which is unfortunately exactly what my cable company intended when giving me the free three months that conveniently expire right before the new season of Game of Thrones starts.

Clearly, I am not the only person to think Girls is awesome, you know, since it won many an award last night. But did you know that Lena Dunham, the previously mentioned 25 year old, is the creator, director, producer and star of this show? Unbelievable. Who has that kind of creative talent? As a person who has always wanted to be creative but whose biggest creative success so far are a small Etsy Shop and a Mommy Blog, I am in awe. But back to the show itself. I think it purposely follows the set up for Sex and the City. 4 women, with one main character who can't seem to get her shit together. Since these women are in their early twenties, it does not follow the Friends/Sex and the City trend of an unexplicably high-end lifestyle. These girls live in Brooklyn, in not so nice apartments, with not expensive looking clothes. The mishaps are not unlike the ones my friends and I had when we were between 20-25. As I was recommending it to my Mom, I had to add the caveat: "It might be too young for you... sometimes, it's even a bit too young for me." But it is, excellent. Smart, funny, and does a great job portraying the naive 25 and under Girl.

Speaking of Guilty Pleasures, Happy Bachelor Monday!

Back to 5

...and after that holiday hiatus from seriousness, we are back in full force.

The past few weeks of shortened work weeks have been glorious. It's wonderful to think that you're days off outnumber your working days for a very short period of the year. Actually, I'm not sure it's always this way, I think it's just the way the calendar happened to fall this year. Plus, factor in your daughter's contraction of pink eye and various other viral maladies, preventing her for going into daycare, and you've earned yourself a couple of extra days at home, as I did last week. But, several days into her antibiotics cycle and a looming Big Thing at work on Thursday, and I have to be back, whether my throat likes it or not. (As it turns out, my husband does not have a looming Big Thing, and since I took sick days to cover Mia's ban from daycare, he how has the luxury to pink-eye it up at home - to be clear, I never got it, diligent hand-washer that I am.)

Anyhoov. Not only am I back because the Holidays are over, but I am also back to working 5 days a week, and therefore also back to full sized paychecks! That is very exciting. And although the re-institution of full time work is not (yet) company wide, I hardly feel guilty at all, considering looming Big Thing. Although working reduced hours had its obvious cons, I've gotten very used to having a weekday of rest, and to take care of various errands. I have a feeling I'm going to get much busier very quickly, and slightly crabbier, since I will no longer have a day of just hanging out with myself. Most weeks, B gets a week day off and works Saturdays. It's never been much of a problem, Mia and I do fun things together on Saturdays because I always have my weekday off to catch up on the things that are best done without a child around, such as laundry. I'll just tell myself that with my increased income, Mia and I might actually be able to do things that Cost Money on Saturdays since our budget won't be quite as tight (though, still tight).

Another welcome back to normalcy that this beautiful Monday brings is the much anticipated return of the Bachelor. Although I am much more obsessed with the Bachelorette, this is still a very good thing in my mind. My weekly two hours of pure indulgence start tonight. For now, it will unfortunately without the glass of  wine (South Beach Diet, Phase 1, Day 8, lbs: -8), but should still be just as satisfying. Sean was edited to be a bit serious and boring on Emily's season, but he comes across much more laid back and fun in the previews. Plus, I'm sure ABC will make up for it with some good casting for the women competing to be his wife. My dream is to be one of those people who writes a recap of the entire episode. "HONEY, QUIET I'M WORKING". Anyone want to make me an offer?

Christmas Recap in Pictures

As I sit here, lamenting over the fact that I am currently at work and regretting not taking three days of vacation time in order to sit at home knitting, I remind myself that there is a mere three hours left before I am off again for another 4 day break.

Christmas was infinitely better than I thought it would be, celebrating with just the three of us, but embracing the friends and (sort of) family that we do have in town. In the days leading up to Christmas, we packed in as many of the activities that I intended for us to do in the month of December. We went to the Springs Preserve to see their lights and decorations. They called it something along the lines of an "extravaganza" and although an extravaganza it was not, it was still lovely and chilly, so the two Chicagoans that we are were happy to bundle up ever so slightly.

On Christmas Eve day (could we pick a worse time? I suppose we could have, going on Christmas Day itself...) we decided to venture down to the Strip for the first time in what felt like ages and play tourist in our own city. The Bellagio has a "Conservatory" of plans and flowers, whose themes switch monthly. Last year, we delayed our venture down to the strip to January, so we missed the Christmas display but saw the Chinese new year display. This year, I wanted to make a point to see the Christmas flowers and decorations. We were not disappointed, and it was actually really beautiful and worth braving the crowd.

We spent Christmas Eve dinner with my sort of cousins, having a grand old Filipino time and playing Christmas Eve Bingo, where I won $32. Being as tipsy as the strange sparkling red wine I was drinking would allow, the three of us still had an excellent time.

Christmas Day was chock-full of toddler presents. Clothes, toys, and more clothes. Of course we had bought some of them, but so many came from far away family, that it made us feel not at all on our own for Christmas. Plus, when there is a toddler involved in Christmas, it's hard to feel lonely or isolated, since she just brings so much joy and excitement. Everyone spent the day playing with their toys (B watched a Blu-Ray while wearing his spanking new slippers, Mia played with her musical castle and grocery cart and register, and I made and drank an excellent cup of coffee out of my Keurig).

I hope everyone else's holiday was excellent, too!

Silence

There are no words. I worked from home on Friday, so I had the television on and learned about the shooting in Sandy Hook very early in the day. Alone in my house, with my daughter in a bright happy daycare, I watched and listened. I cried in the shower, thinking of my storage closet with the gifts from Santa waiting to be wrapped and put under the tree. Realizing that those poor parents probably had the same stash.

I can't and won't write more on it. Whatever I start to write sounds trite. But this morning, as my healthy and happy daughter sat in my warm lap, on my bed for 10 minutes watching morning cartoons, I didn't want to interrupt these few minutes of peace to go about with the rest of our morning routine. Her sweet smelling hair, the feel of her chubby belly under my arm, the softness of her cheek against my neck. I appreciate these more than ever, and I promise that I will remember to appreciate her, always.

House Pictures!

Well, our house is really coming together. Living in a house has a way of making you feel so very grown up. B and I have found ourselves being much more domestic after work than we had ever been before. It might be a combination of finally getting out of the apartment we now realize was a shit hole, and being excited about living in a new place, but whatever the reason, I like it. Hopefully this isn't a "for now" situation, but we have been very on top of dishes, cleaning up after dinner, etc. Downstairs, we are fully moved in. Except for the intention to paint over the white walls, which I would like to do immediately but I digress.

Pictures!

Living room/Dining room. Please don't mind the pantless toddler, the toy car, and the knitting patterns strewn on the coffee table and couch. Also, the table is very small and I am currently monitoring Craigslist for a more appropriate replacement.

Living room and Stairwell, viewed from the dining room. Please don't mind the husband watching football.

Kitchen/Dining. We intend to buy stools for the kitchen island, but for now, that is the dog-bed area. And yes, I am drinking a glass of wine.

18 months!

Yesterday, we took Mia in for her 18 month well check. My pediatrician was a bit shocked to see us both in the room. It was amazing that we both happened to be able to take our week day off in time for the well-visit. Mia is tiny, as usual, but healthy.

18 Month Stats:

Weight: 21 lbs, 7 oz.  10th percentile

Height: 31 Inches  25th percentile

Head circumference: 45.5cm  25th percentile

Milestones: Runs; Climbs; Can take stairs while holding hand; 20+ word vocabulary; Mimics what we say and do; Eats with a fork and spoon; Points at body parts.

Mia, at 18 months,

You are a bundle of energy and sass. You are constantly on the move, and any silence in the house just means trouble. You have gotten so fiesty, and we are really starting to catch a glimpse of what your terrible twos are going to look like. It is your way, or the meltdown face on the floor way. You want to eat on your own, on your own plate and with your own fork or spoon. If the food falls off the spoon, you may ask for help, but want to put it in your own mouth. That's fine with me, Mama finally gets to have dinner while everyone else does!

You are so playful and sweet, most of the time. You want to read books, watch Yo Gabba Gabba, and do everything to make us laugh. You have so many words, but you still get pretty frustrated when you can't communicate. All in good time. You'll be speaking in sentences in no time! 

Speaking of Bunnies, a couple of weeks ago while packing up the apartment, we found a stuffed bunny of mine that you have totally fallen in love with. You sleep with "Buttee" every night, and ask for him as soon as you're in your jammies. We love that she plays with Bunny, because it was a special purchase for us. The day B and I got sworn in to the Illinois Bar, the ceremony was at Navy Pier. On our way out, we walked the entire length of the Pier, and in the front was a Build A Bear workshop. We were both in such a good mood, we went in to build a stuffed animal to commemorate the day... and now, just three short years later, here you are enjoying our special little bunny. 

Our favorite little quirk of yours is that at random moments during your play, you'll go "Oh, Chloe!" As I've mentioned on here many a time, our beloved Beagle is now 14 years old and basically deaf. B and I have to YELL her name in order to get her attention. Mia, I think that you may have misinterpreted our meaning and think that "Oh Chloe" is some kind of curse word. Something will fall off the table, and you'll say "Oh, no! Chloe!" (What the Chloe did you just say to me?). Toddlers, you guys are hilarious. But, you continue to love your doggies more than any other toy, and you're finally learning to say Swarley ("Swaley"), and your previous "Tatty" for "Doggie" has evolved into "Cocky". (Also, socks=cock, walk=cocka) Do you sense a theme?

Our biggest hurdle continues to be sleep. I feel like I've been complaining about this since you were born, but Mama and Papa are very cranky when they don't get consistent sleep. We spoke to your Pediatrician about this, and she reminded us that we did some sleep training a few months ago which worked well before Lola (My Mom) came to visit. So, last night was night #1 of sleep training, which consists of going to you as soon as you cry, reassuring you without picking you up, and leaving the room. 10 minutes later, if you're still crying, repeat. Then, 20 minutes later. Then, 30, etc. Last night, we had to go all the way up to 40 before you quieted down and slept through the night from midnight to 6:30am. Not enough sleep for sure, but more consecutive hours than we've had in a while. We'll see how night #2 goes.

We love you more and more everyday, and last night, B summed it up perfectly. I'm so glad we made the baby we got, she's so awesome. That you are, Bunny. 

Love,

Mama and Papa

A DIY Christmas

I'm not sure why I wait until after Thanksgiving to start putting together Christmas gifts, but 30 days does not seem like enough time to put everything together the way I want to. Especially not when that 30 days is actually just 2 hours per night once dinner is made and cleaned up, and my toddler is put to bed. Shopping for gifts is a pleasure for me. I love trying to think of things to give out, and this year even more so, with Mia actively playing with toys and starting to show preferences. Although I don't think she'll understand what is coming, I think once she realizes what is under those colorful wrappings, she'll be very excited to tear everything up.

It also seems like our list gets longer each year. There's the kids. Mia, our nephew, and a couple of friends kids. I took care of that on cyber monday. Not many. There's each other. This year, we are being very practical. B wants an exercise bike that we are currently scouring craigslist for. Mia broke our coffee pot, so I'd like a new one, so that, I can actually make coffee instead of drinking a Diet Pepsi every morning. As for the rest: my work colleagues, B's work colleagues, and friends that's where it starts getting time consuming. As much as I'd love to go out and pick something out for every person based on their personalities and tastes, that just isn't going to happen.

Since we have been in a reduced income household for over 6 months now, I think I've come up with a decent way of still having gifts for everyone without spending an inordinate amount of money. So, this year, will be a DIY Christmas. I will tell myself that the gifts will be so filled with love and thoughtfulness that they will not be perceived as cheap. RIGHT?

For women: Frenchie's Frills bracelets. Perhaps a single or double wrap, depending on the person. I have plenty of inventory left over from the Halloween craft show, and will likely have plenty left after our upcoming one in mid-December. Also, I have quite a few supplies to make any more, as needed. No money spent there -- I have everything I need. 

For men/families: Hand knit Christmas tree ornaments. I found a pattern yesterday, purchased some Styrofoam balls from Michael's for $10, two balls of yarn for $4 each, and viola. I spent about an hour and a half on my first one yesterday and I'm halfway through, so if I get used to the pattern, that should be plenty of time for about 15. (Juliet, act surprised!)

Now, this is our first year with a daycare. I am definitely giving a gift to the 3 main teachers in Mia's 1 year old room, but what about the rest of the staff? I was thinking I might buy a box of bagels and coffee one morning for them, but does that seem like too little?

House Christening Fail

Well. Our first night in the house was... not great. Instead of Christening the house the traditional way, I Christened it on Sunday night by running to our shiny master bathroom (tripping over many boxes and stray hangers on the way) and ... vomiting. B did the same thing to the powder room toilet this morning around 5 am. I am keeping a very close eye on Mia who is so very sure to come next, although, I'm hoping she gave it to ME and we just didn't notice amidst the teething and moving angst. Because really, where else would we have gotten something like this except the dreaded daycare plague?

So, things haven't exactly gone as planned with the whole unpacking thing. Things went swimmingly with the moving of the stuff though, since evidently B is a moving MACHINE and had made two trips from the apartment to the house by the time Mia and I woke up last friday morning. Motivated by saving money on the movers, he probably took at least a dozen trips back and forth between the two places (which are NOT close by, I should add) in my Insight with the back seats folded down. 6 boxes at a time, and everything but the furniture was in the house by the time the moving truck got to the apartment on Sunday. 2 1/2 hours after that, and all the furniture was at the house, too (another score, because we paid by the hour, with a 2 hour minimum). 

The former owners wanted to stay in the house for a couple of weeks after the closing because they couldn't close on their new house immediately. After some negotiations, the agreement was: Leave the fridge, stay two weeks. In my (and my parents') mind, this seemed perfectly reasonable and fair. Evidently, they felt their fridge was worth far more than their (or OUR) convenience. They didn't take the fridge, but they did take a couple of things that in my opinion is clearly a FIXTURE (Hello -- I remember something from Real Estate Law) such as a bathroom cabinet, a toilet paper dispenser and towel rack. When I asked our realtor to ask for the bathroom cabinet back, their response was "No, you already got the fridge. You can buy a new bathroom cabinet yourselves, it's from Target". Not the point, but thanks, assholes. 

Anyway. I don't have many pictures to show, since the house looks like hell. (See above involving the Vomit.) But I do have two pictures of things I am awfully proud of:

CABINET SPACE! This cabinet holds all 12 of our red wine, white wine and champagne flutes, half of which were still in their original Crate and Barrel packaging from our wedding. 

The washer/dryer! B, Mia, Swarley and I all watched the first 8 minutes of the inaugural load, like a bunch of fools. Swarley barked, Mia "whoa"ed and B and I wondered how could so little water wash the clothes?

Anyway, I'm all better now. Poor B is at work feeling miserable since he has been off since Friday, so he can't take an outright sick day, though I hope for his sake that he can get out early. This afternoon, my office closes at 1pm, so I am off to the old apartment to clean up as much as possible and bring the final items over. More pictures as soon as there are no longer boxes in them!

I Miss My Mommy

I really miss my Mommy. You'd think in your late 20's you'd be able to handle living across the country from your parents. That if you could muster the courage to move away at 22, that by 28 it'd be even easier- that you'd be completely "over" it, used to it, okay with it. That you'd feel like a grown a$$ adult and be okay on your own. But some days and times I just really want my Mom and/or Dad. Some moments I miss them so much I can't function- I just need a good cry. And I get jealous of those, like my husband and some of my friends, who have never lived more than a few hours from their folks and family. I think sometimes they take it for granted. There, I admitted it, I miss my Mommy. And I know, I wrote a month ago about how my Mom lost her job and my parents feel it's possibly the time to relocate out West, and that it makes me nervous because I don't know what I really want...*breath break*...and I still don't. Luckily, perhaps, it's not my decision to make. God/fate will step in and they will go wherever jobs can be found. But it's simply evidence that I really am torn. For every phone conversation that ends with me wanting to poke myself in the eye with a fork, there are moments like today when I am so sad it feels like someone is stabbing my heart with that damn fork.

Holiday around the corner

This morning, after reading several holiday facebook and blog posts, I realized that we've been so focused on the move (T-5 days) that I have totally forgotten to get excited about the holidays. Well, not completely since I did pick out Mia's gift from Santa from the Target toy catalog, but since I spent the weekend wearing my sherling-lined slippers, even Las Vegas is reminding me that the Holidays are a-comin'.

Since my time at home has been totally dominated by cardboard boxes, plastic bins and permanent markers, sitting down at my desk this morning after a 3 day weekend of marathon packing, I also made another realization. B, Mia and I will be spending our first holiday season on our own, as our own family. From Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, neither my nor B's family will be around for the celebrations. Last year, we spent Thanksgiving at our apartment and the following long weekend in an RV, and then Christmas in France.

We had previously planned on going to Chicago for Christmas, but because we have already been there twice this year for various weddings, and because this move is costing many dollars despite our most valiant attempts at being cheap, we are staying put. I had been toying with the idea of doing an overnight somewhere like Mt. Charleston or St. George, UT to make Christmas Eve and Day less lonely, but I'm reconsidering. It might feel even more lonely if we are in a hotel room somewhere.

So for now, the plan will be to celebrate on our own, as a little family of three, in our new little house which will hopefully be fully unpacked and organized. This year is proving to be much less eventful, but hopefully just as happy!

Mia's First Election

She stayed up until the networks made their projections. Not because we thought she needed to be awake for it or anything, but because I couldn't get myself away from the television for long enough to start her bedtime routine until 8 (which normally starts at 7, right after dinner). We were all very distracted, but at least for the next election (when she is 5 1/2!!!) we'll be able to show her this:

She claps when there is clapping on TV.

The Frenchie household is happy that Nevada went blue, at least in the Presidential Election.

Monday Assortment

The Packing 2012 is going slowly but is progressing. Embarrassingly, I had to spend the longest time organizing all of my hobby supplies. One entire plastic storage bin for my yarn, knitting needles and pattern books, and one entire plastic storage bin for my beads and their supplies, only to find that I had more stashed elsewhere and no room in either plastic storage bin.

When you still have two weeks before you have to leave, it's very difficult to pack only things you aren't going to need in the next two weeks. I packed all of our pet stuff, only to have to go through it again a few hours later to locate the heart worm medicine. Ditto when I got bored with the one knitting project I kept out, and had to dig through to locate supplies for another. (I realize the second was purely of my own, stupid, making). The kitchen remains untouched and is likely the biggest job of course -- my reasoning being that the kitchen cabinets do not need to be emptied for the movers, whereas the various shelving units do. We are planning on moving the non-furniture items ourselves, so as to save on the $89 per hour the movers are charging. We have cars and two weeks to clear out the apartment after our scheduled move, we can handle the remaining items. Of course, I say that now... The closing was last week and went very smoothly. I had to sign "[Mom's First Name Middle Name Maiden Name Married Name] by [Frenchie Middle Name Maiden Name Married Name] as her attorney in fact " every. single. time. which highly amused the title company guy, but our realtor gave me a gift basket with towels and chocolate, so it was all worth it. Now we wait until the evening of the 15th, and we will be given the keys. On the morning of the 16th, I will have scheduled a cleaning service, a carpet cleaning service, and washer dryer delivery. On the 18th, we will sleep in our new home!

Mia helps sort through my jewelry by wearing my bangles, and Hawaiian necklace.

We had a lovely and productive weekend despite the boxes starting to make us feel like we're living in a fort. Mia and I went to Stroller Strides on Saturday morning, and I had two victories. 1) I did not even come close to passing out. 2) I am not even remotely sore. We got Mia's second official haircut at a kids salon, and it was very uneventful and great. Mia sad in a Lightning McQueen Chair, watched Little Einsteins and did not cry one bit. She was very squirmy, but the hairdresser managed to cut her bangs very straight across anyway (as you can see in the above picture).

And then came Sunday night and The Walking Dead. I'd like to think that I've become much less sensitive to the gore and not too afraid of the zombies anymore, but last night's episode really threw me off. Not only was it extremely gory, but also... yikes. I couldn't sleep and my stomach was uneasy for the rest of the evening. I was actually grateful when Mia wouldn't settle down in her crib again, only for having an excuse to snuggle her very close to me and make sure she was... you know, safe from Walkers. I can hardly blame Mia for being completely unable to take advantage of that extra hour.

Annoyed ... and Halloween!

Sleep has been a constant battle in our house for... the past 17 months. Lately, and I fear, until several weeks after we have moved into the new house (Nov 18th will be the first night we sleep there), we will continue to lose.

Mia has a "touch of strep", pediatrician's words, and a huge case of molars coming in. So, she's still unhappy and clingy. Tuesday night, she wouldn't even go down in her own crib and stayed up until Midnight. I already knew I was keeping her home on Wednesday, so, I graciously told B to go to bed, and I would sleep in Mia's room with her. I quickly followed this up with "Since you are off on Thursday, you can do the same for me tomorrow night."

Well, after a glorious night of trick of treating fairyness, Mia woke up and I nudged B to get her. I went back to sleep. What do you know, but I get woken up to Mia being thrust into my sleeping arms. B and I discussed it the night before. Mia is a Mama's girl, so if she wouldn't calm down with B, he'd bring her in our room. I assumed this is what happened. The next morning, after a fitful night of Mia repositioning herself on various parts of my body, I asked B very sympathetically how long he had tried to calm her down before giving up. "Oh. I forgot that I was supposed to do that."

Oh, how convenient. 

But, on the bright side, this:

She was great! She walked up to the houses very firmly holding on to our hands. She held out her pumpkin and was very excited to see all the doggies and pumpkins around. She walked around, stopped briefly to survey her loot, refused to let us carry her pumpkin when it got heavy ("MINE!") and kept her wings and flower crown on the whole time. We had a lot of fun going around with Juliet's family.