Not only does she now do dished (albeit for a fee), she makes her own scrambled eggs, from start to finish!



Despite her new maturity, she looks so small there in the kitchen, standing on her stool.

Not to harp on this not working thing but....

Sweet Pea keeps asking me what I do all day and I simply do not think I need to validate myself to my 8 year old! She was particularly irritated the other day when it was raining and she asked why she had to go to school. She actually does not understand why, or how, she can be expected to go school when it is raining out. It is an outrage to her. Why, she says, does she have to go to school when I can stay home all day and do "nothing." That's right - "nothing." She thinks I do nothing all day. What I want to know is, does she think this because I used to work and now I am not, so therefore I am doing nothing? Do kids whose moms have always stayed home think their moms do "nothing?" That cannot be.

On another note, JJ is growing by the day. I swear every morning he wakes up bigger than he was when he went to bed. I see him curled on the ground, unable to move or get dressed as he should be doing, and cannot believe how big he looks.

Despite his growth, he continues to be the lazy human known to man. For months now Jonathan and I have been a little concerned he is not quite reading yet. Sweet Pea was an early reader so though I know the range of normal is VERY large, our perception is slightly skewed because of her. Every night he wants us to read to him and really not all that interested in giving it a go himself. Then the other day in the car, he started reading signs out loud: "School Bus", "Do not enter", "Open", "Closed". I was shocked. The boy can in fact read and simply just chooses not to because why read himself when we can do it for him. I do not know why I am so shocked. This is the same boy who I took to the doctor when he was a baby convinced he had some muscular disease because he was not climbing steps or even feeding himself. Turns out - perfectly healthy, just plain lazy! And least some things never change.

I think I might be the worst stay at home mom....

My house is a mess. I cannot seem to keep up with the laundry. My kids come home from school and though I have had all day to myself, I really just want to watch Oprah. It is her last season you know.

The problem is, when you have so much time its hard to motivate because you can always do it later. It similar to when I was in high school. The semesters I was busy doing extra curricular activities were always the semesters I did best in school. You were forced to budget your time and get things done when you had the chance. When I was not so busy, there was more time to procrastinate, and thus I was less efficient.

It's not that I am not doing anything....I am busy. I do structure my day; I go to the gym, take the dog out for her exercise, go to the grocery store more times then I care to admit, spend some time networking and looking for jobs. But these boring mundane household tasks, I just cannot motivate to do them.

The good news, I am able to cook more. I made this delicious lemon, shrimp and asparagus risotto for dinner the other night. Of course the kids would not eat it....but Jonathan and I enjoyed it. I love risotto and rarely make it anymore. We just don't do the carb dinners as much as we used to. But this is worth it once in a while. The ultimate comfort food if you ask me.

Creative Minds

After accusing my children of lying to me about brushing their teeth, JJ said to me,

"Mom, we're not lying, we're ACTING!"

Clever....very cleaver.

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We, along with the rest of the world, went apple picking this weekend. I think I am over apple picking. It seems absurd to me to pay $30+ for apples. Most of which will never make it out of the bag. There are just too many to eat. And too many to put into pies. And nobody wants your apples, or you apple pie, because they have their own apples and apple pie.

It's fun as an outing, unless of course you go on Yom Kippur, which is what we did. Thus we could not even eat the apples, or more importantly, the cider donuts they sell at the orchard. This is a mistake I will not make again. That is, assuming by this time next year I forget what a rip off it is, and go back...which is usually the case.

First Day of 1st and 3rd Grades

Sweet Pea let me take her picture:



JJ was not as obliging:



But then gave in to the guilt:




He woke up very early this morning, very excited about the first day. (Though he had to fall asleep in my bed last night because his stomach hurt so much. A case of the hebegebe's is my guess.) He hopped on top of the bed and said:

"I love you like a piece of pie."

"A piece of pie, or a pizza pie?" I asked

"A piece of pie."

"But you don't like pie." I pointed out.

A pause.

"A pizza pie!"

Can't beat a pizza pie.

Top ten nine things about a rainy vacation...

1) Little to no laundry to do.
2) No sunscreen application and no risk of sunburn.
3) No real reason to shower.
4) No pressure to get out to the house by 10 AM for fear the beach parking lot will fill up.
5) Lots and lots and lots and lots of time to read.
6) No sand in the house or car.
7) No traffic.
8) Lots and lots and lots of trip to the candy store. (But note: cut kids off before 8:30 PM or else all hell will break loose at bed time.)
9) No worries about not fitting into your swim suit because of how much you are eating.
10) ........

That's the best I can do. Nine. Can't come up with another thing. We are on day 3 of a week long "beach" vacation and have had little to no glimps of the sun. No even just no sun - a summer nor'easter really. Worst still, the kids have chosen this as the time to decide they do not want to watch, or like, tv. Really? Could the timing be worse?

Here is a picture of the tide during the storm. The picture does not do it justice. Think "perfect storm."



Here is a picture of the other kind of perfect storm - kids stuck in the house for days.



And this.....we packed all this before we saw the weather forecast. Thank the lord. It may be the only thing that gets us through.



Don't worry. It's not just Jonathan and I here. No, we could never drink all that ourselves. My parents are here too. That should be enough for four people - don't ya think?

Wish us luck.

Operation Garage Organization

For the past 6 months we have talked and talked and talked about getting a garage organization system. In fact it was one of those slightly annoying things Jonathan started planning in his head when we first looked at the house. Along of course, with the surround sound stereo system which is still a work in progress. Because, you know, it was way more important than the heating system or the electrically work.

So we looked on-line. We looked through many a catalog coveting the way they made it all look so simple to be organized. We went to The Container Store and after about 10 minutes we were so overwhelmed with both the design process and cost, we left.

But there are some things that can motivate you to take action, fast. That, here in Massachusetts, is Tax Free Weekend. That's right - no tax on most anything up to $25oo. And I can tell you, we had no plans to spend that much on a garage system.

So after failing to motivate on Saturday, on Sunday we moved full speed ahead. After a very satisfying brunch with friends where we totally overloaded on carbs (bagels, coffee cake, french toast, monkey bread......seriously it was a carb-nival. Yes, I totally just made that word up! ) we were off to Home Depot. I think the carbs by the way may have been the secret to our success. Because I am pretty sure I could not have put up with the unruly behavior of my children had it not been for the carbs in my system. They were, the children that is, a NIGHTMARE. Literally, wrestling in the isles. It was horrifying. One the sales people who came to help us said he would have come over sooner but was mesmerized by the wrestling match taking place right before his eyes. It was one of those moments when you want to grab you kid and shake some sense into them. But since that would be child abuse, I went with the eyes. You know that look....when you look them straight in the eyes with a bit of a squint and say, without speaking, "If you do not stop that right now, I am going to make your life a living hell!" And they look back at you in horror and proceed to behave, for about 2, maybe 3 seconds.

Anyways, asking some questions about different options, we went with the Rubber Maid system. It is much more affordable then the Container Store option but just as functional and expandable.

Below are the fruits of our labor. (Well, Jonathan's labor really.) By the end of the night we were fully organized! I post these not because you care about our garage but because I want to remember how it looked that first day...as I know it will not last.

Love (NOT!) Letters

Dear Costco,

Please do not fill your store with candy, toys and flannel sheets, when it is mid-August. Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, and winter, are months away. To put these things in your store now only makes us feel bitter. Can you not just let us enjoy with is left of summer? Do we really need to be reminded of the dismal winter ahead and of all the things we have to do come September. Really?

I promise, we will come when the time is right. But that time is not now and you would be much better served by showcasing the margarita mix and tanning lotion. I would buy it just to keep the hope alive that summer lives on.

Sincerely,
Pissed off Customer

***********
Dear Guy at Costco who I know was only trying to help,

Please do not help me again. Yes, I appreciate your efforts to help me lift that heavy carton filled with diet coke. But when you dropped it HARD, in my cart, one of the cans popped open. When I got to the car, the carton was flooded with diet coke and leaked all over the place. I had to go back into the store and return it for another one. So next time you try to help, please do not.

Sincerely,
Not so grateful woman, who by the way is a lot stronger than I look.

**********
Dear Gisele,
I really meant to write this sooner - sorry for the delay.

Yes, you are pretty. Yes, you are rich. Yes, your husband is HOT. But no, that does not mean you can impose your opinions about motherhood on the rest of the world. You have been a mother all of.....a few months. Right?

I am so glad that breast feeding went well for you. But surely you can understand how it may not for some mothers and that it should clearly be a CHOICE that every woman has. You get that, right? Because it would be a shame to think someone so pretty, and rich, and talented, is really not so smart.

Sincerely,
Just another mom who tried to breast feed and got mastitis twice before giving up AND still tried to breast feed the second time around.

********
Dear Self,

Please stop telling yourself you want a job that you don't really want. It just makes the whole thing that much more frustrating when you don't get the job.

Now go, find something you love do and find a way to make money doing it. Go...go now....and stop telling yourself its never going to happen!

Sincerely,
Self

WooHOO - I feel so much better now!

This is why this kid gets away with murder:

ME: JJ, What am I going to do with you?

JJ: Dump me in a bowl of chocolate so I can lick myself.

Some addictions are definately worse than others

I am addicted to looking for jobs. I may even enjoy this more than I would actually working in any of these jobs. It's like the ultimate challenge - to find the perfect fit. Not just for me, but for anyone I know looking for a job.

My favorite place to look? Craigslist. There are some very decent postings there and I don't think it gets as wide of an audience as some other more advertised sites. I am, however, a little frustrated that some people who post there think they can get away with paying a lower rate then if they advertised elsewhere. Just this morning I saw a part-time attorney position. The rate? $15-$17, depending on experience. My first reaction was: Are you kidding me? I could baby sit and make more money than that. In fact that is what I pay my baby sitter! My second reaction: What experience warrants getting $17 over $15? I mean really....

If I could just figure out how to make a career out of job searching, I'd be on to something. Some may call that "Recruiting" but I don't want to work for the companies. I'd much rather find people jobs. And you can't really ask people who are unemployed to PAY YOU to find them a job. Right?

Today, you can call me Goldilocks

I am having one of those days, when nothings seems not quite right and I am easily annoyed by pretty much.....everything. For example:

• Starbucks. How do they get away with charging so freaking much for their beverages? I ordered a medium iced mocha (decaf) with skim milk. It cost $4 something. FOUR DOLLARS for a medium drink. Half of which is ice. And it tasted like chocolate milk. Not sure there was even any coffee in there. I am so done with them.
  
• I didn't get a job that I had pretty much forgotten I applied for, that I didn't want anyways and would have turned down if offered to me. But still.........
• There is a fuse in our house that keeps blowing, even when nothing is on. Not sure what to do with that one. Call an electrician I guess.
  
• Cannot think of what to make for dinner that does not require much cooking, that everyone will eat, and will be satisfying enough so as not to want to eat a sleeve of Oreo's for dessert. I think they call it "take out."
• Cannot sit outside - too hot. Go inside - too cold.

Yup. Goldilocks.

A lost opportunity

I don't know how my kids can pass up a freshly toasted and buttered bagel. It is so delectable! I made one for Sweet Pea, after the first two attempts at her breakfast failed, and she refused to eat it. Now I realize she might be not have been all that hungry and clearly had some generalized anxiety going on - her mood was unpleasant, to say the least. but do you really have to be HUNGRY to eat a buttered bagel? I think not.

I had to rush the kids off to camp but on my way home, I'm thinking: It would really be a shame for the bagel still sitting on the counter to go to waste. I'll just eat it for breakfast when I get home and have little salad for lunch.

Well, I guess Lucy had the same thought because the freaking dog ate my bagel! I wonder how she'll like her little salad for lunch.

Why oh why

Do my children leave dirty socks all over the house, as if the place is one big hamper? I have found them on the floor in pretty much every room. Even on the kitchen counter - Gross!

Do you know there is a place in Hickory Hills, Illinois called The Dirty Sock Bar and Grill? I am not sure I'd want eat there, though I supposed it's really no different then my own home...

The Danger in House Work after 5 PM

Why is it, when you have two kids, a husband, a dog, a job (albeit part-time), and a house to take care of, does it still not feel acceptable to sit down when you have the chance and just RELAX. Why do you (or should I say, I) feel like I always have to be doing something. Even when I do sit on my butt, I feel guilty. I should be doing SOMETHING.

So yesterday, although I had a horrible headache and was so tired...the kind of tired you are when every step feels like an effort, I decided I really should be productive. There were dishes and laundry and endless other little tasks to be done.

I did the dishes first; loaded and unloaded the dishwasher, and then headed upstairs to put the laundry in. We had just gotten a new laundry detergent...one of those high efficiency formulas that apparently you must use when you have a high efficiency machine. I personally feel like this must be crap and a marketing ploy to make people spend more money, but the sales person who sold us the machine did his due diligence and sufficiently scared me enough to believe I would ruin my new machine if I did not use the specified detergent. Anyways, as this was a new kind of the detergent, I was not sure how much to use. Jonathan hand placed the new detergent (which is in a large BJ's style container) on the shelf about the washer and dryer. I filled the cup part way with detergent and as I was trying to turn the container around, to see how much more to add, the container came flying off the shelf, and dumped what was already in the cup and then some, over my head. I was covered in laundry detergent. It looked as if I had been slimmed with laundry detergent.

I wish I had thought to take a picture but really who needs evidence of such a mishap.

There was nothing I could do except head straight for the shower where I proceeded to rise off all the detergent. I have no idea what this stuff could do to you skin and hair - I mean it is high efficiency shit.

After getting dressed, I went back to wipe up the walls and floor in the laundry room which were doused in detergent. And then did what I should have done in the first place. I poured myself a glass of wine and read a magazine on the deck.

I used to be so good and doing nothing - before I had kids. I hope when my kids are grown that comes back to me. It's a skill I never fully appreciated.

Conversation while on vacation...

JJ: Daddy, can you buy me one of those stupid useless toys that I will play with for two seconds and then loose? (Okay that was not exactly what he said, but you get the point.)

Jonathan: Sorry buddy, I'm totally broke.

Moment of silence.

JJ: Daddy, how did you break?

Rules for Parents at School Functions

Over the past couple weeks there have been many, MANY end of the year school functions. Sweet Pea has provided me a set of rules I am to follow when attending such functions with her:

1) No hugs or kisses. Obviously.
2) No whispering to her.
3) No singing - even if everyone else is singing.
4) No talking about boys.
5) Do not be embarrassing in any way.

I am troubled she felt she had to set these "rules" for me, though the only I really struggled with was number 3 - no singing. When there was a group song at her class picnic and I started to sing she gave me a look of death. Guess I won't be doing that again.

So far the only one JJ seems to be in agreement with is number (1) - which has been very clear to me all year. When the bus arrives to pick him for school I have to suffer with simply a wave....

It's not easy being a parent.

Everybody needs somebody to lean on....

In this case, it happens to be a dog.

Here is a great article on work-life balance for moms. It does not contain any secrets to finding the perfect solution. In fact its more of a sobering reality - but still nice to know you're not the only one trying to scream at your kids in silence when on a "work" call!

This is my kids in the morning (on the weekend)...

Do you think we're doing something wrong? (Don't answer that.)

Random thoughts...

Why when you are driving a specific route to see which way is faster to go, do you inevitably get stuck behind some slow poke screwing up your whole test?

Why can you never read those scramble codes that you are supposed to decipher in order to access some secured site?

Our plan to have a basement where the kids can play and watch TV has slightly backfired. Now, Sweat Pea thinks it is her OWN private place to "be alone." A little suspect don't ya think? Not to mention still leaves me upstairs with a 5 year old and Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Why is my idea of a nice Friday afternoon sitting on the patio with a book, not the same as JJ's, whose idea of a nice Friday afternoon is playing tag with me? Does he not know how tired I am???

Hump.

Back to work

I've been back to work with no time to write. There have been a few things over the past several weeks that I thought to myself, "I have to remember to write that down." And then when I went to post it, nothing. No recollection of what I wanted to say.

What I can say, is that I am still loving the bread. Except being back to work, its not as easy for me to make. Take last week for example. Made the bread. Left it out to proof. But instead of putting in the fridge after an hour I left it out for, oh, I don't know.....maybe 14 hours. So long that it proofed so much, the lid popped off. Still I didn't notice (or remember) until Jonathan said, "Is the bread supposed to do that?"

No, no it's not.

Ahhhhh....the joys of going back to work and feeling like a totally competent idiot.

I have one word for you.....

BREAD!

I have found (actually not true....my uncle discovered this bread and for that I will always be grateful to him) the best bread EVER and I must share it with the world. Seriously, I have no reason to ever buy bread again. This bread is as good as any bread you could buy in a bakery and certainly better than any you would buy at the grocery store.

It's dense, yet moist; soft on the inside, yet a crunchy crust on the outside. Perfect on its own, along side a bowl of soup, or for a tasty sandwich. I am telling you - perfection!

And it gets better....it is SO easy. I am not exaggerating. You will spend 3 minutes on this bread and have warm hot bread waiting. It is mixed and baked all in one pot. Hence no clean up! The one disadvantage is that it does need to "proof" overnight. I know....those of us who seek instant gratification struggle with this step but if you plan according, and bake the bread while you still have some left, its not a big deal.

Here is the even better news. The original recipe (which is a Jacques Pepin's one pot bread recipe) was made with all white flour. I, however, having loved this bread SO much and needing to eat it every day, decided I needed add at least a couple redeeming ingredients. So I substituted 1/4 of the white flour with whole wheat flour and added about 1-2 tablespoons of flax seed. It was AWESOME!

See for yourself....





Here is the recipe - (And just so I don't get sued....I feel the need to reiterate credit for the original recipe* and the method of baking, all goes to Jacques Pepin. Love ya Jacques!)

In a 3 quart non-stick sauce pot, mix 2 1/4 cups lukewarm water, with 1 tsp active dry yeast and 1 tablespoon salt. Add 3 cups white flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 to 2 tablespoons flax seed. (I was not precise about how much I added.) Mix until well combined. Let sit covered for 1 hour. Scrape the sides a bit and push down gentle on the mix to deflate it a bit. (To be honest, this step is called for in Jacques version but I forgot to do it with my version and it did not seem to have mattered.) Refrigerate 12-14 hours. Bake uncovered at 425 for 1 hour. (Cover it after 45 minutes if getting to brown.) Let cool 5 minutes. Take it out of the pot and let cool.

*The original recipe was all white flour and contained no flax seed.

Enjoy! And to all you no-carb, low carb people......moderation is the key.....do NOT deprive yourself of this bread.

A terrible horrible no good very bad day

Yesterday, I took my car to be inspected. The guy came out and said, "I have some good news and some bad news. I'll start with the bad news. You need 3 new tires - well, really 4."

I was so annoyed. Actually annoyed does not really described it. When you are trying to live with some fiscal responsibility, the cost for 4 new tires, was not in the cards. I realize fiscally responsible people would have saved for an event like this but well, clearly, "trying" is the operative word in that sentence.

He gave me a quote but I decided to make a few phone calls before giving him the green light. First call was to Jonathan because I hate to feel alone in all this bad news. I really wanted him to feel the pain with me. And while I do think he felt the pain, he also said, "Yeah, I kind of knew we needed new tires." Really. Nice to have clued me in. Here I am, driving around all over creation with your off spring on a daily basis, in snow, sleet and rain no less. You might have mentioned it. I didn't say all that but my silence speaks volumes.

Next call was to NTB. I asked for a quote and then waited and waited and waited. While waiting, it occurred to me, I had yet to find out what the good news was. So I asked the guy. "Oh, there wasn't any, really..." But I respect his attempt to make this all better. He was feeling my pain and a little sympathy goes a long way.

Turns out the cost at NTB was the same as this local place around the corner so I gave them the green light - and made sure they take American Express because do you how expensive tires are????

Later.......In the midths of some ridiculous weather, our power went out. It went out right as we put the kids to bed and sat down with our Oreo's and beer. (The Oreo's were mine, the beer was Jonathan's.) Of course the kids were all freaked out so we had to go upstairs and basically go to sleep with them. I'm not generally opposed to going to bed at 8 o'clock, but I generally like to indulge in a bit of dessert before heading up. The thought of dessert is often what gets me through the day. Sad, but true. So shoved a couple Oreo's in my mouth and headed up.

The good news is the lights came on about 2 hours later. The bad news (more bad news) is that we discovered our back basement room is still getting some water. It was the perfect ending to a bad day.

Where do these people come from

Sweet Pea: I don't think I am comfortable with you reading my e-mailings.

Me: Well then I guess you don't gave to have e-mail, given you are 8 and all.

Sweet Pea: There are just some things I don't want you to read.

Me: Exactly. You do know you are only 8, right?

Sweet Pea: Big eye roll

********************************************************
Me: JJ! Those are the same pants and socks you had on yesterday.

JJ: I know. I wanted to wear them again.

Me: You can't. They're dirty. That's gross.

JJ: Well then you should have washed them during the night.

Right because its not enough I am a slave to you during the day. I should have to work through the night too.

JJ: These pants make make me cool and I am going to wear them.

This was a battle I chose not to fight.

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Turns out when you go the ER and have an x-ray, and they tell you your daughter's thumb is not broken, they have no idea what they are talking about.

This was taken three days later.....



I am not sure I can live with the hot pink for three weeks. I pushed really hard for purple to no avail, obviously.

You can see in the picture how happy she was. She was THRILLED to get the cast. Until we were in the car and she had a itch. It could be a long three weeks of, "Can you helllllllllp me? I have a cast.....whahwhawhah......." And we'll have to be appropriately sympathetic because we treated her all week like she had a bruised thumb and basically told her to suck it up. (In our defense that is what they told us.) Regardless, no doubt she will make us pay.

Let me start this of by saying we are as guilty as anyone for letting our kids pass the time at a restaurant playing with their DS's and our iphones, at least until the food comes. But there are limits....at least WE have limits.

Last night, I took the kids out to dinner. As we were sitting at our table, I glanced over and saw a family of four sitting a few tables away. A mom, dad, and two young kids. Right between the two young kids was a portable DVD player. The kids were watching Dora The Explorer, RIGHT there in the restaurant. I tried VERY hard not to judge. We all like and need a night out, and with kids that often means taking them with you. We also ALL know, how hard it can be for young kids to sit still and if you're going to pay to go out for dinner, well you want to enjoy the benefits of all that going out has to offer, i.e. not screaming, whining children who are ruining what is suppose to be a relaxing and pleasant experience. But really, a DVD player right there in the restaurant?

I am pretty lax about these things. My kids often eat with the TV on, mostly because during the week we are not all eating together and I am doing other things while they are eating. (Feel free to just chalk this us to another bad parenting decision.) But for me, part of what I love about going to a restaurant is that we can just sit and chat together. There is nothing else to do - no other interruptions around. It almost forces the family dinner, and even better, when your kids refuse to eat it, at least you didn't waste the time cooking it.

If your kids cannot sit at a restaurant without TV, my first thought is you should not be taking your kids to a restaurant. My second thought is, if your kids cannot sit at a table without a TV, it may very well be because you sit your kids at a table at a restaurant with TV. Crazy insight I know.

In my effort not to judge (I think I am failing at this) I suppose it is possible some kids have "issues" that cannot be managed like most other kids and perhaps these parents were at their wits ends and just HAD to get out and did what they had to do to have a much needed break. I am choosing to believe this may have been the case, because otherwise....get the freaking TV off the table and talk to you kids, or at least scream at them to sit down and behave like the rest of us!

Skating in our back yard.....

Well, it's not exactly OUR yard, but it is behind our house.

This was right before we discovered Jason had a 102 fever - thus explaining why he was shaking like a leaf while on the ice. It's not easy to skate when your whole body is convulsing.

My daughter is obsessed with technology - primarily the computer, and e-mail in particular. She wants to check her e-mail ALL the time. Not only that, she is constantly organizing her e-mail. She has files for every person she corresponds with. They are color coordinated! I am telling you, she could teach classes to people about the ins and outs of managing your gmail account. Have I mentioned she is 8?

I know I am partiality to blame. We constantly have the computer out and we too are often checking our e-mail or on the Internet. The fact is, its our source of information - ALL information. We read the paper on-line so we are constantly staring at the computer. I know this does not set a good example, but I found myself having a hard timing setting time perimeters for her, and myself for that matter.

We recently banned her from the computer in the morning. And then I decided a 1/2 hour a night was sufficient. But I am finding it a little hard to stick to. The fact is she so enjoys writing and this is an outlet for her - maybe even a bit therapeutic. Especially since we moved, there are lots of people she genuinely wants to keep in touch with. She e-mails her old teacher, her teacher's aid, her friends. Even a few boys who she would never have admitted to being friends with at school. Their conversations are so cute. (We can read all her e-mail so its not like I am worried she is doing anything wrong. Sweet Pea may be many things but she is, at least for the moment very much a rule follower. Lord help us if, dare I say WHEN, that changes.)

I think I may have to approach this like a diet - moderation.

Coincidentally, I just stumbled upon this article. Good to know there are at least some redeeming values to all this screen time.

In my next life

I think I want to be Kelly Ripa. I've decided she has the perfect life. A job that pays her lots of $$. Where she just has to primarily chit chat for an hour with various celebrities as just "part of the job." Where someone does her hair and makeup and dresses her, EVERYDAY. Where she can bring her kids to work with her if she so chooses. Where she can still be available to pick her kids up from school and take them to their various activities. She probably doesn't even have to pay for the trainer she uses to keep in such great shape because its probably part of her contract with the networks.

I'm sure there are "downsides" though I can't seem to come up with any. And I am sure the grass is always greener on the other side, but I'd switch sides with her any time!

Hello....anyone there....

After a long break, but very short time frame within which to move, we have moved and set up shop not far from our digs. The kids are transitioning to a new school, which so far, seems to be going well. I am starting to kick up the job search. Though it would help if I knew what I wanted to do. I keep thinking one day someone will knock on the door and hand me this opportunity that I've been waiting for my whole life. You never know....could happen. I just hope that someone knows I moved!