It's hard to find good help

So after the last childcare disaster, we decided to have a younger family member fill our once-a-week childcare position.  Basically, it's just a few hours one morning a week for me to take care of all the errands and house "stuff." 

Well, today was her first day on the job - start time 9:30.  It's not 10:15 and she is at least 30 minutes away! WTH? I started calling her phone when she was 15 minutes late, thinking... Ok she's just running behind, maybe I can get an ETA and reschedule my morning.  But NO! Her phone is off.  So the eternal mother that I am, I'm starting to freak out about all the things that may have happened to her - car wreck, extreme traffic, alien abduction - and I can't find anyone who has seen her all morning.  Crap! She's 30 minutes late - something has definitely happened.  I call the brother-in-law (whose house she was staying at) and wake him up (cop, weird hours, NEVER wake him up unless it's an emergency) and he informs me that she is still asleep on the couch! WTH?????

I tell her that she was supposed to be here half an hour ago - "Oh man..."  

Hells yes, it's "oh man!" You have just given me a heart attack because I thought something had happened to you and really you just can't get your lazy ass out of bed?!?! You went to sleep at 10:00 last night!  Wake up, and smell the coffee, sweetheart!  No adults get to sleep for 12 hours - don't care how tired you might be - but especially not when you get 10 hours of sleep on a regular basis! 

Needless to say, moral to today's story, it's hard to find good help.  Maybe it's a good thing that we got into preschool for the fall!  We'll leave it to the professionals! 

Pre-School Registration

Today DH and I took the girls to check out our church's preschool.  We were looking for a social and physical outlet for them, not so much a traditional "school".  (We will probably home school later down the road, but that's another post for another day.)  Basically I can teach them what they need to know, but I can't be their friends.  They need to get used to dealing with all kinds of different people - so preschool for a few years! 

So here's the story - last week it snowed in NC.  Fantastic, Open House at preschool was supposed to be that day, but everything was closed.  So they rescheduled for today.  

9:30am - We are there, right on time.  We walk into a room with about 6-8 other families sitting at tables.  Now I'm thinking that we should be in line somewhere to register - returning students and families get to register first for classes of about 15, so I knew that there couldn't have been much space available.  I was hoping to at least get my oldest a decent space on the waitlist.  

So the director starts chatting - giving us all detailed information.  We're going to register, then take a tour, would anyone like a snack, etc... 

We were sitting at the back of the room and I could not figure out how in the world they were going to work the registration process.  

Well, the director started asking for 1yr olds for the Mommy's Morning Out class - no takers. 

Then Two's - myself and one other lady raise our hands.  Other lady wants to tour and discuss with her husband first.  Falls to me.  (We had decided that we would put all our eggs in the church preschool basket and if it didn't work out, then I would just keep lining up playdates like I do now - so I knew I wanted to register BOTH of my kids.) 

I go up to talk to the secretary while the director continues to talk to the other parents.  

I hand over my completed paperwork and answer the secretary's questions - then I hear, "Ok, does anyone have threes?"  Everyone else's hands shoot up.  Director keeps talking...

Me to secretary - I have a two and a three.  

Secretary - OH. Um... Oh... Well, hang on a second, I need to talk to her about that! 

Now, as you can imagine, all kinds of horrible situations are running through my mind here - what?  did I do something wrong?  Can you only send ONE child to preschool?  I don't want to send the baby and leave the oldest at home.  Oh my goodness, what if there is some rule that I didn't read?  I'm about to be embarrassed in front of all these people.  

By this time the secretary has gotten the director's attention and she has stopped talking.  

Secretary - She has a two and a three.  

Director - Oh, well then, she gets priority.  Sorry folks, there are no longer an spaces left in the THREES class! 

I'm pretty sure that my mouth fell open at this point.  I quickly got out my purse and paid the registration fee.  Go sit down next to DH, who looks over at me and says, "AWKWARD!" 

Apparently while I was registering the first child, the director had been explaining to everyone that there was one space left in the threes class that would be filled by lottery and that your spot on the waitlist would also be determined by lottery.  So here everyone was thinking that they had a fighting chance to get into this preschool and I totally swiped it! 

I mean, it was all "fair" according to their rules, but I still felt bad.  To make matters worse, none of the other parents would even look at me or DH the whole time we were touring the facility.  

Such an awkward experience! I couldn't feel excited for us because I was so sad for the other families.  So, yeah, strange morning! 

Time for a positive!

Bad news about no raise for DH, but he still has a job and that's much better than a lot of people right now! So onto happier subjects - 

We're having a Pixie Hollow party for our oldest daughter's birthday.  I've come across a few good ideas and thought of some of my own, but I would love any more suggestions!  

So far... 

All the little kids get to dress as their favorite talent.  (According to oldest daughter, youngest daughter is a mess-talent!) I'm going to make the table into a map of Pixie Hollow and place corresponding food in each section.  Then I was trying to think of some way to put water, flowers, and grass all over the place... you know, make it as authentic as possible?  I really want it to feel like they are 5" tall.  

Hopefully, it won't break the bank!

Recession has become REAL

 in our house anyway!  

DH's company announced a salary freeze yesterday.  This after we've been waiting about 8 months for a promised promotion.  

Good news:  They are still getting annual bonuses.  

Bad news:  No new house for us! 

BOO!!!  I can't even express how disappointed I was, not in DH, but in his bosses for letting his promotion be a low priority long enough to let this happen.  Of course, I'm also disappointed about no house... it's getting WAY too cramped in our apartment and I'm not sure how much longer I can handle it.  

Hearts in my eyes...

...for lingerie!  I think I would be comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt for the rest of my life provided I had matching undergarments!  I'm not talking about wearing a teddy everyday, but there's definitely something to be said for that smirk you hide in the back of your head that says, "oh yes - underneath all this MOMMY, I'm still a very sexy woman!" VS carries an italian line of lingerie called Intimissimi.  Recently it's been my favorite.  

Heart my Husband!

We laugh.  A lot.  Together.  He's funny.  He's caring.  He's a fantastic father.  What's not to love?  

A Friend of ours is dating a widow who is in her early 30's.  (He's in his late 20's, never married, always dated the STUPID, not dumb, blonde-type.)  It was kind of weird to hear about.  Someone leans over to whisper to you that this woman at the table is his new chick.  (Duh, like I hadn't figured that out!) Then the very next thing you hear is, "She's a widow."  

My response:  Oh.  

What the heck else was I supposed to say?  I'm not really sure what the implications of this label are... or for that matter, why it's even relevant to the situation at hand.  Well, no, I do realize that as friends we're all wanting to make sure other Friend is happy, so the concern was the "is she ready to date" issue.  Which in reality is not for us to judge anyway.  

So that whole interchange got me thinking... if anything ever happened to DH could I date again?  Could I remarry?  My first inclination is to Scarlet O'Hara the whole thought - "I'll just think about that tomorrow."  (Or never, God willing!) But it kept nagging at me.  

Short answer - No.  

Long Answer - What I have with my husband is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of relationship.  Nothing could ever compare.  Oddly, not even my children.  Do not get me wrong, I would walk through fire for my daughters, but I also realize that in 15 years they will move out of my house at which point it's just going to be my husband and me.  They will go on to get married and have families of their own.  Husbands I pray they are crazy about.  Also, my spouse has been my only CHOICE for love.  You know, that old adage that you can't pick your family?  Well, it's mostly right.  You're stuck with your parents from birth (sometimes you might even like them! ;-) ), you can try to shape and guide your children, but my spouse is the only love in my life that I'm not tied to by blood.  I'm related by choice.  The enormity of that decision has never been wasted on me.  I realize that everyday I am making a conscious choice to love and live with this wonderful man who routinely cracks me up.  And after all, what's life without laughter?  

We have a great time together.  Two sides of the same coin, etc, etc.  

Yeah, I heart my hubby! 

Why so rude?

At times I cannot wrap my head around the audacity of some people.  

So I've been seriously troubled by friend's recent comments (that after venting online I think I am finally calm enough to address her directly about them) and then this happens.  

On FB, flipping through some wedding pictures a high school buddy posted and noticed that she was wearing the same dress I wore in a wedding.  

My comment on the photo:  Wow, small world... I wore that same dress in a wedding last January! 

Her friend's comment:  Don't worry, I'm sure you looked much better in it! 

Why??? o why??? was that even necessary?  How is it that you can leave high school, graduate college, get married and have two children but you're never rid of the bitchy-ness?  Was this chick trying to be hurtful to me or pump up her friend's ego?  

Of course she looked better in the dress than I did! I had a one year old and a 5 month old at home and felt like a cow.  I just don't get it... what could she have possibly hoped to accomplish by that?  

Grumpy preggers

I have a friend who has more of a control issue than I do.  Seriously, she's pretty manipulative to others she considers "weak minded."  

Now she's pregnant with her second baby.  

Recently my husband and I have considered putting our kids into 2/3 mornings a week preschool.  Good for them and good for me.  (Plus we all know what happens when Mama ain't happy...)  So the other day prego had the nerve to tell me that she knew my husband and I were going to put our kids in preschool even before we knew it.  HUH?  Then she goes on to tell me her plan for finding another friend for her daughter to play with 'on a regular basis' since my kids would be institutionalized.  

Back off, lady! I have to right to do what I want for my kids.  Yes, I have entertained the idea of homeschooling both my kids, but just because I get a few hours a week to myself after 3 years of staying at home 24/7 with my almost-twins does not mean that I won't homeschool the kids later.  It just means that I won't be available a few mornings a week.  

I really want to take this as a grumpy pregnant lady comment, but even so there are some things you can't presume to understand from a third person perspective.  

Also, why make it a point to detail your master plan to find another friend who is more "like-minded" than myself WHEN I'M STANDING RIGHT THERE?!?! 

Honestly!  Who looks at a friend of two years and says, "Now that you're putting your kids in preschool, I'm going to have to find a better friend." 

I do believe there needs to be a CTJC-moment with this chick.  Preggers or not! 

January Blues

Holidays are over.  Everyone I know is darn near broke (not to mention much fatter after all the holiday indulgence).  Yep, January can make you quite blue!  

I hate "New Year's Resolutions."  I have life goals, but nothing about January 1st makes me inclined to bust-butt more than normal.  I want to lose 10+ pounds.  I've heard of this crazy new diet called the "put down the potato chips and get off the couch, fatass" system.  Sounds pretty revolutionary.  Maybe I'll give that a try.  

Sarcasm aside, I do like to utilize the cold weather to do some planning.  (Yes, I may be a 25-yr-old version of Martha Stewart!) It makes me feel good and in control to plan things out.  

I love to garden.  I have an entire greenhouse on the balcony of our apartment.  I think today instead of lamenting the frigid weather coming up this week, I'll do some garden planning.  Nothing perks up the day quite like the thought of fresh herbs and flowers coming as early as spring! 

... should never be at the mercy of those which matter the least

I still carry the worn post-it on which one of my favorite quotes was first presented to me.  Chemistry teacher in high school passed it on after he noticed I was having another tough day. (And really, what day isn't tough for an overachieving 9th grader with glasses, braces and scoliosis?) He had been carrying it around in his wallet for years.  Now I'm 25 and I still have it.  

I love the sense of order that the few words can bring to my daily worrying.  

If you've never taken the time to prioritize your life, please do.  Decide who or what is important and stick to your "mosts."