You Know You're A Mom When (No. 2)

Every product you ever purchased for the purpose of pampering yourself
sits unused and expired in your bathroom...

and pampering yourself has been redefined as finding a few minutes once a month to use:

usually with a small audience asking "what are you doing?"  and "can I do it, too?"

And his DIY pedicure looks better than yours...

...because there was no chance of sitting still with your feet up afterward!

You Know You're A Mom When (No.1)

Your grandmother's antique setee...

...serves as a parking garage.

Christmas Lights at the End of the Tunnel

The week started out with:

1. Eye infection.

2. Increasing job dissatisfaction (for both of us).

3. Long, tiring days and urgent business in the evenings preventing enjoying spending time on fun holiday crafts.


But has developed into:

1. Picking up some needed winter clothes for Turtle at 60% off suggested retail price.

2. Long, long lunch alone with a a great friend.

3. Potential job opportunities on the horizon (for both of us).

4. Huge potty successes. Considering toddler underwear as stocking stuffer.

5. Neighbor built real snowman in front yard.

6. About to have two weeks off.  

7.  Eye has cleared up.  


And, to top it all off, I actually managed to put stamps on Christmas cards before mailing them this year.

Last year, in a major idiot move, I mailed the whole lot with no stamps. I started this blog writing about that experience. It’s been fun to have this outlet and I wish I kept up with it more. It’s kind of sad to see my last post was election night. I have not felt very creative or social much in the latter part of the fall. Just busy, distracted, and a bit withdrawn. Mostly a lot of work taking up my time and then ruminating on my job situation in the free time. Hoping to do something about that soon.

Meanwhile, can’t wait to be “off the clock” for two weeks and just enjoy family and the holiday spirit!

Happy Holidays to you all!!

On This Election Night, I'm Sure Glad My Son is Not 18!

ME: So remember I told you tonight we are picking a leader?

TURTLE: Yeah.

Everyone gets to pick which is the leader they want and write it on a paper and give it to someone and then tomorrow we find out which leader we're going to have. I get to pick my favorite and Daddy gets to pick his favorite.

Do I?

Yes, sure. Which one do you pick?

You tell me their names again.

John and Barack.

John and Barack. That's difficult for me to say.

No it itsn't, you just said it.

It's difficult.

To say barack?

Yeah

But you just said it, so you did a good job. Which one do you pick? Do you want John or do you want Barack?

I want John.

Really?

Yeah

Why?

Because he's my best.

He's your favorite?

Yeah

Why?

Because he lives next door.

Oh, you like john that lives in our neighborhood. But this is a different john.

Brian's dad?

No, that's another John we know. This is a different John that you've never met and I've never met and Daddy's never met.

Mommy and Daddy pick Barack. He's our favorite.

I pick John.

Why?

I like him?

But why do you like him?

I love him.

Are you telling me you are Republican?

Yeah

Are you serious?

Yes

Hamburgers Our Country Needs

Sunday night we were walking through the neighborhood to a friend's house, singing silly songs about the hamburgers we were about to have for dinner. Turtle shouted "Look, Mommy!  That sign says hamburgers!" as he spotted an Obama-Biden campaign sign in someone's front yard.  "Yes, it does!", I heartily replied.  He became excitedly surprised to realize that as we walked there were several more hamburger signs all leading the way toward our dinner.  "Look, another hamburger sign!  And another one! Mommy, those signs tell us which way to go!"  

Yes, they do.