Category: Life in general

Kindergarten sob

Well, it’s here. The first day of Kindergarten. We’ve talked about it and planned for it and had play dates with kids in her class. We lovingly chose her uniform and put everything she needed on the shelf in her room. We picked out special foods, and placed them in the shiny new lunch box. Last night we practiced getting them out, and talked about eating the treat last.

But this morning, she didn’t want to brush her hair. Or her teeth. She didn’t want to get dressed, or take a first-day photo. She didn’t want to carry her brand-new Hello Kitty bag. She wanted to stay home with me, and play with Blythe.

I promised her a Popsicle when she got home, and that produced a smile.

Bribery – it works every time, I tell ya.

Her dad and I took her to school, and helped her put her lunch box and bag in the spot marked, “Alison”. We reminded her of her friends, the playground, the crayons, the strawberries she’d get to eat at lunch.

Look at that nice Kindergarten class room. Doesn’t it look warm and inviting? Not to Alison. To her, it looks like a torture den. A place where her heartless mom is willingly handing her over to strangers.

And here, people – here is where I had to peel my child off of me as she cried, and push her into the classroom. Parents aren’t allowed past the door, see. And then I had to turn and walk quickly away, lest she see the tears streaming down my face.

Life in general

Embarrassing Moments

I need some laughter to get me through this whole my-first-child-is-about-to-start-kindergarten anxiety that is living in my chest and wreaking havoc on my digestive system.

So. I want to hear about your Most Embarrassing Moments. If you’re like me and have too many to call a “MOST” just tell me one – any one.

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I don’t know about everybody else, but I have three panty drawers, filled according to style. On the day in question, I chose black bikini briefs over thong, because I didn’t want the seam of my gray wool pants falling into my butt crack all day.

On my way to the car, I realized it was way too hot for wool pants, and ran back into the house to change. I chose the only skirt in my closet that I knew looked good with the shirt I already had on, and hurried to work, trying not to be late.

I went about my day – running all over the office, showing clients where to go, socializing. You know, things people do at work, especially when they love their job and their co-workers. At lunch, I was in the restroom washing my hands when I happened to glance at my reflection in the full length mirror to my left.

At that moment I was faced with a decision: continue to wear my black, full-butt panties under my light cream skirt, or take them off and have everyone in the office know I wasn’t wearing panties the whole rest of the day.

Because there is no way that even one person in that office hadn’t seen me showing off my panties. I couldn’t handle the idea of any of the older men I worked with knowing I was sans skivvies under my skirt, so I chose to keep them on, and try not to leave my desk. For four hours.

Lesson learned: Always check the rear view, even when you’re in a hurry.

Blog Carnivals Home and Garden Life in general

The After Photo

I really can’t believe it’s been a WHOLE WEEK since I posted. This is the longest I’ve been “away” since I started taking this whole blogging thing seriously. But boy, have I been busy!

Alison is getting ready to start Kindergarten, and we got all of her back-to-school shopping done. Can I just say how grateful I am that she will be wearing a uniform? Because otherwise, I’d have had to get a second mortgage on the house to buy a whole new wardrobe for her rapidly growing frame.

I started cleaning that little black hole of mine, and it got me on a roll like you wouldn’t believe. My house hasn’t looked this good in a year. Here’s the After Photo:

and just in case you didn’t see the Before Photo, or are too ~~lazy~~ busy to click the link above, here you go:

I know, right?

I’ve also been called for Jury Duty. That whole “student waiver” from five years ago finally expired, apparently. I’m torn between hoping to get called for all the great blog fodder, and praying they resolve all their issues before tomorrow.

Finally and most importantly, my two favorite cousins are visiting from Arizona and Oklahoma, so we’re busy cackling it up and drinking wine, as usual. They’ll be here until Thursday, so expect me back in all my blogging glory after that.

Blog Carnivals Home and Garden Life in general

Clutter Begets Clutter

My husband and I are both pack rats by nature. We try to purge, really we do. But just as we kick some ~~crap~~ stuff to the curb, it seems like more ~~crap~~ stuff creeps in through the back door.

Our general living space is not over-come with clutter. Those spaces are actually (relatively) easy to keep clean because everything has a place to call its own. I don’t think I’d be able to have people in my home if I had clutter all over – I’d be too embarrassed.

In fact, the only reason I’m going to willingly put photos of my clutter here for everyone to see is so that I can have some motivation to post the after shots.

Here’s my sewing area, about an hour after I started working on it:

Up until a year ago, I was at this desk all the time, sewing away. It was quite a hobby. But then, I set a bag of stuff down next to it. After that came a box of electronic stuff. A little while later, I bought some fabric but didn’t have space in a drawer – guess where it went? Then we brought a big bag of snow gear back from a trip, and it got set there, too. I just today unpacked the suitcase my cat has been using for a bed, and we got back from Arizona at the end of May.

It’s like a black hole, that desk. I swear – if I had set that suitcase anywhere else it would have been back in the garage rafters the day we got back.

So, tell me: Do you have a black hole of clutter somewhere in your home? Don’t worry, I won’t hate you if you say NO! However, it is brutally honest Monday, you know.

Life in general Motherhood and Pregnancy

Work Related Injuries

I have a torn rotator cuff. How do I know? Dr. Google told me so!

After doing some extensive research, the recommended treatment is not as drastic as I assumed it would be. In fact, I can ice it, compress it, and us it less often right here at home, no medical degree required.

Which makes me feel pretty stupid for letting it fester and get worse for a whole year.

Dr. Google also listed some of the more common ways people tear their rotator cuff. None of them really apply to me, so I’ve come up with a list of possibilities.

1. Blythe has always preferred to nurse on the right side – so all that holding her in place was just too much for the old shoulder.

2. My shoulder just couldn’t handle lifting my 35 pound child and carrying her back to bed night after night. After night.

3. Something I’m calling “Soccer Mom Arm” which could also be known as “Mini Van Arm”. I neither drive a mini van NOR have kids in soccer, but the syndrome is the same, regardless. I reach into the backseat every two minutes, the whole time I’m in the car with my kids. Who wouldn’t tear their rotator cuff with all that backward reaching?

4. Hatch-closing. On our old SUV, I had to reach up, grab the hatch, and pull it down hard to close it. Luckily, I am now spoiled with my remote hatch-closer, and I couldn’t possibly love that feature more.

5. Lifting all those weights. Back and shoulders are my favorite body parts to work on, so this is a possibility. Although, why the right and not the left? Am I lopsided and just haven’t realized it?

6. My body did not like turning 30 last year and is staging a revolt. Is it all down hill from here?

Now I’m off to try and wrap an ace bandage around my armpit. With the current heat index, that bandage should be smelling quite nice by the time I’m done.