Second Wind

Tonight around 8:30pm I realized I was SO tired. However, I had lots to do so I couldn't go to sleep. I had to prepare a sales tax return, clean, do dishes, organize the guest room, make dressing for tomorrow and get something ready for Scouts tomorrow. Luckily, if I make it through my sleepy phase, I get a second wind. I didn't get everything done and I should be doing dishes, but my legs are SO achy. To calm down, I decided to blab. Who knew, blabbing is the solution to SO many moods...

Clara is extremely interested in anything that I open (cupboards, dishwasher, fridge, etc.) I don't mind her playing in the cupboards that don't have anything real fragile in them. She just pulls everything out and in this cupboard, there are her bottles. So, now she'll take the nipple, clamp down on it and crawl around with it hanging out of her mouth. Her left front tooth came in the other day (Monday? if I haven't mentioned it, it was Monday) and she loves to bite. Last night she started gritting her teeth and I freaked out. It sounds awful! I remember reading that it's not a big deal and it sounds much worse than it really is. My mom said not to give her attention when she does it but it's SO hard not to squeeze her cheeks because it sounds just awful.
Clara's favorite toy from the fridge are my 35mm film rolls. I decided I was just going to take all my film with my old camera and get rid of it, but the battery is dead. Now I need to decide if I should buy a new battery. And then what? Do people really still use these cameras? It seemed to ancient and big, but that's probably because I've had my current camera for almost four years!Tonight I finished planting my garden. I am so super duper excited. But, I'm feeling my eyes get heavy, so I better go to sleep while I'm ahead and I'll be sure to talk all about my new found love: the garden, at a later time...

Consumed by Work

Next Friday is our "Fantastic Friday" which is basically "Super Saturday" on Friday. Anyway, the thing I signed up for is very time consuming so the person over it asked me and a bunch of other people to make our pictures early so we could learn and help others with theirs. Mine was going pretty good until I made a purple swipe in the sky and apparently my picture was too dry so it left a very defined lavendar brush stroke. The blue stayed put, but as we worked more and more water into it, the red came out (if someone that understands chemistry can explain this to me, I would definitely appreciate it...). After I put all the finishing touches on it, I do think it turned out pretty good. I think I should sell these to earn some extra money.

I had to come home and feed Clara in the middle of making mine because it took much longer than planned and sure enough, had a voicemail from work I had to respond to. Monday is my client's absolute deadline for his taxes so the tax partner needed my help. Luckily, it was quick. After I finished my picture, I ran a few errands, went home and Clara took a nap. I had great plans to clean my house in the afternoon, but right after Clara woke up, I got another call from the tax peeps... this time, it took me a few hours to get what they needed and Little Miss Clara had a grand time in our room. I realized something needs to change when I didn't mind that she was eating hole punch papers and wrapping paper and I heard her dump out the box of envelopes. I was just glad she was content... some mom I am! I am just excited for when I don't have to work this much. I love to work and I woulld go crazy if I didn't have something to do, but some weeks (like this week, when I have payroll for KS and lots to do for MBP) I feel like I am working full time and that's not what I prefer to do. Oh well, I guess that's life.After I got work taken care of, I made dinner. My lesson learned from dinner: it isn't costly to have a colorful and healthy meal and you don't need meat to be happy (Jason didn't even complain about our vegetarian meal). Corn on the cob: 25 cents, green beans: about 40 cents each and sweet potatoes: cheap... I threw away the receipt. Anyway, for anyone that needs inexpensive meal ideas, there you go. Oh, and it was quick and easy too.After dinner we went to Babies R Us to get diapers (they were having a big sale) and I ran into an old friend from work and his wife. I was telling him how I thought once I quit CBIZ I wouldn't get work calls on Saturday anymore but I keep getting them because they are doing my client's taxes. And just as I said that... I got a call and it was them again at like 7:30pm. HA! I just laughed at the coincidence. I know they are trying to get the taxes done so I don't really mind them bothering me. Plus, they aren't annoying and are justified in their demands.

After that we went to Angela and Clint's so Jason could help them put up their fan. If only they still lived next door, but with the freeway, it takes less than 10 minutes to get to her house, so I probably shouldn't complain. Once we got home, I got to work all night... lucky me!

Little Beka Blessing

Lately I have been having a rough day pretty much every day. I've whined about it before, but it seems like if it's not one thing, it's another. And this has been going on for some time. I try to be happy, I really do, but sometimes I feel so drained and overwhelmed. Beka, being the good friend she is, could tell and came to my depression rescue. Some people have a gift of recognizing these things, others, myself included, do not. I am grateful for those that do and apologize that I am not that kind of friend... Anyway, Beka and Danny and their boys came over to hang out. Plus, they brought us pizza for dinner. How sweet is that? Beka and I had a wonderful time reminiscing as we looked at old pictures. We had a lot of fun in high school, that's for sure. Some of the highlights of the night included:

: Danny wiping off his paper plate he used for pizza to use it for his brownie (oh how I laughed at this.... we're poor, but not that poor, not yet anyway!)
: The never-ending jokes about cleaning the paper plates: would you like me to rinse your plate for you? do you want me to put that in the dishwasher?
: 2%, Skim or fresh?
: Is that a real sweet potato?
: Breast milk is like fresh squeezed OJ, but you don't have to go pick it off the treest.
: B: Do you guys buy that movie? A: Yes, we do.
: B: If we forgot anything... D: Just e-mail it to us.

Oh I wish I could remember more. Danny and Beka are funny and it seems like we always have a good time with them. Maybe someday we'll live closer (you know, when our UT house sells and Danny wins Wheel of Fortune...)

When they got here with the boys, Clara wouldn't leave them alone. She kept trying to claw them, climb up them, pull their hair, etc. I know it's hard to take two babies places, especially to stay after bedtime, but it was just what I needed: to take a break. I got some good food, had several good laughs and wasn't stressed about work because I wasn't working. Thanks Bek! Someday I'll be that kind of friend... hopefully.

Forgotten Thoughts

A few thoughts that got lost amongst my busy week...

In between conference sessions on Sunday, Chris, Nylene & Caleb (Clara's future husband) made their "Happy Conference" sno-cone visits. They have a big sno-cone machine and frequently use it to bless other's lives. Clara LOVED the sno-cone. I fed it to her for a bit and then put some on the tray of her booster. She would try to pick some up and would get so frustrated because it kept melting so she was never able to eat it. A few times she grabbed a fistful instead of trying to pick it up with her thumb and pointer, but clearly more melted on her clothes than in her mouth.

Look at Clara's big girl teeth: finally two on the bottom. About a week ago her top right one came through to accompany her bottom right. Then her bottom left one FINALLY broke through like Wednesday or so (thank goodness she didn't have just the top and bottom on one side for very long)! Her top left one looks like it will be in any day. It is weird that one tooth came in and then a month or so later the other three all sprout within a week or so. Clara is getting very fiesty. She throws fits every chance she gets and lately she has been very opinionated about her food. If she's in her seat too long and hasn't had a good nap, she is just a turkey. The other night she kept squishing her head into her shoulders and making her face turn bright red. It was hilarious! I think she starts out doing things as she discovers her body and then she realizes we laugh at it so she continues to do it for a reaction.

Tuesday night I went to the gym with Angela. It's been almost two months since I've been and even though I didn't have time, I know I need to exercise, mainly to get more energy and to feel better. It felt great and I wish I could go three times a week... but I haven't been back this week. It's just been a busy week, LOTS of work (payroll & quarter end for KS). Plus, Jason has been getting home so late; he didn't see Clara Mon-Wed and last night I had a horrendous headache and could barely swallow because my throat hurt so bad.

On Wednesday, we "lost" Clara's pacifier. By "lost" I mean I couldn't find it after she threw it out of her crib during one of her naps. I didn't actually look that hard for it because I've been wanting to wean her from it and didn't know how to do it. I gave her the pink one that is super hard and that didn't do it for her. It has been interesting. She doesn't cry at night when I put her to bed, but her naps are totally unpredictable. Sometimes she goes right to sleep, sometimes she screams for a few minutes before falling asleep and sometimes she doesn't sleep at all. Hopefully it gets better, otherwise I may give in and "find" the pacifier under the table in her room... :)

Grass Allergies?

After Scouts, we've been sitting in the grass in front of Nylene's just enjoying this 'cool' weather. Of course I talk Nylene's ear off and prolong going to my empty house as long as possible (note: other than Jason giving Clara her pacifier mon and tue morning, he hasn't seen her since Sunday) Anyway, Clara is around grass ALL the time and other than trying to eat it with amazing determination, it's never really bothered her. However, today was a little different. After about ten minutes of playing in the grass, she began sneezing... twice, four times, six times, etc. After each one, she had a lovely stream of snot running down her face. Nylene suggested we go inside, so we did, hoping that'd help. It didn't stop there; her eyes started getting red and the sneezing continued. Nylene and I were in the kitchen while Caleb and Clara were playing and I heard her coughing a bit, so I poked my head around the wall to make sure she was okay. She coughed a bit more and then sneezed again and Nylene asked me what was in her nose. I picked her up and there, embedded in the latest snot trail running from her nostril to her top lip, was a bright green blade of grass. Apparently eating grass and having it get lodged into your nasal passageway causes similar symptoms as grass allergies... (I'm still annoyed I don't have a picture of it, because the blade was still partially in her nose... HA!)

Bouncing Bean

On Friday, the little Bean and I were at Genny's house. She has this bouncer you hang from a doorway that her son (now four) absolutely LOVED when he was younger so we put Clara in it to see how she liked it. She didn't go crazy, but she had fun and we got some cute pictures of her enjoying living life as a bouncing bean. I think Joseph had just as much fun watching Clara as Clara had jumping. He likes to get really close to her. At first, Clara was just staring at him. Then she realized he just wanted her to suck on his nose, so she figured, if that's what he wants, then the nose it is!

Birthday Boy

Today is Jason's 29th birthday, man that's old, or should I say, that's an old man... Either way, Happy Birthday! I'm pretty sure that means next year he'll be THIRTY. That just seems old, eventhough he says he still feels like he's 18 (I believe him since I feel about that old myself...). Birthdays are fun, even when you're poor. Last night we went out to eat while my mom watched Clara. We had a $25 Chili's giftcard and Jason's choice was On The Boarder. The food was, eh, but it was so fun to go out alone to dinner. We obviously don't get out much because I kept taking pictures like going out to dinner was a first. I told Jason if he would take me out to dinner more, maybe I wouldn't act that way. Of course a birthday celebration isn't complete without the obnoxiously loud birthday song from the wait staff. HA! We discovered it's even more embarassing when it's just two adults that get sung to, no kids, no friends... we laughed. :) Or rather I laughed out how uncomfortable it made Jason.

Afterwards, I was planning on going to a movie at the new IMAX theater, but I asked Jason what he wanted to do and he said he wanted to stop. He's been so busy with life that he's always going. So stop we did... no homework... no work... just us... We watched The Prestige BUT not before we built a sweet place to watch it from. Our couches are SO uncomfy when we both try to lay on them and we don't have a TV in our room. We considered the air mattress, but instead set up our chair with our 'ottoman' and it worked great. I actually stayed awake through the movie. I love cuddling and watching movies. :) I didn't like this movie as much as The Illusionist... too much to the plot that it makes it somewhat ridiculous and I didn't like the greusomeness. But, I did enjoy watching a movie with Jason and neither of us worked or did homework. This morning we opened presents and sang since it was the only time Clara would be awake when Jason was home. Yes, even poor people get presents for their birthdays. Jason about to blow out his candles. Three? Well, he's 29 and 2+9=11 and 1+1=2 and then there is an extra one because I love him (everything I do has a reason...)Jason was THRILLED to get another box of candy... :) I got them for the movie, but we ate too much dessert at dinner... He wanted a cot now that he'll be camping monthly, but I couldn't find him one. So I bought some DOTS and told him when he had more time, we'd go look at COTS. Ha ha.I love my OLD hubby and am glad I married someone I can always have fun with... because when you are poor, that makes all the difference in the world. :)

Determination

Determination is... pulling yourself up on the couch over and over and over to try to touch the computer, trying to crawl away during a diaper change even after the attempt has failed miserably many times before, pulling yourself up on the swing eventhough it could be the most unsturdy object in the house, crawling to eat the shoes even after they've been taken away the 100 times you've tried before and my personal favorite: FALLING OUT OF THE CRIB FOR THE SECOND TIME. That's right, this morning at 545, Jason jumped out of bed and I sat straight up when we heard Clara SCREAM, not just cry. I could tell by the sound something happened and when Jason brought Clara into our room (she doesn't get out of bed that early), I knew what happened. Sure enough, Jason tells me: "She was on the floor". I didn't think she had enough upper body strength to pull herself up and over the top of her crib now that we lowered it, but apparently I've underestimated my little monkey. Her bumper isn't in there so she doesn't have anything to stand on. After Jason felt her arms and legs to make sure nothing felt wrong (LOL) she fell back asleep in bed with me. Normally she doesn't fall asleep when I am near her, but I'm glad she did because she's all stuffed up and needs some rest. So I'm just thinking even when we lower her crib all the way, she's going to be in a big girl bed in like six months! Okay, so this picture, not really related to my story, but I set her up against the wall to take a picture and she put her hands on the wall and just started scratching, loving the noise she was creating.Other things that have been going on: Monday night I got a call at 730pm from my client asking me to join a conference call at 800pm. Oh my, I was annoyed, but being the good accountant I am, I called at 815pm (mind you, I had to use Genny's phone since we are almost out of minutes). ONE HOUR AND FORTY-FIVE minutes later, I hung up. I took the phone back and the Kirby vacuum salesmen were there. I learned one important lesson: never ever ever let them into your house! I kept thinking they'd leave and it wasn't until 1130pm they finally did, so I visited with Genny for a few minutes and came home. Clara woke up at midnight and didn't go back to sleep for good until 2am and then I was up until 330am working (wah wah). On Monday her top right tooth came in (still no teeth on the left side) and she got a little cold so I'm guessing she was just miserable.

Tuesday I worked, went to the staff meeting (I was very tempted not to go since I was up so late), made dinner for my dinner swap (which I love, by the way) and then came home and went to bed early (well, 1030pm, that's early, right?). Wednesday I woke up at 645am and noticed I had a voicemail. My client called me at 630 am and left a message. Are you joking? Who does that? I was so annoyed I didn't want to call him back. Lucky for him, I do have a heart and I do feel bad for him although ignorance only gains my partial sympathy. I called him back (again, had to use Genny's phone) and this time we had four people on the line and talked for ONE HOUR. This could very well be what drives me to insanity. What's ironic is once our home in Utah sells, I'm sure we'll be caught up with this client, so it won't require this much time.

This week I have been thinking about a few random things I'm grateful for while trying to counteract my negative thoughts by looking on the bright side. First, my Bosch. I was making bread Tuesday and realized how hard it must have been to make bread long ago. With how much kneading is involved... surely they had some strong arms. Second, a baby that sleeps good at night. Clara waking up (if she ever even went to sleep in between crying) four or five times within two hours was by far the most she's cried at night, even when she was a tiny baby. It made me appreciate a good night's sleep, even if she's now into waking up at 630am (ever since we lowered her crib, I think she misses her bumper).

Finally, I am very thankful for my college education. I hate working as much as I do and wish I could cut back, but I can't until we sell our house in Utah. I am, however, glad that I have the education and experience that allows me to work from home and make a decently hourly rate. I couldn't imagine leaving Clara and feel sad for all those moms that HAVE to leave their babies. (Notice emphasis on the word HAVE... like in MUST...)

And now I am ignoring a voicemail from my client that I probably won't return until tomorrow and I feel pretty good about that. I am NOT on call 24/7 and definitely don't get paid enough to let him think I am. He's out of control and I am going to clean my house today, so there! :)

Quack! Quack!

And this whole time I was calling her GOOSE.

Daddy-O

Today (well, now that it's past midnight, yesterday) is my dad's birthday. A few things I love about my dad include: how he let me get my way by crying :), being interested in my life (especially boys), encouraging me not to settle for less than the best (whether it came to boys, grades, college, etc.), teaching me how to be a hard-working business-oriented person, getting emotional when he bears his testimony, bragging about me all the time (not always true, but it sure made me feel good!), his 'jokes' (almost everything he says is a joke and sometimes they aren't so funny), he knows everything, really, just go talk to him if you don't believe me or play Trivial Pursuit with him, "walking" up him and flipping backwards, dancing on his feet, popping his back, popping my back or toes or anything he could do before my mom caught him, taking me in the room to spank me if I got in trouble and not having the heart to hurt his little girl so he would hit the belt on the bed and tell me to scream so my mom thought I was getting punished, taking me to work with him, telling the story of Wally on Christmas Eve EVERY year for as long as I can remember (this could be my favorite... it's not Christmas Eve without Wally), helping me toughen up from teasing me and of course, making me feel like I'm his favorite daughter (even though I'm pretty sure he likes Angela the best because she's most like him). I'm sure there are many more, but I can't give all the secrets away, otherwise I wouldn't have anything for next year!! :) I love my dad!