Thursday, June 25, 2009

Multitasking Mama

I seriously need to cut down on the multitasking. I think the crazy busy mommy in me is just permanently set on overdrive. What do I mean? Glad you asked…

· I file my toenails while I am stopped at red lights. (only if they need it though!)
· I am notorious for taking things in the bathroom with me because I am just too busy to put them down… when I only have to pee.
· I have 7 internet windows open and 5 microsoft word documents open on my computer right now. And I’m winding DOWN for the day.
· Even when I get ready and get into bed, I have a notebook on my night stand so that I can write just ONE more to do list before I go to sleep.
· I have been known to read and try and work on my laptop while I sit outside my 2 year old’s bathtub. This usually results in water on my laptop or books, however, so I have cut this multitasking technique out.
· I cannot stand to just drive and not do anything else. I have often wished I could be on the computer or just getting things done in general instead of wasting time driving.
· When my daughter pretends like she is making phone calls, she never holds the phone with her hand. She has always cradled it in between her ear and her shoulder. Because that’s the way she assumes it is done.
· I am sitting here at 12:40 am… with the Venti Starbucks caramel frappuchino with a shot of energy that I got after dinner tonight (okay so maybe that just FUELS my busyness! Lol).

Ok, this list started out as a joke. Now I am realizing that I SERIOUSLY need the vacation we have got coming up.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Mommy Time

Tonight's blog is just about me. :) I got a lot done tonight. I am proud of myself. We put Abbie to bed about 30 minutes early and I just kind of took off from there. I think having a DESK in my office (that I actually USE now!!!) really helps. I have needed a desk for SOOOOOOOOOOOO long now! But I have not had the time, money, or a big enough vehicle to go and get one. I have been meaning to go garage sale hunting. Well, the other day our next door neighbors were having a garage sale. So I marched over there, bought their old particle board desk, and rolled it right down the sidewalk and up our mile long driveway. It is perfect for me. It has 4 different levels and plenty of storage space- which I SO need! So anyway, I think that helped me get some work done. I finished reading a chapter I needed to read, turned in a good assignment reflecting the chapter, AND managed to play around on DAM for a good couple of hours! Lol. PLUS I have been sitting here listening to good classic country music on YouTube for the last hour or so. It's been nice. The hubby crashing into bed 2 hours ago probably helps too. It's nights like these that I almost feel like I get to go on a retreat. The house is quiet. I can indulge myself- even if those indulgances only go as far as DAM and country YouTube music. That's a treat for me! Having a quiet house and getting a lot accomplished on top of enjoying the little things in life is like mommy porn. Lol. That's all for tonight. I'm going to take a hot bath.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

What Fathers' Day is All About..

It's nearly 11 pm on the night before Father's Day. My husband is asleep as a result of a long day of fishing. I go into the kitchen and get my husband's card and sign it. I debate whether or not to include the dress clothes I have gotten him as his gift (to go along with the promotion we are anticipating soon!). I decide not to, as I'd like to get him something more sentimental than just clothes- but do not have anything yet. I think that I'll probably go to walmart tomorrow and frame a cute picture of Abbie or something. I know she still needs to make him a card, but of course we haven't had time to do that either. I always end up the night before or day of holidays/anniversaries/birthdays with gifts that just seem to lack a little. And I get him clothes WAY too much! :p Oh well, I think. I'll deal with that tomorrow.
And then of course, I realize that, despite saving every gift bag that sets foot in my door, I have nothing to put the clothes in. So I jot down on the card that gifts will come later! (i.e.- after he gets home from work tomorrow night.) Yes, he has to work on Father's Day. The joys of being in the restaurant business. :p
I then walk upstairs and into our Jack and Jill bathroom. As I pick up towels and walk over random piles of clothes, I roll my eyes. I swear I just cleaned this bathroom! I go to put his card on his bathroom sink, knowing that's the first place he'll go in the morning. But before I can, I think it best to move my hairbrush (he hates when I take stuff from my big counter top and crowd his little counter with it!). Then I see some of my mineral powder left on the counter and decide I should probably wipe that off, too. After all, who wants smudged foundation on their card envelope? I move aside the tweezers that I used to pluck my eyebrows earlier. In fact, I wipe a couple plucked brows off the counter, too. Ew. Finally, I place the card up against none other than a mucus relief medicine box and a bottle of baby sunblock. I go back, picking up hooded towels and toddler clothes, as well as all of my husband's ditched dirty laundry.I pick up the towel that was used to soak up ALL of the water my 2 year old managed to get on the floor while we were showering earlier tonight.
At some point during all of this, I realize that this truly is what parents' days are all about. After all, if it weren't for the clothes in the floor and the wife who leaves stuff all over your counter, the hooded towels and the baby sunblock, I wouldn't be putting the Father's Day card there at all. I just hope my husband sees life's simple joys in all the things that I do.
I decide that I will get up extra early and make him breakfast before he goes to work. I'll wake Abbie up and let her take it to him in bed. He deserves it. And on a mommy time saving note, that will keep us from going to wal mart and framing yet another picture that he really doesn't need. Breakfast in bed will be much more meaningful. And I'm all about avoiding a trip to the grocery store! Happy Fathers Day to me! ;)

Friday, June 5, 2009

Praise God- We May Have Found An Answer..

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! I think we may have found an answer to our shopping, um... experiences. Notice how I use a nice word there (as opposed to disasters, hell-trips, or the list-topper for things that I hate doing with Abbie).
Yes, it's true. My two year old is not the best shopping buddy. All of you mothers of two year olds or previously two year olds can faint with surprise right about now.
But today, from what will hereon be known as the day God finally answered my prayers for grocery shopping salvation, we found a solution. Or at least a TEMPORARY solution. Is anything NOT temporary with children, particularly toddlers?
We went to Kroger. On a Friday afternoon. After daycare and playing all day. Before dinner. It was not a recipe for success, but I brought snacks and water. Then, like I always do with every shopping trip with my darling daughter, I ran into the battlefield full speed, holding onto my helmet and praying hard. The goal is to get in and get out and not get shot or killed, after all.
We had never been to this Kroger before. We learned right away that they have the little kid carts that Abbie likes- the ones that they can push. You don't see a LOT of kids, especially 2 year olds, pushing these in stores because most kids are content to sit in the car carts or ride in the ones where you can watch TV. Not my two year old. Oh, no. We lasted about 1 shopping trip before the appeal of the Car Cart wore off. And my toddler doesn't care about TV.
So we push the kiddie carts when they are available. However, the complication up until this point had been that we had not found a grocery store that we were actually SHOPPING at that had the kiddie carts. For example, the other store that has them has groceries that are way too expensive. But my bank, pharmacy, and coffee place are there, so we go a lot. And Abbie pushes the little kiddie cart. But Kroger's cart was BIG (well, as far as kiddie carts are concerned). And Abbie was excited. "Abbie cart!" she told me. I was excited, too. "All right, honey, get your Abbie cart and let's go!"
This was me throughout the store "Ok, honey, remember to watch mommy and follow me."
"Abbie, remember not to hit people with your cart."
"Ok, sweetie, you have to look up or you'll run things over."
"Slow down, speed racer."
But she did very, very well. And of course the other patrons could not get enough of her. Here she is, with her cute little red-headed behind, and she's prancing around with this cart (with groceries in it!) that she can barely see over. Lol. Seriously, her eyes were BARELY over the part that you hold with your hands.
I had to giggle when she picked up a single banana and tossed it into her cart as if to say "ok, check that off the list. Let's go. We've got things to do." Moments later, she decided she was hungry. So I encouraged her to eat her snack of goldfish while we were stopped and I was looking for things. But she did not want to put those fish down. And if you know Abbie, you know that EVERYTHING is a multi-tasking experience. So here goes the little girl who people can't even believe can push a cart and she grabs the front of the cart with one hand so that she can hold her snack with the other. And she's just prancing about this store like "hey, look at me. I shop and eat at the same time." I should've given her a cell phone and let everybody laugh at how she holds it with her shoulder instead of her hand, even when there's nothing else in her hands. Lol.
Anyway, the point of the story is that we made it through an HOUR AND A HALF of shopping time without incident. All because Abbie was able to push her own cart and carry her own groceries. For us, the mommy/daughter team that you'll usually find in the middle of the men's section taking a time out, that is a miracle.And she truly enjoyed it. And the other patrons enjoyed her. Despite how many people she cut off, I didn't get one dirty look. And everybody actually told me it was okay. So that was nice as well. And of course to put the cherry on top, the cashier wasn't finding my kroger card with my phone number, and the guy behind us immediately offered his. Right as Abbie was just starting to show signs of being tired of the grocery store.
I walked out of Kroger feeling a little drained, as usual, but very very good about the overall experience. So Kroger on Grapevine Highway, we may not be shopping anywhere else from here on out, no matter what your prices. Because you have the miracle carts.

Monday, June 1, 2009

2 Year Old Appointments, Oh My!

So Abbie is getting ready to wake up from her nap, eat a snack, and get ready for her 2 year old Pediatrician Appointment. Poor girl. As far as she knows, it's just going to be another fun-filled afternoon with Mommy. But oh how I am going to betray her. I'm taking her to the land of poking, prodding, and of course... needles.
I am very interested to see how this appointment will go. You see, Abbie has not been to the doctor since 15 months old... before she talked. And my how things have changed. I am trying to fathom all of the words she is going to use to describe how she feels when her Pediatrician starts examining her and then giving her shots. Who knows? Maybe I'll hear some new words.. Lol. I will update later. If you read this before 4 PM, please pray for a safe voyage.