Kaelyn normally gets up somewhere between 5:30 and 6 am. This works out great for me, because I normally get up between 4:30 and 5 am. I have time to wake up a little bit, take a shower, and get some coffee before feeding her. Roger usually gets up around the same time as Kaelyn...watching her while I finish getting ready for work and getting her ready for their day together (he either takes her to work with him or drops her off at the sitter). On the weekend, she normally gives us a bit of a reprieve...I think because I'm not getting up early and making noise. She'll usually wake around 6:30 or 7.
For the last four days in a row, she's been getting up progressively earlier. Friday morning it was right at 5:30, which surprised me a little bit since she went to bed a little late. Saturday it was 5, Sunday it was 4:30, and this morning...you guessed it...4! She finally cut a tooth (we noticed on Saturday), so I blamed that for my Saturday morning wake-up, but the last two days? Maybe it is the tooth...she's also very very hungry in the morning. I'm going to try to feed her more before bed and see if I can get her back on schedule.
We ended up having a very good weekend. Roger had to go look at a job on Saturday morning, which left me and Kaelyn to our own devices. I cleaned up while she played and then both of us went to the store to get some steaks to grill for dinner. That afternoon, Vickie came over to encourage me while I made some fondant. I tried a marshmallow fondant hoping it would taste better and be less waxy than the regular stuff. I was right! It wasn't that bad...just very very sweet. I managed to color it without any problems and was actually feeling pretty good about it for most of the day.
Just before dinner, another friend, Lance, joined us. That was about the time that Vickie and I decided to roll out the fondant and see what it looks like on the cake. That part wasn't so easy. We actually rolled it out nice and pretty, but then it stuck to the mat and we had to start over...that happened three times. Lance, being who he is, did not miss an opportunity to goad us on and Roger got a very funny video of the whole process. We eventually made it work and I have to say that now I feel like I can do this! Of course, I still need more practice before Kae's birthday...maybe next weekend.
Yesterday should have been more restful, but with Kaelyn waking up early, the morning was pretty tough. She didn't want to go back down for a nap after her breakfast. Roger and I were just so tired too. Eventually, she did fall asleep again, but by then, it was around 9 and we were wide awake. We decided that it would be best to just have breakfast ourselves and watch a movie. We ended up spending the majority of the day at Pier 1 imports and Home Depot (where Roger got some wood to make picture frames), then coming home and eating a late lunch of leftovers. Dinner was avogolomeno (Greek lemon and egg soup) with meatballs. Very delicious. Now, it's back to the work week...a busy one for both of us.
Let's hope that Kaelyn starts sleeping better...
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
End of the Week Elation
It's Friday! These last two weeks have been so long...I'm really looking forward to relaxing this weekend. I'm also feeling very very content with things right now. It's not that I wasn't content before, but between work and parenting an infant, it's hard to see sometimes how good I have it. Roger and I have a great life and we have security. There is something so fulfilling in security. And last night, I realized that we don't have a lot to worry about right now. That's what makes me content. I know things may not always be this way, so I'm going to do everything I can to maximize my enjoyment now.
Last night, while Roger was taking a practice test for his contractor's licence, Kaelyn and I went to our friend Klara's house to visit her daughter, Elle, who is leaving for college tomorrow. The main purpose of the visit was to talk to Elle for a few minutes, deliver a gift, and spend some quality time with her before she leaves. We won't be seeing her again until Christmas.
We ended up looking through cake books so I can get some ideas for Kaelyn's birthday cake. There's so many cute things out there. I have been starting to think that I'll just give up and order one, but I have renewed motivation since last night. And a lot more fear! I really need to practice.
Tomorrow, I think I'll go get some supplies (Klara has given me some also) and spend the day baking and decoration cakes. I think Vickie is coming over to keep me company and encourage me, so here's hoping that I actually do it this time.
Last night, while Roger was taking a practice test for his contractor's licence, Kaelyn and I went to our friend Klara's house to visit her daughter, Elle, who is leaving for college tomorrow. The main purpose of the visit was to talk to Elle for a few minutes, deliver a gift, and spend some quality time with her before she leaves. We won't be seeing her again until Christmas.
We ended up looking through cake books so I can get some ideas for Kaelyn's birthday cake. There's so many cute things out there. I have been starting to think that I'll just give up and order one, but I have renewed motivation since last night. And a lot more fear! I really need to practice.
Tomorrow, I think I'll go get some supplies (Klara has given me some also) and spend the day baking and decoration cakes. I think Vickie is coming over to keep me company and encourage me, so here's hoping that I actually do it this time.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Planning the First Plane Trip
I haven't been able to talk about this, because I'm surprising most of my family (except my parents), but I don't think they read this blog...so, I'll mention it here.
We finally found affordable airfare! We will be in Florida and Ohio in October. I'm a little (ok a lot) nervous about this because it will be the first time we fly with Kaelyn. I'm actually a little disappointed that we couldn't plan a trip sooner and get her accustomed to flying before she turned a year old, but that's just how it worked out. She's a great traveler in the car, so here's hoping that translates to planes.
On another note....last night we had some friends visit. Chip came over to install a phone line in our garage (aka Roger's workshop and man cave) and Michele, his wife, joined him for a visit. A couple of months ago she left for a mission trip to Uganda and just returned about three weeks ago. This was the first time I've seen here since she left for her trip. She looks, sounds, and acts like a different person. But in a very good way. She was awesome before, but she found a purpose in Uganda. It's wonderful to see. I won't share her story here, because it's not my place and I won't do it justice, but that trip was great for her...and for those she helped.
There's not much else to write today. I have to get ready for work. I'm going back to Reno, but this time I'm not spending the night. I don't mind the day trips, even if the days are long.
We finally found affordable airfare! We will be in Florida and Ohio in October. I'm a little (ok a lot) nervous about this because it will be the first time we fly with Kaelyn. I'm actually a little disappointed that we couldn't plan a trip sooner and get her accustomed to flying before she turned a year old, but that's just how it worked out. She's a great traveler in the car, so here's hoping that translates to planes.
On another note....last night we had some friends visit. Chip came over to install a phone line in our garage (aka Roger's workshop and man cave) and Michele, his wife, joined him for a visit. A couple of months ago she left for a mission trip to Uganda and just returned about three weeks ago. This was the first time I've seen here since she left for her trip. She looks, sounds, and acts like a different person. But in a very good way. She was awesome before, but she found a purpose in Uganda. It's wonderful to see. I won't share her story here, because it's not my place and I won't do it justice, but that trip was great for her...and for those she helped.
There's not much else to write today. I have to get ready for work. I'm going back to Reno, but this time I'm not spending the night. I don't mind the day trips, even if the days are long.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Disjointed (but productive) Week
It's been a weirdly disjointed week. In just one week, I've helped Roger install wainscoting and painted our hallway and kitchen, spent a full two days in Reno for work, got sick, got better, and finally baked a cake.
We are almost finished with our hallway. All that's left is painting the trim. We will add crown molding too, but not right away. I think we need a break. The kitchen had a little further to go. Just a little bit more painting and some tile work (tiling above the cabinets). We hope to be finished today.
It has occurred to me that anyone who reads this and hasn't actually been to our house might think that we own a fixer upper. That is not the case. This house was brand new five years ago and I was the first person who ever lived here. But it's cookie cutter (well, not anymore). I put in whatever upgrades I could afford and made sense at the time...cabinets, flooring, counter tops, and paint. After I moved in, I made a few additional changes....all the lighting, backyard landscape, and tiled the bathrooms. But when that was done, so was I. I'm not a do it yourselfer and I couldn't afford to bring contractors in for every little think I wanted to change.
Since Roger has moved in, it's been different. He's not happy unless he has a project. Since he's lived here, he renovated for a nursery, finished the garage and made it into garage, storage, work space, and man cave, added stair access and shelves in the attic, built an outdoor kitchen and outdoor fireplace, installed a back splash in the kitchen, and now our hallway and kitchen mini-makeover. We still have big plans for the house...crown molding in almost every room, built ins in our family room and library, hard wood flooring, adding a front porch, and a major renovation in the master bathroom. I'm sure that by the time we finish all the work, we'll be ready to move. That's my prediction. Take note.
.................
I had to go to Reno again this week. These trips can be wearing. I miss Roger and Kaelyn like crazy when I'm gone. Even though we left fairly early on Tuesday, we made a stop in Tahoe on the way and got into Reno pretty late. By the time we finished dinner (sushi, yum!), it was after 9pm. I talked to Roger for about an hour before I fell asleep and because the site visit on Wednesday ran long, and the construction traffic I described last week was still there, it was after 8pm before I got home. Kaelyn was already asleep and it was torture not to be able to hug and kiss her when I finally got back.
Roger and I still had a nice evening together, but it was short. We were both tired. I went to bed early and he continued to install the wainscoting, but I'm pretty sure he quit early himself.
I woke up the next day with a big headache. I went to work anyway because I had so much to do...especially, after being gone for a few days. Unfortunately, the headache never got better and I actually ended up getting sick to my stomach. I left work early and was zero help that night when Roger was painting and taking care of Kaelyn. By Friday, I felt much better, was productive at work, and did a lot to help with the painting when I got home.
Yesterday, while Roger was finishing the trim and touch up, I made up for not getting to be with Kaelyn all week. We took a trip to Lowe's to get more tile and paint (and a table saw for Roger...$200 off on clearance!), took naps, baked a cake (yes, she tried to help) and played. And, she's now taking little wobbly steps when I hold on to her hands! My little girl is growing so fast!
.................
I kind of want to invite my girlfriends over today. I already baked the cake and Roger started eating it, so I can't practice with the fondant on that one, but I just want to see the girls today. I miss getting to hang out with them all the time. Don't get me wrong. I love my life. Being married and raising a child is so rewarding, but, it is rewarding in a different way than having the ability to go out with friends without any thought to time or home responsibilities. I didn't appreciate it back then, and now I do. I just want to see them and talk and laugh and make fun of Roger...it's what we do best!
We are almost finished with our hallway. All that's left is painting the trim. We will add crown molding too, but not right away. I think we need a break. The kitchen had a little further to go. Just a little bit more painting and some tile work (tiling above the cabinets). We hope to be finished today.
It has occurred to me that anyone who reads this and hasn't actually been to our house might think that we own a fixer upper. That is not the case. This house was brand new five years ago and I was the first person who ever lived here. But it's cookie cutter (well, not anymore). I put in whatever upgrades I could afford and made sense at the time...cabinets, flooring, counter tops, and paint. After I moved in, I made a few additional changes....all the lighting, backyard landscape, and tiled the bathrooms. But when that was done, so was I. I'm not a do it yourselfer and I couldn't afford to bring contractors in for every little think I wanted to change.
Since Roger has moved in, it's been different. He's not happy unless he has a project. Since he's lived here, he renovated for a nursery, finished the garage and made it into garage, storage, work space, and man cave, added stair access and shelves in the attic, built an outdoor kitchen and outdoor fireplace, installed a back splash in the kitchen, and now our hallway and kitchen mini-makeover. We still have big plans for the house...crown molding in almost every room, built ins in our family room and library, hard wood flooring, adding a front porch, and a major renovation in the master bathroom. I'm sure that by the time we finish all the work, we'll be ready to move. That's my prediction. Take note.
.................
I had to go to Reno again this week. These trips can be wearing. I miss Roger and Kaelyn like crazy when I'm gone. Even though we left fairly early on Tuesday, we made a stop in Tahoe on the way and got into Reno pretty late. By the time we finished dinner (sushi, yum!), it was after 9pm. I talked to Roger for about an hour before I fell asleep and because the site visit on Wednesday ran long, and the construction traffic I described last week was still there, it was after 8pm before I got home. Kaelyn was already asleep and it was torture not to be able to hug and kiss her when I finally got back.
Roger and I still had a nice evening together, but it was short. We were both tired. I went to bed early and he continued to install the wainscoting, but I'm pretty sure he quit early himself.
I woke up the next day with a big headache. I went to work anyway because I had so much to do...especially, after being gone for a few days. Unfortunately, the headache never got better and I actually ended up getting sick to my stomach. I left work early and was zero help that night when Roger was painting and taking care of Kaelyn. By Friday, I felt much better, was productive at work, and did a lot to help with the painting when I got home.
Yesterday, while Roger was finishing the trim and touch up, I made up for not getting to be with Kaelyn all week. We took a trip to Lowe's to get more tile and paint (and a table saw for Roger...$200 off on clearance!), took naps, baked a cake (yes, she tried to help) and played. And, she's now taking little wobbly steps when I hold on to her hands! My little girl is growing so fast!
.................
I kind of want to invite my girlfriends over today. I already baked the cake and Roger started eating it, so I can't practice with the fondant on that one, but I just want to see the girls today. I miss getting to hang out with them all the time. Don't get me wrong. I love my life. Being married and raising a child is so rewarding, but, it is rewarding in a different way than having the ability to go out with friends without any thought to time or home responsibilities. I didn't appreciate it back then, and now I do. I just want to see them and talk and laugh and make fun of Roger...it's what we do best!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Friday the 13th in Reno
I had my monthly business trip to Reno last week. For once, I was looking forward to it because Roger and Kaelyn were coming too! They picked me up from work at a little after 3. Roger had a business meeting of his own at 5 and because it was on the way to Reno, I suggested that we just all drive up there together and I'd wait with Kae in the parking lot. We were both expecting this to be over in less than an hour, but instead it lasted for an hour and a half! That meant that we got a much later start to our Reno drive than expected and had to scratch our plans for a sit down dinner at the hotel for a grab and go on the road.
We finally got checked in to the hotel around 9pm. I was pretty tired and immediately tried to put Kaelyn to bed. We forgot to bring her pack-n-play, so I made a little bed for her on the floor. It was actually pretty comfy, but whether Kaelyn didn't love the hotel or just wanted to stay up longer to explore the room, she would not go to sleep. I moved her to the bed where she played with me and Roger and eventually fell asleep around 10:30. By then, I was ready to crash too, so Roger took the opportunity to go check out the casino..he came back at midnight, $45 richer and to me, unable to sleep and cranky. He attempted to move Kaelyn back to her "bed" without waking her up, which just ended in disaster as she screamed for another half hour until she finally went to sleep.
My meeting was at 8:30 the next morning and luckily, not far from the hotel, so I was able to sleep in a little bit. Also, it was fortunate, that the meeting lasted for just an hour and I was back at the hotel with Roger and Kaelyn well before lunch. Kaelyn was in a much better mood than she was the night before and we were able to have a nice, long lunch at a small restaurant located by the river. After that, we walked around downtown and visited the main casinos looking for something to do. There is only so much you can do in Reno with a baby, and we quickly got bored. We did some shopping (well browsing, since we didn't buy anything) and decided to head back to Sacramento in the late afternoon.
Our drive home was where the Friday the 13th luck really hit. We hit major traffic coming out of Reno (due to construction on the California/Nevada border). Then, when we got to Sacramento, an accident had us stuck for over an hour. By then, we were all just sick of being on the road and needed to just get out and do something. We exited the freeway at our first opportunity. Fortunately, we were pretty close to our friend, Vickie's house. I called her and we ended up going to her house where Roger grilled some chicken, I made BBQ sauce from scratch, and Vickie made homemade rolls for dinner. We didn't leave her house until almost 9pm and even though we didn't get home until 10...four hours later than planned, we were much happier after stopping in to visit Vickie.
The rest of the weekend has been pretty relaxing. Roger decided to start a new mini-project and is installing wainscoting in our hallway. It looks great! Next weekend, I'll be painting the hall and the kitchen. Fun times.
I still haven't made the practice cake, but Vickie volunteered to help me and I'm not as stressed out about it now. I have to go back to Reno on Tuesday night so that our new commander can tour the project site. To be honest, I'm not really looking forward to it. The tour is scheduled to last until 3 on Wednesday and will probably go longer. It will be a long day. The positive (I've promised to find one positive in every negative) is that, though the day will be long, the week will go by fast since I'll be spending half of it outside the office.
Till next time.....
We finally got checked in to the hotel around 9pm. I was pretty tired and immediately tried to put Kaelyn to bed. We forgot to bring her pack-n-play, so I made a little bed for her on the floor. It was actually pretty comfy, but whether Kaelyn didn't love the hotel or just wanted to stay up longer to explore the room, she would not go to sleep. I moved her to the bed where she played with me and Roger and eventually fell asleep around 10:30. By then, I was ready to crash too, so Roger took the opportunity to go check out the casino..he came back at midnight, $45 richer and to me, unable to sleep and cranky. He attempted to move Kaelyn back to her "bed" without waking her up, which just ended in disaster as she screamed for another half hour until she finally went to sleep.
My meeting was at 8:30 the next morning and luckily, not far from the hotel, so I was able to sleep in a little bit. Also, it was fortunate, that the meeting lasted for just an hour and I was back at the hotel with Roger and Kaelyn well before lunch. Kaelyn was in a much better mood than she was the night before and we were able to have a nice, long lunch at a small restaurant located by the river. After that, we walked around downtown and visited the main casinos looking for something to do. There is only so much you can do in Reno with a baby, and we quickly got bored. We did some shopping (well browsing, since we didn't buy anything) and decided to head back to Sacramento in the late afternoon.
Our drive home was where the Friday the 13th luck really hit. We hit major traffic coming out of Reno (due to construction on the California/Nevada border). Then, when we got to Sacramento, an accident had us stuck for over an hour. By then, we were all just sick of being on the road and needed to just get out and do something. We exited the freeway at our first opportunity. Fortunately, we were pretty close to our friend, Vickie's house. I called her and we ended up going to her house where Roger grilled some chicken, I made BBQ sauce from scratch, and Vickie made homemade rolls for dinner. We didn't leave her house until almost 9pm and even though we didn't get home until 10...four hours later than planned, we were much happier after stopping in to visit Vickie.
The rest of the weekend has been pretty relaxing. Roger decided to start a new mini-project and is installing wainscoting in our hallway. It looks great! Next weekend, I'll be painting the hall and the kitchen. Fun times.
I still haven't made the practice cake, but Vickie volunteered to help me and I'm not as stressed out about it now. I have to go back to Reno on Tuesday night so that our new commander can tour the project site. To be honest, I'm not really looking forward to it. The tour is scheduled to last until 3 on Wednesday and will probably go longer. It will be a long day. The positive (I've promised to find one positive in every negative) is that, though the day will be long, the week will go by fast since I'll be spending half of it outside the office.
Till next time.....
Thursday, August 12, 2010
More Procrastination
I keep telling myself that I'm going to make a cake so that I can practice using fondant. I have boxed cake mixes waiting to be baked...as a side note, I do not like to eat food out of boxes, but for a practice cake when I'm on a diet, it's good enough. Roger has no problem eating food out boxes...or spam...yuck!
Anyway, I was so tired by the time I left work, I knew there was no way I was going to get to it. Instead, I called a friend of mine and had her convince me that it's not too hard. She sent me a recipe, but also let me know where I can buy it.
Roger had worked all day too, but he still found the time and energy to install an outdoor ceiling fan on our back patio, and run the electrical to make it work! (We cleaned out our junk drawer this weekend and found a Home Depot gift card that still had $50 on it!) I made some left-overs for dinner and we had a nice meal together.
After dinner, Kaelyn was a little cranky. It was only because she wanted constant attention. A mood she gets in every now and then and if she notices Roger and I talking to each other instead of her, she cries. It's something I'm trying to break her of. She's very social, but she needs to learn that she can't always be the center of attention. Anyway, I decided to play with her a little bit on the floor...which is usually enough for her to get distracted with a toy and allow Roger and I to finish our thoughts.
Our neighbors ended up coming over for a visit though. Their 3 year old was riding her bike with her dad and apparently told him that she wanted to talk to us, so they came over...followed by her mom and 7 week old brother. So, Kaelyn got to be the center of attention after all! Katie (the 3 year old) went through a book I have on our counter called "Cupcake Fun" and was showing Kaelyn the pictures and describing them to her.
After that, we went out front (not sure why) and talked quit a bit in the front yard. Our neighbors gave us a little toy to borrow for Kaelyn. It is supposed to give her something to hold on to as she helps pull herself up, which is something she's getting better at...but she doesn't have anything really that she can get a good grip on. This should help.
I had a sweet moment with her then...she saw the toy and I pointed to it and said "look Kae, isn't that nice!" She got super excited at that moment and turned to me, grabbed my cheeks and planted a big kiss on them before she turned back around to reach for this toy.
By the time we all went inside, it was past Kaelyn's bath time. I gave her a quick one then put her to bed. She was out immediately and Roger and I got a few moments to relax together...maybe 30 minutes.
Tonight, I'm headed back up to Reno for a board meeting tomorrow morning. This time Roger and Kaelyn are coming too!
Anyway, I was so tired by the time I left work, I knew there was no way I was going to get to it. Instead, I called a friend of mine and had her convince me that it's not too hard. She sent me a recipe, but also let me know where I can buy it.
Roger had worked all day too, but he still found the time and energy to install an outdoor ceiling fan on our back patio, and run the electrical to make it work! (We cleaned out our junk drawer this weekend and found a Home Depot gift card that still had $50 on it!) I made some left-overs for dinner and we had a nice meal together.
After dinner, Kaelyn was a little cranky. It was only because she wanted constant attention. A mood she gets in every now and then and if she notices Roger and I talking to each other instead of her, she cries. It's something I'm trying to break her of. She's very social, but she needs to learn that she can't always be the center of attention. Anyway, I decided to play with her a little bit on the floor...which is usually enough for her to get distracted with a toy and allow Roger and I to finish our thoughts.
Our neighbors ended up coming over for a visit though. Their 3 year old was riding her bike with her dad and apparently told him that she wanted to talk to us, so they came over...followed by her mom and 7 week old brother. So, Kaelyn got to be the center of attention after all! Katie (the 3 year old) went through a book I have on our counter called "Cupcake Fun" and was showing Kaelyn the pictures and describing them to her.
After that, we went out front (not sure why) and talked quit a bit in the front yard. Our neighbors gave us a little toy to borrow for Kaelyn. It is supposed to give her something to hold on to as she helps pull herself up, which is something she's getting better at...but she doesn't have anything really that she can get a good grip on. This should help.
I had a sweet moment with her then...she saw the toy and I pointed to it and said "look Kae, isn't that nice!" She got super excited at that moment and turned to me, grabbed my cheeks and planted a big kiss on them before she turned back around to reach for this toy.
By the time we all went inside, it was past Kaelyn's bath time. I gave her a quick one then put her to bed. She was out immediately and Roger and I got a few moments to relax together...maybe 30 minutes.
Tonight, I'm headed back up to Reno for a board meeting tomorrow morning. This time Roger and Kaelyn are coming too!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Procastination
The only reason why I'm writing today is because I'm procrastinating from what I'm really supposed to be doing...baking a practice cake. Actually, the cake part is no big deal. What I need practice on is the decorating. I bought ingredients to make a marshmallow fondant yesterday. I've never worked with fondant but think it's my best bet to make something pretty. I told myself that I would bake the cake and make the fondant yesterday, but I didn't. I'm supposed to be doing it today, but I'm not.
Our vacuum cleaner isn't working. I discovered this yesterday morning as I started vacuuming our very heavily traveled hallway. Roger took a look and discovered it needs a new belt. Home Depot and Walmart are both busts for having the right one, so we decided to just order one online. Well, it's $3.95 for a belt...and it's $3.95 to ship it. Ridiculous. We'll try Target today, then if they don't have it, I'll look for a vacuum store to see if I can get it. Of course, now I irrationally think that the whole house needs vacuuming and it's driving me crazy that I can't vacuum. The Rumba isn't good enough. Roger says I'm seeing things. I swear I'm not!
To procrastinate making the cake yesterday, I did a lot of cooking. I made a shrimp and mango salsa salad that Roger won't eat because it's "weird diet food". It's very delicious and I'm happy that I don't have to worry about him eating it all when I want to eat it all. For dinner we had almond crusted pork chops that aren't as unhealthy as they sound. And because I felt guilty about the cake, I baked home made crescent rolls for Roger...so proud of myself for not eating any! Instead I stuffed myself on steamed green beans. Yum! Tonight, we're eating French Onion Soup which is good enough for Roger and I can make healthy enough for me. I'm actually excited about it. Easy, delicious goodness.
I'm also in the midst of making up a new recipe for salmon. I'll test it out sometime this week. I already know I'm going to need the stress relief. If ever there is a good thing about not baking is that I more than make up for it in cooking.
I hear Kaelyn waking up for her nap, so I'll go for now. Maybe Roger will make us some breakfast!
Our vacuum cleaner isn't working. I discovered this yesterday morning as I started vacuuming our very heavily traveled hallway. Roger took a look and discovered it needs a new belt. Home Depot and Walmart are both busts for having the right one, so we decided to just order one online. Well, it's $3.95 for a belt...and it's $3.95 to ship it. Ridiculous. We'll try Target today, then if they don't have it, I'll look for a vacuum store to see if I can get it. Of course, now I irrationally think that the whole house needs vacuuming and it's driving me crazy that I can't vacuum. The Rumba isn't good enough. Roger says I'm seeing things. I swear I'm not!
To procrastinate making the cake yesterday, I did a lot of cooking. I made a shrimp and mango salsa salad that Roger won't eat because it's "weird diet food". It's very delicious and I'm happy that I don't have to worry about him eating it all when I want to eat it all. For dinner we had almond crusted pork chops that aren't as unhealthy as they sound. And because I felt guilty about the cake, I baked home made crescent rolls for Roger...so proud of myself for not eating any! Instead I stuffed myself on steamed green beans. Yum! Tonight, we're eating French Onion Soup which is good enough for Roger and I can make healthy enough for me. I'm actually excited about it. Easy, delicious goodness.
I'm also in the midst of making up a new recipe for salmon. I'll test it out sometime this week. I already know I'm going to need the stress relief. If ever there is a good thing about not baking is that I more than make up for it in cooking.
I hear Kaelyn waking up for her nap, so I'll go for now. Maybe Roger will make us some breakfast!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Nothing to write about
I don't really have anything interesting to write about, but for some reason, I feel like I should...
I made it through the work week. I don't want to get into details. It was actually a very good thing I was doing, but it was mentally exhausting. I was ecstatic Friday afternoon when I finally got home! It's not over though. Pretty much all of August is going to be this way. But when we (my team and I) get through, things will feel so much better.
Parenting.com continues to harass me with cake baking emails. This makes me so angry, but I'm convinced now that I'll make Kaelyn's birthday cake. It's like one of those things that you know, ahead of time, is a really bad idea, but you go ahead and do it anyway. Most people that know me are trying to talk me out of it. Not because they think I'll make a bad cake, but because they know I'll go insane and turn into a crazy she-bat when I decorate it. People that don't know me think that I'll have so much fun, I'll bake cakes all the time...hah!
I woke up around 4:30 this morning...maybe a little later, because I had already turned off the alarm and gone back to sleep. But I thought I heard a noise outside. Actually, I'm sure I did. It sounded like someone was rapping on the glass doors that lead from our bedroom to the backyard. I woke Roger up and told him and he got up and checked and there was nothing there. The cat was by the door...he thought there was another cat outside. Totally possible, I guess. We were both wide awake by then, so Roger got us coffee and we watched TV until Kaelyn woke up. Once she was fed, I went back to sleep and didn't get up until 8:30! To some people that may still be early, but to me it's like eternity.
Right now, I have a small reprieve in my day. Kaelyn is napping and Roger went to Home Depot. Our back splash is done, the house is clean and I truly feel like I can relax! We're not doing much this weekend...we're both just so tired and are craving some quiet time. Tonight after dinner, our plan is take Kaelyn to the sports park across the street and check out the playground. There's no point going any earlier since it's still hot outside and there's a little league tournament happening. We'll wait until it's both cooler and quieter.
I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting during lunch on Tuesday. I'm glad it's only half an hour. I hate getting on the scale, but I've done good so far this week. It's not hard. When I'm tempted to eat something I shouldn't, I just think about having to get on the scale again next week and it's all the motivation I need to resist. Bye bye baby weight!
I made it through the work week. I don't want to get into details. It was actually a very good thing I was doing, but it was mentally exhausting. I was ecstatic Friday afternoon when I finally got home! It's not over though. Pretty much all of August is going to be this way. But when we (my team and I) get through, things will feel so much better.
Parenting.com continues to harass me with cake baking emails. This makes me so angry, but I'm convinced now that I'll make Kaelyn's birthday cake. It's like one of those things that you know, ahead of time, is a really bad idea, but you go ahead and do it anyway. Most people that know me are trying to talk me out of it. Not because they think I'll make a bad cake, but because they know I'll go insane and turn into a crazy she-bat when I decorate it. People that don't know me think that I'll have so much fun, I'll bake cakes all the time...hah!
I woke up around 4:30 this morning...maybe a little later, because I had already turned off the alarm and gone back to sleep. But I thought I heard a noise outside. Actually, I'm sure I did. It sounded like someone was rapping on the glass doors that lead from our bedroom to the backyard. I woke Roger up and told him and he got up and checked and there was nothing there. The cat was by the door...he thought there was another cat outside. Totally possible, I guess. We were both wide awake by then, so Roger got us coffee and we watched TV until Kaelyn woke up. Once she was fed, I went back to sleep and didn't get up until 8:30! To some people that may still be early, but to me it's like eternity.
Right now, I have a small reprieve in my day. Kaelyn is napping and Roger went to Home Depot. Our back splash is done, the house is clean and I truly feel like I can relax! We're not doing much this weekend...we're both just so tired and are craving some quiet time. Tonight after dinner, our plan is take Kaelyn to the sports park across the street and check out the playground. There's no point going any earlier since it's still hot outside and there's a little league tournament happening. We'll wait until it's both cooler and quieter.
I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting during lunch on Tuesday. I'm glad it's only half an hour. I hate getting on the scale, but I've done good so far this week. It's not hard. When I'm tempted to eat something I shouldn't, I just think about having to get on the scale again next week and it's all the motivation I need to resist. Bye bye baby weight!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Baking Guilt
I often tell people that I can’t bake. This is a lie. I can bake. But, I hate it. Saying that I’m no good at it is much easier than saying that I don’t want to make hand-made rolls for Thanksgiving, bake Christmas cookies, or help with any and all bake sale type fundraisers.
I do a decent enough job at making myself feel guilty for not ever wanting to bake that I just don’t need the added pressure of others helping me along. So I lie.
There are several reasons why I hate baking:
1. Following Directions – you have to follow directions to bake. I don’t like being told what to do. Ever. A cookbook telling me what to do is just as bad as a person. Cooking is different…no directions are needed for cooking. I use cookbooks as guidelines and then often decide I know better than whoever wrote the recipe and do my own thing. This does not work with baking.
2. Measuring – I’m anti-measuring. I have all sort of measuring devices in my kitchen, but I prefer not to use them. I would rather poke myself in the eye with a toothpick than measure things. This might have something to do with my intense dislike for my 8th grade science lab teacher. She was the devil who used measuring as a way to torture kids.
3. Flour – Flour is the enemy! It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, if flour is involved, I will manage to get it everywhere. All over my clothes, the countertops, the floor. I swear, after I use flour, I spend months cleaning it up. It’s like it falls on the floor, rolls into a corner and breeds. This isn’t specific to baking…this happens to me when I’m making pasta, flouring chicken, or thickening a soup…but it’s so much worse with baking. It seems that adding baking powder to flour activates it and makes it jump out of the bowl and into my hair.
Roger often requests that I bake things and because I love him, I do it. (Not always, but enough for me to use it as leverage to get him to make a frozen yogurt run). He says that, with practice, I’ll get better at baking and enjoy it more. Until they make flour that measures itself and stays in the bowl, I don’t really see that happening.
Even though I lie about being bad at baking, there is something that I do tell the truth about. Decorating baked things. I’m truly bad at this. I’m not creative, not artistic and don’t have a steady hand at all when it comes to making little flowers with icing. So, even when I manage to bake something, DO NOT EVER ask me to make it look pretty. This will make me take the toothpick out of my eye and poke you instead.
I don’t plan on baking for school bake sales. I feel like I can bond with Kaelyn just as easily by taking her to a bakery and then out for ice cream, as I can by having her help me make cupcakes. As a matter of fact, going to the bakery will make us bond better, because bakeries don’t make me want to hurt people. Not emotionally scarring my child for life sounds like a much better choice than having us suffer through baking things.
…………..
The other day I got an email newsletter from parenting.com. They thought it would be a good idea to remind me that Kaelyn will be turning one soon. I read the mail when I was already stressed out, choosing to take a short break and read email before getting back to the task at hand.
Big mistake.
Being told my baby is growing up and that much closer to leaving me makes me cry. This newsletter did nothing to make me feel good. It said something like, “There is no more special day than your baby’s first birthday, and we thought we’d give you these 61 easy cake recipes and decorating ideas. No more excuses not to make something totally cute and fun for your little bundle of joy’s big day!” (Those weren’t the exact words, but the gist of the smothering of guilt is accurately represented).
I threw up.
Great. Now the computer is making me feel guilty. The thing is, I already considered Kaelyn’s birthday and I decided that I wasn’t going to bake her a cake. That all of us would be much happier if I just went to the store and ordered one instead. Actually, two. I was going to get the really yummy cheesecake with all the fruit on top for me, Roger, and whoever else happens to be around, and one of those tiny, single serving chocolate cakes for Kaelyn. I imagined putting the little #1 candle on top of it and then just letting her have at it. One cake all to herself. Her first taste of chocolate and sugar. Letting her be as messy as she wanted.
Those dreams have been slashed.
Now, I feel like I have to make her a stupid cake…and make it look pretty. I still want her to have her own cake…which basically means that I have to go buy little tiny baking pans and figure out how to reduce a full size recipe. It means that I might have to make two cakes (one normal size). And please, please, please, for your sake and mine, do not suggest that I make cupcakes instead. I WILL kill you.
There are only 7 weeks until Kaelyn’s first birthday. I have 7 weeks to ready myself for battle. I must bake the cake(s). I must decorate the cake(s). I must not let my intense hate for these activities alter my mood on my baby’s birthday. Her turning one is traumatic enough….now, I have parenting.com trying to make the day even more traumatic (dramatic?). Thank you parenting.com, for showing me what a horrible mother I am and making me a better person. Truly. I will be forever grateful.
I need more toothpicks.
..........................
UPDATE: Last night, I told Roger that I wanted to make Kaelyn's birthday cake. Here's how well my husband knows me:
Him: "Will this make you yell at me?"
Me: "Yes, I think it will"
Bless him!
I do a decent enough job at making myself feel guilty for not ever wanting to bake that I just don’t need the added pressure of others helping me along. So I lie.
There are several reasons why I hate baking:
1. Following Directions – you have to follow directions to bake. I don’t like being told what to do. Ever. A cookbook telling me what to do is just as bad as a person. Cooking is different…no directions are needed for cooking. I use cookbooks as guidelines and then often decide I know better than whoever wrote the recipe and do my own thing. This does not work with baking.
2. Measuring – I’m anti-measuring. I have all sort of measuring devices in my kitchen, but I prefer not to use them. I would rather poke myself in the eye with a toothpick than measure things. This might have something to do with my intense dislike for my 8th grade science lab teacher. She was the devil who used measuring as a way to torture kids.
3. Flour – Flour is the enemy! It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, if flour is involved, I will manage to get it everywhere. All over my clothes, the countertops, the floor. I swear, after I use flour, I spend months cleaning it up. It’s like it falls on the floor, rolls into a corner and breeds. This isn’t specific to baking…this happens to me when I’m making pasta, flouring chicken, or thickening a soup…but it’s so much worse with baking. It seems that adding baking powder to flour activates it and makes it jump out of the bowl and into my hair.
Roger often requests that I bake things and because I love him, I do it. (Not always, but enough for me to use it as leverage to get him to make a frozen yogurt run). He says that, with practice, I’ll get better at baking and enjoy it more. Until they make flour that measures itself and stays in the bowl, I don’t really see that happening.
Even though I lie about being bad at baking, there is something that I do tell the truth about. Decorating baked things. I’m truly bad at this. I’m not creative, not artistic and don’t have a steady hand at all when it comes to making little flowers with icing. So, even when I manage to bake something, DO NOT EVER ask me to make it look pretty. This will make me take the toothpick out of my eye and poke you instead.
I don’t plan on baking for school bake sales. I feel like I can bond with Kaelyn just as easily by taking her to a bakery and then out for ice cream, as I can by having her help me make cupcakes. As a matter of fact, going to the bakery will make us bond better, because bakeries don’t make me want to hurt people. Not emotionally scarring my child for life sounds like a much better choice than having us suffer through baking things.
…………..
The other day I got an email newsletter from parenting.com. They thought it would be a good idea to remind me that Kaelyn will be turning one soon. I read the mail when I was already stressed out, choosing to take a short break and read email before getting back to the task at hand.
Big mistake.
Being told my baby is growing up and that much closer to leaving me makes me cry. This newsletter did nothing to make me feel good. It said something like, “There is no more special day than your baby’s first birthday, and we thought we’d give you these 61 easy cake recipes and decorating ideas. No more excuses not to make something totally cute and fun for your little bundle of joy’s big day!” (Those weren’t the exact words, but the gist of the smothering of guilt is accurately represented).
I threw up.
Great. Now the computer is making me feel guilty. The thing is, I already considered Kaelyn’s birthday and I decided that I wasn’t going to bake her a cake. That all of us would be much happier if I just went to the store and ordered one instead. Actually, two. I was going to get the really yummy cheesecake with all the fruit on top for me, Roger, and whoever else happens to be around, and one of those tiny, single serving chocolate cakes for Kaelyn. I imagined putting the little #1 candle on top of it and then just letting her have at it. One cake all to herself. Her first taste of chocolate and sugar. Letting her be as messy as she wanted.
Those dreams have been slashed.
Now, I feel like I have to make her a stupid cake…and make it look pretty. I still want her to have her own cake…which basically means that I have to go buy little tiny baking pans and figure out how to reduce a full size recipe. It means that I might have to make two cakes (one normal size). And please, please, please, for your sake and mine, do not suggest that I make cupcakes instead. I WILL kill you.
There are only 7 weeks until Kaelyn’s first birthday. I have 7 weeks to ready myself for battle. I must bake the cake(s). I must decorate the cake(s). I must not let my intense hate for these activities alter my mood on my baby’s birthday. Her turning one is traumatic enough….now, I have parenting.com trying to make the day even more traumatic (dramatic?). Thank you parenting.com, for showing me what a horrible mother I am and making me a better person. Truly. I will be forever grateful.
I need more toothpicks.
..........................
UPDATE: Last night, I told Roger that I wanted to make Kaelyn's birthday cake. Here's how well my husband knows me:
Him: "Will this make you yell at me?"
Me: "Yes, I think it will"
Bless him!
A Backsplash and a Milestone
We got home late Saturday night…close to midnight. The fair was a blast…the five and half hours we spent there went by in a flash. Kaelyn was so excited to see the bright flashing lights and get all the attention from random vendors and patrons, that getting her to sleep was nearly impossible. Because she missed two naps (didn’t sleep for more than 15 minutes after the West Point party), I was certain that she would fall asleep on the way home and be completely out of it by the time we arrived.
Wrong.
She was still wide awake. So much so, that I accused Roger of sneaking her some funnel cake and sugar. He denied it. (I don’t believe him). Luckily, she didn’t put up a fuss when we finally got her in bed and I passed out about 30 seconds later (and wouldn’t have heard her if she did).
I didn’t expect to do much of anything on Sunday. Kaelyn gave us an extra, extremely blissful, hour of sleep in the morning and as I was feeding her, I thought…”I’ll do nothing, today. That sounds so good.” So, imagine my surprise, when during breakfast, I turn to Roger and say “After you get back from collecting rent, we should go to Lowe’s and get tile for a backsplash.”
I don’t know what made me say that. I’ve said similar things for years. When we expanded our kitchen I said, “We might as well install a backsplash while we’re working in here.” When we tiled the fireplace in the backyard, “Since you’re tiling, we should just go into the kitchen and put up a backsplash.” As he’s been working on a kitchen remodel at work, “If you need more practice with tiling, you can put up a backsplash in our kitchen first” Any of the million times we’re walking through Home Depot or Lowes, “Hey, let’s go look at the tile…we need a backsplash.”
So maybe Roger just got tired of me asking, maybe he was bored, or maybe he just finally got the hint , but he surprised the heck out of me when he just kind of shrugged his shoulders and said “Sure, why not? But you have to make me orange chicken just like at PF Chang’s for dinner.” Deal! How come I never thought of bribing him with orange chicken before?
Fast forward a little bit, the backsplash is looking great! The chicken was delicious and we should have a completed backsplash, grout and all, by Tuesday night!
……………………………….
While Roger was out collecting rent, I decided to clean out Kaelyn’s closet to make room for her shelves. I wanted to bring the table and chairs inside…the set is way too beautiful to be sitting in our garage and the shelves were just in the way. I had Kaelyn playing in her crib while I was working, but she was so interested in what I was doing, that she didn’t play at all…just watched me intently. I would look over at her every so often to make sure she was ok and noticed several times that she was straining to see over the top railing. Moments later, she had pulled herself up to standing position! She’s been standing for a while now, but this was the first time I noticed her pull herself up. And of course, once again, I didn’t have the camera to record it. I suck at foretelling the future…even though I did manage to get nightmarish glimpses of her trying to climb over the railing and falling on out of her crib. Roger lowered the mattress to make that less possible and I felt a little better.
Funny how the joys of watching your baby learn something new is quickly replaced with the paralyzing fear that this skill will somehow manage to kill her.
Roger thinks I’m crazy.
He’s probably right.
Wrong.
She was still wide awake. So much so, that I accused Roger of sneaking her some funnel cake and sugar. He denied it. (I don’t believe him). Luckily, she didn’t put up a fuss when we finally got her in bed and I passed out about 30 seconds later (and wouldn’t have heard her if she did).
I didn’t expect to do much of anything on Sunday. Kaelyn gave us an extra, extremely blissful, hour of sleep in the morning and as I was feeding her, I thought…”I’ll do nothing, today. That sounds so good.” So, imagine my surprise, when during breakfast, I turn to Roger and say “After you get back from collecting rent, we should go to Lowe’s and get tile for a backsplash.”
I don’t know what made me say that. I’ve said similar things for years. When we expanded our kitchen I said, “We might as well install a backsplash while we’re working in here.” When we tiled the fireplace in the backyard, “Since you’re tiling, we should just go into the kitchen and put up a backsplash.” As he’s been working on a kitchen remodel at work, “If you need more practice with tiling, you can put up a backsplash in our kitchen first” Any of the million times we’re walking through Home Depot or Lowes, “Hey, let’s go look at the tile…we need a backsplash.”
So maybe Roger just got tired of me asking, maybe he was bored, or maybe he just finally got the hint , but he surprised the heck out of me when he just kind of shrugged his shoulders and said “Sure, why not? But you have to make me orange chicken just like at PF Chang’s for dinner.” Deal! How come I never thought of bribing him with orange chicken before?
Fast forward a little bit, the backsplash is looking great! The chicken was delicious and we should have a completed backsplash, grout and all, by Tuesday night!
……………………………….
While Roger was out collecting rent, I decided to clean out Kaelyn’s closet to make room for her shelves. I wanted to bring the table and chairs inside…the set is way too beautiful to be sitting in our garage and the shelves were just in the way. I had Kaelyn playing in her crib while I was working, but she was so interested in what I was doing, that she didn’t play at all…just watched me intently. I would look over at her every so often to make sure she was ok and noticed several times that she was straining to see over the top railing. Moments later, she had pulled herself up to standing position! She’s been standing for a while now, but this was the first time I noticed her pull herself up. And of course, once again, I didn’t have the camera to record it. I suck at foretelling the future…even though I did manage to get nightmarish glimpses of her trying to climb over the railing and falling on out of her crib. Roger lowered the mattress to make that less possible and I felt a little better.
Funny how the joys of watching your baby learn something new is quickly replaced with the paralyzing fear that this skill will somehow manage to kill her.
Roger thinks I’m crazy.
He’s probably right.
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