Yes, We're Greek!

Well, not really.  I'm half Greek, which makes Kae one quarter Greek...out of three of us, we don't even make one whole Greek person, but, we're Greek enough for other Greeks...and that's Greek enough for us!

Saturday evening, Roger, Kaelyn, Vickie and I went to the Greek Festival.  We had never been before and thought it would be fun to walk around the convention center, get our dinner, and be inundated with all things Greek.  It's funny to me how the vendors and other patrons reacted to us.  Sacramento has a huge Greek population...one that I never really integrated myself into.  Most of them were at this festival, it seemed.  The non-Greeks made up a much smaller population of people at the festival.  Anyway, most vendors would see us approach and be happy that we were willing to be taught about how great the Greek culture is.  They were so happy to see us and answer our questions and give us their food.  But, when we mentioned that I'm Greek, the joy was really there..."Oh!  You're Greek!!!  And the baby is Greek!!"  Greeks just love other Greeks.

While we were there, we met a very nice woman named Popi (the same name as my Grandmother) who made ceramic pottery.  Here work is absolutely beautiful and she was very happy to tell us all about it (well, as much as she could with her limited English and my even more limited Greek).  Roger decided to ask her to make me a completely enclosed ceramic paper towel holder...because I hate looking at the paper towels on the counter.  She had never made one, but was willing to try.  We described it to her, drew a sketch, and then decided to tell her that I'm Greek...that sealed the deal.  I can't wait for this piece!  And I love Roger more than anything for thinking of it!

We didn't stay too long..we were all tired, but we had a good time, a good meal, and felt it was worth the $3 it cost to get in.

Before the festival, I attended a bridal shower for a friend who's soon to be married (obviously).  This was a cooking themed shower and we even got to go back to a professional kitchen and make our own appetizers!  It was a lot of fun, but it added to a pretty full day, so I was very tired by the time we made it home and went to bed right away.

Yesterday was nice and relaxing.  We had originally thought that we would be taking a day trip.  Kaelyn woke up at 4am (of course), and when she went back to sleep, so did I.  We both got up at 8 (Roger was already awake) and had some breakfast (Kae's second helping).  We started doing some things around the house that needed done...laundry, dusting, etc.  By the time we were ready to get ready, it was lunch time and neither of us felt like taking any kind of long trip. 

Instead, we went to the Mediterranean market...which was an inspiration from the Greek festival.  We got a whole chicken to put on the rotisserie and some lamb chops....all of which we plan to cook today as a base for our meals this week.   Besides the lamb chops, I plan on making some soup with the extra pieces of lamb the butcher cut off the rack for us.

I'm happy to be sitting here, somewhat doing my Monday morning routine, but knowing that I have the day off...it makes this time even more relaxing.

Coffee is calling....so, for now, I'm off.

TGIF!

It's been a pretty stressful week.  I inherited a complicated project with a lot of not so great history at work.  We are turning it around and I get great satisfaction from that...the problem is, when you inherit a troubled project, there is usually a host of "challenging" people and personalities to go along with it.  This one is no exception.

It being a stressful week pretty much means that I bring my work personality home with me.  I hate doing this and usually use the drive home to decompress.  When I've had bad days at work, the short drive between home and my office usually isn't enough.  That means that at home, little things bother me and become a bigger deal than they really are.  This happened yesterday.  The bed was unmade, Kaelyn's clothes were dirty, there were dishes in the sink.  Nothing horrible, but those are the things that will really cause a funk when my mood is already bad.  In my single days, when the work mood followed me home, I would stay away from people.  Not go out with friends, not answer the phone...in other words, I could not subject my friends to my bad mood.  I don't have that luxury anymore.

Luckily, my beautiful, happy, smiling daughter melted the frustration away and we had a mellow night.

I'm so happy it's Friday!  I need the long weekend more than ever.  I have a wedding shower to go to tomorrow and Roger and I are planning on a taking a day trip somewhere on Sunday. 

We hired a property manager for the rental house yesterday.  I'm pretty happy about this because neither Roger nor I want to deal finding new tenants after our current ones move out at the end of the month.  I'm happy to pay someone to take care of things at the house for us.  But, this means that we'll likely not be renting the house furnished.  And that means that we have to go get our stuff out and have a garage sale.  I'm not looking forward to this at all, but it's necessary and it's good.  I have a feeling we'll be over there this weekend and next.  Add some more big stuff to an already full month!

I'm hoping that today, being the Friday before a long weekend, won't be as bad as yesterday.  Most people should be off and those at work will just be looking forward to being off...that hopefully means I can guarantee that I will be happy and relaxed when I come home and can start this great weekend off right!

September

I can't believe it's already September!  This year has gone by amazingly fast...I just want to slow down time.  How many people feel that way the first year of their child's life?

That year is almost over.  In three weeks, we'll be celebrating Kaelyn's birthday.  One.  I  can't believe it.  I swear she was born yesterday.  She has changed and grown so much over the course of this last year.

Traditionally, we have a lot that goes on this month.  The annual Virgo party (now, we actually have a Virgo to bring), my birthday, The Jazz and Blues Festival (we went the day before Kaelyn was born last year), getting ready for the fall/holiday season.  Now, we get to add our daughter's birthday to the mix.

I've always loved September.  Not because it's my birth month, but because it's the month of impending change.  The last month of summer, the start of the "work holiday" season, hints of fall just around the corner.  September is on the brink.  To me it holds the newness, freshness, and excitement of the impending season.  By the time the New Year rolls around, I'm usually grateful that the holiday season is over...life can be normal again...but in September, I'm excited for it.  I start thinking about Halloween costumes, parties, Thanksgiving feasts, Christmas shopping.   None of it stresses me out in September.  We get to kick off the excitement of fall with a couple of birthdays and road trips.  What could be better?

I'm looking forward to the upcoming long weekend.  I feel like I need.  Kaelyn has been sleeping better the last few days, which is nice.  I'm hoping to get some rest this weekend and we're hoping to take a family road trip one of the days.  I have a friend's wedding shower to go to, and lots of yummy food to cook.  Can't wait to officially kick off my favorite month of the year!

No Sleep and Finally Made a Cake

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...

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.

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.

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.

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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!

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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!