The New Baby

She's beautiful and wonderful and everything we'd hoped!!!



After a very quick decision and an amazing deal, our new baby was brought home last night. The paperwork isn't finalized, but hopefully it will be tomorrow.

In case you're wondering, I've been drooling over Odysseys for several years now. And now I have one. Yay!!!

It struck me as funny the differences between my reactions and my husband's. I was worried about the color, the interior material (leather in this case), and the little convenience features, which this particular one has quite a few. I loved the remote door entry, the space, and the air unit that auto-controls to your desired temperature.

My husband got it on the freeway, gunned it, and was pleased at its response. He messed with the arrangement of the seats (many, many combinations) and kept walking away to see how far the remote locks and entry would work. And he tested the back storage space to make sure it had room for hubby storage:



So this beautiful creature is now sitting in my driveway, and paperwork pending we will be donating our Jeep to the church this week. Because when you get a deal like we got, it no longer matters whether or not you get money for your previous vehicle. So if you're in the Houston area and need a car, see Lurie at Sterling McCall Toyota. We couldn't have gotten an Odyssey without him!

Distracted

Another reminder why I never answer my cell when it's raining.

I'm a careful driver. Especially in the rain. I don't like tickets, I don't like accidents. I don't want them, I can't afford them. And I have absolutely no luck anyway. Every time I speed even a little bit, I get pulled over. My husband can drive thirty over and never get stopped. I drive seven over and not only get stopped, but get ticketed.

The fact that all of my cars before this one were front-wheel drive also have something to do with it. I haven't had a lot of occasion to drive in the rain. I believe that rain is a great excuse to curl up under a blanket, read books, and drink chai tea lattes. I only get out in the rain if I have to. Which is why I've owned the Jeep for three years or so and have only driven it in the rain a handful of times. It's rear-wheel drive, which is definitely a different experience in the rain than front-wheel.

This is why I'm exceedingly careful. I don't let myself get distracted. I don't answer my phone. I don't play with the kids. I don't do paperwork.

And I guess that has made me lose my tolerance for those that do. Yesterday a 4Runner was in front of me on the highway near my house. It was raining. And cold. And he was completely distracted. Even from a safe following distance I could see him on his cell phone, gesticulating wildly, while shuffling papers.

He didn't look up at the yellow light until the last second before an intersection, and slammed on his brakes (dumb). He skidded and slightly fishtailed to a halt in the middle of the intersection while the light was still yellow, causing everyone behind him to slow down suddenly as well (dumber). I wasn't so worried about me, I had started slowing down long before he did, and left him ample room to correct his mistake, but I was worried about the huge RV behind me. Thankfully, he seems to be a careful driver, too, and came to a stop well behind me. 4Runner puts on his reverse lights and backs up practically on top of me. He leaves his reverse lights on and continues to gesticulate into his cell phone. The RV driver and I were of one mind watching this guy, so the RV flashes his lights at me, letting me know it's okay to back up. I thought that was a splendid idea, so I did.

The light turns green, and the 4Runner guns it -- in reverse (dumbest). He screeches to a halt, puts it in drive, throws up his hands like the world is working against him (poor guy's too distracted to realize it's only himself), and drives on. I turn right and get out of his way. If I hadn't backed up, he would have hit me. But I guess that just goes to show that it pays to shut up and drive.

200th

On Saturday I planned a girl's night in with my friend Monica. Our plan was to pamper and in general just be girls for the evening. And what's more girly than beauty routines?

We had a lot planned, didn't get all of it done. We started by drinking an entire bottle of Reisling. I'm not kidding. It was protection. Because then we waxed our legs.

I had never done this before. It's not pleasant. What is pleasant, though, is seeing all those little hairs stuck to the wax and knowing they're not coming back for a while. My reaction to the first yank was similar to Mel's in What Women Want. There was some grunting in pain, and if I remember correctly, some obscenities.

This led to more protection in the form of the girliest drink ever invented. It was a pina colada with passion fruit-flavored rum and frozen mangoes and strawberries. Yeah, it was really girly. But the two shots of rum we had before drinking this warmed me up quite a bit.

We then did pedicures while watching Adventures in Babysitting, which was a nice break. And I plucked/shaped Monica's eyebrows while teetering over the edge of buzz into drunk. That was interesting. I didn't do much because I didn't want her to look permanently surprised. I told her I'd save the rest of the shaping for when we were sober. I'd hate for a great friend to be a victim of drunken plucking.

We didn't have time for the facials or doing our toes since it got so late (a lot of our time was spent drinking instead of beautifying). So I guess it's a good excuse to plan another girl's night in!



P.S. There is a luncheon tomorrow... and God willing by tomorrow afternoon my husband will be a Microsoft employee!

No real update yet. Sorry, but you'll just have to wait until we hear something first. Unless you have connections at this company. Then you'd better tell us!

For some reason lately I've had the hardest time waking up in the morning. I can't seem to get up and get moving. I know that I'm not really sleeping from about 6 AM on, since my husband's alarm goes off, and the kids start stirring when he showers. I drift in and out of sleep until around 7:30. But I'm planning my sleep around waking up at 7:30. Maybe I just need to go to bed earlier and plan to just get up at 6. Laying around doesn't help me wake up.

Seems like it's going to be a busy spring. I'm teaching Crown, going to a Bible study, getting some work done on the house, teaching, getting things going for Izzy's school in the fall, Time Out, homeschooling, possibly joining a book club, possibly joining a home group and starting one of my own (Bryan's starting one of his own, too). I'm sure there's other stuff I've committed to and I just can't think of it right now.

So if I don't answer the phone, don't take it personally. I'll get back to you as soon as possible. BEEEEEEEEP.

We'll see

Hubby's interview went well today, we should hear next week.

It would be so beyond cool if the answer is yes...

Rambling

My new favorite color is the sky when it's sprinkling and the sun is setting, a menagerie of purples and blues fading into pinks and oranges, a cheshire moon smiling above it all.

What is normal? Certainly not my life right now. We have the semblance of normalcy, but we tend to evade it wherever possible. Birthday party today, was great fun. Dinner with friends. But my poor daughter apparently didn't drink enough water, ate too much sugar, played too hard, and stayed up too late, ending up with what seems like a migraine in a 5-year old, causing her to scream uncontrollably while holding her head and throw up until she was dry-heaving.

Finally got to try a Wii, also great fun. Could be dangerous to my budget. Thankfully I'm too responsible to just run out and buy one.

The evening was cut short by the migraine, leaving us unsatisfied with the short amount of time we've had with friends we've missed terribly. Hopefully we'll be able to hang out again tomorrow, there was a slight probing for our plans, as if they would like to be included. That would restore the balance of normalcy, I think.

And the job situation... hmmm... I just don't know. Too much to think about, the timing is weird, too many options. What's best? It's like having to choose from three cards, trying to get the highest one, and only knowing how pretty they are on the outside, but not the face value of the actual card hiding underneath. It's tough to be in demand, to try to decide which is the best offer for our family. One that will satisfy our financial needs while creating a good family atmosphere. There is one that is definitely the most exciting, but is as of yet the least dependable for a definite offer... after all, he's been through two interviews and is only scheduled for a face-to-face, but hasn't been through it yet or been offered the position. The job of the breadwinner is no light matter, it affects so much.

Yep, definitely going up for prayer tomorrow. I need direction. We all need direction.

And I need a new book.

Taffy Pull

We have some decisions to make. Nothing bad, in fact it's all so wonderful that we're scratching our heads and wondering what we did to deserve it.

Bryan is suddenly a very highly desired specialist in his field, and has three companies that want him, including the one he's about two-thirds of the way through his two-week notice with. And we don't know which direction to go, we're being pulled a different way every time we talk about it.

So please... please just pray. We need some divine direction here, a big neon sign that says which company God wants him working for.

But it's a little exciting, knowing that with a few of them we could get bigger and better offers because they want to beat the competition for his employment.

The bug has not passed me up, be sure of that.

But while most others are cleaning and organizing, my particular strain of this New Year virus has attacked my to-do list. The one where completing things costs money.

So I've sent my shoes to be repaired, ordered a new Dvix remote (we lost ours), got Izzy's 5-year pictures taken. Next is a new belt and oil change for my Jeep. Then I get my clothes altered because it's so much less expensive to have them taken in than to buy a new wardrobe, and then I have tailored clothing. Which is cool beyond measure.

There's some more expensive things, but they'll have to wait. Despite cries of protest from my other half, my son really does need a toy box. The big Rubbermaid box serves no purpose other than making a mess as he throws the toys out. He is either looking for a specific toy that because of Murphy's law is buried at the bottom of the box, or he's upending it to use it as a stool to get into things he's not supposed to be in. Either way, the Rubbermaid has to die.

I've also got some big things planned for our home this year. Lord willing, we'll get a remodeled master bathroom (those that know about this are probably laughing with glee), new siding and a landscaped front yard.

My lessons are helping with this. My New Year's resolution is to stick to our budget, so we can get done the laundry list of things we need to before Izzy starts school in the fall. Because that's going to take... you guessed it... more money. Better get it done before then, or it might be wait-listed!

So I've compiled my list and I'm ready to begin attacking. Now I just need the strength to fight the battles ahead with the other half... who doesn't like to hire outside help. I seriously see no other way. So, on come the gloves.

Tired/Frustrated Makes for a Crabby Mommy

I'm tired of laundry. I'm tired of dishes. If I look at another mess on my floor, I will scream.

I need a break. I need girl time. I need to get away for a while. I need help around this house. I need a good book and a stiff drink. I need a hot shower, one I can stay in until we run out of hot water, without worrying that the kids will have burnt the house to the ground by the time I get out.

I need my son to take a nap. I need my daughter to get an attitude check. I need both of them to clean their rooms without me having to resort to threats. I need the dogs to quit peeing on my floor and scratching at the door to be let in.

I need a maid.

That's it. I've discovered the cure for all my ailments.

I need a maid.

It's funny how freeing that realization is. I'm back into teaching, I'm still not getting any help with the house or finances, and I'm about to start teaching Crown again. I'm making a huge effort to go to the gym three times a week so I will have something for myself, to make me feel better. I'd like to start scrapbooking again, and I've found a V-Group dedicated to paper arts that I'm thinking of joining.

I can't wait for church to switch to two services, so I can attend with my husband again instead of by myself. For now he can't wake up early enough to make it to first service to attend with me. I'm tired of worshipping alone and listening to the message without my husband's arm around my shoulders. I'm sick of fixing coffee for one.

I want my house fixed so I can feel like I live in a normal place. I want the work done and I want it done yesterday.

I want Time Out to start again. I need the time with other women who know what it means to be a Mom. The most underpaid and underappreciated job in the world. I swear sometimes my husband thinks I have it easy. To that, I have to laugh... a bit maniacally.

I'm going to go shower now, and though it won't be a long one, maybe it'll be the refresher I need to get me through the rest of the day.

And in the words of my favorite heroine... "After all, tomorrow is another day."

I can't just leave it like that, you know.

My hubby kinda-sorta bumped a guy on the way to the ER. Which made my New Year's SO much better, let me tell ya.

But today was okay. In true Monty Python fashion, it goht beh-er.

The wife of the guy he hit called this morning and said that there wasn't any damage, so happy new year, and she hoped our son was okay.

And he is. Turns out it was a horribly mutated (I exaggerate) diaper rash that had caused abrasions and blisters. That's why he was screaming and writhing uncontrollably. Because you know that's what I like paying the big-buck copays to hear (that's sarcasm). So my hubby brought home a cute but very loopy three-year-old on pain killers whose bottom had been buried under a sea of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. And is it really considered diaper rash when they don't wear diapers anymore??? Is it just a butt rash?

Ahhh... but then there's the sleep that only pain killers cause, meaning it's been kinda quiet today...

And we found out that the hubby's job will (probably) pay him the vacation time for this year... yay! I see check-marks on our goal list already.

And, as a compromise to the rat debate, we adopted Kai (k-eye). He is not a rat. Because we have three dogs that are forms of rodent terriers. Not a good idea. He is a budgie. Who we can hang very high to keep away from children and dogs. He's white with a sky-blue breast and tail. He's already beginning to adjust, and was chirping at me earlier. As much as I wanted a pet rat (that's not sarcasm), it'll just have to wait until our dogs have gone to their next life in doggy heaven.

So it wasn't all bad, it just seemed so at the time. Some good things came along, and some things were not as bad as they seemed. Just expensive.

Welcome to 2008

So it's one hour into the new year, and we've rung it in by discovering that I'm recovering from strep, and my husband just left with my son to go to the emergency room.

Yeah, great start.

Happy razzle-frackin' new year.