I have a little spending problem. I have had it for a long, long time, and while we are not exactly in dire financial straits, it would probably be a good idea for me to get ahold of myself already!
My hours have been cut drastically at work, which makes me very pissy, but since I am a wimp of the highest degree I haven't even bothered to try and find someplace new. I don't really feel like having to train a whole new set of people to worship my wealth of knowledge, and since I'd be new, I wouldn't really have that wealth of knowledge to begin with, and where does that leave us? Oh, yeah, still in retail hell.
I spend more than I make, fascilitated by my loving and indulgent husband, and I must. stop. now. So I have created sort of a diary/sticker chart wherein I log how many hours I work each day, and how much money I spent that day. And I get little plus-and-minus signs next to things. So, yesterday I brought my lunch (plus sign!) but I bought an iced coffee for $1.43 (minus sign) but we ate dinner at home (plus sign!) but I bought six Agatha Christie books on Ebay (only $5.75, but still, minus sign!)
You get the idea. I have the self control of a five year old.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Friday, June 24, 2005
Sleep Deprived
We took Leila to the doctor on Wednesday for the big one-year checkup. Her doctor looked like Einstein and patronized us in a way that made me feel a little homicidal.
We told him how Leila does not sleep, nay, barely thinks of sleeping, and he informed us that she has "trained" us (we are German Shepards, you know) to entertain her at night. Which, I don't know that beating her on the back really constitutes entertainment, but whatever. He then gave us a little routine to perform in the future which basically involves letting her (gasp!) cry it out. So I told him that was all well and good but she will cry until she throws up. At this point he informed us that with his third child, he told his wife to let the baby sleep in it.
...what?
"Sure, it stinks," he said, but at this point I had totally tuned him out. Let her sleep in her own vomit? Have you lost your everloving mind?! I may be a horrible mommy who didn't breastfeed and smacks Leila's bottom and yes, I get really, really irritated when she crawls inside the dishwasher but I really must draw the line at letting her sleep in a pool of rancid puke.
We told him how Leila does not sleep, nay, barely thinks of sleeping, and he informed us that she has "trained" us (we are German Shepards, you know) to entertain her at night. Which, I don't know that beating her on the back really constitutes entertainment, but whatever. He then gave us a little routine to perform in the future which basically involves letting her (gasp!) cry it out. So I told him that was all well and good but she will cry until she throws up. At this point he informed us that with his third child, he told his wife to let the baby sleep in it.
...what?
"Sure, it stinks," he said, but at this point I had totally tuned him out. Let her sleep in her own vomit? Have you lost your everloving mind?! I may be a horrible mommy who didn't breastfeed and smacks Leila's bottom and yes, I get really, really irritated when she crawls inside the dishwasher but I really must draw the line at letting her sleep in a pool of rancid puke.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Birthday Time
My child doesn't sleep through the night, but I love her anyway.
She sleeps for about three hours, and then wakes up crying inconsolably. The Husband is a good consoler-type, normally, but the more I "help" in the middle of the night the less he appreciates having to console. So I'm half-asleep and I hear the loudest "THUMP"s you can possibly imagine (the sound of him bea-- uh, patting her to dea-- I mean sleep, and then quiet, and he sneaks back into the bedroom, and then FIFTEEN GODFORSAKEN MINUTES LATER we both hear the squall to end all squalls. And then we kill ourselves. And so on for the remainder of the evening, until between three and five, when she sleeps, and then wakes us up with another scream.
At this point we are normally too tired to deal with the whole rocking-chair thing, and we just bring her in our tiny, tiny bed and sleep in ten-minute intervals until my alarm goes off.
And if you do not have children or you have children and infinite patience or if you are insane you are blabbing, "You have to sleep with the baby sleeps." Hey, sure, okay, I'll just shut off my brain and drop right off while she sleeps for like, I don't know, TEN MINUTES? Because here's the thing: If I am awake, and not getting anything constructive done, she will sleep for two hours. If I am sleeping, doing the dishes, scrapbooking, folding laundry, etc...she will sleep for approximately the amount of time it takes me to become immersed in my task, or, you know, almost asleep. And that's if I am home, which I am not four days a week, because I have a job so I remember how to act in polite society.
But I still love her. During the day she is the most cheerful, funny, exited, exuberant baby. She is the cutest thing in the world, except for when she whines. Or disobeys. Stuff like that. She is also whip-smart. Just when I think I've finally had it with her she will run over to me and clap her fat little hands and laugh right in my face, and I have to squeeze her, because she is so cute she's positively edible.
She is one year old today.
She sleeps for about three hours, and then wakes up crying inconsolably. The Husband is a good consoler-type, normally, but the more I "help" in the middle of the night the less he appreciates having to console. So I'm half-asleep and I hear the loudest "THUMP"s you can possibly imagine (the sound of him bea-- uh, patting her to dea-- I mean sleep, and then quiet, and he sneaks back into the bedroom, and then FIFTEEN GODFORSAKEN MINUTES LATER we both hear the squall to end all squalls. And then we kill ourselves. And so on for the remainder of the evening, until between three and five, when she sleeps, and then wakes us up with another scream.
At this point we are normally too tired to deal with the whole rocking-chair thing, and we just bring her in our tiny, tiny bed and sleep in ten-minute intervals until my alarm goes off.
And if you do not have children or you have children and infinite patience or if you are insane you are blabbing, "You have to sleep with the baby sleeps." Hey, sure, okay, I'll just shut off my brain and drop right off while she sleeps for like, I don't know, TEN MINUTES? Because here's the thing: If I am awake, and not getting anything constructive done, she will sleep for two hours. If I am sleeping, doing the dishes, scrapbooking, folding laundry, etc...she will sleep for approximately the amount of time it takes me to become immersed in my task, or, you know, almost asleep. And that's if I am home, which I am not four days a week, because I have a job so I remember how to act in polite society.
But I still love her. During the day she is the most cheerful, funny, exited, exuberant baby. She is the cutest thing in the world, except for when she whines. Or disobeys. Stuff like that. She is also whip-smart. Just when I think I've finally had it with her she will run over to me and clap her fat little hands and laugh right in my face, and I have to squeeze her, because she is so cute she's positively edible.
She is one year old today.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Best Pizza Recipe Ever!
You will need:
1 carton grape tomatoes, ripe
1 pizza crust
dash italian seasoning
dash garlic salt
1 large garlic clove
1 cup mozz. or cheddar cheese
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 package turkey pepperoni
On a large cutting board, mince the garlic. On top of the garlic, slice grape tomatoes. When finished, add dash of italian seasoning and garlic salt, and roughly chop the entire mixture again until well mixed but still chunky.
Sprinkle mixture over pizza crust, then cover with mozz. cheese. Layer mushrooms, then parm. cheese, then more mozz. End with pepperoni dusted with parm. cheese and crushed red peppers. Bake for eight to ten minutes at 450.
1 carton grape tomatoes, ripe
1 pizza crust
dash italian seasoning
dash garlic salt
1 large garlic clove
1 cup mozz. or cheddar cheese
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 package turkey pepperoni
On a large cutting board, mince the garlic. On top of the garlic, slice grape tomatoes. When finished, add dash of italian seasoning and garlic salt, and roughly chop the entire mixture again until well mixed but still chunky.
Sprinkle mixture over pizza crust, then cover with mozz. cheese. Layer mushrooms, then parm. cheese, then more mozz. End with pepperoni dusted with parm. cheese and crushed red peppers. Bake for eight to ten minutes at 450.
Book Buying Binge
You will soon discover that I am a shopaholic, though I am trying very, very hard to mend my ways. I am letting loose on one thing though--for the longest time I never bought books. I read so quickly that I tend to consider it a waste of money. (Yet I'll drop nearly five bucks for a few minutes of caramel macchiato-induced bliss.) But lately I've decided that classics or books by my favorite authors are worth it.
I also had the delusion that I would buy only hardcover books for Leila (who is currently a year old and obviously has no appreciation of the library I'm building for her) so that they would last and be beautiful...but I decided to follow my mom's example and just have as many books around as possible, and hope for the best. Some books, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, I plan on buying in hardcover, but I bought several paperbacks the other day, and here they are:
Lois Lowry: The Giver
Agatha Christie: After the Funeral (think I have read this one before under another title, as I've read most of her books, but can't remember who killed them, so it's fine!)
Louise Fitzhugh: Harriet the Spy
Katherine Paterson: Bridge to Terabithia
Jane Yolen: The Devil's Arithmetic (previous three are classics from my childhood, all affected me deeply)
M.T. Anderson: feed
John Connolly: Bad Men (terrifying)
Harlan Coben: Backspin (although his novels are all remarkably similar, they're hilarious and touching)
Let's just not mention the five glossy magazines I read while at B&N yesterday. Pure trash, but I loved every moment of it.
I also had the delusion that I would buy only hardcover books for Leila (who is currently a year old and obviously has no appreciation of the library I'm building for her) so that they would last and be beautiful...but I decided to follow my mom's example and just have as many books around as possible, and hope for the best. Some books, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, I plan on buying in hardcover, but I bought several paperbacks the other day, and here they are:
Lois Lowry: The Giver
Agatha Christie: After the Funeral (think I have read this one before under another title, as I've read most of her books, but can't remember who killed them, so it's fine!)
Louise Fitzhugh: Harriet the Spy
Katherine Paterson: Bridge to Terabithia
Jane Yolen: The Devil's Arithmetic (previous three are classics from my childhood, all affected me deeply)
M.T. Anderson: feed
John Connolly: Bad Men (terrifying)
Harlan Coben: Backspin (although his novels are all remarkably similar, they're hilarious and touching)
Let's just not mention the five glossy magazines I read while at B&N yesterday. Pure trash, but I loved every moment of it.
Entry the First.
I was always one of those kids who started out with a shiny new journal, scribbled maybe five entries, and then forgot about the damn thing. I have the same problem with my blogs. I create a lovely username. I put a few thoughtful posts in. And then...nothing. I get busy. I forget the password or username (or both) and then say, "Screw it."
In addition to all of that senility, I have trouble finding a blogging style. I feel like it needs to be profound or funny or deeply interesting, and I'm really none of those things.
All I'm saying is, don't get attached, but I am going to try my damndest to keep up with this one, and chronicle my new adventures in...adulthood. Being a stay-at-home Mom, budgeting, cooking, dealing with in-laws from Hell, and of course, filling you in on the loveliest places to shop, eat, and see in this here lovely town.
DC, that is.
In addition to all of that senility, I have trouble finding a blogging style. I feel like it needs to be profound or funny or deeply interesting, and I'm really none of those things.
All I'm saying is, don't get attached, but I am going to try my damndest to keep up with this one, and chronicle my new adventures in...adulthood. Being a stay-at-home Mom, budgeting, cooking, dealing with in-laws from Hell, and of course, filling you in on the loveliest places to shop, eat, and see in this here lovely town.
DC, that is.
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