Easter

Happy Easter!

OK, OK, I know I'm very behind.  So I've at least uploaded everything, I'll make this a quick one, and maybe there is a chance that I'll get some posts out this week.  We had a wonderful time with lots of family visiting (separate post) and my parents have been in town helping out, since Robby's daycare was closed on Good Friday, and we're going crazy prepping the house for sale.  

Robby really was angelic today.  He woke up, found his basket, and ate WAY too much candy.

My mother spent the morning hemming the pants on an Easter outfit she had found for Robby.  I feel like a bit of a failure, as so many things just aren't on my radar right now.  I'm hoping that one of these days I start to feel a bit more accustomed to the routine.

At church, he got very nervous, and cuddled for a good 1/2 of the service before he ever needed books, food, or walks outside.  I count that as a win.

After church, we headed straight to brunch, which was delicious, and he ate his own omelet.  The rest of us over-indulged, as well.

Robby did a surprisingly good job with the Easter bunny, happily getting a piece of chocolate, and giving a high five.  No freak outs.  Of course, we didn't attempt a better picture than this:

 

We got home, Robby actually napped, my husband and father seemed to do a bit better with their respective illnesses, and we got a few crazy chores (like cleaning out the attic) crossed off the list.

Successful day!  See Robby's newest truck from his grandparents below.  He's fairly obsessed and is walking around mumbling "logging truck" pretty much 24/7 at the moment. 

 And one last moment of cutest before I run.  I'll be back!  I promise!

She was CRAZY

Ok, no she wasn't.  Kat was exactly the person I thought she was, which is a very good thing!  It only even took her about 5 minutes to send a text to her husband telling him I wasn't a serial killer, either.  Glad I make a good first impression, but really?  I could've faked it for 5 minutes, right?  (Note: I'm NOT a serial killer.)

I took zero pictures, so that's not going to help you at all, but we went to a delicious wine bar/tapas place that seems a bit like a speak-easy because the door is impossible to find.  We shared 4, would've had more, but had to run to "catch" my train.  Which I missed.  So I bought another ticket for a local train which ended up putting me on with a fairly scary homeless man who kept yelling at all of us that got back to NYC at 11:00 pm.  I then had to catch a subway to get me closer to my hotel, then walk about 6 blocks by myself at night.  The good news is that serial killers generally didn't seem to be roaming the streets yesterday, and I made it home just fine.  Obviously, there is much more to say, but...shock of all shocks, I don't have time.  I just wanted to reassure everyone I was alive and well.   

Send Out the Search Team

Just in case something happens, I thought I'd put out an all points bulletin.  Tonight I'm meeting up with the one and only Kat from Living Like the Kings.  You'd think we'd have met previously, since we've stalked each other for years, but...nope.  Did you know she knew I was pregnant 10 minutes after I told my husband?  Yup.  First non-husband person.  And now I get to find out if she's really a serial killer.  So, y'know, just saying.  If you don't hear from me for weeks...wait, no, that'd be normal. 

Books Read in January

Progress toward my 20-book goal was much stronger than I anticipated.  By January 10th, I was through 3.5 books, though I'm not sure I'm counting Hunger Games, as I had read it before.  By the end of the month, I had read 6.  I may have to up the goal!  Here's what I thought of them.

1984 by George Orwell

Rating: ***

I know, I know, it's a classic.  And most people read it in high school, but I never did.  I picked it up off of my parents' bookshelves over Thanksgiving, and started it shortly before Christmas.  So, this may be cheating a little bit.  I FLEW through the first half of the book.  I absolutely loved it.  Recommended it to too many people.  Then, I hit the second half.

The premise is fairly popular at the moment.  It's a distopian society of the "future" (it was written in 1949) where people's lives are controlled to an unbelievable extent.  In fact, the term "Big Brother" was originated in the book.  The premise, character development, and initial pace drew me in.  However, the second half becomes very philosophical and preachy.  Those last 100 pages or so absolutely dragged.  If you can let yourself read 1/2 a book, do so.  I'm not one of those people.  It ends exactly the way you expect it to by the time the lecturing starts.  Do yourself a favor and stop then.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Rating:*****

OK, I liked this book way too much, and I never would have picked it up myself.  My husband gave it to me for Christmas.  You know what the best indicator is?  I want to go find an actual biography of Abraham Lincoln to figure out exactly how much of it was true.  It seemingly is incredibly well researched, and then twisted.  This is by the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I may have to now find and read.  This is an entertaining, fast read.  Though, now my grasp on reality will forever be a little off.  

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

Rating:**** 

I gave this book 4 stars, but I'm honestly a little torn.  I thought it was heavy handed and sacrilegious.  But, of course, I think it was intended to be exactly that.  In THIS distopian society (you may notice a theme in what I read yet), criminals are punished through "melachroming" or the tinting of their skin according to their particular crime.  As this is a modern take on The Scarlet Letter (which, now I need to re-read), the protagonist, Hannah, is guilty of adultery and having an abortion.  Essentially, this is supposedly the near future where the far-right has taken control and implemented stringent religious controls on the population.  The author quite clearly does not share those views.  For the most part, what was intriguing was the character's inner torment, but I thought that the need to eventually quickly trample through every moral premise became tiresome and unnecessary.  Be forewarned that there are graphic scenes in the book.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I actually re-read all three of these.  I like them a lot, but I fly through them.

Which, means my total as of the end of January was 6.  I slowed down after that and am currently in the middle of 3.  (19Q4, The Alchemest [re-reading], and Portrait of a Lady)  The only one I read in February was Catherine the Great.  I think.  Honestly don't remember.  That one was fantastic, though.

Working in Another State

At work in NYC I have this picture directly under my computer monitor, and will often stop, sigh, maybe grin.  It's been hard to be away, but I also have to admit that it's been a bit of a vacation.  Generally, my head is in such a better place, that life is good.  I really enjoy the challenge of my new job.  It is the first time in years I've felt intelligent, and capable, and useful.  It's amazing what being busy and having a lot of challenging dilemmas presented to you can do for your self-perception. I had felt much too stagnant for much too long.

Beyond just finally liking the work, I love my new co-workers.  I have already made some very good friends, and generally like most everyone.  Even if part of my job is to be a PITA, and people don't always take that well. ;). Also, being away from my family, it gives me more time to socialize with all of them.  We go out to dinner together most nights, and often hit the gym together (ok, not that often) or end up in each others' rooms until all hours of the night.  My schedule is so screwy.  But I'm still getting more sleep than I ever could have dreamed of since having children.  Six or seven hours most nights.  I know!  Not only that, I don't have to cook clean, or even do laundry.  It's quite blissful.

I don't know how it will work once I get home.  I am replacing multiple people because they still need to hire more, so I have a lot on my plate.  That's not so hard when alone in a hotel, but we shall see in the future.  I'm also worried about the longer commute.  But it'll be ok.

Robby's doing well with it.  Apparently he usually cries for around 15 minutes when I leave, and will ask about me every hour or so, but he likes getting to see the trains.  He at least was still my cuddly little man when I got home last weekend.  Though he did try and misbehave a lot more than usual for me.

Generally, I couldn't ask for more.  I like my job.  I finally feel more like the social person I used to know.  My husband is doing a wonderful job holding down the fort.  I can't really edit this on the train, so you get to see TONS of typos and a picture turned the wrong way,but I've got to put it up, or it will never happen.  I'm almost home!!!!  YAY!

The Lion at 21 Months

I know, I know, I haven't posted at all about how my time away has been going.  Quickly, it's going well, I was glad to come home for the weekend, but things are good.  Hopefully I'll get a chance to write this week.  Now onto Robby's update.

Verbally, Robby seems to make such leaps in the week I'm away.  I come home and he has so many new words, strung together in so many new ways.  I do talk to him every night on Skype, but I still don't realize it until I'm there in person.  Apparently, last night he was gleefully announcing "a goose, a goose!" as he and Chris walked around the grocery store.  That's funny because we're always calling him a [silly] goose.

Physically, I don't suppose there's much new.  He's trying to climb out of his crib now, but it's really not a great time to deal with a switch, so we haven't tried.

Sleep is not going well.  He is trying to drop his one and only nap, which is not acceptable at 1.5.  This is happening at both home and daycare.  We're a little worried with my parents coming into town and letting him stay home that he will be more successful in fighting it.  We NEED that time on the weekends.  I know, selfish, but C'MON.  LOTS of kids nap until 3 if not kindergarten!

Favorite things: trucks, trains, cars, all vehicles, sports.  B-O-Y.  I was a little worried that leaving on the train would ruin it for him, but at least he still gets excited about that part of Sunday evening.  The conversation when I get on the phone, though, does go, "Train...bye bye...Mommy...work...no."  Over and over.  It's pretty sad.

Food: He hasn't been eating a ton.  He's been sick, his 2 year molars are coming in, you know the drill.  He still prefers carbs, junk food, and fruit.  His favorites are rice, grapes, apple juice, bread, and yogurt.

Danger: There's pretty much nothing that he can't get to anymore.  He can climb, move chairs, open doors, the whole deal.  We have washcloths hanging over doors to keep him from locking them. He has already locked me out of the bathroom once, and we didn't have a key for it.  Miraculously, I got him to open it for me. 

He apparently has been very well behaved for his father, but has acted out a LOT when I come home.  I guess we've finally proved that what daycare and other people have always said is true...he's good for everyone but me.  AH.  Apparently he didn't dump any of his toy bins the entire week last week, and then pretty much the second I walked in the door, he had dumped them ALL, and was coloring on the floor with crayons.  Cute.  You may notice that he's distracted in the above picture.  Um...yeah.  He's so his father's child.  See below:

At least it was an Ohio State game.

I miss you, I love you, I wish I had more time!

Why I Don't Deserve My Husband

Chris is a lot of things.  A football fanatic.  An engineer.  But most of all he's a pretty great husband who doesn't get very much credit.

So why don't I deserve him?  

He's a neat freak....I am "relaxed".

He is driven...I like down time.

He is compulsive about certain details...and I am compulsive about opposite ones.

He has passionate feelings about many things (mostly involving Penn State football)...And I try to always at least act interested.

He does chores that I abhor like lawn mowing and vacuuming and other noisy things...And I, well, do the ones he hates like ironing.  Draw there, I guess.

He is a fantastic dad that is going to do the single parent thing for the next month...while I go lounge around a hotel (and work, but pssh).

He sleeps well...and I stay up all night with the light on.

He is generally healthy...and tolerates that I am not.

He sticks his ground when toddlers misbehave...and I'm more inclined to give in.

Pretty much, he's just awesome, and loves me regardless.  Thanks, hun!  Happy Valentine's Day!