Savvy Toddler Mom

Today SavvyDad and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.  Wow, 10 years.  It feels like it’s been ten years…. but really the last five feel like they’ve lasted ten and the first five flew by in a blur.

SavvyDad and I have been through a lot the last ten (and especially the last five) years.  I cannot imagine anyone else that I could have survived those experiences with.  Today I celebrate him: his dedication, his love, his loyalty, his hard work, and his endurance.  Thank you, sweetheart, for being my friend, my lover, and my companion.

 Just for fun, here are some glimpses of our early years:

Fun wedding photo.

One of my favorite wedding photos… there we go, off on our adventure together.

At Rainbow Bridge in 2000 — still newlyweds and loving it!

SavvyDad graduated from college in our third year of marriage.  (I know, I hate my hair too.)

In 2004, we welcomed our little boy, the toot, into our family. He is the light of our lives.

Ugh… here I am.  Once again.  Apologizing for being terrible about blogging.  Not that I’m a terrible blogger (I hope), but that I am terrible about blogging regularly.  Can once a quarter be counted as regularly?

Anyway, here I am.  Again.  Sorry, guys. 

I think about you a lot - I do!  I think, that would be a great idea for a blog… that would be a fun thing to share… oh, people should really know about that… I can’t believe my life has brought me to this point, doing this activity; I really should blog about this.  I think about blogging, then I get back to the Chinese firedrill that has become my life and I forget.  I am neglectful.

Sorry.

I wish I could say that I will be better!  I wish I could recommit and resolve to being better about blogging.  However, knowing the way my time has been the last few weeks, and knowing that the future isn’t about to be that much different, I cannot.  And why?  Because… well, here’s what is going on in my life lately, bullet-point style:

• Had a great Christmas, enjoyed time with my family
• Increased work hours in January to 25/week, joined current employer officially as an employee (was a contractor prior to that)
• SavvyDad was laid-off quite unexpectedly mid-January - ugh
• Dithered for a week or two trying to decide what to do about income/future employment/grad school opportunities for SavvyDad/etc.
• Decided to increase hours to 30/week starting in February in order to get full-time status and qualify for benefits
• Realized how much I love my job
• Realized how much I miss the toot when I’m at work (in the office 2 days a week)
• Had CTM hire-on as well at my “new” company - we love working together
• Switched from a PC to a Mac, per new employer (UGH… I’m really liking the Mac, but the learning curve is STEEP)
• Took on more of a leadership role/responsibilities at “new” job - start to obsess and find myself working ALL the time
• Realize how much I really, really love my job
• Realize how much I really, really miss spending more time with the toot and SavvyDad
• Realize that SavvyDad is a better cook than I am

I think that’s the current situation in a nutshell.  I am up late tonight working on my quarterly goals for my marketing department.  Yep, my marketing department.  It’s mine.  For now, at least.  It might soon be someone else’s (someone who is willing to work full-time at the office), but for today it is mine and I am loving strategizing, planning, dreaming, executing, and seeing the results.  The success.  It’s like a drug.

My good friend Helen keeps telling me that I am the unwilling career woman.  That I keep running away from my career destiny.  (She, of course, is the willing career woman, climbing mountains to reach and revel in her career destiny.  Helen, you are an inspiration!)  It’s not that I’m unwilling or that I’m running away, but that I don’t want to JUST have a job.  I am a mom, I am a wife, I am a friend, I am a neighbor, I am a daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, and more… and those responsibilities take time.  I can’t help but try to do it all on my terms.

Do those terms include doing my quarterly planning while watching Grey’s Anatomy?  Maybe.  Or maybe I will finish first so that I can enjoy every second of McDreamy’s screen time.

I am extremely grateful for a boss and co-workers that are willing to be flexible with me, especially through this period of upheaval and adjustment!  Thank you, thank you!!!  I am also extremely grateful for my sweet husband that is willing to be even more flexible, swapping chores and roles and being cheerful about it.

Oh, there is so much more I could say!  Maybe another day, another post.

Back to the Mac and my PowerPoint.  Hope you, my steadfast readers (if you are still reading at this point, you are steadfast), are doing well; are happy and healthy and enjoying the new year.

What a week!  A busy, fun, snow-filled week!

First of all, thank you for all the birthday wishes!  I am overwhelmed.  I have to share a couple of my favorite gifts:

• SavvyDad framed the James C. Christensen Shakespeare print we bought a couple of years ago at the Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, UT.  The frame is beautiful and he immediately hung it in our room on my side of the bed!  Thanks again, hon!
• Thank you, Tiffany & Phil, for the AWESOME sweatshirt.  It reads, “I [heart] Mr. Darcy.”  I laughed and laughed.  Thank you!!!!  After opening, I said, “Oh, I can’t WAIT to blog about that!”  Then I opened my next gift…
• Thanks again, Anne & Matt, for the fabulous t-shirt!  It reads, “i am so blogging this.”  I love it!  And very true-to-life. LOL
• And last, but not least, thanks, Heather, for the Fairytale Brownies.  I am sad to say they didn’t last long.  The toot especially loved them and helped himself (toddler scissors in hand) at every opportunity.  Thank you again!!

Breakfast with Santa was a huge success.  Man, my MIL is amazing.  Really.  And her three daughters are following in her footsteps.  My SIL made this amazing cinnamon pull-apart tree.  She made it up completely on her own.  (Photo by SavvyDad.)

Santa was absolutely perfect.  I wish I could post some pics of the kids, but my internet paranoia is too strong.  But here is a shot of Santa himself (photo by SavvyDad):

We also had a really fun extended-family Christmas get-together for my side of the family last night.  It was so great to see my cousins and have our children play together.  We don’t do it often enough!  On that side of the family, there are 10 great-grandchildren and the toot is one of the two boys!  My nephew wasn’t there, so he and the five girls that were there played and played.  Matt & Anne, we really missed Liesel & Sage!  They would have had a great time in all the chaos.

My wonderful cousin Amber just announced that she is expecting her fourth girl.  She and her husband do daughters so well!  I am so excited for you.

My “little” brother and his wife are days away from having a little boy!  I can’t wait for little Coleby to get here.  I am so excited for them to have the newborn baby experience… the overwhelming love, the complete lack of sleep, the overwhelming love that keeps you from strangling this little person that has turned your life upsidedown.  It’s going to be awesome.  They totally deserve to have just the happiest New Year with a sweet little guy to make the rest of their lives that much sweeter.

Today is the second anniversary of the day we lost our little Elizabeth.  It seems a lot longer and a lot shorter at the same time.  A year ago last Thursday we lost our little James.  Needless to say, Christmastime is a little bit melancholy for us now.  I am trying hard to enjoy the season… enjoy not being pregnant trying to shop and cook and run around, enjoy not being in the hospital and getting sympathy cards and flowers instead of Christmas cards and goodies.  But it’s still hard when I think about the little people that should be here enjoying it with us.  The little people that shouldn’t allow us to have ornaments on the lower half of the tree… the little people that should be having their first or second Christmas and… the little people that their big brother should be playing with.  It just breaks my heart.  It seems like the sweetest things hurt the most, too… a double-edged sword.  The toot can be SO funny and darling… and it should be twice as much (at least).

I got some snowflake ornaments this year with all of our little babies’ names and dates on them.  They are beautiful.  If you are looking for something like that to remember loved ones you’ve lost, look at Things Remembered.  That’s where I got mine.

Okay, enough crying.  Gah.

Can I just tell you that I am SO stinkin’ excited for Christmas?!?!?!  I don’t remember being this excited in… probably 15 years.  I can’t WAIT to see the toot’s face when he walks into the living room on Christmas morning.  I can’t WAIT to see the magic happen as Santa brings him what he asked for.  I can’t WAIT to see SavvyDad’s surprise and delight at two things in particular!  I can’t WAIT to see my nephews and nieces enjoy the gifts I got them.  It really is better to give than to receive.

The weather was so frightful this morning, that I sluffed church (shhhh…) and made these ornaments/embellishments instead.  If you are wondering, they are by Cosmo Cricket.  Nothing like cutting and pasting to the sounds of Handel’s “Messiah.”  I was in heaven.

Also wanted to share a pic of our Christmas tree:

I got the polka dot and striped ornaments new this year (at Costco, of course) and just LOVE them.

Also on the holiday fun parade, we have the toot’s gingerbread contribution (thanks to Grandma Pam):

I helped him decorate and apparently I am terrible with frosting.  Oh, well…

Another very festive thing from last week was when SavvyDad was on breakfast duty.  He made the toot a snowman pancake!  How cute is he?

I am really looking forward to a fun Christmasy week… the toot has his preschool program and I am just a giddy parent thinking about seeing his first school program!  He also has his tumbling “program” so he can show off his wicked skills.

On Saturday, my hostess-with-the-mostest MIL is having a “Breakfast with Santa” for all the grandkids and great-nieces and nephews.  I think this will be the third year she has done it and it is just adorable!  My SIL’s neighbor’s dad (or something like that…) is a professional Santa, so they have him come with a bag of treats for each of the kids.  They get to sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas in a safe, familiar setting.  The toot has yet to go up by himself or sit on his lap… but maybe this year!!! LOL

My birthday is also this week, so that will be… interesting.  For some reason, this birthday is kind of a hard one.  I keep thinking I should be excited to start a new year – clean slate, fresh start, since 32 hasn’t been the greatest – but I can’t help but feel a little melancholy about leaving this year behind.  Almost like I’m hoping for a do-over or something.  I don’t know.  I’m going to have to give that some thought.

Well, that’s a note to end on.  (Sorry!)  I hope you are enjoying this Christmas season as much as I am.  I’ve decided that 4-year-old Christmas is WAY more fun than 3.  So much more excitement and magic.  So much more to enjoy.  So much more to love.

I am loving my sweet new job, but my commitments there – combined with the holiday season and a million other things — allow me little time for blogging!  Every time I think I’m getting in a groove, I find myself at my desk until midnight every night (like this week) and exhausted beyond belief (like today).  So, I am taking a moment for myself (and for you guys) to let you know I’m still here.  I think.

To get you caught up, since my last post:

• the toot turned 4 - ack!
• we survived a 38-invitee Star Wars birthday party (ack again…)
• SavvyDad’s grandma hosted the entire family (42!) on a cruise to the Western Caribbean (ah…)
• I went on a 5-day business trip to NY (fun, but very tiring)
• the toot was Darth Vader for Halloween and was HILARIOUS
• the Christmas season hit and 4-year-old Christmas is SO incredibly fun!

Those are the highlights.  Well, back to the grindstone.  I think I’m about finished with my Christmas shopping, but there are still Christmas cards to stuff, labels to make, neighbor gifts to cook and package… and don’t forget the bi-weekly trip to Costco!

“Mr. Darcy thinks you’re hot.”

That’s how Shannon Hale signed my copy of Austenland on Saturday.  Totally made my day.

If you are a Jane Austen fan and like fun escapy-kinds of Austen knock-offs, check this one out.

Also, if you haven’t heard of Shannon Hale and you have teenage or preteen girls in your house, check out her other YA books like: The Goose Girl, Princess Academy, River Secrets, and Book of a Thousand Days.  She and her husband also just published a graphic novel, Rapunzel’s Revenge.  I picked up a copy on Saturday for the toot (and had them sign it!) and it is really fun!  It’s a western Rapunzel tale that goes through the fairy tale and beyond.  I haven’t finished it yet, but I am definitely enjoying it.

Shannon assured me that she has another non-YA book coming out next year, but I have already forgotten the title.  (My brain leaks.)  I’m excited, though!!!

Another huge thank you to SavvyDad for doing the grueling Costco-and-grocery-store run with the toot while I went to the book signing.  You made my Saturday!  Thank you so much, sweetheart.

This totally made me laugh today.  Thanks to SavvyDad’s cousin Ryan for sending it along.  (Sorry, Ry, I had to clean it up a bit for publishing.)

******

If you are 30 or older you will think this is hilarious!!! (If you’re close, you’ll probably think so too.)

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning … uphill BOTH ways - yadda, yadda, yadda.

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they’ve got it!

But now that I’m over the ripe old age of  thirty, I can’t help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You’ve got it so easy!
I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a utopia!

And I hate to say it but you kids today, you don’t know how good you’ve got it!
I mean, when I was a kid we didn’t have the internet.
If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!!
We had to actually write  somebody a letter with a pen!
Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3s or Napsters!
You wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!  Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!

We didn’t have fancy crap like call waiting!
If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that’s it!

And we didn’t have fancy caller ID boxes either!
When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was!
It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn’t know!!! 
You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn’t have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics!
We had the Atari 2600!
With games like ‘Space Invaders’ and ‘Asteroids.’
Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!
And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! 
And you could never win.
The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died!
Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there was no such thing as stadium seating!
All the seats were the same height!
If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn’t see, you were just screwed!

Sure, we had cable television, but back then that  was only like 15 channels and there was no on screen menu and no remote control!
You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on!
You were screwed when it came to channel surfing!
You had to get off your butt and walk over to the TV to change the channel and there was no Cartoon Network either!
You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning.
Do you hear what I’m saying!?!
We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little brats!

And we didn’t have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove or go build a freaking fire.
Imagine that!
If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot.
That’s exactly what I’m talking about!
You kids today have got it too easy.
You’re spoiled.

You guys wouldn’t have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,
The Over 30 Crowd

Blech. It’s been too long since I’ve blogged!  I think I am getting my life under control, thanks in most part to my new nanny.  She is the BEST!

The toot also started preschool last week and… WOW, is preschool awesome?  That is a topic for a whole other blog.  We’ll come back to that later.

Today I wanted to bring your attention to two can’t-miss events going on right now:

1. Utah State Fair
2. Monet to Picasso Exhibit

Go!  If you can, go NOW!

We went to the Utah State Fair on opening day last Thursday and had a blast.  SavvyDad got third place in the advanced amateur photo contest - CONGRATS AGAIN!!!!  I will have to post his winning photo.  The toot had so much fun seeing the animals, riding a pony, going on the merry-go-round and playing at the Little Hands on the Farm exhibit.  Grab the kids and go.  Don’t forget the anti-bacterial wipes.

As for the Monet to Picasso exhibit, SavvyDad and I are going tomorrow morning.  Review to come!  It IS a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially if you don’t travel very much.  You’ll need to jump on this one immediately, though, as the exhibit is only here (Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the U of U) through September 21st.  Tickets are sold in 2-hour specific time slots and they are going fast.  Best way to get tickets is by purchasing them online, but you have to do it at least a day in advance.  The exhibit is open in the evenings only on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.  Children under six are free. Get tickets now!

That’s all I have for now.  Gotta jump and get on a conference call.  More soon!

A year ago today I broke out on my own from a free WordPress blog.  What a year it has been!  Unfortunately, this blog hasn’t become what I had envisioned, but there is still time.

At any rate, I would like to take a moment to celebrate the life that is the blog — being a mom to my cute little guy, the toot, who keeps me running and running and running.  He is the light of my life and I can’t imagine another experience this life has to offer that would make me grow more.  Parenting is the quintessential life experience, isn’t it?

Here’s a shot SavvyDad took of me (and the toot!) at Silver Lake near Brighton last week.  He titled it “A Mommy’s Life.”

Here’s to a better year… hopefully more blogging, fewer miscarriages, and much, much more of the happy, wonderful things that make parenting so rewarding.

Alright, so the career crisis is almost over, my hideous cold (or whatever secondary infection I got) is being attacked by wonderful antibiotics, and it’s almost August.  Ack!  Must be time to get back on the blog wagon.

This last week has been kind of a blur.  Full of spreadsheets and coughing, pioneers and bed wetting (the last was the toot, not me). 

Seriously, did we actually have a holiday last week?  If it wasn’t for the fireworks I would have missed it completely, I was so sick.  SavvyDad took the toot to the Days of ‘47 Parade and had a great time.  I went to the Instacare.

(If you are wondering what this Utah state holiday is all about, check out my more appropriate post from last year.)

But about the bed wetting… ugh.  So, the toot is practically potty trained.  He did it almost completely by himself in a few weeks’ time.  However, he is still a little hit-and-miss overnight.  Does anyone have any suggestions for that?  The last two nights he’s woken up crying because he wet the bed.  Not only is it upsetting to him, SavvyDad and I are losing (more) sleep and I’ve been having to do a lot of laundry.  If this keeps up, I think I’ll need to make a bigger investment in sheets and blankets.

I don’t want to just put him in a pull-up, though.  He wants to wear his underwear and he says he wants to try to keep them dry.  I don’t want to force training wheels on him if he doesn’t want them.  Any ideas?

Along these lines, have I mentioned how much I love my washing machine?  Well, I do.  Last August we got a front-loading LG washing machine and I have been having a love affair with it ever since.  It’s amazing.  Not only do our clothes get cleaner, but it’s HUGE (think: 1 1/2 times as many clothes per load as our old one), uses less detergent (high-efficiency only!), less water, and less energy (qualifies for energy rebates!), and is really fun to use.  No, really.  It’s fun to fill up the little drawer for the detergent, fabric softener, bleach, etc. and the toot and I like to watch the clothes swirl around after we turn it on.  My favorite perk (aside from all the above) is the cute chiming sounds it makes when you push the buttons and when it finishes the cycle.  It’s adorable.  Happiness in laundry.

I just put three twin-sized blankets in to wash at the same time.  It’s awesome.